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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.
Let's just hope this doesn't fortell a delay in the PS3 then :-(
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
The DS is a companion product to the GameCube and Gameboy lines and isn't the "next generation" gameboy. Nintendo will probably wait out the GBA a bit longer before releasing a new system. The thing a lot of people here seem to be forgetting about how Nintendo became so domainant to begin with in handhelds is that the Gameboy has backward compatibility. The GameBoy Advance SP can play games I bought 15 years ago for the original Gameboy in most cases without a hitch (yes, a few games have bugs when running on GBAs).
Some of the Gameboy's biggest competitors in handheld gaming history :
Game Gear. Produced by Sega. Had a COLOR SCREEN back when the Gameboy was still in black and white. Blew away, burned, and then buried the Gameboy in terms of graphics. Currently discontinued.
The Wonderswan Color. Recieved Final Fantasy remakes. Nuff said. Was never released outside of Japan. End of story.
The NeoGeo Pocket. Produced by SNK. Had back-lit screen, a little joystick instead of a D-pad (FINALLY), and shipped with wonderful games like Metal Slug. Currently discontinued but you can still buy them in special packages at local video game stores.
I'm sorry, real competition? They went up against Sega (gotta love that historic rivalry) and SNK. Now they're going up against Sony. Wtf do you wanna see Nintendo go up against? A Microsoft handheld?
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.
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