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Portables (Games) Toys Entertainment Games

Sony Delays PSP To 2005 255

Posted by simoniker from the xmas-present-list-redrafting-in-order dept.
An anonymous reader writes "CNN Money's Game Over column is reporting that Sony has delayed the launch of the PSP handheld gaming system in the U.S. until it has a 'reasonable amount' of titles to launch with the system. This will push the PSP to 2005 in the States, giving Nintendo free reign in the holiday season - as well as a possible headstart for the Nintendo DS." Some earlier reports had indicated the PSP was due to launch worldwide in November 2004.
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Sony Delays PSP To 2005 More

Sony Delays PSP To 2005

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  • Great (Score:5, Funny)

    by crumbz ( 41803 ) <<remove_spam>jus ... o spam>gmail,com> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:34PM (#8391856) Homepage
    I wonder if this pushes back the PS9 to 2034. I mean, c'mon, I saw the commercials for that over a year and a half ago.

  • PSP? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Dark Lord Seth ( 584963 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:34PM (#8391857) Journal

    When did Sony buy out Jasc software and aquire Paint Shop pro? ... Oh! Playstation... Erm... ... Is this the way out?

  • PS3 (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Space cowboy ( 13680 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:36PM (#8391885) Journal
    Let's just hope this doesn't fortell a delay in the PS3 then :-(

    Simon

    • Re:PS3 (Score:5, Interesting)

      by aliens ( 90441 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:38PM (#8391931) Homepage Journal
      I hope so, maybe by the time PS3 comes out I can afford a HDTV that will actually make getting a PS3 worth while.

    • Re:PS3 (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Thedalek ( 473015 )
      Actually, I suspect it means that the PS3 has been bumped up in the schedule, and may be unveiled earlier now.

    • Re:PS3 (Score:5, Funny)

      by Trejkaz ( 615352 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:56PM (#8392142) Homepage
      Why buy a PS3 when only a few years later, PS4 will be released?

    • Re:PS3 (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Quarters ( 18322 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @07:30PM (#8392904)
      Why would it be so bad if the PS3 was delayed? Is there some *huge* need for it to be relased now? The PS2 is selling like gangbusters and it has a huge (and growing) library of outstanding games. Games that are the 3rd, 4th, even 5th generation PS2 games from some devs. Those devs have a HUGE knowledge base about how to milk every last bit of performance out of the PS2 to make the most interesting and graphically complex games they can.

      Remember the games available when the PS2 first hit? How about, "Fantavision", anyone? 1st gen console titles are for suck most times. They devs are still using the half finished and lack luster vendor supplied libraries, they're pressed for time because they want their game to be available at launch--since that usually guarantees a sale, and they don't have any institutional knowledge on the hardware. Ergo they cut corners and drop features just to get the game done.

      Consoles are always better after they've been out for a couple of years.

  • If it's portable... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by SharpFang ( 651121 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:36PM (#8391899) Homepage Journal
    can we really call it a PlayStation???

  • Actually... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by josh glaser ( 748297 )
    ...I doubt we'll see a 2004 release date for Nintendo's DS, either. Nintendo is infamous for delaying it's release dates (remember when they repeatedly clamed, even towards late 2000, that the Gamecube would see a simultaneous worldwide launch by the holidays? It was released late 2001.) And, I don't think Nintendo ever said that the DS would see a 2004 launch (though I could be wrong) to begin with...

    • Re:Actually... (Score:5, Informative)

      by MysteriousMystery ( 708469 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:56PM (#8392143)
      I work in the games industry, Nintendo NEVER claimed that. The Dolphin as it was called at the time (based on the ATI "flipper" chip was always planned for a release around 2001. The system was first shown off at Spaceworld 2000 and before that had a tenative release date of 2001.

  • DS not meant as competition to the PSP? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by funny-jack ( 741994 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:37PM (#8391912) Homepage
    If I'm not mistaken, didn't Nintendo say that the DS was not meant to be vying for the same market as the PSP, but rather there would be a new Gameboy to do that?

