The NGP captivated audiences when it was announced last month, but gamers and media alike scratched their collective heads in confusion at the subtraction of the XMB. Be confused no more as SCEE has spoken up, stating that the XMB was removed to allow for a more social interface.
In the latest edition of Edge magazine, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida revealed that the touchscreen controls played a huge part in the exit of the award winning XMB.
That is indeed one key reason. The other fundamental point was our desire to make this device very social network orientated: there are lots of fun games on Facebook, for example.
We wanted to integrate the social networking factor, the potential for friends to join in, interact at any moment. We wanted the entire screen to be part of that experience. To do so, we thought it was important to let users keep track of their game even when they weren’t playing it – with the LiveArea, for example.
Sounds like a very good reason for the new interface, one which looks like it has a lot of potential. We cannot wait to get our hands-on with the device, hopefully at this year’s GDC or E3.
Are you excited to try out the new interface, or will you miss the stylish and simple XMB? Let us know in the comments below.
[Source]
