PSP Delayed Into 2005?

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Posted by Zonk on Tuesday October 5, 2004 @07:43AM from the hype-counter-hype dept.

Thanks to the numerous readers who alerted us to the Gamespot article mentioning that the PSP may be delayed until next year. This analysis comes from games industry analysts and is the result of Sony's game title weakness and battery issues. David Jenkins at Gamasutra has additional analysis as well.

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ladies and gentlemen.. by minus_273 · 2004-10-05 07:45 · Score: 1, Troll

we have a winner. I predict the DS will clobber the PSP (if it ever comes out)

--
The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
1. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by buffer-overflowed · 2004-10-05 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  I agree, but not because of release dates.... wasn't the PSP supposed to be released Q1 2005 anyway?
  
  --
  The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
2. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Fred+Or+Alive · 2004-10-05 07:55 · Score: 1
  
  I think it was supposed to be Q4 2004 in Japan, then Q1 2005 in the US, followed by a European launch when they can be bothered.
  
  --
  10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU "; 20 GOTO 10
3. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by accelleron · 2004-10-05 07:56 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  The PSP will still get the high end of the market, and the Nintendo the low end. As usual.
  
  --
  Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
4. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:00 · Score: 0
  
  I disagree.
  
  PSP will be for all the kids who want to act older.
  
  DS will be for everybody who is in touch with reality.
5. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by chrismcdirty · 2004-10-05 08:00 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Have you read the specs for the DS? It has wifi + chat built in to the system. And the way you're talking, the system for true geeks should be the Zodiac.
  
  --
  It's like sex, except I'm having it!
6. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by squall14716 · 2004-10-05 08:04 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  Wow, a stupid troll, imagine that.
  
  You seem to be forgetting that many original games are in the make. You know, innovation? Just because Nintendo has a habbit of recycling games on the GBA, the only recycled games on the DS seem to be those already out for the GBA.
  
  Plus, the DS has WiFi, and some other proprietary wireless connection, and since when was the PSP a camera? Last I checked it was just an overly expensive batter whore that tries to do too many things at once. Besides graphics, crappy batter life, lack of sidetalking (or a phone period) and Sony, what is different between this and Ngage?
  
  Sorry, the Nintendo DS is going to kick ass, and it is at least half as costly as the PSP.
7. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:09 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  "shit, crap! back to the drawing board..." -sony
8. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Zangief · 2004-10-05 08:12 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  While with the PSP, (which will use a 1.8gb optical disk), you can play games like Gran Turismo 4...Hmm, wonder what I will choose...
  
  You will have to choose between the electric plug of your room, or the electric plug of your living room, because with only 90 minutes of battery life, your psp may go dead in any moment of your gaming.
  
  Hey sony fanboy, give up. Nintendo designed the great product. Sony just put together some powerful hardware, praying that it would work.
9. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-05 08:12 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Mario DS
  Zelda DS
  MarioKart DS
  Super Metroid DS
  Donkey Kong DS
  
  Sign me up! Those are perhaps the five most consistently enjoyable franchises in home videogaming history and I'll gladly pay to see what new twists Nintendo manages to add to the games this time around.
  
  Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure Gran Turismo 4 will just be a marginal improvement on Gran Turismo 3. Increasing polygon counts is not innovation.
10. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by aliens · 2004-10-05 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  True geeks use Zauruses.
  
  Can't get much geekier than that :)
  
  --
  -- taking over the world, we are.
11. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by yetdog · 2004-10-05 08:15 · Score: 0
  
  I like how you counter Nintendo's rehashing with a 3rd sequel for one of Sony's flagship games.
12. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by magicsquid · 2004-10-05 08:15 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  The whole point of developing franchises is to exploit them. Nintendo definitely does it, but Sony does it too... Gran Turismo 4, Jak 3, Sly Cooper 2, Socom 2, etc.
  
  Don't penalize Nintendo for having tons of great franchises to choose from while at the same time applauding Sony for supplying new versions of existing franchises.
  
  If you want new games say that. If you just don't like Nintendo games, say that too.
  
  --
  
  "Chances of RHIC-induced Armageddon are exceedingly rare, but... you never know." - MIT Physicist Bob Jaffe
13. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Kehvarl · 2004-10-05 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  Zaurii?
14. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by milkman_matt · 2004-10-05 08:16 · Score: 1
  
  Hey sony fanboy, give up. Nintendo designed the great product. Sony just put together some powerful hardware, praying that it would work.
  
  Worked for the XBox ;)
15. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by TheWickedKingJeremy · 2004-10-05 08:17 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah but, the new GTA has like, 5 cities instead of 1!!! I'm serious! It's so fuckin awesome!
  
  (kill me)
  
  --
  
  my religion lies somewhere between buddhism and super monkey ball - pamphlet?
16. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by cs02rm0 · 2004-10-05 08:20 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, I reckon the gimp or photoshop...
  
  ...ohhh
17. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by devmage · 2004-10-05 08:31 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  No the Xbox only became successful because M$ threw hundreds of millions of dollars at it till it had some sort of success. This included taking huge losses on hardware, buying up game companies and pouring the money into advertising. Devmage
  
  --
  devmage
18. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by PablosBrain · 2004-10-05 08:31 · Score: 0, Informative
  
  With now over 500 cars and 100 tracks in Gran Turismo 4 it is more than a marginal improvement. Improvements take place in more than the "visual" appeal of a game. Games don't always need more polys to be better. The physics engine, the game play, the variation... and most of all... Gran Turismo 4 will include online play for up to 6 drivers at a time! Now that is what almost every Gran Turismo player has been waiting for!
19. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by gamgee5273 · 2004-10-05 08:32 · Score: 1
  
  No, it's three cities. However, you do get to experience the travel between all three and, supposedly, there is going to be no noticable loading.
  And on a slightly more related note: GTA Advance, set in the GTA III timeframe and Liberty City, will be released on the same day. Thus, a DS player has a GTA to look forward to, while a PSP player does not (at least not yet).
20. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Dirk+Pitt · 2004-10-05 08:33 · Score: 2
  
  What does that even mean? Titles for GameCube cost as much as their equivalent PS2 titles, and the hardware runs at, what, a $50 difference in price?
  I own a PS2 and a gamecube, and it amazes me how many people don't give Nintendo a fair shot because of the kiddie-style animation so common to GC titles. IMHO, the gameplay of a typical original GameCube/N64 game is *far* ahead of most of the titles originating on PS2/SPS.
  As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that *Sony* gets the low end of the market, serving the least common denominator(sports game, anyone?), while Nintendo's games, while superficially more infantile, serve the high-end gamer much more consistently. Did anyone really ever consider Mario 64 or Metroid Prime a 'low-end' game?
  (I guess my definition of 'high-end gamer' differes from a lot of people's. High-end games should feature the most carefully planned gameplay, not necessarily the most carefully rendered blood spatters.)
21. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:40 · Score: 1, Informative
  
  Unfortunately it won't have online play. As a long time GT fan, GT1 was my reason for buying PS1 and GT3 for PS2). Its funny how Sony and Polyphony Digital can hype a feature so much and just drop it all together and just squeeze money out of fans across several releases. Now PSP may be pushing back its release date as well, jeez. Unfortunately XBox 2 is starting to look like my next console purchase. But I'm sure that will be pushed back as well.
22. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by RyuuzakiTetsuya · 2004-10-05 08:47 · Score: 1
  
  dood
  
  online play has been axed like Louis the XV.
  
  --
  Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
23. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:51 · Score: 0
  
  I believe it's self-evident that this is what should happen. I see nothing redundant in it.
24. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by milkman_matt · 2004-10-05 08:53 · Score: 1
  
  No the Xbox only became successful because M$ threw hundreds of millions of dollars at it till it had some sort of success. This included taking huge losses on hardware, buying up game companies and pouring the money into advertising. Devmage
  
  Yup, just brute forced it in there. I was the UberSonyFanboy when I got my ps2, hated the Xbox, that POS couldn't compare.
  
  Now I own both, use the ps2 for DVDs and a few old games that I enjoyed, everything new I get is XBox and I love the hell outta both of 'em.
  
  I will say though, I'm impressed by the elegence of the PS2, designed their own proprietary chips and all to obtain magnificent results. I love the XBox, but they did just take a brute force approach to it. And it worked.. (IMO)
25. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by accelleron · 2004-10-05 08:57 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Nay. High-end games should feature the most carefully planned gameplay AND the most carefully rendered blood splatters.
  
  --
  Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
26. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 09:04 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Not to mention a crucial difference: Nintendo actually improves their flagship franchises between iterations. Sony just pushes out expansions and graphical updates. IMHO, the reason I prefer Sony products isn't the flagships, its the obscurities. PS1/2 easily has the longest list of sleeper-hits of any console. Armored Core anyone?
  
  Still, I'm hoping for one thing above all else with the DS: Handheld RTS games. So far, the only handheld RTS I've ever seen is Warfare Inc for the Palm/PocketPC, and its just a DuneII clone. I want more - and the DS has the stylus to do it with.
27. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-05 09:19 · Score: 1
  
  you do get to experience the travel between all three (cities in the next GTA game)
  
  OMG! All the thrill of driving hundreds of miles down a bleak and barren interstate highway, right there in the palm of my hands!
  
  Can't wait! I hope the FM radio reception simulator is realistically spotty enough!
28. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by wheany · 2004-10-05 09:46 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Has there been one single official announcement by Sony regarding any of the problems people are attributing to the PSP?
  
  There have been multiple stories on Slashdot in the past couple of weeks and I'm pretty sure all of them have been based on rumors and hearsay.
  
  And people, you don't have to love one machine and hate the other.
29. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Ayaress · 2004-10-05 09:55 · Score: 1
  
  One has been confirmed by Sony. They did admit to having serious battery problems, so much so that they've built a battery simulator into their dev kit so that developers can try to minimize their games' power drain.
30. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by nitrocloud · 2004-10-05 10:06 · Score: 0
  
  NO, it is because Nintendo doesn't know how to handle them selves as a business anymore...
  Losing all their Rare shares... what idiots.
  
  --
  Karma: Good, or bust!
31. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by wheany · 2004-10-05 10:08 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, it sounds pretty ominous, but there still hasn't been any official figure on how long the battery will last. It could be that the PSP has a battery life of only 90 minutes on full load. It could be that the real world battery life is longer even in that case. I don't know, and I don't think anybody outside Sony really knows.
  
  Could be that Sony thinks that 8 hours is not long enough, and wants developers to conserve power. I admit that it is very unlikely, though.
32. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by EpsCylonB · 2004-10-05 10:10 · Score: 1
  
  I think it was supposed to be Q4 2004 in Japan, then Q1 2005 in the US, followed by a European launch when they can be bothered.
  
  Ahhh, the big N showing there usual amount of respect for us european gamers.
33. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Fred+Or+Alive · 2004-10-05 10:29 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, I was talking about Sony and the PSP. But I don't think an EU launch date has been set for either, just Q1 2005 for the DS. (The US strangley gets DS first, then Japan).
  
  Then again Nintendo do seem to have actually tried to make a bit of an effort with PAL gamers recently, but that's probably just becuase they want to try and avoid 3rd place, and so they have to actaully pay attention to Europe for once.
  
  Sega was far nicer for PAL stuff though. :-) Can't get to sleep, I might just play some Rez (Dreamcast, of course) instead.
  
  --
  10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU "; 20 GOTO 10
34. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by b0neman · 2004-10-05 10:41 · Score: 1
  
  And this is, unfortunately for Sony, why Nintendo will OWN once again. The bulk of the buyers of GameBoy type consoles are parents who just want their whiney brats to shut the eff up! They would never be dumb enough to shell out $300 for a neat looking game machine that'll get flushed down the toilet. Now, $150 plus it plays all the old Advance games? Here you go Johnny. Now amscray!!!
35. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by tonejava · 2004-10-05 10:52 · Score: 1
  
  High-end games should feature the most carefully planned gameplay AND the most carefully rendered blood splatters.
  
