Gaming PlayStation Portable

[BlueYoshi]

Understandable, and I see no reason not to believe it,

[quote]UPDATE: 5/25/2003: CNN has reported that industry insiders anticipate the PSP to go on sale in the $125 - $200 range with games priced in the $15-$25 range.[/quote]

[url]http://www.digitalbackspin.com/pspinfo.htm[/url]

This was at last year's E3 though in its early stages, so things do seem unpredictable.

Edit: January's issue of PSM magazine claim to have rumours of SOCOM Navy Seals and Everquest hitting the PSP this year. Nothing about this has been officially confirmed by Sony but things seem to "definitely point in a positive dierction", so says IGN.

[Semjaza]

[IMG]http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2694/psp1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3337/psp2.jpg[/IMG]
[img]http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/863/psp3.jpg[/img]

First image of the PSP from Sony's press conference going on right now.

Now a bunch of confirmations on stuff already known... Disc type, target audience (males over 18), downloadable content, etc.

They also talked some about the ports it uses for possible expansions and jacks for Ports for headphone, wifi (802.11g) controllers, IR port, linkup and power charging. It can connect to PCs, PS2s and other PSPs.

Development is based on OpenGL. It has 32 MBs of memory, 4 for VRAM.

UMD discs hold between 3 and 4 times what a normal CD can hold.

It has stereo speakers and a 16:9 screen area.

Battery life is ten hours, eight hours and two and a half hours. I have NO idea what that means, but apparently depending on if the screen is on or off, battery life is affected dramatically. I'll clear this up as soon as I know.

Unlike the GBA, this has region controls. You can't play imports on it easily, if at all.

Launch is next Spring.

----------------------------------
EA has announced that NBA Street, NFL Street, Tiger Woods, and NFS: Underground will be launch titles.

FF Advent Children movie coming to UMD for PSP, in addition to the PS2 version.

Screens:

[img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9646/pspgame1.jpg[/img][img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/4383/pspgame2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8731/pspgame3.jpg[/img][img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/160/pspgame4.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8489/pspgame5.jpg[/img][img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5817/pspgame6.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8950/pspgame7.jpg[/img][img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/586/pspgame8.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8193/pspgame9.jpg[/img]

Thanks to Something Awful Forums for the images and information. UScr00ge particularly.

Seems really expensive already heh. I'll post more as UScr00ge does. He's the savior right now heh.

[RealHalfBreed]

The PSP looks great, but I don't think it'll do to good going up against Nintendo. They're trying to beat Nintendo by giving the PSP more abilities than just being a portable game system, that in my book is biting off more than it can chew. I don't need nor want a protable DVD player, MP3 player, & portable video game player all in one. I think the GBDS is going to be the one to get and Sony should just stick to consoles. That's why I think Nintendo didn't do to well this past year in consoles is because they concentrated on the GBA/SP since just about every game is down right awesome, that's where Nintendo rules and they know it. I like the GBDS since it'll have customizable options like being able to design what it look like as in your computer desktop. One thing I'm wondering is will it able to hook up to the PS2 and PS3 when it comes out, also can you link up to other PSP's too?

[OmegaWeapon]

[COLOR=Green][SIZE=2][FONT=Comic Sans MS]The Nintendo DS sucks, sure it has good graphics, but almost every game it has on it uses one of those palm pilot pens for each game. You have to draw your way to beating the game. The pen thing isnt center of most video games but you do have to use it to like move around your characters and shoot and stuff.

Most games were meant for like 4 year olds where you had to draw mario or draw pac man and eat the ghosts before they get you.

All in all, the PSP looked way more impressive at the 2004 E3.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]The 16:9 screen looks nice, but it also looks like it's kind of cramping the D-pad and buttons. Personally, I like a little space in between the edge of the screen and the buttons so I don't accidentally cover up part of the screen with my thumbs. If the actual viewing area doesn't extend quite to the edge of the screen cover, like on the GB/GBA, it would probably be okay, though.

And also . . . the thing looks horribly uncomfortable. It looks like the original GBA, only thinner, less shaped to fit your hands (i.e. flatter) -- though that may just be because I can't see the back too well -- and the R and L buttons are just as close to the D-pad/buttons as on the GBA, if not closer. If, by some fluke I manage to be able to get one of these, I forsee many hand aches in my future. Hopefully, though, it'll be like the GBA SP and only [i]look[/i] horribly uncomfortable.

