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Sony Delays PSP To 2005
An anonymous reader writes "CNN Money's Game Over column is reporting that Sony has delayed the launch of the PSP handheld gaming system in the U.S. until it has a 'reasonable amount' of titles to launch with the system. This will push the PSP to 2005 in the States, giving Nintendo free reign in the holiday season - as well as a possible headstart for the Nintendo DS." Some earlier reports had indicated the PSP was due to launch worldwide in November 2004.
I wonder if this pushes back the PS9 to 2034. I mean, c'mon, I saw the commercials for that over a year and a half ago.
When did Sony buy out Jasc software and aquire Paint Shop pro? ... Oh! Playstation... Erm... ... Is this the way out?
Hate me!
Let's just hope this doesn't fortell a delay in the PS3 then :-(
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
but delaying the system hopefully means a better selection of games at launch and a chance to tweak the system even further.
spend money here
can we really call it a PlayStation???
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
...I doubt we'll see a 2004 release date for Nintendo's DS, either. Nintendo is infamous for delaying it's release dates (remember when they repeatedly clamed, even towards late 2000, that the Gamecube would see a simultaneous worldwide launch by the holidays? It was released late 2001.) And, I don't think Nintendo ever said that the DS would see a 2004 launch (though I could be wrong) to begin with...
If I'm not mistaken, didn't Nintendo say that the DS was not meant to be vying for the same market as the PSP, but rather there would be a new Gameboy to do that?
You probably shouldn't click this.
You're right! What we need are games with full FMV at every plot twist turn and a focus on graphics rather than gameplay and actually having fun!
Some of the simplest games, i.e. Tetris, are some of the most enjoyable. Tetris sold the original black and white GB back in the day.
Nintendo's most inventive games, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, have more to do with being innovative and groundbreaking than graphical wizardy.
There's more to life than pretty pictures.
Hmmmmmmmm. Why is the PS2 more popular than the PS1 then?
Nintendo clearly was launching the DS when they were to take the attention away from the PSP... even if the DS doesn't succeed, the PSP would not have gotten all of the news (or attention). It was simply a marketing strategy designed to steal the PSP's initial thunder.
I think that the reason they are delaying is that by the new release date, the DS will be out for a couple of months... therefore, the DS will quiet down enough for Sony to get the media coverage they desire again.
I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo delays the DS launch as a result.
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor
That's what I thought too, but after adjusting to the old school graphics I'm starting to play it a bit more than all my other consoles/PC etc. Final Fantasy Tactics and the beauty that is Metroid Zero Mission suck you in.
It all comes down to gameplay, and of course being cheap and with a massive library helps a lot. I'm still jonesing for a PSP, but the GBA will hold me off until then I'm sure.
one good thing is that the price of the PSP at launch probably goes down as the launch date is delayed. i really hope sony doesn't try to throw the kitchen sink into the PSP - it should be a videogame system and nothing else. there is no need for an N-Gage 2.
smd4985
I thought that was the motto on these units? I can't recall a new one that's ever come out with alot of games available right off the bat. Seems like they all sort of trickle in after the release.
Or, my memory could be flawed.
A Station would imply it's STATIONary.
Why don't we called it a PlayMobile.
Sony: Oh, yeah, it won't be ready until 2005...
Customers: Groan...
Fast Forward to Deceber 5, 2004
Sony: Oh, btw, the PSP is for sale now, at $20 more than we thought...
Customers: Quick! Run to the stores!
Since this is supposed to be the "Walkman of the 21st Century", and will have USB, memory stick technology, etc., it seems unlikely that "waiting for games" is a valid reason not to release it when they said they would. They may be having problems, or may be trying to stir up demand. I'm guessing the latter.
libertarianswag.com
They still make games for the PS2.
Has to be better than releasing it and having to listen to hordes of fans say, "yea, its aight, but aint' got no games". We have all seen lack of games or even lack of good games hurt gaming systems in the past. Want a nice protable gaming system, wait a few years when the price of palm-tops drop. I'll be playing Drug Wars in color baby! heh
I thought the PSP as a portable PSX, and played PSX titles.. Guess not, that would have been cool.
