Sony hasn’t had a tremendous amount of success with its independent PlayStation Mobile store, wherein developers can submit games to be bought and played on certified Android devices and PS Vita. The appeal is “buy once, play everywhere,” but at this point that “everywhere” is limited to Sony and HTC devices in North America plus Sony’s own portable gaming device.
The main issue is the paucity of great content on PlayStation Mobile; there are few must-play titles, and many of the better ones are available for less on Google Play. Moreover, Sony has until now charged an annual fee for the privilege of submitting apps to PS Mobile, potentially keeping some indie developers from submitting content entirely.
Now the company is trying to build some good press for itself, and introduce the market to more developers, by eliminating that $99 annual fee. Whether that will engender a surge in quality game submissions remains to be seen, but Sony would do well to expand its handset compatibility list first. It also needs to support the HTC One sooner than later.
And maybe, with the impending launch of the PS4, Sony could hitch a ride on its own success.
Source: Sony