    • Re:DS not meant as competition to the PSP? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by bonch ( 38532 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:15PM (#8392314)
      Here's hoping the next Gameboy is a handheld Gamecube-based system with a cartridge slot for older Gameboy games...seriously, that'd be the ultimate Gameboy for me.

    • Re:DS not meant as competition to the PSP? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by MysteriousMystery ( 708469 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:15PM (#8392315)
      The DS is a companion product to the GameCube and Gameboy lines and isn't the "next generation" gameboy. Nintendo will probably wait out the GBA a bit longer before releasing a new system. The thing a lot of people here seem to be forgetting about how Nintendo became so domainant to begin with in handhelds is that the Gameboy has backward compatibility. The GameBoy Advance SP can play games I bought 15 years ago for the original Gameboy in most cases without a hitch (yes, a few games have bugs when running on GBAs).

      • Re:DS not meant as competition to the PSP? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by freeweed ( 309734 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @07:16PM (#8392793)
        The thing a lot of people here seem to be forgetting about how Nintendo became so domainant to begin with in handhelds is that the Gameboy has backward compatibility.

        Nintendo had cemented their ownership of the handheld market many, many years before "backwards compatibility" was even thought up. By the time the Gameboy Color came out (let alone the GBA), Nintendo had been the only serious player for ... well, forever in the gaming industry. 9 years spans 2 or 3 generations of consoles.

        Backwards compatibility may have helped GBA sales somewhat, but don't kid yourself. Nintendo would still own the handheld market even if you couldn't play your 15 year old games on it.
    • At this point, it doesn't look like the DS is competition to much of anything.

  • I think it's due to the DS (Score:5, Insightful)

    by pudge_lightyear ( 313465 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:39PM (#8391936) Homepage
    Nintendo clearly was launching the DS when they were to take the attention away from the PSP... even if the DS doesn't succeed, the PSP would not have gotten all of the news (or attention). It was simply a marketing strategy designed to steal the PSP's initial thunder.

    I think that the reason they are delaying is that by the new release date, the DS will be out for a couple of months... therefore, the DS will quiet down enough for Sony to get the media coverage they desire again.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo delays the DS launch as a result.

    • Problem with waiting though... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by fireduck ( 197000 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:51PM (#8392085)
      The problem with holding out to release the PSP months after the DS is that they risk losing big time. Consider the current console situation. PS2 makes it to market months before the other 2 systems and completely solidifies itself as the #1. microsoft and nintendo don't even come close.

      This situation is kinda the flipside. Nintendo dominates the handheld market. When they release the DS they will have a huge number of developers lined up to release titles, because they already have a huge number of developers working on the GBA. DS comes out first, people jump all over it (as this is nintendo's #1 specialty), and who's going to want to buy a PSP a few months down the line after you've already invested in several games for your DS? granted, there's always be the cutting edge geeks who have money to burn, but parent's aren't going to want to shell out money for another system when little johnny just got a DS just 3 months ago.

      • Re:Problem with waiting though... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by grungebox ( 578982 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:57PM (#8392155) Homepage
        The PS2 had over 13 months (well, 13 months and a day) lead time over its competitors. That's a long time to build a user base. Also, the PS2 was a big technological leap from the PS1, while the DS seems more gimmicky than anything else. It doesn't/probably won't have the same momentum going for it as the PS2 did entering its launch date. You make a good point, but I'm not inclined to agree with you.
        • True. We know next to nothing about the DS and I agree it does sound gimmicky. However, nintendo seems to have a knack with handhelds, so I'd be willing to give them more benefit of the doubt in this arena compared to traditional consoles. (random amazing compatibility fact: was in a friends car he recently bought used and found an old color gameboy cartridge in the backseat; spyhunter/moonpatrol. took it home and it actually working in my GBA.)

          By holding out for more games at launch, Sony may be help
        • I have one word for you: Dreamcast.

          Lead time alone does not a succesful console make.

          • I have four words for you: almost any other console.

            Atari's 2600, Nintendo's NES, Nintendo's Gameboy, Sega's Genesis, Sony's Playstation, the PS2...

