Skype coming to Sony's PSP?
Guess what babies? All your wildest dreams are about to come true (provided they don't get too wild). That's right, according to new PR for Sony's upcoming CES showing, Skype is apparently coming to the PSP. Details are scarce at the moment (i.e. …
Context & Ripple Effects
The CES leak lands on top of an arc Sony has been building all year: back in May 2007, BT and Sony announced a plan to bring advanced communications — including net calls — to the PSP (BT and Sony's May 2007 communications deal), and separate reporting had the handheld offering internet calls around the same time. A PSP phone from Sony Ericsson has been rumored since mid-2007, so voice on the device would be a step toward that converged vision.
Skype's side of the ledger matters too: the service pushed into casual gaming in May 2007 (Skype's move into casual gaming), but spent late 2007 burning goodwill by stripping London 0207 numbers from customers for what looked like a modest fee. A marquee hardware partner at CES would be a timely credibility win — though as of this report the pairing rests on unconfirmed PR details.
First-order effects
- If Sony confirms it at CES, the PSP gains VoIP calling, turning a games-and-media handheld into a communications device overnight — and giving Skype its first major portable console footprint beyond the PC.
Second-order effects
- A voice-capable PSP sharpens the overlap with the rumored Sony Ericsson PSP phone, forcing Sony to position the handheld against mobile handsets rather than just the DS-class competition; BT's involvement points to carrier-style partnerships becoming the distribution route for device-based calling.
Third-order effects
- The pattern — a telco (BT) supplying the network layer while a consumer electronics maker supplies the screen — sketches how dedicated gaming hardware could absorb telephony without becoming a phone, a structural blurring of the handheld-console and handset categories.
The trend: Handheld consoles are absorbing VoIP and messaging through telco partnerships, pulling gaming devices into direct competition with mobile phones.