Post by: Jonnyboy117 on February 03, 2005, 05:08:31 AM
According to a report by CNN/Money, Sony will launch the PlayStation Portable, or PSP, on March 24th for the lucrative North American market. The handheld gaming platform/media player will retail for $249.99 and will include the system, AC adaptor for its rechargeable battery, a 32MB Memory Stick, and a portable version of the movie Spider-Man 2 (which was produced by Sony's film division).
Sony's packaging of the system reveals the company's aggressive approach to its non-gaming applications. The Memory Stick is required to save game data, since the PSP is a disc-based system, but it can also be used to store and play music and video transferred from a PC and other compatible devices. By including a copy of Spider-Man 2 on the system's proprietary UMD disc format, Sony is hoping to lure in casual gamers and older consumers with one of 2004's most successful feature films, as well as establishing the PSP as a viable alternative to portable DVD players.
CNN/Money's report also mentions that the PSP will feature twenty-four game titles available at launch. There are currently about fifteen Nintendo DS titles on the shelves, though there are some major releases scheduled before the PSP launch, including Wario Ware: Touched.
Post by: MaleficentOgre on February 03, 2005, 05:46:47 AM
Post by: Pale on February 03, 2005, 05:59:59 AM
Post by: jarob on February 03, 2005, 06:38:01 AM
Post by: SPhil64 on February 03, 2005, 06:43:33 AM
Post by: Jonnyboy117 on February 03, 2005, 06:48:04 AM
In a battle between First Hunt demo vs. Spider-Man 2 on UMD, I'll take the movie any day. A better fight might be PictoChat vs. the movie, because I think PictoChat is a lot more fun than First Hunt, but you need other people with DSes to really use it.
Post by: Hostile Creation on February 03, 2005, 06:51:09 AM
No offense, Jonnyboy
But buying UMDs seems so pointless.
Post by: KDR_11k on February 03, 2005, 07:03:06 AM
Post by: Artimus on February 03, 2005, 07:03:28 AM
If Nintendo would bring out some good games it would make a huge difference.
Post by: Savior on February 03, 2005, 07:05:08 AM
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More goodies?
Spiderman 2 on UMD... Other than that its the same package as the Japanese launch... for 50 dollars more... Which is certainly a price hike by them. Nintendo could just lower the DS price to 124.99 or something to make their price even more attractive
Post by: Ian Sane on February 03, 2005, 07:32:05 AM
24 games is a lot especially when the DS has been out for a few months and has less. It doesn't matter if most of those 24 aren't that good. The thing is it provides the exact thing that always given Sony the edge over Nintendo: variety. If you buy a PSP then there's a good chance you'll find something in the launch lineup that you can have fun with. You don't have that option on the DS.
Nintendo had several months to really sell the DS concept. They wasted that time. They have not released a killer app. They have not sold the DS exclusive features as anything but a gimmick. Price is the ONLY thing the DS has better than the PSP and that didn't help the Gamecube. I look at the PSP and I see that Sony is trying REALLY hard to succeed. I look at the DS and I see that Nintendo is being lazy and isn't doing anything. They're expecting the DS to succeed because it's Nintendo and that's not good enough.
When the DS was first shown I picked it as the winner because of it's innovative design. Now that Nintendo has failed to show that design as anything significant and have made virtually no effort to make the DS great I'm predicting that the PSP will win and Sony will be number one on both consoles and portables. Nintendo's just being cocky and arrogant. They're making the same pig-headed stubborn mistakes they did with the N64 and the PSP is going to kick their ass unless they start busting their butt right now before it's too late. I'm not saying I like the PSP more than the DS (I'm not really interested in either portable right now) but I think the PSP will sell better. I hope Nintendo proves me wrong because the DS has such potential.
Post by: Avinash_Tyagi on February 03, 2005, 08:05:07 AM
In Japan they have managed to easily hold their own against the PSP.
Post by: Djunknown on February 03, 2005, 08:40:00 AM
$249? Its not a bad price, since its bundled, but let's see how much the games are. I'm curious whether the Spider Man 2 UMD will just be the movie, sans the extra goodies such as commentary, outakes, making-of's etc.
Another question is is how many PSP's can they crank out? They can spin the news and say they sold out their initial shipment, but Sony will have a mountain to climb.
Will the DS counter this move with a killer app? A price drop? A bundle of their own? Or simply wait to be crushed by the hype? Stay tuned gamers, stay tuned....
