Since the PSP does not support single disc multiplayer, they had to come out with online play quickly to ensure that a person who bought a game like Twisted Metal would be able to play multiplayer. Otherwise any multiplayer oriented game would be next to worthless as the game library gets larger.
If performance is what matters, we need benchmarks. I'm not saying that clock speed is everything. It is just the known statistic I have to give.
When the console pissing contest begins, I like to lay down known specs, and add that Nintendo doesn't release the theoretical specs that Sony and Microsoft do to hype their machine.
It is the killer ap for the video game fan. It is pure fun. How many times does a game come along that has replay value simply because you desparately want to play it again?
As a die-hard Nintendo fan, I put down the money for a PS2 simply to play this game, and I have no regrets. Games like Katamari Damacy are the reason I play video games.
When comparing other consoles to the Gamecube, you should be aware that Nintendo has not released official theoretical specs. For instance the PS2 official polygon fill rate which is a theoretical spec (75 Mtriangles/s) will be directly compared to the GameCube's official numbers which are a real world estimate that have been surpassed in game (6-12 Mtriangles/s). The upper limit for the PS2 is really around 7 million polygons, and Rebel Strike for the GC pushes 18-20 million polygons. So you have to take that into account. Nintendo doesn't publish pissing contest numbers. I wish they would for their own sake.
Why give a discount to somebody who spend like there's no tomorrow (especially when they're spending somebody elses money?)
Doctors often have this same philosophy when billing insurance companies as opposed to individuals. They can look up how much the insurance company will pay, and bill them accordingly.
The Xbox is not barely in third in Japan. They are dead last. Not only that, but the margin between the PS2 and XBOX is not that small in other regions. PS2 has sold something like 25 million to XBOX's 10-11 mil and GameCubes 8-9 million in North America.
For something that is a "sideshow" Nintendo is certainly pushing hard for it. I don't think that this was a spur of the moment thing. When Sony announced the PSP at E3 2003, it was the start of development. Though Nintendo announced the DS well after Sony, the DS was clearly well ahead of the PSP in its development cycle at E3 2004. Maybe this is because Sony shackled their engineers to the specs announced at E3 2003 (long before the first prototype was made), or maybe the DS was in the works longer than we think.
They should have launched in Europe first. It isn't like the first half of the year is a major American buying time. The DS would not claim that many more users by June. Sony had the chance to launch alongside the DS in Europe, and I'm a little surprised they didn't take it.
Maybe they had to localize their games, but I think it was an oppertunity lost. Now the DS will have more than a month head start in 2 of the 3 regions.
You will have to convert to MPEG-4 to watch things on the PSP. I don't know about you, but I don't have a single file that is straight MPEG-4.
All I'm saying is if you want a movie player, there are cheaper options that have bigger screens and can play more formats. If you want a game system that plays the occasional movie, the PSP would probably suffice.
You are stuck with what is on that Memory Stick until you get back to your computer. 1GB would hold a trip's worth of music for me, but I would probably need more than 1 GB in a day if I wanted to watch video. The PSP does have the cheap optical media, but Sony won't let you use it
The Movies, if they ever really exist in any numbers, will be region coded. The games CAN be region coded, but Sony says they won't be.
The question is: can you trust Sony to tell you the truth about this? Certain games in Japan were launched with region codes. The first batch of Ridge Racers were region 1, but later copies were coded "all."
Another possibility is that Sony may not enforce it with other companies, and let them put a region code on it if they want to.
Because this is the era of videogames in which XBOX can be the "most powerful console ever" when GameCube games can push more polygons. It's all about spinning the best theoretical number as the most important feature in your console.
The DS uses 802.11b and a Nintendo proprietary protocol. There will be games that use the regular 802.11b, or so we are promised.
As a Nintendo fan, I don't give Sony any credit for their promises, so I'm not going to give Nintendo credit for theirs. Know that the DS is capable of it, and that current games do not use it yet.
You will pay $100-200 for that 1GB MemoryStick online. That is enough for a portable DVD player that can play burned discs.
However the DS's style does seem to be impressing the 30something set (at least the ones who work in the media), to whom the DS"s supposedly angular and clunky design just looks dignified and businesslike, and the stylus functionality seems natural and comforting.
That is a good fucking point. I swear only to show my appreciation. Which one would you rather be seen with... by your boss? I like the look of the DS, but it is subtile. Subtile enough to pack in a briefcase on a business trip. Maybe not subtile enough to be played in a boardroom, but subtile enough to not be judged if someone sees it on your person.