I guess it's another cartridge based handheld for GameBoy to lay waste to. I seriously doubt it will succeed where Lynx, GameGear, Nomad, TGXpress, NeoGeo Pocket, Game.com, and now NGage have failed.
But I would have bought a handheld PSX. Maybe PSX hardware is just too easy to hack?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Maybe now Nintendo won't have to release the DS in a hurry then.
Best Community for Gaming and Gadgets!
Because the PS1 is almost 10 years old at this point, and the PS2 can play every PS1 game ever made.
Assuming they can afford one, and there's at least some PS2 games that someone likes, why would they be buying a PS1 when they could get a PS2 and have the best of both worlds? And even then, i've heard of plenty of people that use their PS2's largely for playing old PS1 games.
Use your head, instead of trying to sound superior.
There are two ways of looking at this:
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
That being said, I also wouldn't rush to crown Sony just yet. Nintendo has had the handheld market for years, first because of Mario and then because of Pokemon. Now, it has the added bonus of GCN connectivity, an unfortunate necessity in games like Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles but a pleasant side bonus for other games such as Zelda, Metroid Prime, Splinter Cell, etc...
Remember the Game Gear? Or its innovative yet poorly received cousin the Nomad? Sega had a brand name (Sonic) at the time, something Sony doesn't really have to the same degree. I think the PSP will target your market, people who want high-end portable graphics, but there are lots of kids who like Pokemon and Mario just fine in 2D form.
I have a hunch the PSP will be almost as big a flop as the N-Gage, but that's largely a guess then educated prognosticating.
Actually, I find those games tremendously boring. Because of that, I mostly play RPGs, which are a lot more immersive when the have rich graphics.
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
...but they've already made a PocketStation...
It's not just the Japanese companies, it's the Japanese girls too!
The problem with holding out to release the PSP months after the DS is that they risk losing big time. Consider the current console situation. PS2 makes it to market months before the other 2 systems and completely solidifies itself as the #1. microsoft and nintendo don't even come close.
This situation is kinda the flipside. Nintendo dominates the handheld market. When they release the DS they will have a huge number of developers lined up to release titles, because they already have a huge number of developers working on the GBA. DS comes out first, people jump all over it (as this is nintendo's #1 specialty), and who's going to want to buy a PSP a few months down the line after you've already invested in several games for your DS? granted, there's always be the cutting edge geeks who have money to burn, but parent's aren't going to want to shell out money for another system when little johnny just got a DS just 3 months ago.
The graphics are only awful if you compare them to modern games.
The GBA's graphics is only getting better over time... as I've seen lately by playing Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town... they are starting to actually stand atop the original 16-bit games in the SNES and Genesis.
I for one am a hardcore gamer so graphics do not matter. Nonetheless, for what it's worth, the GBA's graphics are AWESOME! Compared to XBOX though? Of course not... but don't be a fanboy.
"Instant gratification takes too long." - Carrie Fisher
the PS2 can play every PS1 game ever made.
Bzzzt, wrong.
All generalisations are wrong. You should be more careful about what you post.
Wow...what great analysis. Mods? Where are you? Mod this guy +1 Insightful! The PS1 is an old system that no longer has games made for it, dude. That's also a poor analogy, since the N-Gage has better graphics than the GBA yet the latter is far more popular. Maybe games and name brands are important too?
(seriously the DS2 is the lamest idea I've heard in a long time)
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
The PSP uses new special discs (I believe they are the same size as GCN discs and mini-cd's) that can only be read on the PSP.
What does this mean?
PSP is not just a video game system, it's an opportunity to sell music and movies on yet another physical media format. Way to go, Sony.
And the battery life will be teh short.
The delay to 2005 doesn't faze me at all, as I probably won't own one of these bad boys until 2006 at the earliest, unless Sony is planning on a much, much lower price point than I am expecting.