And by the way, I'd like to remind people that this is [i]not[/i] a Nintendo DS bashing thread. If you want to post (constructive) criticisms about the DS, use [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=36436][u]this thread[/u][/url].[/color]

[BlueYoshi]

[color=teal]IGN released images displaying thel lay out of the PSP a few days ago. They claim to have got the pics from GameWatch, who apparently got them from an anonymous source, heh. Even though they look dodgy and may be annotated on some unofficial diagrams, the images match the version of the PSP model shown at E3, so they ought to be reliable. Read[/color] [url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/523/523021p1.html][u]this article[/u][/url] [color=teal]to find out about the specifics in more detail.

It looks very high-tech, which is interesting because some people may get put off by how complex it may look at first site and the compatible gadgets required to fully operate it, unlike the SP where there were only four action buttons, start and select, a d-pad, and two slots for the charger and link cable.[/color]

[url]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040614001233819.jpg[/url]

[img]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040618060743248.jpg[/img]

[img]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040614001234147.jpg[/img]

[img]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040611101312198.jpg[/img]

[url]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040618060743482.jpg[/url]

[url]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040618060740076.jpg[/url]

[img]http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/523/523021/psp-close-up-look-20040611101312620.jpg[/img]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

It's really slick. But I hope that Sony's piss-poor product quality (as in, that of the PS2) won't carry over to the PSP. That would be a real shame, as handhelds are dropped accidentally on a regular basis.

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE=OmegaWeapon][COLOR=Green][SIZE=2][FONT=Comic Sans MS]The Nintendo DS sucks, sure it has good graphics, but almost every game it has on it uses one of those palm pilot pens for each game. You have to draw your way to beating the game. The pen thing isnt center of most video games but you do have to use it to like move around your characters and shoot and stuff.

Most games were meant for like 4 year olds where you had to draw mario or draw pac man and eat the ghosts before they get you.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

Well we can tell you're definitely not its target audience lol. Hands on for most of the DS games were positive and you're the only person I've heard make the "four year old" comparison. Pacpix looks pretty interesting as far as I'm concerned.

It has a touch screen. That's the point. They should ignore the main feature when making games for it? That's what the GBA and it's successor are for.

In any case, I can't really be that impressed by the PSP based on its E3 showing. Sony claims "no ports" after E3, but nearly everything shown was a direct port of some PS2 version of the same game. A lot of the PSP's had video fed in through them via computers. It wasn't being displayed via the actual system. No one got to play anything on it.

All there really is to get excited about at this point are possibilities that may or may not happen. Plus this battery life confusion really bothers me.

[Okita]

While nintendo do have the edge in market as far as current handheld goes, I am very sceptical about the success of the DS, firstly the issue of handheld touchscreen and twin LCD having a high gimmick factor, (I can almost see a repeat of virtual boy) I've seen screen shots of working products and while they look okay I can't help but feel that gonna go the way of the N64 and GC.

PSP is annoyingly exclusive up to the point that it has it's own media brand ie: there will be movies coming out for the PSP, I'm wondering now how they'll keep the operation time up and battery consuption down, but the prospect of watching Advents Children on the train is very nice indeed

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

You can watch Advent Children on the train with a [i]laptop[/i], heh. No sense in getting the UMD version.

But even though Nintendo does currently totally own the handheld market, one thing I must say that is for certain is that the DS is NOT the future of portable gaming, and the PSP IS. The DS is neat, and it'll be neat for a little while, but when 2nd and 3rd generation DS games start coming out two screens will no longer be innovative or even uniquely appealing. Nintendo is retarded when they say "he with the best games wins. Always has been, always will be" or something along those lines. I'd be a liar if I said that PS2 has the best games, but it freaking crushes the GCN. He with the best MARKETING SKILLS wins. Always has been, always will be. That's why PSP will do well.

[James]

[color=#707875]I think you're 50% right there.

The biggest problem for PSP won't be image, it will be perceived value -- a very critical factor. If the machine is perceived to be costing too much and if the battery life is too poor, it will suffer. I have no doubts about that whatsoever.