  I would expect this to be mostly up to the game publishers not specifically Nintendo.
36. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by tonejava · 2004-10-05 10:56 · Score: 1
  
  It also has a very mature pirate market.
37. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by gamgee5273 · 2004-10-05 11:45 · Score: 1
  
  Ummm... no, not in the palm of your hand. I was referring to GTA: San Andreas, which will be on the PS2. And, from what I've read, there's more than a bit of adventuring to do out in the backwoods country. Granted, I'm sure there aren't any hookers to shoot, but there should be some toothless rednecks. :)
38. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 11:46 · Score: 0
  
  When a geek has multiple computer boxes he usually refers to them as boxen. As such I think you would refer to plural zaurus' as zauren. It sounds funny at first but it grows on you.
39. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 11:49 · Score: 0
  
  The Xbox was also very sucessful because MS bought bungiee and therefore aquired Halo which was a superb game and only avil on Xbox at the time.
40. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 12:07 · Score: 0
  
  All companies are bastards. They have to be. The trick as a consumer is knowing how each company's bastardism manifests.
  
  In the case of Sony entertainment, it's specifications. So, I won't believe anything Sony says until they actually release the thing.
41. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by suckmysav · 2004-10-05 12:08 · Score: 1
  
  XBox 2 is starting to look like my next console purchase
  If they don't retain backwards compatibility for the original XBox I won't be buying it, and the way things appear to be shaping up it doesn't look like it will.
  
  --
  "You can't fight in here, this is the war room!"
42. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Trejkaz · 2004-10-05 12:14 · Score: 1
  
  If that were valid, it would need to be "Zauri". "us" -> "i".
  
  --
  Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
43. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 12:15 · Score: 0
  
  Nintendo didn't choose to board a burning ship they half owned already. They cashed in on the insurance policy instead.
  
  Microsoft bought the burning ship after it was half burned-down for full price, and is trying to make a canoe of the remains.
44. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by xgamer04 · 2004-10-05 12:45 · Score: 1
  
  Isn't GT4 going to have actual AI this time around? That's a pretty big improvement, at least in my book...
  
  but hey, i'll probably wait for the greatest hits version anyway.
  
  --
  When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
45. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by NanoGator · 2004-10-05 14:48 · Score: 1
  
  "we have a winner. I predict the DS will clobber the PSP (if it ever comes out)"
  
  Perhaps, but this isn't the bit of info that'll do it in.
  
  Games games games. It's the games. Games.
  
  --
  "Derp de derp."
46. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by incubusnb · 2004-10-05 18:32 · Score: 1
  
  hey, you think Microsoft is the only mega-corporation out there? Sony has thrown just as much money into the Playstation series and i can garantee you that they'll be throwing large truck sized wads of cash into getting the PSP to be the market center-peice.
  i decided a while ago that i don't owe my alleigance to any company, i have a GC for GC games, and XBX for XBX games and a PS2 for PS2 games. i garantee you i'll have a PSP for PSP games and a DS for DS games.
  as for those of you that insist on being picky and only having one.. reasearch, reasearch, reasearch, and when you've reasearched everything decide what suits your playing style and get it and ignore the fanboys, they're just unpaid PR reps for their individual companies anyways
  
  --
  /. is overrun by bed-wetting elitist nerds
  let it be known, for anything other than servers, a *nix OS sucks
47. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by incubusnb · 2004-10-05 18:40 · Score: 1
  
  "Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure Gran Turismo 4 will just be a marginal improvement on Gran Turismo 3. Increasing polygon counts is not innovation."
  HAH... HAH... i'm sorry, i tried to laugh at your joke, but that was all i could get.
  Gran Turismo 4 is a complete redesign of the entire physics and A.I. core of the engine, not to mention detailed to a near perfection in all models and features beyond features(to the point where i honsetly don't think there will be even a close competitor to it the current Generation, even Forza will bow to it, no, the only thing that will best GT4... will be GT5)
  i can understand why you might think that though, gran turismo 3 WAS just Gran Turismo 2 with some tweaks and less cars, as a matter of fact, Gran Turismo 3 was supposed to be Gran Turismo 2000, a direct port of GT2 from PS to PS2 but Sony decided it was better marketting strategy to call it a sequel.
  
  --
  /. is overrun by bed-wetting elitist nerds
  let it be known, for anything other than servers, a *nix OS sucks
48. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by Corngood · 2004-10-06 00:32 · Score: 1
  
  So let me get this, you think that if they had a longer battery life, they wouldn't have bothered with a battery emulator? If through a little careful programming you can half your power consumption, why not do it, whether you're talking 2 hours or 50?
49. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by lion2 · 2004-10-06 02:21 · Score: 1
  
  Sony did the exact same thing.
  
  --
  #####Free and Open Source Game Directory#####
50. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by aceadean · 2004-10-06 19:47 · Score: 1
  
  I have to admit that, as a Nintendo fan, I was saddened by the loss of Rare. However, seeing their recent work(or lack thereof) on Xbox, I think Nintendo did the right thing. Let M$ have em!
51. Re:ladies and gentlemen.. by aceadean · 2004-10-06 19:50 · Score: 1
  
  Halo= Xbox Killer app. It was THE reason to own one.
I haven't been keeping up, but... by Maul · 2004-10-05 07:45 · Score: 2, Interesting

What were the launch titles for this handheld supposed to be anyway?

--
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
1. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by zonker · 2004-10-05 07:53 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  super pixelated fighter 3, long drawn out rpg XI, beatem-up-shootemup 4, basketball slammer 2005, scary things jump out at you 3: the deadening, fast swurvy car drivin' 5...
  
  same old crap that's released on the ps2 but now its portable and will likely cost twice as much to get 'in the game'! woot! ;p
  
  --
  Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away
2. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by javaxman · 2004-10-05 08:26 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I was about to reply based on my own limited knowledge ( from reading a few magazine articles here and there ), about how Gran Turismo 4 and a bunch of other games had demoed at E3, then I realized, you know what? You should know how to use Google by now. Jeesh.
  But, since you're lazy and I'm bored of work... well, let's just say there are a very, very large number, many of which have already been seen in some sort of playable demo form, so it's less likely the release list the fact that Sony just hit all of their developers with this ( relatively ) last-minute "oh, by the way, this thing can do a lot of fancy graphics, but don't actually use those features or push the system, you have to keep your battery usage low" requirement, to which many likely said "uh, we have a problem...".
  Here's just one list of PSP release games from SPOnG... use my generously provided Google link for others. The list generally includes all of the big-selling PlayStation2 games, plus a few new ( mostly handheld-oriented ) games.
3. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by javaxman · 2004-10-05 08:30 · Score: 1
  
  that is to say, I don't think the release list of games was a problem until Sony circulated their battery usage limits.
  Darn if I use preview, then don't notice my mistakes anyway. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I left a few key words out of my above post, rendering it even more senseless than usual.
4. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by drphuck · 2004-10-05 08:38 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  You forgot a few important Nintendo titles:
  
  Mario, Mario Kart, Mario Paint, Mr. Mario Dress-Up, Mario Party, Mario RPG, Mario FPS, Mario RTS, Mario D&D and last but not least, The Return of Mario.
  
  --
  "Software is like sex... it's better when it's free"
5. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by EulerX07 · 2004-10-05 09:05 · Score: 1
  
  Wait, we're not getting "Digital Girls with big Boobies playing Volleyball 1"?
6. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by wheany · 2004-10-05 09:49 · Score: 0, Offtopic
  
  Okay, that moderation is just plain wrong.
7. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by Juanvaldes · 2004-10-05 11:24 · Score: 1
  
  Sorry that is only on the XBoxPortable!
8. Re:I haven't been keeping up, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-06 01:30 · Score: 0
  
  Oh I can't wait for Super Pixelated Fighter 3. I hear they have like, polygons and stuff.
There is a God by delta_avi_delta · 2004-10-05 07:45 · Score: 3, Funny

... as far as Nintendo is concerned
1. Re:There is a God by FuzzzyLogik · 2004-10-05 07:48 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  yea.. right.. nintendo would destroy this thing... more features, better games, and longer battery life. PSP is dead before it even came out.. it would be neat to try but i wouldn't buy one.. especially for the rumored $350.. i'd buy a ps3 instead
  
  --
  Kyle
  http://www.unlogikal.net/
2. Re:There is a God by JVert · 2004-10-05 09:07 · Score: 1
  
  Whats really funny about "I can buy 2 of x for the cost of y" is why would you want to buy 2 handhelds? Well if you bought two nintendo DS's instead of one PSP then you could always make friends with multiplayer. If you bought two PSP's instead of a crappy car that still runs, then you can sit alone. In your room. Crying.
3. Re:There is a God by tonejava · 2004-10-05 11:00 · Score: 1
  
  Well I own a GBA and a GBA SP mainly because Nintendo keeps releasing games that there are 2 friggin version of which you need both to get the most out of one!! ;-)
  
  Now thats one way to sell a product.
4. Re:There is a God by JVert · 2004-10-05 11:23 · Score: 1
  
  Hah!
  Dont forget to plug it into your gamecube!
5. Re:There is a God by tonejava · 2004-10-05 11:37 · Score: 1
  
  Actually I should be corrected there, I have a GBA, GBA SP and a Gameboy Player for my game cube.
6. Re:There is a God by WindFish · 2004-10-05 16:27 · Score: 1
  
  There is a God ... as far as Nintendo is concerned.
  Obviously. "Nintendo" translates literally to "leave luck to heaven".
They can't wait... by FortKnox · 2004-10-05 07:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

If the next gen gameboy is released first, they are doomed. Whether its technically a better system or not won't really matter. Look at the Sega handhelds. They've always been a much better product than the gameboy, but they still couldn't crack it.

Not to sound like some terrible MBA, but unless there are SERIOUS defects to the PSP, I'd try to get the jump on Nintendo, especially in the handheld market.

--
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
1. Re:They can't wait... by minus_273 · 2004-10-05 07:51 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  i dont think any sega handhelds were better than gameboy. I fell for the color screen.. game gear sucked batteries so quickly, you could hardly play anything. In my book, good battery life is a requirement for technical superiority.
  
  --
  The war with islam is a war on the beast
  The war on terror is a war for peace
2. Re:They can't wait... by HAKdragon · 2004-10-05 07:53 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Look at the Sega handhelds. They've always been a much better product than the gameboy, but they still couldn't crack it.
  
  Sega has only released one handheld, the Gamegear.
  
  --
  "Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs. We have a protractor."
3. Re:They can't wait... by wastingtape · 2004-10-05 07:55 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I think the reason the Gamboy over took Sega as far as the handheld gaming market went was because it came bundled with Tetris. When was the last time you saw a game so accepted by such a wide range of people? Sonic while fun and exicitng, only appealed to a fraction of the age group that Tetris did. I remember being in Elementary school and having to ask for my Gameboy back from my mom (who incidentally liked the "puzzle game" on it).
  
  I've always held that the key to any game system is the games that run on it; simple, fun, and open ended games. I think Tetris is a really good example of a hit title booming a certain market.
4. Re:They can't wait... by d3kk · 2004-10-05 07:58 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Wrong. They released the Nomad in 1995, which was essentially a portable Genesis.
5. Re:They can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 07:58 · Score: 0
  
  Sega has only released one handheld, the Gamegear.
  
  They also released the Nomad, a portable Genesis. Once again, battery life was a downfall.
6. Re:They can't wait... by RzUpAnmsCwrds · 2004-10-05 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  "Sega has only released one handheld, the Gamegear."
  
  Sega Nomad.
7. Re:They can't wait... by Ohm2k · 2004-10-05 08:00 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  How can they rush it out? The DS is looking at a Mid/late November release here in the states. Any PSP release would be rushed and lacking software for months. The psp also has a much higher price working agenst it. the DS @150 clams isn't something you plan to buy. You can walk in off the street, see it on the shelf and buy it w/o much thought. Now 250? 299? You do a little more research and ho humming and buy less software for it when you get the box from behind the counter.
  
  First out of the gate isn't always the way to win. But First out with a low price point and good launch titles is. The big N has a stranglehold on the handheld market. And after sony attempts to crack the nut and fails I think it will be the end of the handheld war.
  
  Then again I'm a nintendo fanboy and could very well be full of S.
  