Much Love,
Arek
There's already a Playstation Portable. Homemade.
He also makes all sorts of other portables. Check it out.
Xbox reviews.. We think they're funny.
Bah, this is nothing new. Every console gives this excuse. It doesn't really mean they'll have more launch titles. I bet it still only launches with 10 or so games.
Could it be because Sony Computer Entertainment refuses to issue licenses to produce new titles for the PS1 console?
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
...I really hope that was a pun. :-|
Personally, I think the Nintendo DS will out perform the PSP even if the two were released at the same date (or even if the PSP was released a few months before). Nonetheless, the Nintendo DS won't have to get delayed because of a lack of games, because Nintendo is all about it's gaming lineup.
While Sony is wondering "Damn. How the hell are we going to get GTA3 on this handheld...??" Nintendo is off laughing at them while far in the lead.
The reason main Nintendo is doing as good as they are is because of the games -- not the system specs of their consoles. Catch them if you can Sony, Nintendo can only release more games, downshift, and take off. They have been doing this for years and will continue to do it.
"Instant gratification takes too long." - Carrie Fisher
..does it run linux?
No really, I've always been tempted to program games for these little fellas, so I'm curious whether dev-tools will be widely available or not. Wasn't the PS2 dev-tools linux based?
Nobody would have said that if you hadn't.
According to: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=tech nologyNews&storyID=4438857
"Analysts have seen the PSP as a potential rival to Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s dominant Game Boy handheld player, Nokia's N-Gage wireless gaming device and Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod and iTunes music download service."
Let me seee... the PSP is supposed to compete in:
1. The portable videogame market (mass price point $99, that requires a solid library of games, and a device that can potentially be used by people from all ages without breaking).
2. The not-so-popular market of cell phone + videogame device. (
3. The Portable Music player (that currently is led by a company that not only has improved the online music business (through a store that supposedly can barely break even), but considers these devices as an entry level computer to entice potential costumers into their other product lines.
PEOPLE.... Just looking at how segmented each market is, I think that If Sony can launch this utopic product at a reasonable price point (which seems to be $199) consumers WILL benefit.
HOWEVER, a more realistic approach will be to release a videogame device (as a core), with the potential to have phone modules (don't ask me) or mass storage for MP3's, movies, etc (Memory sticks??, PSP-Disks???).
Otherwise I rather keep my GBA (or GBA2) rather than buy an overpriced device, that is neither a good phone, neither nor a good MP3 player and that because of this, doesn't have a decent games library.
Any ideas?
Right now, the Gameboy Advance system has a huge advantage: library of titles. From turn based strategy games to action, role playing and "quirky" like "WarioWare Megagames Inc", the GBA has just about any toe to toe battle locked up. It's cheap (under $100), batteries last a long time, and a huge library.
Sony has to realize this after seeing the #1 reason why the PS2 kicked the pants off the Xbox: library. Is the later a more powerful system? For the most part, sure - it's hard to argue otherwise. But when you're a gamer looking at 200+ titles including all the PSOne games and built in DVD play as opposed to less titles (and a lower number of prime choice - I'd say 5-10 on the Xbox I'd want to have opposed to 20-40 on the PS2), you've won the battle.
So for Sony to delay the PSP in the US is a good idea. Let the Japanese market "beta test" it, shake out the issues, then go the big market with guns ablazing. By then enough Japanese developers can make their games and have the additional 6 months to pick and choose the good ones to port to the North American market.
Otherwise, they'll just be another N-Gage - an expensive toy that doesn't justify the high cost.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
I get your point about Tetris vs FMV, but there were plenty of versions that didn't focus on Gameplay but managed to be alright fun because the game was so simple. Only one version got everything right: Spectrum Holobyte's Tetris Classic was the only version with controls well-crafted enough to allow an expert Tetris player to play at a speed that was limited by the brain and not the fingers. AND it had scoring to encourage Tetrises.