The DS is the type of system where the games will definitely be a strong selling point, as well as the perceived value. I just hope that Nintendo do a thorough redesign of the system itself, so that it looks much more attractive when it hits the market (and that's apparently what they're doing anyway, as well as creating a proper name for it).

It's critical to point out that right now (and for quite a while), GameCube has been the primary driving force in industry growth. PlayStation 2 and Xbox haven't, despite the fact that PS2 has a pretty sizeable userbase now. So, with this industry, it's difficult to make broad generalizations...because there are a lot of smaller, individual factors involved (like "software penetration" for example, which is another term that a lot of people don't talk about, especially Microsoft and Sony).[/color]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

[quote name='James']The biggest problem for PSP won't be image, it will be perceived value -- a very critical factor. If the machine is perceived to be costing too much and if the battery life is too poor, it will suffer. I have no doubts about that whatsoever.[/quote]The price is something that can be adjusted whenever, so that's not really a way to predict a system's failure. I myself am nervous about what price point Sony is aiming at, and it's true that an initial too-high price that is immediately followed by a price drop is worse than an initial just-right price. But Sony knows that too.
Battery life, well that is a different issue altogether. And there's not enough information on that to make any judgements/predictions.

[QUOTE]The DS is the type of system where the games will definitely be a strong selling point, as well as the perceived value. I just hope that Nintendo do a thorough redesign of the system itself, so that it looks much more attractive when it hits the market (and that's apparently what they're doing anyway, as well as creating a proper name for it).[/QUOTE]
Yes, a redesign is crucial. Personally, I'm concerned about how they'll take into account left-handed folk like me when it comes to using the stylus. The buttons on the right can be a redundant control pad, but still I'd have to really "relearn" how to play Mario and Metroid and what not, which is poo.

[QUOTE]It's critical to point out that right now (and for quite a while), GameCube has been the primary driving force in industry growth.[/QUOTE]
Heh, don't let Nintendo's numbers fool you. That "growth" is Gamecube selling better than it used to, sure, and Xbox/PS2 not (or selling worse), but there are still more PS2s sold even now than there are Gamecubes. Nintendo saying they're driving industry growth as far as sales go is equivalent to them saying "Sony's not kicking our *** quite as much as they did a year ago or two years ago." Sony's still kicking their *** though.
If by industry growth you mean innovation, getting more developers to do cool stuff, etc., then I can't argue with you. But if you're talking about sales, then Nintendo still has a long way to go to catch up with Sony. "Industry growth," heh. It's optimism is what it is.

[James]

[QUOTE=ScirosDarkblade]The price is something that can be adjusted whenever, so that's not really a way to predict a system's failure. I myself am nervous about what price point Sony is aiming at, and it's true that an initial too-high price that is immediately followed by a price drop is worse than an initial just-right price. But Sony knows that too.
Battery life, well that is a different issue altogether. And there's not enough information on that to make any judgements/predictions.[/quote]
[color=#707875]Well, the price [i]can't [/i]be adjusted whenever. Price is determined by a number of factors. Sony will set a price that is as reasonable as they can afford, given the costs involved in manufacturing (which will be significantly higher than DS). Right now we don't know the price, so it's a moot point -- I'm just pointing out that price plays a critical role in consumer purchasing decisions.

There's plenty of information to make judgements about battery life, though. First and foremost, Sony have already set targets/expectations about what battery life will be like (I read that it was something like 2 to 8 hours?) In other words, even they don't [i]really [/i]know. Chances are that it could fall somewhere in between, depending on what kind of functions you're using.

We can assume, if you are playing a game and you have sound and lighting going at the same time, that battery life will be relatively poor (relatively, in comparison to other hardware on the market, like DS or GBA). So again, that plays a critical role. I'm not attempting to make some kind of verdict about it, I'm just saying that these are all important considerations for Sony.[/color]

[quote=ScirosDarkblade]
Yes, a redesign is crucial. Personally, I'm concerned about how they'll take into account left-handed folk like me when it comes to using the stylus. The buttons on the right can be a redundant control pad, but still I'd have to really "relearn" how to play Mario and Metroid and what not, which is poo.[/quote]
[color=#707875]I think that it depends on how the games themselves are structured. I doubt we'll see any Mario games in the traditional sense (as in, most games will be using the newer features, rather than the traditional ones). But you never know.

