Any Truth To PSP Revision Rumours ?

Team Purple writes "Kotaku seems to be convinced a new revision of Sony's PlayStation Portable will be hitting by the end of the year. Yesterday, they posted a rumor that the system would arrive sometime this year, and would feature, among other things, faster load times, 8 GB of built-in flash memory, and the possibility of a touch screen and a built in camera. Today, GamesIndustry.biz has a story highlighting a speech by SCE UK bigwig Ray Maguire, saying that a new 'smaller, lighter' PSP was in the works. Ars Technica's Opposable Thumbs seems less than convinced, and CVG reports other Sony officials say Maguire's comments were blown out of proportion." For whatever it's worth, at the Sony blogger event last week the PSP folks onhand were adamant that there wouldn't be a hardware revision any time soon.

Comments

the touchscreen seems least likely

[drinkypoo]

They're not going to add a major input device to the system this late in its lifetime. Period. And there's little reason to revise the PSP, which is already quite tightly packed in. It has to be a certain minimum size to support a sizable screen, and a smaller screen ain't going to fly, especially not at PSP prices. I think the whole thing is a bunch of crap :) With that said, how far off can the PSP's successor be?

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[Aladrin]

While I tend to agree they they won't add the touch-screen (too bad, it'd be nice), I disagree about the screen size. The 4.3 inch screen (their marketing worked, I remember the screen size) has been one of the major features, but I really don't notice the difference between playing that and playing a DS, which has a much smaller screen.

Why? It's a hand-held. You hold it close when you play it. It doesn't need a monster screen.

If they reworked the controls to give it a better analog stick (instead of a nub) and made it lighter, I think it'd be a more marketable device. Of course, they're going to have to work on the game selection as well. I can count the PSP games I like on 1 hand. I like quite a few more DS games, and quite a few more yet on all the consoles, except the PS3. (As opposed to hand-helds. And yes, I include the PSX and PS2 in that list.)

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[Nerdfest]

The touch screen would be especially nice for non-game software, such as the built in browser. One of the Archos devices has it, and I can't imagine using the browser without it.

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[benzapp]

It's funny, I hear these complaints about PSP games all the time. I'm a busy guy and don't have much time for a console, I got a PSP to play on the subway mostly. Here in NYC, I'd say I see at least 10-20 times as many PSP's as I do DSs.

I got maybe 6 months ago. So far, I've gotten 10 really great games that constantly amaze me. Ace Combat X is a great flight sim with impressive graphics, the GTA games are just plain fun, Wipeout Pure is what F-zero could have been - it's awesome. Lumines II is a great puzzle game that is visually stunning. Metal Gear is also incredible, I can't believe they got such a game on a handheld. Even Sid Meir's Pirates has great graphics and gameplay and brings me back to my childhood. Mega Man Power Up is also a great remake of a classic game.

I don't know, slashdot is just filled with PSP FUD - I just don't get it. There isn't a single DS game that interests me, and the graphics are just terrible. Small screens and jagged edges just suck. I'm really not into the stylus either.

Anyway, I think the DS is for suburban folks who don't really have a NEED for a portable system. It is an accessory to their uber-game filled life, and maybe the novelty is a big bonus. For those of us who are looking for as close of an experience to a home console as you can get, the PSP is amazing.

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[AvitarX]

I can say that 2 screens are nice, the stylus sucks for me so far. The only game I play with it is Meteos. Most other games don't use it or are annoying with it (Age of Empires for example).

I really like haveing 2 screens though. I find it much easier to keep track of 2 things on the 2 screens than on one big one (I also use 2 17 LCD's instead of one big widescreen so it may just be me).

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[Anonymous Coward]

Number of DS Units sold worldwide: 38.6 million
Number of PSPs sold worldwide: 24.70 million

In the US, the numbers are fairly even, 9.58 million PSPs to 10+ million DS. Of course, in Japan the DS has almost over a 2 to 1 lead on the PSP.

