PSP?

[magomago]

Originally posted by: Zelos689
Never really played an RTS, but can't you just have a main overall view of the field on the top screen with a zoomed in view on the bottom and buttons along the edges that you can touch to carry out actions, along with touching a unit and then where you want to go to move them. That seems like it would work to me.

If you haven't played an RTS before...then no offense but play one first and then lets discuss

Let's see, there's SM64DS which has 30 more stars plus 3 new characters and some more bosses and levels. Animal Crossing DS (Animal Forest was never released in the US, but it was still a N64 game) appears to be a completely new AC with better player customization and online, Mario Kart has been on virtually every Nintendo system ever, and that's pretty much it for the big name titles that had N64 versions. How people see those few games out of who knows how many others and claim it's a portable N64 I have no idea.

I feel muddled in what I want to say, mainly b/c i want to put this point into the next section of quote, but I don't want to see like i just ignored this one Games that are attracting people my friend!!! I've noticed on the places I post at (And even people in this thread!) that games is a problem. First of all, tacking on "a few bosses and bla bla bla"...what does that really matter? It is still M64 to 95% of the consumers out there unless you are a Nintendo fanatic in which you have to get it. But that doesn't mean that FOR THE MOST PART, these are the same games that the N64 had with various tweaks to them. I will drop the point of Nintendo being a N64 port machine if people drop the fact that PSP is a ps2 port machine...but they are BOTH port machine~ only the PSP is getting games at a much faster rate and is not going to be replaced by a new PSP anytime soon. That, and you are sitting here talking about how great animal crossing is[another N64 game...] (and it is pretty fun for the Gamecube for a while) yet who is buying it?!?! This is where it should start to transition )

Check out the list of announced DS titles at IGN, Gamespot, or some other site. Then tell me that although the DS already has more then 15 high profile titles, along with many other smaller games, that its "death of games" will kill it.

Okay so ~15 higher profile titles since it was released last christmas, right? PSP already has 20 titles, and not all of these 20 are crap. Most seem to be decent. I see that gap only widening, and that is Nintendo's problem. That and it needs to offer titles everyone will buy. Stuff like Mario kart everyone will pick up on, but then you have unique stuff like AC and not everyone will go for that, and this becomes problematic when a system does not have very many games.

Also, Nintendo has NOT commented on when the GBE is going to be released. IT'S ONLY A RUMOR THAT IT WILL BE RELEASED THIS YEAR. And the DS will NEVER become a Virtual Boy, even if it DOES fail it has already sold more then the Virtual Boy could ever hope to. The problem with the Virtual Boy was its poorly designed hardware that gave you neck and eye strain. The only way the DS should give you physical injuries is if you play GBA games to long in which case you can get strained fingers from the A and B buttons being so close to the edge.

I never said anything about being released this year~ i was thinking more in terms of next year. IF nintendo was that foolish to actually release a new handheld within the year of the launch of its other one, that would be absolute suicide. But the fact remains is that we will PROBABLY see a life of about 2 years for the DS since i expect the next nintendo console to come out next year. IS that acceptable for console? I'm not sure, but if i spent the money on it to find it it was going to be replaces so soon, especially considering how "new" it is I would be dissapointed.

You talk almost as if no more DS games will ever be released As I said before, the great games still have yet to come out, just give it time.

Give it time? My friend read what people are complaining about all over the internet. You sound almost like rumsfeld telling soliders that you go to war with the army you have Nintendo will get mor eDS titles out I know that for sure. However they will do it at a rate MUCH slower than Sony will be getting PSP titles out.

and HAD they not wet their pants at the PSP and announced another "Gameboy" in the works

The GBE has been known about for a while now, and as I said ALL RELEASE DATES ARE PURE RUMOR.

