Sony Designing Mobile Phone/PSP Hybrid to Better Compete Against iPhone? [Archive]

MacRumors

Jun 27, 2009, 10:50 PM

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/06/27/sony-designing-mobile-phone-psp-hybrid-to-better-compete-against-iphone/)

Reuters reports (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55Q0HQ20090627) that Sony Corp is working on a cellphone/game player hybrid to better compete with Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone.Sony plans to set up a project team as early as July to develop a new product that combines functions of its portable game player and Sony Ericsson's mobile phones, the Nikkei said.Sony appears to be considering a number of different moves to go head-to-head with Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone platform. An earlier report (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/05/21/sony-considering-music-downloads-for-psp-to-compete-with-iphone/) claims Sony was talking to major recording companies about providing downloadable music to the Playstation Portable (PSP). While Apple's devices aren't dedicated gaming machines, there is a notable overlap in audiences and the App Store has started attracting major gaming developers such as Capcom, id Software, and Square Enix.

The PSP has sold over 50 million units (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=208211%3fcid&skip=yes) worldwide in the past 4 years, while Apple has already reached over 40 million units sold in the past 2 years.

Article Link: Sony Designing Mobile Phone/PSP Hybrid to Better Compete Against iPhone? (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/06/27/sony-designing-mobile-phone-psp-hybrid-to-better-compete-against-iphone/)

Eidorian

Jun 27, 2009, 10:51 PM

So how did that mylo do?

lbjsong

Jun 27, 2009, 10:53 PM

it must support psp format...
if not, waste of money

Sound Evolution

Jun 27, 2009, 10:58 PM

To late sony.......

Ljohnson72

Jun 27, 2009, 10:58 PM

So how did that mylo do?

LOL, exact same thoughts

walkingsideways

Jun 27, 2009, 10:59 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/sony-building-android-based-walkman-and-pnd-for-2010-launch/

How does the android device pictured in the link above fit in?

NT1440

Jun 27, 2009, 11:00 PM

So how did that mylo do?

You mean the test design for the PSPgo? ;)

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 27, 2009, 11:00 PM

dagamer34

Jun 27, 2009, 11:06 PM

kamiboy

Jun 27, 2009, 11:07 PM

macshill

Jun 27, 2009, 11:09 PM

The Commodore 64 vs. the iPhone.

http://technologizer.com/2009/06/21/commodore-vs-iphone/

Sony once again late to the party.

SnowLeopard2008

Jun 27, 2009, 11:10 PM

Don't bother Sony... Apple is clearly winning.

bbadalucco

Jun 27, 2009, 11:12 PM

Im still wondering why people think a phone and a game console are in competition. Any serious gamer knows that the iPhone is not a very good unit to game on, yet the media keeps thinking it can compete with the psp.

I was under the impression Apple was trying to improve gaming on the iPhone...to directly compete with the likes of the Nintendo DS and PSP??? Didn't they install a better GPU this time around?

zwilliams07

Jun 27, 2009, 11:12 PM

blockburner28

Jun 27, 2009, 11:13 PM

plz not the pspgo :(

bbadalucco

Jun 27, 2009, 11:14 PM

arn

Jun 27, 2009, 11:15 PM

Im still wondering why people think a phone and a game console are in competition. Any serious gamer knows that the iPhone is not a very good unit to game on, yet the media keeps thinking it can compete with the psp.

I don't think it's a question of whether or not the iPhone is a better gaming unit than the PSP... but it's probably "good enough" to the point that people will think twice about buying a dedicated portable gaming device when their iPhone or iPod Touch does a good enough job.

arn

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 27, 2009, 11:16 PM

I was under the impression Apple was trying to improve gaming on the iPhone...to directly compete with the likes of the Nintendo DS and PSP??? Didn't they install a better GPU this time around?
this:
The greatest weakness of the iPhone is the lack of buttons for gaming. As great as the touchscreen is, you need a D-pad + 2 buttons to get quality controls. The lack of feedback makes most games frustrating to me, particually the ones that try to be more traditional.