            Almost (but not quite) every console generation has been dominated by the first to market system. Doesn't guarantee anything, but historically the trend has always been that way, until Sega fumbled the ball.
            • Actually, the Saturn had 6 months on the PS1. And the Sega Master System had 3 or 4 months on the NES. It seems to me that the only common thread here is Sega. :) Dreamcast 4 evr.
              • the Sega Master System had 3 or 4 months on the NES

                Why do people keep repeating this on Slashdot?

                Nintendo took a very famous gamble releasing the NES in North America. At the time, the home console market had been almost dead for a couple of years, and most people were of the opinion that the videogame "fad" was over. When the NES was initially released, everyone thought Nintendo was crazy. Only once the NES had shown that home videogames could once again be profitable did Sega release their system. This
            • Not so fast there, bucko... the Atari 2600 wasn't first to market. It was superceded by another cartridge based system, the Fairchild Channel F, by about a year.

              Further still, Sega's Saturn was released months before the Playstation.

              If you asked me, its all about a combination of voodoo, karma, and luck when releaseing a new console.

      • "The problem with holding out to release the PSP months after the DS is that they risk losing big time. Consider the current console situation. PS2 makes it to market months before the other 2 systems and completely solidifies itself as the #1."

        Consider the Genesis, which had quite a bit of time to dominate the market before the SNES came out.

  • hopefully they'll revise the cost figures too.... (Score:5, Informative)

    by smd4985 ( 203677 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:39PM (#8391941) Homepage
    one good thing is that the price of the PSP at launch probably goes down as the launch date is delayed. i really hope sony doesn't try to throw the kitchen sink into the PSP - it should be a videogame system and nothing else. there is no need for an N-Gage 2.

  • Marketing hype? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by bc90021 ( 43730 ) * <bc90021.bc90021@net> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:41PM (#8391961) Homepage
    Sony: Oh, yeah, it won't be ready until 2005...

    Customers: Groan...

    Fast Forward to Deceber 5, 2004

    Sony: Oh, btw, the PSP is for sale now, at $20 more than we thought...

    Customers: Quick! Run to the stores!

    Since this is supposed to be the "Walkman of the 21st Century [cnn.com]", and will have USB, memory stick technology, etc., it seems unlikely that "waiting for games" is a valid reason not to release it when they said they would. They may be having problems, or may be trying to stir up demand. I'm guessing the latter.

  • Has to be better than... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Chris_Stankowitz ( 612232 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:43PM (#8391989)
    Has to be better than releasing it and having to listen to hordes of fans say, "yea, its aight, but aint' got no games". We have all seen lack of games or even lack of good games hurt gaming systems in the past. Want a nice protable gaming system, wait a few years when the price of palm-tops drop. I'll be playing Drug Wars in color baby! heh

  • Haven't been paying much attention (Score:3, Interesting)

    by stratjakt ( 596332 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:44PM (#8392002) Journal
    I thought the PSP as a portable PSX, and played PSX titles.. Guess not, that would have been cool.

    I guess it's another cartridge based handheld for GameBoy to lay waste to. I seriously doubt it will succeed where Lynx, GameGear, Nomad, TGXpress, NeoGeo Pocket, Game.com, and now NGage have failed.

    But I would have bought a handheld PSX. Maybe PSX hardware is just too easy to hack?
    • Its actually more powerful than a PSX. It uses (for obvious reasons!) a kind-of minidisc media, rather than a CD.
    • The PSP uses new special discs (I believe they are the same size as GCN discs and mini-cd's) that can only be read on the PSP.

      What does this mean?

      PSP is not just a video game system, it's an opportunity to sell music and movies on yet another physical media format. Way to go, Sony.

      And the battery life will be teh short.

      The delay to 2005 doesn't faze me at all, as I probably won't own one of these bad boys until 2006 at the earliest, unless Sony is planning on a much, much lower price point than I am ex
    • Well, you would have to consider the fact that if that was true, then they would have to re-release all the PS1 games so that the discs would not be full 120mm, and instead be the compact version.

