Post by: MaryJane on April 03, 2007, 07:44:42 AM
Quote
After failing to keep up with Nintendo's DS juggernaut, Sony promised it would do a better job marketing the PSP, and now it appears that push is fully underway with a $30 price cut to the PSP Core Pack, the base system. That brings the PSP's MSRP to $169.99 or $80 less than the system's launch price of two years ago.
The entire article is here.
The article also hints that Sony plans on having more games come out at the $29.99 level.
Too little too late? I think so.
Price isn't the only thing holding the PSP back, IMO it does have some good games that I wouldn't mind playing, but overall I don't see the system as being worth the time of an hour.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 03, 2007, 07:57:19 AM
Not having a price drop for two years I mean.
Post by: Bill Aurion on April 03, 2007, 08:08:11 AM
Post by: nitsu niflheim on April 03, 2007, 08:35:11 AM
Post by: Kairon on April 03, 2007, 08:50:38 AM
My dormmates are already pirating full versions of PSP games. *shrug* They love their PSPs.
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: capamerica on April 03, 2007, 09:18:32 AM
or
a PSP for $170 with a sh!tty game library.
This is defintly to little to late, it might be able to help push a few more systems out when Final Fantasy VII-5 comes out but thats it.
You already lost most of the developers for the PSP with only a few people left. Even if this is the second wind that Sony needs to get the PSP moving again its going to be a good year or 2 before we see developers jump back on board with some good titles. By that time we'll be looking at PS2P and DS2.
I wonder if Nintendo will drop the price of the DS to $100 now =D
Post by: hudsonhawk on April 03, 2007, 09:25:19 AM
I know it's heresy, but I switched to the PSP from the DS about 2 months ago - I ride the train for 45 minutes each way every day so I had burned through the library really quickly on the DS. I'll pick a DS up again when Zelda comes out, I just wanted to give the library some time to catch up. My impression of the PSP so far is that the it gets a bum rap.
Post by: MaryJane on April 03, 2007, 09:51:08 AM
The PSP has some decent games. They have Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure a Zelda:TP clone. OH NO NOT A CLONE! Yes, bad thing for public image, good thing in copying one of the best games I've played in years!
I don't own a PSP as there aren't any games that interest me enough to buy it. However were this game for the DS I would buy it in a heart beat, even if it was a one screen game. There are other good games, but I have to go pick something up, so I don't have the time too. But I bet the Resistance game is good, it is good on the PS3.
Edit: Added and clarified thoughts
Post by: vudu on April 03, 2007, 10:01:14 AM
QuoteWhy don't you tell us?
Originally posted by: capamerica
I wonder if Nintendo will drop the price of the DS to $100 now =D
The answer is no. They can't keep the system on the shelf at it's current price. It doesn't make sense to drop the price right now.
Post by: Ghisy on April 03, 2007, 10:11:24 AM
There are only like 4 good games...and most of them are ports/remakes.
Post by: SixthAngel on April 03, 2007, 10:33:21 AM
Post by: hudsonhawk on April 03, 2007, 10:46:31 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: SixthAngel
Since this is a "core system" I assume you are required to spend about 60 more dollars before you can play a game with even basic save functions much like the ripoff that is the 360 core system.
You have to buy a memory stick. They're about $15-20 for a 1GB.
Post by: Deguello on April 03, 2007, 11:47:36 AM
Quote
I realize this isn't the best place to find a fair and balanced view of the PSP, but rumors of its weak library are greatly exaggerated.
No, it's actually the inverse truth. The PSP somehow avoids mainstream review wrath for its incredibly weak library. There are three major reasons the PSP library is so impotent, and all reasons are due to misplaced sales.
Reason 1: Too many ports. I mean seriously. This is not overstatement. Every game that is announced for the PSP has a 80% chance of being a PS2 port. This really wouldn't be such a problem if the gaming public at large were not already tired of everything the PS2 had to offer, and it really wouldn't be so bad if every other PSP wasn't some sort of old game redressed.
Reason 2: Not enough originality in the original games. The actual original content on the PSP is sometimes a continuation of a series on the PS2, so to the untrained eye it may just as well be another PS2 port, which is already an unappealing proposition.
