Survey: 76.2 Percent Of Japanese 'Core' Gamers Want NGP

Sony's PlayStation Portable enjoys wide adoption in Japan, and the country's core gamers seem overwhelmingly excited to trade up for a Next Generation Portable when the touch pad-equipped new hardware launches. Japanese game magazine Famitsu polled its readers, and according to the results (translated by consumer weblog Kotaku) 76.2 percent of them said they want the NGP. Only 7.9 percent replied that they don't want the device, and 15.9 percent remain as yet undecided. Although the Famitsu report seems to suggest that some gamers would like more details on the hardware, the graphical fidelity and twin analog sticks seem to be major selling points for the audience in Japan. Interestingly, though, 23 percent of the respondents said they don't like the device's looks. 50 percent like it, while 22.6 are big fans of its aesthetics. Just 3.9 percent of respondents had a strong negative reaction to the device's appearance. Although images of the NGP released so far show it in black, gamers said they would most like a white handheld. Famitsu also asked its audience what they believe the device will cost; 42.5 percent of them expect it will cost less than A¥30,000 ($363), while 17 percent believe it will cost less than A¥25,000 ($303). Only about 5 percent of the audience picked out price points lower than that. Notably, the strong yen means that the currency conversions wouldn't be indicative of U.S. pricing, if the Japanese gamers turn out to be right.