Official Sony Press Release: PSP US Launch Info

As a person who doesn't really hold any allegiance to one company or another, I must say at this moment I'd probably buy a DS if I bought a handheld. This unprecendented value pack is actually an unprecedented value for Sony, because most people would just go buy pelican headphones for 5 bucks or less instead. All of those accessories in that value pack are definately well overpriced when compared to generic 3rd party items. I could get a Pocket PC as was mentioned early that can play games (emulated ones of course too), watch divx movies which I can rip from my current dvd collection, play mp3s etc. . Plus the pocket PC can actually be taken to work where it doubles as an actual work device and I won't get in trouble for having it. All in all the DS seems to be a better value, and has more potential for innovative games since it's not just the normal 1 screen with buttons setup.
 
ahahahahahahah! Those Sony guys... a barrel of laughs that bunch. Including Spiderman 2. GENIUS! Let us show our battery life's incredibly near-sighted suckyness by including a movie in which the battery will die before you see the end credits!

Game Gear had better graphics
Lynx had better graphics.
Turbo Express had WAY better graphics.
Neo Geo Pocket had better graphics.
Nomad had more games and better graphics.

Nintendo slayed them all. Sony just closed the coffin on it's own machine. Nintendo could drop the price of the DS by $30 and put the nail in it for good.

RIP the PSP, dead on arrival.
 
[quote name='Chris in Cali']These are the US launch titles...

Ape Escape: On the Loose (SCEA)
ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails (SCEA)
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (Capcom)
Dynasty Warriors (Koei)
FIFA 2005 (Electronic Arts)
Gretzky NHL (SCEA)
Lumines (Ubisoft)
Metal Gear Acid (Konami)
MLB (SCEA)
MVP Baseball (Electronic Arts)
NBA (SCEA)
NBA Street Showdown (Electronic Arts)
Need for Speed Underground Rivals (Electronic Arts)
NFL Street 2 Unleashed (Electronic Arts)
Rengoku: Tower of Purgatory (Konami)
Ridge Racers (Namco)
Smartbomb (Eidos Interactive)
Spider-Man 2 (Activision)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour (Electronic Arts)
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix (Activision)
Twisted Metal: Head On (SCEA)
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (Sony Online Entertainment)
Wipeout Pure (SCEA)
World Tour Soccer (SCEA)[/quote]

Where the crap is Hot Shots Golf?
 
On the cost side this doesn't change much. Getting a PSP without a Mem. Stick and protective case would be a waste of money on the base unit. You have to have the former to play it properly and the latter to have it stay intact long enough to get your money's worth.

What I resent is the requirement to get Sony's chosen form of these things. The case has been noted as a poor design in several reviews of the Japanese package and it seems probable the US version will be the same item. All of the usual suspect third party accessory companies already have better cases appearing on the retailer sites.

It appears Sony is giving themselves a goodly margin on the 32 MB Mem. Stick Duo. I just did a survey of two shopping aggregator sites and three major retailers (Fry's, Best Buy, Circuit City), and I found that 32 MB Memory Stick Duos have pretty much disappeared from retail. It's just too small and cheap to bother with for all the applications that have existed before the PSP.

Aside: some have wondered if a 32 MB stick will be adequate for the game save role. I cannot think of any reason why PSP game save should be any larger than typical PS2 game saves, so 32 MB should be plenty. It is the knowledge of what flash memory really costs in the open market and the allure of the PSP's secondary applications that make this small capacity an annoyance when forced to buy it.

Given the choice, who among us wouldn't spend a little more and get a much higher capacity Memory Stick? For instance, this 512 MB unit for $90: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/SanD.../sem/rpsm/oid/93090/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

And that price should be dropping by almost half within the year as MS Duo demand increases and the new 8 Gb chips come to market.

So, it isn't the price so much as the lack of choice. Under these circumstances I'm very unlikely to take the dive early on unless my finances experience an improvement between now and then.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']ahahahahahahah! Those Sony guys... a barrel of laughs that bunch. Including Spiderman 2. GENIUS! Let us show our battery life's incredibly near-sighted suckyness by including a movie in which the battery will die before you see the end credits!

Game Gear had better battery life.
Lynx had better graphics.
Turbo Express had WAY better graphics.
Neo Geo Pocket had better graphics.
Nomad had more games and better graphics.

Nintendo slayed them all. Sony just closed the coffin on it's own machine. Nintendo could drop the price of the DS by $30 and put the nail in it for good.

RIP the PSP, dead on arrival.[/quote]

Lol the GameGear never had a better/good battery life. That thing lasted 3 hours on 6 AA batteries.

But I agree with the rest of your post.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']ahahahahahahah! Those Sony guys... a barrel of laughs that bunch. Including Spiderman 2. GENIUS! Let us show our battery life's incredibly near-sighted suckyness by including a movie in which the battery will die before you see the end credits!

