PSP game targets businesses looking to increase productivity

by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 17th 2006 at 4:15PM }

Kokuyo's Business Experience Series: The Path To Starting A Company isn't exactly the killer app PSP gamers were hoping for, but if Kokuyo gets its way, businesses will purchase the game and encourage employees to play it. Not a bad way to spend Monday afternoon at the office, right?

The Path is a text-based adventure game that follows the journey of Shingo Adagiri. Unhappy with his job at an advertising firm, Shingo quits and starts his own company. And while it's hard to imagine any business giving its employees a game that seemingly encourages players to quit their jobs for greener pastures, Kokuyo insists that the real focus of the game is to increase worker productivity through creative means.

The Path features three distinct selling points: the educational experience of creating & marketing a unique product, business terminology training, and a testing mode meant to increase business smarts. Kokuyo chose the PSP platform because it most closely resembled a mobile phone, which is the platform of choice for people in the workforce.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Alex K. @ Feb 17th 2006 4:23PM

yeah...um the DS got the "non-games" right.

but this....ick.

Spartacus @ Feb 17th 2006 4:26PM

So now along with Apple, MS, Nintendo, Tivo, and the common PC Sony is attempting to compete with Matt Foley: Motivational speaker. Brilliant.

Fuzz @ Feb 17th 2006 4:29PM

I predict failure.

Brian @ Feb 17th 2006 4:31PM

I think I've played this game before...

In a Van!!
By the River!!

White Rose Duelist @ Feb 17th 2006 4:31PM

I can't think of a worse reason I've ever heard for releasing a game for a single platform than "it looks like a phone". Not that I believe it - they would have gone with the N-Gage or mobile phones in general if that were true - but this is remarkably stupid.

fawazr @ Feb 17th 2006 4:34PM

first the psp version of Nintendogs, and now an educational game for adults. Again, I hate it when Nintendo fanboy paranoia (ie. Sony steals all their ideas from Ninty) is proven true. I'm a bit annoyed that the beautifully arranged hardware of the PSP just isn't being put to use. Make no mistake, the DS is a sweet and invigorating experience, but the PSP is the glowing monster of handhelds, not a web browser, mp3 player, entertainment center, or a way to get sheep in suits to be more productive for their bloated overlords. I'm waiting for the inevitable killer app on the PSP because I know it's capable of so much more.

mike @ Feb 17th 2006 5:26PM

I'm a bit annoyed that the beautifully arranged hardware of the PSP just isn't being put to use.

---

Huh? like that's hard? To make an attractive device with almost no use? The PSP is big trouble.. not the big mother or anything in the handheld market..

Those who don't remember the Game Gear are doomed to repeat it...

Again.. DS software is outselling PS2 software in Japan. Recognize.

Jed Merrill @ Feb 17th 2006 6:00PM

I actually like business sims, not unlike Phoenix Wright or Trauma Center on the DS... I may actually have a reason other than Lumines to pick up my PSP, which hasn't happened in two or three months... I hope this does come to the US...

Jed Merrill @ Feb 17th 2006 6:04PM

Or better yet, to the US on DS!

Kamalot @ Feb 17th 2006 6:23PM

This game sounds like it could have been made for a web browser ... or a phone's web browser.

How much you want to bet that Sony 'partnered' with the company to release a business game for the PSP? When I say, "partnered", I mean, "Throw a lot of money at".

Anticrawl @ Feb 17th 2006 6:56PM

Jesus christ what a moron.... at that take note I rarely ever have an outburst like that without putting a lot of thought into before hand. So let me get this straight. Some guy is trying to sell his game on a device that has the public image of being edgy and having multidemnsional entertainment features. A game that quite possibly could be played with flash cards or on an MU. His reasons for putting the game on the psp? Because "it most closely resembled a mobile phone". Alright alright, first of all if anyone has a phone that looks like the psp, they must have just stepped out of a time machine from the 90s. It's a brick in terms of a phone. Not only that don't they have a device... damn, what's it called.. that little game device that's also a cell ph... the N-Gage.. yeah. Anyway, what business in their right mind would push this game if it required them to buy a $250 dollar device that is only gonna be used to covertly enjoy themselves in their little cubical, with the web browser with no filter that is I mean hahaha...

For $250 you could send them to a really nice "job camp". I forget the term, but it's like something you do on the weekend to educate employees and motivate them.

For that matter, who they hell hires employees who don't know enough about businees to where they have to play a game to get by.

Furthermore, how can we trust this game will help anyone at all. When it is about business. And the entire concept of releasing the game for the psp and the reasoning behind it is a poor and horrible business blunder.

It's like taking love advice from someone who was just dumped or listening to a guy with one eye and no legs talk about how to stay safe. Sometimes realworld examples of mistakes aren't the best way to train employees.

Oh but maybe this man is true genius! His true technique is to make all this poor business decisions, and post them in his blog(i.e. the game), about releasing a business game for the psp... blah blah blah.. and one day try to rationalize the decision by sayingit looks like a phone. Pure genius. He is going to help these poor misguided employees at the expense of himself, his life, his reputation, honor, dignity, future, children, wife, and walet.

I could go on and on about this one, they are really coming out of the woodwork today.

Pixels for my people,
Anticrawl

Anticrawl @ Feb 17th 2006 7:07PM

Yep, next thing you know Jack Thompson will make a game for the ps2 to teach us how to think logically and how people are responsible for their own actions.

Pixels for my people.... cept for Jack Thompson,
Anticrawl

Sheero @ Feb 17th 2006 7:35PM

How exactly does this increase productivity if they are playing the game? 0_o

CYRiX @ Feb 17th 2006 9:32PM

Whats next on their list of ideas to make the PSP sell?
UMD Porn?

Jamesology @ Feb 19th 2006 4:29PM

It's funny how you guys keep mentioning how Sony will fail. Well if they fail so what! Nintendo has fail several times too. Heck all of these big Corporations have failed a couple of times. For Nintendo, do you remember Virtua Boy? Seizures anyone? Oh how about the NES Power Pad? I thought PSP had a bad library PowerPad only got to 8 games. And also N64, honestly wtf was that? Maybe most of you are too young to remember these gadgets but like most companies that just start off in the battlefield are bound to have mistakes. That is just the way it is. Give Sony a couple more years to learn.