I'm saying within the next year I haven't gone online and search rumors

Just trying to give the DS its fair share as well

Yes yes thats nice and games. But that still doesn't discount a lot of what I said Either way this doesn't mean Sony has the lock. IT still has a lot to prove. People can xstill be wary of the "newcomer" even when its Sony. That and I don't see major sales for the PSP skyrocketing till it hits the 149 price. It should also address the issue of LCDs and get its kinks worked out. It can have problems, but customer service is really what will make or break it.
My friend's Dell crapped out, he tried calling in and spent FOREVEr trying to get ahold of people, and in the end nothing was resolved.
My other friend's IBM T40 crapped out with windows and they overnighted him a new Harddrive and recovery CDs. One of the recovery CDs were cracked and they overnighted new CDs. IT still didn't work, and they sent a new CDrom. It still didn't work and he SENT IN THE PC on a monday night. He had it back in his hands WORKING on a wednesday evening. That is the customer service I'm talking about.
Sony needs to do that to really penetrate the gameboy market where things "just work", and right now it seems they are not doing that.


And in the end as always...we will see...we will see

 

[Zelos689]

Yes, you do bring up many valid points (way more so then the hell spawn fanboys on GameFAQs, hence why I never post there anymore).

I feel muddled in what I want to say, mainly b/c i want to put this point into the next section of quote, but I don't want to see like i just ignored this one Games that are attracting people my friend!!! I've noticed on the places I post at (And even people in this thread!) that games is a problem. First of all, tacking on "a few bosses and bla bla bla"...what does that really matter? It is still M64 to 95% of the consumers out there unless you are a Nintendo fanatic in which you have to get it. But that doesn't mean that FOR THE MOST PART, these are the same games that the N64 had with various tweaks to them. I will drop the point of Nintendo being a N64 port machine if people drop the fact that PSP is a ps2 port machine...but they are BOTH port machine~ only the PSP is getting games at a much faster rate and is not going to be replaced by a new PSP anytime soon. That, and you are sitting here talking about how great animal crossing is[another N64 game...] (and it is pretty fun for the Gamecube for a while) yet who is buying it?!?! This is where it should start to transition )

And I do agree that the PSP is NOT port filled. Just like the DS, I can only see a few ports in its lineup. However that is how fanboys go, see a few ports and scream about how it's a port machine. And, yes, the PSP is getting games at a faster rate then the DS. But what will it do when it eventually runs out of steam? It can't keep barreling ahead with new high profile games coming out every other week. Games need time to develop, so once that break in the PSP's lineup comes then the DS will hopefully have its chance to catch up. Only time will see about that, however.

And the main selling point for ACDS is that's it's been confirmed to be the first online DS game. I'm sure many people, regardless of previous experience or lack thereof with Animal Crossing/Forest, will eat the game up on that alone.

Okay so ~15 higher profile titles since it was released last christmas, right? PSP already has 20 titles, and not all of these 20 are crap. Most seem to be decent. I see that gap only widening, and that is Nintendo's problem. That and it needs to offer titles everyone will buy. Stuff like Mario kart everyone will pick up on, but then you have unique stuff like AC and not everyone will go for that, and this becomes problematic when a system does not have very many games.

You are correct in that with some (probably around half) of the DS' upcoming high profile titles the mass public probably will ignore them as they appeal to a certain niche only. Such is like Animal Crossing, it does have many fans on Gamecube, but the mass public probably won't accept it on the DS.

I never said anything about being released this year~ i was thinking more in terms of next year. IF nintendo was that foolish to actually release a new handheld within the year of the launch of its other one, that would be absolute suicide. But the fact remains is that we will PROBABLY see a life of about 2 years for the DS since i expect the next nintendo console to come out next year. IS that acceptable for console? I'm not sure, but if i spent the money on it to find it it was going to be replaces so soon, especially considering how "new" it is I would be dissapointed.

The thing with the GBE is, even if it does replace the DS within two years, it will most likely return to the old Gameboy style of gameplay crossed with inspiration from the PSP. The DS will still have its own unique feature and game set. So, just as with everything in this ever going gaming war, only time will tell if developers will continue to support the different playing style of the DS after the "normal" GBE has been released.

Give it time? My friend read what people are complaining about all over the internet. You sound almost like rumsfeld telling soliders that you go to war with the army you have Nintendo will get mor eDS titles out I know that for sure. However they will do it at a rate MUCH slower than Sony will be getting PSP titles out.

Ah yes, I know. That's the sad thing with most gamers, they're just to darn impatient. When they want a game, they want a game NOW! I suppose you've got me there. Even though I can stand waiting for more DS games to come out, most people probably won't be able to.