Gamers tend to "float" their thumbs on the buttons, touching them but not pressing them. This is impossible on the iPhone, which makes it very awkward to hold if you arent pressing any buttons. Imo, the DS got it right, a touch screen with buttons that can work on their own or together in any given game.

We also have to think about games. Sure, indie devs are awesome, and make some really cool games, but can a bunch of indie devs compete with the likes of God of War, Ratchet and Clank, MotorStorm, and MGS?

Eidorian

Jun 27, 2009, 11:16 PM

puffnstuff

Jun 27, 2009, 11:17 PM

sony needs to pull something out of their magical rear after that disaster which is the psp go. the psp go had potential but instead of adding new features they just shoved the psp-3000 into a smaller case and jacked up the price.

Had they combined the sony mylo with the psp it would have killed the iPod Touch imo

sbrhwkp3

Jun 27, 2009, 11:20 PM

BRING IT, SONY!

MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! :apple:

southernpaws

Jun 27, 2009, 11:21 PM

I would be optimistic about a psphone (that's right, i started it, watch it catch on...) it is a shame that sony is so late to the game.

as for iphone gaming, if anyone ever makes this a reality with the new support for third party devices in 3.0, it will make for a significant advantage...

http://kotaku.com/5044030/belkin-working-on-iphone-game-controller

arn

Jun 27, 2009, 11:21 PM

I can understand the iPod Touch but when you add a phone contract to that on the iPhone...

and what? Some people actually do want cell phone service.

arn

skeep5

Jun 27, 2009, 11:22 PM

[sony execs]

zzzz...... huh? wha? iWhat? iPhone, who made this?????!!!

Eidorian

Jun 27, 2009, 11:24 PM

BRING IT, SONY!

MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! :apple:Good lord I have this song.

and what? Some people actually do want cell phone service.

arnTrue but then you're running into a jack of all trades device and master of none. All of these portable and console devices are spilling over from true gaming roots into home theater and media hub with varying degrees of success. It's getting to be a mess of overlapping utility.

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 27, 2009, 11:25 PM

I would be optimistic about a psphone (that's right, i started it, watch it catch on...) it is a shame that sony is so late to the game.

Late to what game? Smartphones have been around much longer than the iPhone, so was the iPhone late to the game?

InkMaster

Jun 27, 2009, 11:28 PM

iPhone Killer variation #56?

This is all so damn silly... Just release a damn good phone and sell it, why the hell does every single company have to point out who they're competing against, no-one cares, and you're only making yourself look like a desperate fool.

Then again, I guess for most companies these days, throwing in a a few iPhone mentions in the press release, is the best chance they have to get any mention anywhere :p

BJB Productions

Jun 27, 2009, 11:29 PM

Here we go...Sony...Too late...but we'll see.... maybe they'll surprise us, but I doubt it.

Go :apple:

ProwlingTiger

Jun 27, 2009, 11:30 PM

I foresaw this coming. My friend and I had a debate the other day about the present gaming situation with Sony, Apple, and Nintendo. I'll post a thread with it in the proper board as soon as I get back from a quick shower.....can't wait to see yall's thoughts.

PinkyMacGodess

Jun 27, 2009, 11:33 PM

Sony will figure out a way to screw it up...

dicklacara

Jun 27, 2009, 11:34 PM

Peace

Jun 27, 2009, 11:38 PM

I think Apple's getting a device ready to compete with this.

arn

Jun 27, 2009, 11:38 PM

True but then you're running into a jack of all trades device and master of none. All of these portable and console devices are spilling over from true gaming roots into home theater and media hub with varying degrees of success. It's getting to be a mess of overlapping utility.

I don't know if I see this as a "mess". I own a HD video camera and a Digital SLR camera. I take more video and photos with my iPhone 3GS on a day-to-day basis than I do with either of the other devices. I also play more games on my iPhone than my Xbox or my Wii.