  --
  People find it strange that I don't know how to juggle or tap dance.
8. Re:They can't wait... by Achoi77 · 2004-10-05 08:00 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  If Sony isn't worrying about it, then they definately have long term goals in mind. Besides, with that price point almost no parent is going to shell that kind of money for their 10 year old, and even the DS is somewhat getting close to the edge at $150. Everybody knows that the magic number is less than 3 digits. Perhaps sony is waiting untill manufacturing costs are low enough (in addition to all the other red tape issues, that is)?
  I think the current targets sony is looking at is mostly the ipod demographic. Nice highend gear that people will not mind having. When the new revision comes out, last years model starts to trickle down to the lower end, affordable types. The trick is, if Sony is able to maintain momentum, then Nintendo is doomed forever.
  Nintendo of course, will have to go with the blitz and take as much of Sony's thunder away from them before it strikes. Plus, Nintendo can also play the new revision model game as well and come out with an even cheaper DS, which will definately dominate. I'm curious how this will play out. I'm a huge nintendo fanboy (on a waitlist for the DS at a local store), but Sony's got as much of a chance as Nintendo, especially with the bankroll to back it up. We'll just have to see as it rolls out.
9. Re:They can't wait... by Fred+Or+Alive · 2004-10-05 08:05 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  In the US they also released the Genesis (Mega Drive) Nomad, basically a portable Mega Drive. It also sucked batteries like there's no tomorrow. It apparently has a nice screen. Another high quality product from the Sega of America useless variations on the Mega Drive (sorry, Hardware Development) division.[1]
  
  [1] Well, apart from the not-Dreamcast, which led to Sega being sued by 3DFX, and EA (a 3DFX shareholder) not making games for Dreamcast.
  
  --
  10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU "; 20 GOTO 10
10. Re:They can't wait... by stratjakt · 2004-10-05 08:05 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  The gameboy hasn't gone up against a better all around handheld. Each of it's competitors failed in an area it had covered.
  
  Sega Gamegear: Battery life you could measure in minutes. Couldn't even get me through a lunchhour when I was in high school.
  
  Turbo Xpress: Battery life, and cost. The thing was damn expensive. By the time it came out, TurboGrafx was dead/dying which limited its future.
  
  Sega Nomad: Batteries, and size. Ever held one? That sucker is huge. It's worth it to a hardcore genesis fan, of course.
  
  Atari Lynx: Poor game selection, battery life.
  
  NeoGeo Pocket: Poor game selection, released by a dying company. Never really had a chance with GBA announced.
  
  Wonderswan/GP32/game.com/etc: Too obscure to really mention (in north american markets, at least).
  
  My predictions for PSP?: Battery life, load times, and fragility of the game discs will kill it. GBA carts can take a pretty good beating, and don't mind being stuffed in your back pocket all day. For that matter, neither does the SP.
  
  --
  I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
11. Re:They can't wait... by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-05 08:07 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Look at the Sega handhelds. They've always been a much better product than the gameboy, but they still couldn't crack it.
  
  Speaking of crack, are you on it? The Game Gear was twice the form factor of the original GameBoy, used 50% more batteries and had less than half the playtime. Not to mention, Nintendo still had the Konamis and Capcoms of the world locked to exclusive contracts, while Sega had low-rent European software houses churning out mediocre ports of Genesis titles.
  
  I owned both, and although the GameBoy had fewer colors, a lower-resolution screen, and a weaker CPU, it was still by far the more fun of the two. I think this is because the designers didn't try to make a device that was just a battery-powered version of an existing home console, but rather made a device that was specifically suited for portable gaming, even though it had fewer bells and whistles.
  
  That's why the GameBoy family is on its nth hardware generation right now, while the Lynx, the Game Gear, the Nomad, the TurboXpress, the NeoGeo Pocket, and all the others never made it past two.
12. Re:They can't wait... by mrchaotica · 2004-10-05 08:18 · Score: 1
  
  I have both an AC adapter and a car adapter for mine, which helps a whole lot.
  
  Although, I think one big reason the Gameboy was more popular is that the Game Gear is so freaking BIG! The gameboy fit in a pocket, so it was much easier to carry around.
  
  --
  "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
13. Re:They can't wait... by mrchaotica · 2004-10-05 08:21 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  There will never be an end to the handheld war. Sooner or later, someone else will try (I'm betting on Microsoft).
  
  --
  "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
14. Re:They can't wait... by keyne9 · 2004-10-05 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  > They've always been a much better product than
  > the gameboy, but they still couldn't crack it.
  
  Yes, as we all know, Gamegears had /phenominal/ battery lifespans. It was a good dydtem, but the limitations the battery/AC adapter set were unreasonable, much how the PSP sounds to be turning out.
15. Re:They can't wait... by hc00jw · 2004-10-05 08:38 · Score: 1
  
  I think this is because the designers didn't try to make a device that was just a battery-powered version of an existing home console, but rather made a device that was specifically suited for portable gaming, even though it had fewer bells and whistles.
  
  And that is where the DS vs. PSP comparison is valid! The rest of your statement:
  
  That's why the GameBoy family is on its nth hardware generation right now, while the Lynx, the Game Gear, the Nomad, the TurboXpress, the NeoGeo Pocket, and all the others never made it past two.
  
  Do I see a trend here?
16. Re:They can't wait... by HAKdragon · 2004-10-05 08:56 · Score: 1
  
  Crap, I had totally forgotten about the Nomad. Whoops.
  
  --
  "Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs. We have a protractor."
17. Re:They can't wait... by Bastian · 2004-10-05 09:02 · Score: 1
  
  Heck, the GameBoy Color had much worse graphics than any of the original Game Boy's competitors, but it was much more successful.
  
  And I think it's rather telling that you can walk into a Wal-Mart or Target and still be able to find GameBoy Color games for sale. Amazing graphics just really doesn't seem to be what's driving the handheld console market at all.
18. Re:They can't wait... by Toby_Tyke · 2004-10-05 09:36 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  "Atari Lynx: Poor game selection, battery life."
  
  Plus the fact that it was the size and weight of a pair of house bricks. It was more of a laptop than a hand held. Ate through batteries like they were going out of fashion and I would just like to point out, for the record, California games was shit.
  
  Damn. Been waiting over a decade to get that off my chest. Yes. I bought one.
  
  --
  "I realise this is not a very popular opinion but it's the truth, and there for needs to be said" -Bill Hicks
19. Re:They can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 10:19 · Score: 0
  
  It's not nice to get angry at miscommunication.
20. Re:They can't wait... by vhold · 2004-10-05 10:20 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I totally think Sony is playing the PSP for the long term. A lot of people are making a lot of comparisons to all the other failed platforms but what I don't think any of them are realizing is that we are talking about Sony.
  
  Is it not the most unbelievable thing in the world that the Minidisc is still on shelves? How much of a failure was that? Didn't the original players/recorders cost like $500? Is anybody even buying it now? Who knows, but for some reason you can still buy them and they are now down around $100 and have up to 56 hours battery life off a single AA. It's probably still a relative failure, but the fact remains that Sony has managed to keep those things on shelves for what seems like 8 or so years now.
  
  Sony can do the same thing with the PSP if they have to. They will not let it die and disappear like so many Sega, Wonderswan or whatever the chuck handhelds. That thing will stay on shelves as the the Minidisc of handhelds forever if it has to, and that price will creep down and down and down until rather suddenly it's competitive. I'm going to guess it'll do better then the Minidisc because it won't suddenly find itself antiquated by something as simple as interchangable portable MP3 players.
  
  Even more importantly, another aspect of it being Sony is that it has the potential to tap the adult market in the same way the Playstation 1 did. People were too embarrassed to buy nintendo/sega systems as they were basically completely associated with kids, but the Playstation rapidly became associated with more 'mature' content and games and unleashed a whole new wave of consumers. Sony is pushing this aspect even harder by making it an 'entertainment platform' capable of movies/music as opposed to just simply a souped-up gameboy. Quite a few people justified their Playstation 2 purchase because it could also play DVDs in a pinch.
21. Re:They can't wait... by Ayaress · 2004-10-05 10:23 · Score: 1
  
  An interesting idea, but I don't see it happening short of selling at a loss, or cutting the features, or waiting until its really too late.
  
  At this point, it's not even DS vs. PSP. They're still up against the existing GBA, with its ungodly sales figures, massive library, and still lots of new release which will probably continue little abated after the DS is released. The DS is really an enhanced GBA. Not every game, especially not early on, is likely to take advantage of its new features to an extent that it won't run on the GBA. Plus, Nintendo has a lot of very major franchises in their pocket, and even if Sony captures the older gamers, Nintendo is still good at catching the runaway crazes. First was Tetris, then Pokemon, more recently Yugioh, and who knows what else they have lined up for the next few years.
  
  So it's not just PSP vs. DS here. It's PSP vs. DS+GBA+the sheer franchising power of Nintendo. Sony has plenty of franchises behind it, but none of them are as old as Nintendo's Old Reliables (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong), and few if any series can compare in power to any of them, especially ones like Pokemon, which isn't just games, but a full-blown cultural phenomenon with multiple games, movies, anime, comics, toys, merchandising on levels that makes the WWE look like they're actually in the sports business. Nintendo doesn't directly reap the rewards of many of these, but it doesn't hurt them by any measure.
  
  Sure, you can call them corporate whores for that. I know I sure will. But you can't deny that it sells like hell, and the sheer level of noise Pokemon made at the peak of its popularity eclipsed everything else.
  
  It's been a long time since Nintendo's pulled this kind of franchise for the N64 or Gamecube, but they've kept it up with the Gameboy ever since Tetris. It'll only take one good craze to turn the tides one way or the other. Sure, Sony has a different target audience. Sure, Sony has a compeltely different kid of game than Nintendo. Sony will still end up making the GameGear of the next generation. They'll carve out a market that Nintendo doesn't really appeal to for whatever reason, and they'll scratch for a while.
  
  What will be really interesting is what happens in the bigger picture in the long run. Sony has a mirror image of this situation in the console market. They've got the franchising - nothing compared to what Nintendo has made in the past, but still more than the Gamecube has managed.
  
  I don't see Nintendo getting back to its glory days like the SNES with the console market again, but I also don't think they're going anywhere in the handheld market.
  
  I just hope Microsoft remembers the N-Gage before they try to make a handheld sister system to the X-box. They've done ok in the console market, all things considered, but they're not in a secure position at all. If they make a handheld and it flops on the level of the N-Gage, it can only hurt them in the long run. There's already enough naysayers around the Xbox, and they'll only be easier to listen to after a serious fiasco.
22. Re:They can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 10:24 · Score: 0
  
  Wanna link up?
23. Re:They can't wait... by Ayaress · 2004-10-05 10:38 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I wouldn't worry so much about the game disks as the moving parts in the drive. I've had a cople laptops die hard on me, and its always the moving parts that get it. A laptop usually gets handled well, too - its own padded case, and owners typically treat them with kid gloves. A portable game device, on the other hand, typically gets treated like dirt. They get dropped, tossed around, shoved into pockets and bookbags along with god knows what else, left in the car on hot summer/cold winter days, and so on. My GBA has survived all that, plus pulling double duty as a bookmark and getting closed in a door. I can easily see a PSP joining so many laptops in the Great LAN in the Sky for nothing else but that drive.
24. Re:They can't wait... by drinkypoo · 2004-10-05 11:13 · Score: 1
  
  The Nomad sucks if you are a hardcore Genesis fan. It doesn't play several important games, notable among them Forgotten Worlds. At least, my known-good FW cart wouldn't play in my Nomad. So, I sold it. You can always get a late model handheld and run a genesis emulator to play that stuff.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
25. Re:They can't wait... by brandorf · 2004-10-05 13:22 · Score: 1
  
  My predictions for PSP?: Battery life, load times, and fragility of the game discs will kill it.
  The PSP is using a derivitave of the Minidisc, and a minidisc can take just as much abuse as a GB Cart.
  
  --
  
  Bork Bork Bork!!
26. Re:They can't wait... by FortissimoWily · 2004-10-05 14:09 · Score: 1
  
  GBA carts can take a pretty good beating, and don't mind being stuffed in your back pocket all day.
  They also don't mind accidentally going through the wash in the same pocket you forgot to take them out of, and taking a spin in the drier, either. ^^;;
27. Re:They can't wait... by RocketScientist · 2004-10-05 14:16 · Score: 1
  
  That's exactly what everyone was saying when the gamecube came out before the PS2 if I recall correctly. Didn't quite work out that way judging from the market share numbers I'm looking at.
28. Re:They can't wait... by Nivoset · 2004-10-05 14:33 · Score: 1
  
  even the creator of tetris said he almost got addicted to it and had to get it out of his house when he made. it. its just mind numbing enough to keep you buys. but always different enough to not bore you
  
  --
  Movies made by a crazy person
  
  http://www.youtube.com/marginalpro
29. Re:They can't wait... by Kiryat+Malachi · 2004-10-05 14:35 · Score: 1
  
  Minidisc actually found itself a weird little niche with theater audio; a lot of theaters (not movie, live - you know, Shakespeare!) use Minidisc as their audio source because its easy to edit at the deck, and relatively cheap.
  