The biggest concern I have is actually holding the thing, while using the stylus. That was a sticking point for some in the media, and nobody really had the chance to try it out, because the machines were stuck down and it was not possible to pick them up and play with them at E3.[/color]

[quote=ScirosDarkblade]
Heh, don't let Nintendo's numbers fool you. That "growth" is Gamecube selling better than it used to, sure, and Xbox/PS2 not (or selling worse), but there are still more PS2s sold even now than there are Gamecubes. Nintendo saying they're driving industry growth as far as sales go is equivalent to them saying "Sony's not kicking our *** quite as much as they did a year ago or two years ago." Sony's still kicking their *** though.[/quote]
[color=#707875]Don't worry, you're talking to someone who has been involved in the gaming media for several years now. I generally know how the numbers break down. ~_^

Sony's overall numbers are better. But Sony isn't experiencing accelerating growth; their market share has hit a plateau. And yet, this isn't a sign of the market not accepting new hardware -- that is, it's not a sign that people are no longer buying consoles. You also have to factor in Xbox's performance with those numbers as well (and Xbox hasn't sold nearly as well as PlayStation 2). Sony has tried to suggest that their hardware sales results are the result of fan overall market slump. If that were true, Nintendo would also be affected. And they aren't.

The broader point that I'm making is simply that right now, GameCube is driving industry growth. There are also all of the other factors (including manufacturing cost, software production cost, etc etc), but I could write an essay about that; I'll avoid doing so here, because it's getting significantly off topic.[/color]

[quote=ScirosDarkblade]
If by industry growth you mean innovation, getting more developers to do cool stuff, etc., then I can't argue with you. But if you're talking about sales, then Nintendo still has a long way to go to catch up with Sony. "Industry growth," heh. It's optimism is what it is.[/QUOTE]
[color=#707875]I wasn't referring to innovation, but innovation will still play a big part of it.

Sales numbers alone won't give you the answer. I've spoken about that before. Sales numbers are very flat, two dimensional things -- and each of the big three hardware makers even calcuate their numbers in different ways.

Sony can tell you that they've sold more PlayStation 2 units overall, but that isn't telling you about software sales growth, nor are we factoring in issues like piracy and other elements that eat into a company's revenue results. I know that's getting a bit off track, but I think it does relate back to this central question.

Now we just have to continue relating this to PSP, and we'll be fine. ~_^[/color]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=darkviolet]From reading everyone else's posts I've come up with this opinion:

The game system looks too small with the buttons in strange places to be comfortable to play for an extended period of time as many video game players are wont to do.

The price looks a bit too high for my current income. It may be just because it will be a new product and that's what happens with all new products, but it still seems a but high.

I'm sorry, but I can't think of much else to add to this post right now. Give me time and I'll look into it better.[/color]

[Okita]

the only portable system out now is the Nintendo GBA,(and don't your dare mention N-Gage!) and I don't particularly recomment it since it will be supercede soon by the nextgen pocket console, wait a year and get the newer gear, I personally recomment the PSP but I am pretty sure that the DS won't be that bad, My main grip with the DS is that it's additional feature instead of adding to a game's quality might take it away, it is very easy to be too emersed in new technology to forget about core concept of gaming such as gameplay and (most important of all) fun... take the Virtual boy as a warning to tried and fail innovation, new features are good only if one does not fall into the traphole of ignoring what has been achieved before...

[SonicSlash]

I think the PSP is Sony's attempt to just getting everyone's attention off of Nintendo, because it seems like Sony is an attention whore. Just think about when they realeased PS2, how they brought attention away from the Gamecube and Xbox, who, in my opinions, are much better systems, by saying "ooh! the PS2 is coming soon! dont buy those because we're coming! we're coming!" and not even making enough systems to support the market they created.