I don't see this as a "problem" or a mess. Sure the iPhone isn't a better camera, video camera or gaming device.... but the convenience matters over "better" in so many ways. To the point that it needs to be significantly better than the iPhone 3GS to make me want it.

So... I may still buy a high-end HD Camcorder / Next Gen Xbox in the future, but I'm certainly not going to buy a Flip Camcorder or PSP.

arn

Prof.

Jun 27, 2009, 11:41 PM

I bet Sony will call it PlayStation Phone.:D:p:rolleyes: They're rather predictable.

I love Sony products. My PS3 has been running strong since the day I got it and I hear nothing good about their PC's. However, the PSP was a huge failure. it's sitting on my shelf collecting dust.

Sony - don't even bother competing with the iPhone.

Eidorian

Jun 27, 2009, 11:43 PM

I don't know if I see this as a "mess". I own a HD video camera and a Digital SLR camera. I take more video and photos with my iPhone 3GS on a day-to-day basis than I do with either of the other devices. I also play more games on my iPhone than my Xbox or my Wii.

I don't see this as a "problem" or a mess. Sure the iPhone isn't a better camera, video camera or gaming device.... but the convenience matters over "better" in so many ways. To the point that it needs to be significantly better than the iPhone 3GS to make me want it.

So... I may still buy a high-end HD Camcorder / Next Gen Xbox in the future, but I'm certainly not going to buy a Flip Camcorder or PSP.

arnJust "good enough" leads to quite a few purchases that aren't fulfilling.

Sony has been dipping into this device market with PSP, mylo, and their reader. They need to shell out one product. The PSP Go does look like a change over the original. There's potential but I'll wait for something to be released first.

winterspan

Jun 27, 2009, 11:51 PM

The greatest weakness of the iPhone is the lack of buttons for gaming. As great as the touchscreen is, you need a D-pad + 2 buttons to get quality controls. The lack of feedback makes most games frustrating to me, particually the ones that try to be more traditional.

I think that will only matter to hardcore gamers, and I'm sure there are hardware controller addons that work through the dock port in development. I would guess the only unknown is whether they will reach critical mass with hardcore gamers so that big development houses make their games compatible with them.

kupua

Jun 27, 2009, 11:55 PM

Wow that's crazy, but ~2.5 years late to the party, with no hardware. No app Store (well appscout doesn't really count in my book). Nokia, Rim, and Palm can't even copy half decent stores. There sure will be a fall out of Operating Systems in the near future since they all don't function with each other, but might be a big enough slice left in the pie for the runner up? Crazy as it seems, beta vs VHS...

BornAgainMac

Jun 27, 2009, 11:56 PM

Think Windows XP. Even when Mac OX X runs rings around Windows, people still pick XP because it is less expensive and "good enough". Apple is using the Microsoft approach this time when it comes to gaming.

Rocketman

Jun 27, 2009, 11:58 PM

Better never than late.

Slim02

Jun 28, 2009, 12:03 AM

Better never than late.

Sounds better this way.

Better late then never..

It sounds better and makes more sentence...

Also I bought a iPhone for making calls, checking email, able to go online when out close to a computer.. But I did not get a iPhone to play games.. It nice for simple games but not a replacement as a game console.. I also buy a PSP for playing games not use it for making calls (even if it could).. I staying far away from a PSP type phone... I am a big gamer (I own 12+ consoles) and see this as problem more then a great thing..

iphoneblack

Jun 28, 2009, 12:06 AM

Sounds better this way.

Better late then never..

It sounds better and makes more sentence...

It sounds better this way:
It is better late than never :)

or

Late is better than never.

arn

Jun 28, 2009, 12:11 AM

Just "good enough" leads to quite a few purchases that aren't fulfilling.