  Also does reasonably well with people who tape live shows (legally or not); I have one for just this reason, it was a cheap way to record interviews and shows.
  
  --
  
  ---
  Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
  (I read with sigs off.)
30. Re:They can't wait... by Kiryat+Malachi · 2004-10-05 14:45 · Score: 1
  
  What?
  
  Did you mean the Dreamcast? Gamecube came out Sept 14, 2001 (in Japan) while PS2 was out a year and a half earlier, in March of 2000 (again, in Japan). Dreamcast came out Nov 25, 1998 (yep... Japan). Poor Dreamcast.
  
  --
  
  ---
  Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
  (I read with sigs off.)
31. Re:They can't wait... by dead+sun · 2004-10-05 15:13 · Score: 1
  
  As the other 80 billion people have already stated, Sega's portable the Game Gear had terrible battery life. What they haven't said was that the screen was also far beyond awful.
  For those who didn't get one, the screen was a nice backlit LCD. It worked well in the dark, something the Game Boy never did too well until recently. However, it also had poor, poor, poor refresh so that playing Sonic seemed more about memorizing board layout as it became a big blur of colors. Also, like nearly every other portable and unlike every Game Boy I've ever seen, the screen was somewhat difficult to view in bright light because it washed out the backlighting.
  Tack on the size of the Game Boy's competitors, except maybe the NeoGeo Pocket, and you'll see that the Game Boy is really the portable machine. It has managed to keep shrinking too, with the exception of the first GBA. I'm somewhat concerned about the apparent size of the DS, it looks somewhat big, even if it has been described as about as wide as the first GBA. That size just doesn't slip in a pocket all that well. Fortunately for Nintendo the PSP doesn't look much smaller from the pics I've seen.
  
  --
  If not now, when?
32. Re:They can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 16:11 · Score: 0
  
  Sega handhelds were not a "better product" the battery life was almost non-existant, and they hardly had any support from third parties, same with the n-gage the whole layout of the thing was stupid, and it costed more than a brand new gamecube at the time.
33. Re:They can't wait... by wolssiloa · 2004-10-05 18:20 · Score: 1
  
  Look at the Sega handhelds. They've always been a much better product than the gameboy, but they still couldn't crack it. he was speaking about the technology between the two. in which case the Game Gear had more advanced technology, regardless of the physical size and the battery usage.
34. Re:They can't wait... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 23:31 · Score: 0
  
  Have to pick you up on that. The GameBoy family is on its 2nd hardware generation right now. GBC didn't count and neither does GBA SP. DS probably is a new generation, and there Nintendo are crapping over their own backyard. It took them over ten years to go from GB to GBA, and now they're moving to DS in less than five. They're screwing the good thing they've made for themselves. GBA will be diluted by DS, and DS isn't enough over GBA for many people to buy except the fanboys.
  
  The irony is Sony isn't even going after Nintendo's market. Nintendo are going to rule the under 10s forever, but it'll be cheaper for them to do that on one system than two.
35. Re:They can't wait... by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-06 04:03 · Score: 1
  
  But physical size and battery usage are salient aspects of technological advancedness. If two devices have the same CPU/graphics/sound/etc. capabilities but one is more compact and more energy-efficient than the other, than that one has more advanced technology.
  
  As is the case with the original GameBoy vs. the GameBoy Pocket, for example.
Good for Nintendo by exhilaration · 2004-10-05 07:46 · Score: 0, Redundant

I bet Nintendo's feeling pretty good about the DS right about now.
Hmm.... by Benw5483 · 2004-10-05 07:47 · Score: 5, Interesting

Could the real reason be that they don't want to directly compete with Nintendo's cheaply priced handheld or even that they don't want to draw sales away from their new PS2 model?

Seems like Sony didn't think too far ahead when they planned on releasing this in Q4 2004.

--
what?
1. Re:Hmm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:22 · Score: 0
  
  ...or even that they don't want to draw sales away from their new PS2 model?
  
  PS2 IS the model...
  
  Would you say that Ford wants to bring out the new 2002 model Mustang in 2005?
2. Re:Hmm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:31 · Score: 0
  
  Read this.
3. Re:Hmm.... by Benw5483 · 2004-10-05 08:38 · Score: 1
  
  Oh i'm sorry, PStwo. Happy now?
  
  --
  what?
4. Re:Hmm.... by Chris_Jefferson · 2004-10-05 08:40 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Or could this be exactly the same as the PS1 vs. saturn and PS2 vs. dreamcast, where people won't buy the currently out console because Sony swears that any days now they'll have "The greatest thing that ever happened in your life, ever" (anyone remember the 'emotion engine'?) coming out "any day now", which just continues slipping further and further back?
  
  I'm not a Sony hater, but I would have expected people to have spotted the pattern by now..
  
  --
  Combination - fun iPhone puzzling
5. Re:Hmm.... by E-Rock · 2004-10-05 09:40 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, I don't see that working here. The gameboy is proven badass fun. Add in bluetooth and wifi and it's even better. The whole extra touch screen is just gravy.
DS by Mike+Rubits · 2004-10-05 07:47 · Score: 2, Interesting

Could this be one of the first nails in the coffin for the PSP, with the DS beating it to market by several months? In the console market, the PS2 was able to gain a huge advantage by being first out. This could be crippling for the PSP if Nintendo plays their cards right.

2005 should be an interesting year for handhelds.
1. Re:DS by wastingtape · 2004-10-05 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  Those early PS2's and thier disk problems left a sour taste in my mouth though. True, the extra year did allow a host more games to be developed than any other platform (a lot of which are crap), but was it worth the cost of leaving the first year of adoptors shy of new Sony consoles? PS3? I'll wait and see what fun technical problems people have and maybe consider a 4th or 5th generation console...
2. Re:DS by drphuck · 2004-10-05 08:00 · Score: 0
  
  I don't think it'll be a nail in the coffin for Sony. All my friends and I are waiting for the PSP to come out so we can play each other via wifi or bluetooth. We could care less about the Nintendo DS (after all, we're all older then 21 now and playing Mario just doesn't cut it any more)
  
  --
  "Software is like sex... it's better when it's free"
3. Re:DS by alphaseven · 2004-10-05 08:05 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  In the console market, the PS2 was able to gain a huge advantage by being first out.
  On the other hand, the Dreamcast came out before the PS2 and was doing okay at first till the PS2 came out. And the SNES was successful despite the Genesis having a big head start. In consoles being first isn't a guarantee of success. Still, I think the DS is looking good.
4. Re:DS by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:50 · Score: 0
  
  "after all, we're all older then 21 now and playing Mario just doesn't cut it any more"
  
  WTF?!? Is there an age limit on playing Mario games now? I'm 26 and I think Mario games wipe the floor with the kind of crap you'll most likely be playing on your PSP.
5. Re:DS by bob65 · 2004-10-05 09:02 · Score: 1
  
  What does being "first" mean anyways? If a console comes out late enough, it could be perceived as being "first" of the next generation.
6. Re:DS by wheany · 2004-10-05 09:55 · Score: 1
  
  Well hello there, Nostradamus.
7. Re:DS by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 11:15 · Score: 0
  
  Lame troll.
8. Re:DS by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 11:18 · Score: 0
  
  "Well hello there, Nostradamus. "
  
  OK, maybe every single PSP game will be a complete masterpiece. Maybe my earlier prediction is wrong. I'll concede that as a remote possiblity.
  
  HOWEVER, That still doesn't invalidate my point that there is nothing immature about Mario games, and there is nothing the least bit mature about so-called "mature" games.
9. Re:DS by drinkypoo · 2004-10-05 11:26 · Score: 1
  
  A lot of people avoided buying a Dreamcast because the PS2 was coming. When it finally came out it was nowhere near as powerful as the hype said, but the damage was already done and Sony managed to jump far enough ahead at launch to nail DC's coffin down.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
10. Re:DS by Rallion · 2004-10-05 13:07 · Score: 1
  
  You get older and stop seeing the value in Mario? Hmm, odd, as I get older I stop seeing the value in violence, blood, and mindlessness.
Not supprised by lightdarkness · 2004-10-05 07:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

Not supprising at all that it was delayed. Companies set really early release dates to stir up hype, then push them back a little, because they arn't done; People don't mind either because they are used to delays.
1. Re:Not supprised by Joe5678 · 2004-10-05 09:08 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Just to clarify, it was NOT delayed. Somebody is speculating that it will be delayed, which is probably true, but not yet fact.
2. Re:Not supprised by gulfan · 2004-10-05 17:39 · Score: 1
  
  People don't mind either because they are used to delays.
  
  We sure don't! Look at every product Blizzard has put out.
Well by bigtangringo · 2004-10-05 07:48 · Score: 3, Funny

Can't say much about game title weakness, Sony tends to be pretty strong there. Maybe they should dump some cash into the research of those nuclear batteries?

--
Yes, I am a smart ass; it's better than the alternative.
1. Re:Well by tonejava · 2004-10-05 11:13 · Score: 1
  
  Still with the DS having a backward compatibility with the GBA game paks, I would say Nintendo have no worries about a game lineup for a little while yet.
2. Re:Well by david_reese · 2004-10-05 12:15 · Score: 1
  
  Can't say much about game title weakness, Sony tends to be pretty strong there. Maybe they should dump some cash into the research of those nuclear batteries?
  That's NUKULAR to you.
Good! by RyuuzakiTetsuya · 2004-10-05 07:48 · Score: 3, Funny

Lets me recover from the financial hit that is the Dual Screen...

--
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Much Needed Delay by VGMSupreme · 2004-10-05 07:51 · Score: 1, Redundant

Well, we prettymuch new this was going to happen. At least they are looking into the battery life issue, and it is a major concern if your portable handheld is only expected to last ~90 with it burning right through your hands ("Transisters running hot", according to the article).

They need this thing to be delayed, to fix all of this problems, before releasing it to the general masses. We would prefer a working system for us to use and play with, instead of one with the heat of a thousand suns and a lifespand of a fruitfly.

--
The Galatic Freedom Force marches on! Defend!
If it sucks, they're doomed anyway by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 07:54 · Score: 1, Interesting

If they release it now... 5 titles, 90 minute battery life... Sony won't get a 2nd chance. Jay Leno will be making fun of it on his show.

Look at the n-gage. The first one sucked the weenie. The 2nd one is better, but its too late. Perception is set.

Releasing something that sucks? MS has got that angle convered. Everybody else has to make sure its correct.
You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by SansTinfoilHat · 2004-10-05 07:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

If they were to rush out a product simply to come to market at the same time as the DS, you all would accuse them of underhanded tactics to flood the market with an unfinished product.

And if you RTFA you will see: "the securities firm expects the handheld 'to launch later than the current March 2005 expectation". It was already going to be a 2005 launch, now it will just be a Christmas season launch. I'd rather have a good system a year from now than a poorly designed system right now. Of course, Nintendo chose the other route with the GBA, releasing a barely playable system as soon as they could and then a vastly superior GBA SP a year(ish) later.

Better product = We all win.
1. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by stratjakt · 2004-10-05 08:12 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  There was nothing wrong with the original GBA, I'd hardly call it "barely playable". And it wasn't rushed to market, there was no need. They delayed it forever, offering up the GB Color as a stop-gap. I remember reading about the next-gen gameboy before the N64 came out.
  
  The SP wasn't a year later, either, it was more like 2, even 3.
  
  The SP is much better, no doubt. It also cost (and still does) twice as much. But the backlit display just wasn't practical with the original, and that was it's only shortcoming.
  
  Though, it's only a shortcoming in retrospect. Gameboy or Gameboy Color never had or needed a backlit display.
  
  --
  I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
2. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by CaptMonkeyDLuffy · 2004-10-05 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  GBA barely playable? Only major complaint I've ever heard about the original GBA was the lack of a backlight, and frankly I've always personally considered that complaint to be incredibly overblown.
  