Yes yes thats nice and games. But that still doesn't discount a lot of what I said Either way this doesn't mean Sony has the lock. IT still has a lot to prove. People can xstill be wary of the "newcomer" even when its Sony. That and I don't see major sales for the PSP skyrocketing till it hits the 149 price. It should also address the issue of LCDs and get its kinks worked out. It can have problems, but customer service is really what will make or break it.
My friend's Dell crapped out, he tried calling in and spent FOREVEr trying to get ahold of people, and in the end nothing was resolved.
My other friend's IBM T40 crapped out with windows and they overnighted him a new Harddrive and recovery CDs. One of the recovery CDs were cracked and they overnighted new CDs. IT still didn't work, and they sent a new CDrom. It still didn't work and he SENT IN THE PC on a monday night. He had it back in his hands WORKING on a wednesday evening. That is the customer service I'm talking about.
Sony needs to do that to really penetrate the Gameboy market where things "just work", and right now it seems they are not doing that.

Yes, I agree with you on both points there. As long as the PSP remains at $250 I'm sure far less then half of the total gamers in the US will buy it. Lower it to $200 and Sony would be doing pretty good, but at that price it better still be the bundle pack version for it to sell. The magic number is at $150 like the DS, regardless of whether it's the bundle or just a plain PSP system (however, Sony better ALWAYS include a memory stick in with the PSP, regardless of what else they drop from the retail package. Otherwise it might as well cost $180 or so and include one). Consumers will see the $150 DS branded by Nintendo, and the $250 PSP branded by Sony. The only people I can see buying a PSP in a comparison like that are the Sony fanboys and general hardcore Sony fans.

And yes, Sony BETTER step up on its customer service if they want to get good sales. If I were to get a PSP and it has a defect, and Sony wouldn't replace it, there would be no way I'd ever buy a Sony product again, especially considering Nintendo will replace the DS for just about any defect imaginable, even a single dead pixel. The average consumer might hear of how someone got a defective PSP and couldn't get it replaced, essentially wasting $250, and would instead get a DS as it is near defect free.

And in the end as always...we will see...we will see

So true, so true.

 

[50]

Originally posted by: agentsmith101
Ok, so i figured this out...$250 for psp and 54.99 for the 1gig memory card...which is $330 after tax...too expensive for me right now so I am going with $200 for ds with two games after tax and a 512mb mp3 player for (hopefully) 60 shipped. Definitely would have gotten PSP though if it was $50 less.

If you can find a 1 gig memory card for 55 please tell me I will buy a psp in one second!

 

[MrControversial]

Originally posted by: MrMiyagi

Originally posted by: MrControversial

Originally posted by: Naustica

Originally posted by: MrControversial
Anyone who blows $250 on a handheld just because it has "Sony" on it, they are a new kind of idiot. There were handhelds far superior to the GameBoy hardwarewise, but Nintendo still kicked their ass because they were too damn expensive. If you want to pay $250 to play ugly PS2 rehashes and movies on UMD then I have some oceanfront property in Montana that I would like to sell you. What's up with Sony and proprietary media? But I digress; to sum it all up, the PSP = FLOPPAGE!

The PSP is aimed at an audience that doesn't even play handheld games...you know, people that actually have $250 and play games on the train or on the bus...

This isn't Japan.

PSP isn't just game machine. It's portable multi-media machine. It has the potential to do for Sony what iPod did for Apple. Think of it as Sony's new Walkman for this generation.

No, I'm content with seeing it as a flop. No one wants a swiss army knife. The only people that are drooling over this thing are generally folks that can't afford one (the tweens). Older gamers generally don't mess with handheld games. You guys are the classic early adopters. More power to you guys, but your opinions are the exception rather than the rule. The PSP will flop. Bank on it.

You didn't take any marketing classes in college did you? People in the "tween" market segment are the most highly sought after consumers who have a huge disposable income these days. Do some research, read a textbook, you'll see it's current marketing knowledge.

The PSP is going to be a gigantic success and is the one product that will keep Sony's head above the water over the next few quarters until PS3 comes out.

So, if "no one wants a swiss army knife" then why are other mfg's of portable media devices attempting to add more features (ie iPod photo) to stay competitive?

