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Sony has criticised Apple of failing to support developers that release games on the App Store.
In an interview with Develop, Sony Europe’s Zeno Colaco outlined what he believes is a key difference between the company’s new PSP Minis initiative and Apple’s App Store.
“Unlike with the App Store, we’re looking to support everyone that develops for us, instead of leaving developers out in the wilderness,” he said.
“We’re not immediately interested in giving developers free access and no help.”
Over 13,000 games have been released on the App Store since it launched in July 2008. Due to the sheer number of games available, professional developers often complain of the limited opportunity of being discovered on the platform.
“There are dangers in having total open access; like having thousands of applications where probably only thirty are discovered by the consumer,” said Colaco.
“Some of the developers working on the App Store and PSP Minis tell us that they prefer our approach because they get more visibility.”
Though Colaco acknowledged that Sony was competing in Apple’s space, he was also keen to demonstrate the differences between the two.
“PSP Minis is a different approach altogether in that we still have a professional environment – if you want to call it that,” he said.
“I’m not suggesting that iPhone developers are unprofessional, but I think that the App Store has attracted a number of hobbyists. Clearly, the PSP is designed for gaming.
“Our focus isn’t directed straight towards the App Store. We acknowledge that we’ll be competing in that space, and I think at some point we’ll give developers access that allows things to move down that route.”
Colaco added that Sony is reducing the barriers to entry for developers, and even hinted that it could make PSP dev kits completely free.
For more on that story go here, or to read the whole interview go here.