  Maybe I'm just lucky and have oddly good vision, but having played through quite a few GBA games(many of which with dark color schemes and the like), only Castlevania: Circle of the Moon had any visibility problems. I'm curious, given my own experience, why there have been such harsh complaints about the original GBA's visibility... Is my vision just oddly tuned such that it isn't a problem for me? Do people like to complain and make a mountain out of a molehill? Was C:CotM so popular that the poor contrast in its color scheme choice got blamed on the GBA's screen?
3. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by Cowclops · 2004-10-05 08:30 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I never saw so much whining about the screen when GBC came out.
  
  GBC HAS THE EXACT SAME SCREEN! (Just fewer pixels).
  
  So yeah, its definitely strange that so many people are complaining about it because it didn't really take THAT much light to get a good image. The reflective TFT in that sure beats the crap out of the transmissive TFT in earlier systems like Game Gear.
  
  You may very well be right about the point on people assuming CotM was represenative of the system's contrast on the whole. I found it to be quite enjoyable, but if thats the only game you have you might be inclined to say "jeeze this sucks" and give it to your little brother/cousin/dog.
  
  I've got Mega Man Zero and that game I think has pretty damn good graphics. I don't play GBA much and I don't have a lot of games, but MMZ was very entertaining (and fuckin HARD).
4. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by sqlrob · 2004-10-05 08:52 · Score: 1
  
  It's barely playable. I don't know what they were smoking when they released it without a backlight. There's one spot in my house where I can comfortably use the GBA.
  
  Why wasn't it practical to have a backlight? Aftermarket added one with no problems (Afterburner)
  
  The SP is not twice as much
  
  GBA - $49.99
  SP - $79.99
5. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by E-Rock · 2004-10-05 09:45 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know, maybe my GBA sucked. You either needed a flood lamp or be sitting in the noon-time sun on a cloudless day to see it clearly.
6. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by Jeff+DeMaagd · 2004-10-05 09:54 · Score: 1
  
  That is why people installed the Afterburner mod.
  
  I think a GBA with an afterburner is a better system than the GBA SP. Afterburner was a sidelight mod that effectively gives the GBA a brighter light than the SP's, and has the option of adjusting the light intensity too.
  
  Also, SP felt creaky to me, looks cheap and the control buttons didn't have the same size or feel of the GBA. Before then, the only GB I had was the original "brick" GB. I bought an SP, I couldn't get past level 9 in Tetris. I then bought a plain GBA, shot right to level 16 in the first try or two. From that I decided to dig up an Afterburner mod and I've been far happier. I had returned the SP within a week of buying it.
  
  In short, for me:
  
  GBA + Afterburner > GBA SP
7. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by vhold · 2004-10-05 10:29 · Score: 1
  
  But the fact of the matter was that having fewer pixels and a -drastically- small color palette that you didn't need to be able to get as much light reflecting off the screen to not feel like you were missing something.
  
  Aka, take original gameboy tetris and put it in the original GBA and play it just fine, then put in metroid zero and spaz out because you're desperately trying to get it angled just right so that you can actually tell if it's a regular or super bomb door. It was workable, but the difference between the GBA and GBA SP is so utterly profound that it's almost criminal it wasn't lit in the first place.
8. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by snubber1 · 2004-10-05 11:16 · Score: 1
  
  Lies.
  
  I did the pepsi challenge between the color and the original gba.
  
  Took two copies of the exact same gbc game, booted them, and look at them side-by-side (think it was zelda dx or whatever its called). The colors on the GBC were distnly more vivid and visible in a low-light situation.
  
  I belive the gba was actually providing less power to the screen to conserve battery life (or a more power efficient screen), resulting in duller color response.
  
  You try it.
  
  --
  I don't really mind double posts on //..
9. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by drinkypoo · 2004-10-05 11:18 · Score: 1
  
  Handheld video game systems are not overwhelmingly used in areas with fantastic outdoor lighting, which is the only situation in which the GBA looks good without a backlight. They tend to be used indoors, in the car, and in other situations where you can't put your back to the sun to best light the screen. Therefore everyone had to get a frontlight or install a sidelight in their GBA if they wanted to play in even slightly adverse lighting conditions. The GBA is lame especially given that a sidelight is eminently practical in that unit, the Portable Monopoly/Afterburner proved that nicely.
  
  Gameboy and gameboy color are both nicely viewable in only moderate light, and a nyko wormlight is more than adequate lighting for either. Not so, in the case of the GBA.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
10. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by drinkypoo · 2004-10-05 11:20 · Score: 1
  
  The GBA SP is better if you want to put it in your pocket. The GBA with afterburner is better if you want to use it to play games at home or as a controller for your gamecube.
  
  I do about as well playing tetris on the GBA SP as I do on the brick, which is actually pretty well. I'm no Tetris god but I'm rarely defeated.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
11. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by Cowclops · 2004-10-05 13:09 · Score: 1
  
  GBC and GBA have different graphical hardware. When you play GBC games on GBA, it actually uses a "wrong" pallete. If both LCDs were fed the same signal you'd get the same image.
12. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by falcon5768 · 2004-10-05 18:19 · Score: 1
  
  barely playable my ass... I STILL dont use a SP, I think the SP form factor sucks ass, and the ONLY benifit the thing has is a backlight which you can easily fix if your into hacking your hardware (whihc I eventually did for the hell of it, not cause I needed to)
  When we went out to get my GF's sister a GBA with summer we got her the original, not the SP and you know what, she didnt even flinch she loved it....
  Honestly I dont know what dark hole your living in but I NEVER had a problem reading the screen when I didnt have a backlight installed in it.
  
  --
  "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
13. Re:You can't win with the /. crowd sometimes by kerrle · 2004-10-05 19:39 · Score: 1
  
  The GBA screen is dimmer than the GBC screen, but it doesn't have anything to do with power saving; on a TFT, it takes about the same amount of power to switch a pixel to yellow as it does to brown.
  
  The problem is that the pixel density is higher on the GBA, meaning that each pixel is slightly smaller - ergo, less reflective surface per pixel.
  
  The overall effect of this is that the screen is dimmer. I still played the GBA just fine, and think the complaint was overblown, but there's no question that the GBA is dimmer.
As a loyal nintendo fan, I have one word for you: by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 07:56 · Score: 0

Yaaaaahooooooooaaaa!
Re:Not suprised by astrokid · 2004-10-05 07:57 · Score: 1

I agree. It comes as no suprise to me that the PSP has been delayed. I am looking forward to Sony slowly putting out press releases touting how great their technology will be compared to the DS.

More Hype and FUD will follow from their lead engineers and Marketing Depts.

I'm hoping consumers will smarten up this time but unfortunately it'll probably be like the the Dreamcast situation all over again.

eh, whatever works.

--

Chewie does not get a medal. Come on, George. Can a Wookie get a medal?
this just in, video games rarely make deadlines by netsavior · 2004-10-05 08:07 · Score: 1

never seen a system or game that made the original release date...
1. Re:this just in, video games rarely make deadlines by sYn+pHrEAk · 2004-10-06 01:46 · Score: 1
  
  Doom 3 did. Of course id never gives release dates until like a week or two before, so I guess missing them would be pretty hard.
Game Titles? by Dante+Shamest · 2004-10-05 08:11 · Score: 1

I'm taking a long shot here but... New PSP - Final Fantasy [Insert Number] [Insert Fantasy Title] New Gameboy - Pokemon [Insert Name of some Gem]: Gotta catch them all! - Zelda [Insert Mythical Title]
1. Re:Game Titles? by tonejava · 2004-10-05 11:11 · Score: 1
  
  New Gameboy - Pokemon...
  
  If your referring to the Nintendo DS, then you would be wrong in calling it a gameboy as it is not a continnuation of the Gameboy series. It may emulate it but apprently it is not one.
2. Re:Game Titles? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 12:02 · Score: 0
  
  You don't know what the fuck you're babbling about. Square jumped ship. They're firmly siding with the DS and ignoring PSP.
3. Re:Game Titles? by Rallion · 2004-10-05 23:57 · Score: 1
  
  PSP doesn't have the capability to play a Final Fantasy movie. Streaming to too hard on the batteries for it to hold up through the intro.
Since when by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:13 · Score: 0

did battery problems ever stop sony from releasing an alkaline gobbling device? Remeber the first walkman!?
Reversal of fortunes by celerityfm · 2004-10-05 08:14 · Score: 3, Interesting

So what your saying here is that instead of the usual Sony releases first, followed by a more powerful Nintendo product (Playstation, N64 and PS2/Gamecube)-- we now have Nintendo releasing hardware first followed by SONY'S more powerful product (DS/PSP).

So, will Nintendo's head start here give them the same benefits that Sony had from their head start? Or are the PSP and DS so different from each other that they aren't competing for the same gaming dollars? Or both?

--
...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
1. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  There is no trend here, because the Gamecube is less powerful than the PS2. It's big upside was that it is a lot easier to develop for than the PS2.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
2. Re:Reversal of fortunes by stratjakt · 2004-10-05 08:22 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  How's the GameCube less powerful?
  
  Where's PS2's HDTV video modes?
  
  --
  I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
3. Re:Reversal of fortunes by xaqar · 2004-10-05 08:30 · Score: 1
  
  If only I had whatever it is you are smoking...have you ever played both of these systems? In almost every case the Gamecube's games look better than the PS2. Hell, I'd pit a Dreamcast against a PS2 any day. Most PS2 games are a blurry muddy mess compared to what the Gamecube can put out. A similar (although less extreme) comparison can be made from the Gamecube to the X-Box. Just because Sony told you that their machine's Emotion Engine chip is the be all and end all of graphics of this generation doesn't make it true.
4. Re:Reversal of fortunes by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:46 · Score: 0
  
  *snicker*
  
  Yeah, well, if the stars align just right, and the magical 'perfect coders' produce the almighty 'holy program,' this card board box is even more powerful than the PS2!
  
  Yes, the PS2 is a bitch to program for, but forever touting this 'It's more powerful, people just haven't unlocked its true potential' excuse is getting a little old. Even if there is any truth to the 'unlocked potential' argument, one has to come to the realization that if you can throw the best and the brightest in the industry at the problem for years, and they still can't unlock that 'potential' then the potential is useless. Sure there is a pot of gold behind that locked door, but if you can't unlock the door it doesn't matter.
  
  What really matters are the graphics in the games available... And from what I've seen, the PS2 doesn't measure up to the hype. The graphics beat out the Dreamcast. Barely. Against the XBox and Gamecube, it becomes rapidly apparent that the PS2 is a far older console.
5. Re:Reversal of fortunes by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:53 · Score: 0
  
  PS2 supports HDTV, the latest model of Cubes, dont.
6. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 08:55 · Score: 1
  
  How's the GameCube less powerful?
  The PS2 just has a lot of hardware. 3 vector FPUs, 16-pipeline graphics unit, graphics memory connected via a 2048-bit bus, etc. It's total geometry rate is twice as much as the Gamecubes, and it's fill rate is four times as much. It's just much harder to program for than either the GC or the XBox.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
7. Re:Reversal of fortunes by Mekabyte · 2004-10-05 08:59 · Score: 1
  
  Umm no. You are comparing PS2's maximum fill rates with the GameCube's average expected fill rates. Nintendo's published numbers were for what they expected a game could do (even though near-launch titles blew that number away), while Sony's were for maximum throughput that can't be obtained in practice if you actually want to texture your polygons, etc.
8. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 09:13 · Score: 1
  
  First, you're confusing fill rates with polygon rate. Second, I'm citing peak numbers for both quantities. The GC's peak fill rate is ~700M pixels/sec, while the PS2's is ~2.4G pixels/sec. The GC's *peak* polygon rate is ~33M polys/sec, while the PS2's *peak* polygon rate is ~70M polys/sec.
  
  When advertising, Nintendo did cite the achievable rate, which was 10M-12M polys/sec (compared to ~20M polys/sec for the PS2).
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
9. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 09:19 · Score: 1
  
  It has nothing to do with what Sony said. Just read up on the architectures of the PS2 and Gamecube. The PS2 is far more powerful.
  
  That said, I have played both the Gamecube and PS2, and Gamecube games do tend to look much better than you'd expect given just the power of the hardware. There are two reasons for that:
  
  1) The GC is far easier to program, which allows developers to achieve higher efficiency in their games. It's a whole lot easier to take the GC to 90% than to take the PS2 to 90%.
  
