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SCEA PSN boss Eric Lempel has refuted Sony’s previous suggestion that the upcoming PSP Minis games will bar developers from applying updates and multiplayer features.
Last week SCEA’s senior account manager Justin Cooney admitted that PSP Minis had been stripped of wireless multiplayer and DLC features to “accelerate the approval process.”
Yet Lempel challenged this statement by pledging that developers will be able to “patch” their Minis titles from the outset.
“We won’t have multiplayer functions in the beginning,” Lempel told consumer site Destructiod. “Basically, to get these developers on board, and to make it easier to test and get it through the pipeline, we won’t be allowing that functionality for the first stage of Minis.”
Lempel added, however, that both multiplayer and DLC features will be “something [Sony] will consider in the future.”
Sony is currently focusing its resources on launching the PSP Minis service with a broad catalogue of launch titles.
Speaking to Develop, Sony Europe’s head of developer relations – Zeno Colaco – explained that the company is working with 60 developers to launch 50 games before the new year.
“Right now, we’re looking for a good portfolio of games,” he said.
At the recent GDC Austin conference, Sony also confirmed that Minis will be subjected to rating reviews by each territory’s certification body, such as the ESRB in the US and PEGI across Europe.
