Sony to PSP Owners: Just Adapt

Cymoro writes "In an article Gamespot posted recently Ken Kutaragi, Sony Computer Entertainment president, was quoted in a japanese business magazine about the PSP square button defect as saying "There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to." Apparently, flaws are a feature."

Comments

Quote...

[mooniejohnson]

From the article: "I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It's the same as that."

If the gate refused to open sometimes, killed a couple people, or was in an area where someone couldn't enter the gate, they sure would. And they'd have the gate fixed. Why shouldn't they fix a gaming handheld, for crying out loud?

"Flaws are a feature"

[kingsmedley]

I rarely find myself defending Sony in any matter. But this time, at least Mr. Kutaragi is willing to admit the PSP has a problem, and can offer a logical explanation for the engineering compromises that led to this design.

Now I'm looking forward to his explanation about the UMD launching mechanism "feature".

Re:"Flaws are a feature"

[Black Pete]

I'll sacrifice my mod points because I just had to respond to this...

It's one thing to admit that there's a problem. It's another thing to refuse to fix the problem.

Re:"Flaws are a feature"

[coaxial]

But this time, at least Mr. Kutaragi is willing to admit the PSP has a problem, and can offer a logical explanation for the engineering compromises that led to this design.

He is offering an explanation, but it is not admission of a problem at all, because in his mind, there is no problem. The article directly quotes him as saying, "The button's location is on purpose. It's according to specifications. This is something that we've created, and this is our specification. There was a clear purpose to it, and it wasn't a mistake."

Even his explanation is weak, since it's not so much of a limitation of the technology, but one of stubborness on his part. ("I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger.") He had to choose between something slightly larger (we're probably talking about probably less than centimeter here) that works, or something the exact size he wanted that doesn't. He chose the later.

I will not buy a PSP because I'm not going to shell out that much money for a knowingly defective product.

adapt this Sony

[fearanddread]

People not buying Sony's flawed product is something Sony will just have to adapt to.

Re:Off to the right?

[Cthefuture]

I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger.

That's why. It sounds like one of those things that someone just gets "stuck" on. Like a broken record. "I will not compromise on that." To the exclusion of everything else, even usability. Pffft, that's how crappy products get made. We're probably talking about making the PSP 2mm wider or something.

Sometimes we get so far down inside a project that we can't see what is going on. It's good to sometimes to step back and evaluate your position to make sure you don't have blinders on.

Mistranslated

[Mitaphane]

"The button's location is [architectured] on purpose," Kutaragi added. "It's according to specifications. This is something that we've created, and this is our specification. There was a clear purpose to it, and it wasn't a mistake."

I see. I'm sure the translator made a mistake what Kutaragi really said:
"Production was already done by the time we knew of the design flaw. We are too lazy to go back and do something about it."

Just like Lucas has ALWAYS knew that Star Wars was going to be a 9 part series and Wachowskis ALWAYS knew The Matrix was going to be a trilogy.
Brilliant!

Re:Good quote...

[Black Pete]

Analogies apart... for god's sake, it's a BUTTON.

Exactly. How else do you propose to play the game?

If you KNOW the switch is not directly in the middle, just damn push the outer part of it, where you know the button's pressure sensor (switch) is !

Which is quite easy to keep in mind while playing those fast 'n' furious button-mashing action games, no doubt.

Or, if you're so unhappy, take it apart, move the "hole" in which the button is a few milimeters and be happy about it (and have a funny-looking handheld, but, hey, that's the trade).

OK... that's taking the fanboy thing a bit too far... Sony should've been the one who did that (after all, the top guy himself agrees it is a design flaw), so it certainly shouldn't have to be up to me to fix their flaw.

What's next? "The UMD drive isn't an issue, just duct tape it shut between game sessions, and don't whine about the sticky residue"? Or: "Just get a freaking hamster if you really care about batteries that much!"

Weird priorities

[jgoemat]

Kutaragi acknowledged that the button is less responsive than the others, ... Because there isn't enough room to put the square button's detection switch directly underneath, it's off to the right, making it less responsive--and sometimes causing it to stick.

I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger.

So how the system looks is more important than how it plays games? The PSP couldn't be 1/8 inch wider to make it work flawlessly? That's just too big? This is crazy. Why would you purposfully design a flaw into your product?

Re:Good quote...

[tibike77]

And another (small but vital) piece of information: you completely neglected the fact that the speaker is Japanese.
I'm not aware of your personal experience with Japanese manufacturers, but I can tell you this (which is afaik "public knowledge"): a Japanese will always do whatever it takes to "save face".

This means that yes, on some small degree they will admit that something is wrong, but will also try to explain to you that this is the best possible solution that he could come up with, and announce nothing will be done to change it. Soon after, a solution will appear, and be presented with as small "attention attracting" as possible. That's just the way it works - you will get a better product soon, just don't rub it in too much, it's offensive.

Again, personally, I believe this to be (overall) a superior system to the "western" one, where sometimes blame is admitted but nothing gets done.