But here, let's look at it at the specifications. First things first, you NEVER EVER make a portable system run with CDs, even if they are those chinky little mini-discs. The thing is, they are flimsy, and if your carrying them around *PORTABLE*, then you might break them. remember the Gabe Boy cartridges? How they all came with cases? Most people didn't use them, because the cartridges just wouldnt break. But with mini-discs, you HAVE to use the cases, which is just a time-waster, not to mention a complete annoyance.

Then there is the fact that with CDs, you are gonna have load times. When you're playing something portable (like I know I do), you want a game that you can pick up, play, and turn off when you have to, not one that you turn on, wait for it to load the main screen, wait for it to load a game, and just load load load. By time you get to play you have to turn if off!

Then there is this graphics thing. Portable games aren't meant to be visually amazing. They are meant to be playable. The DS does push a bit more on graphics, but Nintendo still understands that graphics aren't everything, and I wish more companies would understand that, before graphics become so advanced that only Bill Gates and people from NASA could play.

And even if you ignore all of these things (and there are a lot more problems I just can't think of right now), there is the price. Who is going to pay $300+ for a portable system? Certainly not me.

That is why I hope that the PSP becomes the biggest flop in Video Game History.

[OtakuSennen]

[quote name='SonicSlash']I think the PSP is Sony's attempt to just getting everyone's attention off of Nintendo, because it seems like Sony is an attention whore. Just think about when they realeased PS2, how they brought attention away from the Gamecube and Xbox, who, in my opinions, are much better systems, by saying "ooh! the PS2 is coming soon! dont buy those because we're coming! we're coming!" and not even making enough systems to support the market they created.[/quote][color=navy]The technical term for "attention whore" is advertising. Sony, Nintendo, [i]and[/i] Microsoft are trying to get money, right? If I were to work in the video game business, I wouldn't put in countless hours perfecting the movements of a character just for fun. To get people to do such work, those people will need to be paid. It's only logical to try and grab attention, which is what gets them money.

And I don't recall Sony trying to get any more attention than Nintendo or Microsoft when their systems came out. And if they did, it was simply because of marketing. Typical business stuff.[/color]

[quote]But here, let's look at it at the specifications. First things first, you NEVER EVER make a portable system run with CDs, even if they are those chinky little mini-discs. The thing is, they are flimsy, and if your carrying them around *PORTABLE*, then you might break them. remember the Gabe Boy cartridges? How they all came with cases? Most people didn't use them, because the cartridges just wouldnt break. But with mini-discs, you HAVE to use the cases, which is just a time-waster, not to mention a complete annoyance.[/quote][color=navy]It's true that the information on a disc can get scratched rather easy, in comparison to a Game Boy cartridge, and that the Sony UMD will be somewhat large in comparison to a GBA game, but I wouldn't call putted discs in a case a "time waster." I'm sure that a third-party company will make little cases that will hold the disc and nothing else, reducing size and increasing portability.[/color]

[quote]Then there is the fact that with CDs, you are gonna have load times. When you're playing something portable (like I know I do), you want a game that you can pick up, play, and turn off when you have to, not one that you turn on, wait for it to load the main screen, wait for it to load a game, and just load load load. By time you get to play you have to turn if off![/quote][color=navy]This, however, is a point that I agree with. I hardly ever play portable games on the run (I just play the games at home, heh), but I remember my parents getting angry simply because I was waiting for Pokemon Gold to save, and that was on a cartridge. Load times on PSP, not to mention saving, should make for inconveniences to a lot of people. Let's just hope that the system gets a good enough disc reader for it to have half-tolerable load times.[/color]

[quote]Then there is this graphics thing. Portable games aren't meant to be visually amazing.[/quote][color=navy]And does having good graphics hurt?

[color=black][quote]They are meant to be playable.[/quote][/color]
And the Playstation Portable won't be?[/color]

[quote]The DS does push a bit more on graphics, but Nintendo still understands that graphics aren't everything, and I wish more companies would understand that, before graphics become so advanced that only Bill Gates and people from NASA could play.[/quote][color=navy]Let's also hope that the majority of the public realizes that graphics aren't everything, and simply buy a system because it has better visuals. I don't think that most casual gamers will look at a commercial of a DS game, without knowing too much about the story or gameplay, but they [i]will [/i]notice the N64-level graphics. Now, if the DS commercial is followed by a PSP commercial with pre-PS2-but-superior-to-N64-level graphics, how many people who aren't going to take the time to read up on gameplay say, "Hm. I think that the DS game looks better"?