These two reasons are linked for a quite disturbing realization. The ports are outselling the new PSP efforts by a tremendous factor. The PSP game-buying audience is telling the 3rd parties and Sony themselves that they do not wish for new and original games. They are happy with PS2-ports.
And Reason 3, and this one's the biggie: PSP owners by and large don't really seem to care about GAMES much. Seriously. Check out any community on the internet about the PSP and you'll see what I mean. topics about firmware and emulation, ISOs and bittorrents, hacks and homebrew, but never about the new GAMES coming out. And people think third parties having to compete against Nintendo on the DS is tough. The PSP offers a tougher adversary. Owner Apathy
And the PSP does get a fair look around here. But not balanced. The DS is not equal to the PSP. The DS is much much greater.
Post by: Infernal Monkey on April 03, 2007, 12:41:36 PM
More $30 titles and $20 Greatest Hits are welcome though. That's one thing Sony got right. Nintendo has some fear of re-releasing their portable games under a budget price.
Post by: stevey on April 03, 2007, 01:06:20 PM
Post by: AwesomeMan on April 03, 2007, 02:22:11 PM
Quote
PSP owners by and large don't really seem to care about GAMES much. Seriously. Check out any community on the internet about the PSP and you'll see what I mean. topics about firmware and emulation
this is what i don't understand about PSP. the screen is horrible for classic games(stretch), you want emulation get a GP2X the screen proportions are right for classic games.
Post by: capamerica on April 03, 2007, 02:46:26 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: hudsonhawk
I realize this isn't the best place to find a fair and balanced view of the PSP, but rumors of its weak library are greatly exaggerated. It may have been true at some point, but it's been getting a steady stream of quality games for some time now.
I know it's heresy, but I switched to the PSP from the DS about 2 months ago - I ride the train for 45 minutes each way every day so I had burned through the library really quickly on the DS. I'll pick a DS up again when Zelda comes out, I just wanted to give the library some time to catch up. My impression of the PSP so far is that the it gets a bum rap.
I own a PSP myself and I've pertty much downloaded all the games that have come out and I can only say that there is MAYBE 10 games worth playing. Even less worth owning. I only own 1 game and thats HotShots Golf.
Quote
Originally posted by: hudsonhawkQuote
You have to buy a memory stick. They're about $15-20 for a 1GB.
I almost forgot about that. You have to have a Memory Stick inorder to save your games. So thats another $29.99 for a 512MB.Quote
Originally posted by: vuduQuoteWhy don't you tell us?
Originally posted by: capamerica
I wonder if Nintendo will drop the price of the DS to $100 now =D
The answer is no. They can't keep the system on the shelf at it's current price. It doesn't make sense to drop the price right now.
SO Now you beleave in my power. =P
Actually I see the DS dropping to $100 by November maybe a bit earlier.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on April 03, 2007, 03:16:50 PM
Post by: IceCold on April 03, 2007, 04:44:26 PM
Post by: Djunknown on April 03, 2007, 05:23:09 PM
Pretty much all the PSP can do at this point is to keep current owners happy until the eventual PSP2 comes out. I wouldn't be surprised if they rip Nintendo off again in some way or another.
Post by: Deguello on April 04, 2007, 01:50:39 AM
Quote
This will end up being like the GameCube price cut when Double Dash came out.
No way. That price drop actually drove unit sales above competitors and sparked interest for the console. I mean, just check out the crappy timing. A price drop now? Will it raise the PSP above the DS this month? It might if it weren't for the 600-lbs. handheld gorilla known as Pokemon that comes out in a few weeks.
Post by: couchmonkey on April 04, 2007, 05:25:53 AM
I think the price drop is needed, but yeah, the timing could have been better...or maybe Sony is just bowing to pressure from retailers.
Post by: TrueNerd on April 04, 2007, 12:24:55 PM
With that being said, I would totally buy one right now if I didn't already own one for Dracula X Chronicles alone. And hopefully God of War, a game that takes camera control away from the user, will be good.
Post by: Deguello on April 04, 2007, 03:54:59 PM
Post by: UERD on April 04, 2007, 04:26:01 PM
Post by: Adrock on April 04, 2007, 05:58:35 PM
There are a few games I want, but $170 is still too much. I actually expect some of those games to be ported to Wii....
