Developers impressed with PSP

LAS VEGAS--Sony's sleek new portable has captivated consumer interest with its high-resolution LCD screen and multimedia capabilities, but the PSP has also impressed developers that are creating games for the new system.

Numerous developers we spoke with indicated that the PSP unit turned out to be much stronger than expected. Most developers singled out the PSP's screen as the most surprising part of the new system.

According to EA associate producer Joel Manners, "The beauty of the image on the screen was far brighter, far crisper, far more robust than we thought it was going to be. In fact, when we first got the development kits in, we had to rethink how to do more--the screen was way more than we thought it would be."

EA's initial PSP test software looked great on emulators using regular CRT displays, but the actual PSP screen appeared bland because it didn't take advantage of the screen's brightness and contrast. The developers had to adjust light models and textures to take advantage of the extra detail and vibrancy provided by the screen.

The graphics power of the unit is also capable of processing higher polygon counts than expected. Developers moving existing console franchises to the PSP can spend more time on creating original art rather than worrying about reducing polygon counts on existing art.

Developing for a new platform is always a challenge, but in addition to learning how to program for a new system, developers must also put thought into how to create games that take advantage of the portable nature of the system and its powerful hardware. Konami product manager Jason Enos suggests that, "from a sheer conceptual standpoint, figuring out what types of games would be best for the PSP is a major challenge."

Simply delivering the console experience on the PSP isn't enough because a console-style game doesn't take advantage of the system's portability. Racing games and sports games have the benefit of granting each player his own individual screen rather than having to split the display in a traditional console environment. In addition to these obvious multiplayer tweaks, developers have also started designing games with play-session duration in mind.

A playing session on a handheld can be as short as a few minutes, or it can extend out to several hours. EA has added new features and gameplay modes to Tiger Woods PGA Tour for the PSP to account for these gamers on the go. Players can skip past the game animation during the computer's turn during a single-player match, and multiplayer matches feature fast-paced modes that can eliminate players after each round of play. There's also a special "Bingo Bango Bongo" multiplayer mode that allows players to play against each other on the same hole in real time where the fastest, most accurate player wins. The game also keeps track of individual win-loss records to keep the multiplayer competition alive in between sessions.

Even with all the work put into creating quality games for the new system, many developers admit that the PSP's quality design and stylish appearance will help market penetration. According to EA's Manners, "The PSP is so cool that it's going to be one of those early adopter status symbols that people are going to want to pull out and show off."

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