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Portables (Games) Microsoft

Microsoft Comments on DS vs. PSP Battle 53

Posted by Zonk from the sticking-their-noses dept.
geekboy_x writes "At the Halo launch event a senior Microsoft VP took time out to comment on the coming battle between the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP. In a nutshell, he thinks that Nintendo's domination of the handheld market will make this a rough go for Sony. He also, as is apparently required by Microsoft law, makes a candid yet derogatory comment about Linux." A more personal version of commentary made two days ago, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
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Microsoft Comments on DS vs. PSP Battle More

Microsoft Comments on DS vs. PSP Battle

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  • While I am not an xbox fan, even I have to admit more competition was good for sony and nintendo. I can only hope M$ release some handhelds in the future to push prices around some more.

  • Based on Bach's comment... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Donoho ( 788900 ) on Wednesday November 10, 2004 @12:33PM (#10778260) Homepage
    Moore pointed out the dominant position achieved by Nintendo in handheld gaming devices and said Sony's decision to enter the space would be "like developing your own little operating system and saying, 'Well, I'm going to challenge Windows.' "

    Nintendo better work to maintain what they've built instead of resting on their laurels, lest they give away the top spot, all while arrogantly berating the competition...
    • Moore pointed out the dominant position achieved by Nintendo in handheld gaming devices and said Sony's decision to enter the space would be "like developing your own little operating system and saying, 'Well, I'm going to challenge Windows.'
      You know, a few years back we would have said the same thing about Nintendo in the console market.
    • What planet are you from? Do your homework before posting next time. Nintendo is in no way "resting on their laurels". Which is proved by the fact that they made the DS better than the PSP in many ways. Go read up on this subject and come back later. You're just trolling and I guess I bit but oh well. I'll make the fanboys happy.
  • Well we all know microsoft is just going to release a notebook computer and say that it is a gaming system. I mean the Xbox was pretty much just a computer that had a controller interface right.

    Althought I am for more competition to bring down prices. The customer will be the winner if that happens.

  • We all know the DS and PSP are different (Score:5, Interesting)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday November 10, 2004 @12:46PM (#10778407) Homepage Journal

    Their prices are $100 apart and their capabilities are a generation apart, it's like comparing a N64 to a PS2. There is certainly overlap between their feature sets and markets but they're not really being sold into precisely the same area. I think there's room for both of them to do fine. Certainly I'm more excited about the DS right now, because I can almost afford one (I'll probably buy a PS2 first, though) and because more of them will be sold sooner, meaning the little chat program may actually be useful.

    • We have some DS's here at the office. We still just talk to each other.

      • Re:Chat program (Score:3, Interesting)

        by drinkypoo ( 153816 )
        I see it as a way to meet people, although it's going to be hard to meet anyone who isn't a child. Actually, that's a pretty scary potential problem with the chat system. Regardless I think it can be fun, and since it plays GBA games that's enough argument for me to own one. I'm still more interested in the PSP, but with my current financial status I'm more likely to buy a DS.
      • biased against Nintendo, XBox fan QA guy think of the thing?

        If we get flashable or writeable media that can access all of the hardware, I'm buying one. It has enough neat stuff in it it'd be damned fun to play with from a programming standpoint, and useful to boot.
        • Don't want to say too much yet. I promise to write something once it fully launched. And based on what I have seen so far, I'm going to wait until more than just the launch titles are out there to be as fair as Mike Hawk can be.
          • Yea not much coming out at launch, is there? On this, btw, I trust you to be mostly unbiased(since it's not Gamecube vs. XBox).

            Only things I'm really looking forward to are FF:CC and maybe Metroid Prime: Hunters(and those are still wait and see). Truth be told, I think it's a touchscreen testbed/feeler for their next console which also happens to double as a standalone unit.

            Thing has potential in a lot of ways, hopefully they utilize it for once. As I said before, if I can write software for it w/o all
      • We have some DS's here at the office. We still just talk to each other.

        I'm sure Nintendo would love to learn where you got those DS's so they can fine the store, since they're not even out for another 11 days.
        • Well, they sent them to us so we can test games for the system on them.
          • Have experienced any of the crashing described towards the end of this [geartest.com] article? I seriously doubt Nintendo would ship a system that crashed. Must be awesome getting to be one of the first to work on a new piece of hardware. Can you talk about what you're doing with it or what it's like to work with, or do you have to be hush hush?
    • Its worse than that, with current data. The prices are equal. PSP costs 19,800 yen, PS2 costs 19,800 yen, PS2 costs $150, PSP costs $___
  • Moore pointed out the dominant position achieved by Nintendo in handheld gaming devices and said Sony's decision to enter the space would be "like developing your own little operating system and saying, 'Well, I'm going to challenge Windows.' "
    That's funny on so many levels...
    • ""like developing your own little operating system and saying, 'Well, I'm going to challenge Windows.' "

      Except that the Game Boy doesn't... you know... suck.