I know that most real gamers will do more research the said games and figure out which of the two is better, but I know a lot of "casual gamers." They just buy the games that look good, you know?

And it's going to be sort of hard for Nintendo to show DS gameplay on a TV screen, with two screens- one showing the gameplay and one showing the player's interaction. With a PlayStation Portable you just have one screen showing you "normal" gameplay. Some people may go to the DS commercial and simply go "...What?" [/color]

[quote]And even if you ignore all of these things (and there are a lot more problems I just can't think of right now), there is the price. Who is going to pay $300+ for a portable system? Certainly not me.[/quote][color=navy]I'd bet money that Sony's going to try and emphasize PSP's multi-function capabilities, and try to justify the price that way.

Keep in mind that Sony still hasn't announced a price for Playstation Portable, and the $300 thing is pure speculation. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I'm remaining optimistic.[/color]

[quote]That is why I hope that the PSP becomes the biggest flop in Video Game History.[/QUOTE][color=navy]Eh, we'll see. I probably won't buy it immediately, mostly because the launch titles aren't particularly wowing me, not even Metal Gear Acid (Kojima isn't even working on that one, is he?). Of course, the same goes for the Dual Screen. I'm holding out until a price drop, and even then, I still might not buy either. I need to see more games before I make a decision.

I have nothing against Nintendo, but I simply see their gameplay innovations as novelties. I just want to pick up a game, pay attention to only one screen, and hit buttons to make characters do things.

Of course, I may just be old-fashioned.[/color]

[Okita]

PSP really can't flop unless Sony forget something very fundamental such as 'fun' or 'gameplay' or perhaps the 'on' button. Just the fact that it will be PS3 compatible alone will drive it into the market, that and sony has a huge market base of PS2 gamer that will convert to PS3 anyways. (and before you ask, yes I believe the PS3 will succeed too)

I am not pro sony, I infact own a GC and enjoy the game it has very much, what I'm basing this thing from is statistic, market share and ability to market a product to success. Sony simply put has the market cornered in that respect.

And while this is lightly off topic, I'd just like to say that sadly, gaming console are dying, the GC will prbably be the last gaming console that we'll be able to plug into our TV, they are being recplace by 'multimedia entertainment system' that are music, video, internet and gaming station in one. They are compact and expensive, and while the focus might still be on games, I feel very sadden that the days of pure gameplay I enjoyed on a SNES will be well and truly history...

[SonicSlash]

[QUOTE=Okita]
And while this is lightly off topic, I'd just like to say that sadly, gaming console are dying, the GC will prbably be the last gaming console that we'll be able to plug into our TV, they are being recplace by 'multimedia entertainment system' that are music, video, internet and gaming station in one. They are compact and expensive, and while the focus might still be on games, I feel very sadden that the days of pure gameplay I enjoyed on a SNES will be well and truly history...[/QUOTE]

And thats kinda what I was trying to hint at without saying it. If you look at the PS2, XBox, and yes, the PSP, they have so much more than they need. I want a video game system, not a mp3 player/dvd player/ harddrive/modem/video game system, and quite frankly don't want to pay for what I don't want. I'm not pro-Nintendo, nor am I against Sony (or Microsoft, in that manner), but it seems to me only Nintendo follows the true value of video game systems, by making ONLY a video game system.

But, that's just my opinion.

[BlueYoshi]

[color=teal]I've got a gut feeling that the dual screen is really just a gimmick marking the release of the Nintendo DS. I can foresee what the compatible games would be like; just generally a wave of 'fillers' to support its affiliation. In its market venture, I can almost guarantee that the DS will be considered as just another portable system. To play a game that actually absorbs the concept of the DS is well and good, but how long is it before you start seeing games that operate on a sole basis, completely leaving that second screen out? We may get one or two good titles a year that really bring out the spark of the dual screen function in the same way that we only have two good GBA connectivity games, and while I agree that GBA connectivity wasn't the main attraction of the GameCube, it certainly was a big thing.

