So, who is buying a PSP tomorrow (UK release day)?

[AlBDamned]

It's in the news, it's on BBC and Sony are saying it's going to dominate. GAME has sold out, even my old flatmate rang me last night to ask where her friend could buy one from and 'would they be sold out'!

The question is, is it hype, or will there actually be an iBook stampede-like occasion with people wetting themselves to get their hands on Sony's little black wonder-machine ( ;) ).

I've had one for about a month with Ridge Racer (superb) and Dead To Rights (Ok, but iffy camera and controls and not enough weapons) and think it's great, who in the UK will be queuing tomorrow (at 8am or whatever?!).

[Dagless]

oh this is england, pip pip. we do things more reserved here.

Gamestation in Manchester have sold out of PSP's... or they had 3 left a week ago. but then i found out that Gamestation only got about 100 or so.

Game havent got that many pre-orders. could be cuz they were charging waaay more... could be that people who wanted a portable PS2 have already imported (its cheaper)...

I was looking at them thinking i wanted one. but the price pushed me back. its either £175 or £205 (forget which) for the value pack... i mean... for a handheld! no.
not until its under £100 for me. and when its that price they should have some good games out.

iWait. iWait with Advance Wars DS.

[beige matchbox]

*shrug*

PSP offers nothing very interesting, neither does the DS for that matter, pretty much the same old games with updated graphics :rolleyes: ok, so the DS has warioware and the like, that held my attention for 10mins in a store playing on their demo machine

I'll stick to my GBA with afterburner backlight, even if the case is translucent pink :o lol



Having said that, it could be interesting to see what they do with any sort of link between PSP and the PS3, and Rev' with the DS

[tdhurst]

Too few games, too short of battery life. Great idea, but a GameBoy DS or Advance is still the way to go for portable gaming...

[greatdevourer]

Too few games, too short of battery life. Great idea, but a GameBoy DS or Advance is still the way to go for portable gaming... It also costs twice the price, which is just extortionate

[AlBDamned]

LOL, so nobody is actually buying one then... general consensus is overpriced, lack of killer games and the DS has it beat.

It will still sell by the bucket-load I'm guessing.

[GFLPraxis]

Considering that the DS is outselling the PSP four-to-one in Japan, we'll see about them bucketloads...

[AlBDamned]

Considering that the DS is outselling the PSP four-to-one in Japan, we'll see about them bucketloads...


Yes, the DS is outselling the PSP in the US and Asia, but we're talking several million Vs 4x Several million, so 'selling by the bucketloads' will still likely ring true over here as well. Praxis, I know the mere mention of the PSP gets your blood boiling but please, give it a rest.

[GFLPraxis]

NP I have no intention of starting a debate here.

[Dagless]

whats got my goat is in Game the PSP section is 2 shelves, whilst the DS only has 1, GBA with 1 too.

now. dont get me wrong. but what has the PSP done to deserve that? its got less games, it costs more, its sold less units worldwide.

sony really are pushing the PSP in Europe. just a shame everyone has a DS. the way a lot of my mates see it is tomorrow they could either get a PSP with no games, or Advance Wars DS, Kirby, Nintendogs, and another 3-4 other games for the same price.

the words missing and boat come to mind.

[emotion]

now. dont get me wrong. but what has the PSP done to deserve that? its got less games, it costs more, its sold less units worldwide.

sony really are pushing the PSP in Europe.

If they were *really* pushing the PSP they release it at a reasobale price that makes people like me ignore its limitations :).

I'd quite like a nice handheld gaming machine but not at that kinda money, unless it contained a 4GB HD

[Cfly]

i bought mine when it launched in canada on march 24th and i am very happy with it.

i like alot of the games and watching family guy and tv shows i download on it is sweet.

alot of the games coming in the future look pretty sweet as well.

[PixelFactory]

While the PSP has been outsold by the DS 2 to 1 in Japan, it is almost dead even in the states even with the DS six month lead.

Link (http://biz.gamedaily.com/features.asp?article_id=10257&section=feature&email=)

The PSP is selling well. It gets more shelf space for two reasons. 1. More content. Yes, movies do count. 2. Sony clout. I think it is only a matter of time before the PSP outsells the DS in the states. Especially when some of the key apps are released (Madden, Grand Theft Auto, Burnout, SOCOM, Winning Eleven, Splinter Cell).