      Unless they make something awesome like the Sony D-88 Discman [pocketcalculatorshow.com], which was the size of an 80mm disc, but had a sliding mechanism so that it could play a 120mm disc outside of its casing (though making it totally immobile)

  • DS2? DS3!! (Score:4, Funny)

    by hoggoth ( 414195 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:53PM (#8392112) Journal
    SONY can easily counter Nintendo's DS2 with their own DS3. See, it's got one more. It's better.



    (seriously the DS2 is the lamest idea I've heard in a long time)

  • If you can't wait ... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by rholliday ( 754515 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:54PM (#8392125) Homepage Journal
    There's already a Playstation Portable. Homemade [classicgaming.com].

    He also makes all sorts of other portables. Check it out. [classicgaming.com]

  • They all do this (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Zed2K ( 313037 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:55PM (#8392131)
    Bah, this is nothing new. Every console gives this excuse. It doesn't really mean they'll have more launch titles. I bet it still only launches with 10 or so games.

  • It has to be said. (Score:3, Funny)

    by knarfling ( 735361 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:57PM (#8392148) Journal
    It is only a matter of time before someone says it.

    • Train Station - a place where trains stop.
    • Bus Station - a place where buses stop.
    • Work Station - a place where work stops??
    • Play Station - a place where play stops??

  • Nintendo is staying on top. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by SphericalCrusher ( 739397 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:58PM (#8392163) Journal
    Personally, I think the Nintendo DS will out perform the PSP even if the two were released at the same date (or even if the PSP was released a few months before). Nonetheless, the Nintendo DS won't have to get delayed because of a lack of games, because Nintendo is all about it's gaming lineup.

    While Sony is wondering "Damn. How the hell are we going to get GTA3 on this handheld...??" Nintendo is off laughing at them while far in the lead.

    The reason main Nintendo is doing as good as they are is because of the games -- not the system specs of their consoles. Catch them if you can Sony, Nintendo can only release more games, downshift, and take off. They have been doing this for years and will continue to do it.
    • I may get modded into oblivion here, but I just have to say something.

      the Nintendo DS won't have to get delayed because of a lack of games, because Nintendo is all about it's gaming lineup.

      Now I like Nintendo as much as the next guy, but lack of library has been cited as one of their biggest downfalls in recent years. The N64 never got the 3rd party support that it needed, it launched late (compared to the PS1) and had a pretty thin library ?)(Mario 64, Pilot Wings, Waverace, and Shadows of the Empire,

    • Re:Nintendo is staying on top. (Score:5, Informative)

      by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:25PM (#8393340) Homepage Journal
      On the other hand, the GBA SP is basically equivalent to a really high speed super nintendo. Its graphics capabilities are even similar. I can only imagine that developers of the really complicated titles must be insanely competent programmers to wring much performance out of that little thing, but it is sufficient to implement pretty much anything that will work on its low-resolution display except complicated three dimensional graphics. (I imagine though that you could make voxels look pretty nice.)

      Meanwhile the PSP has two processors based on an R4000 core, each at 333MHz. Compare this to a Sony Playstation [slashdot.org] with a single R3000 at 33.8688 MHz (30 MIPS, bus bandwidth 132 Mb/sec), Sega Saturn [retrofaction.com] with two Hitachi SuperH (SH-2) at 28.6 MHz (each 25 MIPS Plus 22.6MHz Yamaha FH1 24-bit DSP and a couple of video processor chips, and just for giggles, Playstation 2 [pcvsconsole.com] which is harder to quantify from specifications but its Emotion Engine [arstechnica.com] based around a 2-issue 128 bit MIPS design with 3.2GB/sec bandwidth to main memory, not to mention the couple of vector coprocessors more powerful (though less general-purpose) than the core. Oh yeah, and the same R3000 core (or something programatically the same) as the Playstation is tucked in there too. But, I digress. The PSP is slightly like a baby PS2. It has only one vector unit, but it still has one. The clock rate is basically the same (slightly higher, but not really worth mentioning) as a PS2. It should be a powerhouse of a system. My only regret is that it will probably be locked down pretty tight and I hate to support that kind of thing.

