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PSP Developer Interview
zmcnulty writes "Over at TechJapan, we've finished our three part translation of Game Watch's interview of Mr. Izumi Kawanishi, one of the PSP's lead designers. New details revealed include a few about the USB interfacing (with both PS2 and PC), a small hint about the elusive battery life, and best of all, that game saves can indeed be copied from Memory Stick to PC by using the PSP's USB interface. Here's part one, part two, part three, and the original Japanese interview."
"Q: Getting back to the UMD - there isn't a cover on the read section on the reverse side and one section is completely exposed. Will the production discs be the same? Will the discs be OK?
Kawanishi: The production discs are the same. DVD and other media are already handled in an uncovered state. It will be OK."
dunno. strangely enough the cd's and dvd's i just have lying around on bags or in pockets seem to get pretty banged up(just imagine sand getting in there.. then you smack it in to the device *screech*)..
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
It seems as though their aim is at making the battery last about two hours... which I suppose IS an improvement over the previously reported 90 minute battery life, but it's still nowhere near the Nintendo DS' 11 hours or so.
Considering the biggest failing of the Sega Game Gear and the Sega Nomad were the pitiful battery lives, why on earth would Sony have such a relatively short battery life?
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."
- Seneca
Able to play a movie, and 'quite a bit longer'? Does that translates to something like 2hrs + 30 minuites of movie playing? hmmmmmmmm............. What do you think?
I just don't see this as a smart move on Soney's behalf. The PS had appeal because it tore down Nintendo's more chilidish marketing and development. Adults liked it. I do not see the same effect in a portable.
Sure, some adults will buy this thing, but I would argue, with no data to back me up, that adults by and large want nothing to do with such a system as a cell phone is already enough to lug around and it isn't easy to get a date while playing a portable game system.
Kids buy these things and Nintendo has the market square. They are constantly reinventing the system and the parents who buy these things for kids will buy Nintendo.
Good chance I'm wrong as I'm sure similar things were said about the PS, although my initial reaction to the PS was this was going to rock everything as it went beyond the types of games, but rather the media type, etc.
Is there really room for 2 portable systems? It has proven time and time again there is not. Ask SNK, Sega, Turbo Graphix, those Wonder Swan people and the resounding answer has been no. Sony's only chance here is if there is enough room for two markets. My initial reaction is many developers are having cold feet about it as they feel this too.
Either way I don't care. I don't own stock in either company or work for them or own a portable system nor do I plan on buying one. I don't think many other people plan on buying one too.
"If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer
He skips around questions regarding the processing power of the unit, indicates that they had to stick with an analog controller as that's what PS2 users are used to (i.e. they can't just re-port all their same old games to the portable without it). He then mentions however that two analog control sticks (like the PS2) would look too complex for the user, yet then they throw USB connectivity into the mix (so someone is too stupid to know what to do with a second analog stick, yet can play around with USB?).
The fact of the matter is, this is just going to be a shrunk playstation 1.5 with a great screen, horrible battery life and a library of titles that already exist for that "other" playstation you already have sitting in front of your TV.
It's nothing but a cash grab, they're reselling you the same crap you already have (but now portable!) use your heads/wallets and get a DS. You won't regret it.
Seriously, do you want a system from someone who thinks you're too stupid to handle the controls?
"...it would be troubling if the face was littered with buttons and users did not know which one to press."
Yeah, that's trouble alright.....
Could the developer have been any more vague? Half of the questions were answered with "I think" or "it may" or "possibly".
Also, still nothing definitive on the battery life, so all evidence still points in the direction that it will suck, or Sony would have been more clear, seeing the bad press they are getting because of it.
PSP is sweet in theory, but unless it works as well, or close to as well a gameboy (in terms of sturdiness, playability and battery life), I don't seeing being a huge success.
I am importing my Nintendo DS in November, and I am alot more psyched about is, as Nintendo actually has demonstrated games on it and shown what it can do, and it looks fun! The graphics may not be jaw-dropping like on the PSP, but they are still "good enough" for handheld gaming, which is all that matters.
That's the whole point, they'll hype it up and then you'll buy one just to find out that they aren't THAT great.
PSP? The graphics package? On a games platform? Hmmmm.
If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?
Have slashbots suddenly acquired Japanese fluency? Is this for cross-reference?