Post by: couchmonkey on February 03, 2005, 08:40:30 AM
If Nintendo is saving up for the PSP launch, it had better have one heck of a punch, because I think a lot of people are underwhelmed right now.
Post by: Avinash_Tyagi on February 03, 2005, 08:46:40 AM
Yes the Nintendo lineup in the states has been weak, but by the end of march Nintendo could have Yoshi, Pokemon and Wario out in the states, annouced online plans and set dates for games like Animal crossing, heck they could have Play-yan announced for the US by then, Nintendo merely has to have a few announcements before the PSP releases and really take the wind out of Sony's sails.
Post by: SgtShiversBen on February 03, 2005, 09:28:03 AM
Post by: Avinash_Tyagi on February 03, 2005, 09:35:57 AM
Sony is losing money on the Hardware, if they don't achieve profitability in Software they will not last long in the market.
Post by: Ian Sane on February 03, 2005, 09:56:17 AM
That's an acceptable strategy but there's no indication that that's what Nintendo is doing. Where are these bullets? It's February. The PSP launches in March. If Nintendo has some big guns ready to go we have to see them in the next few days or they just don't exist. If Nintendo had a list of major games set to release alongside the PSP launch then I would have more faith in them. But they don't. Warioware and Yoshi's Touch 'n' Go aren't going to cut it. There needs to be something major and now it's too late. If Nintendo planned on waiting until the PSP launch then they would have shown us some killer title a while ago.
We'll see at E3 but any DS killer app that is going to have a real effect on the DS vs PSP war has to be released by Christmas at the latest. That means if such a title exists they have to be working on it now.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on February 03, 2005, 10:04:01 AM
-- Ape Escape(R): On the Loose, Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- ATV Offroad Fury(R): Blazin' Trails, Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- Darkstalkers Chronicle(TM): The Chaos Tower, Capcom
-- Dynasty Warriors(R), KOEI
-- FIFA 2005, Electronic Arts
-- Gretzky(TM) NHL(R), Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- Lumines(TM), Ubisoft
-- Metal Gear Acid(TM), Konami
-- MLB(TM), Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- MVP Baseball, Electronic Arts
-- NBA, Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- NBA Street Showdown, Electronic Arts
-- Need for Speed(TM) Rivals, Electronic Arts
-- NFL Street 2 Unleashed, Electronic Arts
-- Rengoku(TM): Tower of Purgatory, Konami
-- Ridge Racer(TM), Namco
-- Smartbomb, Eidos Interactive
-- Spider-Man 2(TM), Activision
-- Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R), Electronic Arts
-- Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix, Activision
-- Twisted Metal: Head On(TM), Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade, Sony Online Entertainment
-- Wipeout(R) Pure, Sony Computer Entertainment America
-- World Tour Soccer, Sony Computer Entertainment America
Post by: chlupe on February 03, 2005, 10:06:48 AM
Again, not an excuse -- a reason. And in my opinion, an unacceptable one. For me, it's alright -- three games and the GBA library can tide me over for a long time. But for public perception -- awful. Had they delayed the DS launch for a few more months, it too could have launched with more than six games (and six more during week two). Instead, we're left waiting for Wario Ware Touched (which, after playing the Japanese version, I respectfully disagree that it "ain't going to do it." Unless we're talking strictly about sales numbers. You know the mass market will go for style over substance any day of the week, unfortunately.)
I love my DS, but I'm still really, really upset with the software heads up at the Big N.
Post by: Ian Sane on February 03, 2005, 10:20:52 AM
Post by: SPhil64 on February 03, 2005, 10:29:43 AM
Post by: chlupe on February 03, 2005, 11:11:59 AM
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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Looking at that release list there's like more decent PSP launch games then there were DS launch games period. And who would have thought that Sony, who had one first party PS2 launch title, would release more launch titles than Nintendo did? That's 9 first party titles, none of which are ports (though ATV could be). The DS might not even have 9 first party titles by the end of the year. Sure Sony isn't nearly as great as Nintendo is at making games but they're bringing the content and they're filling in the genres. If they can make 9 games Nintendo should be able to make at least 4. The weak lineup of the DS is completely inexcusable.
Although I still abide by quality over quantity, there is a breaking point... although I haven't reached it yet, I'm not surprised that many people are. Mario 64 DS as the only first party title is really, really upsetting. At the very least, though, we have your classic sig to look at...