Not really, because no one is buying an iPhone specifically for its camera or game-playing abilities. I'd guess might lead to fewer purchases that aren't fulfilling, in fact.

arn

SleepyHead157

Jun 28, 2009, 12:14 AM

I'm all for Sony jumping on this. Who knows, they might come out with something that could end up competing with the iPhone/iPod Touch. The iphone is not a great gaming platform but do sell a lot of games. Companies like Capcom are jumping onto the iPhone platform, so why can't Sony join in on the fun with a Cell Phone. Plus they already have a cellphone brand they could work with, Sony Ericsson.

tonyl

Jun 28, 2009, 12:16 AM

rumplestiltskin

Jun 28, 2009, 12:17 AM

PSP + Telephone? This is a joke, right?

.:R2theT

Jun 28, 2009, 12:22 AM

FightTheFuture

Jun 28, 2009, 12:22 AM

i may be in the gaming minority but i haven't fired up mario kart DS since 2007 and played 3 rounds of katamari on my iPhone this morning. sometimes i game-on-the-go just cause i have the unit with me. i'm never going to take my DS to school, the laundromat, or the bus stop.

sony does have something going here. if they can design an ericsson that can play downloadable psp games they will already have a great library before launch. something the Pre, Android and winmo handsets don't have.

hopefully it's not too late to the party as the walkman mp3 players were.

Auzburner

Jun 28, 2009, 12:23 AM

Good. Luck. Sony.

moka

Jun 28, 2009, 12:29 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

Late to what game? Smartphones have been around much longer than the iPhone, so was the iPhone late to the game?

Don't Matter!

Dude just saying the word iPhone ommits any other cell phones existance!!!!

Slim02

Jun 28, 2009, 12:31 AM

This idea that the iPhone/iPod Touch aren't stealing gaming sales from Sony is absurd. Gaming is not just for "gamers". Anyone ever heard of the Wii? Not exactly for "serious gamers" but that sure seems to be going over quite well. Just as the iPhone/iPod Touch are converting cell phone/MP3 owners into casual gamers.

Sony knows that they have to capture at least some of that market-share. Just because Apple is only doing gaming on the iPhone/iPod Touch does not mean something more gaming specific isn't in the works. The last thing a company like Sony wants is for people to get comfortable using Apple products for their gaming needs. It is no different than the Zune.

Yea and the Wii is the easiest console to run homebrew (playing backup games) right next to the PSP. Sony would be opening the flood gates on the homebrew sense if they do make a PSP type phone. We all know how people are running Jailbreak on iPhones.. The PSP Phone would be a larger % of users to run homebrew then iPhone. So yea the homebrew sense will love this phone..

SFStateStudent

Jun 28, 2009, 12:43 AM

That's nice of Sony to give Apple a 3 year and a 3 iPhone head-start....:p:p:p:p

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 28, 2009, 12:48 AM

This idea that the iPhone/iPod Touch aren't stealing gaming sales from Sony is absurd. Gaming is not just for "gamers". Anyone ever heard of the Wii? Not exactly for "serious gamers" but that sure seems to be going over quite well. Just as the iPhone/iPod Touch are converting cell phone/MP3 owners into casual gamers.

The casual handheld market already exists with the DS, so is the iPhone competing with the PSP or DS? Or neither? Or both?
I know! Apple will "reinvent" gaming so they arent even on the same level as other devices!

The handheld gaming market works great as it is. You have casual gamers playing MarioKart and Nintendogs on the DS, and you have more serious gamers playing God of War and Crisis Core on PSP. The iPhone is only going to attract the group of people that want a phone that can play cheesy time-wasting games while they are stuck in traffic. This does not compete with the PSP at all, and only steps on the DS's toes a little, but apple is going to ahve to do something drastic to stop the DS from taking over the world.

slackpacker

Jun 28, 2009, 12:49 AM

I remember a day when SONY was like Apple building quality products that nobody else could build. SONY was the TV the stereo the Walkman.

RogueVasion

Jun 28, 2009, 01:02 AM

So how did that mylo do?

But you need to remember that the Mylo was a great product, but it had to be connected to Wi-Fi to get the most out of it.