[AlBDamned]

At £179 for the 'value' pack, it is pricey. I would not want to be a parent with a couple of kids, begging me for it at Christmas. Considering it's being billed as 'the must have' Christmas gift. Ouch.

Saying that though, when you look at compared to other similarly priced consumer electronics like an iPod (just an example), plenty of people do spend that sort of money (and a whole lot more) on these sort of things. I'm not sure its targeted properly at that price, but it will sell at that price, just maybe not as much as it could do.

[TheGimp]

Who says PSP has fewer good games - or games period - than the DS? If you go to gamespot.com or IGN.com, among several other major review sites, you'll notice that they all seem to agree that the DS offers very few must-have games.

Nintendogs looks neat, but even its most effervescent reviewers admit that it is great fun only in very small doses. Advance wars seems like a good game, but the graphics look terrible. As a fan of Lumines on the PSP, Meteos seems like a must-have. And Mario 64 - been there, done that. A few extra stars does not a new game make.

Wipeout Pure, for example, on the PSP is much more than a remake. Only a few tracks from earlier editions have been included, these being graphically redesigned. The rest are original, as is the music.

Am I supposed to believe that a predominantly late teen and adult macrumors crowd is really excited about Mario Kart, when Burnout Legends ships for the PSP in a few weeks?

If you need your platformers, get a GBA and forget the DS with its Metroid #$% tease. The PSP isn't really worth it unless you actually play games on the go, not on your couch, though it's great for watching movies in a public restroom when you need a quick "fix". I'm surpised that alone hasn't sold more "units".

[shadowmoses]

What makes a 20gb iPod at £209 better value than a £179 PSP value pack??

The only thing that is better value about the iPod is the 20gb Hard Drive, the PSP has a beautiful widescreen, and many functions from gaming and videos to jukebox.....Whereas the iPod has a 65,000 colour screen and 2 functions; music and photos.....

I am not flaming the iPod but I am trying to make a point that for £179 the PSP is not extortionate when you take into account the machine must be costing Sony alot to make and they surely do not have a huge profit margin on the PSP, they are trying to recoup on games...

You have to take account what the PSP can do;
-Games
-Photos
-Videos
-Music
-Web browser

And as for battery life today i was on a 2 hour flight with my PSP playing virtua tennis most the way and i had been using the PSP in the train to the airport and my battery only dropped down to 82%.....The battery is not as bad as people make out it can easily last up to 10 hours and replacements can be purchased cheaply...

Anyway advice to people planning to buy a PSP, only buy if you know you are going to use it, don't impulse buy or you will be dissapointed, not initially because it is stunning,

ShadOW

[GFLPraxis]

What makes a 20gb iPod at £209 better value than a £179 PSP value pack??

The only thing that is better value about the iPod is the 20gb Hard Drive, the PSP has a beautiful widescreen, and many functions from gaming and videos to jukebox.....Whereas the iPod has a 65,000 colour screen and 2 functions; music and photos.....

I am not flaming the iPod but I am trying to make a point that for £179 the PSP is not extortionate when you take into account the machine must be costing Sony alot to make and they surely do not have a huge profit margin on the PSP, they are trying to recoup on games...

You have to take account what the PSP can do;
-Games
-Photos
-Videos
-Music
-Web browser

And as for battery life today i was on a 2 hour flight with my PSP playing virtua tennis most the way and i had been using the PSP in the train to the airport and my battery only dropped down to 82%.....The battery is not as bad as people make out it can easily last up to 10 hours and replacements can be purchased cheaply...

Anyway advice to people planning to buy a PSP, only buy if you know you are going to use it, don't impulse buy or you will be dissapointed, not initially because it is stunning,

ShadOW

Now again I'm not going to start an arguement, but you're being very vague here.

I'm NOT going to argue about PSP as a games system. That depends on the gamer and what type of game you like. I'm going to stay out of that.

Just think about this.