I agree! The graphics for FFVII, X, X-2, and XII are mostly crap. It's their awesome stories that people buy em for. Those games may as well have been put out on the SNES. Personally, I'm working on porting them to MUSH. It's gonna rock!
Looks like it'll come bundled with its own version of Duke Nukem Forever!
Sorry, I missed 15 Japanese-only games that 90% of past, present, or future US PS1/PS2 owners probably don't even know exist.
And since this story deals with the US market...Unless you're a rabid importer of Japanese titles, that does absolutely nothing to invalidate the points raised in my original post. Nice job nit-picking, though, I guess i'm not perfect after all.
Zelda and Final Fantasy on the NES are two of the best RPGs I've ever played, and they don't have anything close to rich graphics.
--
the strongest word is still the word "free"
If the PSP was supposed to be able to run (with slight modification) the original Playstation games, why do they need to wait for more titles. Why can't the just bring it to market with a several dozens or so of the best PS games and a handful of new ones? It worked for the GBA.
I think the delay is due to it's cost. Sony still has to find a way to cut down the price. The delay won't help the numbskull customers at the local game store who have been insisting that the PSP is out in Japan though. This just gives Sony more mindless hype time.
"Sony" is brand name enough to sell the buggers
Why?,
*Sob*,
why does this always happen to products that include technology that is still highly experimental.
*Sob* Why don't they just say we are scheduling a totally unrealistic release date to make our competitors anxious, and to make our potential customers mad for not hitting a deadline we had no intention of keeping.
*Sob*
Sarcasism isn't something that can be taught it is a gift.
-4 50% offtopic / 50% flamebait, come on you know you want to.
A Fatal OE Exception has occurred, Sig will now reboot.
Didn't playmobile make lego type toys or something?
There's a growing sense that even if The Future comes,
most of us won't be able to afford it.
-- Lemmy
Nintendo has always emphasized gameplay and I have owned every one of their systems over the years, including the Virtual Boy. They have original games with innovative gameplay, and not just sequel/prequel readymade template games. And the 1st party sequels are some of the best games in the industry. They usually only carry over the characters and maybe a bit of story.
Anyways, I'm sure the marketplace will decide who will win this upcoming war.
Amigori
"The quality of life is determined by its activites."--Aristotle
I hope Nintendo's next Gameboy is simply a handheld Gamecube with a cartridge slot for backwards-compatibility. Think about it--the Gamecube discs are already small enough. And then Nintendo would already have a product line as well as developers familiar with the system.
I'd love to go from Metroid Zero Mission to Metroid Prime on one handheld Gameboy...
I cannot wait until Nintendo get some real competition. Gameboy has had too long a monopoly on the handheld gaming industry.
It took them god knows how many years before they released the GB advanced. With a push from Sony PSP, consumers can leapfrog straight to PS1 quality games and force Nintendo to be the "low end" of the market.
Seriously, I can't believe Sony didn't think of that.
PlayMobile sounds exactly like a Playstation-handheld system would be named.
Ifso, the statement 'until it has a 'reasonable amount' of titles to launch with the system' does not make too much sense imo : Or the porting itself is having problems : In which case the delay can have hardware problems as the cause.
Not seeing any conspiracies here, just seems a bit odd to me : Looking forward to this handheld beats though :)
There's been some good competition in the console market with the last generation, and it's done a fine job of getting prices down and encouraging multi-platform releases. Both of these things seem good to me.
Now, I loves my gameboy, but it's time there was some serious competition in the handheld market. I mean, the SP, while nice, was incremental rather than innovative. Sony has the capital and experience to provide competition. Let's hope this raises the quality of the games and lowers the cost of the systems.
Use the Firehose to mod down Second Life stories!