Post by: KnowsNothing on February 03, 2005, 11:29:02 AM
On the otehr hand, the price will hurt them. Well, maybe not THAT much, because they give the perception that you're getting a ton with the package. Wow, I'm getting the cord I need to charge the battery! I would have never expected that to come with the system! Plus the PSP NEEDS it's memory stick; the DS comes with that built in each game. Spider-man 2 is the only actual extra, and it will certainly attract alot of people, but I'm guessing that about half of the people the PSP is targeting already owns the DVD =p Plus, you pretty much need to be on a long car trip or something to watch this, because it'll be tough to watch it on the bus home from school =p
I absolutley LOVE the fact that people think the game can play PS1/2 games and DVDs. If this perception carries over into launch, it'll be hilarious to watch forums and phone-lines explode with "how does i fits dvd into psp????" Unfortunatley, returning a system won't take you off the total sales =\
Post by: Savior on February 03, 2005, 11:41:59 AM
Nintendo could use some of their games moved up. Prime Hunters and Mario Kart could do alot of good if they are released before May. And the online announcement when is that...
Post by: Infernal Monkey on February 03, 2005, 12:18:33 PM
Forcing people to get the "Value" pack is a stupid move. A 32 MB Memory Stick is basically useless if you intend to make use of the MP3/Video/Image features, which will probably be everybody that buys a PSP. Spiderman 2? Who cares? A non-interactive demo disc is baffling and Sony are known to pack in the worst possible headphones with their stuff.
This will still sell out, however. Expect to see idiots paying insane amounts for one on eBay a week after launch.
Post by: boggy b on February 03, 2005, 12:40:35 PM
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Spiderman 2? Who cares? A non-interactive demo disc is baffling
Que? The movie is supposed to show off the PSP's UMD Movie capabilities. Remember, that was part of the intention with the PSP, that there would be UMD movies to buy and watch aswell? Plus, hey, it's Spiderman 2, which is a pretty awesome movie. Just being able to sit on the train and watch it would be enough for me.
Post by: Polyethylene on February 03, 2005, 02:01:06 PM
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Originally posted by: boggy b
Average? There's a WipeOut game (which - judging from how good the previous games were, the impressions gleaned from over the 'net and the media - will be sextacular), Ridge Racers (which is apparently the PSP's first 'killer app') and Lumines (which is also supposed to be pretty awesome). Seems like a very strong launch for the hardcore gamers out there. And for the average Joe, there's a good variation of games, even if not all of them are particularily great.
WipeOut is in all the consoles and no one cares. RR and Lumines sold like crap in Japan.
Nintendo could have waited for march to launch the DS with more games but they launched the system in November with five games and now they have 3 millions DSs sold in US alone, i think they took the right decision.
Post by: Savior on February 03, 2005, 02:12:02 PM
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MB Memory Stick is basically useless if
No, you use it to save games... its necesary
Post by: Bill Aurion on February 03, 2005, 02:15:54 PM
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"A 32 MB Memory Stick is basically useless if you intend to make use of the MP3/Video/Image features, which will probably be everybody that buys a PSP."
Post by: KnowsNothing on February 03, 2005, 02:21:16 PM
EDIT: Bill comes in and posts before me, whoopie, the world has jelly.
Post by: Bill Aurion on February 03, 2005, 02:27:08 PM
Post by: ruby_onix on February 03, 2005, 02:28:36 PM
Also, people seem to be giving the PSP far too much credit. The "juggernaut" hype over it doesn't seem to have diminished since day-1, even though the DS came out, whupped it's ass, and put the PSP in an "uphill battle" position. Sony has already pulled off some significant blunders with the PSP, which, if the system was being sold by Nintendo and not Sony, would have set off yet another round of "Nintendo is doomed" and "Nintendo's going third party" speeches from everyone.
The Japanese PSP, with it's charger, was 20,000 yen.
The Japanese Bundle Pack, with the charger, headphones, soft case, and 32MB Memory Stick was 25,000 yen.
The American PSP is the Bundle Pack with a non-playable demo and Spiderman 2, for $250.
Headphones = meh.
Case = REQUIRED, if you don't want your screen to get scratched to hell.
Memory Stick = REQUIRED, but too small to make good use of it. 32MB = PSP's MC59.
Spiderman 2 on UMD = Obviously Betamax. How on Earth does Sony expect this to succeed? How are people excited by it? Beats me.