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 04, 2007, 10:00:38 PM
PSP Ad - Touch It
Post by: Infernal Monkey on April 04, 2007, 10:27:50 PM
Post by: MaryJane on April 05, 2007, 02:41:22 AM
Things done to death? How many times, on how many platforms, do we need to play Zelda: LttP? As many times as it's released? I did and I know others have also. What's the real problem with the PSP? I believe it's lackluster titles and high launch price... sort of like the PS3, which is funny since the Wii is following the DS's success, and now the PS3 is following it's handheld little brother's success.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on April 05, 2007, 02:59:40 AM
Quote
What's the real problem with the PSP? I believe it's lackluster titles and high launch price... sort of like the PS3, which is funny since the Wii is following the DS's success, and now the PS3 is following it's handheld little brother's success.
Well all the PSP really is a underclocked PS2 that runs UMDs and has a analog stick and 2 shoulder buttons missing, not to mention the stiff D-pad. But the main problem I have with it is game selection, only the Capcom games are pretty much worth it but those are mostly ports/remakes. There is nothing unique about the PSP since you can get the experience of a PSP on any other platform.
IMO the only thing the Wii and DS have in common are it sets a new gaming experiance and its aimed for everyone. Same with the PSP and PS3 its supposedly aimed for young adults, hardcore sony fan boys and both have a pointless(IMO) "new" disc format drive.
Post by: hudsonhawk on April 05, 2007, 05:07:15 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: MaryJane
I find it a little to strange to hear some of these arguments coming from people who I KNOW would love to have a portable GC. Because I sure as hell would. I think that's what part of Sony's plan with PSP was let people play their favorite PS games on the road.
Things done to death? How many times, on how many platforms, do we need to play Zelda: LttP? As many times as it's released? I did and I know others have also. What's the real problem with the PSP? I believe it's lackluster titles and high launch price... sort of like the PS3, which is funny since the Wii is following the DS's success, and now the PS3 is following it's handheld little brother's success.
Those are my thoughts exactly. I never had a problem with the SNES ports on the GBA, I don't have a problem with PS2 ports on the PSP. People act like it's some fundamental rule of portables that they provide a unique experience, when really this is a quality unique to the DS (and even that quality is a little overhyped - a lot of the best games for the DS are extensions of franchises from other platforms. I'm not saying this is a bad thing - quite the opposite.) Portable versions of good games are worthwhile by virtue of being portable.
I have more time for gaming on the go than I do at home. If a game comes out on the PSP and on my home console, I will usually get the PSP version (particularly if it's better suited for portable play).
One thing I do agree with though is that for whatever reason PSP owners don't buy games, although I don't agree with Deguello's assertion that this is because all 20 million people who own them are more interested in piracy and emulation - I think that's a gross generalization based on a vocal minority online. Most of the people I know with PSP's are casual gamers in the strictest of sense - the Madden crowd if you will. My guess is that its tie-in ratio is so abysmal simply because they've failed to convert the hard-core crowd the way that the DS has. They're the ones who buy games by the truckload.
Post by: Deguello on April 05, 2007, 05:40:58 AM
While the statement that the GBA had a lot of SNES ports is correct, it does not explain the entire picture. One must remember that the GBA basically had the entire market to themselves. And even so, most of the highest rated and highest selling games on the GBA were in reality original GBA efforts and games.
In contrast, of the 9 million sellers the PSP has worldwide:
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Monster Hunter Freedom
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Everybodys Golf Portable <----- This one
Ridge Racers <----- This one
Need For Speed Underground Rivals
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo
Monster Hunter Freedom 2
only 2 can be considered original efforts. Everything else is borrowed code or the exact same game as the console. THIS is what is selling, not Loco Roco or Daxter or Ratchet and Clank or hell Even METAL GEAR and FINAL FANTASY.
And even then those two games look so much like their console counterparts, to the naked eye they appear to be nothing more than ports.
