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Grand Theft Auto for US PSP Launch
GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that a version of the popular Grand Theft Auto series (as well as a version of the Midnight Club 3 game) will be released around the date of the US/EU PSP launch. From the article: "Sony's extremely impressive technology has allowed Rockstar Leeds to do more on a handheld machine than we could have ever imagined ... We are very excited for gamers to experience these two genre-defining franchises in a fashion that could have never before been possible on a portable system."
I like that quote a lot. People love talking about the innovation of the DS, but in my mind the PSP is just as innovative. The DS is combining PDA gaming with GBA gaming and wireless access. The PSP is shrinking the PS2 into a sleek little handheld. Both of these allow us to do things on that we have never been able to do on handhelds before.
That being said, I own a DS and have not been extremely impressed. I own Mario 64 and Feel the Magic. Mario is fun, but suffers greatly from the lack of an analog stick. I'll always prefer to play the N64 version because of this. Feel the Magic is a fun game, but extremely short and I felt like I was cheated out of a few bucks when I beat it so quickly. Also, the entire time I'm playing Feel the Magic I'm terrified that I'm going to end up with a scratched touch screen.
The touch screen may have some cool applications in gaming, but I think the choice to break up the device into two screens was a poor one. In Mario, the bottom screen is honestly more of a distraction than anything, and I almost with I could just shut it off (maybe I can?). I do realize that these are only the launch titles, and launch titles usually suck, but these are my honest early impressions.
I just sorta picked up the DS because I buy most consoles/handhelds, whatever. After seeing screenshots and videos of the PSP in action, I don't see any way I can possibly NOT own one.
This honestly did not start out as a DS/PSP thing, I swear!
I'm a big Nintendo fan, although I own all of the current generation systems and a DS.
GTA coming to the PSP could be a huge coup, I mean who wouldn't want to play GTA3 (or something with new content) as a portable.
Here's the potential disaster in the making, portables are generally marketed towards a younger crowd, although both Nintendo and Sony profess to be targeting an older demographic. What's going to happen then little timmy strolls into his school with a PSP with GTA on it. Hits the media, then it hits the fan.
The other potential disaster is that the PSP only lasts two hours with GTA in it. If Ridge Racers is only lasting three or so, I couldn't imagine what the more powerful games will do to the battery.
That being said, I'm a sucker for a gadget. Wipeout, GTA and Lumines should be enough for me to give it a shot. Especially if the price hits at $150. $250-$300 and I'll probably step back for awhile.
From the Article: One aspect of the Grand Theft Auto title for the PSP which will be watched carefully by other developers is how the game will handle the streaming of content from disc - something which the GTA titles on PS2 have relied heavily upon to create their seamless environments, but which runs the risk of crippling the battery life of a handheld device.
Streaming games and battery life is perhaps my largest concern about the PSP. I wonder if GTA:PSP will remain true to the originals by allowing players to explore these large environments at will. Or if Rockstar had to make a fundamental change to the game to keep it from eating up the battery.
Also curious to know if this is a port, semi-port, or a new game all together.
the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
My friends blasted me for buying a DS, becuase they have the belief that Nintendo always relies on their franchises way too much and that's why they won't bother with the system. They're not WRONG with what they're saying about there being a lot of Mario/Zelda/Metroid games, but their reasoning for poopooing the DS is because Nintendo seems to rely too much on existing games.
But they're stoked over the PSP, and Sony can do no wrong. However, every single game title that I've seen them go gaga over has been...existing franchises. (Gran Turismo, Metal Gear, GTA, Midnight Club, Ridge Racer...)
They don't exactly like it when I point out the irony. ("Why would I want to get a system where I can play an old and tired game with Mario in it where I can get the PSP and play Gran Turismo?")
Assuming that they're talking about the 3D games (the only GTA games most of us have even seen), it's difficult to see how this could work on a portable. First, the processing power needed to render that pocket universe is immense. (On a medium-power PC, you have to turn the rendering distance way down, or else it lags horribly trying to render buildings you can't even see.) But what really makes me skeptical is the difficulty of playing this kind of game on a very small screen. There's an incredible amount of detail, and I just don't see any way of scaling it down.
Gee, whenever Nintendo releases a sequal to a franchise, it's bad, but it's great news for Sony!
"Derp de derp."
Now we can run around in a city while we play a game where we run around in a city. Or better yet we can actually drive, while playing a game pretending to drive!
Yes GTA will probably tax the PSP, but it would be cool if they use the Wi-Fi and add a multiplayer dimension to the game. It has been available on the PC version and GTA:SA already.
The article said nothing about the game being in 3D, and there aren't any screenshots of the game yet.
Isn't is possible that the GTA game is going to be top-down like the first two and the recent GBA game were?
That would definitely help to increase the battery life, with no need for streaming the cities or for intense 3D graphics... :)
Goo goo g'joob.