Game Gear had better battery life.
Lynx had better graphics.
Turbo Express had WAY better graphics.
Neo Geo Pocket had better graphics.
Nomad had more games and better graphics.

Nintendo slayed them all. Sony just closed the coffin on it's own machine. Nintendo could drop the price of the DS by $30 and put the nail in it for good.

RIP the PSP, dead on arrival.[/quote]

Game Gear had no games
Lynx had no games
Turbo Express had no games
Neo Geo Pocket had no games
Nomad was the size and shape of a brick rendering it virtually unportable

Nintendo will not slay the PSP. I expect both will have success. It's all about the games and the PSP's lineup is going to appeal to an older audience. Developers are piling on board for the PSP and that equals success.
 
[quote name='epobirs']On the cost side this doesn't change much. Getting a PSP without a Mem. Stick and protective case would be a waste of money on the base unit. You have to have the former to play it properly and the latter to have it stay intact long enough to get your money's worth.

What I resent is the requirement to get Sony's chosen form of these things. The case has been noted as a poor design in several reviews of the Japanese package and it seems probable the US version will be the same item. All of the usual suspect third party accessory companies already have better cases appearing on the retailer sites.

It appears Sony is giving themselves a goodly margin on the 32 MB Mem. Stick Duo. I just did a survey of two shopping aggregator sites and three major retailers (Fry's, Best Buy, Circuit City), and I found that 32 MB Memory Stick Duos have pretty much disappeared from retail. It's just too small and cheap to bother with for all the applications that have existed before the PSP.

Aside: some have wondered if a 32 MB stick will be adequate for the game save role. I cannot think of any reason why PSP game save should be any larger than typical PS2 game saves, so 32 MB should be plenty. It is the knowledge of what flash memory really costs in the open market and the allure of the PSP's secondary applications that make this small capacity an annoyance when forced to buy it.

Given the choice, who among us wouldn't spend a little more and get a much higher capacity Memory Stick? For instance, this 512 MB unit for $90: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/SanD.../sem/rpsm/oid/93090/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

And that price should be dropping by almost half within the year as MS Duo demand increases and the new 8 Gb chips come to market.

So, it isn't the price so much as the lack of choice. Under these circumstances I'm very unlikely to take the dive early on unless my finances experience an improvement between now and then.[/quote]

I've got to agree with all of that.
I would like a PSP, but Sony still has to sell me on it at that price...
and reading about build quality issues that lead to ejecting disks or a square button impeaded by the screen isn't helping.
Issues with LCD screens are understandable... that's par for the course.
But actual issues with the construction of the system that lead to problems like that really sour me on dropping that kind of money on a PSP.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']Game Gear had no games
Lynx had no games
Turbo Express had no games
Neo Geo Pocket had no games
Nomad was the size and shape of a brick rendering it virtually unportable

Nintendo will not slay the PSP. I expect both will have success. It's all about the games and the PSP's lineup is going to appeal to an older audience. Developers are piling on board for the PSP and that equals success.[/quote]

Wow, you call yourself a gamer?

Game Gear had tons of nice games (Hell, just the Sonics alone)

Lynx also had a bunch of really nice games. I never owned one so I couldn't name examples, but the Lynx has a HUGE underground fanclub.

Turbo Express was a portable TG16, and are you going to tell me that the TG16 didn't have any good games? You'd just be calling yourself stupid.

The NGPC has some of the best handheld fighting games that we've ever seen. I would wager that the NGPC had more good games than bad, but they suffered the same fate as Sega. They didn't have the money to properly market the system, and it was a poorly timed release.

Yeah, the Nomad was a brick.

The key factor in all of those systems was battery life. Most of them took over 4 AA batteries and didn't last more than 5 hours. I've gotten over 30 hours of gameplay on an original green-screen Gameboy, and THAT is what wins the handheld war.

We're in different territory now, as these systems are some of the first that don't rely on batteries. This could change things, but we'll see.
 
well i just decided to pick up a ds, for 100 dollars less, backward compatibility with my gba, and a rush of much much better games coming out in march i think i'll be quite happy with it. 300 dollars for the PSP value pack and a game, probably 250 for the core system, with a game (if they annoucnce it) for 300 dollars ill have a sweet ds and 3-4 games
 
[quote name='evilmax17'][quote name='shipwreck']Game Gear had no games
Lynx had no games
Turbo Express had no games
Neo Geo Pocket had no games
Nomad was the size and shape of a brick rendering it virtually unportable

Nintendo will not slay the PSP. I expect both will have success. It's all about the games and the PSP's lineup is going to appeal to an older audience. Developers are piling on board for the PSP and that equals success.[/quote]

Wow, you call yourself a gamer?