Compare this to the Huge list of DS games that have sold a million worldwide, where the only real port is Super Mario 64. This merely cements the PSP as a colossal waste of time for developers, who can only profit from porting. On the DS, originality can sell. On the PSP, it can't. So all they do is port, port, port. Seriously, look at the list of games even the more hardcore fans of the PSP are looking forward to, a remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, and a port of that god-awful Final Fantasy Tactics from the Playstation. Even the FANS want ports. They can't possibly win.
Post by: AwesomeMan on April 05, 2007, 05:57:21 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on April 05, 2007, 06:07:53 AM
Yeah but the GBA also had a lot of original games. It wasn't as dominated by ports as the PSP was. And how many GBA games were later ported to the Gamecube? I think Warioware is it and even that depends on what your view of a port is. Original PSP games are often ported to the PS2. All of Nintendo's portables are systems you had to own if you were a serious gamer because otherwise you would miss some major stuff. The PSP doesn't have that. If you don't own it it's no big deal if you own a PS2. As purely a videogame system it is unessential. Nintendo are the only true portable success story and thus they set the standard that all portables should follow. That standard is for a portable to be an essential system regardless of it's portability. Someone who owns a Nintendo home console can still find major exclusive games on a Nintendo portable even if that portable nevers leaves their house and effectively acts like another console.
The PSP is only useful for people wanting to play games on the go. The DS is useful for everyone whether they want to play on the go or play at home.
Post by: oohhboy on April 05, 2007, 06:37:51 AM
So the entire GBA has ports thing is dead. Simply by the passage of time, the ports effectively become "new" again. Of course, we "hardcore" gamers would bitch and whine about it, but 10 years is more than enough time for a new batch of people who have never heard of the golden oldies to play them.
Post by: MaryJane on April 05, 2007, 10:41:53 AM
There's no need to argue that the DS is a better sytem than the PSP, I wholeheartedly agreee. I don't own a PSP but to date I have owned 3(DS Phat gave/sold to my mom, Black DSLite imported sold for as much as I bought it for before the U.S got black, and my current imported navy blue) DS's. We know it's a better system, but it doesn't make the PSP a horrible system. It's just not as good. The PSP has a lot of ignored potential. If Sony had focused only on games for this system instead of forcing feeding it's other capabilities the system would be better. I think the price cut, and increase in original titles (even though they carry the name like Resistance, I doubt a PS3 game could really be ported to PSP) are too little too late, but don't be surprised if it works even just to enough to see a PSP2.
Edit: Oh yeah sorry for the generilaztion. I don't see why anyone who owned a GC wouldn't want to play their games on the road, but if they exist I'm sorry for categorizing them with rational people.
Post by: AwesomeMan on April 05, 2007, 11:23:32 AM
Post by: Ceric on April 05, 2007, 01:43:45 PM
Also the PSP should have just been dropped to the same as the DS in price that way price becomes a non-issue.
I say as long as Nintendo is selling out of DS's keep the same price. I can easily say this because I'm sticking with my Launch DS until there is a new revision of the DS that makes it more ergonomic like the original GBA or dies of old age and use.
Post by: Adrock on April 05, 2007, 01:54:06 PM
Quote
MaryJane wrote:
The PSP has a lot of ignored potential. If Sony had focused only on games for this system instead of forcing feeding it's other capabilities the system would be better.
Yeah, that's about right.
It's not just about original efforts. Portable gaming has to differentiate itself from console gaming. That's really the difference between DS and PSP.
Post by: Kairon on April 05, 2007, 01:56:10 PM
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: ShyGuy on April 05, 2007, 02:35:52 PM
Post by: capamerica on April 05, 2007, 03:25:33 PM
1. Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee
2. Tales of Eternia
3. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
4. Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest
5. Star Wars: Lethal Alliance
6. Mega Man Powered Up
7. Tomb Raider: Legend
8. Tekken: Dark Resurrection
9. Mercury Meltdown
10. Metal Gear Portable Ops
You know that was a lot harder then I thought... I was stuck with only 7 for about 20min. =/
I had to bring up a list of all PSP games released to fill in the last 3 spots.
Post by: Ceric on April 06, 2007, 05:20:25 AM
Post by: capamerica on April 06, 2007, 12:21:17 PM
If you can get past that (Which truth be told is REALLY hard to do) its a decent updated port.