BTW: My buddy and I each bought two with the intent on reselling on ebay for some profit (prolly not gonna happen). He broke down and opened one up....we both had a fit because it is honestly one of the coolest pieces of hardware I've seen in a long time. Ima break down here any time now...I gotta play with this thing!

I don't have to take any marketing classes to look at the past and see why superior handhelds lost to the GameBoy. The GameGear, the Turbo Xpress, the Sega Nomad, etc. All were superior handhelds technologically. The Turbo Xpress and the Nomad could play games from their sister consoles. They had back-lit large color screens, 16-bit graphics and awesome stereo sound. Yet they were over-priced and end up flopping. I'm sure that made the Sega and NEC marketing department want to rip the pages out of their marketing books and burn their degrees. It defied logic. Yet it happened. GameBoy whipped all of their asses. The same thing will happen with the PSP. Bank on it. The Playstation name means jack sh*t.

 

[fstime]

$250? I guess kids are going crazy for these but I dont see any meaning on spending so much money on a handheld console when the regular ps2 is $149.

 

[MrControversial]

Originally posted by: BouZouki
$250? I guess kids are going crazy for these but I dont see any meaning on spending so much money on a handheld console when the regular ps2 is $149.

I agree.

 

[mooncancook]

Originally posted by: BouZouki
$250? I guess kids are going crazy for these but I dont see any meaning on spending so much money on a handheld console when the regular ps2 is $149.

I don't think it is aimed at kids. With all those multimedia functions it is definately aiming at older audience like working class adults in 20s and 30s. Many of my friends in their 20s who are working are getting their hands on the PSP. Seriously if i'm a parent I would buy DS instead of PSP for my kids. But for myself PSP is my choice.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: mooncancook

Originally posted by: BouZouki
$250? I guess kids are going crazy for these but I dont see any meaning on spending so much money on a handheld console when the regular ps2 is $149.

I don't think it is aimed at kids. With all those multimedia functions it is definately aiming at older audience like working class adults in 20s and 30s. Many of my friends in their 20s who are working are getting their hands on the PSP. Seriously if i'm a parent I would buy DS instead of PSP for my kids. But for myself PSP is my choice.

Very true. My 10 yr old son is dying to play it so I let him. And now I have a big finger smudge on Wipeout Pure which caused the system to keep trying to load. Had to remove battery and clean the fraking disc. Definately not for the kiddies.

 

[MichaelHudson]

Bestbuy.com is sold out so are some of the stores. So it is selling even at the 250 price.

 

[Oyeve]

Just picked up NFS Rivals. Sweet! Gonna get the NFSU game for the DS also (if it ever comes out) just for a comparision. I know the DS is was never intended to go toe to toe with the PSP but I just wanna see how a simular game is on both systems. Luvin' the PSP so far, and my coupla brite pixels seemed to stablize, I can't notice or find them any more.

 

[Uclagamer_99]

wow finally one person who hasn't bitched about dead pixels

 

[MrControversial]

Originally posted by: MichaelHudson
Bestbuy.com is sold out so are some of the stores. So it is selling even at the 250 price.

If a store had 10 units and sold out, what does that mean? Wait to you get hard numbers before you start hyping sales.

 

[akugami]

Originally posted by: magomago

Originally posted by: akugami
I like my DS. I just wish there was more games for it. I do have a decent collection of games for it. One thing that is looking nice is that the control system using the touchscreen for FPS games similar to Metroid Prime seems to rock once you get used to it. Another genre that has never worked well on consoles are RTS games where you need to zip all over a map seems well suited to the DS's touchscreen. Age of Empires 2 is coming out for the DS and it's interesting to say the least. I definitely can't imagine a PSP version of a FPS or RTS performing better control wise than on a DS.

Okay...I'll bite. I have no intention of buying the PSP now or pretty much ever atleast till it drops to the 100 dollar mark which won't happen for a few years.

But duuude....A RTS on a hand held? Please!!!!! Think about that! I LOVE AOE2 and its my favorite game of all time...but AOE2 on a hand held? A RTS needs a moujes and keyboard, not a dpad and 5 buttons. It will be intersting to see how tht touchpad will be used, but I don't expect anything great out of it.