Game Gear had tons of nice games (Hell, just the Sonics alone)

Lynx also had a bunch of really nice games. I never owned one so I couldn't name examples, but the Lynx has a HUGE underground fanclub.

Turbo Express was a portable TG16, and are you going to tell me that the TG16 didn't have any good games? You'd just be calling yourself stupid.

The NGPC has some of the best handheld fighting games that we've ever seen. I would wager that the NGPC had more good games than bad, but they suffered the same fate as Sega. They didn't have the money to properly market the system, and it was a poorly timed release.

Yeah, the Nomad was a brick.

The key factor in all of those systems was battery life. Most of them took over 4 AA batteries and didn't last more than 5 hours. I've gotten over 30 hours of gameplay on an original green-screen Gameboy, and THAT is what wins the handheld war.

We're in different territory now, as these systems are some of the first that don't rely on batteries. This could change things, but we'll see.[/quote]

Yes, I call myself a gamer and those systems had virtually no games for them. There are a handful of titles for each (besides the systems that just use their big brother's games). You cannot compete in this market with the lineup of games that those systems had. The PSP's first month of games already has many titles that will significantly outsell any titles on those other systems (again big brother games excluded).

Oh, and I own a Game Gear and a Nomad.
 
MY two cents on emulators:

Sony has been a long time rival of breaking copy protection and a big supporter of copyrights generally. They even invented a new CSS encryption for their DVDs so that no one could copy them (or at least not easily). I would be shocked if they don't have further protection schemes on the PSP that not allow third party softweare to be developed without royalty.

If you want emulation on a handheld (and REALLY good emulation on mostsystems inclusing NES, SMS, TG16 and Genesis) get a Gamepark 32 BLU. Those are awesome and are TRULY open source.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']ahahahahahahah! Those Sony guys... a barrel of laughs that bunch. Including Spiderman 2. GENIUS! Let us show our battery life's incredibly near-sighted suckyness by including a movie in which the battery will die before you see the end credits!

Game Gear had better graphics
Lynx had better graphics.
Turbo Express had WAY better graphics.
Neo Geo Pocket had better graphics.
Nomad had more games and better graphics.

Nintendo slayed them all. Sony just closed the coffin on it's own machine. Nintendo could drop the price of the DS by $30 and put the nail in it for good.

spider man 2 is less than 3 hrs and we had a post of someone playing the psp for 5 plus hrs so your attempt at humor is lost on us. :?

RIP the PSP, dead on arrival.[/quote]
 
Sony seems intent to prove that they are the exception to the rule. They aren't. A handheld priced over $150 has never done well. NEVER. Including a movie instead of a game is really the last straw. $300 + Tax for a system that...

-Has bad controls

-launches discs (and I don't mean loads up... I mean shoots discs like Ninja Stars for shaq-fu's sake)

-has extremely limited battery life (my friend with the imported PSP says he gets 2 1/2 hour tops on Ridge Racer. Others get 4 hours. 3 Hours. Sounds like not all PSP batteries are created equal).

-Can't play a 2 hour movie without the battery failing (and you get less battery life playing movies then playing games.)

-Has a fragile screen

-Has a limited amount of memory on a memory stick

-is $190 more expensive (with a game) then an SP with a game.

-is about $110 more expensive then a DS with a game

Sorry, I don't think the whole "Nintendo is for kids, Sony is for adults" thing is going to make a difference. The PSP isn't the god-sent piece of hardware that people thought it was. It can't play movies more then 2 horus long, has horrible controls, and now is overpriced. And I haven't even brought up the horrible glitches that effect 1 in 4 units... glitches that Sony's policy on is "See no evil, hear no evil, yes we're evil".
 
BTW, I really though that all the below systems had their share of good games. But no need to argue about it, the PSPS looks like it has a nice launch line up. We'll see when they really launch though. And besides, talking about big brother games, the PSP looks like it will have plenty of PS2/PS1 conversions too.


[quote name='shipwreck'][quote name='evilmax17'][quote name='shipwreck']Game Gear had no games
Lynx had no games
Turbo Express had no games
Neo Geo Pocket had no games
Nomad was the size and shape of a brick rendering it virtually unportable

Nintendo will not slay the PSP. I expect both will have success. It's all about the games and the PSP's lineup is going to appeal to an older audience. Developers are piling on board for the PSP and that equals success.[/quote]

Wow, you call yourself a gamer?

Game Gear had tons of nice games (Hell, just the Sonics alone)

Lynx also had a bunch of really nice games. I never owned one so I couldn't name examples, but the Lynx has a HUGE underground fanclub.

Turbo Express was a portable TG16, and are you going to tell me that the TG16 didn't have any good games? You'd just be calling yourself stupid.

The NGPC has some of the best handheld fighting games that we've ever seen. I would wager that the NGPC had more good games than bad, but they suffered the same fate as Sega. They didn't have the money to properly market the system, and it was a poorly timed release.

