Sony's Koller: Expect more big franchises in 2009

by Majed Athab { Dec 2nd 2008 at 12:00AM }

Not only does SCEA's John Koller promise that 2009 will be better, but he also tells MTV Multiplayer to expect big franchise names to be announced next year. While console ports (or Hollywood blockbuster titles for that matter) such as Transformers and Iron Man have done well in sales, Sony wants to push for games that are not direct ports but expansive new experiences. Koller points to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII which -- while part of a franchise itself -- expands the original lore and gives gamers a fresh outlook on something familiar.

Looking back at 2008, the two biggest and most successful names were God of War: Chains of Olympus and Crisis Core -- no doubt that "expansive" strategy Koller talks about is proven. From just taking a quick look at the all-time top five selling PSP games in the US and you can see a distinct franchise dominance in the charts. So what does this mean for original IP on the PSP? Does more franchises indicate a trend for less original IP?

Tags: john-koller, psp

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Shoyz @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:16AM

If less original IP means better games; count me in!

Rokashi @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:45AM

Crisis Core 2? Who knows what 2009 will bring!

Kspraydad @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:50AM

Resistance spinoff : check
Motorstorm spinoff: check
LittleBigPlanet spinoff: check
DiRT 2: check

Still Expecting:

Uncharted Portable
Assassin's Creed 2 Portable

As for 'unique ip' ... open up the system and flood the PSN Store with pick up and go games.

cafecito @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:23AM

Sounds good to me. There are already great things coming (I'm specially excited about SquareEnix games) so another few "expansive" titles would be great.

Give us Resident Evil Wesker, Devil May Cry Gaiden, Dead or Alive portable, Soul Calibur Bright Resurrection, Castlevania SOTN2, etc etc :D

sean @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:38AM

hopefully its not just LBP and motorstorm since we already know of them 2 games(if the rumors are true). hopefully a resident evil. Heavenly sword PSP would be cool. but highly doubt it

G @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:56AM

Square Enix seem to be giving the psp some love at least, I'm looking forward to their games -

Dissidia - Final Fantasy
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Final Fantasy Agito XIII
Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday
Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Josh @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:33AM

just give me Metal Gear Solid : Portable Ops 2 please

TJF588 @ Dec 2nd 2008 5:37AM

"Dissidia Final Fantasy
"Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep"
fix'd (sparing the ALL-CAPSings)

As said, if frachises = good games, then great. Way I see it, people make the investment into consoles -- home and portable -- with the backing that something they KNOW will satisfy will be on there. If the PSP gets a catalog with tried-and-true forces of the gaming mythos, then more people would be willing to nab one, and from there can check out other, more unique, offerings for the handheld. Does the PSN Store offer playable demos?

Roberto @ Dec 2nd 2008 6:58AM

bla bla bla... we need more Monster Hunter and Soldner X too!

-slycooper_rocker- (lorddshadow the amazing) psn: shahanasalam @ Dec 5th 2008 9:20PM

we're getting monster hunter unite in 2009.

Billy Añonuevo @ Dec 2nd 2008 7:28AM

I know this is a bit of a long shot, but can we get a toned-down version of Tekken 6 on PSP? As long as the characters and system are intact, I'm sold.

Gaucho @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:13AM

Whee! I got God of War for $15 this weekend. Which is the justification I use to not feel too bad about spending $40 on Chrono Trigger which I have now bought 3 times since 1995. . . *sigh*

drdre74 @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:23AM

I won't believe Sony on this until i see the game in my hand. Sony has just slept and pissed on the PSP since it came out. This thing has so much it can do and Sony hasn't done anything with it really. There should be a movie store just for the PSP and a music store. Sony owns all this stuff already and hasn't used any of it.

Kia @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:05AM

My PSP gathers so much dust... it's a shame too because it's a really nice system. Can't wait for more GOOD games on the PSP!

Darlaten @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:18AM

Unbelievable - yet another promise from John Koeller about how good it will be at some future time, at some future year, about some future game. What's more unbelievable is the fanboys that cream themselves whenever this guy speaks. People, Sony have been making promises like this all the time - why are you getting excited about it? It's another "there there, let's pat you on the head message".

But dont worry, I'm sure 2010 will be better or 2011 or 2012 or 2013 or 2014.. :)

pixelator @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:48AM

While it's not totally clear how much of the current state of SCEA is Koeller's direct fault, the guy just isn't inspiring much confidence in the future of the PSP - especially given the current state of sales in the US market.

I have it on good authority that they've been looking for staff to help them with marketing and other basic elements that should have been in place and functioning well several years ago. Methinks there's been too much upper management stupidity and the fundamental factors and people who helped make the PS1 and PS2 products so dominant are basically gone this gen.

It's really quite depressing, but the inescapable reality is that the PSP is dead, or very near it, in the USA. Sales are relatively low UMD movies are basically gone, PSN isn't as big as it ought to be, accessories and games that are big in Japan simply aren't coming here, publishers are apathetic and there are basically no franchise or IP titles (new or old) that are generating anywhere near the interest/sales/media that games on the 360, Wii and DS are.

It's maddening. The PSP, the most powerful handheld game system yet devised, had SO MUCH potential... But Sony dropped the ball on infrastructure gaming, the promise of something cool and new to handhelds like an MMO or other social networking product, true internet functionality (no keyboard) and 'stealth' hardware revisions with no fanfare (unlike the DS Lite and DSi) that mainly served to make the system cheaper to produce and more flimsy-seeming (remember that gorgeous clearcoated 1000 model?).

Yeah, Sony borked the PSP in a massive way. I should've known it would happen since I've been buying their sweet hardware and being let down by their handling of same since the first CLIE handheld PDA. But hey, at least it had a better run than any other non-Nintendo handheld and it's survived better than the Dreamcast and a few others. I'd like to hold out hope for the PSP2 we all know is coming, but just bear in mind - no matter how good that hardware spec looks on paper - it's still SONY behind the wheel.

matt @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:39PM

I don't want old franchises, I want new IP.

if they insist on doing this they better port us some of those good japanese games that will never be released here, like all those gundam games for example.

leonus11 @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:12PM

yeah seriously! i mean, i love the PSP as much as the next fanboy but i've been seeing less and less games for it! i really hope what koeller says is true because my PSP is collecting as much dust as my Wii is! and did somebody say uncharted portable!? PLEAAAAAAASE let it be so!! for the love of gaming , SONY, let it be so!!

Sony's Koller: Expect more big franchises in 2009