      Personally, if I worked at Nintendo I'd be insulted by the comparison. :)
  • Is he recognizing the legitimacy of the PSP in the market in relation to Linux's legitimacy compared to Window's? Or is he just being an ass? (I believe this to be more likely ;) )
    • If I hadn't already posted in this thread, I would mod you up.

      candid yet derogatory

      -----

      candid
      adj.

      1. Free from prejudice; impartial.
      2. Characterized by openness and sincerity of expression; unreservedly straightforward: In private, I gave them my candid opinion. See Synonyms at frank1.
      3. Not posed or rehearsed: a candid snapshot.

      awesome

  • How does Microsoft's comments matter? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by vhold ( 175219 ) on Wednesday November 10, 2004 @01:18PM (#10778835)
    Are they just trying to cover up for the fact that it's a market they are too afraid to enter? They insinuate that this could weaken Sony's console dominance, but that just fundamentally doesn't make any sense. Sony can put something like PSP on indefinite life support, like they did with minidisc, if they need to.

    I think most telling is the statement that nobody has or will make a meaningful connection between console and handheld devices. I know it's a gamble to say it, but I think that's going to go down like one of those "640k is enough for everybody" type of statements that are seriously shortsighted. The integration angle is still relatively experimental.

    Right now, you've got the most marginalized console trying to perform handheld integration. The content, not technically, but philosophically, for this sort of thing flows more from the console market into the handheld then the other way around. Pokemon is a big exception to that, but it being only a single property with fairly uncompelling console counterparts to it's handheld juggernaut is a good example of why console->handheld integration is likely to be more popular.

    When the biggest console, Sony, starts integrating content to a handheld, it's going to be a different story on how profound the effect of console/handheld integration is. The first must have game with meaningful handheld integration could do incredible things for the PSP sales.

  • Moore pointed out the dominant position achieved by Nintendo in handheld gaming devices and said Sony's decision to enter the space would be "like developing your own little operating system and saying, 'Well, I'm going to challenge Windows.' "

    Linux doesn't challenge Windows:

    1. Windows challenges itself thanks to security flaws and viruses
    2. Linux doesn't challenge Windows, but rather replaces it.

    I also find it funny that the other 'little os' OS, Mac OS X, is ahead of the Windows curve.

    Not that the PSP is

  • I find it fascinating that MS would comment on the battle at all, and after reading the article I wonder if we'll see Halo for Nintendo DS.

    Sony has vast amounts of IP to throw at its new handheld, its not just a game system, it can play movies and cartoons. Parents (myself included) love the idea of a 'keep em quiet in the car' device, and I see Sony being able to position themselves in that market strongly.
    • Parents (myself included) love the idea of a 'keep em quiet in the car' device

      Question for you. Since the US release price will prolly be at around $200, compared to finding a used original GBA for $30, a new SP for $80, and the DS for $150, do you really see yourself spending 200 for a system that will admitedly likely last only about 2 hours (maybe up to 6), compared to minimums of 6 for the DS an 10 for the SP?

      A few things that people don't realize.

      1) Most Gameboy games since 1989 have a unique fea

  • He's partly right though (Score:3, Insightful)

    by AvantLegion ( 595806 ) on Wednesday November 10, 2004 @02:49PM (#10779831) Journal
    Even if he's "-1, Troll"-ing, the guy's partly right.

    It WILL be a rough go for Sony and the PSP. They have a fantastic piece of hardware, but they are having problems keeping it powered, and they're entering a market used to a specific vendor whose products are strong at what the PSP is currently weak at.

    MS knows what entering a gaming market late is like. The Xbox is a superb piece of hardware, easily superior to the competition, but gaining acceptance has been an uphill battle the whole way. Some brilliant moves (like Xbox Live) have helped along the way, but they have had to fight the whole way.

    I want a PSP a lot more than a DS because of the game lineup and the beautiful wide screen. But, I'm not a Sony fanboy that thinks it's just going to waltz in and destroy the competition. The days of a single dominant provider in a gaming market are numbered. The next console generation will be a LOT closer, and Nintendo isn't going to have total free reign of handhelds anymore.

    • "The next console generation will be a LOT closer"
      Why? What evidence do you have of this?

      I can't believe this got modded up. Not only do you not quantify what you mean by "a lot closer" [what? Nintendo will have 33%, MS 33% and Sony 33% of the market?] but you also offer no reasons behind this impending change.

  • This comment doesn't really seem that relevant: "In a nutshell, he thinks that Nintendo's domination of the handheld market will make this a rough go for Sony."

    Atari once held the entire market. Then it was Intellivision vs. Atari vs. Colecovision and Intellivision seemed to have it. Remember when Nintendo was the system to have (even when Sega was out...we don't hear that name much anymore). What's this? Sony Playstation is the thing to have now! Of course, we're seeing this split between PS2, GameCube

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