Yeah, the Nomad was a brick.

The key factor in all of those systems was battery life. Most of them took over 4 AA batteries and didn't last more than 5 hours. I've gotten over 30 hours of gameplay on an original green-screen Gameboy, and THAT is what wins the handheld war.

We're in different territory now, as these systems are some of the first that don't rely on batteries. This could change things, but we'll see.[/quote]

Yes, I call myself a gamer and those systems had virtually no games for them. There are a handful of titles for each (besides the systems that just use their big brother's games). You cannot compete in this with the lineup of games that those systems had. The PSP's first month of games already has many titles that will significantly outsell any titles on those other systems (again big brother games excluded).

Oh, and I own a Game Gear and a Nomad.[/quote]
 
Are people still comparing the DS to the PSP?

Cough. It's like comparing a PDA to a Gamegear and laughing at the PDA because it doesn't have Sonic.

Wait for GBA 2 and see how happy Sony is then.

As for the PSP, why play watered down versions of games I have sitting in my console right now? That's just my call.

The battery thing is going to be massive, I assure you. I work tech support for computers and roughly 10-20% of my calls are people bitching about batteries. Releasing a product thats KNOWN to have issues with one? Ouch. Good luck to Sony, but don't expect this to be easy because OMGSZ GTA!!
 
[quote name='"Survivor Charlie"']ahahahahahahah! Those Sony guys... a barrel of laughs that bunch. Including Spiderman 2. GENIUS! Let us show our battery life's incredibly near-sighted suckyness by including a movie in which the battery will die before you see the end credits!

Game Gear had better graphics
Lynx had better graphics.
Turbo Express had WAY better graphics.
Neo Geo Pocket had better graphics.
Nomad had more games and better graphics.

Nintendo slayed them all. Sony just closed the coffin on it's own machine. Nintendo could drop the price of the DS by $30 and put the nail in it for good.

spider man 2 is less than 3 hrs and we had a post of someone playing the psp for 5 plus hrs so your attempt at humor is lost on us. :?
 
[quote name='Bivensra']spider man 2 is less than 3 hrs and we had a post of someone playing the psp for 5 plus hrs so your attempt at humor is lost on us. :?[/quote]

Battery life on the PSP varies depending on what you're doing. He never said if he was playing RR or Lumines. Also, JUST having enough juice to watch a movie and thats ALL that you can do isn't something to be excited about.
 
Battery life for a movie on the PSP is estimated to average 2 hours 10 minutes. Since it's been established that not all batteries seem to have the same abilities, I would say that you will either (1) watch a movie that's too long and get cut off or (2) watch a movie to the end, then have to charge your PSP for several hours before being able to do anything else with it. That's not very convient, especially for a handheld.
 
I would think that most people that are going to be sitting still for 2 hours watching a movie would have access to either a wall outlet or a car charger. Maybe people making international flights will have battery issues, but I really don't see this affecting me all that often.

Heck, Pocket PC batteries suck too if you are constantly doing something on them.

I see the PSP as bridging a gap between the handheld world and the console world. It is actually bringing games that a console exclusive person would be interested in playing. Games that are comparable to the games people play on their big screens. No longer are we forced to play SNES style games if we want to play something on the go. I know that's the reason the PSP will be the first handheld that I have ever bought at launch.
 
[quote name='shipwreck'][quote name='evilmax17'][quote name='shipwreck']Game Gear had no games
Lynx had no games
Turbo Express had no games
Neo Geo Pocket had no games
Nomad was the size and shape of a brick rendering it virtually unportable

Nintendo will not slay the PSP. I expect both will have success. It's all about the games and the PSP's lineup is going to appeal to an older audience. Developers are piling on board for the PSP and that equals success.[/quote]

Wow, you call yourself a gamer?

Game Gear had tons of nice games (Hell, just the Sonics alone)

Lynx also had a bunch of really nice games. I never owned one so I couldn't name examples, but the Lynx has a HUGE underground fanclub.

Turbo Express was a portable TG16, and are you going to tell me that the TG16 didn't have any good games? You'd just be calling yourself stupid.

The NGPC has some of the best handheld fighting games that we've ever seen. I would wager that the NGPC had more good games than bad, but they suffered the same fate as Sega. They didn't have the money to properly market the system, and it was a poorly timed release.

Yeah, the Nomad was a brick.

The key factor in all of those systems was battery life. Most of them took over 4 AA batteries and didn't last more than 5 hours. I've gotten over 30 hours of gameplay on an original green-screen Gameboy, and THAT is what wins the handheld war.

We're in different territory now, as these systems are some of the first that don't rely on batteries. This could change things, but we'll see.[/quote]

Yes, I call myself a gamer and those systems had virtually no games for them. There are a handful of titles for each (besides the systems that just use their big brother's games). You cannot compete in this market with the lineup of games that those systems had. The PSP's first month of games already has many titles that will significantly outsell any titles on those other systems (again big brother games excluded).