      Nonetheless the PSP is a kind of revolution that puts it dramatically beyond today's handhelds, as today's handhelds are ahead of, well, some of the old handhelds. (You would have a hard time convincing me that a GBA is really that much better than a Turbo Express, for example, or even a Lynx, except for form factor.) Of course GBA is not a speed demon, but it wasn't trying to be. However the fact that the GBA SP is so wildly successful in spite of its lack of power does not show that there is not a market for a more expensive device that does it all. After all, Gamecube and Playstation 2 are both still doing quite well.

    • Ahem (Score:5, Insightful)

      by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:00PM (#8393571) Homepage
      I'd like to point out that people's main complaints about the Lynx and Game Gear was not a lack of good games (GG Sonic was a great ride), but about the quickly eaten battery life. After just 2 hours of play, your 5 dollar pack of AA batteries was gone, and you had little recourse but to buy more. A Game Boy could go for 10 hours on those same batteries... And would ensure that you spent more money on games than on Duracells. The second largest complaint was the cost of the systems. The Nomad was an awesome machine with the Genesis' entire library as a weapon, but at a hair over 200 dollars it was too much for the schoolchildren market to support.

      Really, Nintendo's portables are in the place they are because Nintendo understands the market. They know that portable systems are sold to people who don't drive, don't work, and don't pay attention in class. They know that they need to keep costs down as much as possible, while still providing a comparatively passable gaming experience. Ruggedness beats elegance, satisfaction must be instant.

      If it really was "all about" Nintendo's gaming lineup, the '64 and the 'Cube would have a much larger marketshare. Nintendo follows fundamentally the same strategy with all of their consoles. But their positioning of the GB, GBP, GBC, and the GBA in the market is truly exceptional, and a lesson that no other system manufacturer has yet to learn.

      Sony is truly venturing into unmarked territory here with a $200 system for the 20+ crowd. GTA3 on that thing would be a AAA seller, and don't delude yourself into thinking Pokemon Chartreuse will stop that. Obviously it won't be competing to get under the desks of kids saving up their lunch money for a gaming fix, but not because Nintendo has better games.

  • Quote from Reuters... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Metroid72 ( 654017 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:00PM (#8392183)
    According to: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=tech nologyNews&storyID=4438857

    "Analysts have seen the PSP as a potential rival to Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s dominant Game Boy handheld player, Nokia's N-Gage wireless gaming device and Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod and iTunes music download service."

    Let me seee... the PSP is supposed to compete in:
    1. The portable videogame market (mass price point $99, that requires a solid library of games, and a device that can potentially be used by people from all ages without breaking).
    2. The not-so-popular market of cell phone + videogame device. (
    3. The Portable Music player (that currently is led by a company that not only has improved the online music business (through a store that supposedly can barely break even), but considers these devices as an entry level computer to entice potential costumers into their other product lines.

    PEOPLE.... Just looking at how segmented each market is, I think that If Sony can launch this utopic product at a reasonable price point (which seems to be $199) consumers WILL benefit.

    HOWEVER, a more realistic approach will be to release a videogame device (as a core), with the potential to have phone modules (don't ask me) or mass storage for MP3's, movies, etc (Memory sticks??, PSP-Disks???).

    Otherwise I rather keep my GBA (or GBA2) rather than buy an overpriced device, that is neither a good phone, neither nor a good MP3 player and that because of this, doesn't have a decent games library.

    Any ideas?

  • Wise move (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Dark Paladin ( 116525 ) * <jhummel&johnhummel,net> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:01PM (#8392200) Homepage
    Right now, the Gameboy Advance system has a huge advantage: library of titles. From turn based strategy games to action, role playing and "quirky" like "WarioWare Megagames Inc", the GBA has just about any toe to toe battle locked up. It's cheap (under $100), batteries last a long time, and a huge library.