Post by: Spak-Spang on April 06, 2007, 02:37:01 PM
Post by: nitsu niflheim on April 06, 2007, 03:51:35 PM
Post by: Infernal Monkey on April 06, 2007, 07:54:25 PM
Combined with
Wow I might need a PSP when it drops to a sensible price. Which will be never. Too bad.
Post by: MaryJane on April 07, 2007, 04:41:38 AM
The DS however has no such lacking, and it's actually a little overwhelming how many good to great games are on the DS.
The price cut of the PSP will probably attract a number of new buyers however, and couple that with a slowly improving library, and we might actually see some competition between the two handheld devices.
The only thing is that in the U.S where the race is closest, is the only region getting the price cut! I could be wrong in that, but I know for sure that in Japan where the DS might as well be bread, the PSP's price will not be cut.
Post by: Kairon on April 07, 2007, 07:35:14 AM
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: MaryJane on April 07, 2007, 07:53:57 AM
Dragon Quest IX is also traditional RPG, as is Pokemon Pearl/Diamond. Beyond that I don't know, I haven't played any on the DS.
Post by: AwesomeMan on April 09, 2007, 02:49:29 AM
Post by: Ceric on April 09, 2007, 06:25:26 AM
Post by: couchmonkey on April 09, 2007, 06:29:14 AM
Loco Roco and Wipeout are supposed to be good too, plus there was a Ghouls and Ghosts game, I think, and there's always the two Grand Theft Auto games although they're of no interest to me.
Post by: KDR_11k on April 09, 2007, 08:34:06 AM
Post by: Infernal Monkey on April 10, 2007, 01:03:38 AM
Quote
Innocent life?
It's Harvest Moon but with a greater focus on exploration and stuff, you can fight monsters AND grow crops!
Post by: MaryJane on April 10, 2007, 02:30:06 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: AwesomeMan
DQIX is an action RPG from what ive seen. Magical Starsign looks like a good traditional RPG, i'm planning on picking that one up next payday. DS also has the horrible horrible Lunar(if only they'd do remakes of the old ones).
A little piece of me just died inside. I love traditional RPG's, I love all things RPG but I like turned-based the best.
Post by: couchmonkey on April 10, 2007, 04:17:58 AM
Post by: Kairon on April 10, 2007, 05:49:20 AM
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Ceric on April 10, 2007, 06:07:30 AM
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on April 10, 2007, 06:12:18 AM
Post by: Adrock on April 10, 2007, 07:31:57 AM
Quote
Kairon wrote:
The DS IS lacking in traditional RPGs isn't it? What does it have to compare to Valkyrie Profile?
Oh, that's unfair. VP was one of the very best RPGs that very few people played. Saying DS is lacking RPGs because it doesn't have one to compare to Valkyrie Profile of all games is f-ing nuts.
Also, I wouldn't call Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth a tradtional RPG which is probably why it was so good.
Post by: Kairon on April 10, 2007, 12:03:48 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
Yeah I love going to menu after menu, and relying on chance most of the time. Just hoping during your rock, paper, scissors dual that you aren't hit with a killer magic spell.
Pokemon?
I kid, I kid. But there IS a certain hardcore niche-y abstract simplicity to turn based games. A sort of linear, one-dimensional strategy element. And I wouldn't mind another hit of it at all.
Quote
Originally posted by: AdrockQuote
Kairon wrote:
The DS IS lacking in traditional RPGs isn't it? What does it have to compare to Valkyrie Profile?
Oh, that's unfair. VP was one of the very best RPGs that very few people played. Saying DS is lacking RPGs because it doesn't have one to compare to Valkyrie Profile of all games is f-ing nuts.
Also, I wouldn't call Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth a tradtional RPG which is probably why it was so good.
Hey, we don't give Sony a free pass for not having Zelda. Fair play and all that bit.
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: MaryJane on April 10, 2007, 03:13:11 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
Hey, we don't give Sony a free pass for not having Zelda. Fair play and all that bit.
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure is Sony's response to Zelda.
I posted about this game somewhere else, but it's a Zelda clone, and if I owned a PSP I think it would be a nice distraction until Phantom Hourglass comes out. If you watch the video review you'll see exactly how many Zelda elements make it into this game. Yet the game still manages to look entertaining.