Here's what I think Nintendo is trying to do and it's all based on backward compatability. Losing GBA backward compatability would be foolish, but to compete with the PSP chances of achieving that compatability are slim. What I believe Nintendo is doing is making the DS cartridge based and backward compatible with GBA games. They will market this point, along with it's innovation and at a significantly lower price than the PSP. Although pitting the GBA games against PSP seems foolish, the kicker is this. Nintendo will, if I'm right, announce that their GBA2 will be backward compatible with GameCube games. Undoubtedly the GBA2 will be released sometime after the PSP, but they have the DS, with it's backward compatibility and hopefully some interesting gameplay to bridge the gap between the two releases. I never bought a gamecube, but I know there are alot of great, exclusive games that were released that I can probably get pretty cheaply. And with such a large library of games from the start GBA2 even released after PSP would be my choice for portable 3D console.
And be sure to check out Wario Ware Megagames, while your mentioning simple cool good games :)
"It seems that many japanese companies like to tease us Americans for a while while they have the latest gadgetry...."
I read in a magazine somewhere that part of that delay is that it takes like 6 months to FCC approve a game system, Japan doesn't have that sort of wait.
I would, of course, appreciate details on this. This is the same magazine that said the N64 was going to run at a 'zippy 500mhz'. They didn't understand that it was just the memory bus.
"Derp de derp."
Dear Sony,
Hi. We like the PSP. But to coincide with your request that we port all our classics to the PSP so that you can actually sell one, we're going to need a bit more time.
Love,
Square Enix
Sigh... delayed until 2005. Sonyer (so near!) and yet so far!
Your puns are beyond constructive criticism. They outright suck.
As long as the extra features don't significantly increase the manufacturing costs of the system, I don't see why it would be a bad idea to include them. The N-Gage was a mistake for so many reasons, none of which are shared with the PSP.
The most fundemental mistake was that merging a game system and a phone doesn't make sense. Adding mp3 capabilities to a gamming system does. It fits the needs of the target demographics, and all the hardware to do so is already there - memory sticks, audio chipset, headphone jack. The only thing needed is software, and that costs nothing to manufacture, and nearly nothing to develop.
The reason the original Game Boy was a hit was not because of Mario, but more because Nintendo bundled a copy of Tetris in with the purchase of a game boy unit. Bam, twenty million Game Boy's sold, almost immediately. The concept of having a portable version of Tetris went over with EVERYBODY, and it was so successful at launch, that in Japan, it actually caused a national crisis and Yen shortage, due to the overwhelming demand.
Man..
I didn't realize those toys were that creepy. They look like little gnomes ready to bite your toes off when you're not looking. With those beady little eyes of theirs.. You just can't be sure what they're up to.
Maybe Sony is not impressed with the DS and think they can delay the system and have a better system with more games to compete with the DS.
Well, that's okay for platforms with a headphone jack...
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
a little rumour piece I read in game informer magazine (http://www.gameinformer.com).
It mentioned that several developers did not find the system easy to work with and thus there would not be that many titles available for launch.
On an unrelated note, GI is a pretty cool mag. I got it for free with that stupid EB card discount thingie, and it is usually full of good stuff. Its the only "game" magazine that i acutally enjoy reading.
Look out honey cause I'm usin' technology
Ain't got time to make no apologies
it's usually more a case of physics. they simply can't manufacture enough units to launch worldwide simultaneously. often there are lack of stocks on a japan only launch, so they wait until that market is at least somewhat saturated/manufacturing has gone up to speed before releasing in the rest of the world. it would be pretty damn useless to release it everywhere if you dont have anything to actually sell.
Wow mods marking this flamebait?
I didn't think there was such a thing as N-Gage fanboys because to be one would mean you're a serious fucking idiot but so goes the mods....
Since I'm not on the inside of the industry (though I want to be, someday) all I have is what "IGN and the large publications" tell me. I hope you understand that.
/., It is much more possible that a member of the industry would hang out here.
:-)
And I apologize for doubting you, as well. It was probably a knee-jerk reaction to the people at other game forums I frequent, where many people claim they work for Nintendo, etc. However, I should have understood that, at a less juvenile and more "techie" site, like
So, uh, sorry, and I'll go and feel stupid now.