    Sony has to realize this after seeing the #1 reason why the PS2 kicked the pants off the Xbox: library. Is the later a more powerful system? For the most part, sure - it's hard to argue otherwise. But when you're a gamer looking at 200+ titles including all the PSOne games and built in DVD play as opposed to less titles (and a lower number of prime choice - I'd say 5-10 on the Xbox I'd want to have opposed to 20-40 on the PS2), you've won the battle.

    So for Sony to delay the PSP in the US is a good idea. Let the Japanese market "beta test" it, shake out the issues, then go the big market with guns ablazing. By then enough Japanese developers can make their games and have the additional 6 months to pick and choose the good ones to port to the North American market.

    Otherwise, they'll just be another N-Gage - an expensive toy that doesn't justify the high cost.

    • Re:Wise move (Score:5, Interesting)

      by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @07:45PM (#8393027) Homepage Journal
      The NGage isn't flopping because of a lack of titles, although that's a contributing factor. The NGage is flopping because it's a crappy handheld and an even crappier phone. That's not even a fusion, it's a mixture. Let's see, we'll have a handheld whose battery you have to remove to change games, and it'll be a cellphone too, so you can even lose your cell connection every time you want to change a game! The thing looks ok I guess but it doesn't feel very good. In general, it sucks. And holding that fucking thing up to my head? No thanks. I'd rather have one of those old ass motorolas that were about the size of a cheap sci-fi hardcover cut in half. They gave you brain cancer but at least they had range. The little suppository-shaped siemens (h0 h0) phone I have now has none to speak of.

      If the N-Gage did everything Sony's PSP does including looking like something that I wouldn't be embarrassed to carry around, it would be a steal at twice the price given that it's a tri-band phone. However it doesn't, so it isn't. Hell, it's not worth what it costs now. Maybe in a few years someone will hack them and get them to communicate phone to phone without cell sites (is that even possible? I could make up a bullshit argument for yea or nay I think, but I don't really know how flexible their hardware is) and then they'll be fun toys but right now I would be a lot more excited by a GBA SP with a headphone jack.

  • Cool bundle deal (Score:5, Funny)

    by 77Punker ( 673758 ) <spencr04.highpoint@edu> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:03PM (#8392223)
    Looks like it'll come bundled with its own version of Duke Nukem Forever!

  • Hold on a second... more games available?? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Psykechan ( 255694 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:06PM (#8392253)
    If the PSP was supposed to be able to run (with slight modification) the original Playstation games, why do they need to wait for more titles. Why can't the just bring it to market with a several dozens or so of the best PS games and a handful of new ones? It worked for the GBA.

    I think the delay is due to it's cost. Sony still has to find a way to cut down the price. The delay won't help the numbskull customers at the local game store who have been insisting that the PSP is out in Japan though. This just gives Sony more mindless hype time.
  • I cannot wait until Nintendo get some real competition. Gameboy has had too long a monopoly on the handheld gaming industry.

    It took them god knows how many years before they released the GB advanced. With a push from Sony PSP, consumers can leapfrog straight to PS1 quality games and force Nintendo to be the "low end" of the market.

    • Re:Hope Nintendo Monopoly dies (Score:5, Insightful)

      by MMaestro ( 585010 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:00PM (#8393121)
      I cannot wait until Nintendo get some real competition. Gameboy has had too long a monopoly on the handheld gaming industry.

      Some of the Gameboy's biggest competitors in handheld gaming history :

      Game Gear. Produced by Sega. Had a COLOR SCREEN back when the Gameboy was still in black and white. Blew away, burned, and then buried the Gameboy in terms of graphics. Currently discontinued.

      The Wonderswan Color. Recieved Final Fantasy remakes. Nuff said. Was never released outside of Japan. End of story.

      The NeoGeo Pocket. Produced by SNK. Had back-lit screen, a little joystick instead of a D-pad (FINALLY), and shipped with wonderful games like Metal Slug. Currently discontinued but you can still buy them in special packages at local video game stores.

      I'm sorry, real competition? They went up against Sega (gotta love that historic rivalry) and SNK. Now they're going up against Sony. Wtf do you wanna see Nintendo go up against? A Microsoft handheld?

