Sony has made some interesting choices lately. The company has put out a number of devices that are supposed to be PlayStation compatible, but the lack of PS content available through these devices is uninspiring to say the least. Recently, Sony announced that the company is, in fact, working on a PlayStation SDK update for those PS-compatible devices. There’s no word yet as to when this software development kit will materialize, but the fact that Sony is actually working on the kit is encouraging.

Is Sony Facing Pressure From Nintendo?

Sony and Nintendo have been competitors for many years now. The two companies are often compared and one newly released console by one company tends to be followed by a new device from the other company. Recently, Nintendo announced that 3DS sales are going very well in Japan and elsewhere. These higher than expected sales are largely a result of Nintendo’s excellent content selection. While the 3DS isn’t comparable to Sony’s PlayStation-ready devices (we’re talking mobiles and tablets here), Sony might be moving in a different, yet similar, direction than Nintendo.

By offering mobile and tablet users as much content via these PS-ready devices as Nintendo offers through the 3DS, Sony is putting a lot of effort into tablet and mobile gaming. Nintendo, on the other hand, hasn’t really started to take off within the mobile or tablet world. Yet, both companies are focusing on content. As different as these two tactics may seem, it’s hard to ignore the underlying content theme. Clearly, handheld gamers and mobile gamers (tablets too) are seeking more content. The question now is: is Nintendo wise to focus on handheld content or does Sony have it all figured out? Where will gaming head? In a mobile direction or will handhelds prove all those naysayers wrong? It will certainly be interesting to find out.

PlayStation SDK Pricing and Availability

So, now that Sony has actually announced that a PlayStation SDK for mobile and tablet devise is in the works, when will this be available? More importantly (perhaps) how much will the new SDK cost? Availability details are still somewhat sketchy (towards the end of this year), but the cost of the SDK is now known. If you want to make sure you have access to all of that great PlayStation content, you will have to spend $99 per year. Sony tends to price things on the high side, and this pricing seems to gel with what consumers have come to expect from Sony. Then again, the content that Sony will offer looks vast and promising, so $99 might not be such a high price to pay (you be the judge).

Sony and Nintendo have always been neck-and-neck, but it’s looking like the two companies are going to part ways within the next year or so. While Sony concentrates on mobile and tablet content, Nintendo is sticking with its handheld and console plan. Will one company last longer than the other? If you have a PS-compatible device, are you looking forward to the SDK release? Let me know what your thoughts are on this development!