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Sony Admits to PSP Button Flaws
Apparently despite the original company line, there are indeed problems with the buttons on the PSP handheld. Sony has announced that they will repair the small number of units affected for free, and Tech Japan has the details. From the article: "The defect occurs in part of the initial shipment of PSP units and is caused by excess plastic not being completely removed during the molding and manufacturing process of the outer cabinet. As a result, when a button is pressed, it can become caught on the excess plastic and not return fully to its default position."
Now if only Konami would take the same stance regarding its Beatmania IIDX controllers.
It's good to quash this kind of stuff as soon as possible. At the price they are selling, they need to take away any technical excuse to not buy a PSP in order to compete with Nintendo at the portable level.
Earn a free iRiver
"The defect occurs in part of the initial shipment of PSP units and is caused by excess plastic not being completely removed during the molding and manufacturing process of the outer cabinet. As a result, when a button is pressed, it can become caught on the excess plastic and not return fully to its default position."
"This is intentional, and in our oppinion a good design feature."
Sony has to get these little things right. The Nintendo handheld monopoly has got to go. It has had a firm hold in this market since the early 90s.
It's funny that Nintendo released gameboy boy black and white lasting a decade, with zero motivation to improve. Then GB advanced, color and DS all launched in the span of 3 years under competition from Sony. It's not even real competition yet, just winding up.
Even though this affects very few people (3000 of .5 mil) and the problem is being 'resolved', I can predict a Class Action Law Suit in 5,4,3...
This doesn't seem to affect the fact that the square button is not right over the sensor. Are gamers still expected to "have to deal with it" or is this being addressed as well?
.. you'd know that was a design feature and you should never criticize a renowned architect when he puts a gate in the wrong place!
http://www.techjapan.com.nyud.net:8090/Article900. html
" Sony has announced that they will repair the small number of units affected for free, "
.Trying to make people Feel lucky because .They have sold a product that is not fit for sale and by most civil commerce laws im aware of Repair these or reimburse the customer
Reading that part of it , it seems to me sony are trying to dress this up as a small favour they are doing for the people who bought those units, Ive seen many companys using this aproch
*Company* has said they are kind enough to repair a faulty product they sold you.
Its a right in most countrys , i would have alot more respect for these companys if they just said "Sorry , we screwed up " and not a free repair program as really it dosnt need to exist
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
the actual reason the buttons stick is because of a sloppy worker at the assembly line working while eating fast food on his lunch...
if you lick the buttons, you can almost take the burger king secret sauce
Enjoy an e-piphany
So this has nothing to do with the Square button being too close to the LCD inside so that the pressure point it sort of off center? Hmmm. I think Sony (and president Ken in particular) are way too full of themselves with this one. They think they're going to take down Nintendo DS as well as the iPod, and in reality it's not even going to take down the Gameboy Advance.
Looks like the end of the world is coming. Sony ACTUALLY admitted to a design flaw before the US release and they will FIX the problem as opposed to releasing it anyway.
Seriously, what kind of nerd would return a device for replacement if it had a fault like that, instead of taking it apart, filing off the excess plastic, then posting pictures and a rant to his blog?
For shame.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Finally when I mess I can say the button stuck and I won't be lying!
http://www.gamesarefun.com/consoles/psp/square.jpg
Just look how it all lines up.
the real problem is that the button is positioned too close to the screen, and therefore can not be pushed squarely down! also, what about the problem with when you are playing and the disk randomly ejects and goes flying across the room? Sony seems a little silent on this one, unless it is an unsubstantiated internet rumor like most of this stuff usually is.
Hi folks,
As I understand it, there are two problems with the square button on PSP:
1. It sticks.
2. It does not register easily when pressed.
This fix that everyone is talking about now only solves problem number one. It does nothing for the fact that the square button is not properly aligned with the contact beneath it. (And also note that it is only the _second_ of these two problems thet Sony has tried to write off as an intentional feature of the design). As a matter of fact, both of these issues were adressed at the same time in Japan: http://netafull.net/archives/007079.html
To tell the truth, I own a Japanese PSP, and I have never had the square button stick during play (though I have been able to make it stick when not playing). However, the button's poor response rate IS noticeable during play (especially with something like, say, Dynasty Warriors) and can be quite frustrating.
Again, this fix only solves the button-sticking problem. Ergo, square buttons on American PSPs will likely be just as weak and unresponsive as their Japanese counterparts.
am i out of luck since i bought mine on the black market.........hey at 89 american dollars it sounded quite dandy ....
The square button placement is a design consolation or design tradeoff not "an intentional feature" as you call it.
It was _designed_ to be different than the other buttons to allow them to to fit it all within that form factor and still manage to get the LCD in there. If they had expanded the button area so the square button was built the same way the others were, either the overall PSP size would have to be bigger or the LCD screen would have to be smaller to accomodate. This was the tradeoff and yes it was intentional not by accident like some people like to think. You think they were placing the square button in CAD and their mouse slipped and that's why the button placement exists as it does today?
I am a PSP owner too and I've never had the square button stick or misbehave. It does feel different than the others and I can certainly tell the physical difference but it hand't been an issue for me.
- Toby