But, I am glad you do not like the DS nor its graphics, because Nintendo has made it pretty clear they are after real gamers. Not the ones who want the same re-hashed gameplay methods with shinier graphics, but the gamer who cares that their game is actually fun (your thinking GTA is "fun" shows you don't care about originality, it was good back in the days of GTA 1 and 2, go download them and see. Oh wait, nevermind, the graphics are probably too bad for you.) and want more substance then shine. The DS is what the enthusiast and the real gamer buy. The PSP is what the conformist and the "hip person" buy. It rates up there with the iPod in that area. (Note: I do own an iPod, but I've had one since long before they were "the thing to have.")

Anyway, I think the DS is for suburban folks who don't really have a NEED for a portable system. It is an accessory to their uber-game filled life, and maybe the novelty is a big bonus. For those of us who are looking for as close of an experience to a home console as you can get, the PSP is amazing. Oh yeah, all us DS owner live off in them there country. Bullshit. I will say this with a straight face, if you think NYC is a good way to determine any product's success, you are mistaken.

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[DrXym]

They're not going to add a major input device to the system this late in its lifetime. Period. And there's little reason to revise the PSP, which is already quite tightly packed in. It has to be a certain minimum size to support a sizable screen, and a smaller screen ain't going to fly, especially not at PSP prices. I think the whole thing is a bunch of crap :) With that said, how far off can the PSP's successor be?

I think a PSP with a detachable or separate UMD would be an enormous improvement . Allow users to plug their UMD reader to the PSP, copy the game or movie to some persistent memory and detach. The PSP is lighter, uses less power and the games load faster. With some clever design you could even incorporate the UMD drive into a charging stand.

I expect you could save at least 1/3 by volume and weight from doing such a thing.

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[iamhassi]

"With that said, how far off can the PSP's successor be?"

The PSP has been out what, 2 years now? We're 11 days away from the 2 year anniversary of the US release of the PSP. While this would be about the half way mark for a home console the Gameboy sold practically unchange for 12 years before the Gameboy Advance, and some could argue the DS was only released as a competitor to the PSP because the DS came out only 4 months before the PSP.

Since Nintendo and Sony are both battling for the same market now we might see new portable consoles come out more frequently, but it's not uncommon to go 10+ years before a new console is introduced. Also remember battery life: it would be difficult (impossible?) to run three Cell processors on a 5-volt rechargeable battery.

Re:the touchscreen seems least likely

[Anonymous Coward]

You probably see less DSes because, unlike PSP owners, DS owners don't want their handhelds to be stolen..

Awesome

[Godai]

Apparently they'll just post anything anything now.

I've got some hot news! Apparently I heard a rumour about someone I don't know told some guy that Microsoft was releasing an X Box 720! It'll have robotic legs and kick you in the ass whenever you fail at something!

You heard it here first!

Re:Awesome

[Dr. Manhattan]

Apparently I heard a rumour about someone I don't know told some guy that Microsoft was releasing an X Box 720! It'll have robotic legs and kick you in the ass whenever you fail at something!

Well, there are worse possibilities.

Short answer

[gentimjs]

No.

Yes, kind of.

[TheThiefMaster]

The whole "touch screen", "built-in camera", "8GB of flash memory" stuff is likely pure rumour. However I wouldn't be surprised if Sony revised the PSP design into one slightly smaller and a lot cheaper, much like how Nintendo released the DS lite.

Re:Yes, kind of.

[Macthorpe]

much like how Nintendo released the DS lite

...and Sony themselves released the PSOne and slim PS2 :)

Re:Yes, kind of.

[bWareiWare.co.uk]

However I wouldn't be surprised if Sony revised the PSP design into one slightly smaller and a lot more expensive, exactly like how Nintendo released the DS lite.

Re:Yes, kind of.

[TheThiefMaster]

I meant cheaper to produce, not necessarily cheaper in the shops.

Good Changes

[Nerdfest]

These would make it very attractive device, providing Sony stops stops trying to cripple the software running on them.

