Ubisoft blames Sony for 'directionless' PSP

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 5th 2008 at 10:00AM }

We've been reiterating this point many times before, but for those of us with PSPs outside of Japan, we must prepare for an incredible software drought. While games like Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 and Secret Agent Clank will occupy our summer, there isn't much to look forward to from third party publishers on Sony's handheld. Ubisoft's UK managing director Rob Cooper told GI.biz: "I think that Sony is disappointed with sales and it's unsure as to which way to take it ... Sony needs to show us a bit more about what its plans are to convince the publisher to invest lots more money into it. Especially when you've got the DS selling at such a tremendous pace."

"It's direction, a real strategic decision by Sony as to what it wants to do with that product. It's a great shame that sales are at the level they are, because you've got a hardware system that is absolutely beautiful ... we're not developing too many games on it until we get some direction." Ubisoft currently has zero PSP games in development, a trend not uncommon amongst non-Japanese publishers at the moment.

Ubisoft is responsible for a number of flawed PSP ports, such as Rainbow Six Vegas (Metascore 60) and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Metascore 61).

[Via NeoGAF]

Tags: psp, rob-cooper, ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Neuromancer @ Jun 5th 2008 10:20AM

Sounds to me like the problem is Ubi makes shitty PSP games.

Good games sell themselves and you don't need Sony to sell them for you.

Lars @ Jun 5th 2008 3:51PM

I agree, it sounds like an excuse from Ubisoft. Sony makes awesome hardware that is very flexible. So, the PSP can take any direction based on the games made for it.

Sounds more like Ubi is confused what direction to take.

The DS may sell like hotcakes but I think it's because it's meant for kids really (yes, adults can enjoy it too, but it's clearly designed with kids in mind). Any big-name item geared towards kids is going to sell like hotcakes. In my experience I see a lot of DS's simply used as a pacifier for kids who recently outgrew baby pacifiers. I would suspect that the number of mature gamers using PSP's vs DS's is skewed towards the PSP.

Lars @ Jun 5th 2008 4:02PM

trystero @ Jun 5th 2008 10:34AM

Nah, I have to agree with Ubi on this one... Yeah, the games Ubi put out were pretty bad, but there is *no* strategic direction for this platform. Every few months a Sony exec tries to provide some vision, but I hardly ever see that vision executed on.

Ayrkain @ Jun 5th 2008 3:22PM

"Strategic Vision"??? I could care less about strategic vision. I hate the fact that this gen is full of morons spouting off marketing terms as though that's really what the whole thing is all about. Sure, marketing plays it's role, but this is supposed to be about GAMING, not marketing bullshit. Let Ubi make some decent games, then they can make their own direction.

Nobledevil @ Jun 5th 2008 10:57AM

Wait... so they make two mediocre piles of dung that could have been amazing, benchmark titles for the PSP and they blame Sony for this...

Yeah, the PSP could use one big strategic plan from Sony that they can stick with forever (like the DS has), but Ubisoft's games sucked anyway, so I doubt that if the system gets the direction they want that they will suddenly start making great games for it.

chris @ Jun 5th 2008 11:21AM

i agree with ubi, it is not an issue of THEIR games it is a issue of games at all, when i got to gamestop, i have been staring at the EXACT same wall of games for what seems like a year. Sony has no idea what to do with psp in America, and i honestly think they don't care

Ted @ Jun 5th 2008 10:57AM

So the Rainbow and Ghost games suck? Thats too bad because I love UBiSoft games usually.

matt @ Jun 5th 2008 11:05AM

Sounds about right. My brother quit from Sony's marketing department 2 years ago because he felt that those in charge had no clue what they were doing.

matt @ Jun 5th 2008 11:09AM

I am shocked to hear that Sony is disappointed with sales. I can see a year ago or longer, but since Christmas the PSP has been selling great, and not just in Japan.

matt @ Jun 5th 2008 11:14AM

Oh, and I am tired of the PSP being compared to the DS. The DS/gameboy line has been out for a long time and is established.

I'll also let you in on a little secret too...THE DS HAS A BOATLOAD OF GAMES!!!!

required @ Jun 5th 2008 12:09PM

The PSP has as many if not more games than the DS and the PSP most definitely has more critically acclaimed titles.

pixelator @ Jun 5th 2008 11:22AM

At least someone is saying it. Because it needs saying.