I like some of the features of the PSP but at this time, there doesn't seem to be anything compelling enough for me to get one. You can only watch so many movies so while it's a nice feature it's not a deal maker. The games on it all seem to be near carbon ports of the PS1+2 games which is good but also bad. Some of those games were pretty good although a lot were mediocre which is the good part. The bad part is lack of orginality and that little extra oomph in new games that get you excited about a platform. I hate supporting more of Sony's crappy proprietary formats. Stupid Memory Sticks.

And Nintendo is doing any better? Look at the DS lineup...virtually a copy of their N64 games...and a lack of ability to choose on what to play to top of off! Atleast Sony has 20 pretty decent games out the door for launch. Nintendo DS has been out for god knows how long and it still has a problem with game avalibility! Just like Virtua Fighter couldn't carry the Saturn for the 6+ months launch Sega had on the PSX, DS can't be carried by MArio64 the entire time! It needs more software!

I've read some of the web reviews and some of them are pretty funny. Now, the PSP is obviously an evolutionary system and is not a bad system. It's a step up the ladder in terms of anything that has come before it. I think it could use a little longer battery life and a little originality in terms of games produced for it but that's roughly it. However, there are people writing about it like it's a revolutionary product. There was one reviewer from the Trusted Review web site that said the PSP was "the PSP is the most important thing to happen in the video game industry since the launch of the original PlayStation." I had to re-read that statement. Seems like some people are believing Sony's hype rather than putting out a non-partial review.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20050324025526.html
Not PSP related but you gotta love this article about Sony. This is the same company that puts out Memory Sticks instead of the more popular CF and SD formats. Uses Atrac instead of MP3's on their supposed MP3 players until users bitched and whined about it's lack of MP3 support. Not to mention weaker sales due to said lack of MP3 support. The whole DVD+ vs DVD- fiasco. Then the Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD thing. Now we're supposed to believe Sony doesn't like format wars because it is bad for the market and bad for consumers? Please.

Not to knock again, but the PSP will defintely have some effects, but what they will be anyone can speculate. It can make a huge impact on the way portable gaming is, or it could be only jnust one spalsh. No one thought the PSX was going to be what it turned to be, so i would think it wise to also not underestimate what the PSP can do in a FEW YEARS from now.

The PSP is not directly made to compete with Gameboy in that it provides just simple gaming on a sub 100 console, but nevertheless it will siphon off of Nintendo's profit by capturing more affluent customers who want a different level of sophistacation. handheld gaming has always been nintendo's domain, and with the release of the PSP although it doesn't attack their core audience (Children whom parents buy games for them) directly since the price is very high, it will filter through slowly and I wouldn't hesitate to say that three years from now, we may be seeing a VERY different gaming market (And possibly announcements of Microsoft ready to enter the field).

One thing is certain though: DS is a dead fish. It's dearth of games, as well as the release of a New Nintendo portable console ensures the system WILL become a virtual boy. Sorry DS owners, but unless you want to own a peice of Nintendo history the DS will rapidly become useless mainly due to Nintendo's own fault. Despite the fact the PSP is literally leaps above the DS hardware wise(but this personally doesn't make much of a difference to me. I find more enjoyment playing Chrono Trigger with emulation on my PC than my friend's copy of KOTOR2), HAD nintendo gone through with STRONG software support and relased many more games, and HAD they not wet their pants at the PSP and announced another "Gameboy" in the works...then the DS could very well easily holds its ground, much like the PS2 currently is doing (though the difference graphically between the PS2/XBOX is less pronoucned than DS/PSP) despite the fact that the XBOX was released later, and graphics are better.
But due to their repeated blunders, I only see the DS wallowing in its own shallow pool of mediocrity

One of the major reasons RTS's do not work on consoles is due to the lack of precise control. A cross control is never going to work as well for zipping around and targetting each individual character on your screen. The touchscreen and stylus gets around this and allows for nearly as precise targetting as using a mouse would.

A keyboard is not needed except for hotkeys and typing out messages to your opponents or allies. If you're in the same room you can taunt your opponent from accross the room. If you're allies just be in one side of the room and whisper to the other guy. As for communications if you're not in the same room (playing over the internet for instance), you can have canned responses as well as a few custom responses that you can pre-program. Phantasy Star online used a similar system.