Sony is a great company, with good quality products, so I'm glad to see something like this hopefully become a reality. I never did like their cellular devices though...so I'd like to see what they do.

I love their TVs, Video Games, Camcorders, etc. Phones are eh to me (besides the Xperia X1).

.:R2theT

Jun 28, 2009, 01:02 AM

The casual handheld market already exists with the DS, so is the iPhone competing with the PSP or DS? Or neither? Or both?
I know! Apple will "reinvent" gaming so they arent even on the same level as other devices!

The handheld gaming market works great as it is. You have casual gamers playing MarioKart and Nintendogs on the DS, and you have more serious gamers playing God of War and Crisis Core on PSP. The iPhone is only going to attract the group of people that want a phone that can play cheesy time-wasting games while they are stuck in traffic. This does not compete with the PSP at all, and only steps on the DS's toes a little, but apple is going to ahve to do something drastic to stop the DS from taking over the world.

You're missing the point. Because of the lure of the iPhone/iPod Touch, Apple is creating gamers to some extent. So PSP, DS...it hardly matters. Sony can't take the chance of the "Apple platform" getting too far(although it may already be).

And Apple may do something drastic. But as price continues to come down on the iPhone/iPod Touch it will lure more and more people. And people sure seem to like a device that can do more and more. And the reality is that Apple seems to be going full throttle with promoting their handhelds as gaming devices. You can be sure that it is all developing future products around that idea as well. And when Apple sets out to create a product, that is when it does come up with something drastic and more than likely game-changing!

DaveGee

Jun 28, 2009, 01:06 AM

To late sony.......

Yea, I'd say.... This is tantamount to the captain of the titanic looking for a bucket a few hours *after* the ship sank.

Dave

wilycoder

Jun 28, 2009, 01:11 AM

Figure out how to get a tactile dpad and buttons on the iPhone and its game over for every other portable game system out there...

DaveGee

Jun 28, 2009, 01:19 AM

I remember a day when SONY was like Apple building quality products that nobody else could build. SONY was the TV the stereo the Walkman.

Okay...

Apple has taken:

The Walkman business away from Sony with the iPod
The PSP business away with the iPhone/Touch

Could there be more, what's left?

TV (but I don't think so) but hows about Console Gaming?

****WELL*****

What do we have that could jump right into that market...

Apple TV

Sure it wouldn't work in its current incarnation but with Apple slowly but surely building its relationships with game developers... Would it be that much of a stretch for Apple to drop in a real GPU and throw in a controller with the Apple TV? (with a blueray player please)

Now you'd have your first game console where you can buy the games you want to play without leaving the tv.... Apple would simply sell AppleTV games using the same type/style storefront that they are using for the iPhone/Touch.

Everyone always shoots down the idea of an Apple console, including me for a long time. Now, I'm starting to think they might very well be in a position to pull it off.

Dave

Slim02

Jun 28, 2009, 01:24 AM

Okay...

Apple has taken:

The Walkman business away from Sony with the iPod
The PSP business away with the iPhone/Touch

Could there be more, what's left?

TV (but I don't think so) but hows about Console Gaming?

****WELL*****

What do we have that could jump right into that market...

Apple TV

Sure it wouldn't work in its current incarnation but with Apple slowly but surely building its relationships with game developers... Would it be that much of a stretch for Apple to drop in a real GPU and throw in a controller with the Apple TV? (with a blueray player please)

Now you'd have your first game console where you can buy the games you want to play without leaving the tv.... Apple would simply sell AppleTV games using the same type/style storefront that they are using for the iPhone/Touch.

Everyone always shoots down the idea of an Apple console, including me for a long time. Now, I'm starting to think they might very well be in a position to pull it off.

Dave

I can see it now. The hackers will be looking for ways to hack the crap out of it and it be another Wii but maybe even better... lol.

blackpond

Jun 28, 2009, 01:32 AM

Figure out how to get a tactile dpad and buttons on the iPhone and its game over for every other portable game system out there...