Re:Good Changes

[Applekid]

"These would make it very attractive device, providing Sony stops stops trying to cripple the software running on them."

Now that's a cheap shot. Any console/handheld maker should reserve the right to protect their system from running homebrew anything. Homebrew advances hand-in-hand with piracy, reduces publishers' confidence in the platform, and ultimately costs the manufacturer money. If you want to develop for it, don't you think it's reasonable for Sony to ask you to buy a developer kit?

Obviously this was a jibe at Sony since Nintendo handhelds have gotten a reputation for being homebrew friendly. But, even then:

* Bung was the biggest manufacturer of original Game Boy homebrew kits. N sued them out of existance.
* Homebrew flash for Game Boy Advance requires a "boot sector" of sorts. When you turn it on, that little Nintendo logo under the Game Boy logo comes from the cartridge. The BIOS displays that on the screen and if its checksum matches what the Nintendo logo checksum is, it runs. Meaning: if you want to boot a non-genuine cartridge, that cartridge has to contain a digitally identical copy of a picture, so even carts for homebrew use are violating copyright.
* The DS flaunts all over the documentation that games are signed with RSA. IANAL, but now beyond just copyright now you've got patent violations to worry about.

Just because Nintendo hasn't gone crazy with suing like Sony has (probably due to how financially healthy their gaming divisions are) doesn't mean they won't come back and bite these guys in the butt.

Re:Good Changes

[H3lldr0p]

If you want to develop for it, don't you think it's reasonable for Sony to ask you to buy a developer kit? Actually, no I don't. If I have the time and talent and the capital to buy up one or two of these things to figure out how to do it all on my own, then I should be able to reap the rewards of that labor. Such has even been supported by the courts via decisions against Nintendo and Atari in the past. Sony is simply wasting money attempting to stop this sort of thing which could be spent on endevours which may actually be profitable, like, I don't know, putting out good first party games for the device that shows off its strengths. Besides which, if their user base can find new and exciting ways to use the device it may lead to increased sales and *gasp* new revenue streams which they hadn't thought of before.

Re:Good Changes

[Mr2001]

When you turn it on, that little Nintendo logo under the Game Boy logo comes from the cartridge. The BIOS displays that on the screen and if its checksum matches what the Nintendo logo checksum is, it runs. Meaning: if you want to boot a non-genuine cartridge, that cartridge has to contain a digitally identical copy of a picture, so even carts for homebrew use are violating copyright. Not true. If a particular sequence of bytes is required to make the game boot, then copying it isn't an infringement - the sequence is effectively a key in that scenario, not a creative work. This came up in one of the printer cartridge lawsuits, and it's similar to what Sega tried to do with trademarks.

Doubt it

[toleraen]

There will no doubt be a successor to the PSP some day, but they better not be adding features and calling it the same thing. Making it lighter or other cosmetic changes (ala DS Lite) is fine, but I already have to deal with a crap selection of games. If they add new features such as a touch screen, developers will start catering to that system, and then I'm really SOL.

Re:Doubt it

[skorch]

Don't worry. If they did add a touchscreen then you could play all the ports of fantastic DS games on your new PS Lite.

Re:Doubt it

[lundqvist]

I was browsing earlier and saw a report that its just cosmetics, making it more slimline and lighter.

Re:Doubt it

[lundqvist]

There ya go found the link on The Register.. http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/13/sony_to_sh rink_psp/

How about...?

[Scutter]

Personally, I'd rather see some new games (or *any* games for that matter) rather than wave after wave of warmed over PS1 ports. Give me a reason to not regret having bought my rev. 1 PSP.

Re:How about...?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Give me a reason to not regret having bought my rev. 1 PSP."

Easy: homebrew. Or are you saying you're actually foolish enough to be buying PSP games for your PSP, when you could be emulating almost any console from the Atari to the PS1?

Re:How about...?

[iainl]

Use the recent, easy peasy to install homebrew firmware to run actual PS1 games instead of warmed-over ports of them. Gran Turismo 2 has me utterly hooked all over again, and I'd forgotten just how great Tempest X is, too.