-Games (great)
-Photos (go buy a bigger memory card)
-Videos (sure, if you like spending twice as much as a DVD for lower quality and smaller screen)
-Music (not without a bigger memory card)
-Web browser (if you like typing with the d-pad)



Most of the functions of the PSP aren't useful without spending MORE money on the memory card, which is why I advocate that if you buy a PSP buy it as a games machine, NOT as a multimedia device. It's a jack of all trades master of none scenario with the non-gaming functions. The videos cost more than a DVD but the screen is smaller than a portable player, it's larger than an MP3 player and more expensive and has a much lower capacity, etc.

Fine for games, but to be honest I could care less about the multimedia extras. They're just that; extras. It doesn't make the PSP less expensive or make it do its job better.


You say what makes the 20 GB iPod a better value than the PSP value pack?

Hm...20 GB vs 32 MB. You can spend $100 on the PSP memory card to give it the capacity if an...iPod Shuffle.

If you want music, get an iPod. If you want games and maybe one or two tracks there's the PSP. PSP = for games. iPod = for music.

[Dagless]

The only UMD movie i've seen advertised thus far has been that triple X thing.

please, somebody, tell me why anybody would actually pay money for a UMD movie? dont they cost more than a DVD, limit you to watching it on a small screen AND have a lower quality compared to DVD?

its like these GBA Movies that are coming out. My guess is the UMD is on par with that. its worse than totally pointless technology, its expensive pointless tech.

as for the whole cost argument; its competition costs just under HALF of the PSP. for value the DS is king, or the SP right now. its not really a big deal if an iPod costs £30-40 more, thats a dedicated and highly successful mass music player. not a jack of all trades. i dont understand :(

[aloofman]

There was an article on slate.com recently about how the lack of PSP games (so far) has UMD movies selling pretty well. A lot of hardcore gamers rushed out to buy a PSP, then when they found out how few games there were, had to buy movies so they could get more use out of them.

My guess is that Sony rushed it to market because of the DS competition, even though there weren't many titles ready yet.

[Dagless]

...My guess is that Sony rushed it to market because of the DS competition, even though there weren't many titles ready yet.

and now they're feeling it in the UK. me, my girlfriend and my sister all got special pre-release DS's (VIPs :P) and that was way back in Feb. its like my local Game has more GB Micro preorders than PSP (although i reckon thats down to Game charging a fortune, AND people who wanted a PSP already have one).

my local Game is opening at 8am tomorrow morning though. a whole 30 minutes before normal :eek: ;)

[shadowmoses]

I totally agree GFLpraxis with what most people ahve to say, i am just making a point that i personally don't think that the PSP value pack at £179 is particularly expensive for what you get.....I know alot of people disagree but they fail to take into account that the PSP is a well built machine with many functions and is expensive to build unlike the DS and therefore Sony simply cannot afford to sell it for much cheaper than £179, i can't see it dropping below £130 in the next 3 years because it will be hugely popular and will sell in bucket loads even at £179,

Anyway no arguments just my point of view,

ShadOW

[risc]

LOL, so nobody is actually buying one then... general consensus is overpriced, lack of killer games and the DS has it beat.

It will still sell by the bucket-load I'm guessing.

The PSP was also released in Australia today. Most stores had a special openning at midnight which means there must of been a lot of pre-orders here. Most gamers I know (myself included) bought their PSPs when they were released in Japan. I'm glad it finally got released here, now I can just walk in to a store and buy games, no more importing. :)

I still find it interesting that we have 1 or 2 (um 2) guys here that have to hijack every PSP thread and bring up the DS. Jesus guys get over it. You like your DSs, I hated mine, I love my PSP big F'ng deal! Who really cares? Maybe I should jump on every DS thread and say "Mario is t3h suX0r buy a PSP!"? Both portables have been out for 9+ months, and it's obvious to everyone that there is no portable war, both portables are here to stay. How about you guys give it a rest?

[aloofman]

I still find it interesting that we have 1 or 2 (um 2) guys here that have to hijack every PSP thread and bring up the DS. Jesus guys get over it. You like your DSs, I hated mine, I love my PSP big F'ng deal! Who really cares? Maybe I should jump on every DS thread and say "Mario is t3h suX0r buy a PSP!"? Both portables have been out for 9+ months, and it's obvious to everyone that there is no portable war, both portables are here to stay. How about you guys give it a rest?

