Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
I Have a Bad Feeling About The Cost Of Sony's NGP
Like most of you, my first question about any hardware is: "What does it cost?" Sony's not revealing that yet, and I have a bad feeling about that. Call me pessimistic, but my marketing instincts tell me that if Sony knew the price was great, they would have announced it already. Don't let the rumors fly, don't let Monday morning QB hacks like myself write blogs like this raising questions – just celebrate it as another great feature of the handheld.
But they haven't done that. In fact in an interview with our own Phil Kollar, president of Sony's worldwide studios, Shuhei Yoshida sounded like a man trying to brace the public for sticker shock. "Hopefully when we announce the price, people will see the proper value." So does he mean that he hopes people will understand that the great tech in the NGP is expensive and people should be mindful of that? I think this is exactly what Sony is thinking, and I venture to guess that they're using this initial announcement time period to get you salivating over the thing before they drop the bomb on you.
What would I pay for a NGP? I'd love it if the thing was $250. I hope it's under $300. If it's $350 there better be a great pack-in game (which I doubt, since Sony seems to like to wait and offer bundles later on). North of $350, and Sony is approaching dangerous territory. We've heard rumors that it could be $400, but one analyst has also said it'd be $300-$350. Unfortunately we just don't know yet.
Price aside, there are plenty of things I like about the NGP including:
- Two analog sticks, of course.
- Near PS3-level graphics (so they say)
- The back touchscreen (since you can use it without ever having to take your thumbs off the sticks)
- That it's games-focused, and not some gaming handheld/phone Franken-device
Next up for Sony? Give the thing a proper name already!
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