  • Hmm (Score:5, Interesting)

    by 88NoSoup4U88 ( 721233 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:16PM (#8392321)
    Afaik, aren't most of the games on the PSP going to be ported PS1 games ?
    Ifso, the statement 'until it has a 'reasonable amount' of titles to launch with the system' does not make too much sense imo : Or the porting itself is having problems : In which case the delay can have hardware problems as the cause.

    Not seeing any conspiracies here, just seems a bit odd to me : Looking forward to this handheld beats though :)

    • Re:Hmm (Score:3, Informative)

      by cgenman ( 325138 )
      Different processors, [ign.com] different architecture. [gamefaqs.com] They probably will be seeing lots of ports of PS1 and PS2 games, but none of that translation will be mechanical. One contains a 33 MHz R3000A, while the other contains a pair of R4000s at 333 MHz. One has a math co-proc capable of 66 MIPS, the other a whopping 2.6 Gigaflops. The PSP's graphics card is theoretically 100 times as powerful as the Ps1's (not counting screen size differences), and there is 3x the available memory.

      Honestly, this thing beats the

  • What really happened (Score:5, Funny)

    by Paladine97 ( 467512 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @06:50PM (#8392564) Homepage
    Dear Sony,

    Hi. We like the PSP. But to coincide with your request that we port all our classics to the PSP so that you can actually sell one, we're going to need a bit more time.

    Love,

    Square Enix

  • This jibes with (Score:3, Informative)

    by code shady ( 637051 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @07:29PM (#8392892) Homepage
    a little rumour piece I read in game informer magazine (http://www.gameinformer.com).
    It mentioned that several developers did not find the system easy to work with and thus there would not be that many titles available for launch.

    On an unrelated note, GI is a pretty cool mag. I got it for free with that stupid EB card discount thingie, and it is usually full of good stuff. Its the only "game" magazine that i acutally enjoy reading.

  • 3D on the small screen? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by doubleyewdee ( 633486 ) <wd@NosPam.telekinesis.org> on Thursday February 26, 2004 @01:01AM (#8394865) Homepage
    Something I've noticed is that these discussions of the PSP (which inevitably lead to discussions about the PSP vs. the GB(A/SP)) leave out the issue of how well complex 3D games are even going to play on a small screen at a low resolution. Games like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D played really well at 320x240, but moving into the realm of stuff like Quake the minimum reasonable resolution was really 640x480. Nowadays people want to play their games at 1024x768 or higher. Even NTSC television has a higher resolution than the PSP. So to the heart of it: are 3D games even going to be very playable at a lower resolution on a tiny screen?

    As it is I definitely have to sit closer to the TV playing current-generation 3D games. With complicated (and smalll!) menus and instructional text, not to mention tiny objects which are not all that noticeable even on a regular television I can't imagine the frustration of playing these kinds of games with a handheld, in potentially bad lighting, with hordes of surrounding visual distractions (if I play a portable, it's in a car/bus/train, or somewhere else in public).

    So, that being said.. if the PSP comes out with a big library of 3D games ported from the PS/PS2, I think it may suffer a nasty fate. Nintendo has a huge 2D library, Sony has/licenses enough 2D games to maybe take two hands to count. 2D games to me seem much easier to play (in general) than 3D games in a visually restrictive environment, and I'm not going to buy a PSP if/until I find it playable and it has a good library. One or both of those things might not even occur. I think people without unlimited pockets will hold out for good titles at least, things which make sense to play in limited time frames. Sony may fall victim to the industry shift to "nothing but 3D," and "let's make games more complicated." It will be an interesting event, if nothing else.
    • That's definitely something we're going to have to keep in mind. Even if you take a look at the GBA ports of SNES games(say the Mario series), you'll notice that they had to make changes to compensate for the smaller screen size. HUDs are the primary problem, since they need to be text readable, so as a result, games like Super Mario Bros. 3 for the GBA shipped with a HUD that was both relatively larger, and had some things cut.

      The net effect of this is that you're losing more screen real estate on top of

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