It seems to happen with any thread about a particular game system. It's as if some people feel the need to justify their choice by tearing down someone else's. It's OK to have preferences, people. If video games get you that riled up, you might need to get out more.

[Arnaud]

Hi,

I bought a PSP in Japan in last April for a friend, and played around with it during my stay there and the flight back to Europe.

I thought it was a really nice item, with an amazing screen and a very good quality of game.

So, as far as gaming is concerned, it's cool for me.

Regarding the battery, it left me down after hours of playing in the plane, which was more than enough - just a good reason to stop before my eyes turned square -. Outside of a 15h flight, I don't usually stay so long away from a plug...

Regarding the rest of the available functions: ok, Sony tried to put up a lot when it comes to the real possibilities, but it's not that bad, it's more "options" than "reasons to buy"; what do you think of the games on the iPod ?

I agree a good memory card is a must to enjoy it, but once you get one, it opens doors.

I don't know about the details, but there are some software in the PC-world to let you encode movies to the PSP format, so you can load them on the card. Ie, bring a copy of some of your dvd's with you, instead of buying a limited UMD.

Oh well, it's a nice toy, even though expensive. :rolleyes:

Why I don't own one ? Got a PS2 home and an iPod photo for the road (music and photos); don't want more reasons for anti-social addictions :p

A!

[DrNeroCF]

Get a DS with Advanced Wars: DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, Meteos, Nanostray, Mario 64 DS, Nintendogs, and Warioware: Twisted (it's just gba, but much better than touched) and then tell me the PSP is worth all that money...

[taeclee99]

I absolutely love my psp!!!! My favorite games are:

lumines
ridge racer
wipeout
hot shots golf
tony hawk underground
namco museum
nba street
dark stalkers
virtual tennis

[AlBDamned]

My favorite games are:

tony hawk underground



How does THUG compare to THPS3? That was the last one i really enjoyed (didn't like 4). Does it work on the PSP. I mean really feel comfortable?

I can't believe there's no one from the UK on these forums who has actually gone out and bought one yet!

[shadowmoses]

How does THUG compare to THPS3? That was the last one i really enjoyed (didn't like 4). Does it work on the PSP. I mean really feel comfortable?

I can't believe there's no one from the UK on these forums who has actually gone out and bought one yet!

Its exactly the same a THUG2 on PS2 but has a few extra levels 4 I think, its very impressive and if you like tony Hawks series it really is a must get for PSP....You have to take into account on PSP it is more fiddly due to the pad which isnt as big and doesnt have as many buttons,

ShadOW

[Dagless]

I still find it interesting that we have 1 or 2 (um 2) guys here that have to hijack every PSP thread and bring up the DS. Jesus guys get over it. You like your DSs, I hated mine, I love my PSP big F'ng deal! Who really cares? Maybe I should jump on every DS thread and say "Mario is t3h suX0r buy a PSP!"? Both portables have been out for 9+ months, and it's obvious to everyone that there is no portable war, both portables are here to stay. How about you guys give it a rest?

we also have people posting threads about "how retarded Nintendo is", and how people still believe the myth about Nintendo being kids only... its all balanced out. nice and evenly.

[takao]

in the afternoon i'm gonna take a walk to the biggest local retailer and look if they sold out ... somehow i doubt it since 8 of the 15 launch titles are racing games (kinda sad isn't it)
they re even advertizing the new GTA for it as launch title ;)

250€ base price
50-57€ a game

out of my price range for a handheld thou

[robbieduncan]

Carphone warehouse in CW still (had) have stock if you have no pre-ordered. I am weak. I played a friends for 5 minutes then went to every shop in CW till I found one!

[AlBDamned]

Carphone warehouse in CW still (had) have stock if you have no pre-ordered. I am weak. I played a friends for 5 minutes then went to every shop in CW till I found one!


Ladies and Gents - we have a winner (finally)!!!

Robbie, you're the first person in two dozen replies.... Any chance of some demographics so we can set the mould for the 'typical PSP buyer in the UK'? :)

[robbieduncan]

Ladies and Gents - we have a winner (finally)!!!

Robbie, you're the first person in two dozen replies.... Any chance of some demographics so we can set the mould for the 'typical PSP buyer in the UK'? :)

27 year old white single male (wow not really any surprises there) working as a computer programmer for CitiGroup in CW (so enough disposable income to buy a PSP and a couple of games as an impulse buy).