Re:How about...?

[Scutter]

Use the recent, easy peasy to install homebrew firmware to run actual PS1 games instead of warmed-over ports of them.

I think you must have missed both the text and the point of my comment.

Re:How about...?

[iainl]

Fair enough, then. I just feel that now we've got ACTUAL PS1 games, rather than just overpriced remakes, I'm massively more pleased with my little machine.

Re:How about...?

[Nekalsa_of_Drow]

I don't necessarily agree. Any item is what you make of it. By choosing to install homebrew to your PSP, you increase your happiness with the item by investing more time in playing a wider variety of games.

Re:How about...?

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out Loco Roco. It's a perfect fit for the PSP and quite fun to boot! :-)

They don't want to undermine sales

[fistfullast33l]

I bet they're going to revise it too, but they won't officially comment because people will stop buying in anticipation of the new release later this year. I don't think they'll make it too much smaller, and I'm not exactly sure how they'd get the load times faster unless they revise the UMD drive somehow. However, I bet they might upgrade the wireless card to handle the anticipated release of their video/music platform and HOME for the PSP in the fall. The wireless is okay right now, but it's range is lower and speeds are slower than most laptops now due to the fact it's 802.11b. 8GB of built-in flash doesn't really make sense seeing as one of the nicest things about the PSP/PS3 combo is the ability to transfer files via the card, and read/writes aren't exactly slow. However, one of the biggest problems with the web browser is that it constantly runs out of memory when loading large pages so maybe a small upgrade of the internal cache could improve performance.

Re:They don't want to undermine sales

[HappySqurriel]

With using an 8cm optical disc they have limited how small the PSP can actually get (essentially they can't make it as small as the Gameboy Micro got) ... with that said, if they moved to a 65nm process (like the PS3/XBox 360) they could reduce the power-consumption and move to a much slimmer design which would make it more portable.

Re:They don't want to undermine sales

[Vokkyt]

They won't officially comment because the more natural hype that builds, the better the system will sell.

Re:They don't want to undermine sales

[geminidomino]

Bah, no way. The new system will likely make running homebrew and PSX games that much harder...

I'll stick with my old one, thanks.

New Machine?

[AlphaBlox]

They have only just started putting more focus into games where sony is having trouble with. They had no problems on the ps2, after 2 years surely the psp should start getting more games. Thankfully the last 6 months has been good with daxter etc. and the newly announced god of war for psp. The psp is still good for a few more years yet and hasn't reached its full potential. P.S. I am a nintendo fanboy but I think sony have got a nice kicking up the bum for the psp.

Any Truth To PSP Revision Rumours ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why yes, there are rumours.

Thank you for asking.

How much did Sony pay you?

[LKM]

the GTA games are just plain fun, Wipeout Pure is what F-zero could have been - it's awesome (...) I don't know, slashdot is just filled with PSP FUD - I just don't get it. There isn't a single DS game that interests me, and the graphics are just terrible. Small screens and jagged edges just suck. (...) It is an accessory to their uber-game filled life, and maybe the novelty is a big bonus.

As an owner of both consoles, I think you're full of it.

Having played GTA on both the PS2 and the PC, it's obvious that control on the PSP is simply broken. Wipeout may be a fun game, but "what F-Zero could have been"? Give me a break. Both franchises are great, and they aren't that similar to begin with. And yes, I own both the first GTA and Wipeout for the PSP.

There is not a single game on the DS that interests you? Really? This is a console that sports games such as Mario Kart DS, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Meteos (you like Lumines - which is great, by the way - but not Meteos? Huh?), Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Tetris DS, two Super Mario jump-n-runs, Metroid Prime: Hunters, a non-crappy Sonic game, a whole bunch of great adventure games (Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk, Trace Memory) and tons of other awesome games. And you don't like a single one of them?

So, how much did Sony pay you?

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[benzapp]

Full of it? I've been paid off?

Listen, slashdot is total shit these days. Sony is not going to waste their time astroturfing this place. I think your response is fanatical.