Oh, and I own a Game Gear and a Nomad.[/quote]

I don't think you're puting things in proper historical perspective. The GameBoy didn't receive a massive library overnight. It launched with just a handful of titles. (Mario Land, Alley Way, etc.) Early on, before a certain lawsuit, most third party publishers in the US were confined to Nintnedo platforms. Nintendo gave up this practice in an out of court settlement with Sega when faced with a potentially major punitory fine if the case went to its conclusion in court. This was NEC's #1 obstacle in marketing the US version of their PC Engine and the TurboExpress was likewise inhibited. Import gamers knew they could many titles that were exclusive to the NES in the US but in much superior form on the PC Engine.

By then the damage was done. Support for the for the competing handhelds was handicapped long to never allow much recovery once the playing field was leveled. Even so, I own several dozen Game carts and accessed numerous Master System games through an adapter. The Lynx had a smaller library but quite a lot of it was completely unique to that system and had no match elsewhere.

Speaking of non-existent Game Gear titles, Devilish, a Breakout-Pinball hybrid, has just been announced as coming for the DS. Apparently there were third party products for the Game Gear worth resurrecting.

The circumstances of the early handheld competition were very different from that of today. The past is no predictor of the coming competition's results.
 
I think it was honestly silly of Sony to include the ability to watch movies when portable DVD players are both cheaper and include a larger libary of movies, and a better battery life to boot.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']Battery life for a movie on the PSP is estimated to average 2 hours 10 minutes. Since it's been established that not all batteries seem to have the same abilities, I would say that you will either (1) watch a movie that's too long and get cut off or (2) watch a movie to the end, then have to charge your PSP for several hours before being able to do anything else with it. That's not very convient, especially for a handheld.[/quote]

does anyone know how long it takes to recharge the battery?
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']I think it was honestly silly of Sony to include the ability to watch movies when portable DVD players are both cheaper and include a larger libary of movies, and a better battery life to boot.[/quote]

Think about it. The functionality was already there for use in games. Extending it to pure playback was just a bit of additional software in the system ROM. Very cheap for the value on the feature list.
 
[quote name='epobirs'][quote name='shipwreck'][quote name='evilmax17'][quote name='shipwreck']Game Gear had no games
Lynx had no games
Turbo Express had no games
Neo Geo Pocket had no games
Nomad was the size and shape of a brick rendering it virtually unportable

Nintendo will not slay the PSP. I expect both will have success. It's all about the games and the PSP's lineup is going to appeal to an older audience. Developers are piling on board for the PSP and that equals success.[/quote]

Wow, you call yourself a gamer?

Game Gear had tons of nice games (Hell, just the Sonics alone)

Lynx also had a bunch of really nice games. I never owned one so I couldn't name examples, but the Lynx has a HUGE underground fanclub.

Turbo Express was a portable TG16, and are you going to tell me that the TG16 didn't have any good games? You'd just be calling yourself stupid.

The NGPC has some of the best handheld fighting games that we've ever seen. I would wager that the NGPC had more good games than bad, but they suffered the same fate as Sega. They didn't have the money to properly market the system, and it was a poorly timed release.

Yeah, the Nomad was a brick.

The key factor in all of those systems was battery life. Most of them took over 4 AA batteries and didn't last more than 5 hours. I've gotten over 30 hours of gameplay on an original green-screen Gameboy, and THAT is what wins the handheld war.

We're in different territory now, as these systems are some of the first that don't rely on batteries. This could change things, but we'll see.[/quote]

Yes, I call myself a gamer and those systems had virtually no games for them. There are a handful of titles for each (besides the systems that just use their big brother's games). You cannot compete in this market with the lineup of games that those systems had. The PSP's first month of games already has many titles that will significantly outsell any titles on those other systems (again big brother games excluded).

Oh, and I own a Game Gear and a Nomad.[/quote]

I don't think you're puting things in proper historical perspective. The GameBoy didn't receive a massive library overnight. It launched with just a handful of titles. (Mario Land, Alley Way, etc.) Early on, before a certain lawsuit, most third party publishers in the US were confined to Nintnedo platforms. Nintendo gave up this practice in an out of court settlement with Sega when faced with a potentially major punitory fine if the case went to its conclusion in court. This was NEC's #1 obstacle in marketing the US version of their PC Engine and the TurboExpress was likewise inhibited. Import gamers knew they could many titles that were exclusive to the NES in the US but in much superior form on the PC Engine.

By then the damage was done. Support for the for the competing handhelds was handicapped long to never allow much recovery once the playing field was leveled. Even so, I own several dozen Game carts and accessed numerous Master System games through an adapter. The Lynx had a smaller library but quite a lot of it was completely unique to that system and had no match elsewhere.