[kuyu]

Am I supposed to believe that a predominantly late teen and adult macrumors crowd is really excited about Mario Kart, when Burnout Legends ships for the PSP in a few weeks?

Yes, I'm an adult and mario kart ds is more exciting that burnout legends on the psp. I love burnout games. I've owned them all. However, if I had to pick between playing on a 4 inch screen or on my new HDTV, it's a no brainer. That's why I'm buying burnout legends... for the xbox.

I don't have any other nintendo systems so mario kart will be something different to me.

PSP is still cool. Very cool. But adults can get excited about DS games. Actually it's sort of refreshing to play games that are obviously not meant to wow with the gfx. They have to focus on gameplay. Like advance wars. I'm currently playing the gba version, and it's hands-down the best strategy game I've ever played. But the graphics suck. Go figure... :rolleyes:

[AlBDamned]

27 year old white single male (wow not really any surprises there) working as a computer programmer for CitiGroup in CW (so enough disposable income to buy a PSP and a couple of games as an impulse buy).


Interesting, and, dare I ask, no consideration for the cheaper, 'better value' DS?

[Dagless]

PSP is still cool. Very cool. But adults can get excited about DS games. Actually it's sort of refreshing to play games that are obviously not meant to wow with the gfx. They have to focus on gameplay. Like advance wars. I'm currently playing the gba version, and it's hands-down the best strategy game I've ever played. But the graphics suck. Go figure... :rolleyes:

heh i loved the graphics for the Advance Wars games. the pixel art CO's, the beautiful battle ground images. made so much prettier by snow :D pity i gotta wait a week or so until my import arrives *insert cry smilie*

[robbieduncan]

Interesting, and, dare I ask, no consideration for the cheaper, 'better value' DS?

Not really. I've played with them instore and the build quality, design and general "feel" of the product are so poor that I didn't really care about the games!

The PSP just looks cool. Even when it's not in use.

[AlBDamned]

Not really. I've played with them instore and the build quality, design and general "feel" of the product are so poor that I didn't really care about the games!

The PSP just looks cool. Even when it's not in use.

That's very true, even down to the carry-case. I think the look of it is a major factor. Even when switched off it's a sleek, cool looking bit of kit. The people that are going to buy them (at this sort of price) will be those who like their gadgets and want another one. The pure 'want it' factor will have a big part to play.

More and better games will come (though Ridge Racer is probably the best verison since RRR). When the PS2 came out it was absolutely slated for its poor launch line-up (which was much, much worse than the PSP's) and look what happenedd with that; 80 million sales and still climbing.

BTW, I hope you haven't employed the white carry strap ;)

[Applespider]

I can't believe there's no one from the UK on these forums who has actually gone out and bought one yet!

I think it looks cool and I do like gadgets but I know I'd rarely use it so with my sensible head on, I won't get one.

Straw poll wise - we have 140 people in our office which is pretty evenly split male/female with the average age 25-35 who work on an internet retail site. A few people (3) had bought imported ones earlier. Of the rest, no-one's gone out to buy one this morning although one guy has one on order... it's feeling a little like a damp squib...

[robbieduncan]

BTW, I hope you haven't employed the white carry strap ;)

Nope. And I'm not using the white ear buds either :)

[JW8725]

Why are the games sooo damn expensive? Then they complain when they get cracked and things appear on torrent sites. I'm goin gameboy micro!

[zach]

gameboy micro is too damn small.

i'm happy with my backlight-modded first generation GBA, thank you ;)

[AlBDamned]

I think it looks cool and I do like gadgets but I know I'd rarely use it so with my sensible head on, I won't get one.


That's a fair point. Generally, I probably use mine for about 30 mins a day on average as it covers the train ride. Used it a lot while away recently with work. It's good to have.

Interesting stats, too. I would definitely have thought more of your office, orientated the way it is, would have got one or voiced more interest.