I think it got "teh flamebait" because the post isn't funny. Untill Slashdot adds a "stupid" moderation tag, flamebait will just have to do.
screw it: I went with a GBA emulator for PocketPCs. For the price of a GBA SP (~$100) you can buy a used 200mhz iPaq 1910 which is all it takes to run every NES, SNES, GB and GBA game. Tired of shuffling cartridges or having to carry a GBA and a PocketPC everywhere, now everything is in one portable device.
my karma will be here long after I'm gone
I may get modded into oblivion here, but I just have to say something.
the Nintendo DS won't have to get delayed because of a lack of games, because Nintendo is all about it's gaming lineup.
Now I like Nintendo as much as the next guy, but lack of library has been cited as one of their biggest downfalls in recent years. The N64 never got the 3rd party support that it needed, it launched late (compared to the PS1) and had a pretty thin library ?)(Mario 64, Pilot Wings, Waverace, and Shadows of the Empire, that was about wasn't it?) At a time that the PS1 had already seen some games destined to be classics (Resident Evil 1 anybody?) Even the cube is having some trouble in the 3rd party game, yeah Nintendo's first party stuff is great, and yeah most of the "port to everything" titles lag pretty far behind exclusive content in terms of quality, but when you are not the big dog on the block, every game that doesn't get ported to your system is going to gain money for the other guy. I didn't shed a tear when Acclaim stopped making cube games but suck as they do, they still sell games and to a person deciding between systems variety and selection are important factors.
The reason main Nintendo is doing as good as they are is because of the games -- not the system specs of their consoles. Catch them if you can Sony, Nintendo can only release more games, downshift, and take off. They have been doing this for years and will continue to do it.
I assume you are speaking of the handheld markets here because Nintendo has only a fraction of the home console market that Sony does. Yes, they have beaten some previous upstarts on their handheld dominance (or rather allowed the competition to beat themselves in some cases) After the SNES, Nintendo looked untouchable and while I love my cube, I am not deluded for a moment as to which of the big 3 is on top right now.
On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
Unless they make something awesome like the Sony D-88 Discman, which was the size of an 80mm disc, but had a sliding mechanism so that it could play a 120mm disc outside of its casing (though making it totally immobile)
so let me get this straight, you Dont want a portable kitchen sink?
all the hardware to do so is already there - memory sticks, audio chipset, headphone jack.
Most MP3 players use a dedicated MP3 chip for decoding the music stream. A standard audio controller just doesn't have the processing power, and main processors have to be pretty fast for a portable before they become fast enough for realtime vbr decoding. Let's not forget that even if it is using a fast enough chipset for MP3 decoding without additional hardware, there would be licensing fees to contend with.
Personally, I think they should be using MP3 as the music format of choice for these portables, and should include a chip for such purposes. But I also think Sony should pull a Gunpei Yokoi on whoever is responsible for the travesty that is the Memory Stick, so they obviously aren't listening to me.
The ______ Agenda
However let us not forget that the GBA can run quake I. A company out of CA ported the Quake engine and development tool line. So in the next year expect more 3D action games for a GBA.
... sigh
:)
Also: castelvania rocks on the gba along with boktai
Donaldson over non secure connection
Let's not forget, Sega did that same thing with their surprise release of the Saturn, which turned out to be a big dud. The hype machine hadn't started, the word didn't really get around, and people just weren't emotionally ready for the new system yet. The hardcore ran to the stores, to be disappointed by a crop of games that wasn't going to be really ready for another 5 months. But the average person either didn't hear about its release or had heard from their hardcore friends that the good games weren't going to be released for another few months. The really casual gamers didn't hear any hype at all, and didn't realize it had been released until people started pronouncing it dead.
Japan, however, is more forgiving of a weak opening lineup. They tend to look at what a machine can do, rather than what it is doing. Releasing a stunningly powerful little portable unit there while there still isn't more than one killer app is appropriate for the market. Sales there will help offset the cost of the US launch. If they launched in the US market with only one good game, they would find their price slashed quickly and irreparably.