Speaking of non-existent Game Gear titles, Devilish, a Breakout-Pinball hybrid, has just been announced as coming for the DS. Apparently there were third party products for the Game Gear worth resurrecting.

The circumstances of the early handheld competition were very different from that of today. The past is no predictor of the coming competition's results.[/quote]

So, basically, they had no games. :lol:
 
Someone is bound to produce a carrying case with a solar panel on the top to trickle charge the unit when not in use. Might be tempting if the price is right, say under $35.
 
Wow, $250 is one ugle price point - especially considering that in about a year we should be expecting the sequels to all the consoles for roughly $300 each.
I'm really curious to see how this turns out.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']ahahahahahahah! Those Sony guys... a barrel of laughs that bunch. Including Spiderman 2. GENIUS! Let us show our battery life's incredibly near-sighted suckyness by including a movie in which the battery will die before you see the end credits!

Game Gear had better graphics
Lynx had better graphics.
Turbo Express had WAY better graphics.
Neo Geo Pocket had better graphics.
Nomad had more games and better graphics.

Nintendo slayed them all. Sony just closed the coffin on it's own machine. Nintendo could drop the price of the DS by $30 and put the nail in it for good.

RIP the PSP, dead on arrival.[/quote]

I do agree with this post however for people intrested in this system I think:

The best idea would be to WAIT IT OUT and see what happens.

I don't think Sony will be able to keep that $250 price around too long. Buying a Sony system at launch is just asking for problems at this point. Yeah it looks cool but will it be durable? Will there be multiple revisions over time just like the PS2? Most likely YES.

I think we would all agree that if we could get a PSP for free we wouldn't have a problem taking it. The games will be good but right now with the blatent hardware issues and price it just isn't worth it. I've learned from the PS2.
 
[quote name='basketkase543']Wow, $250 is one ugle price point - especially considering that in about a year we should be expecting the sequels to all the consoles for roughly $300 each.
I'm really curious to see how this turns out.[/quote]

To be fair, the price for the system itself (when they sell it) will most likely be $200 (unbelievably only $50 more than the DS!). That's right people, only $50 more. :roll:
 
Sony appears to be wisely avoiding the GameBoy's core audience and going for the late teen and above groups who have their own money to spend on toys. They still have to prove their value proposition but it isn't parents they need to convince.
Click to expand...

Good observation. I know there are many here who are reluctant to pay $250 for the launch package and that's certainly your prerogative. The bundled accessories in the Value Pack aren't worth $50 IMO, but if you want to be an early adopter, that privilege comes with a price. Those who thought that the PSP would launch in N. America for ~US$150 were being unrealistic. When you consider the technologies and features built into the PSP, and with additional functionality expected via firmware upgrades in the future, even at an MSRP of ~US$180-200, I consider it a heck of a deal.

Sony is confident that whether the base unit and/or Value Pack was offered for sale in N. America, a complete sell-through at launch would be a guarantee. There are folks who are willing to pay 2-3x more for an imported Japanese unit at this time; if I were a Sony shareholder, why not push the Value Pack onto the public to help minimize the initial loss incurred on a per-unit basis?

Nowhere does it state that you must purchase a system at launch, nor would it be affordable to the masses. As with any electronic item, the early adopter assumes the costs and risks associated with any new product; there are benefits and tradeoffs for doing so. The remainder (i.e. the rest of us) fall into one of three categories: early majority, late majority or laggards. The latter two tend to be the most vocal about the pricing strategies of new products, but that's to be expected. After all, why pay $300 for a console at launch or $50 for a new game when the prices will eventually fall for both? :roll:

I happen to like new gadgets and don't mind paying a premium to do so. I can empathize with some folks here, as I was once in your shoes (being broke through high school and the first two years in college). As a full-time employee, I fall into Sony's demographic of the perspective PSP owner. I enjoy a good deal as much as the next person, but I'm also in a position to pay full retail for something if I so desire. I'm sure base units will become available eventually, but for those who want to be among the first on the block with a PSP, I'll pay the extra for the Value Pack without reservation.
 
[quote name='shipwreck'][quote name='basketkase543']Wow, $250 is one ugle price point - especially considering that in about a year we should be expecting the sequels to all the consoles for roughly $300 each.
I'm really curious to see how this turns out.[/quote]

To be fair, the price for the system itself (when they sell it) will most likely be $200 (unbelievably only $50 more than the DS!). That's right people, only $50 more. :roll:[/quote]

Just don't use the square button for $50 more :roll:
 
[quote name='evilmax17']So much for only the system? We looking at 199?[/quote]

I'm not going to read the whole thread, so if this has been addressed, sorry. But the speculation is that Sony is not going to sell a basic unit during the initial launch. They want to offer this "Value" pack to make up some of the money loss on the hardware. (How is it a value pack if they make more money than off a basic system? Sounds like an oxymoron to me! :lol: )
 
[quote name='PrivatePixel']
Sony appears to be wisely avoiding the GameBoy's core audience and going for the late teen and above groups who have their own money to spend on toys. They still have to prove their value proposition but it isn't parents they need to convince.
Click to expand...

Good observation. I know there are many here who are reluctant to pay $250 for the launch package and that's certainly your prerogative. The bundled accessories in the Value Pack aren't worth $50 IMO, but if you want to be an early adopter, that privilege comes with a price. Those who thought that the PSP would launch in N. America for ~US$150 were being unrealistic. When you consider the technologies and features built into the PSP, and with additional functionality expected via firmware upgrades in the future, even at an MSRP of ~US$180-200, I consider it a heck of a deal.

Sony is confident that whether the base unit and/or Value Pack was offered for sale in N. America, a complete sell-through at launch would be a guarantee. There are folks who are willing to pay 2-3x more for an imported Japanese unit at this time; if I were a Sony shareholder, why not push the Value Pack onto the public to help minimize the initial loss incurred on a per-unit basis?

Nowhere does it state that you must purchase a system at launch, nor would it be affordable to the masses. As with any electronic item, the early adopter assumes the costs and risks associated with any new product; there are benefits and tradeoffs for doing so. The remainder (i.e. the rest of us) fall into one of three categories: early majority, late majority or laggards. The latter two tend to be the most vocal about the pricing strategies of new products, but that's to be expected. After all, why pay $300 for a console at launch or $50 for a new game when the prices will eventually fall for both? :roll:

I happen to like new gadgets and don't mind paying a premium to do so. I can empathize with some folks here, as I was once in your shoes (being broke through high school and the first two years in college). As a full-time employee, I fall into Sony's demographic of the perspective PSP owner. I enjoy a good deal as much as the next person, but I'm also in a position to pay full retail for something if I so desire. I'm sure base units will become available eventually, but for those who want to be among the first on the block with a PSP, I'll pay the extra for the Value Pack without reservation.[/quote]

i agree BUT... i can see myself buying the value pack and then have to spend more screen protectors, a clam shell case and a couple of games. the initial purchase will run to approx $400. i have that to spend b/ just b/c i have it does not mean it is practical. i will have to really think about this. :idea:
 
I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it
 
[quote name='ryanbph']I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it[/quote]

i put in 8 hrs a week at the gym. lets compare muscles :boxing:
 
[quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='ryanbph']I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it[/quote]

i put in 8 hrs a week at the gym. lets compare muscles :boxing:[/quote]

:?:
 
[quote name='RedvsBlue'][quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='ryanbph']I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it[/quote]

i put in 8 hrs a week at the gym. lets compare muscles :boxing:[/quote]

:?:[/quote]

point is 10 - 15 hrs is a lot of time to sit on your behind and play games. we live in an obese society and w/ health care costs rising as a result we will all pay the price. moderation people. like hulk hogan said, prayers, vitamins (just say no to steroids) and working out. :x
 
[quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='RedvsBlue'][quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='ryanbph']I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it[/quote]

i put in 8 hrs a week at the gym. lets compare muscles :boxing:[/quote]

:?:[/quote]

point is 10 - 15 hrs is a lot of time to sit on your behind and play games. we live in an obese society and w/ health care costs rising as a result we will all pay the price. moderation people. like hulk hogan said, prays, vitamins (just say no to steroids) and working out. :x[/quote]

Maybe he was playing DDR.
 
[quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='RedvsBlue'][quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='ryanbph']I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it[/quote]

i put in 8 hrs a week at the gym. lets compare muscles :boxing:[/quote]

:?:[/quote]

point is 10 - 15 hrs is a lot of time to sit on your behind and play games. we live in an obese society and w/ health care costs rising as a result we will all pay the price. moderation people. like hulk hogan said, prays, vitamins (just say no to steroids) and working out. :x[/quote]

Oh I think I got your original message and now that I'm sure I get to use a different smiley :roll:
 
[quote name='RedvsBlue'][quote name='Bivensra'][quote name='ryanbph']I will be getting it at launch, I got the ps2 at launch and still use it, and put in a good 10 to 15 hours a week on it[/quote]

i put in 8 hrs a week at the gym. lets compare muscles :boxing:[/quote]

:?:[/quote]

I concur? WTSF?
 
Good news, at least it's not March 1, and we finally find this out. I'm not all that interested in all of the stuff that comes with the value pack, so I may be inclined to wait until the basic packs come out. Plenty of good games coming out at launch, which they're definitely not just ports of the PS2 version. They add quicksaves, new features, and minigames to make the games friendly for people on the go that can't play them for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. When the stand-alone unit comes out, I'll be right in line for it.
 
Targeting the teen audience and above for a handheld has failed many times over. The Turbo Duo had a similar price and for it's time it was as ahead of it's time as it could possibly be. It played every Turbo Graphx game released and could tune in television, and it failed. The NGage obviously targeted a more mature audience, and it was a huge failure. The Nomad targeted the Genesis audience, which was on average 4 years older then the audience for the SNES and Gameboy, and it failed.

Not that I think the PSP will fail like the NGage or Nomad, because I think it will have a good run. The best non-Nintendo handheld showing since the Game Gear in fact.

But I'm sick of hearing how the PSP is 'not competing' with Nintendo. The primary reason to own a PSP is to play video games. If that's not an attempt to take over the handheld market then I don't know what is. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves.

As a video game machine, the PSP is heavily flawed by a battery that lasts only a third of that of the DS, and much much less then the SP. Forget about the DS. It's a stop gap for the next Gameboy. It's PSP vs. Gameboy Advance.

The Gameboy Advance has the largest user base of any platform in history. It plays, at this time, about 1000x the amount of games that the PSP does. The SP has a longer battery life and better GAMES. It's all about the games. PSP has some good launch games, but at a price that is three times greater then the SP is, which includes NO games, and requires additional money to be able to save more then a couple games worth of data. PSP games sell for $20 more then Gameboy games. The greater battery life means less time is spent charging and more time is spent playing GAMES.

Nintendo has the benefit of having the best first party development in the industry. Nintendo is for kids? Tell that to the adults that made the Castlevania games, Metroid games, Zelda games, and Mario games such a rousing sucsess. Nintendo makes games that anyone can enjoy for the Gameboy, without spending premium prices. The PSP's price point is greater then some 27 inch television sets.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']
Forget about the DS. It's a stop gap for the next Gameboy. It's PSP vs. Gameboy Advance.

The Gameboy Advance has the largest user base of any platform in history. It plays, at this time, about 1000x the amount of games that the PSP does. The SP has a longer battery life and better GAMES. It's all about the games. PSP has some good launch games, but at a price that is three times greater then the SP is, which includes NO games, and requires additional money to be able to save more then a couple games worth of data. PSP games sell for $20 more then Gameboy games. The greater battery life means less time is spent charging and more time is spent playing GAMES.

Nintendo has the benefit of having the best first party development in the industry. Nintendo is for kids? Tell that to the adults that made the Castlevania games, Metroid games, Zelda games, and Mario games such a rousing sucsess. Nintendo makes games that anyone can enjoy for the Gameboy, without spending premium prices. The PSP's price point is greater then some 27 inch television sets.[/quote]

So you have a "stop gap" going against the current 2x reigning console champ's entry into the handheld business with a huge backing of games in the horizon. The success of the PSP doesn't seem to far-fetched.

And Nintendo doesn't make the Castlevania games, that's Konami, and I wouldn't be surprised to see one on the PSP in the future.
 
I almost think the DS was Nintendo's fake out. Nintendo pulls out this gimmicky device and Sony thinks "Hey, PSP has this thing beat, let's launch it as quick as we can!" Meanwhile, the new Gameboy has likely been in development since 1999. The Gameboy Advance started development in 1994 and didn't launch until 2001 (mostly because of the Virtual Boy). Sony launches the PSP in March and by May at E3 Nintendo makes the PSP obsolute two months after launching.

And the DS still looks better then the PSP. The graphics are comparable, it has a better battery life, doesn't require memory cards, and costs $100 less, ... the deal breaker for some is the lack of games but E3 is just around the corner and I expect some really great games for it. Nintendo just didn't give developers enough time with it.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']The graphics are comparable.[/quote]

Are we talking about the same nintendo DS vs. Sony PSP here?
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']I almost think the DS was Nintendo's fake out. Nintendo pulls out this gimmicky device and Sony thinks "Hey, PSP has this thing beat, let's launch it as quick as we can!" Meanwhile, the new Gameboy has likely been in development since 1999. The Gameboy Advance started development in 1994 and didn't launch until 2001 (mostly because of the Virtual Boy). Sony launches the PSP in March and by May at E3 Nintendo makes the PSP obsolute two months after launching.

And the DS still looks better then the PSP. The graphics are comparable, it has a better battery life, doesn't require memory cards, and costs $100 less, ... the deal breaker for some is the lack of games but E3 is just around the corner and I expect some really great games for it. Nintendo just didn't give developers enough time with it.[/quote]

I'll disagree on the graphics being comparable based upon what I've seen so far, but whatever. I really don't think developers know what to do with the DS. Who programs games for two screens? I think what we are going to see a lot of with games that come out for both the PSP and DS, is that the secondary screen will serve little to no purpose. Nintendo and a handful of developers will be the only one's to use the DS with any purpose.
 
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