  2) The GC does a lot of special effects, plus anti-aliasing, in hardware. Thus, GC games tend to mask low-complexity geometry with bright colors and special effects. PS2 games tend to have extremely detailed geometry (because the system has so much FPU power), but output quality suffers a bit because of the limitations of the GS.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
10. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 09:21 · Score: 1
  
  PS: I own a Gamecube. I can count the number of decent games on one hand. My brother's PS2 is far superior in that department.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
11. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 09:23 · Score: 1
  
  Nobody is touting anything. I'm not a gamer, haven't played a game in months, and couldn't care less about the console pissing wars. I'm just pointing out that, speaking technically, the original poster is wrong about the GC being more powerful than the PS2.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
12. Re:Reversal of fortunes by tonejava · 2004-10-05 11:15 · Score: 1
  
  Aside from the fact that the PS2 also needs to worry about DVDs and the Gamecube does not.
13. Re:Reversal of fortunes by tonejava · 2004-10-05 11:19 · Score: 1
  
  3) And the GC is primarily a Games Machine.
  
  It doesn't worry about having to play a DVD or VCD because it's a Games Machine. Quite frankly the one thing that put me off getting a PS2 was the fact that it's not a dedicated Games console. If I want a DVD player I'll get a DVD player.
14. Re:Reversal of fortunes by drinkypoo · 2004-10-05 11:24 · Score: 1
  
  Last I checked the PS2 only had two Vector units, VU0 and VU1, but three vector pipelines, two of which are served by one vector unit. The PS2 has a wide bus but the gamecube has faster memory.
  
  Even if all you said was true the PS2 would still have the same problem the Saturn had - being harder to program for than any of its competitors.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
15. Re:Reversal of fortunes by celerityfm · 2004-10-05 11:30 · Score: 1
  
  Point.
  
  But you know what I mean. Gamecube had better graphics because of the games on it :)
  
  --
  ...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
16. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 13:02 · Score: 1
  
  What do DVDs have anything to do with anything?
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
17. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 13:04 · Score: 1
  
  What the hell does this have to do with which console has more powerful?
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
18. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-05 13:09 · Score: 1
  
  You're right, the main CPU can execute vector instructions, but there is only a scalar pipeline on the main CPU. The PS2 has faster memory than the gamecube, though. It's memory bandwidth is 3.2GB/sec, vs 2.6GB/sec for the gamecube.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
19. Re:Reversal of fortunes by Rallion · 2004-10-06 00:08 · Score: 1
  
  Metroid Prime, SSB:M, Mario Sunshine, Rogue Leader, Eternal Darkness, Pimin, F-Zero X, Super Monkey Ball (1+2), Tales of Symphonia...and those are just a few of the best exclusives! How many fingers do you have?
20. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-06 05:40 · Score: 1
  
  Eh, the only games I liked on that list are Metriod Prime and Mario Sunshine. Even those couldn't hold my attention very long. The other ones are just not my style of game (except maybe tales of Symphonia, but I haven't played it yet). The PS2 has a much better range of selection, specifically a lot of good RPGs that the GC totally lacks.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
21. Re:Reversal of fortunes by unclethursday · 2004-10-06 08:10 · Score: 1
  
  Have any links with the official max polygon/second rate of the GameCube? Nintendo never released them, nor has ATI (which owns ArtX which designed the GC's GPU), that I know of.
  So where are you getting the GC's max polygons/sec number? The only numbers officialy released, that I know of, are the ones touted for in-game numbers, not for max theoretical polygons/sec.
  And, BTW, the PS2 can't come anywhere near 20M polygons/sec in-game, unless there are very few light sources, no physics, no Z-buffering, no gouraud shading, etc. At best, it comes to around 6M-12M polygons/sec in-game (at best, remember... with light sources, shading, physics, etc. it comes in lower than that, at between closer to 4M-8M polygons per second)... but it can't do the other effects the GC can do such as bump mapping and other effects which help the GameCube's games look much better than the PS2's games.
  Even the Xbox won't hit 20M polygons/sec easily with full effects on; more like 8M- maybe 15M polygons/sec with full effects (simply adding 1 infinite hardware light source cuts the Xbox's 125M max polygons/sec rate by half).
  Quote from,Mike Abrash, who helped design the Xbox (the former link seems to now need a subscription to see, but I knew of a Usenet post which had it), please note the article was written before the Xbox's GPU went from 250-300Mhz to 233 MHz:
  "Having said all that, the Xbox GPU will be able, even at 250 MHz, to handle up to 125 million Gouraud-shaded, two-texture triangles per second, complete with transformation, clipping, and perspective projection. With one infinite hardware light added, the rate will be at least 62.5 Mtris/sec.; with eight local lights, at least 8 Mtris/sec."
  Since the Xbox can handle over 1.5x the maximum polygons/second of the PS2, and we see that adding things such as light sources detracts majorly from that, do you honestly still believe the PS2 can hit 20M polygons/sec in-game with full effects when the obviously more powerful Xbox can't do it?
22. Re:Reversal of fortunes by be-fan · 2004-10-07 06:01 · Score: 1
  
  So where are you getting the GC's max polygons/sec number? The only numbers officialy released, that I know of, are the ones touted for in-game numbers, not for max theoretical polygons/sec.
  According to IGN the 33M number is from the official documentation, for single-textured triangles.
  
  And, BTW, the PS2 can't come anywhere near 20M polygons/sec in-game, unless there are very few light sources, no physics, no Z-buffering, no gouraud shading, etc.
  The SDK shows 30M gouraud shaded, textured, fogged pixels per second. Depending on the size of your triangles, you should be able to do z-buffered and alpha-blending triangles at this rate. The Myriad engine achives 17M polygons/second in the real game, with 33M polygons per second for pre-lit landscape.
  
  --
  A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Not Quite by astrokid · 2004-10-05 08:16 · Score: 1

I think the submitter was reffering to the fact that the PSP is going to miss it's original launch date of December 2004 in Japan. Which is very possible.

The launch date for the American market is also in question, the year for the luanch should still be 2005 however, so you are correct. Launching a system with no blockbuster titles would be a very big mistake, look at the launch the xbox in America compared to the one in Japan. I believe the more successful launch over here was due to Halo and nothing else, the Japanese launch had nothing (or atleast, nothing they cared about).

--

Chewie does not get a medal. Come on, George. Can a Wookie get a medal?
Who's killing it? by Axem · 2004-10-05 08:19 · Score: 1

I think this asks a question, who's killing it more? Sony, or the media?

It looks like Sony is killing it on one hand by boasting the features of the PSP, bar one (Battery Life).

The media is, forgive me for using this just made up word, "N-Gaging" it. Giving it tons of bad press, so much that by launch time it'll be a laughing stock. Now I know it won't go as far as the N-Gage, but so far the "big" press the PSP has been getting is Low Battery Life, and Huge Cost. Doesn't sound too good, does it?.

However, I don't think the PSP will not fail, because Sony has their name behind them (plus re-re-releases of so many cut down PS2 hits). So far just about every comment I've read in this discussion says the PSP will fail. However that's only the opinions of, what, 30 people? I don't think the market is depending on those 30 people to buy their product. How much of this stuff actually makes it to the mainstream consumer?

All of this being said, I don't like Sony, I'm a big Nintendo fan. And I can't wait for the DS, so I can "touch" it...

--
We all live in a #FFFF00 submarine...
1. Re:Who's killing it? by Lisandro · 2004-10-05 10:32 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know. Sony has a history of having excellent hardware and killing it with idiotic buisness practices (Minidisc and Memory Sticks pop to mind). They had it right more than once though, though it's not the norm, notably with the PlayStation and orignal Walkman.
  
  Honestly, i think that unless they manage to atleast drop the price significantly, the PSP is doomed to come second to the DS. The DS has a number of very innovative features, good battery life, and the price is right. Hell, i don't want a portable console and i'm interested in it, just for the cool factor. Dual screen, touch sensitive and integrated wifi is just too much, and the posibilties for gaming are endless.
  And last, but not least, it has Nintendo behind it, which means it automatically gets a number of good, fun games at release date. Say what you want about Nintendo, but their games are plain fun and well made.
  
  Now it's possible that the PSP will be delayed, i don't really think it stands a chance against the DS. The PSP will sell, of course, but not like the DS will.
2. Re:Who's killing it? by Axem · 2004-10-05 11:30 · Score: 1
  
  Also, the PS2 got around a 6 month head start on the GameCube and X-Box, and with inferior hardware, look where it got in the console wars.
  
  If I have one complaint about Nintendo, it would be "Your games are way to fricken easy!" Pleeease, let me rack up triple digit death counters in Zelda like LttP! (Wind Waker) Pleeeeease don't let me finish the game at 100% after a 3-day rental! (Wario World)
  
  Anyway, I do see the DS as the winner, as bandwagon-ish as it sounds. I mean, it's coming out in like 2 months! I gotta start saving up...
  
  --
  We all live in a #FFFF00 submarine...
3. Re:Who's killing it? by Derekloffin · 2004-10-05 11:43 · Score: 1
  
  You racked up triple digit deaths on LttP?! Even on my first time through when I was like 9 I only sucked up double digits and most of those were simply because I couldn't be bothered to run to some place right near a respawn point. As I recall, my 3rd time thru I got 0 games played. Really, the only games that strike me as truly hard in the Nintendo gallary are typically the metroid titles. However, that said, I don't like my games being mindnumbingly hard by default. I much prefer those old fashion difficulty settings, particularly when they actually meant something, not "brutally hard, insanely hard, and impossible".
4. Re:Who's killing it? by Axem · 2004-10-05 12:00 · Score: 1
  
  160-something deaths man, first run through ever. I spent months on that game. I'm still afraid of that game... However in OoT, I died twice on the first run through. I spent around a month playing that, start to finish. That became too easy for me that going 2:1 Iron Knuckle battles were the most challenging thing. However, the best difficulty I've seen so far is Fire Emblem. It's moderately difficult if you don't care about your soldiers that much, but keeping them all alive is wickedly hard. I spent a many weeks trying to kill Sonia in that water place without losing anyone. Speaking of which, Fire Emblem for GameCube... Mmmmm...
  
  --
  We all live in a #FFFF00 submarine...
5. Re:Who's killing it? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 23:36 · Score: 0
  
  No one is killing it. There's a lot of uninformed gossip about it, and there's no such thing as bad publicity.
  
  nGage didn't fail because of the media either. You give the media way too much credit. nGage failed because it was a total white elephant that no-one wanted to buy. If PSP fails it will also be for this reason, and for this reason alone.
*GASP* by LoudMusic · 2004-10-05 08:20 · Score: 4, Funny

An electronics device that is also part of the video game industry ... DELAYED!?! How can this be!

Seriously.

--
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
Batteries And GT for PSP by blueZhift · 2004-10-05 08:32 · Score: 1

Hmm it seems to me that there are two big reasons for pushing the PSP back into 2006. The first is battery life as many here have already noted. Given recent news about Sony's instructions to developers with respect to battery life and now this possible delay, I'd say this is serious. A wild guess would be that so far they haven't been able to get at least 3 hours out of the thing.

The second thing is the whole Gran Turismo mess. Most recently, it was announced that GT 4 for the PS2 would be released without online multiplayer. Problems with the online component are widely believed to be the cause of the delay of GT 4. Well, if one assumes significant overlap in the GT 4 and GT for PSP teams and perhaps a shared codebase, then problems for one means problems for the other. I think GT was to be a launch title for the PSP. More wild speculation might suggest that there was supposed to be some connectivity between the formerly online enabled GT 4 and the PSP version. Again this is complete speculation!

Finally, GT for PSP was supposed to be a port of GT for PS2. Well given the high level of detail in GT graphics, physics modelling and AI, you can bet GT on PSP really sucked the batteries dry in short order. These are all guesses of course, but if any of this is true, they'll need some time to sort it all out.

--
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
1. Re:Batteries And GT for PSP by imsabbel · 2004-10-05 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  >A wild guess would be that so far they haven't been able to get at least 3 hours out of the thing.
  90 minutes. 90 FUCKING minutes according to gamasutra. Thats WELL below the "usable at all" limit IMHO. 6h with my Thungsten E is annoyingly short, and i use it only 20 minutes or so a day....
  
  --
  HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
2. Re:Batteries And GT for PSP by Corngood · 2004-10-06 03:12 · Score: 1
  
  Link?
3. Re:Batteries And GT for PSP by imsabbel · 2004-10-06 04:54 · Score: 1
  
  IN THE FUCKING ARTICLE
  if your read the news again, there is "additional information on gamasutra"with a link. If i say its from gamasutra, GUESS WHERE IT IS FROM?
  
