Focusing on Details of the PSP®go System
While the PSP®go system design is clearly focused on slimness and compactness, you must have focused on details here as well.
Yes, we did. We paid a lot of attention on a robust design that would support the sliding action since we needed parts that we had not used before. The cost also increased accordingly (laughs).
The first thing that catches one’s attention is the control panel below the sliding display. How were you able to bring together on this panel the buttons that used to be located on the front of the system?
Well, we had to design the buttons slimmer so as to leave the same usability as before. You may not be concerned with this when carrying the PSP®go system, but the way you play games is certainly different from before. We had a hard time achieving both of these objectives. We had to change the button size, otherwise they would not fit well on the panel, and we had to shorten the strokes. We wanted to keep the operation as it is when the panel is open, yet keep it compact when slided back.
Speaking of usability, what kind of operability did you pay attention to in particular?
We were particularly concerned that the L button, R button, and analog stick may be more difficult to use than before. The L button and R button would lose the sense of a solid push straight down like before because they were now smaller overall. So we changed the structure so that pressing the buttons from the sides using the finger pads would still enable them to respond smoothly. The compact analog stick meant that your hand would face the inside of the system when operating. As a consequence, the analog stick came to be in the middle of the control panel.
It seems you have focused the design on how much you could reproduce the operability that PSP® system users are familiar with, rather than incorporating new features.
Exactly. Basically the button layout followed the existing convention. Another thing we focused on in terms of the design of the button area was the left and right rings enclosing the buttons. This was inherited from the image of the previous model PSP® systems. In the same fashion, we placed the silver casting around the system itself for a sharp and rich feel, and for one overall design. This helps enhance the robustness of the system. The design technique used for the system is what we are always concerned with - that for all models we achieve a look that makes it seem slimmer than its actual size.
What do you mean by the technique of making it look slimmer?
You may see it when you look at the back. Do you see how the thickness of the edges is reduced? This allows the system to look slimmer. I think its roundness helps you feel the smoothness of the curves as you grip the system. There are also various other elements we paid attention to in terms of the design of the system back.
The back?
A portable system is used outdoors, so other people can see its back side as you play a game. The previous models had the PSP® logo engraved inside the silver ring that also gave the image of a UMD®. The PSP®go system has built-in system memory that has replaced the UMD® drive, so it was no longer necessary to give the image of UMD® media. But we wanted to keep the characteristic that would identify a PSP® system at merely a glance. We designed the PSP®go system by placing soft grips in a ring that can be the feet and placed the logo within that ring.
So the image of the PSP® platform is still presented as the series with the basic design just like the new model PlayStation®3 system.
That's right. The actual style is quite different, but one glance is enough to see that it is a PSP® system. The PSP®go system is a member of the PSP® family, not different hardware, so we didn't want to give a completely different design even if the concept is different.