I'm sure I saw this discussed elsewhere, but - the 3GS offers an API allowing communication with devices attached to the dock port.... it won't be long. :)

sammich

Jun 28, 2009, 01:35 AM

Ha! They can call it a Cell Phone.

str1f3

Jun 28, 2009, 01:41 AM

I remember a day when SONY was like Apple building quality products that nobody else could build. SONY was the TV the stereo the Walkman.

Sony still makes high quality TVs. The problem Sony has had this decade is that they are lousy when it comes to software. It is now software that is king and it is less about the hardware.

The PS3 is hard to develop for and Microsoft has taken Apple's all-in-one solution and applied it to gaming. The PS3 online gaming is lousy as well. It also doesn't help that they keep forcing proprietary formats down our throat.
Because of their inability to make good software, this will not be good. The PSP Go is already considered a disappointment and it's not even out yet.

Sony should be very scared. With all their recent hirings, it looks as if Apple is taking the Apple TV into the gaming market and some kind of Wii/Natal experience.

As for others complaining about the lack of buttons on the iPhone, there are controllers already being developed for it, so those excuses will disappear. I also won't be surprised that there will be iPhone cases that have keyboards as well.

twoodcc

Jun 28, 2009, 01:42 AM

i think sony just needs to do it's own thing

SandynJosh

Jun 28, 2009, 01:47 AM

SFStateStudent

Jun 28, 2009, 01:51 AM

Sony really needs to get back in the game. PSP and Bravia TVs have kept them afloat the past few years.....:eek::eek::eek:

Colrath

Jun 28, 2009, 01:55 AM

I know of a lot of kids out there that have a PSP but no cell phone, nor could they afford a cell service plan, so how are they going to get to the Sony ap store?

Adults have the ability to afford cell service, so they can get to the ap store, but imagine a businessman whipping out his PSP to make a business call in front of his client. Or sitting around with his contemporaries with his PSP and they with their Blackberries and iPhones. It would be like reading a comic book while they discuss the stock market.

One end of their market can't afford a phone and the other end won't be caught dead making a call with a toy.

Who knows what the PSP Phone would look like. Maybe it will have a fully functional touch screen interface, with a similar control scheme as the PSPgo that slides out. That way on the outside, it has a sleek, smartphone-ish, look to it (Something that would appeal to most consumers).

You're pretty much assuming too much, and not seeing potential in products, imo.

It's not a matter of how late you are to the game. All that matters is how good you play your cards.

jb1280

Jun 28, 2009, 02:13 AM

You're missing the point. Apple is creating gamers to some extent.

This is exactly right.

I've never been a gamer, I generally hate playing computer or video games. That said on my iPhone I have a few "simple stupid" games that I find highly entertaining when waiting on a plane, or wanting to kill a few minutes in a low intensity way. I would never by a PSP or whatever nintendo has come out in that segment due to the iPhone.

This is not a zero sum game where someone purchasing a game for the iPhone platform is not purchasing one for a PSP or vice-versa. It is reasonable to assume it is someone buying a game for the iPhone platform that wasn't previously going to buy a game, period.

Pooshka

Jun 28, 2009, 02:25 AM

Neeeext! [in the voice of Stephnie Weir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylRbo7WidLA)] :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

morrisman1

Jun 28, 2009, 02:42 AM

Im sure some people have seen this video but some wont have:

Sony's new product (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/sony_releases_new_stupid_piece_of)

Lone Deranger

Jun 28, 2009, 03:14 AM

Because there is a larger market out there than that targeted by games consoles (which is counted in millions). It's a market inhabited by people who would never buy a games console, but are buying mobile phones (which is counted in billions). And many of them appear to enjoy a casual bit of gaming every now and then. It's this market the iPhone appears to have unveiled. Much to the surprise of many doom sayers. Like Sony & MS who only now are starting to realise the potential of this market segment. And they want a slice of it.