[takao]

Interesting stats, too. I would definitely have thought more of your office, orientated the way it is, would have got one or voiced more interest.

well it depends much on age group i think and if people tried it out
from the people i talked about the PSP around 11, age group 20-26, 7 students (4 CS), 3 working in the hospital, 1 working somewhere else, 3 of them girls
pretty much all of them very interested in gaming
people buying a PSP for sure: 0
people buying a PSP if price drops enough (150€): 1
people not buying a PSP. period. : 10

actually the person considering the PSP is a game review writer and owns 2 ps2, a gamecube, an xbox and a pretty good gaming rig

[Dagless]

I know 1 person with a PSP, he's a guy from my college last year. my lecturer wanted one but im not sure now. he just said the screen looks beautiful. but then he saw the Nintendogs trailer... so yea. he still wants a PSP, but would rather get a DS with the dogs for now.

other than that out of the gamers (10) i know; 7 have a DS. the rest dont bother with handhelds, or are waiting for a price drop.

my sister just got Nintendogs today too. she's been on it all day. and a mate of mine too (age 20). they are both so addicted. it'll be days before mine arrives :(

[thequicksilver]

Would love one simply for Wipeout Pure - apparently the best Wipeout game since 2097, itself the second greatest video game in history - but that and the game would cost £210. Not a bloody chance.

Give it two years when the console will be £100 or so and the game £10 in a bargain bin, then they'll have me interested.

[AlBDamned]

The beeb says it was a sell-out frenzy! (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4205976.stm) But I'll take all the info with a pinch of salt to be honest.

[DeSnousa]

I bought a DS on the release day of the PSP. Why, because i preferred the game line-up and the price.

[Dagless]

heard the news about the download feature? Sony are going to charge for it. its free now because its a test service, but soon its going to cost you.

didn't really want to start a new topic for this.

[AlBDamned]

heard the news about the download feature? Sony are going to charge for it. its free now because its a test service, but soon its going to cost you.

didn't really want to start a new topic for this.

Right, that's - I'm going to smash my PSP into little pieces. How dare Sony!!! This is terrible news. I think I may have to rush out and buy a DS! :rolleyes:

[Dagless]

Right, that's - I'm going to smash my PSP into little pieces. How dare Sony!!! This is terrible news. I think I may have to rush out and buy a DS! :rolleyes:

well yes, it is terrible. its yet more to the cost of owning a PSP. don't you think with all the profits Sony make on all their hardware across the world they could let petty downloads go free. oh well! another nail in the coffin?
its so ridiculous to charge for downloads on a handheld system. nay! its quite pathetic of them.

and because of your attitude there, the DS online will be totally free :) nothing to pay for at all.

[risc]

...oh well! another nail in the coffin?...

What coffin? Quick time to return all 5 million PSPs (not counting the European/Australasian release). I think we all get it raggedjimmi YOU DON'T WANT A PSP. Can't you start your own I HATE THE PSP post and stop hijacking every single PSP thread? We get it dude Nintendogs is the best use of gaming hardware EVER!

/me goes back to playing his PSP

PS: Those Nintendogs sure look cute though!

[johnnyjibbs]

I have to say first off that I'm a Nintendo fan. And, yes, I would buy a DS over a PSP. But that's not just because it's Nintendo. The fact is, even if they cost the same price, the PSP is basically just a mini Playstation 2 and I only ever found a couple of inspiring games on that system. I don't care in the slightest for the movies - I'll stick to DVDs on a big TV thanks. I'll admit that the DS is a little lacking in decent games right now, which is the primary reason why I don't yet own one, but I think it has much greater promise: the touch screen and stylus, the dual screen aspect, the WIFI and Revolution connectivity. (Not that the PSP has any game I'm itching for at the moment, mind you).

But it's a shame that Nintendo didn't try to do a better job with the asthetics. While the PSP looks as cool as an iPod, the DS looks like a toy. Nintendo will probably release a stylish, more compact version at some point in the future, but they should have paid more attention to the design in the first place.

Another mistake was Nintendo's position regarding the DS and the GBA. While the GBA/GameBoy is its flagship portable product, which has enjoyed 90+% market share for over a decade, the DS appears to undermine it, not compliment it. And if the PSP starts to kick the DS into 2nd place, which looks like likely soon, then Sony could romp away with both markets in the near future.

For now, I'll wait.. and see...

