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Sony PSP/Nintendo DS Opinion Piece
Mr Nash writes "The Armchair Empire has posted a lengthy op-ed about Sony's PSP and Nintendo's Dual Screen where the writer comes to the conclusion that "the market just doesn't appear to be ready for a pair of new handhelds to step onto the scene."
It's like the iPod. The iPod is doomed.
People are just not ready to spend hundreds of dollars for a portable music player when they can just as well listen to the music at home.
Or they use their MD-Player or Discman the bought just a few years ago.
Nobody will buy another music player.
I don't need a signature.
I agree about the old news bit. I also think the author is being quite harsh on Nintendo. Every one has been scoffing at their GBA->GameCube linking as just a profit scheme. It is a profit scheme, but there are some huge advantages to it for the gamer as well... just take a look at FF:Chrystal Chronicals.
The point of this is that Nintendo had the guts to do something different, and allowed people (like Square) to be creative. The DS with it's dual screen and stylus will be the same. It's a change of paradigm... it allows new controls, and new interfaces.
If you want something cool, take a look at the Metroid game for the DS. It's a true FPS for a hand held. And since the DS does wireless, you just have to walk up to someone else with a DS, and you can play head to head (up to 4 player IIRC). No wires, no funky cables, just play.
Who knows what new ideas will come out of it?
Zapman
I wouldn't be so sure that the market isn't ready for new portable gaming devices. The "desktop" console market has been operating on a much faster cycle than the handheld market. Handhelds are traditionally cheaper and have more of a tradition of backwards compatibility, so there's no reason why consumers can't be persuaded to buy a new one every couple of years. The gameboy was supreme for years, Nintendo almost certainly hoped that the GBA could manage a similar feat. After all, they hadn't had an even vaguely serious challenge to their monopoly in this market since the Game Gear, over a decade ago, and even that was seen off quite easily.
However, all that has changed. The N-Gage was a flop in terms of sales, games and design, but it did drive up technical expectations of consoles. Once Sony started sniffing around the market, Nintendo didn't really have much choice but to offer a new device. So far, we've mostly been hearing the Nintendo fanboys ranting about how the DS will see off the PSP and Nintendo will remain supreme. In the very short term future, this might be true.
However...
Sony (and even Nokia) have deeper pockets than Nintendo. If they want to make a serious assault on the market, they can afford to do so over a period of several years. They can afford to research, develop and release a new product every couple of years. Indeed, Nokia have already announced their intention to continue to refine and enhance the N-Gage. If Nintendo don't want to be seen to be left behind in the eyes of the average consumer, they have to try and keep up. Their old strategy of putting out a winner and then milking it for years and years just won't work. This, I'm sure, is how Sony are hoping to take over the market from Nintendo. On the basis of what happened in the "desktop" console market, I think they'll eventually succeed.
It has a large and growing library of games stretching back to the original GameBoy
No, it doesn't; The DS is backwards compatible with only GBA games, not older GB or GBC. Furthermore, its compatibility with GBA games is limited to single-player and does not support any form of linking with non-DS games.
To hit the high points, lets start with his conclusion.
The latest Nintendo handheld platform (the Gameboy Advance) launched in 2000 (the SP is just prettier, not more functional -- it's the same device). Clinton was President, some parts of the world still liked Americans... and we were typing away on piii 600s, with 64mb of ram. In what way are we not ready to move on? Of course we're ready for a new platform, and maybe even a new idea or two (it's about damn time I had a real FPS in my pocket, and fragged others wirelessly). I'm a married man with a kid, I don't have too much cash to spare... but I have a GBA, a GBA SP and I'll get myself a Nintendo DS when it comes out (I'd consider the Sony, but it is beyond my price range).That's the big picture. Some smaller points:
Sony:
-he's only got 2 complaints about the PSP:
One: Battery life: Yes. But batteries get better and for all we know they'll offer a fuel-cell pack for this thing in a years time. I give Sony props for putting out the polygons.
Two: Price: He's got a point, it's expensive. But people by iPods and I think they're crazy.
Nintendo:
-His arguments against the DS make even less sense.
One: "remakes aren't innovative". New software reshaped to take advantage of a new platform using new features... the only thing that's still around is the Mario face on the box.
Two: The GBA is out there and it's cheap. F3@r this? Really? You have a gi-mungous installed base with compatible games and you're offering updates for those legacy titles when used on the new H/W (pokemon gba titles can d/l updates at the new movie, in the DS)... this is market leverage, not a liability.
I guess this guy gets recognized for maintaining his luddite-ish "I-hate-new-things" tone for the entire article, but this just means he's taken a stand, not that he's thought it through.