Japan’s Handheld Market » Killer Apps
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The DS doesn’t have a killer app in Japan it has a killer image. DS is a machine for all. From the start Nintendogs attracted a broad audience. Its appeal wasn’t only the cute aesthetic, but the fact anyone could play it. This was incredibly powerful because of the ideas it sparked in third party developers. The software which followed, such as the brain training series, allowed the DS to secure its first place position.
PSP conversely took the opposite approach. Sony attempted to open new markets by placing themselves as a high-tech media player but they failed to capture Japan’s imagination. Sales were fair but it lagged so far behind DS that by comparison it seemed like a failure. Thankfully Capcom appeared with Monster Hunter a game which captured the imagination of the traditional gamer. It allowed PSP to carve a niche for its self as the hardcore handheld.