[AlBDamned]

What coffin? Quick time to return all 5 million PSPs (not counting the European/Australasian release). I think we all get it raggedjimmi YOU DON'T WANT A PSP. Can't you start your own I HATE THE PSP post and stop hijacking every single PSP thread? We get it dude Nintendogs is the best use of gaming hardware EVER!



Apologies to jaffa Cake for nicking the pic but this does seem appropriate, don't you think, risc?

[takao]

oh boy how wrong i was with expecting teenagers etc. standing in line to grab psps from the shelves, when i visited all the big three electronic stores in my hometown today...

first store: 8 demo units of psp in the biggest one... not bad sony... but then.. where the hell are they ? uh.. oh.. since they are 250€ each and are rather small boxes the retailer decided to sell them from the counter only (no piled up ones to grab like at the DS launch), 12 different games piled behind the counter with plenty of copies left, not a _single_ UMD movie

second store: psp sitting somehow lonley on the big shelf in the left bottom corner with exactly 3 games to choose from, no UMD movies, no stuff like carrying cases etc.

third store: 1 PSP box locked up behind glass,no UMD movies, no _games_ ... ouch

[Lord Blackadder]

The PSP is selling well. It gets more shelf space for two reasons. 1. More content. Yes, movies do count. 2. Sony clout. I think it is only a matter of time before the PSP outsells the DS in the states. Especially when some of the key apps are released (Madden, Grand Theft Auto, Burnout, SOCOM, Winning Eleven, Splinter Cell).

SOCOM is going to be on the PSP? Oh, crap. I might have to buy it then.

[AlBDamned]

SOCOM is going to be on the PSP? Oh, crap. I might have to buy it then.

Yep, that's a definite, see here (http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/news/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=36955&subsectionid=1591).

Not sure how it goes with a headset though.

[Lord Blackadder]

SOCOM, Yay!

The last time I bought a handheld console was 1989 ( :o ) when I picked up one of the original oldschool GameBoys. Still have it. Tetris rocks, what can I say? :)

[risc]

Apologies to jaffa Cake for nicking the pic but this does seem appropriate, don't you think, risc?

LOL, yeah I nearly posted that myself.

[TheGimp]

Eventually the PSP will outsell the DS in the US. I have no doubt about that. The DS looks like a cheap toy, whereas the PSP has PRESENTATION. The unit looks slick, and the game intros and games themselves in several cases look astonishing. As coding optimization improves for both systems, the PSP will seem to outshine the DS graphically by an even wider margin, which will woo game design houses into using the PSP as their preferred portable platform. Whereas the PSP could conceivable do something as cool as Resident Evil 4, the DS is restricted to RE 1 remakes, this being due to the "up to 1 gigaBIT" (nintendo's words) of memory card storage. The PSP UMD in contrast has the same capacity as a Gamecube disc, 1.8 gigaBYTES, so games such as RE 4 could be supplied on 2 UMDs if need be.
Once the new Final Fantasy and GTA games are released for the PSP, Sony will permanently secure its lead in the late teen and young adult portable market. At that point the only must-have DS games that will be exclusive to that system will be those Nintendo makes itself, which historically have been the BEST GAMES. Nintendo makes the very best, in my opinion, but it doesn't make very many of them, and also makes a lot of shlock that doesn't help to sell already chincey hardware.
Nintendogs will ensure that Nintendo dominates the kitch segment of the portable market, leading to similar games.

People also seem to forget that memory sticks will continue to come down in price. In a year or so 1 gig sticks will probably be down from $90 to $50 or less. These sticks are only about the width of a human thumbnail and less than twice the length, weigh almost nothing, and so several can be held in one little plastic case in the pocket with not so much as the lightest visible bulge.

All this being said, I would probably be a DS owner today if Metroid Prime Hunters had been released the March after the Christmas the DS was released. The fact that the DS launch lineup sucked so bad lost Nintendo many thousands of customers like me. As for GBA games, I already have 500MB of GBA games playing on an emulator on my powerbook, so I was already bored with the best ones by the time the DS was released.

[Dagless]

What coffin? Quick time to return all 5 million PSPs (not counting the European/Australasian release). I think we all get it raggedjimmi YOU DON'T WANT A PSP. Can't you start your own I HATE THE PSP post and stop hijacking every single PSP thread? We get it dude Nintendogs is the best use of gaming hardware EVER!

