EA Mobile's Chris Gibbs talks Sony, the PSP and Minis

While it’s unfortunate that the PSPgo has only captured our imagination insofar as we're trying to imagine Sony's thought process when it came to the decision on pricing, the recent announcement of the new range of Minis has relit a fire under the handheld console.

Game designers from across the industry have leapt upon Sony's imminent, digitally downloaded rebirth of the PSP, from the largest studios to indie start-ups. And they don't come much larger than EA.

So we decided to have a chat with executive producer at EA Mobile, Chris Gibbs, about what Sony’s new app store means for the gaming giant.

“We've announced Tetris and Sudoku as our first two games that will be available in October, around the launch of the Minis,” Gibbs begins, clearly filled with enthusiasm for this new sub- platform.

“Obviously both are very well-known titles, but it's interesting to note that this is the first-time Tetris has ever been available on a Sony platform. We wanted to make sure we had games that fit the profile of the Minis platform: quick to play, hugely accessible, huge demographics. Titles that really suit that downloaded game mentality.

“We've got another four games currently in the works, so we're pretty excited about digital downloads and the whole Minis concept that Sony has got.”

For a big company like EA it must initially have been something of a conundrum which department would be taking ownership of Minis development. A typical retail PSP game presumably lands with the console teams, but given that Minis are more akin to iPhone games than console titles it also makes sense that EA Mobile would be interested in branching out onto a Sony's handheld device.

“You can go a bit broader than EA Mobile and talk about EA Interactive, which is structurally the group that we fit in internally, that concentrates on digital download content as a speciality,” explains Chris. "But we make a point of being experts in this type of gameplay - quick to the thumb, no big investment of time to get a handle on the game, and tailoring the game to the particular type of audience playing this kind of game - as opposed to the more traditional type of console audience or even the traditional PSP or DS player.

"We think this is potentially a new type of audience, so we're certainly first in line internally to handle this type of software."

Perhaps understandably (though possibly because of the difficulties of thinking with a corporate mind) Sony has done its best to distance this new venture from the new market established by the iPhone and its App Store. But the similarities, from the gamer's perspective, are quite vivid, and direct competition from not only a veteran games company would also an established piece of hardware can only be good for both parties. Chris agrees.

"All competition is going to be good in our marketplace, and our remit isn't only to build games for the iPhone but for all on-the-go platforms to make sure we entertain our audiences wherever they are.

"It's tough to comment on Sony's own perception of how they see their own store system working, but I think it's the consumer that will decide what sort of experience they like and how to categorise it.

"What is the same is that it's all digital downloads over the air, and that's what EA’s really excited about, and that's why where keen to support Minis, and the iPhone and all the other platforms."

The thought begins to occur that much of the information about Minis hasn't actually come from Sony. There's still a great many gaps to be filled in on exactly how the system will work and what kind of games we can expect.

Information appears to be on a drip feed from the electronics giant, and even a major partner like EA is currently unable to enter into much of the discussion regarding features such as price points and multiplayer.

"Well, you know, we've had success with multiplayer on various formats, and wherever we think that’ll be successful, we'll go for it. We always ask ourselves that question: Is it something that will entertain more people? And if it does, then we're interested in doing it, and if that turns out to be something that's we can do with some Minis, then we'd look at it,” Chris explains with a smile, while politely attempting to remove my elbow from his ribs.

"But we’re not really making any comment on multiplayer at this point, or whether we're doing it or not doing it. As soon as we are, we'll be very happy to have another chat about it, but were not really discussing it at this point."

Getting a ‘no comment’ is often no bad thing, not because it suggests any particular answer but more that it alludes to the fact that EA is looking at the Minis platform as a long-term venture. We might not be hearing about whether Sony is to allow multiplayer and connectivity between the Minis, but at least this major software studio is happy to wait patiently for the PSP’s new future to really unfold - and that's not something you would do if it didn't have a in the viability of the Minis platform.

