Punters are more than willing to fork out a couple of hundred dollars for a handheld platform if the quality’s there, says Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) boss, Jack Tretton.
Tretton’s comments come during a chat with Fast Company, where he stated his belief that price alone won’t make or break a platform. Apparently, it’s all down to value.
"I think that consumers respond to value. If you’re passionate about something you find a way to go out and get it and gamers are very passionate," he commented.
"When you’re buying a platform, when you’re buying technology, you’re hopefully buying a device that you’re going to enjoy for many years. If you look at an investment comparable to a game device be it a system or a portable – whether it’s an iPod or cell phone – people are used to spending several hundred dollars to get a portable device," added Tretton.
"Typically it comes down to; ‘how good is the system and how bad do I want it?’ And it’s not to say that the price of the platform isn’t a consideration, but I don’t think price makes or kills a platform. Something that’s lousy and very inexpensive is not going to be successful. Something that’s pricey will ultimately find its audience if there’s enough value there."
Sony’s yet to pin a price on its upcoming Next-Generation Portable (NGP), though recent rumblings have indicated it’ll retail between $250 and $350.