Why Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is Being Ported to PSP

You don't see many Nintendo DS games ported over to the PSP. For one thing, the systems are dramatically different. The PSP has a single widescreen and uses traditional controls while the Nintendo DS uses two screens and features touch screen controls. Not to mention that the Nintendo DS has two times the user base than that of the PSP worldwide. The above factors aren't stopping Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from heading over to the PSP, however. Here are a few reasons why publisher and developer Rockstar Games is ignoring all conventional reasoning to port their game.

History
While Grand Theft Auto debuted on the PC, the series became quite popular on the Playstation platforms. Grand Theft Auto III exploded in popularity when it was released in 2001 for the Playstation 2. Grand Theft Auto IV also did extremely well on the Playstation 3. Finally, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories found moderate success on the PSP. Therefore, the fan base was already well-established on the PSP and the Playstation brand before the port of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Enhancements
The port of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars to the PSP will come with several enhancements. The visuals got a boost from the Nintendo DS version with a higher resolution, widescreen support in addition to better lighting and animations. Furthermore, the port will come with extra story missions. In many ways, the PSP version is the director's cut of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS.

Digital Distribution
Porting Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars to the PSP can also be cost effective. This is because the game can be uploaded to the Playstation Store as a digital download. As a result, the publisher saves on packaging and shipping costs that would have been added in a physical copy of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

More Mature Audience
The user base of the PSP is also perfect for the port. Overall, PSP gamers are more mature and hardcore than your typical Nintendo DS player. This makes it perfect for the port of the hardcore and mature-rated Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. So don't be surprised if the PSP port ends up outselling the Nintendo DS original.

Relationship with Sony
Finally, developer Rockstar Games always had a tight relationship with Sony. All the Grand Theft Auto games have appeared on Playstation platforms starting with Grand Theft Auto III. Not to mention that Rockstar Games is also developing Agent exclusively for the Playstation 3. Because of their tight relationship, the once Nintendo DS exclusive game is now being ported to the PSP.