Sony wants developer opinion on new hardware
Worldwide Studios boss hints at new platform development role within Sony
Developers will be involved "at the very beginning of concepting new hardware", says Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida - as he admits the company is currently work on new platforms.
Speaking to website Develop, Yoshida admitted that previous Sony home consoles have been difficult to develop for and had suffered by not being designed with enough input from software engineers.
"When Ken Kutaragi moved on and Kaz Harai became the president of SCE, the first thing Kaz said was, 'get Worldwide Studios in on hardware development'," Yoshida said.
"So he wanted developers in meetings at the very beginning of concepting new hardware, and he demanded SCE people talk to us [developers]," he explained.
"I’m spending more time on the hardware platform,” added Yoshida. "Connecting hardware guys to developers. That’s my major role now, and Move is one of those new ways of developing platforms."
Yoshida admitted that he was currently involved in plans for new Sony hardware, saying: "We are undergoing many activities that we haven’t yet been talking about in public. Some future platform related activities.”
Although the research and development departments of all three console manufacturers are constantly prototyping new devices, it is unusual for Sony to refer specifically to such work. Rumours suggest that a new PSP is likely to be the company's next major new platform - with a reveal at this autumn's Tokyo Game Show thought likely by some.
As a matter of course the company will be also involved in ongoing development for an eventual PlayStation 4, although an actual release is not expected for several years.