They are roughly the same size, but the DS does not have anything exposed other than the L and R buttons when closed. The PSP has every button, every control device, and the screen unprotected without a case that will add size, and still may not protect the system adequately.
If you are looking for "pocketability," the DS is better suited to putting in an actual pocket, but I don't even pocket my SP. I'm more careful with my systems than that.
Open message to Sony, Nintendo and Xbox: Stop telling us what the chipset is capable of, and start telling us what you're going to do to encourage high-quality development for your platforms.
To this day Nintendo has not released any official theoretical specs for the GameCube, and their 6-12 million polygon real-world estimate was beaten by Rogue Leader, a launch title. Nintendo has been trying this approach, and I like it, but it doesn't seem to sell systems.
Now Xbox and PS2 will be featuring variations of IBM's "Cell-based" computing chipset.
the XBOX2 will not use the Cell. They are using a Power PC chip.
You are assuming that they care that the XBOX looks profitable. It's not like the Bush administration is going to come after them for abusing their Windows monopoly to undersell their console hardware. They have no fear of stockholder, customer, or legal backlash, so what do they care?
You still find people saying the DS was rushed. I'm sure that Nintendo hit the gas a little when they heard about the PSP, but they were much better prepared at E3 than Sony was.
I don't know if the DS development started before that or not, but their PR department didn't make grand promises before they could get the thing working. Sony's engineers were probably held hostage by the announced specs and release date.
Slashdot Mirror
Since the PSP does not support single disc multiplayer, they had to come out with online play quickly to ensure that a person who bought a game like Twisted Metal would be able to play multiplayer. Otherwise any multiplayer oriented game would be next to worthless as the game library gets larger.
If performance is what matters, we need benchmarks. I'm not saying that clock speed is everything. It is just the known statistic I have to give.
When the console pissing contest begins, I like to lay down known specs, and add that Nintendo doesn't release the theoretical specs that Sony and Microsoft do to hype their machine.
Katamari Damacy was the game of the year.
It is the killer ap for the video game fan. It is pure fun. How many times does a game come along that has replay value simply because you desparately want to play it again?
As a die-hard Nintendo fan, I put down the money for a PS2 simply to play this game, and I have no regrets. Games like Katamari Damacy are the reason I play video games.
God that game is good.
nah, I misread it.
My specs do include 8 Dumbass pipelines.
Click for specs.
GameCube
PlayStation 2
GC = 485 MHz processor
PS2 = 300 MHz processor
When comparing other consoles to the Gamecube, you should be aware that Nintendo has not released official theoretical specs. For instance the PS2 official polygon fill rate which is a theoretical spec (75 Mtriangles/s) will be directly compared to the GameCube's official numbers which are a real world estimate that have been surpassed in game (6-12 Mtriangles/s). The upper limit for the PS2 is really around 7 million polygons, and Rebel Strike for the GC pushes 18-20 million polygons. So you have to take that into account. Nintendo doesn't publish pissing contest numbers. I wish they would for their own sake.
Why give a discount to somebody who spend like there's no tomorrow (especially when they're spending somebody elses money?)
Doctors often have this same philosophy when billing insurance companies as opposed to individuals. They can look up how much the insurance company will pay, and bill them accordingly.
The Xbox is not barely in third in Japan. They are dead last. Not only that, but the margin between the PS2 and XBOX is not that small in other regions. PS2 has sold something like 25 million to XBOX's 10-11 mil and GameCubes 8-9 million in North America.
$400 is an analyst figure, but let's put it this way: Sony is losing enough that they don't want to let their investors find out how much.
For something that is a "sideshow" Nintendo is certainly pushing hard for it. I don't think that this was a spur of the moment thing. When Sony announced the PSP at E3 2003, it was the start of development. Though Nintendo announced the DS well after Sony, the DS was clearly well ahead of the PSP in its development cycle at E3 2004. Maybe this is because Sony shackled their engineers to the specs announced at E3 2003 (long before the first prototype was made), or maybe the DS was in the works longer than we think.
They should have launched in Europe first. It isn't like the first half of the year is a major American buying time. The DS would not claim that many more users by June. Sony had the chance to launch alongside the DS in Europe, and I'm a little surprised they didn't take it.
Maybe they had to localize their games, but I think it was an oppertunity lost. Now the DS will have more than a month head start in 2 of the 3 regions.