  --
  HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
4. Re:Batteries And GT for PSP by Corngood · 2004-10-06 05:42 · Score: 1
  
  I see, so this 90 minute thing is actually a _rumour_ from an analyst, not even a developer.
Play Now or Play Later (ever?) by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:35 · Score: 0

Sony did this mess with the PS2. They promised the PS2 for years and delayed and delayed. People didn't buy the Dreamcast because the PS2 was right around the corner when, in fact, it was still a year away. That whole year, gamers missed out on a whole slew'a GREAT games because they were already hooked on the vaporish PS2 which, once it launched, took another year before it had anything halfway decent. More than two years of gamer's time was wasted while they waited on Sony to get their act together.

I'm not gonna waste my game time.

I'm gettin' a Nintendo DS. It is cheap, affordable and available in November. I am not going to wait another year or more for some vapor that is "right around the corner" while Sony gets its act together. That whole time the Sony fanboys are pining over their handheld system and playing on their underpowered PS2, I'll be playing AWESOME Nintendo games on my DS on the subway wirelessly with other DS owners.
PSP battery life.... by imsabbel · 2004-10-05 08:37 · Score: 1

According to the gamasutra-news, PSP currently has 90min battery life.... Which would mean 40 or 50 minutes if you use rechargebles.
That would be even worse then the worst expectations.

But why did ANYBODY believe that just because "they are sony" they could pack that much of cpu and 3d power in a little package and expect to work it a tolerable time with a few batteries?

--
HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
1. Re:PSP battery life.... by Erwos · 2004-10-05 08:50 · Score: 1
  
  "But why did ANYBODY believe that just because "they are sony" they could pack that much of cpu and 3d power in a little package and expect to work it a tolerable time with a few batteries?"
  
  Bad question - haven't you seen the idiots jumping around and talking about how the "Cell processor" is gonna have the power of 50 Crays?
  
  -Erwos
  
  --
  Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
2. Re:PSP battery life.... by imsabbel · 2004-10-05 08:52 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah. And i remember that time when they claimed that the ps2 would be so fast that every graphics workstation would look like a toy, so that they would release a professional version....
  
  --
  HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
3. Re:PSP battery life.... by Ayaress · 2004-10-05 10:32 · Score: 1
  
  PSP currently has 90min battery life.... Which would mean 40 or 50 minutes if you use rechargebles. Depends on what rechargeables. I had a set of very expensive AAA batteries that I used in my TI-86, old GB and GBC. They were very nice, and I could run the GBC half again as long with them as with regular Duracells. They cost me nearly $20 each, though, but they were worth it. I haven't bought a single AAA battery since, and I've used them in everything (even built myself a little thing out of wood and electrical tape so they can power my portable radio, which usually runs on D cells, and they last almost as long).
4. Re:PSP battery life.... by imsabbel · 2004-10-05 11:25 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah. but a ti-86 is another thing.
  If it drains those cells in 90 minutes, they have at least 1A current load... The internal resistance will eat a lot, plus the voltage drop will be much to early.
  
  --
  HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
5. Re:PSP battery life.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 16:32 · Score: 0
  
  Ha, that's one I'd heard but forgotten. I didn't pay much attention in the PS2 launch days, considering how poor my experience was with the PS1 hardware that preceded it. While my Saturn played good old favorites like Capcom fighting games and Sega arcade ports just fine (and still do), my Playstation was sitting in its default upside-down position most of the time when the PS2 came out. :) The common knowledge about the PS2 seems to be that it craps out more regularly than the other systems, so it looks like Sony met my expectations with the PS2.
  
  Thanks to the import game shops, I had enough games to go straight from the Dreamcast to the Gamecube without turning to the PS2 for new software. Haven't looked back yet, and I even have a backlog of sealed games waiting for me on both systems. :) Who needs a PS2?
  
  As for PSP, build quality is something that Sony can NOT afford to skimp on, with all the moving parts and delicate nature of a portable gaming system. If the PSP is as fragile as the PS and PS2, they are in serious trouble.
  
  Go Nintendo!
WTF? by News+for+nerds · 2004-10-05 08:39 · Score: 1

Why do you guys ride on such a big FUD issued by those clueless 'analysts'? RTFA, nothing is confirmed at all. Only 2 firms sent clueless words to get attention. If it's Linux related, you'll run to guess who funds those firms, but browsing posts above ecstatic fanbois quickly filled there apparently.
1. Re:WTF? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:47 · Score: 0
  
  Since when do slashdotters care about the facts?
  
  People here contradict them selves all day and then expect you to take them seriously.
delayed? by aonaran · 2004-10-05 08:42 · Score: 1

When was PSP's release moved up to 2004?

I thought it was always 2005.
Paint Shop Pro delayed?? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 08:47 · Score: 0

What?? You mean Paint Shop Pro has been delayed?? Does that mean I have to pay for Photoshop now?
Right in time for DS2... by inkdesign · 2004-10-05 08:50 · Score: 1

This is a major plus for Nintendo if it is the case that PSP doesn't launch until late 2005. Not because the DS will be established in the market by then, but because Nintendo will just be putting the finishing touches on the DS "sp" which will play DS games and bring the platform to PSP quality graphics for new games. Either way, Sony will be in some trouble launching so late.
1. Re:Right in time for DS2... by squall14716 · 2004-10-05 12:08 · Score: 1
  
  Since when did the GBA:SP bring anything new to the GBA besides a backlight (or is it a frontlight?) and a new design?
Nothing to see... by adam31 · 2004-10-05 08:54 · Score: 5, Insightful

Does anyone realize there is absolutely nothing new here of any substance? Some nitwit at TGS reporting that demo builds (read: months old) aren't done, and that some other launch titles aren't showing?!
FUD about battery life "problems". Sony has said from day 1 that developers shouldn't stream content. This should be obvious to everybody!
The real issue here is that Sony just isn't saying anything. See, the media gets nervous when there is no news... since that's their job. So they have to make up the news. Except that Sony has done an excellent job about keeping their secrets, so this is what we get. Rumors and hunches.
Trust me, you'll know more when Sony marketing deems it exactly the right moment.
1. Re:Nothing to see... by Naffer · 2004-10-05 09:24 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  What fun is a large disk storage medium if you can't stream content. The PSP is supposed to have 32 megabytes of RAM. So lets say that you're writing a game and you're not streaming content from the disk. Ok, we need more data, lets go ahead and spin up the disk, read out 32 megabytes, and then spin it back down.
  
  The largest advantage a cartridge has is low power consumption and access times. If you're spinning down a disk, you're going to have to spin it back up to get more data. Maybe you're supposed to make entire levels fit in RAM? Perfect, except now you're limitting yourself to a few dozen megabytes per level, completely negating the whole point of a big storage medium. I've got it, we can include 15 minutes of FMV! Oops! We have to stream that too.
2. Re:Nothing to see... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 09:29 · Score: 0
  
  Sony has said from day 1 that developers shouldn't stream content. This should be obvious to everybody!
  Except for the fact Sony's PS1 and PS2 had such crappy hardware that even side-scrolling shooters had to stream content. Now Sony is telling developers to not stream content, but to also manage battery consumption at the same time? Thats like telling someone to make Half-Life 2 with the minimum requirements of a Pentium 1. It CAN be done, but you're gonna end up with crap, an angry developer, and/or angry consumers who got caught in the hype.
3. Re:Nothing to see... by default+luser · 2004-10-05 09:45 · Score: 1
  
  FUD about battery life "problems". Sony has said from day 1 that developers shouldn't stream content. This should be obvious to everybody!
  
  This is the one aspect of the PSP that I NEVER could comprehend...I said so over a year ago.
  
  There are SO MANY BIG PS2 games that rely heavily on the concept of streaming. Without streaming, their environments would be duller and have more repetitive textures. Streaming allows game designers to create vibrant worlds and REALLY use up the capacity offered by a CD-ROM, let alone the latest and greatest DVD media.
  
  So now, you have the impressive disc with over a gigabyte of capacity, and what exactly does Sony expect developers to do with it? Do we go back to the PS1 days where you load an entire level before play, and never touch the disc? What a waste of extra space that is, they might as well go back to using...rom cartridges.
  
  --
  Man is the animal that laughs.
  And occasionally whores for Karma.
4. Re:Nothing to see... by Derekloffin · 2004-10-05 10:10 · Score: 1
  
  And have 5 lvls? DS doesn't exactly boost huge memory on it's carts either, and if it were to utilize it in a stream fashion the game would look nice a varied but be tiny.
5. Re:Nothing to see... by adam31 · 2004-10-05 10:20 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Maybe you're supposed to make entire levels fit in RAM? Perfect, except now you're limitting yourself to a few dozen megabytes per level
  Quite true. You'd be amazed at how far a dozen megabytes can go. And not necessarily the whole level, but just next few chunks that the player can go.
  The real issue is that this isn't something being sprung on developers at the last moment, it's something they all read in the specs and have planned for from the beginning.
  It's not really even more complex. You just can't have the unlimited availability of movement like in GTA. And it'll obviously be no problem for something like GT4.
6. Re:Nothing to see... by Rallion · 2004-10-05 23:41 · Score: 1
  
  Do you think spinning up and down 15 times in 4 minutes is going to eat less power than streaming? I don't know, maybe. And the fact is that I bet the developers largely had no idea either.
  
  The issue may not be news to them, but it's not as if any of them have experience writing code with these restrictions. If they just now getting a battery simulator, they may be finding that their solutions didn't work as well as they thought.
  
  Just a possibility I considered.
Range by SuperKendall · 2004-10-05 09:30 · Score: 1

It has wifi + chat built in to the system.

What is the rage of WiFi? What is the range of voice?

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I have to say that I think the DS will still hold a wide lead over all comers - but the WiFi is not really WiFi, more like a custom kind of Bluetooth. Still, built in networking is nice.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
1. Re:Range by buffer-overflowed · 2004-10-05 10:48 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  The DS has 802.11(?) WiFi and some kind of propriatary wireless connection which works up to 30 meters.
  
  --
  The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
2. Re:Range by chrismcdirty · 2004-10-05 10:50 · Score: 1
  
  I believe it used 802.11b, but with an extremely weak amount of watts. So it just doesn't get the range of a laptop, PDA, etc.
  
  --
  It's like sex, except I'm having it!
3. Re:Range by Trejkaz · 2004-10-05 12:16 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  It actually is WiFi, as in 802.11b, just powered down. Also, they did say that the networking was proprietary, so who knows if it will be IP running over that 802.11b connection... it might not be.
  
  In a way, I would have preferred Bluetooth. You can still get 25 metre range off it, if it's needed. It would be able to chat with phones. And most importantly, I would be able to bluejack little kids with disturbing pictures. :-/
  
  --
  Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
4. Re:Range by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 14:15 · Score: 0
  
  "I would be able to bluejack little kids with disturbing pictures. :-/"
  
  Well, that answers the question as to why it isn't using Bluetooth.
5. Re:Range by NanoGator · 2004-10-05 15:18 · Score: 1
  
  "What is the rage of WiFi? What is the range of voice?"
  
  Well, I can talk to my gf in the other room with my voice, and I can talk to people on the other side of the world with WiFi. There's a little bit of difference.
  
  I have trouble understanding why people don't see the 'connect to the net' feature of it.
  
  --
  "Derp de derp."
6. Re:Range by Trejkaz · 2004-10-05 15:19 · Score: 1
  
  Not really, because we can still send the same pictures via 802.11b, just that it will have to be from another Nintendo DS. Until someone figures out the protocol (which the Warp Pipe team are apparently working with.) :-)
  
  --
  Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
7. Re:Range by pecko666 · 2004-10-05 20:24 · Score: 1
  
  DS has both 802.11(?) WiFi AND some kind of proprietary wireless connection.
Maturity by SuperKendall · 2004-10-05 09:33 · Score: 2, Insightful

If you're older than 21 and can't see the value in any well done game, mario or not - then perhaps you have not grown up as much as you thought.

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
1. Re:Maturity by vhold · 2004-10-05 10:05 · Score: 1
  
  Well what you are seeing above is exactly how Sony was able to capture such a huge untapped market. Image. Sony reawakened adult gaming because people were too embarrassed to go buy Mario or Sonic flagship titles no matter how good they are. Meanwhile a flood of M rated games came out for Sony.
  
