Gameboyz Editor-in-Chief Kirby Y got a chance to fire off a few questions to Matt Levitan, PR and Marketing Manager for Sony Computer Entertainment Canada. He wanted to see what Sony was up too since all the big announcements at E3, see how things are shaping up for the PS3 launch, and what the future holds in store for the PS2 and PSP. ____________________________________ GAMEBOYZ: First off I would like to say thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. I thought it would be best to wait for the summer months when things have slowed down to get some questions to you. However, I am sure as Sony draws closer to the launch of the PS3 there really isn't any slowing down for you. E3 definitely was an unveiling for the PS3 and I think you surprised a lot of people announcing a firm release date and price all in one fell swoop. Now that time has gone by, and the dust has settled, how do you think Sony faired at E3 this past May? MATT L: I think we had a great show at E3 this year. We showed off the PlayStation 3 and we made a few surprise announcements like the motion sensing controller and the online features for PlayStation 3. We also showed some incredible games for all three platforms like Resistance: The Fall of Man, Warhawk, Ratchet and Clank Size matters, LocoRoco, SOCOM Combined Assault and God of War 2. There's just too many too mention! GAMEBOYZ: I have a habit of surfing various forums on the internet and there have been a few criticisms of Sony's showing at E3, especially in terms of the PS3. I will break them down as follows: 1. Many are still complaining about the price of the ‘fully loaded' PS3. What do you tell those who are apprehensive of paying what many are saying is too much? MATT L: I don't think it's that expensive at all. When you look at everything that you are getting for the price, it really is a great value. You're not only getting the top console on the market but you're also getting a Blu-Ray player, a built in 60 GB hard drive, a wireless controller, network connectivity and free online peer to peer game play right out of the box, all for $659 CDN. I remember buying my PS2 on launch day back in 2000 and I paid $449. So when you think about it, for a little more than $200 you're getting that much more. 2. Many are saying that Sony's showing at this year's E3 was similar to Microsoft's at E3 2005 in that there were not a lot of playable games that showed what Sony's next-generation console can do. How do you counter that statement? MATT L: Leading up to E3, everyone said we wouldn't have the PS3 on the show floor but we did. Well, not only was the PS3 on the floor but it was playable with some great games like Madden 07, Sonic the Hedgehog, Resistance: The Fall of Man and one of my favourite games of the show, Heavenly Sword. I think the people who did spend time with the games came away very impressed with great anticipation for launch. I think the only real disappointment gamers experienced was they have to wait until November for the launch! 3. At E3 this year Sony debuted the new PS3 controller, which actually isn't that new at all but it is the newest iteration of the Dual Shock Controller with motion sensing capabilities (6 axis of motion). Except for the new motion sensing capabilities, many people are stating that this is not an innovative approach in terms of the design of the PS3 controller as it is the same basic design used in the PSone and PS2. As with the previous question, how do you counter this statement? MATT L: When the PS3 first debuted it featured the controller everyone called the "boomerang" and people were all over us for that design even though it was just one of literally hundreds of design options. The feedback we received from gamers was they liked the feel and the look of the Dual Shock. We were able to recreate the Dual Shock controller with motion sensing technology and we made it wireless. Both the 20 GB and 60 GB configurations will feature wireless controllers right out of the box. 4. When everyone looks at what Sony is doing in terms of online functionality for the PS3 most immediately use Xbox Live as a reference. Some gamers are concerned that leaving the online duties to the developer may hamper some online experiences that many Xbox owners currently enjoy, particularly due to the fact that Xbox live is maintained by Microsoft and they set the guidelines and whatnot for how one can utilize their online tools. What do you say to gamers who may have a concern about how the PS3 will fare on the online arena? MATT L: Just wait and see what we've got planned for the online community. All the popular functions like voice and text messaging, rankings, friend lists and content sharing will be available when the PS3 goes online. As for servers being maintained by developers vs. Sony, most embrace our strategy since it allows them complete control over the content. Most companies making MMO's won't even consider the competition since it requires them turning over the management of the servers. 5. And on the same lines of online functionality, how do you feel about those critics that say you are basically copying Xbox Live and just not charging for it? MATT L: We don't pay attention to what the competition is doing; we only pay attention to the gamers. Much like the controller, Sony listened to the gamers in terms of what they like and dislike when it comes to online gaming. They also told us what they would like to see added in terms of features. We then worked with Sony Online Entertainment who created this great online community that you'll definitely be hearing more about in the coming weeks and months leading up to launch. GAMEBOYZ: Now that we are in the off season so to speak (summer), what is keeping you busy leading up the to the fall launch of the PS3. MATT L: Planning for the launch is what's keeping me busy! Stayed tuned! GAMEBOYZ: How are things shaping up for the November launch of the PS3? MATT L: Everything is going well in terms of preparation. There's nothing I can talk about yet but you'll definitely be hearing more from us leading up to the biggest launch in the history of video games. GAMEBOYZ: One thing that Sony has made sure to tell all the gaming public is that there should not be a shortage of PS3's come launch day. With Sony doing a global launch, are you still on track to keep that commitment? MATT L: Our plans have NOT changed in terms of our launch commitments. We