Why PSP is failing us...

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...and how Sony can save it

The problem: Not enough killer games designed specifically for PSP
It's no coincidence that our favorite PSP games have all been created with Sony's handheld as the sole focus of a developer's efforts. LocoRoco, Gitaroo Man Lives!, Killzone: Liberation, Lumines, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Wipeout Pure... all designed with just a single destination in mind - PlayStation Portable.

These games all neatly play to PSP's strengths - the beautifully bright LocoRoco is a perfect fit for the device's gorgeous screen, and it's control system is simplistic handheld gaming at its very best. Killzone: Liberation wisely uses a top down, third-person perspective with a fixed camera and its levels are smartly designed to reflect PSP's "gaming-on-the-go" mantra - they're not vast, multi-loading landscapes.

Unfortunately, such examples of genuine gilt-edged PSP exclusives are a rare breed and are almost anonymous amongst a mass of uninspired ports. If this is the lackluster attitude that game publishers show towards PSP, Sony can'thonestly expect gamers to be excited about its machine, no matter how sexy it looks.

The fix: Sony has to lead from the front
It might be stating the obvious, but we're going to say it anyway: PSP desperately needs more exclusive titles of a high caliber. It needs them to convince lapsed players to slide up that power switch again and, more importantly, to lure in first timers that currently won't waste a second look on PSP.

Let's be realistic, though - until publishers feel that there's profit in making PSP-only titles, they're just not going to. Simple as that. So, it's down to Sony to provide that support themselves with in-house, PSP dedicated development teams to build an exciting portfolio of games that stops the decay before its too late.