Even the walkman needed a lot of cassette tapes available before it could be a success.
The ______ Agenda
...and the mark-up. Japanese consumers generally tolerate much higher markups (it's for the good of the country, after all) than Americans and Europeans. One particularly relevant example from the many I've seen in Japan is the Sony PS2 -- it debuted in Japan for Yen49,500, about US$500 at the time. It wouldn't fly well in the US at that price point, and for those that money is no obstacle for, they can import one themselves. If you can get one -- they were out of stock everywhere even at $500 when I considered getting one in Akihabara.
everything in moderation
I'd like to point out that people's main complaints about the Lynx and Game Gear was not a lack of good games (GG Sonic was a great ride), but about the quickly eaten battery life. After just 2 hours of play, your 5 dollar pack of AA batteries was gone, and you had little recourse but to buy more. A Game Boy could go for 10 hours on those same batteries... And would ensure that you spent more money on games than on Duracells. The second largest complaint was the cost of the systems. The Nomad was an awesome machine with the Genesis' entire library as a weapon, but at a hair over 200 dollars it was too much for the schoolchildren market to support.
Really, Nintendo's portables are in the place they are because Nintendo understands the market. They know that portable systems are sold to people who don't drive, don't work, and don't pay attention in class. They know that they need to keep costs down as much as possible, while still providing a comparatively passable gaming experience. Ruggedness beats elegance, satisfaction must be instant.
If it really was "all about" Nintendo's gaming lineup, the '64 and the 'Cube would have a much larger marketshare. Nintendo follows fundamentally the same strategy with all of their consoles. But their positioning of the GB, GBP, GBC, and the GBA in the market is truly exceptional, and a lesson that no other system manufacturer has yet to learn.
Sony is truly venturing into unmarked territory here with a $200 system for the 20+ crowd. GTA3 on that thing would be a AAA seller, and don't delude yourself into thinking Pokemon Chartreuse will stop that. Obviously it won't be competing to get under the desks of kids saving up their lunch money for a gaming fix, but not because Nintendo has better games.
The ______ Agenda
What figures are there? I haven't seen anything to suggest a given price other than estimates from pundits.
I'll pundit a bit myself, I can imagine the PSP being at or below what the PS2 costs right now. Heck, one can buy a new PSOne with a 4.5" monitor that docks with it for $150, although it's not portable.
If the thing is more than $200 I can't see a worthwhile market to be gained. I'd expect it to do far better than N-Gage, and be a much better game system, but that that doesn't say much.
The cost of game development is pretty much paid for by just rebaking existing PS1 games to the tiny UMDs.
SCHWEET!!!!
Oh, all hail the Tetris Classic: The only game I could ever play head-to-head with my mother.
So great. Soooo great.
I really am sick of this whole fanboyism on all sides. Do we all need to state our oppinions of the big three in every thread? Do we need to compare and contrast all the systems over and over? I'd like to seem more stuff that matters, not the same tired banter.
Overrated? Maybe.
Bad joke? Maybe.
Offtopic? Sigh. I wish there could be one authoritative group anywhere that you could count on intelligence from.
Does it emulate the GBA games at full speed? If so that's one hell of a device! Only question is, how comfortable is it to play, ie. directional pad, button mappings etc?
Consumer: Why is the PSP being delayed!?!
Asian Business man: oh no no, it not delayed, it that we amazed by your large American penis..
2nd Asian Business man: yes yes, our penis so very very small.
Consumer: oh, yeah thats right, keep up the good work.
(south park)
Most MP3 players use a dedicated MP3 chip for decoding the music stream. A standard audio controller just doesn't have the processing power, and main processors have to be pretty fast for a portable before they become fast enough for realtime vbr decoding.
Yes, but as hadheld games get bigger, with better audio, it becomes natural to want to use compressed audio for the soundtrack of the games, just like most console and PC games do. I would argue that the PSP would have the audio decomression chipsets regardless of whether it doubled as an mp3 player or not. Err, is that what you were saying in this next paragraph?
