GPS games could be heading your way next year

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 22nd 2008 at 2:00AM }

It only took, y'know years, but American PSP owners will be able to enjoy GPS navigation some time next year. Not only will the platform support navigation and maps, as expected, but John Koller wants to offer something a bit more. SCEA is investigating game development which can take advantage of GPS technology. Koller told MTV Multiplayer the upcoming peripheral "changes the dynamics of GPS but also changes the way developers think about games on PSP because you can start integrating GPS into it." According to Koller, Sony will introduce the GPS solution to third party publishers and is currently brainstorming ideas within its first-party studios. "There's been a number of things that our first-party worldwide studios have looked at, and they've been trying to look at different options," he said.

Tags: gps, john-koller, koller, psp

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Hashbrown Hunter @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:25AM

One really cool and addicting way they can use that like in MGS: Portable Ops where you get a unique soldier per hotspot connection.

Once you reach a certain location in your area (a mall, park, etc.) you are rewarded somehow. It would be kind of cool.

Dustin @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:39AM

Like golf courses?

c.Lake @ Jul 22nd 2008 4:34AM

oh...kay...

daniel-kun @ Jul 22nd 2008 4:38AM

There's virtually nothing fun you can do with GPS. It's absolutely stupid to even come up with the idea....

Alexis @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:41AM

How can you be sure? Are you a software developer? Bitch, please what's with the attitude.

Alexis @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:41AM

How can you be sure? Are you a software developer? Bitch please watch out with that kind of an attitude.

Christopher @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:56AM

I take it you've never been geocaching before?

Joker @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:57PM

Hey, you have no designer mind. You know what would make for a really cool concept.
Have you watched parkour vids? Imagine you have some virtual monster chase at you (which obviously shows up in the gps), and you have to use your enviroment to escape this "tag".
It would combine my two of my favorite activities, parkour and games.

Joker @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:02PM

I forgot to mention it would make a very dangerous activity, for both you and your psp, but anyway, I would play no matter what.

Joker @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:26PM

Actually, you could be the tag too. And it could be expanded to a multiplayer tag, the tag knows the location of every other player, but they dont know where it is. It would make for a very "moved" game. There wouldnt be a safe place to hide. You could also have virtual flags.
The key here is to relate the psp with the enviroment, and take it further.
There are so many possibilities! I wish i was a developer for sony..

sry for triple post, I get carried over easily :P

brad @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:05AM

Am I going to have upgrade to the Slim in order for the GPS to work?

Alien @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:11AM

@brad : no , the EU GPS works with old PSPs to ;)

strike @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:31AM

Check your mail Andrew

strike @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:31AM

Check your mail Andrew

Dr. Strangepork @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:32AM

The concept for having a GPS on my PSP is exciting (ok, interesting) but the price point I'm seeing come out of Europe is less so.

andy @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:57AM

will it work psp 1000 owners or just 2000 owners?

SparkyJ23 @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:51AM

While thats a nice idea and all can you image the delays localising a game to individual parts of countries?
it took em 6 months to localise Crisis Core from American to English ( yes it is the same language..)

How about instead of talking about vapourware we actually get some games?

Joe @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:57AM

Well this could make some really cool games. May be even take some of the DS players too. I could see this opening up many ideas for the PSP. May be even bring in more dev because they want to try and make some thing really neat. I also wonder if there would be a built in GPS version of the PSP. Seeing as over at kotaku they have some pictures of the PSP 3000 and it comes with a mic and I could see this being built in too.

mercurywa @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:37AM

What would be nice is if they can hook up with a site like http://www.geocaching.com/ and build a game/app based on that.

zoltari @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:38AM

Remember the Gizmondo? GPS games were just terrible in general (mind you, that whole system was terrible) BUT there was one game, a very simple maze game, where you had to run around outside and the GPS tracked your relative position and moved your character on screen - it was quite fun. It also made you a damn sight fitter than Wii fit! If you had two players (two Gizmondos) it was excellent.

redbrick @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:50AM

Dang....I could careless about a game...just get as much detail on the maps as possible. Make the interface easy to use and customizable even easily updateable. Seriously...forget the game or release that as a separate game instead....jeez

Christopher @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:00PM

Is this a mock-up image above? Because the software doesn't look anything like the Japanese version pictured from the source you link to.

I hope it looks like this rather than what they have pictured at that link.

Ch@os @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:20PM

Yeah, second that....I am really looking forward to some PSP http://www.geocaching.com/ . Been waiting for it to come out so I can get into this...

Jeremy @ Jul 22nd 2008 4:35PM

C'mon. The GPS doesn't even have a release date in NA, do you seriously think we are going to see games for it? Just more big talk from Sony, instead of any substantial.

gumby @ Jul 22nd 2008 4:49PM

Sigh...next year????? That is not what I was wanting to hear...what is so damn difficult about giving us the gps. I'm seriously depressed by this. Been holding off on getting a gps in the hopes that this would come soon and be affordable. I guess I should have known better given sony's track record. Sigh.

Jacksons @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:32PM

I hope it ends up in a kiosk or something, I want to try it mainly because I can't understand how a GPS works without a touchscreen.

antgarcia62 @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:30AM

Dude, do you see the PIC??? It shows the GPS on the screen, BUT NO GHAY PAY EESS???

-GASP-

Seriously, doesnt the PSP have the horsepower to feature built-in GPS??

john @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:05PM

Anyone interested in PSP GPS should check out The Shroud, a new cell phone game that just came out for AT&T and is coming out on Helio. What makes this really game cool is that The Shroud uses GPS in the game. www.shroudgame.com

elephant_stone @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:03PM

Well you can already use it with MGS:Portable Ops right? To find new recruits much like you do when you scan for access points!

richard @ Jul 24th 2008 10:59AM

I'm still waiting for the camera, and a decent skype headset!!!

cicero @ Jul 25th 2008 12:03PM

Inspired by this article I googled for gps games and found GPS Mission. Check out http://www.gpsmission.com This is a real GPS Game, where you can play online with your handheld device or create yourself so called "missions" with a very easy to use flash based mission editor, everything looks quite professional. I think I will take a closer look at this on the weekend.