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PSP vs. DS Six Months On
Gamasutra has a follow-up to a previous Question of the Week about the PSP and the DS. The question this past week was: "Which handheld do you think is winning the most hearts, and which the biggest marketshare in each territory?" From the article: " My personal view of the PSP hasn't changed at all. It's not what I'm looking for in a portable system. Seriously, who actually wants to watch a movie on a tiny screen? The DS genuinely has more options for innovation when it comes to unique software, but because the general masses are easily influenced by what is cool, I can foresee less developers spending time on creating innovative software on the DS in an effort to cash in on the popularity (and mass marketing) of the PSP. Still, the DS has sold quite a number of units, also, where I currently reside, the PSP has only just launched recently, so it's still hard to say. -Anonymous "
It's no 42" plasma, but compared with a portable TV its huge and beautiful, watching movies on it is easy, and with a big enough memory stick, extremely convenient.
Sure, but on my psp I can play GBA games on a bigger screen on a sexier device.
That said, at this point the PSP is starting to come into it's own. It is starting to get some games that are the kind I want (note: I own both). While there have been some nice games (Hot Shots Golf used up a lot of my time), Burnout: Legends just came out. Lots of content, fun to play, looks FANTASTIC. SSX on Tour is looking very interesting to me. GTA: Liberty City Stories will sell a ton and might be great.
While the DS has better pick up and play games and short games. The PSP is a PS2 to go. The kind of games seem to be quite different. While that at first made me less interested in the PSP, I've come to a realization. I don't play my consoles much any more. I just don't have that kind of time that I like to devote to it. But I love the ability to play between classes on campus, when I have nothing to do at work, etc. Even just sitting at home and watching TV while playing. I really LIKE this ability, and I can see myself playing the PSP more and more if they have games I like. Since I can put the PSP on hold at any point, I don't have to worry about if I can pause/save when something is happeneing.
I've played my DS more. I'm starting to like my PSP more. They are both good consoles, and I think they have such different market segments (at least for me) that it's not a problem. The DS has more "GameBoy" games, while the PSP has more "Console" games.
If I had to choose one? The DS. I've played it more so far, found more games I like so far. And while I have no doubt there will be good games for the PSP, I always know I can count on my Nintendo consoles for great (and interesting) games. But it would be a hard choice. If you had asked me 3-4 months ago, the choice would have been MUCH easier.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
But I still don't know which of these, if either, I want. For a while I had the PSP on my Amazon wishlist, now it's a DS--maybe I'll switch back--I kind of want someone else to decide for me. Here's how I see them: The DS has better games (Kirby Canvas Curse, Advance Wars, Meteos), the PSP has the better screen and homebrew possibilities. The DS is cheaper, but the PSP can play movies.
Neither of them has managed to court me sufficiently. Maybe by year end the games will decide it.
blarg.
Better/more numerous games
More innovative
High potential as a gaming system
Won over the hardcore audience
Durable
Acceptably priced
Battery life is excellent
PSP Pro :
Superior hardware
UMD movies
Beautiful screen for a handheld
Buries the DS in marketing
Seen as 'hip'
Future game releases could be a serious tide-turner (if things aren't already in favor of the PSP)
DS Cons :
Still viewed as 'kiddy' (Nintendogs isn't helping this image)
Nothing to match the PSP's music and movie playing abilities (third party add-ons don't count)
Games are largely untraditional (Kirby Canvas Curve takes some serious getting used to)
Poor marketing ('Touching is good'? Wth?)
Still fairly small game library (not including GBA games)
PSP Cons :
Poor construction for a portable device (Scratchy screens, UMD shooting abilities, dead pixels, etc)
Firmware alienates all homebrewed software (early adopters are in the minority with no hope of increasing in number)
Battery life is horribly short for a handheld (Most users report between 3~12 hours usage depending on whats it used for)
Game library pathetically small even compared to the DS (Homebrewed games and emulators don't count)
Although future releases promise PSP domination, they're still future releases and have not been launched
Number of DSs that I've seen:
4, not counting demo units (managed to get them all in one place)
Number of PSPs I've seen:
0. No demo unit. Nothing. Never even saw anyone with one while waiting for someone at the airport.
When the PSP came out I said if it overcame three problems, it'd be great. Price, battery life, and durability. It's still quite expensive for a portable device, it's battery life is still quite a bit shorter than an SP or DS, and it's still fragile.
You pay $130 for a DS, and if you get a game, such as Bomberman, Meteos, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, or the soon to be released Castlevania for $30-35 and you're set. You don't need to buy any accessories.
Now, you pay $250 for a PSP, it includes a small memory stick. The games are $40-50. If you want to watch movies or listen to music you gotta break out $50-100 for a memory stick large enough to fit them.
Make sure you don't discount third party addons (ie: Play-yan, which is endorsed by Nintendo) while not discounting the need for the memory stick.
Do I hate the PSP? No. Will I buy a PSP? No.
If you think education is expensive, you should try ignorance -- Derek Bok, president of Harvard