Personally, I think they should be using MP3 as the music format of choice for these portables, and should include a chip for such purposes.
It's yet another last-ditch, desperate attempt for Sony to try to make the MiniDisc technology and patent pool relevant.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
"You're right! What we need are games with full FMV at every plot twist turn and a focus on graphics rather than gameplay and actually having fun!"
I'd settle for a portable 2d device with a bigger backlit screen, 16-bit stereo, and more pixel pushing power.
"Nintendo's most inventive games, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, have more to do with being innovative and groundbreaking than graphical wizardy."
Have you ever heard of Lemmings or The Sims?
Something I've noticed is that these discussions of the PSP (which inevitably lead to discussions about the PSP vs. the GB(A/SP)) leave out the issue of how well complex 3D games are even going to play on a small screen at a low resolution. Games like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D played really well at 320x240, but moving into the realm of stuff like Quake the minimum reasonable resolution was really 640x480. Nowadays people want to play their games at 1024x768 or higher. Even NTSC television has a higher resolution than the PSP. So to the heart of it: are 3D games even going to be very playable at a lower resolution on a tiny screen?
As it is I definitely have to sit closer to the TV playing current-generation 3D games. With complicated (and smalll!) menus and instructional text, not to mention tiny objects which are not all that noticeable even on a regular television I can't imagine the frustration of playing these kinds of games with a handheld, in potentially bad lighting, with hordes of surrounding visual distractions (if I play a portable, it's in a car/bus/train, or somewhere else in public).
So, that being said.. if the PSP comes out with a big library of 3D games ported from the PS/PS2, I think it may suffer a nasty fate. Nintendo has a huge 2D library, Sony has/licenses enough 2D games to maybe take two hands to count. 2D games to me seem much easier to play (in general) than 3D games in a visually restrictive environment, and I'm not going to buy a PSP if/until I find it playable and it has a good library. One or both of those things might not even occur. I think people without unlimited pockets will hold out for good titles at least, things which make sense to play in limited time frames. Sony may fall victim to the industry shift to "nothing but 3D," and "let's make games more complicated." It will be an interesting event, if nothing else.
you can take the road that takes you to the stars...
The PSP will succeed. The PSP will enjoy tremendous developer support.
The N-Gage failed because it was full of design flaws and compromises. Developer support has been ok, not great.
They're selling them on ebay!
As soon as i finally decide to dish out $100 for a GBA SP, Nintendo goes and puts out a newer version. I'll probably refuse to buy this one too... until my SP gives out, and constant peer pressure and advertising convince me to pick one up. I bet I'll be out something closer to $200 this time, though. i just hope Nintendo is throwing some awesome keggers with all the money I'm giving them.
I'll have to wait that much longer to get a handheld with 7.1 surround sound, because I really really need such high quality above and beyond stereo.
I've already begun assembling a portable 7.1 speaker system.
2 slots + good midrange PDA + reasonable mobile console = Tapwave's Zodiac. With this delay, it should probably have a better game library by then as well.
no one has made mention about sony's OTHER portable. .... the sony POCKETstation..... hahaha.. I totally forgot about it till just now. Anyone know the status of this ?? or own one? I know it was more of an accessorie than a stand alone, but it was kind of neat back then, as far as I could remember.
*604x
Looking at the specs, I see that it does contain a an MP3/AAC/ATRAC3 Sony Special. You were right.
That doesn't change my complaint about hobbling it with badly undersized and overpriced memory sticks...
The ______ Agenda
The first true portable 3D gaming system was released last November. The Tapwave Zodiac is a trully cool handheld 3D gamer + Palm PDA + MP3 player.
Science is the Real TRUTH!
Tetris sold the original black and white GB back in the day.
Ahem.
That was green and a strange orangy brown grey. Black and white wasn't until the game boy pocket.
"M-Hay! m-hay"
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni