PSP Official Discussion thread.

[Aegis!]

Damn why didn't they put a cam on it so we can take pictures with it...

Cause they wanna rip your ass off by selling you an accesory camera that´s 120% more expensive than what it could´ve been if they had integrated it into the PSP.

And why would you want them to do that ? look at the mess they made with the square button ! imagine what they could´ve made by adding a camera ! say goodbye to mr. triangle and the gang. or maybe worse , mrs. big ass screen.

[zeo-mare]

only problem for me is the new Castlevania based on Aria of Sorrow has been announced for the DS not the PSP like they said   hopefully they will make one for it as well, by the way Jolly Rogers that has to be the best new Avatar I have seen in a while.

Don`t be so sure HE HE HE

http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/dungeon.htm

Enter Last updated: 1/23/05 HE HE HE !

BTW Rogers nice avatar, I wish it was Bowser

To lazy to check

http://www.the-magicbox.com/0501/game050125a.shtml

actually that is a playstation 2 game not a psp game since this is a thread for the psp that is why i mentioned it, it is also in 3-D which i have not been a fan of so far, i wanted to get the PSP for the suppossed rumored 2-D Castlevania title that was being released for it. but it has now been slated for the DS and not the PSP, i am not to interested in the DS at all, but it sucks that castlevania is coming out for it instead it makes matters worst is that the game looks realy cool as well.

chris

edit : just took a real good look at the new 3-d castlevania i really think it looks poor it is probably a prototype, but i really am not to interested in it at all.

Edited January 27, 2005 by zeo-mare

[Kin]

OK.. i Thought that camera unit was kinda small like the ones on cellphones.

This PSP sure gonna kick ass with the big widescreen. It makes the DS look like a toy or even worse... like a handy beautykit.

Kinda silly actually... why make 2 little screens with an ugly seperation in between... and the ugly undurable hinges.

Edited January 27, 2005 by Kin

[zeo-mare]

i agree the PSP looks very sleak and nice. i do not like the way the DS looks at all.

[Radd]

I fear for that large, unprotected screen on the PSP. My GBA was worse for the wear after a year or two of service, and it was so much smaller. That's one thing I love about the DS, that it keeps the SP's clamshell design to protect the screen.

As for looks, the PSP is prettier, but I don't think the DS is as bad as people complain. Also, I think the looks of the system case is hardly an issue, it's the games that matter.

[zeo-mare]

very true, games come first and for most. i do hope they mnake a good castlevania for the PSP though

[Ladic]

does this plays mp3???

[bandit29]

jeez couldn't they have made the psp a little bigger so this problem with the square button wouldn't happen

A preliminary US PSP manual has been submitted to the FCC

http://psp.ign.com/articles/582/582378p1.html

and EB has starting taking unoffical preorder bundles for 400.00

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/520683.asp

[Kin]

damn DS... I couldn't find the topic with search.. this is my protest! As an EX Nintendo fan!

[Zentrandude]

a kinboy? kinky

[mikeszekely]

As for looks, the PSP is prettier, but I don't think the DS is as bad as people complain. Also, I think the looks of the system case is hardly an issue, it's the games that matter.

Exactly. Except that the DS doesn't have jack in the way of games... and I've played most of them. I liked Feel the Magic for being so quirky, and Mr. Driller is kind of cool... I guess. Sprung sucked, on account of the fact that there were no branches in the story... you either did it right, or you did it over and over until you got it right. Half the time, the right conversation choices weren't even obvious. Tiger Woods gets props for trying to make use of the touch screen, but loses all those props for creating an ugly piece of software that's not fit to be a mini-game in a console Tiger Woods. Ridge Racer DS would be alright, except that there aren't a lot of tracks and the control is awful. Asphaut Urban GT is decent, given the hardware's limitations. Mario 64 is, well, Mario 64. Leave it to Nintendo to rehash the Marios of yesterdays consoles on today's handhelds. Madden looks like a PSone game, but I think Madden was better on the PSone. And Zoo Keeper is mildly entertaining, but I'm not big on puzzle games. What's that leave? Spider-Man, which I haven't played, but looks more like the GBA version than the console versions, and was reviewed poorly, and the Urbz, which I admit that I know nothing about.

The future of the DS isn't looking real bright, either. I'll probably snag Warioware, on account of I liked the original, and this one looks like it makes good use of the touch screen. The New Super Mario Bros looks cool and like it might harken back to the good old days or side-scrolling, brick-bashing, turtle-hopping fun. Personally, I wasn't impressed with the demo of Metroid Prime: Hunters, and have no interest in the full version. Mario Kart is usually fun, but it's getting kind of old. I'm definately psyched for the new Castlevania, and that's really the reason why I'm not selling my DS. Other than that, I'm holding out for Square-Enix to release Final Fantasy III in the US, and I hear that they're making a Shin Megami Tensei game, which (if it even makes it Stateside) will be good if it plays like Nocturne, but bad if it plays like DemiKids.

As for the PSP, I've played Ridge Racers, and it was simply amazing. It looked and played 10 times better than Ridge Racer V did back at the PS2 launch. The analog stick takes a little getting used to, but I didn't experience any button problems. Being that I really liked both console Need for Speed Undergrounds, as well as the Baldur's Gate and Champions or Norrath games, I'm definately interested in NFSU Rivals and Untold Legends. WipEout XL is, to this day, in my top five PSone games, so I'm naturally excited for WipEout Pure. With new modes, and analog control like the consoles, I'm going for Tiger Woods, also. And that's really just the stuff that's coming out at or near launch. Plus, with the USB connectivity to PCs and the Memory Stick medium for storage, downloadable content should be common for PSP games (the developers doing WipEout Pure already promised some).

[Kin]

And ofcourse GTA is currently under developement at Rockstar Leeds.

I personally think the DS games are too childish and lot's of them are from old consoles. The PSP looks rather sleek, mature and looks more valuable.

Edited January 27, 2005 by Kin

[sabretooth]

until i see people saying that it has no qc issues i'm going to stick with nintendo

sony's gaming products so far have been a little too rushed for my taste and seem to having a running trend of not lasting that long.

for as much money as they are asking for it i should'nt have to fear pixel death on my handheld

it's pathetic how that has become acceptable now

[mikeszekely]

until i see people saying that it has no qc issues i'm going to stick with nintendo

sony's gaming products so far have been a little too rushed for my taste and seem to having a running trend of not lasting that long.

for as much money as they are asking for it i should'nt have to fear pixel death on my handheld

it's pathetic how that has become acceptable now

Hey, it's not like dead pixels weren't a problem on the DS. Two of my friends who bought the DS at launch had dead pixels.

[JB0]

A little skimming through IGN turned up their own experiences with the system. Now, I don't trust IGN's reviews all that much anymore, but I doubt they'd screw up on testing the battery life. They say the PSP battery(wich apparently got a reworking wich pushed back the initial release plans) gets about 5 hours of gameplay. That's not great, but also not too terrible. I imagine it would do most people just fine.

Now if they only had some games...

Keep in mind that it's 5 hours due to SCE restrictions upon developers.

Sony refuses to license games that don't get 5 hours of battery life, and explicitly told developers to not use the full power of the system in order to prolong battery life.

[Radd]

Exactly. Except ... promised some).

I'm glad there's games you like coming out on the PSP, but unfortunately they're not games that really grab my attention. Even more unfortunate is that I totally agree with you on the DS. So, at this point neither system particularly grabs me.

The only two games I've seen that I really want are Mario 64 and Advance Wars DS. Moreso Advance Wars, my favourite GBA franchise. Still, those two games aren't going to sell me on the DS alone.

I'll be holding onto my GBA (still plenty of excellent looking GBA titles I haven't had time to play yet) until one or the other new handheld garners a decent library.

[bandit29]

Well looks like the PSP is coming out on March 24th...at 249.99 value pack

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050203/sfth050_1.html

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the North American launch details for its highly anticipated PSP (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system. Available through retail outlets on March 24, the company continues its consumer-centric legacy with the release of the PSP Value Pack for a suggested retail price of $249.99 U.S./$299.99 CND. In addition to the revolutionary PSP hardware, the PSP Value Pack contains an unprecedented added-value package of accessories and entertainment content, including 32 MB Memory Stick Duo, headphones with remote control, battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case and cleaning cloth, movie/music/game video sampler UMD disc including multiple non-interactive game demos, and for the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped, a special UMD video release of the feature film Spider-Man 2 from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

[Radd]

No non-value pack release, or did they just decide not to mention it in this article? At this point in time I'm going to assume the latter, because the former seems a lot like Sony shooting themselves in the foot. Several times. Reloading at regular intervals.

[lt.actionjackson]

Wow 249! Didn't they say a few months ago it would only be 150?

[bandit29]

No non-value pack release, or did they just decide not to mention it in this article? At this point in time I'm going to assume the latter, because the former seems a lot like Sony shooting themselves in the foot. Several times. Reloading at regular intervals.

Article at IGN says the US will only be getting a value pack

Unlike the Japanese launch, which offered a base PSP package for approximately $185 USD, North American buyers will only be able to get one bundle, the pricier PSP Value Pack. The good news is that the Pack comes standard with a good number of extras that help make the purchase worthwhile, including a 32MB Memory Stick Duo, headphones with remote control, battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case, and cleaning cloth. In addition, the bundle boasts a movie/music/game sampler UMD disc with non-interactive demos. On top of everything else, the first one million people to purchase a PSP in the US will receive a bonus UMD featuring the full feature film Spider-Man 2.

http://psp.ign.com/articles/584/584983p1.html

[mikeszekely]

No non-value pack release, or did they just decide not to mention it in this article? At this point in time I'm going to assume the latter, because the former seems a lot like Sony shooting themselves in the foot. Several times. Reloading at regular intervals.

Article at IGN says the US will only be getting a value pack

Unlike the Japanese launch, which offered a base PSP package for approximately $185 USD, North American buyers will only be able to get one bundle, the pricier PSP Value Pack. The good news is that the Pack comes standard with a good number of extras that help make the purchase worthwhile, including a 32MB Memory Stick Duo, headphones with remote control, battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case, and cleaning cloth. In addition, the bundle boasts a movie/music/game sampler UMD disc with non-interactive demos. On top of everything else, the first one million people to purchase a PSP in the US will receive a bonus UMD featuring the full feature film Spider-Man 2.

http://psp.ign.com/articles/584/584983p1.html

Gamespot confirms that we're only getting the value pack.

Gamespot's PSP news

I'd complain more, but realistically, we were going to have to buy the Memory Stick for it anyway (for games saves), so I don't see it as too much more than I expected. And this way, since I preordered mine the day after Christmas, I figure I'll be in that group that gets Spider-Man 2 on UMD. I can always re-sell that later.

All told, I've got $175 down on the system already, and $15 each on Dynasty Warriors, WipeOut, Tiger Woods, and NFSU. Sony said the games are going to be $39.99. So, I've got Valnetine's Day, my employee discount, and my regular game budget for March yet. I should be alright.

[Jemstone]

I shall pass if that's the case tho I was looking forward to it. I'd rather a value pack that at least came pre-packed with a game at least. I'll just wait for a resoanble price drop as it seems many folks will with the system's glaring design flaw and possible LSD screen problems. Yeah, I'll pass.

[sabretooth]

wow 249 is retardedly pricey

sooo not buying one of these

for that mush i could get a ps2 and a gameboy sp brand new

or a gamecube and a ds

frickkin silly is what it is

[F360°]

32mb memory stick? man, I though they would at least do 128mb

[Wes]

Of course the price will come down, but how much? Nintendo's GB was never above 100, right? The DS could easily come down to 100 by Christmas, but the PSP? Maybe to 150 by PS3's release. I think they're over-estimating how much the hand-held market will pay for a system, but then again, maybe not in Japan(check that cellphone topic).

What I still don't get is, a remote? W...T...F?!?! I mean, it's going to be in your hand (it doesn't come with a stand, 4 inch screen...) so what's the point?

[Gunbuster]

Of course the price will come down, but how much? Nintendo's GB was never above 100, right? The DS could easily come down to 100 by Christmas, but the PSP? Maybe to 150 by PS3's release. I think they're over-estimating how much the hand-held market will pay for a system, but then again, maybe not in Japan(check that cellphone topic).

What I still don't get is, a remote? W...T...F?!?! I mean, it's going to be in your hand (it doesn't come with a stand, 4 inch screen...) so what's the point?

the sad part is that it will be sold out on its first shipment

[lt.actionjackson]

What I don't get is who's going to want to watch an entire movie on that screen? 2 hours of gaming, sure I see that. Listen to my mp3s. Okay. But a movie? Okay, maybe an adult movie with your headphones on (to not wake up the folks, significant other, etc.). But I don't know that I'd want to squint at the LOTR or even Spidey 2 on that screen. Never mind that basically you'd more than likely be re-purchasing a movie you already owned on DVD. And then they slap it with a 250 bones price tag? You can get a TV or a DVD player (or both) for that price these days.

[bigkid24]

What I don't get is who's going to want to watch an entire movie on that screen? 2 hours of gaming, sure I see that. Listen to my mp3s. Okay. But a movie? Okay, maybe an adult movie with your headphones on (to not wake up the folks, significant other, etc.). But I don't know that I'd want to squint at the LOTR or even Spidey 2 on that screen. Never mind that basically you'd more than likely be re-purchasing a movie you already owned on DVD. And then they slap it with a 250 bones price tag? You can get a TV or a DVD player (or both) for that price these days.

I think the movies on the PSP are sort of their answer to the personal movie players from Creative and other companies. I don't know how popular those movies players are especially since you have to download them and they can be really choppy.

[Britai 7018]

I think that the GBA SP was over $100 for awhile... $120? I'm not positive about that. Today at work (EB Games) we had alot of people come in and ask about it, and almost every single one flinched when I said $250. Personally I don't think its too extreme, but I'll be waiting until it drops to around $180 or 150.

[F360°]

Of course the price will come down, but how much? Nintendo's GB was never above 100, right? The DS could easily come down to 100 by Christmas, but the PSP? Maybe to 150 by PS3's release. I think they're over-estimating how much the hand-held market will pay for a system, but then again, maybe not in Japan(check that cellphone topic).

What I still don't get is, a remote? W...T...F?!?! I mean, it's going to be in your hand (it doesn't come with a stand, 4 inch screen...) so what's the point?

I'm guessing the remote is for you to switch songs and control volume,, etc.

[Gunbuster]

you are right, it's one of the wired headphone remote. I don't see the price dropping anytime soon as Sony is losing close to 200 bucks on each system. I'm playing with one at work and the screen is gorgeous!, but not for $250.

And the movies aren't choppy on those media players. I have a Pocket PC and I'm running anime AVI with no recompression and it's smooth!

[mikeszekely]

What I don't get is who's going to want to watch an entire movie on that screen?  2 hours of gaming, sure I see that.  Listen to my mp3s.  Okay.  But a movie?  Okay, maybe an adult movie with your headphones on (to not wake up the folks, significant other, etc.).  But I don't know that I'd want to squint at the LOTR or even Spidey 2 on that screen.  Never mind that basically you'd more than likely be re-purchasing a movie you already owned on DVD.  And then they slap it with a 250 bones price tag?  You can get a TV or a DVD player (or both) for that price these days.

I think the movies on the PSP are sort of their answer to the personal movie players from Creative and other companies. I don't know how popular those movies players are especially since you have to download them and they can be really choppy.

The PSP screen, don't forget, is ridiculously large when compared with the GBA or DS. In fact, I'd say it's fine for watching movies. Second, while compression issues may be a deal when you're trying to cram MPEG-4 video onto a Memory Stick, movies on UMD should be fine. The issue, though, is indeed the fact that I don't see a lot of people willing to buy the same movies twice. Now, if Sony sold rewritable UMDs and USB UMD recorders, and allowed you to transfer DVD video to UMD, I'd be down with that. And I know some people, like my buddy who spends a good bit of time commuting from Virginia into DC for work and then back again, who would actually rather have movies on UMD than DVD. He feels like he doesn't have enough time to sit down and watch a movie at home, but he'd love to watch them on the train. And the PSP is certainly smaller and mostly cheaper than the majority of portable DVD players on the market.

As for the remote, yes, it's a headphones remote. It's basically a little disc that has things like volume control, and your basic play/pause/skip forward or backward, etc, that you plug your headphones into, then plug the remote into the headphone jack. The idea is that you lock the PSP's face buttons, then keep it in your pocket or wherever while you listen to mp3s. Then if you need to adjust the volume or skip a track or whatever, you use the little disc dangling from your headphones.

But let's not forget that, first and foremost, the PSP is a videogame handheld. It's cool that it can play movies or mp3s or let other people check out my digital vacation photos... but if that's all it did, I doubt I'd pay even $100 for it. I want a PSP because there are six launch games I want, and probably more later. I want a PSP because the games look as fun, deep, and graphically detailed as modern console games. Meanwhile, I don't think there's six games I want for the DS, even if I count GBA games, for the rest of 2005, and the DS games I do want are stuff like Wario Ware, which is certainly fun but not nearly as deep as something like Untold Legends is going to be.

Edited February 4, 2005 by mikeszekely

[mikeszekely]

I think that the GBA SP was over $100 for awhile... $120? I'm not positive about that. Today at work (EB Games) we had alot of people come in and ask about it, and almost every single one flinched when I said $250. Personally I don't think its too extreme, but I'll be waiting until it drops to around $180 or 150.

Hell, yesterday at Gamestop, I got another reserve on one.

[mikeszekely]

Of course the price will come down, but how much?  Nintendo's GB was never above 100, right?  The DS could easily come down to 100 by Christmas, but the PSP?  Maybe to 150 by PS3's release.  I think they're over-estimating how much the hand-held market will pay for a system, but then again, maybe not in Japan(check that cellphone topic).

What I still don't get is, a remote?  W...T...F?!?!   I mean, it's going to be in your hand (it doesn't come with a stand, 4 inch screen...) so what's the point?

the sad part is that it will be sold out on its first shipment

What's sad about it? Sony's made a handheld unit that people are going to want to play, and they're marketing it to people who can afford the price tag.

[ManxoChu]

I think that the GBA SP was over $100 for awhile... $120? I'm not positive about that.

The SP was $99.99 when I got mine on the first week of its release. Only over $100 ($107.25 to be exact) due to the sales tax. Reminds me of when I paid for my $200 bastard sword. $214.50 after tax. X_x

I'll most likely get the DS but I'll be waiting for a drop in price, which seems most likely to be XMas '05 or '06. As of now, no matter the price, I'm not really sold on the PSP. The DS already has two Konami games I'm interested in, Castlevania and Yu-Gi-Oh. Also, I'm rather intrigued with this Shonen Jump "Smash Bros-esque" game also for the DS.

PSP? "PSshaw! Please!" Sorry, couldn't resist. *bricked* @_x'''