PSP is no ‘dumb terminal,’ is in for the long haul

Sony loves to talk about its famous “ten-year plan” for the PlayStation 3, mainly because it vaguely defends the fact that the first several years of it have had little to offer. With that in mind, it should perhaps come as no surprise that Sony is using similar talk of longevity to describe its venture into the handheld market, the PSP.

Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, Sony’s Scott Steinberg had this to say:

We do not have a planned obsolescence strategy [for the PSP]. Whether it’s Skype or some other peripherals, it’s not just a dumb terminal that lies secluded and isn’t enhanced with all the recent technologies and opportunities.

What exactly does this mean? Is Sony somehow hoping the original PSP will last as long as the first Gameboy, or is Steinberg talking more in terms of the brand name than the actual current system? Perhaps … and this is just a long shot … it’s nothing but the usual PR bollocks. Who knows?

If anything, it’s gratifying to see that Sony refuses to give up with the PSP. Despite its problems, at least in the West, it’s always been a terrific piece of hardware. To see Sony continue to stand by the product is pleasing, and shows that the company is committed to the items it puts on the market. Now, if only the PSP’s release schedule wasn’t as empty as Hilary Clinton’s pants, we’d get somewhere.

James Stephanie Sterling