Can Handheld Consoles Break The Non-game Barrier?

The massive success of Nintendo's cheeky cerebral treadmill, Brain Age, which stayed on Japan's best-seller list for 34 weeks and has sold over 8.6 million units, has tempted other companies into experimenting with non-games. The fact that older people bought Nintendo's handheld console, the DS Lite, solely to try out Brain Age, signified a real shift in the potential for growing new revenue.

[DrPirate]

It already has.

It's called the PSP.

Former examples: MGPO, Killzone, Crisis Core

Future Examples: God of War. Gran Turismo, Silent Hill.

[Torch]

You're right to mention the PSP...but for a different reason.

The article is referring to 'non-game' apps and usage, and PSP is the ideal candidate for that.

Well, sort of.

Man, if Sony were to just loosen the reigns a little and allow the homebrew PSP community to flourish, there would be no stopping that Little Console That Could.

Case in point: I just picked up a new Sony HDR-SR7 HD camcorder...and (ironically) stingy Sony provided the camera's user's manual in friggin' electronic PDF format. Not one who likes to be tied down, I was searching for a way to transfer the manual onto my beloved PSP so that I can access it on the fly.

It appears that there are plentiful of homebrew solutions out there, but unfortunately, my PSP's mainboard is of the dreaded "IC1003" series and is therefore unhackable (as far as I've last checked.)

Now how evil is it to simply want the ability to add a measly PDF viewer??? Despite best ongoing attempts, Sony is unable to keep a lid on the homebrew community, and for good reason:

People WANT the ability to add customized apps to their system...If Sony were to give in to this and make it a little easier, their handheld could be subject to a whole new, "non-game-related" market.

So long as there are electronic devices, there will forever exist hackers striving to get more out of them...often with incredible results.

Sony: Wake up already!!!...You should now well-know that if you can't beat 'em...well, you know the rest.

(Now, who's the heck's got a way to hack into my "IC1003" series PSP???) ;)

[Violater]

Phil Harrison has often expressed his tamed "respect" for the guys that manage to get the homebrew working on the PSP, but I think the real problem arises from preventing the use of pirated game software and spirals out from there.

[Torch]

I fully understand that, but my point is that software piracy is going to happen with or without Sony's support for homebrew (as is currently the case.)

Sony may as well reap some benefit from the homebrew scene, instead of trying to fight the futile battle that is the overwhelming demand for legitimate, non-game-related homebrew.

They can always continue to fight software piracy (and rightly so, I might add.)

[Violater]

It's a very sensitive subject to say the least with a lot of unforeseen gray areas.
But like you said before people will not stop trying to hack it as long as it's there to be hacked, man made so another can possibly break it.

[Kholinar]

The DS is just hitting its stride.

A lot of reviews of Phantom Hourglass are bowled over by how Nintendo has used the interface. Jam Sessions looks like a perfect on-the-fly demo notepad for musicians. Things like mindmapping or any visual notes (like interior decorating, construction, architecture, etc.) are directions that developers could realize.

A lot's changing. PDA's have had touchscreens for years and yet they haven't cashed in. If game handhelds don't think creatively and win this space, someone else will.

[Sayai jin]

It will ake time and clever marketing to appel to non gamers. Becuase": Non gamers will not pay that much for a handheld device. All though they are an essentail for al ot of gamers, they are still looked as a un needed luxury to non gamers. Non gamers will get cell phone to play games or Blackberry or Iphone. Techies (like yself)and gamers by the vast majority of handheld.