IMO, the big thing about Spiderman 2 on UMD is that it's a fantastic showcase for all the movie piracy you'll be able to do on your PSP once you buy a decent-sized Memory Stick.
BTW, you better be in love with that PSP launch title list, because online retailers seem to be saying that you need to buy three launch titles (some PSP games may be as cheap as $40!) if you want a PSP. Oh yeah and the "launch window" vs "launch day" definition could really mess up your plans when you're picking which three games you want to buy.
$50 x 3 + $250 = $400 PSP!!!1!!
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 03, 2005, 02:40:31 PM
Post by: Mario on February 03, 2005, 03:09:10 PM
This price isn't so surprising, because people will buy it anyway and the entire launch shipment will still sell out, i'd be a bit pissed that you can't buy the system by itself without all that junk though. While that lineup is indeed impressive, I don't really see one game there worth $300. It doesn't have the system seller like Super Mario 64 DS was/is.
Now Nintendo, HURRY UP WITH MORE GAMES.
Post by: NWR_Lindy on February 03, 2005, 03:11:07 PM
1) I agree wholeheartedly about the UMDs. Who's actually going to buy movies on UMD? Come on. I would never buy movies on that format! They're useless anywhere but on your PSP.
2) Nintendo absolutely made the right decision in launching the DS when they did. It allowed their console to get a foothold, and regardless of what games are out there, those DS's are bought and paid for. They now have the coveted installed userbase.
3) It's obvious that the DS was a rushed project from the start. To Nintendo's credit, they've done well to release it so quickly. Unfortunately, when you announce a console and release it within the same year, that means most game companies have no time to prepare anything. If you look at the DS launch games, they're all made by heavy hitters that obviously were given priority in terms of distribution of dev kits (Ubisoft, Namco, Sega, EA, THQ, Activision). The fact that the DS has half of the games of the PSP is likely a result of Sony getting dev kits out earlier and giving people four extra months, and also companies having more faith in Sony at this point.
Somebody at worked asked me about the DS and how I liked it, and I said, "It's cool but there's no games for it right now." 'nuff said.
4) WipeOut PSP and Ridge Racers PSP are better than anything on the DS right now. That's a real problem for Nintendo.
5) I also agree with SgtShivers - the PSP is making portable gaming way too pricey. There's a reason why the GBA SP sells like hotcakes - it's small, cheap and cool. The PSP is cool but it's not small or cheap. $249.99 is what I'd expect to pay for a home console, not a portable. I won't buy one until the price drops considerably.
6) If you want to use your PSP for MP3s, the 32MB Memory Stick is useless. Besides, I'd rather buy one of those new iPod Shuffles. For $99 you can get a 512MB version, and it's about as big as a stick of gum - perfect for working out or jogging. In my eyes, the PSP is pretty much useless as an MP3 player.
silks
Post by: Gamefreak on February 03, 2005, 03:15:34 PM
Wipeout Pure and Twisted Metal sure are going to be fun multiplayer games, and Ridge Racers and NFS Underground on PSP are better than their DS counterparts...
Speaking of which, notice all these games are racing games haha...
That said Mario Kart, Wipeout Pure, and Twisted Metal should all be great fun, as long as their online. Which only looks likely for Mario Kart though...
Post by: ruby_onix on February 03, 2005, 03:18:14 PM
So now we just get to wait and see if the Sony reps have been lying when they said that every PSP game will be "region free", regardless of the "region 2" logos that are seen on the Japanese games, or if the PSP's instruction booklet is lying when it says that any region free games will come with an as-yet-unseen "region all" logo.
Post by: Mario on February 03, 2005, 03:20:15 PM
Also, I think the fact that the PSP launch details are being reported by a Nintendo site highlights how much of a battle this is going to be.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on February 03, 2005, 04:07:49 PM
Post by: PaLaDiN on February 03, 2005, 05:27:45 PM
Not gonna happen. It seems for some reason Sony can get away with a lot more crap than the other two.
Post by: Gamefreak on February 03, 2005, 06:18:55 PM
Post by: Hostile Creation on February 03, 2005, 06:38:23 PM
*excessively heavy and dramatic sigh of reminiscence*
Post by: Deguello on February 03, 2005, 07:03:52 PM
Post by: Urkel on February 03, 2005, 08:35:23 PM
Ape Escape and Twisted Metal are actually ports of PS1 games. I'm not sure about the other games, though.
