Sony's upcoming portable, codenamed Next Generation Portable or NGP, looks great and seems to play great, too. Japanese gamers were asked if they want it, and, oh yes, they do.
In a reader poll in the latest issue of game mag Famitsu, 76.2 percent of Japanese gamers stated that they wanted the NGP. Only 7.9 percent stated they did not want it, while 15.9 percent were undecided.
One 39-year-old engineer told that magazine that the NGP seems to hold unthinkable possibilities! While an unemployed 40-year-old male stated that he's not feeling it because there aren't enough details about the handheld's specs.
The two things that really stood out for readers include the high level of graphics and the dual analog stick.
On the touch pad, players said they wanted to play action, puzzle, sims, FPS and adventure games.
Design-wise, 22.6 percent said they really dug the NGP's looks, while 50.5 percent said they liked it. Twenty-three percent said they didn't really like it, and 3.9 percent said they didn't like it at all.
When asked about pricing, only 1.5 percent thought it will cost less than ¥ 15,000 (US$182), 3.6 percent thought it will cost less than ¥20,000 ($242), 17 percent thought it will cost less than ¥25,000 ($303) and 42.5 percent thought it will cost less than ¥30,000 or $363.
The yen is much stronger than the dollar at the moment, and it's unlikely that Sony would price the NGP at ¥30,000 for Japan and $363 for the U.S. More likely is the scenario for the 3DS: ¥25,000 or Japan and $250 for the U.S.
The rest of the polled about pricing pans out like this: 18.7 percent said less than ¥35,000 ($423), 10.4 percent said less than ¥40,000 ($484), 2.6 percent said less than ¥45,000 ($545) and 3.7 percent said less than ¥50,000 ($606).
For colors that Famitsu readers want, white was the most popular, followed by blue, red, silver and green. But what games did they list when asked what they wanted to play on the NGP?
Monster Hunter, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, Tales series and Kingdom Hearts. Sony's handheld might have changed, but Japan's gaming habits haven't.
NGP緊急ユーザーアンケート [■■速報＠保管庫IV■■]