will have two million units available worldwide on launch day. We'll have another two million units available by December 31st and an additional two million by March 31st. GAMEBOYZ: Can we expect to see an official pre-order program in gaming stores for those who want to make sure they get a unit on launch day? Or is Sony letting stores do their own pre-order program and they take the risk of over reserving as was seen during the launch of the Xbox 360? MATT L: At this point we are not aware of any retailers that are doing pre-orders. A few retailers started, but the numbers were too overwhelming too fast so they halted their programs. GAMEBOYZ: I know that Sony has committed to releasing as many games as possible on launch day, but is there any firm number to the amount of titles that gamers will see on day 1? Out of all the launch titles, how many are 1st party? How has the 3rd Party response been leading up to the fall launch of the PS3? MATT L: We haven't made a formal announcement as to the amount of titles that we'll have available at launch. Ideally I'd like to see 12-15 titles; this should give the gamers a selection of titles without alienating fans of a particular genre. We also don't want to over saturate the market and take away from the efforts of the developers who've created some great games. GAMEBOYZ: Do you foresee any major delays in any of the games that might be considered ‘premier' launch titles for the PS3? MATT L: That's up to the developer really as they will want to put the best game possible into the living rooms of gamers. From the first party side we've got a pretty good idea as to what's going to be available on day one. GAMEBOYZ: How many games are expected to be released during the launch window? Some gamers have yet to fully understand the difference from a launch day and launch window and I am sure it would be interesting to see how many more games maybe released in that time period. MATT L: I can't say how many are expected to be released but I know I'd like to see a steady stream of releases comprised of about four to six quality titles each month as opposed to a flood of titles that happen months apart. GAMEBOYZ: On a non PS3 note, it seems like the PSP has quite a heated battle with Nintendo's new DS Lite. How do you feel the PSP is doing in N. America? MATT L: The PSP has done exceptionally well in its first year and a bit. We've sold almost five million units in North America. The PSP actually has the fastest adoption rate of any PlayStation platform to date. GAMEBOYZ: Are there any big surprises that you can let out of the bag in terms of upcoming software for the PSP? MATT L: At E3 this year we announced some great new features for the PSP. Later this year, we'll be adding GPS functionality. We will also release a 1.3 megapixel USB camera that's capable taking digital pictures and video that you can store on your memory stick. The final item that was announced was the PSOne software emulator. With the software emulator, you'll be able download and play PSOne games right on your memory stick. Imagine playing old favourites like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VIII or Ridge Racer! We haven't released a list of which games will be available or how much these downloads will cost, but look for that info in the coming months. GAMEBOYZ: Is there anymore information in terms of functionality of the PSP with the PS3? MATT L: We haven't announced specifics but at the Sony press conference at E3 we gave an interactive demonstration of the potential connectivity between the two platforms. When showing our F1 title, the PSP was used as a real time side view mirror. The possibilities are endless. GAMEBOYZ: What is the latest in terms of the must have titles for the latter part of the summer and early fall for the PSP? MATT L: Definitely check out LocoRoco which streets September 5th. Right now you can actually download a demo by using the wireless internet function on the PSP. Upgrade to the latest firmware and then head over to locorocodemo.com to download it to your memory stick. In early fall I'm really looking forward to Ultimate Ghosts N' Goblins (September) and Lumines II (October). GAMEBOYZ: As the PS3 begins it's lifecycle in November, what can you say to our readers to reaffirm the commitment Sony has made to continue the lifecycle of the PS2? MATT L: For the first time in the history of this company we will be supporting three platforms – the PS2, PSP and PS3. If you look at the list of games that are being released in the next year you'll see how committed we are to the PS2. Being released in the coming months you've got Guitar Hero II, Rogue Galaxy, Final Fantasy XII, SOCOM: US Navy Seals Combined Assault and of course God of War II. It would have been really easy to release any of those titles on the PS3 but we wanted to show gamers we are not abandoning the PS2 platform any time soon. With a worldwide install base of over 100 million, there are a lot of gamers to keep happy and we plan on doing that! GAMEBOYZ: Finally, and on a more personal note, what features are you yourself really looking forward to on the PS3? I also curious to know what you yourself might be looking forward to in terms of software releases for the PS2, PSP and any that may be available for the PS3 during the launch window? MATT L: On launch day, I'll be playing a lot of Resistance: Fall of Man. First Person Shooters aren't my favourite genre, but the quality of this game really has me hooked. I'm a huge fan of Insomniac's work, so I have high hopes for this one. I was addicted to Guitar Hero last year and spent months trying to get 100% on the hard more, so obviously I can't wait for Guitar Hero 2! Also, I am a Final Fantasy addict, so I will be busy trying to finish Final Fantasy XII before PS3 launch day. For PSP, I think I'm most looking forward to LocoRoco since it's so unique and the music and characters are awesome. Down the road I'm really excited for Heavenly Sword, Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4, but I won't get ahead of myself! So many great games, so little time! Well, even though it is summer, I guess I shouldn't try to take up all your time. Again, I thank you for setting aside some time to answer some questions as you get another day closer to the launch of the PS3. I hope you manage to take some time off during these warm summer days prior to the madness of the big day in November.