; &# 12540;
Here's the answer:
うそ付くなあ
This site doesn't even support UTF-8 or SHIFT-JIS so why the hell should it's readership want a link to the original Japanese article?
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
Also, i'm guessing the spinning of the disc might be rather noticable if you are holding it in a lose group. I can feel when my laptop spins the cd drive, will this be noticable (if so, will it be annoying) in the PSP?
SAILING MISHAP
In part one of the article, Kawanishi makes this statement:
Updates are technically possible using Memory Stick or network transfer. I think firmware and software updates will be done using those methods.
If he's serious, then I think that Sony is already going to be in deep trouble as far as hacking/piracy goes in this handheld. How long do you think it will be until somebody figures out a way to spoof a firmware update that would have the same essential functions of a modchip, such as booting pirated games or unsigned software?
Or worse yet, wouldn't this also be a dangerous exploitable security hole if, like he said, firmware updates via network were possible? That could lead to virii similar to the ones that have been created on bluetooth-enabled phones that could disable the PSP completely, and as I'm sure we all know, a botched firmware update can easily turn devices into nothing more than expensive paperweights.
For Sony's sake, let's hope they're not serious about this.
Actually, Nintendo has stated 6-10 hours of battery life for the DS. I would guess that it will be 6 hours when doing wireless multiplayer, and up to 10-11 for singleplayer games. The GBA SP had slightly better battery life than Nintendo said it would have, and Nintendo doesn't have a history for exaggerating when it comes to hardware specs. I am thinking it's more likely that 6-10 is an understatement rather than an overstatement.
Extended battery life? My GBA-SP lasts weeks between charges (Granted, I don't play it every day). Still, I find it hard to consider buying a gaming portable that relies on rotational media which inherently draws *much* more power than solid state media. 3D graphic capability is nice, but battery life is king when it comes to portables.
Before now I was holding a shred of hope that perhaps I was looking at the PSP's issues too negatively, that Sony would find a way to compensate for them, that they were just getting their feet wet and might improve now that they have some feedback. That hope is now gone. Time and again he makes comments that indicate they just don't understand the portable market. Users won't be satisfied with sub-PS2 graphics? I realize Sony aims for an older audience, but between the small (though comparatively large for a handheld) screen and, well, the fact that it's a *portable* and not meant for hardcore gaming sessions, is it really worth having beefier specs at the expense of battery life and price? And on the same tack, what older gamer would want PS2 graphics on a tiny screen (and where) when he has his PS3 at home? It doesn't make sense. And, of course, the futility of making a powerful system and then telling the developers to limit how they use it. I'll give them partial credit for making the batteries swappable, but until they reveal if/how you can keep the game going I'm not convinced. Then there's the proprietary and expensive DVD/MP3 media, but that's old news. What really knocked my socks off is that they don't think leaving the disc exposed is a problem! It makes no sense. Being Sony I'm sure they'll avoid being complete retards and have some sort of case, but why? What's the point of giving the UMDs their own little caddy if it doesn't even cover it? Okay, perhaps I STILL have a shred of hope, that they'll have some brilliant marketing package with pack-in extra batteries and memory sticks, but for them to do that and maintain a competitive price would hemorrhage money like no other. Outlook not so good.
Have you ever heard 'public key cryptosystem'? Sony has a private/public keypair and signs a firmware with its private key. Then PSP checks the validity of the firmware by checking it with the public key of Sony.
"I just don't see this as a smart move on Soney's behalf. The PS had appeal because it tore down Nintendo's more chilidish marketing and development. Adults liked it. I do not see the same effect in a portable."
You're not taking into account all the variables. First, their home market is Japan. If you don't think the Japanese will eat something like this up, you're kidding yourself. We're talking nifty-cool gadget capital of the world where gaming reigns supreme. And nubile Geisha girls. But mainly gaming. It sounds powerful and flexible enough to perform a variety of tasks, and it just so happens Sony has been the king of gaming worldwide for the last decade, which means absolutely no shortage of titles. This thing is a license to print money, plain and simple.