I don't argue with fanatics. You're just some loser kid who can't appreciate an opinion that contradicts your religious devotion to Nintendo. Enjoy your pathetic life.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[thebdj]

Fanatical? He actually provided more counterpoints and claims then your abusive response to him. First, you insult slashdot and call it "total shit". Then you label him "fanatical" because he likes the Nintendo better then the PSP? I too have played both (both my younger brothers own PSPs, I own a DS) and I much prefer the DS. I think the games are more entertaining, there are fewer re-hashes (PSP has been said to have a lot of poor PS1 and PS2 clones) and the re-hashes are actually pretty good re-hashes, adding enough elements to at least make them new. I also liked the lower price point (I was the only one of the three boys to buy his own console), and I liked the fact that there was innovative gameplay. I made a calculated decision before purchasing my DS, of course it is also a holdover until I can get a Wii. (Note: I am not a straight Nintendo fanboy. I would like a Xbox 360, but I want a price drop first. I play most my games on a PC, and I own a PS2, though I bought it used. The only console I purchased at launch was a Dreamcast, which I love. I have tried getting a Wii since launch.)

Apparently, you don't argue with fanatics, but apparently you are willing to insult them (calling him some loser kid) and possibly insult his religion (whether Nintendo or otherwise). Then you call his life pathetic? Shame on you. I will proudly stand here and say I like Nintendo, and damnit I might be a fanatic. I am by no means a kid, I am actually in my late 20s and have a college degree. I live in a metropolitan area (with a lower CoL then NYC, thank god), and I make a fairly handy sum of cash (enough that public transit ain't my option). So please, do not call his life, nor other Nintendo fans' lives pathetic merely because we fully believe in the products Nintendo makes.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[benzapp]

I am by no means a kid, I am actually in my late 20s and have a college degree. I live in a metropolitan area (with a lower CoL then NYC, thank god), and I make a fairly handy sum of cash (enough that public transit ain't my option).

Yeah, well you're still a loser. I could barely even bring myself to read the miserable drivel you just wrote prior to this snippet. My god, have you ever gotten LAID? This is a really pathetic redirection of your sexual desire.

As for cash, I actually make $250K a year and live in a $1.7 million historic brownstone. I ride the subway like all New Yorkers do because it's the only way to get to work in a reasonable amount of time.

You rant indicates you have no life, or authority. See, a successful person like me doesn't give a fuck about a gaming console. I like to PLAY video games, I could care less which system is better than any other.

Go back to masturbating and playing video games exclusively in your free time. I've got a plane to catch - by the way, it's a first class flight to London, and I'll be playing my PSP the entire time while I get trashed on fine wine!

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

It sounds to me like someone here hasn't been laid, and it isn't the GP. Seriously, if you make $250/yr, you probably couldn't afford an NYC brownstone. I mean simple math shows the mortgage payments would be way more then your salary would warrant, and if you could it is probably a 40+ year mortage, which would prove your ignorance.

Your logic is also flawed it would seem. If all New Yorkers took the subway as you said, then there would be no traffic, which means the more reasonable way to work would be driving.

You do not care which system is better, you like to play video games? So wouldn't this mean you would care? Also, if you like "fine wine", which trust me 1st class wine is not (yes, I have flown it), you probably would/should care more about your console. You also wouldn't get trashed on fine wine unless you like hangovers, because it will do that pretty easily. Actually, your choice of vocabulary speaks for itself. You see, high class would not say trashed, they would say intoxicated. They also probably wouldn't dignify most of this with a response that would be-rate someone.

I honestly think we have seen where the true maturity in this thread lies.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[toolie]

Oddly enough, anybody that thinks the stuff they serve in first class as 'fine wine' is the same kind of poser that cares more about being hip and trendy than somebody who knows anything about what they are talking. Kind of like one of the parent posts mentioned.

The stuff in first class is definately better than cattle class, but holy christ, man. Go try some non-suck wine before calling it 'fine'.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

How many years have you been sucking Nintendo's cock?