And that's precisely what Minis are shaping up to be - a rebirth and a new direction for what would otherwise be an ageing console. But it is a new direction always a good sign?

“Clearly it's going to be a new way of getting games, and it's a new flavour of games. So in that sense it's got to be, right? It's an extension of what the PSP has been, and continues to be, so yeah I think this is a good thing from Sony, giving the gamer more choice in what they do."

If digital distribution was a buzzword last year, it's clearly not any more. Chris and his colleagues at EA certainly aren't phasing out physical media just yet, but as the producer explains, there's a tremendous amount of excitement and resources being poured into selling software over the air.

"EA has been really robust about this. I think ultimately, looking ahead - whether it's three, five or ten years from now, who knows - but ultimately digital download as a primary way of reaching a customer is where we think it's headed,” says Gibbs.

“But it's really hard to predict how or when that's going to happen. Different formats, different territories, different time frames. As a game developer or a game publisher, if you're not thinking about that as a major part of the future then you're probably going to miss out. And again, that's why I think supporting the Minis is a really good thing to do."

Digital distribution isn't the holy grail of modern gaming, however. It comes loaded with significant limitations. It's all very well beaming data to a games device, so long as there's a good wireless connection to carry it. And with a 100MB limit capping a Minis project, could the advanced graphics and processing power of a platform like the PSP wind up being sacrificed for a simpler, smaller game delivery?

For that matter, are game designers going to find themselves shackled when creating for a system that they know is capable of so much more?

"I really like that question, and I think the answer to it is absolutely not,” says Chris, having clearly pondered this notion in considerable detail. "The reason it absolutely doesn't limit us is that it defines the way we should look at Minis.

"The amount of fun someone is going to get from a game isn't directly proportional to the number of bytes being used to store the game. Our way of looking at things with these more bite sized games is that they’re about things like replayability, and having one more go, and one more go, then beating your high score, then beating your friend's high score, rather than seeing the next new level. And in that respect 100MB is ample.

"We've worked in the mobile sector for a long time where you face the toughest constraints. But you need to embrace those constraints if you want to work in this space. Facing the boundaries is how you innovate, and we’re hard pushed within any sphere to think of innovation happening without problem solving. If everything is easy, you haven't got a problem to solve! It sounds a bit glib, but I think it's true," he laughs.

So in this respect, for Chris and his team at EA Mobile, approaching a powerhouse system like the PSP as if it were an ultra-advanced mobile appears to be playing directly into their strengths. Presumably this impressive new scope for Chris’s mobile development team is the cornerstone of the excitement that’s building within EA over the potential promised by Minis.

Gibbs spent several years working on the super consoles within EA before channelling his energy into the portable platforms. What could have been seen as a step down the game design ladder only 18 months ago has now positioned Chris at the forefront of the next decade’s gaming revolution.

"I've always been a gamer,” he explains. “I'm 42-years old now, and I've been playing games since they first started happening in the living room. Yet it still feels like another big step into the creative unknown. A lot of PSPs went in the drawer, and this is definitely a good reason to bring them back out, dust them off and do something a bit different. No question."

There's been a cloud of confusion hanging over Sony for quite some time now, beginning with the stillborn launch of the PS3, followed by the company's protracted lack of interest in the PSP.

Whether Sony sees it or not, its reaction to the iPhone phenomenon now belies the notion that it’s become complacent. It may not have kept the consumer in the loop, but Chris explains that the electronics giant has been impressively active in the background - and Minis are promising to be the fruit of that in labour.

“The key message from us is that it's an exciting new platform, that EA is definitely behind it,” Chris concludes. "We’ve got our two games Tetris and Sudoku ready to go, we’ve got another four titles in the works, and Sony has been brilliant to work with, I have to say.

"I met some other developers at GamesCom, and from the biggest players to the smallest indie start-ups, they all agreed that Sony has really been reaching out. It's a really accessible platform.”