Sony made a big splash when they announced the impending release of PSP Minis, small applications and games that would put the PSP hardware in direct competition with Apple’s App Store for the iPhone. But little did we know just what kind of sacrifices PSP Minis developers would have to make in order to differentiate said Apps from normal PSP titles.
As it turns out, PSP Mini games will be barred from having wireless multiplayer functionality, downloadable content, or even software updates. The reason for this, as SCEA senior account manager Justin Cooney explains, is actually beneficial for the developer since it accelerates the approval process.
“When you look at it from a testing perspective, you have to do more QA. [Allowing those features] would defeat the purpose of having a dedicated service for smaller content. It increases the barriers.”
The QA process for PSP games is normally two to three weeks. The Minis however can be approved within three to five days, which is a serious advantage, especially for iPhone developers who are used to seeing their applications and games sit in QA for sometimes several months.
Cooney emphasizes that despite the fact that multiplayer, DLC support, and software updates are not allowed for PSP Minis, it’s up to the developer to brand their games as either Minis or full-fledged PSP titles.
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