  Heck, I'd say that a big part of why gaming has grown so much relative to other media lately is that it's high end wasn't PG-13ified. All the top box office action/thriller movies lately are watering themselves down to get the more supposedly more profitable PG-13 rating, while video games just keep pushing harder and harder on that 'M' in many cases. With each movie unable to see it's effect on the industry as a whole, a vaccum for 'mature' content was created and gaming filled it, and Sony was straight up there for that for the mainstream.
2. Re:Maturity by mink · 2004-10-06 07:53 · Score: 1
  
  From what I see more adults (20-40) play games that are fun and are more drawn to multiplayer/party games. M rating has jack to do with it.
  
  --
  Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
Uh, "we" would? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 09:43 · Score: 0

If they were to rush out a product simply to come to market at the same time as the DS, you all would accuse them of underhanded tactics to flood the market with an unfinished product.

No, we wouldn't. First off, I don't see anybody bitching about this. They're merely pointing out that this is a win for Nintendo. Second, it has nothing to do with "they can't win" and everything to do simply with the fact of whether or not they ship a completed product that can compete. Nobody would be "accusing them of underhanded tactics to flood the market." We'd just be stating the obvious--they should have waited to complete their product, even if it meant a headstart victory for Nintendo. Them's the breaks, and it's not our fault--it's Sony's.

We're just stating the facts here. DS is getting a headstart and that's not good for Sony, especially considering their game lineup and battery demands.
Sony Will Be Clobbered by The+Lost+Supertone · 2004-10-05 09:45 · Score: 0, Troll

Sony will be clobbered, least I hope. That said Sony has tons of cash to throw at the thing, and I think they just might. Dang I hate video games ever since Sony got involved. That said I might get a DS to match my Power Book and iPod mini, and get some of those GBA games I was looking at. Depends on what sorta job I get over the summer.
1. Re:Sony Will Be Clobbered by KombuchaGuy · 2004-10-05 12:03 · Score: 1
  
  I wouldnt under-estimate Nintendo's cash reserves. They posted their first ever loss in H2 2003, they are a *hugely* profitable company. The gameboy has always been their 'base' so to speak. If the PSP proves to be the threat it has the potential to be then I think we could all see a very different side to the company. They've probably spent the last 15 years planning a strategy to combat a serious challenge on their handheld gaming monopoly and piling up the money to back it.
  
  --
  sig free since 1993
erm by mattyrobinson69 · 2004-10-05 09:50 · Score: 1

i say, on behalf of most slashdot readers (i think):

so?

also, what has happened to the articles on slashdot recently?
Obligatory game at launch by mbaciarello · 2004-10-05 09:59 · Score: 0

I heard one of the main titles will be "Duke Nuke'em Forever FX."
Long live Nintendo! by Pingsmoth · 2004-10-05 10:13 · Score: 2, Insightful

They fumbled the GameCube launch pretty bad, and haven't exactly done much to fix the situation, but so far they have shown every sign of continuing their handheld dominance. DS has Picto Chat, touch-screen technology, dual-screens, and other true gaming innovations. PSP has...PS2 games that you can play in the car. The DS is also going to be released just in time for the holidays, and if the PSP really is delayed, it's going to be a long road for Sony to travel to even catch up to Nintendo.

--
http://www.walkingtaco.com
1. Re:Long live Nintendo! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 12:27 · Score: 0
  
  I laugh at all these raving fanboys thinking the DS is the 2nd coming. No-one (apart from children 8-12) in the general public knows or even cares about the insignificant DS. It is hardly 'innovative' but it will sell well to small children, and adults who have a hard time letting go of Mario and moving up to real gaming.
  
  On the other hand the millions of Playstation owners know about the PSP and will get one as their incomes are more than asking Mommy and Daddy for a Pokemon machine for Xmas.
  
  Outside of games.slashdot.org the DS is not even on the radar, partly due to the childish image of Nintendo and its range of homosexual characters.
2. Re:Long live Nintendo! by Rallion · 2004-10-05 23:23 · Score: 1
  
  It is hardly 'innovative' but it will sell well to small children, and adults who have a hard time letting go of Mario and moving up to real gaming.
  
  So...what's real gaming, and how is it different from Mario? Does blood and explosions make it 'real gaming?' Does having a different name make it 'real gaming?' Maybe 'real games' are different in that they're not fun to play?
I think it is very important to note by SetupWeasel · 2004-10-05 11:41 · Score: 2, Interesting

That judging from the readiness of each system at E3, Nintendo did not create the DS in answer to the PSP. If anything Sony caught wind that Nintendo was developing the DS and decided to compete.
1. Re:I think it is very important to note by Corngood · 2004-10-06 03:19 · Score: 1
  
  I don't buy that... The DS is basically a couple of GBA type screens, and a couple of GBA type processors. I get the feeling that they got word of PSP (word was out quite a while ago) and decided to cobble something together from the parts rack.
2. Re:I think it is very important to note by SetupWeasel · 2004-10-06 13:46 · Score: 1
  
  I would agree with you 1 year ago, but the fact that the DS was working long before the PSP suggests otherwise. Hell Sony didn't give anyone development hardware until 1 month ago.
  
  Sony threw together a portable PS2 and thought it would work without a hitch. Even now they are still fighting with hardware issues as Nintendo prepares to ship. Sony might have forced Nintendo's hand, but I will say that the announcement at E3 2003 was probably the very beginning in the PSP's development, while I'm sure Nintendo had been thinking about the GBA's successor the day of the GBA's launch.
3. Re:I think it is very important to note by Corngood · 2004-10-06 15:53 · Score: 1
  
  Hell Sony didn't give anyone development hardware until 1 month ago.
  
  Even if this were true (which I find no indication of), that doesn't mean anything about how games are being developed for the system. Since it's so close to the PS2 architecture, Sony can just give specs and prototypes can be made on existing devkits.
4. Re:I think it is very important to note by SetupWeasel · 2004-10-07 06:41 · Score: 1
  
  Let me give you a link:
  
  9/2/2004: Gamespot article
  
  Quote: "The highlight of the presentation was the unveiling of the PSP hardware developing tool"
  
  Also Sony didn't tell developers that they would be responsible for the PSP's battery life until recently. Which means they are still changing specifications this late.
5. Re:I think it is very important to note by Corngood · 2004-10-07 07:49 · Score: 1
  
  That doesn't mean anything. People have Xbox2 development hardware right now, but it hasn't been 'unveiled' yet.
6. Re:I think it is very important to note by SetupWeasel · 2004-10-07 08:05 · Score: 1
  
  How could they? ATI just finished developing the GPU.
  
  You are saying that despite the fact that I have been keeping up in the PSP/DS saga and have valid links proving my point, you refuse to believe me.
  
  That is your perogative.
7. Re:I think it is very important to note by Corngood · 2004-10-07 15:52 · Score: 1
  
  http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=14407
  
  It's not final stuff, obviously, but as long as the software interfaces are reasonably stable, there's no problem.
Ah, Paint Shop Pro... by s-orbital · 2004-10-05 11:45 · Score: 0

I used to use Paint Shop Pro (PSP) and liked it a lot. I use GIMP now, as I'm only in Linux. But it is an App I do miss.

--
Patent: from Latin patere, to be open
It's delayed because... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 12:09 · Score: 0

it'll run Longhorn
Saturn and Dreamcast by sbszine · 2004-10-05 12:44 · Score: 1

You might be on to something with the Dreamcast, but I think the Saturn failed on its own lack of merit. The Saturn wiki entry is very enlightening.

--
Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling
1. Re:Saturn and Dreamcast by Fancia · 2004-10-05 13:03 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  You'll note that that article also mentions that it did well in Japan; it understates it a bit. The system was pretty well neck and neck with the PlayStation in Japan until Sega killed it prematurely for the Dreamcast. It failed in North America and Europe partly because Sega of America/Europe have always been incompetent marketers, and partly because of a lack of quality games making it to those markets. A large number of the system's best games stayed in Japan.
  
  --
  
  Bít, zabít, jen proto, ze su liska!
Marketing by sbszine · 2004-10-05 13:23 · Score: 4, Insightful

I think, as you say, that marketing and games were a big part of it. People were just sick of Sega releasing systems with only six games, then retiring them and cranking out another. By the time they came out with the Dreamcast (which IMHO was superior to the first few generations of PS2), gamers were too scared to plonk down money for a system that might not be supported.

The Saturn did have some good games (Grandia and Radiant Silvergun spring to mind), but instead of pushing those, retailers had a small shelf with a few copies of Croc. When the PS1 came out with slick launch games and better graphics, the Saturn died horribly (and scuttled the Dreamcast en pasant, maybe).

--
Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling
Double screen, yeah! by Spy+der+Mann · 2004-10-05 16:17 · Score: 1

why didn't i think of that? whoever thought of this, got to be a genius. We're all accustomed to use _ONE_ screen!

Anyway, finally, i'll be able to play Metroid without having that annoying map covering my action screen.
I should probably note... by mcc · 2004-10-05 18:13 · Score: 1

The slashdot blurb implies that the article is about rumors of the PSP being delayed until 2004. Many people seem to be assuming this is, in fact, what it says.

Actually the PSP was never intended to come out in 2004. The currently widely reported U.S. release date for the PSP has been march 2005 since E3. This article theorizes that the PSP will not actually be ready until november 2005.

--
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
1. Re:I should probably note... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-06 02:23 · Score: 0
  
  But the Japanese release date for the PSP was (and officially still is) 2004--and the articles claim that Sony will be missing that date as well, not just their US release.
  
  I guess we''ll have to wait and see.
Because "Connect to the Net" is not part of it by SuperKendall · 2004-10-05 18:20 · Score: 1

The DS is seemingly not built to connect to standard WiFi servers - as far as I can tell from reading you'll be able to talk to other DS owners only.

So now how far is that range?

--
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
1. Re:Because "Connect to the Net" is not part of it by NanoGator · 2004-10-05 19:04 · Score: 1
  
  "The DS is seemingly not built to connect to standard WiFi servers - as far as I can tell from reading you'll be able to talk to other DS owners only."
  
  Um, they can't use 802.11 and not be able to connect on the web with it. It's just software. Maybe the built in chat app won't support it, but there's no reason to suppose that other apps/games won't.
  
  --
  "Derp de derp."
Batterie problems by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 18:28 · Score: 0

The problem is, as explained by sony (I saw this on the news here in Japan): battery life is supposed to be close to 8 hours with a strap battery (you wear a second part of the battery on your wrist or belt). But, they find when they turn on the speakers, the battery life gets cut down, and turning on the backlight on the screen reduces the battery life to an hour to an hour and a half. Also, utilization of external devices, such as the memory stick for mp3s, causes power jitters.
Yes it is by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-05 18:38 · Score: 0

Nope, it connects to the net just fine. Thing is chat services are local. See each DS contains a booster, so when you are using it if there is another DS in 30 meters you can picto chat no problem, and that DS may daisy-chain to other DS's. Take Metroid Prime: Hunters for example. There is an internet play mode and a local play mode. The local play mode allows you to wander around into other peoples games. Especially great for Japan because of environments like trains. The GBA already has a similar wireless system by the way, used for pokemon games mainly, and it works great. I've seen kids wander into eachother and start tradeing/battleing on the spot. I think most people are interested in the ability to give physical locations to their networked games along with real people you can find and talk to nearby more intersting that standard net play, which is why you don't really hear about the net play that much.
Well... by SuperKendall · 2004-10-06 03:28 · Score: 1

From what I had read it seemed like it would be a custom form of networking that would not talk to standard equipment...

But the more I read, the more I have to admit the networking does seem to be standard 802.11. I just haven't been following DS news very well!

I do wonder how that will effect battery life though, I've never seen a battery-cheap 802.11 on handhelds. It sounds like it might be lower power which I guess would do the trick.

I still think that 90% of the networking use will be DS to DS, and not involve the internet in any way. It's just not very practical.

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"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
1. Re:Well... by NanoGator · 2004-10-06 07:13 · Score: 1
  
  "I still think that 90% of the networking use will be DS to DS, and not involve the internet in any way. It's just not very practical."
  
  Probably so. One of the ugly things about using console systems online is that it's not like just anybody can set up a server and get going. As for battery life... well I dunno until I get the thing. I suspect that they'll trade bandwidth for power. I mean, they don't need 10 megabits to the thing. I could easily be wrong, though. I don't know for sure if less bandwidth means less battery usage.
  
  --
  "Derp de derp."