You will have to convert to MPEG-4 to watch things on the PSP. I don't know about you, but I don't have a single file that is straight MPEG-4.
All I'm saying is if you want a movie player, there are cheaper options that have bigger screens and can play more formats. If you want a game system that plays the occasional movie, the PSP would probably suffice.
You are stuck with what is on that Memory Stick until you get back to your computer. 1GB would hold a trip's worth of music for me, but I would probably need more than 1 GB in a day if I wanted to watch video. The PSP does have the cheap optical media, but Sony won't let you use it
The Movies, if they ever really exist in any numbers, will be region coded. The games CAN be region coded, but Sony says they won't be.
The question is: can you trust Sony to tell you the truth about this? Certain games in Japan were launched with region codes. The first batch of Ridge Racers were region 1, but later copies were coded "all."
Another possibility is that Sony may not enforce it with other companies, and let them put a region code on it if they want to.
Because this is the era of videogames in which XBOX can be the "most powerful console ever" when GameCube games can push more polygons. It's all about spinning the best theoretical number as the most important feature in your console.
The DS uses 802.11b and a Nintendo proprietary protocol. There will be games that use the regular 802.11b, or so we are promised.
As a Nintendo fan, I don't give Sony any credit for their promises, so I'm not going to give Nintendo credit for theirs. Know that the DS is capable of it, and that current games do not use it yet.
You will pay $100-200 for that 1GB MemoryStick online. That is enough for a portable DVD player that can play burned discs.
However the DS's style does seem to be impressing the 30something set (at least the ones who work in the media), to whom the DS"s supposedly angular and clunky design just looks dignified and businesslike, and the stylus functionality seems natural and comforting.
That is a good fucking point. I swear only to show my appreciation. Which one would you rather be seen with... by your boss? I like the look of the DS, but it is subtile. Subtile enough to pack in a briefcase on a business trip. Maybe not subtile enough to be played in a boardroom, but subtile enough to not be judged if someone sees it on your person.
This is a little off-topic, but I want to share this tip:
Two GBA carts fit into a GameGear game case perfectly. After all these years, my brother's gamegear was good for something!
not that i dont already have it on my SMT-5600, or on my Pioneer Car MP3 player, but thats beside the point.
That is the point. If you already have an mp3 player, it isn't worth the extra money for its inclusion in the PSP.
They are roughly the same size, but the DS does not have anything exposed other than the L and R buttons when closed. The PSP has every button, every control device, and the screen unprotected without a case that will add size, and still may not protect the system adequately.
If you are looking for "pocketability," the DS is better suited to putting in an actual pocket, but I don't even pocket my SP. I'm more careful with my systems than that.
The PlayStation controller is simply a SNES controller modified enough to escape patent infringement.
can't we have ANY physical space not filled with advertising?
Fortunately, my ass is unlikely to become an advertising space any time soon...Wait a minute... Eddie Bauer jeans patch?
THAT WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL, EDDIE BAUER! Curse you and your comfortable denim!
He might live in Northern Canada for all you know. That's where they will play all the infomercials.
Open message to Sony, Nintendo and Xbox: Stop telling us what the chipset is capable of, and start telling us what you're going to do to encourage high-quality development for your platforms.
To this day Nintendo has not released any official theoretical specs for the GameCube, and their 6-12 million polygon real-world estimate was beaten by Rogue Leader, a launch title. Nintendo has been trying this approach, and I like it, but it doesn't seem to sell systems.
Now Xbox and PS2 will be featuring variations of IBM's "Cell-based" computing chipset.
the XBOX2 will not use the Cell. They are using a Power PC chip.
You are assuming that they care that the XBOX looks profitable. It's not like the Bush administration is going to come after them for abusing their Windows monopoly to undersell their console hardware. They have no fear of stockholder, customer, or legal backlash, so what do they care?
You still find people saying the DS was rushed. I'm sure that Nintendo hit the gas a little when they heard about the PSP, but they were much better prepared at E3 than Sony was.
Sony started developing the PSP at the time of the E3 2003 announcement. They announced the specs before the thing was off the drawing board. When you do crap like that, it is hard to take back what you said without a negative impact.
I don't know if the DS development started before that or not, but their PR department didn't make grand promises before they could get the thing working. Sony's engineers were probably held hostage by the announced specs and release date.
An AC bashing someone for being a newbie? Wonders never cease.
I agree with most of the rest of the post though.