PSP Controller Layout, New Details Revealed

Thanks to IGN Pocket for their article discussing new PlayStation Portable (PSP) details revealed at Sony's Gamers' Day in San Francisco. The article discusses the PSP's controller configuration, which is "...now confirmed to consist of the four face buttons we all know and love (triangle, circle, cross, and square), a digital directional pad, two shoulder buttons (left and right), start and select buttons, and one analog joystick." It also reveals that "Sony compared the 3D prowess of the PSP to be more akin to the PS2 rather than the PSone", and other details emerged - the system's battery life was "...said to be comparable to other high-end devices (roughly 3-6 hours)", and GameSpot's Gamers' Day round-up relays that "a prototype will be unveiled at E3 2004... [and] currently, 10 first-party titles are in development for the new platform."

Comments

Battery Life

[BigDork1001]

and other details emerged - the system's battery life was "...said to be comparable to other high-end devices (roughly 3-6 hours)"

This doesn't seem like a lot to me. I did a quick Google search and saw that the official stats on the GBA SP give it 10 hours light on/17 hours light off. Now that's three times longer than the PSP. That's pretty significant. They'll have to definatly increase batterly life before I'd look at getting one of these.

Re:Battery Life

[SmallFurryCreature]

Yah, you did read the article so I guess you missed it. Anyway I am not quit sure I believe it myself.

The claim is that the 3D performance will be closer to the PS2 then the PS1. Zing. Compare this to the GBA who while a nice console is hardly what you would consider a power monster. Have you seen some of the 3D games on the gameboy? The GBA has pathetic power. Doesn't mean it makes for bad games. It doesn't. But it does mean that anyone going to compete with it better offer something different. Like say more powerfull games? You don't compete by doing exactly the same thing (please pay attention KDE developers) you compete by offering something you hope will be considered superior. Now ask youselve this, how many people who usa a gba really need 10 hours playtime between recharges?

So they are putting it with HIGH end performance items like laptops. Sure you mobile phone easily has several times the battery life of youre P4 Radeom mobile laptop. On one you play snake on the other you play Quake3.

You are basically complaining that the McClaren F1 is not as fuel efficient as say a Smart. Duh.

I for one hope that sony goes for power and options. And simply does what they did with my mini-disc player. Make it top-notch with the simple option of affexing an external battery pack for those occasions you need more battery life. (it is a two AA cell plastic container that screws on to the side. and supplements the encased rechargeable battery)

Go sony. Go for the high-end market. It is there. I know plenty of gameboy fans who got every color of the bloody thing. They wouldn't think twice about buying a device 2x 3x the price if it gave them performance. Oh and please. Proper lighting this time right? Oh and screw battery life. Just include larger batteries and give us battery packs that can be easily charged and exchanged.

And while we are at it. Please realise the nature of gameplay on these devices. So no games where the only way to save is writing down a huge string of characters. Save anywhere. It is possible.

Oh well no doubt the product will be ruined by focus groups who will never even buy it because they got the time to be in focus groups while those of us who can and would buy it are at work.

End rant.

Unusual Marketing Ploy?

[Thedalek]

Or just plain poor communications between departments?

Am I alone in thinking it a little strange that Sony announced this device more than a year before they intend to show even the physical shape of it?

In fact, it seemed that the initial announcement was more of an excuse to show off a new storage medium (which also won't be available for about a year).

Don't get me wrong: I'm pretty excited about the PsP, and all the possibilities it could offer. I'll probably buy one, but then again, I have a Game.com and every game ever commercially available for it.

Re:They can't because of Nintendo patents.

[kisrael]

* Nintendo's D-pad
Too bad they shrunk it so much on the GC...

* Sony's analog sticks
Eh, they're ok. I like that they press in but I think GC's is more comfy now. (I'd really like one with a rotating top, so I could play oldschool paddle-controller games or Ikari warrior type things :-)

* Sony's buttons
What the latest ones? Are you CRAZY? Those are the mushiest pieces of crap ever. That's way to small an amount to "click" for 256 values...and to make sure I have the things fully pressed (ala for the gas in GTA:VC) it kills my fingers. Yuck.

* Sony's DualShock control layout on the front-face (the controls are placed about perfectly for me).

Like many others, I find the sticks horribly placed. "Thumb-cramping" is the phrase that comes to mind.

* Microsoft's Controller-S case and extra-long cable
Yeah, long cable's good. Dunno much about the case.
What about gas pedal buttons? DC and GC had it all over PS2.