Loading will be a problem, though. Classic GBA titles like Pokemon and LttP all required at least three pushes of a button in order to save almost instantly, in fact, the GameCube was like that too; very swift and down to earth. Sony's predicament is what gamers will notice judging by their past experiences, namely the GTA games and other large titles.

Good graphics are the core of advertising, and nobody can deny that. FSA will only be popular amongst the substantial gamers who know of Nintendo's capabilities in the LoZ department, other level-headed guys will obviously choose the likes of Metroid: Prime simply because the visuals look a lot prettier. As of now, neither the PSP or DS have managed to impress me, I've had moments where I was naturally drawn towards one, but to me, like many others, it's the line-up of games that are set for it's release that tends to put me off. Those games just aren't me, I'm more into sophisticated RPGs than anything else, and I fail to see how a dual screen would compliment it effectively other than a character menu or a map since the DS is far more capable of expanding its horizons in a much versatile way.[/color]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='BlueYoshi][color=teal']I've got a gut feeling that the dual screen is really just a gimmick marking the release of the Nintendo DS. I can foresee what the compatible games would be like; just generally a wave of 'fillers' to support its affiliation. In its market venture, I can almost guarantee that the DS will be considered as just another portable system. To play a game that actually absorbs the concept of the DS is well and good, but how long is it before you start seeing games that operate on a sole basis, completely leaving that second screen out? We may get one or two good titles a year that really bring out the spark of the dual screen function in the same way that we only have two good GBA connectivity games, and while I agree that GBA connectivity wasn't the main attraction of the GameCube, it certainly was a big thing.[/quote][/color]

I have to say that this is one of my bigger issues with the DS; exactly how many developers will actually make the strides to take full advantage of the system, and how many will simply be satisfied with making shovelware for the system, like so many did during the Game Boy Color regime. It'd be a shame if only Nintendo and maybe one or two other companies really took advantage of the what the DS has to offer.

Right now, I'm hesitant on both the DS and the PSP. They both have potential, but neither has really [i]grabbed[/i] me and made me want to spend my money. I'm not really much of a handheld gamer, so one or the other would have to look really good for me to want to buy them at all. There are just so many issues with both systems right now, but I do realize that neither are really that close to being released and that there's a lot that can happen in the coming months.

[James]

[color=#707875]When you talk about shovelware for Game Boy Color, I think it's a bit tough to compare that directly to DS. I say that because the GBC only added colour visuals to the screen; so there wasn't anything fundamentally different about the gameplay in most GBC games, versus their black and white counterparts.

DS is obviously a different story, because it's a fundamentally new type of game system.

I think it's obvious that there are going to be some developers who won't support the machine to its fullest extent. But this is no different to developers who support Xbox Live or something like that -- most developers will probably do the right thing, and some will be content to push a few games through that don't really demonstrate anything different.

For its part, Nintendo has already said that developers who aren't interested in using the DS's new features in games will be urged to develop for GBA SP instead. I think that seems logical enough. Nintendo has "reserved" DS for new types of games...and considering their strong showing at E3 (and the way it's convinced even the most critical of media), I don't have any concern about that.

It's just a shame that you guys weren't able to get the thing in your hands and see what all the fuss was about. I think that when you actually do sit down and play the system, you'll be quite surprised. It's true that it really has to be played to be understood.

And just to add to that for a moment, you can't really compare the DS's dual screen function with GameCube/GBA connectivity. Obviously there are massive differences; the sheer cost of establishing a GCN/GBA connectivity setup is significantly higher and less "user friendly" than what you get with DS.

Obviously, fewer developers were prepared to fully support connectivity because of these concerns. If your game [i]relies [/i]on people needing GBAs as controllers, you are severely limiting your audience. This is something that has limited connectivity from day one.

The DS is a completely different proposition, because the technology is [i]there [/i]in the unit itself. You don't need to buy a microphone peripheral, or a wireless adapter or anything -- it's all there right in the machine. That may not seem like much, but I guarantee you, that changes the development environment completely. The contrast is like day and night.

The hardware itself is also designed to work in tandem. So the two screens are intrinsically linked, both by gameplay design and by hardware function.

So, I don't really think that any of these concerns are warranted, when we get right down to it. If your concerns about DS remind you of connectivity...then I think you can only be pleasantly surprised by the end result, when the time comes.