I still believe everybody is wildly overestimating the PSP. It doesn't matter how many "goodies" are bundled in with it, $250 is way beyond what most people would be willing to spend on a portable system. $50 per game is more than most people are willing to spend on portable games.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on February 04, 2005, 12:26:10 AM
Post by: KDR_11k on February 04, 2005, 01:59:48 AM
Post by: Michael8983 on February 04, 2005, 03:12:05 AM
I don't buy it. Sony either paid them off or somehow pressured them (perhaps using its console dominance as leyway) into creating all these launch and first year games and in the long-run, we won't see nearly this degree of commitment. Not unless these initial games sell really well which is unlikely since everyone will just be watching Spiderman 2 and bragging to their friends about owning a PSP anyway. Eventually the PSP will get the same kind of half-assed third-party support the GBA has. The DS will get the same from third-parties but it's Nintendo's own first and second party games that will keep the DS on top. If you think about it, other than the Castlevania, Sonic, and Square games which will likely continue on the DS, Nintendo's own games are the only ones that have done significantly well in the handheld market anyway.
Post by: KDR_11k on February 04, 2005, 05:19:03 AM
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on February 04, 2005, 06:00:08 AM
Post by: mantidor on February 04, 2005, 06:52:54 AM
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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
I thought the PSP and DS had about equal support with the DS having the GBA and the PSP having the PS1 history behind them?
with the difference that people dont have to rebuy their GBA games for their new portable
Post by: vudu on February 04, 2005, 08:02:51 AM
Does anyone think the increased system price in America is due to the small number of games sold thus far in Japan? If Sony was planning on losing money on the system they were counting on making up for it with games sales. Since sales have been sluggish thus far, perhaps Sony decided it couldn't afford to lose so much money on the system.
Post by: PaLaDiN on February 04, 2005, 08:15:04 AM
No, I think they're just planning to get away with the increased system price in America.
Look at the Ipod. Look at all the editors on GS and IGN who are planning to get one anyway. It's a form of geek pride here, a pride in buying useless gadgets that only increases with their price and almost solidifies into an illusion of actual value. Don't underestimate it.
What Sony has done is throw their system out there as a machine that is on a higher level than the DS. No respectable geek will buy a DS anymore.
Post by: KDR_11k on February 04, 2005, 09:24:53 AM
Post by: Infernal Monkey on February 04, 2005, 10:40:21 PM
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Originally posted by: Lord_die_seis
In a interesting note Age Of Empires (Its a Microsoft Games franchise) has been announced for the DS and the publisher is Majesco. So I suppose the DS can do RTS's good if done right.
I remember reading somewhere that DS is also getting a version of Zoo Tycoon (another Microsoft owned thingy), published by THQ.
Post by: Avinash_Tyagi on February 05, 2005, 04:35:29 AM
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don't think this has been mentioned here yet....
Does anyone think the increased system price in America is due to the small number of games sold thus far in Japan? If Sony was planning on losing money on the system they were counting on making up for it with games sales. Since sales have been sluggish thus far, perhaps Sony decided it couldn't afford to lose so much money on the system.
Yeah I kind of mentioned this in one of my earlier posts on this topic.
People seem to be raving about the games on the PSP release list, forgetting that many of these games have sold horribly in Japan, so I wouldn't put too much hope in these games doing that well.
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That's an acceptable strategy but there's no indication that that's what Nintendo is doing. Where are these bullets? It's February. The PSP launches in March. If Nintendo has some big guns ready to go we have to see them in the next few days or they just don't exist. If Nintendo had a list of major games set to release alongside the PSP launch then I would have more faith in them. But they don't. Warioware and Yoshi's Touch 'n' Go aren't going to cut it. There needs to be something major and now it's too late. If Nintendo planned on waiting until the PSP launch then they would have shown us some killer title a while ago.
Who says its too late?
Nintendo has been hinting at an online plan for a few months now, why wouldn't they wait until march to release the news of online.
And as for the games just stating that Mario Kart, Animal crossing Advance wars and others will have full online play at the same time will be more than enough.
The PSP launches on the 24th of March, its the 5th of February, that's a very, very long time left.
Post by: Savior on February 05, 2005, 03:12:37 PM
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GS and IGN who are planning to get one anyway.
They were going to get one anyways since most already predicted the PSP would win even without the price hike..The Price is hurting alot more than its helping...