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[ZorbaTHut]

Geez dude. Way to lose all credibility on your previous points.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

This post sums up precisely why Sony fanboys are irrelevant this time around and why the PSP and PS3 are both flopping hard.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

The Nintendo crowd is pretty much like the Mac crowd.

Unable to appreciate any other platforms or products aside from those they have deemed "cool enough" to fill some aesthetic void in thier lives.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[benzapp]

Actually, the FIRST service on British Airways is much better than you think - International flights have business class which is more similar to typical 1st class on domestic American flights.

But anyway, for cretins such as yourself, I'll give you a bit of insight into American wine neologisms. Technically, any wine with a classification of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlé or AOC is fine wine. True connoisseurs use the term to differentiate wine made in accordance with such high standards with table wine. Certainly, what is often served in the vast majority of restaurants and on most flights is not classified AOC.

Needless to say, what is served in first class on British Airways is not table wine.

So, obviously, you don't know shit about wine and have never flown first class from New York to London. Only a lower class fool would think a simple term like "fine wine" refers to something far beyond what is minimally acceptable for a refined pallet. You probably think Hennessey makes the best Cognac too.

So, obviously, you don't know shit about wine and have never flown first class from New York to London. Only a lower class fool would think a simple term like "fine wine" refers to something far beyond what is minimally acceptable for a refined palet. You probably think Hennessey makes the best Cognac too.

By the way, my ticket was $7,500. Do you really think they are going to serve "suck wine" as you put it for that much cash? I don't think so.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

Man, I wish I had mod points today so I could just mod down everything you post.

In any case, you've made it blatantly obvious that you're just a troll. I'm sure you think that doing this is fun because people actually pay attention to you, but if you keep it up, you're going to find that so many people will mark you as a foe, and combined with the inherent -1 that your account will have permanently stuck to it, nobody will see your posts ever again.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[brkello]

Meh, yeah, he went too far. But he is kinda right in the sense that I think Slashdot is going downhill. You can't come on Slashdot for an intelligent debate on games/consoles. This place is over run by Nintendo zealots at this point. Someone could list why they like the PSP and why they despite the DS and they would get modded down. Do the reverse, and you get modded up.

As an intelligent person with a degree, you should be able to step out of your semi-Nintendo fanboyism and see why he is frustrated. The guy basically said his opinion. He really likes the PSP, it has games he enjoys...so why is Slashdot constantly complaining. He doesn't like the DS because he finds the graphics jarring and doesn't find the games interesting. Of course, you can't say anything positive about the PSP and negative about the DS without everyone on here jumping all over you. You could do the reverse with Nintendo and get a bunch of "me toos!" and "I agree!" that all get modded up. Really, it is quite frustrating to be neutral here because everything has a heavy Nintendo/Apple/Linux slant. Fortunately, there is some sanity and good mods that know what they are doing and can mod up both sides of a debate...but that seems to be rarer these days.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

I think his "There isn't a single DS game that interests me" comment was ill informed at best, but I must say that when I look at the DS rack at the best buy I see a whole sea of games that I don't personally find compelling. There are a lot of games meant for a "G" audience like Mario Kart and Nintendogs that don't appeal to my tastes. I know there are some more teen to adult games, but they kind of get lost amongst the Spyros and such.

GTA may have "broken" controls if you've played it on the big screen, but I never have and I found "Liberty City Stories" to be an amazing game. It's as unique as it is appalling and I couldn't put it down in much the same way I find myself to be a rubbernecker when I see a crash on the highway.

The list of games I've enjoyed for the PSP goes on and on while the list of games I find cringe-worthy for the DS does as well. Since so many people appear to genuinely enjoy the DS, I don't feel I have a choice but to mark this down as a difference in taste. The DS fans that states "there are no good games for the PSP" is just as much an idiot as the grandparent claiming there's nothing good on the DS. Nothing good to you? Maybe. Haven't looked hard enough? Probably. The mix of games just trends toward a different audience? Almost certainly.

