Kasavin Weighs In On PSP, DS Battle 54
Thanks to GameSpot for its Greg Kasavin-authored 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing comparisons between Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS handheld systems, in a piece subtitled: "Five Capital Letters, Two Little Systems, One Big Bloodbath". Kasavin points out: "It's very, very easy to jump on Sony's bandwagon... it's also very, very easy to root for the relative underdog that Nintendo's lately turned into. But... neither of these companies expects your loyalty or necessarily deserves it. They're both these big, huge Japanese firms designed to pull a serious profit year in and year out." The piece continues: "There's a lot of evidence to suggest that the Nintendo DS is a reactionary device that lacks focus", although concedes: "To be fair, Sony has also done its fair share of double-talking with respect to the PSP", before marginally favoring the PSP, "designed with an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mind-set." Elsewhere, Game Informer also weighs in, with a two-part series "analyzing the upcoming handhelds".
Re:Greg passed up on one point (Score:5, Insightful)
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" (Score:5, Insightful)
(I thought this analogy is the best way to express my oppinion on the subject)
Re:Greg passed up on one point (Score:3, Insightful)
From what I've seen (Score:5, Insightful)
Obviously the big issue will be what games are available for each system. This remains to be seen, but the backwards compatibility seems like a very big advantage for the DS. The DS will have a massive previous-generation game library, just as the PS2 does. This is less of an issue as a system reaches maturity, but it's important for a newly-launched system.
The other major issue is the price of each system. The DS will cost (so we've been told) $150. That's only $50 more than a GBA SP. The PSP will be priced around $250, resulting in significantly slower consumer uptake. Combined with the earlier launch date of the DS, the PSP will have a difficult time breaking into the market.
I think Sony would have done better to create a PSone-sized machine capable of playing PS1 and PS2 games, as well as audio CDs and DVDs. Sure, it couldn't really be considered a handheld system any more, and you'd need a carrying case for it, but they're trying to market the PSP as an all-in-one media player/game system. Why not make something that actually plays your media? Creating a new disc format specific to the PSP and only allowing it to play Sony's DRM-encumbered music files seems like a mistake to me.
On a not entirely related note, how many of you have thought about the possibility of running Linux on the DS? The features seem perfect for it. We just need a port.
DS isn't THAT original... (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally, I am looking forward to using it with a few strategy RPGs. I'd love a handheld version of Disgaea that's controlled with a stylus, but it doesn't look like I'll get it.
For me the most important feature would be Save to Memory, so that I can save a game at any point, and then resume it at my next journey.
Re:DS isn't THAT original... (Score:4, Insightful)
Missing One Important Point (Score:5, Insightful)
As usual, Nintendo, whatever else you say about the DS, has made a cheaper, virtually indestructible game device for kids with solid state, virtually indestructible game carts. We can all moan about carts, but parents love the sturdiness of the Nintendo line.
And according to the folks developing the hardware, the LCD element of the display will wear out before the touch screen does.
Smart money is on the DS for games, and the PSP as a mobile entertainment system for adults.
Honestly, it's only amongst monied geeks that these two platforms are going to compete for sales.
Re:um, neither? (Score:3, Insightful)
Furthermore, a GBA has less buttons than the NGage. While the GBA has almost TOO few buttons, the NGage's 12 buttons aren't conductive to gaming. They have neither a layout that would benefit gaming (buttons are usually aligned in a diamond shape or something exotic like the Gamecube's controls) nor are they easily told apart. Sure, two buttons are marked so you can identify them as important (at least if you know the meaning of the marking, a friend of mine tried an NGage and didn't figure out that the elevation of the 5 and 7 means something), but that's still not very intuitive.
The Gamecube, for example, has the buttons aligned ad shaped so A is clearly identified as the main button, when a new person tries a GC game, they instinctively press the A button first, then try the B button. With the NGage someone who has never seen the system before just looks at the keypad and wonders "what now?". The fact that only a few of these buttons are actually bound to an action doesn't help, either.
You may argue that the NGage is a piece of crap and ideed it is, but the keypad is forced upon it by its cellphone roots. Any cellphone would need it so you can use them with one hand and your SMS typing reflexes still work. Removing it would mean crippling the cell phone.
Who says that is has to be a battle? (Score:5, Insightful)
Personally, I'm looking forwards to both. My GBA and NGPC coexisted (and still do). I don't mind adding a PSP and DS to the mix. Probably won't happen because of the cost, but I'd like it.
There's a place for a Jeep Wrangler, and there's a place for a Chevrolet Corvette. One doesn't exactly take a signifigant number of sales away from the other.
Re:Greg passed up on one point (Score:2, Insightful)
I don't know if I'm the only one... (Score:3, Insightful)
But the reason I love my GBA so much is that it is not 3D. The PSP sounds really cool, looks slick, and if it can deal with the battery life issue (which I'm not sure they can with a spinning disk and laser), should be a winner. However, if most of the games are going to be just like my console games but on a smaller screen, who cares? I like the simplicity of the games I find on the GBA, especially considering when and how I use it.
Personally, I think I'm going to like the DS more, but I don't know if that's just the Nintendo fanboy in me. The question of who will win this war is still up in the air for me. While Nintendo has been challenged in the past, I don't think it's ever been by the likes of Sony. Most people I talk to just equate the Playstation to video games. They'll refer to any of the 3 consoles as a "Playstation". It's almost synonymous with gaming for most. Of course, these are not probably the people that will be buying a portable gaming system, so I'm not sure if Sony's "mindshare" will be enough to carry the PSP.