PSP: The "Gateway Drug" to Console Gaming

[GS News]

When drawing comparisons and analogies, it’s often an excellent decision to bring drugs into the mix. That’s exactly what SCEA senior marketing manager John Koller did recently when discussing the PSP, claiming that Sony’s handheld system is a “gateway drug” into the world of console gaming.

“In the past, it was a small screen experience. It was something that was very difficult to have from a social perspective,” he said, in discussing the changes PSP has brought to handheld gaming. “Those things have changed.”

That’s not all that has changed, though. Sony originally targeted a much older demographic with the PSP, expecting the 28-40 year old business man as the system’s prime target. Instead, the system has turned into a multiplayer-happy handheld for a much younger crowd.

“It’s become, from a gaming perspective, a lot different than I think we even envisioned it when we first launched it,” said Koller.

“That’s a very good thing. It’s expansionary. For us, the PSP is a very high growth, high margin business and something that is a very good product for us.”

Is it a gateway drug, though? I’m not entirely sure about that, as I think the PSP is still a fairly intimidating gaming experience — certainly more so than something like the Wii or a cell phone game.

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