Yeah, I caught the fact that you own both, but how many times have I heard a follow-up to a pro PSP post that calls the poster a "shill" or says, as you put it, "...how much did Sony pay you?" You folks act as if no one could possibly like this thing. You're simply wrong. Despite the fact that it's cool to like the DS and uncool to like the PSP on /., there are many PSP owners who genuinely enjoy their game machine. Go ahead and attack the merits of the post if you feel they're lacking, but treating PSP boosters as if they couldn't possibly genuinely enjoy their toy is kinda bullshit.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[benzapp]

Why don't you read my posts again. I could give a flaming fuck what you or anyone else thinks. You miserable wretches are sources of cheap entertainment.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Ant P.]

Wow, and to think I was going to buy a PSP just this weekend...

No thanks, I'd rather not be lumped in the same group as self-conceited wankers like you.

Re:How much did Sony pay you?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's funny, because all this mention of First Class this and that, when it's very obvious you have no class at all.

You might make $250k/year, but you apparently can't afford manners with it. Typical of someone with more money than brains.

you ain't funny

[Anonymous Coward]

yo man, get over your arrogance. This is GAMES SECTION, hellooo? GAME SECTION ANYONE?

"Apparently they'll just post anything anything now."

Ok, judging from the tone of your post it seems that you don't approve of posting this type of information on Slashdot because errr, they are b e l o w your HIGH standards?

WTF?? When the hell do you wanna hear about it? THE DAY OF THAT COMES OUT ON SALE? Do you expect slashdot to HAVE THE FIRST NEWS ON ANYTHING???!!! I mean, "IF IT'S NOT FIRST IS NOT WORTH IT"???!! WTF?!! Do you remember the day s leading to Wii and PSP3 release how all kinds of rumors and news were posted??? Shiiiieat.

By the way, if you would make yo lil brain excercise a bit more you could've come to the conclusion that ALL consoles go through revisions and AS TECHNOLOGY advances they release smaller units BECAUSE technology allows it. I mea, I mea, I mean shheeeesh.

Besides this news ain't FANTASY as you are trying to protray on that stupid, arrogant/ingnorant post. Kotaku was who triggered this last "rumor" and it's now CONFIRMED by other sources (I leave this for you to JFGI).

I hate fucktards that leave ignorant non-sensical posts and believe they are the shit... FOR CHRIST SAKE 3 scores as funny??

This shit ain't even funny. I would strongly in the future to consider posting this somewhere else like in digg. This ain't /. worthy...

thanks for ruining my day...

As a fellow commuter I agree with you

[hudsonhawk]

I can see why the PSP might not appeal to some, but it's a great system for commuters. I spend about 80 minutes commuting each day. I literally have more time for gaming on the train than I do at home.

I've owned a DS since launch and using it at that kind of volume, it wears thin. There's a lot of great games but the vast majority of the library is simple games meant for short, quick gaming sessions. Again, I'm not saying there aren't great games - believe me, there are - and I played them all. But at a certain point there's something appealing about having a portable version of the home console experience. I know I'm not the typical gamer, but I honestly don't mind the multi-platform releases it gets - I'm more likely to play multi-platform releases like Marvel Ultimate Alliance on my PSP at this point than I am at home, simply because I have more time for gaming on the train.

I'm sure I'll get called names, be accused of astroturfing, and all of the other ad hominem attacks that seem to plague any and all discussions of the PSP. I don't really get that meme; people act like the system uses small disc-shaped Hitlers for the games or something. The DS has a larger, stronger library, there's no doubt about that, but there's still an awful lot of fun to be had on the PSP, especially if the "portable home console" experience suits your needs (i.e., you travel a lot, commute, etc).

Good luck.

[Anonymous Coward]

You've got a limitation on how small you can make the PSP: The height of a UMD.

Besides, the moment this comes out, the DS Lite drops to $99.

Scrap the UMD

[shunnicutt]

Personally, I'd love for them to drop the UMD and pop in a couple of memory stick slots there. I know it won't happen, but games could be sold on read-only memory sticks.

