Sony PSP: No more Concept Approval - Shorter QA Process

Sony is planning to take the PSP (and disc-free PSP Go) into battle against the iPhone/Pod Touch by, according to Develop, introducing "a streamlined content pipeline for the platform – which includes abolishing concept approval – plus cheaper devkits, shorter quality assurance processes, and very low price points for new games."

This follows last month's news that the company is trying to attract third-parties to develop applications as well as games for the platforms.

Zeno Colaço, SCEE's head of developer relations says that, "We’re introducing new initiatives for the PSP which take it beyond traditional gaming, but still includes elements from gaming, and also includes new developers."

Apparently more than 50 studios have either taken up the offer to develop or are about to sign.

This won't be the free-for-all that is the case with iPhone development via its free SDK, however. Colaço points out that, "It is still a professional environment, you still need a development kit and you still need to have investment and a team. But it can be a small team. We don’t see any of the restrictions on the disc-based space being in this space."

One developer, Ash Monif of Subatomic, puts digital download high in the list of reasons to make software for PSP, telling Develop, "Part of that ‘snackability’ of the content is because you can deliver the content over WiFi super-fast. We’re making games that are just 20MB each, that’s less than a minute to download – instant gratification, snackable content."

Via Develop