I've said it before - Sony is abandoning their best chance at a solid game platform this gen. It's not the PS3.

The PSP has units out there to make a GOOD system. Why Sony refuses to push the machine properly, provide incentives to developers and bring the goddamned Japanese games over here is beyond me. They're wondering what to 'do' when the answer is simply 'your jobs'.

How many DS games don't get ported over from Japan? Not that many. How many third parties developing for DS here in the USA? Tons. How are DS software sales? A hell of a lot better than the PSP. That's due to more effort being spent on the part of Nintendo to make sure the games are filling shelves, accessories are filling racks and there's a constant buzz of interesting new stuff coming down the pipe. Sony has lately failed at all of that, despite decent to rather good hardware sales.

WAKE UP, SONY! Your best shot at a good Christmas and 08/09 season is quickly slipping away.

FatalChaos @ Jun 5th 2008 11:39AM

If 3rd party games weren't so damn crappy (and ports) maybe the sales would be better and they wouldn't need to have Sony to show them "which way to take it".

acefondu @ Jun 5th 2008 11:34AM

I like the PSP, but the game selection is dry as a bone. It should be obvious to any game developer that putting a good game on the system should be profitable since there currently are none (or 2-3 if you want the less dramatic answer).

required @ Jun 5th 2008 12:10PM

Again, the PSP has as many if not more games than the DS and the PSP most definitely has more critically acclaimed titles.

acefondu @ Jun 5th 2008 1:16PM

I wish I could agree with you, but I'm a big fan of facts, and the facts are that the DS is owning the PSP in every respect. Especially games. And the 'more critically acclaimed' comment is really funny considering the DS has taken every hand held game of the year vote since it came out, Phantom Hourglass being the most recent. Again, I really wish I could agree, I'd like nothing more than a reason to play my PSP again.

required @ Jun 5th 2008 2:14PM

acefondu the DS is not owning the PSP in every respect. In fact the thing can't do much at all in comparison.

required @ Jun 5th 2008 2:14PM

fondu ace, the DS is not owning the PSP in every respect. In fact the thing can't do much at all in comparison.

casey @ Jun 5th 2008 9:32PM

required- The psp has no where near the amount of games that the ds has. do your homework before you start spitting out bull****. look up tothegame.com, and you'll see that the ds has 200 more games (excluding upcoming and cancelled games) than the psp.

acefondu @ Jun 5th 2008 10:04PM

"acefondu the DS is not owning the PSP in every respect. In fact the thing can't do much at all in comparison."

Fair enough. I prefer games clearly though.

JM @ Jun 5th 2008 11:34AM

I thought it was pirates what were killing the psp...

Anthony @ Jun 5th 2008 2:06PM

Actually I think it's ninjas that are killing the PSP -- Nin-tendo-jas

Kade Storm @ Jun 8th 2008 4:29AM

Hmm. Well, then it's quite possible that thinking isn't your forte. Why? Because pirates are everywhere and abusing every product and market. They are part of the problem, but are they 'the only problem'? You'd really be proving me right on the thinking bit if you were to answer with a 'yes'.

Brandon @ Jun 5th 2008 11:53AM

I think both parties are somewhat responsible. Ubi is quite well known for having high standards for some projects, and also having very low standard for the vast majority of others. I can think of numerous games and ports Ubi has made for the PSP (essentially all of them) that aren't worth the plastic they are stamped from. The two Prince of Persia titles on the PSP were careless shoddy titles that many other companies would be ashamed of considering worth a gamers money. This isn't the PSP's problem, but a company who has not made a single good game for the system.

Why would it take a marketing direction from sony for ubisoft to make a quality game? Shouldn't they be able to make a good product regardless of whether it be casual or hardcore, short or long? You don't see ReadyAtDawn or Q entertainment making shit, despite there not being a clear market perspective. It's no excuse for Ubi to expect people to want crap. They didn't sell because they were not worth buying.

Piracy from the homebrew scene is the biggest problem of the PSP since it causes games that have been considered stellar from reaching their sales potential. Why buy a 30 dollar game when some site with a minor install can get it to you for free? I think with the next system, Sony is going to ensure that the system has some hardware based challenge to tampering with system firmware. So that if you want to modify the firmware, you would have to do some hardcore hardware modifications.