While the same can't nessisarily be said about markets abroad, I'm warning you right now that this thing as 'status symbol' written all over it. To borrow from an over-abused analogy, it is quite literally the iPod of gaming. The SP has made great strides in design, but the PSP is sexy as hell. It's all but guaranteed to have a massive library of games, more horsepower, strong wireless lan capabilities and the flexibility to do way more than just game. And it's Sony. The status symbol aspect of this product cannot be overstate. More than some adults picked up an iPod and I see the same happening here. Speaking of which, have you put a PSP (especially the white one) side by side with an iPod? And then there is the hip new generation marketing featuring these things hanging from everybodies wrists. Sony may have been late on the digital music bandwagon, but they've taken marketing notes strait from Apple's playbook on this one.
And honestly, the Gameboy and kids thing is based on a flawed premise. The only thing that makes the gameboy a popular kids item is less mario and more price, because it's the parent who ultimately shell out for these things. If the SP can't hit that magic price point, I guarantee you that the DS kids market will begin evaporating while parents will keep right on buying them cheaper GBA hardware. And in a world where a SP costs you nearly as much as a gamecube, it's will be a tough sell. Not saying impossible, but tough and a potentially reduced market share among the actual buyers, not their 8 year old gamers. Unlike Nintendo, Sony has some leeway here. Sony is known for cutting edge electronics and can, like the iPod, demand a higher price (within reason). Also, they aren't targeting the kids, they're targeting actual buyers who are looking not only for a portable gaming/video/whatever unit, but want to look cool doing so.
Sure there is room for two systems, expecially given the target audiences of each. It will all come down to whether they can make the intelligent decisions that will keep them alive in the face of competition. Unfortuantely, Nintendo has bled alot over the last decade, and their console share is wearing razor thin. So much so that the only thing keeping them afloat is the handheld. Sony has the advantage in market position, consumer base, 3rd parties and a substantial cash reserve. Nintendo can do it, they just have to play it smarter than they have been for the last decade.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
The hard drive based digital media players out there (iPod, Nomad Zen, Dell DJ, etc) should probably have a battery life of less than half an hour if they used their hard disk continously, but instead, they have circutry to read in information from the disk only when necessary, and cache it.
The same will probably be true for the PSP. Therefore, it really _will_ depend on how the developers make the games, and what caching scheme they will use. Just by having a console use optical media does not mean that all games _must_ have voice acting and full motion videos that must be read continously from disc, but they could have games similar to the DS that can first be cached to ram before played (read disc once).
It is without question that optical media will always be less expensive than solid state media. Even if it's a simple game that can fit entirely within the unit's ram, it's cheaper to fabricate discs than cartridges.
Me-quote:
Having two screens, in fact, just may enable different kinds of play that a single large screen might not.
You-quote:
And that would be a lie....
Me response:
NO, it's not a lie. For starters, I thought I was rather clear with the word "may" and "might" that I was speaking hypothetically. It might be possible, but I don't know if it WILL happen or not.
Further, it's not a lie because the separation of the screens is the factor. People are trained, through long years of watching TV, to watch all of one screen.
Having two screens on which things occur means having to look back and forth between them, splitting your attention, which is a gameplay obstacle we've seen very little of. (Even Nintendo's old Punch-Out!! arcade game, which used a similar setup with two monitors, didn't use them very well.) That's the primary difference having two screens provides, and what I had in mind when I wrote the comment. Technically you can do this with one large screen, but due to the way people have been trained to play games it's not exactly the same.
The other use for two screens is that, since they're obviously separated, it makes a better logical fit to always use one screen for game information and the other for a playscreen. Bear with me now, as this is a weird description:
Take The Legend of Zelda series. It was one of the first games to use a subscreen, that is, an alternate screen in an action game that you can call up any time and that, while you're in it, the game is paused and you can make certain gameplay decisions and review data, mostly involving your equipment. In fact I think the original Zelda was where the word subscreen came from.
But why doesn't the game just keep the subscreen up all the time? And why don't other games do this? The answer is because it takes up precious real estate. The player expects a full screen to view the action. On the DS, the second screen is an element that lies outside of player expectations, so the developer is free to devote it to full-time use as a subscreen. And since that screen is always there, the player can always make adjustments on it (using the handy touch-sensitive feature, which starts to make more sense), and doesn't have to pause the game to do so. And if you don't have to pause, then you can have more devious things like combat sequences where real-time item selection is part of the tension.
In both these cases, the utility of the screen comes from playing with the player's expectations for what a game should be. There's no *technical* reason there's two screens, but it could work out anyway.