I'll agree the initial batch of DS games had a lot of ports but it did have a few interesting and fun games. Feel the Magic was definitely interesting if too short. As for games, take your pick of GBA games. It plays them all. I'd hardly call that a shortage of games. Now, GBA game graphics do not equal N64 games much less PS2 but it has a lot of fun games and they are all compatible with the DS.

One of the reasons I feel games are slow to come out on the DS is because of the cookie cutterness of the games industry. There are very few innovators out there anymore and most of them are "me too" developers. It's probably why there are more games at launch for the PSP than there were DS specific games at the DS's launch.

The PSX had an advantages over the N64 in that 1) it had cheaper to produce media that had a faster turnaround production if sales were high and CD's held more than the cartridges used by the N64 2) Sony had cheaper licensing fees for people to produce games on the PSX 3) Nintendo was late with their console. The one major reason however was the cost of the media and the cost of the licensing fees that helped Sony win a lot of developer support.

In this latest round, the PSP games are more expensive than the DS games. I'm gonna assume that licensing fees and cost of media to the developer are roughly a wash in this round of competition but that still wouldn't explain the higher cost of PSP media since cartridges are still more costly to produce than discs. Strange no?

I think the PSP will be a big player and certainly won't die an early death but I think it'll be a #2 not a #1. Nintendo was smart in releasing their system first because except for hardcore gamers, every DS sold means a PSP that is not sold. The DS already has a large library by borrowing the library of it's sibling the Gameboy Advance.

While I've heard that most stores are getting roughly 100 some are getting as much as 300 and as little as 30 systems. It took quite a few days to sell out for a brand new system. Maybe Sony just had a lot to ship out. Anyways, I expected Sony to sell out of the initial shipment quite easily. It's now that the hardcore gamers already have a system that the make or break period sets in. Can you appeal to the masses with a $250 system (not counting games).

And AAA quality games is one of the most used overhyped terms in the video game industry. Nintendo coined it. Every other company uses it including all the major media outlets. Everyone used to call them "A" games until Nintendo called their games "AAA" games to try to differentiate themsevles. Everyone else called their games "AAA" games and we're right back to square one.

 

[MichaelHudson]

Originally posted by: MrControversial

Originally posted by: MichaelHudson
Bestbuy.com is sold out so are some of the stores. So it is selling even at the 250 price.

If a store had 10 units and sold out, what does that mean? Wait to you get hard numbers before you start hyping sales.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Sony's PSP might be a hit with critics, but consumers seem slightly less enthusiastic about the portable gaming machine.

Only 50 of 150 retailers surveyed by American Technology Research reported sell-outs of the PlayStation Portable in its first week. Analyst P. J. McNealy described the launch as "solid but not spectacular".

Of the 100 stores AmTech surveyed that were not sold out of PSPs, 15 reported having three units or less. Others reported higher levels, with some having as many as 100 in hand.

"We believe that the PSP has come close to shipping its target 1 million units in North America, with a range of 475,000 to 575,000 sold to date in the U.S. with roughly another 250,000 to 300,000 in the channel," wrote McNealy, who said he still believes Sony will sell 4.5 million to 5.5 million PSPs in North America this calendar year.

Sony (Research) has not released any official sales numbers for the PSP.

The Nintendo DS, which many say the PSP competes with, sold 500,000 units in its first seven days on the market in North America. The DS, however, went on sale during the 2004 holiday season which is typically a much busier sales period.

Specialty retailers, such as GameStop (Research) and Electronics Boutique (Research), are generally sold out of the PSP, according to McNealy.

Many big box stores, such as Wal-Mart (Research) and Target (Research), received more PSPs than they had been expecting and still have inventory in many locations. Other retailers, such as Toys R Us (Research) and Circuit City (Research), he wrote, still have inventory.

"We are hesitant to draw any macro-level conclusions about the success or failure of the PSP and impact on the video game publishers simply because we are only seven days into the PSP launch in North America," said McNealy.

"To put this in perspective, while the PSP has been launched amidst much hype, the expected financial impact on the video game publishers for the March quarter has been minimal and, in our opinion, is more of a case of headline risk than actual material impact right now," he wrote.

Sony's (Research) U.S. shares edged higher in morning New York Stock Exchange trading.