I use the PSP's web browser to view offline pages that I've saved on my desktop computer and transferred over for reading while I'm commuting. I've ripped DVDs to watch while commuting. I play games too, but the web browser, music, photos and video makes it a much more versatile device. Accommodating more than one memory stick would be great.

One way to tell...

[goodenoughnickname]

Kotaku again, huh? Well, if they get blackballed then we'll know it's true.

Sega v. Accolade

[tepples]

Any console/handheld maker should reserve the right to protect their system from running homebrew anything. Then which handheld platform should microstudios develop for? Console makers historically haven't been friendly to microstudios.

Bung was the biggest manufacturer of original Game Boy homebrew kits. N sued them out of existance. Bung was also a single source. There hasn't been a single-source situation on Nintendo handhelds since EZ-FLASH started competing with Visoly.

Homebrew flash for Game Boy Advance requires a "boot sector" of sorts. When you turn it on, that little Nintendo logo under the Game Boy logo comes from the cartridge. The BIOS displays that on the screen and if its checksum matches what the Nintendo logo checksum is, it runs. Meaning: if you want to boot a non-genuine cartridge, that cartridge has to contain a digitally identical copy of a picture, so even carts for homebrew use are violating copyright. No they aren't. The copying of the logo data is fair use under United States copyright law, if Sega Enterprises Ltd. v. Accolade Inc. and Lexmark International Inc. v. Static Control Components Inc. can be relied upon.

The DS flaunts all over the documentation that games are signed with RSA. IANAL, but now beyond just copyright now you've got patent violations to worry about. DS Download Play is signed with RSA. DS Game Card is not. Besides, unlike copyrights, patents expire within the lifetime of the inventor. Particularly, US patent 4,405,829 (the RSA patent) expired in 2000, before the Game Boy Advance came out.

More on the PSP and DS

[LKM]

(Finally an answer worthy of a response :-) - turns out gp was just a sad Troll who posts on /. claiming to be a rich connoisseur of fine wine or something. I now regret answering his flamebait, frankly)

Not really sure what your objection to my post is. I never claimed there were no good PSP games (in fact, I quite enjoy a few of them, such as the new Ghosts N'Goblins). I most certainly did not claim that nobody could possibly like the PSP. I like it. I have to admit that I use it mainly to watch 24, Lost and Prison Break during train rides while the DS is my main portable gaming machine (actually, the GBA micro probably is, since it's so small that I always have it with me), but I do like the PSP.

I have to object to a few things you say though. First, mature games. This is something I've said before and I will most likely say again: "M" rated games like GTA are not mature. In fact, the overdone violence is downright childish. If you want a mature console, the DS is the one to go for. It actually has games targeted at adults: Brain Training, DS Guitar M-06 (I'm serious, this will notl appeal to kids, but I find it awesome, and I do actually play the guitar), Hotel Dusk, or Clubhouse Games. If I look at the PSP games in my local games store, I see mostly violent crap aimed at male teens, and car racers aimed at male teens (and a few violent car racers aimed at... well, you get the point). If I look at the DS selection, I see a wide variety of games targeted all ages and both genders.

Second, I find it somewhat hard to believe that somebody could not like Mario Kart. I can't see how this could possibly be a matter of taste. Have you actually played the game? I have yet to find somebody who has played this game and does not like it. What exactly is it that puts you off? The colorful graphics? If so, you're denying yourself one of the most fun games in recent memory.

Third, I did not imply that grandparent might be paid by Sony because he likes the PSP, but due to his outlandish claims about how Wipeout owns F-Zero (as I said, these are both great franchises and not very similar to begin with), or how there is not one single game on the DS which he likes. If you claim something like that, you're either a mindless fanboy, or you're paid to spout crap.

Fourth, "you folks"? What folks do you think I belong to? I did not realize that I need to be in some kind of group in order to be allowed to defend Nintendo.

Fifth and finally, why are all people defending Sony always posting as Anonymous Cowards?