EDIT: *gasp* Here we are, talking about DS in the PSP thread...again. lol

Let's try and get back to PSP-based discussion (either PSP itself or PSP comparisons with DS or whatever).

Actually, I've been meaning to respond to some of the complaints about PSP...but I'll do that later. I've done enough typing here at the moment. ~_^[/color]

[Semjaza]

[url]http://psp.ign.com/articles/560/560947p1.html[/url]

[quote]Sony Computer Entertainment has at last put all forms of speculation (well, most of them, anyway) to rest. Today, the company announced final details on the Japanese launch of the PSP.

It will take place this year, as previously promised. The system will be released to Japan on December 12, 2004. The base system, model number PSP-1000, will retail for 19,800 yen (20,790 yen with tax -- at current US exchange rates, that's approx. $185-190) and will include the system, AC adapter and battery pack.
SCE also has a number of optional accessories launch with the system on 12/12:

Memory Stick Duo
Model: PSP-M32
Price: 2800 yen (2940 yen with tax)
Specs: Magic Gate, 32 Megabytes

PSP AC Adapter
Model: PSP-100
Price: 3500 yen (3675 with tax)
Specs: 100V - 240V, 50/60Hz

PSP Battery Pack
Model: PSP-110
Price: 4800 yen (5040 yen with tax)
Specs: 3.6V/1800mAh

PSP Headphones With Remote Control
Model: PSP-140(W)
Price: 2800 yen (2940 yen with tax)
Color: white
Specs: inner-ear headphones, functions for play, pause, FF, FR, volume, hold

PSP Soft Case & Hand Strap
Model: PSP-170(B)
Price: 2000 yen (2100 yen with tax)
Color: soft case is black, hand strap is white
Case Size: 195 x 7.5 x 108 mm (width, height, depth)
Strap Size: 189 x 3.3 x 9 mm (width, height, depth)

In addition to the base unit, SCE will make the PSP available as part of a so-called "Value Pack." This package (PSP-1000K) will cost 24,800 yen (26,040 yen with tax) and will include the system and all the accessories listed above.

Unfortunately, SCE hasn't provided details on the system's lineup of launch titles. It has stated that 21 PSP games will gradually arrive throughout the year both from first party and third party sources, but how many of these will arrive on 12/12 will have to wait for a future announcement.

Sony Computer Entertainment of America has not announced its side of the plans for PSP. The system will be released in North America in early 2005 (with a European release further into the year).

The current ratio for yen-dollar exchange is fairly close to 100-1 (a 'yenny' is a penny, so just move the decimal over two places and you're close), with Japanese prices typically slightly higher than American prices. The base price of 19,800 for the PSP is about $185 US, meaning the system could weigh in here somewhere between $179 and $199. The Value System costs 24,800 yen, which is about $232 in our money.

Knowing typical Japanese prices, one might guess that the US system could be priced here even further below the 200 dollar mark than our estimates. However, there is one caveat to taking the PSP's US conversion on the lower end: the Nintendo DS was recently announced for a US price of $149, with a Japanese price of exactly 15,000 yen, so unless competition drives down the US price, we do not expect yet for the US PSP launch to significantly undercut the Japanese price. However, with the base system being so inexpensive in Japan, the price here is essentially guaranteed to be under $200.

Included are pictures of the system and its final accessories. Also be sure and check out our other stories in today's headlines as SCE let the flood gates open on official PSP details.[/quote]

Well, any worries about the price of this thing have been shattered. I'm certain Sony is taking heavy losses on this thing, but I suppose it's required if they really want to cut into the market seeing as though Nintendo has a lock on it currently.

I still don't see anything directly about battery life, other than battery packs. Plus, it looks like saving requires memory sticks... Buying the base unit seems like only the first of a few things you'd need to get to really use it lol.

[Morpheus]

Battery life depends on what game you're playing. In true sony style, the PSP's battery life was false, as a graphically intensive game may last as little as 2 hours, 3 tops.

[Shredaa]

PSP, I think is going to be great but... to expensive :demon:. Also many people are talking about the "GREAT" graphics on the PSP and many say that its better then any game system alive! We will see :nervous:!!