/me goes back to playing his PSP

PS: Those Nintendogs sure look cute though!

Sorry, i was using the Sony fanboy way of replying. you know. Nintendo releases GB Micro, a horde of Sony fans cry out "ZOMG NENTINDO IS DYING1".

hey if people can say that and post about Nintendo being retarded then I dont see the problem :)

It just shows that the public care less for looks then everyone thought. the argument seems to be Nintendo= Gameplay, portability, innovation. Sony= Graphics, good machine looks, UMD (which has as many positives as negatives).

just like to say that I actually played a PSP today. and that I was so shocked at the loading times that I turned on my DS and got an extra 2 medals in Kirby :D

as for the FF on PSP. you do know that the DS has at least 1 new Final Fantasy and 1 remake (FF3/6) on the way? FF6 being my personal fave of the whole series. Square Enix are fully behind the DS and PSP. just be careful about paying for online things on Sony's machine ;)

[risc]

raggedjimmi why do you feel the need to dangle the flamebait everytime you post? Are you trying to prove that you are happy with your purchase of a DS? Or are you angry that some people have PSPs and you don't have one yet? Seriously what's your agenda here?

[mauly]

raggedjimmi why do you feel the need to dangle the flamebait everytime you post? Are you trying to prove that you are happy with your purchase of a DS? Or are you angry that some people have PSPs and you don't have one yet? Seriously what's your agenda here?

Excellent..... and probably true!

[Dagless]

no i'm just trying to balance out the Sony and Nintendo fanboyism :) really, people can flame Nintendo about the GB micro and them being 'retarded' so why not? really why not? are you saying its fine for people to say that Nintendo suxx over and over in anti-nintendo threads, but not to do it in the sony threads?

really id love a PSP. like most im waiting for a big price drop and some better games coming out (would love a FFVII port).

[risc]

no i'm just trying to balance out the Sony and Nintendo fanboyism :) really, people can flame Nintendo about the GB micro and them being 'retarded' so why not? really why not?

really id love a PSP. like most im waiting for a big price drop and some better games coming out (would love a FFVII port).

Okay so the 1 post about the GB Micro with a bad Title got your goat? Ever considered chilling out and letting it pass? But then haven't you been flaming the PSP for ages now, way before that post? I'm sorry guy but you need to take a chill pill and get on with your life, maybe take your DS outside and see the real world.

I actually like the idea of the Nintendo DS but when I imported mine back when it was released in Japan I have to say I wasn't too impressed. Now if Nintendo could make a portable with the graphics of the GameCube, a single touch screen, a nice BIG touch screen, I'd buy it in a second.

BUT that damn Nintendogs has me way too interested I think on Sep 22 when it is released in Australia I may find myself buying another DS just for that. Damn you cute little cyber dogs!

[Dagless]

Okay so the 1 post about the GB Micro with a bad Title got your goat? Ever considered chilling out and letting it pass? But then haven't you been flaming the PSP for ages now, way before that post? I'm sorry guy but you need to take a chill pill and get on with your life, maybe take your DS outside and see the real world.

I actually like the idea of the Nintendo DS but when I imported mine back when it was released in Japan I have to say I wasn't too impressed. Now if Nintendo could make a portable with the graphics of the GameCube, a single touch screen, a nice BIG touch screen, I'd buy it in a second.

BUT that damn Nintendogs has me way too interested I think on Sep 22 when it is released in Australia I may find myself buying another DS just for that. Damn you cute little cyber dogs!

haha :D damn you and I should quit editing our posts so quickly

well its not just that 1 thread. it happens here a bit. theres a bunch of people who say that Nintendo smell funny or something pathetic, the same 4 or 5 different people. i see no difference in what they're doing.

but really im giving up now. my opinion is across. as for the 'nail in the coffin' figure of speech i was just pointing out the string of problems the PSP has faced. First the excessive delays, then the complaints about the price, then the pixel problems and other hardware faults/design flaws, now they're charging for downloads. maybe i should have phrased it better. but my point still stands.

for those taking notes; my cousins boyfriend almost bought a PSP in Poland but he's getting one here in a few weeks. he's in his early 30's, male, tall, loves racing sims, smokes.