TibyAndy @ Jun 5th 2008 12:19PM

Why do people keep complaining about PSP Piracy? It exists on DS too.

Kylock @ Jun 5th 2008 3:24PM

Because it receives more attention than DS piracy because it's supposedly 'easier.' Though if you know anything about enabling a PSP it certainly can be hard, not to mention that since the slim came out PSP sales skyrocketed and without having a spare PSP phat around it is impossible to enable homebrew on the slims.

So it's a safe bet that most people with slims aren't pirating because, well, they can't.

But succumbing to rampant hysteria is easy these days.

Tatsukishi @ Jun 5th 2008 12:03PM

Mostly the problem is that fps gamers don't like the system for lack of the second analog stick. I say tough I don't like fps anyway if your into those go buy a 360 and stfu. There are alot of amazing games out for psp that seem to be ignored for the most part. Games like Dead Head Fred, and Loco Roco. Just to name a few. The PSP is also the number one place to find decent role playing games as there is a major drought in those on major consoles atm. I personally own both the psp and the ds. However I find my psp to be alot more fulfilling and the stylus on the ds to be the worst feature on the handheld.

Alien @ Jun 5th 2008 12:10PM

Ubisoft didnt even bother to put a quality game on the PSP , and they complain , Make a quality POP like Assassin Creed and then talk . Of course that crappy games like R6 , GRAW2 and King Kong dont sell well ( well actually KK did 600k , so thats not bad :P ) . Give us quality and we will buy .

Still he has a point , with all the focus on the GO! features Sony forgot about games again :(

required @ Jun 5th 2008 12:20PM

Ubisoft lacks direction.

resistanciafilms @ Jun 5th 2008 2:33PM

what tyby andy said its true tjeres piracy of the ds, and also of wii ps2 and xbox360, you can find it everywhere (in mexico where i live) the problem its that sony´s psp stretegy (if theres any) SUCKS i love the psp i had the ps2 and now i have the xbox360, and my favorite gaming device its the psp, but to be honest its really disappoiting that there are no new games and you get the impression its not going to change.

i guess that if sony keeps going on this direction psp will die. and its too bad cause its a great device.

Binaryfiend @ Jun 5th 2008 3:04PM

I do agree that the PSP needs a more focused game plan but I don't agree that "Sony has gone a little bit too complicated, they've over-specced it". If you look at hand held devices in general they are all expanding capabilities not whittling them down. Who wants to carry around a lot devices in your pocket when one can serve so many functions?

What is funny to me is that he says:

"I don't think it's a pricing issue. As a publisher I'll always say pricing is not the first point of call. "

and then goes on to say: "the price is too high and they need to go back to the drawing board and start again."

Um what?

Mattchewie @ Jun 5th 2008 3:07PM

hey Ubi soft, the direction of a game console is to play games.....there is your motivation now make a game that actually is worth buying.

Good games = great money
Bad games = poor money

You can't blame sony for everything. The DS is like the WII in respects that its more for casual playing. I know this might sound weird but adults, unlike younger kids, can call you on your BS attempt at a game. Not our fault we won't fall it.

However, Sony, you do need to get on the marketing ship and really show this stuff down peoples throat and let them know its out there. Its been forever since I saw either a ps3 commercial or psp commercial.

m0nkie @ Jun 5th 2008 3:17PM

dont blame piracy for lack of games etc., blame shitty sony marketers for having what we have... drought, is that what u called it? if u are waiting for flood of goood games.. well, we have no other choice but wait.. and play name-your-game-on-other-console-or-pc

Brandon @ Jun 5th 2008 4:02PM

I dont think there is a lack of games, and if there was it wouldnt be because of piracy, but poor sales. Japan also had/has an issue selling PSP software, but that market has shown that sells can be made with the right game (notice how I said "the right game" and not "a good game", timing and the right market can be as important to sales as quality).

I think the reason the games dont sell is there isnt a concentrated type of gamer on the psp. Because of all of its features, its attracted a varied group of people who respond to different aspects of the device and differing tastes in games. So to make a game like Loco Roco, it will only appeal to a certain number of the install base because they dont have as similar tastes to eachother as the majority of ds buyers. But you cant say piracy ISNT a factor either. All you have to do is to a simple search and find hundred of sites with torrents for psp titles. And on has to admit that its an easier task on the psp (phat) than it is on many other systems.

drdre74 @ Jun 5th 2008 3:41PM

Make crappy games and of course no one will buy them. This is the first year really that must have games have come out on the psp. God of war and FF are just two. There arent that many games on it that are worth buying.

Jacksons @ Jun 5th 2008 3:50PM

Well here's one thing that bugs me about some of the software.... There are plenty of great, original games on the PSP that I enjoy immensely. With that, I will not buy a PSP game if it's just a watered down port of a 360/PS3 game. Ever. I didn't buy the PSP to play a compromised version of a game I could instead buy on home console. This is what makes titles like Daxter, Size Matters, God of War and many others so great. They're popular franchises, but they're their own games, not just chopped down ports.

Saigon @ Jun 5th 2008 5:28PM

I believe the greatest thing Sony could do for psp right now, is to immediately start development on a few GOOD first-party games, then have then released no later than the holidays. If this drought continues into next year, then 2008 will be remembered as a horrible year for non-Japanese psp owners. And yes, I know that Crisis Core and Chains of Olympus came out a while ago.

"DS is not owning the PSP in every respect. In fact the thing can't do much at all in comparison."

Quoted for truth.

Kylock @ Jun 5th 2008 5:41PM

Comparison to what? Obviously not total world wide sales, obviously not software sales, so what are we comparing? Technical specs?

Saigon @ Jun 5th 2008 6:20PM

PSP has more higher rated games than the ds, according to metacritic, gamespot, ign, etc. I'm not saying the ds has no good games, I'm just saying the psp has more better ones.

Yes, hardware and software sales are higher with the ds. IIRC, the ds is approaching hardware sales of the ps2. Does that mean the ds is a better system then the ps2, or that it will end up having better library then the ps2? Hell freakin' no.

As far as which one is technically superior, this is a no brainer. The ds has the touchscreen(which I don't even like using most of the time) and two screens. The psp has a gorgeous screen, despite being a cheap lcd panel. It has more functionality, with an internet browser, audio, and video playback. Oh, and psp looks way more cooler then the ds.

So yeah, I the ds, but I like the psp much more.

Jacksons @ Jun 6th 2008 12:09AM

I actually give the PSP's screen a lot of credit. The viewing angle is superb. My DS's colors invert if I tilt it even slightly. It's still a great system, but it's always bothered me.

Brian @ Jun 5th 2008 5:41PM

COme on ubi has sony every set a direction for any of it's systems ..... Stop trying to blame Sony when your crappy games fail ....... you wanna know how to make a great shooter for the PSP just look at Sony's Syphon filter or Socom series on the PSP, you want action just look at God of war, Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sony has been developing great game for the PSP.

Here's a tip .... develop games with the hardware in mind. Let you games do the talking and cut all the bull!

Jeremy @ Jun 5th 2008 6:45PM

While it's true most of Ubisoft's games have been bad, quality is no guarantee of sales, either. Look at Crush or Puzzlequest. Both got extremely high ratings and were well received by players, but flopped horribly sales wise.

The Syphon Filter series from Sony doesn't sell, that's about as high as production values get on the PSP.

People just don't buy PSP games, period. Even big name, high budget games like GoW and Crisis Core will probably be lucky to break half a million.

Conversely, something like Drawn to Life (sort of an analogy to Crush in it's cleverness and quirkiness) sold something like a million on the DS. And then crappy licensed shovelware (which Ubisoft does a lot of) also often sells a million it (Hannah Montana, High School Musical, etc)

Daniel @ Jun 5th 2008 9:14PM

Piracy is a huge issue here. Great games such as God of War, Crisis Core, Final Fantasy Tactics are selling like crap because people can download them for free. And by people, I meant the people Sony aimed to sell the PSP to, teenagers to adults in their 20s, maybe late 20 to early 30s. People who knows how to use a computer and read simple instructions can download the hack, install the hack, download the game, and play games for free! PSP fanboy had a stat on few months ago on some pirated games and God of Wars only came out for a couple of days and the download was already at 100k! 100k times 40 dollars a game is 4 million dollars developers could have made. God of War has been out for months now, who knows what the number is now?
DS is a making so much money because it is aiming at kids and casual gamers. Kids who says "look i am so cute, please buy me a game" to mommy and daddy, and mommy and daddy will buy the games for them. Sure there are hacks for the DS, but those kids wouldn't know what to do anyways. These people even buys videos on DS! And they look like crap! But, heck, people buy them and now they last longer than UMD movies.

Zippon @ Jun 6th 2008 6:03AM

Daniel, you hit the nail on the head! This is something I've been meaning to write up as a response to Pixelator's constant dismissal of piracy ("since every platform has it") and his belief that lack of advertising and good games is to blame. I've never seen him address FF:CC, GoW, or Patapon, even though I've asked him to. Great games, well-advertised....still pirated to hell and back.

Yeah, piracy exists on the DS, but it's all about demographics. The PSP is for older, more knowledgable gamers. It's not as easy to use as a DS. So a smaller percentage of DS users will have the skill or inclination to pirate. Whereas the PSP is attractive to the very element that LIKES to pirate and hack, by virtue of its power and versatility.

People know about PSP games. If they went to the trouble of spending $200+ on a unit (and sales of hardware have been great of late), then they know enough to walk into a Gamestop or check online for games. The primary problem is not advertising---it's LACK OF PEOPLE PAYING FOR THEIR GAMES. Period.

Developers have been burned by CFW and piracy. Even high-profile developers (FF:CC, GoW, etc). So why should anyone pour millions into new games for a customer base that so warmly embraces theft?

Kade Storm @ Jun 8th 2008 4:42AM

Narrowing it down to one aspect is one of the most ignorant thing the two of you can promote. F*** the DS. Okay? Look at the other consoles. PS2 has had its own share of notorious piracy. They need demos to quell this mess, but would you be willing to bet your mortgage that if piracy were eliminated that new games and 'direction' would magically become apparant? I'm going to say 'no'. People like you lot will say 'yes', but it'll be a lie.

Kade Storm @ Jun 8th 2008 6:53PM

And with regard to Pixelator's comment:
The truth has been spoken, and I couldn't agree with him more. As he put it so aptly in another comment, PSP has been Sony's 'bread-winner' in recent times. Unfortunately, they can't seem to nurture, let alone realise this asset.

Ubisoft's latest examples of mediocrity are no prize-winners, which should've pushed the PSP's hardware to its limits. However, their observation about direction, implying lack of dedication on Sony's part is right on the money.

Learn to identify a wider range of issues rather than selective nonsense.

Daniel @ Jun 8th 2008 6:53PM

Kade,
I never put the entire blame to piracy, all I said its a huge issue! There will still be great games coming from great developers and great minds, no matter how bad the piracy it is. Innovations change people's opinion. This is why DS and Wii does so well because people love to interact and play with others. Wii is hard to find nowadays, but granted, most people only cares about Wii sports and Wii play and unlikely to buy another because those games are all they play. Sure there are piracy for the Wii as well as I seen my friend playings games that have not even come out yet. This is a problem will probably never go away. Wii' demographics is everyone, and the hack to play pirated games you need to solder and bypass the signal to another piece of harware. How many people is going to open up their Wii to do that? Can anyone here say they never downloaded pirated mp3s? If people know how to get something for free, they are gonna think twice before buying, and most likely go for it for the easy and free way. When companies look at their sales chart and see the sales are low due to whatever reason, they are gonna look for someone to blame. They are not gonna say 'oh yeah, we make bad games'. They are not gonna blame the customers, so they are gonna blame Sony. I personally don't think Sony is confusing people with their 'direction'. They always said its multi-media median. Just like PC and PS3, you can do a lot. That is just me though, since I am a gamer and I know these things. I am agree there are other issues, but I am saying piracy is a big problem for low sales.

Oi Chez! What do you want Fizz? @ Jun 6th 2008 9:50AM

I agree with Ubisoft. The PSP just never had the same impact or consistency the DS has. I only have time for the better, highly rated games. I've got about 15 DS titles and 7 PSP (including a couple low rated ones). I don't know if its a quality control issue with Sony letting devs get away with pumping out rubbish games, or if its just an untapped medium.

Big shame really. Is the PSP trying to be a handheld or a console? It's awkwardly sat inbetween with both the positive and negative aspects of each type of system. No I'm not going to get scared by a handheld game, no I'm not going to get immersed. Yes I do want a few mindless action games (preferably 2D since ghosting is more apparent in 3D) that have been designed for handhelds. Yes I do want more online games with servers that don't get shut down willy nilly.