Im still wondering why people think a phone and a game console are in competition. Any serious gamer knows that the iPhone is not a very good unit to game on, yet the media keeps thinking it can compete with the psp.

LethalWolfe

Jun 28, 2009, 04:05 AM

Now you'd have your first game console where you can buy the games you want to play without leaving the tv.... Apple would simply sell AppleTV games using the same type/style storefront that they are using for the iPhone/Touch.
You can already use a PS3, Wii, or 360 to buy games directly.

As for others complaining about the lack of buttons on the iPhone, there are controllers already being developed for it, so those excuses will disappear. I also won't be surprised that there will be iPhone cases that have keyboards as well.
Once you start requiring peripherals though you start moving away from the casual gaming audience the iPhone is cultivating.

Lethal

duffersg

Jun 28, 2009, 04:17 AM

iphones4evry1

Jun 28, 2009, 04:26 AM

http://media.macrumorslive.com/f/avatars/1.gif
I own a HD video camera and a Digital SLR camera. I take more video and photos with my iPhone 3GS on a day-to-day basis than I do with either of the other devices. I also play more games on my iPhone than my Xbox or my Wii.

I don't see this as a "problem" or a mess. Sure the iPhone isn't a better camera, video camera or gaming device.... but the convenience matters over "better" in so many ways. To the point that it needs to be significantly better than the iPhone 3GS to make me want it.

So... I may still buy a high-end HD Camcorder / Next Gen Xbox in the future, but I'm certainly not going to buy a Flip Camcorder or PSP.

arn

Ahhh. I think you laid down the dots, and they just need to be connected. Basically, all of the devices that you mentioned are specialized. And... the iPhone is too. Yep. The iPhone is a master of being an all-in-one device. The others are not masters of being an all in one device. :)

PSP can try to make an all-in-one, but they won't be the best, because Apple is the best at making all-in-one devices. Casio Exilim just announed a "phone camera." Yep, it's a 5.0MP camera .. oh, and it has a basic cell phone built into it - just pop in your SIM card. Apple is not a master at gaming nor a master at cameras, and just as much, neither Sony nor Casio are masters at all-in-one devices. :apple:

str1f3

Jun 28, 2009, 04:38 AM

You can already use a PS3, Wii, or 360 to buy games directly.

Once you start requiring peripherals though you start moving away from the casual gaming audience the iPhone is cultivating.

Lethal

It's doesn't have to be a requirement. A person would have the option to choose between the two. Developers will still have to develop on screen controls because most people would not have this accessory.

aygie

Jun 28, 2009, 05:45 AM

The PSP Phone will be identical to the PSPGO with touch screen capabilities IMO. Can't wait!

grapefruitx

Jun 28, 2009, 05:53 AM

AdeFowler

Jun 28, 2009, 06:06 AM

The greatest weakness of the iPhone is the lack of buttons for gaming. As great as the touchscreen is, you need a D-pad + 2 buttons to get quality controls. The lack of feedback makes most games frustrating to me, particually the ones that try to be more traditional.

I agree broadly, but have you seen a kid playing on an iPod Touch? It's frightening how quickly they adjust and learn. Plus games on the App Store are cheap if not free.

Add to that the other features (web, email, peer to peer, iTunes, movies, etc) and you have a very compelling product that's competing very well as a handheld games console.

Shasterball

Jun 28, 2009, 06:06 AM

it must support psp format...
if not, waste of money

I'm assuming it will....

ditzy

Jun 28, 2009, 06:07 AM

Just "good enough" leads to quite a few purchases that aren't fulfilling.

Sony has been dipping into this device market with PSP, mylo, and their reader. They need to shell out one product. The PSP Go does look like a change over the original. There's potential but I'll wait for something to be released first.

I get what you are saying but the iPhone is good enough at so many things, that it makes me regret buying other things. My DS is better at portable gaming than the iPhone. Bit I don't use it anymore because my phone is always with me, and it's good enough.

DiScO197

Jun 28, 2009, 06:15 AM

If they do come up with something, you can bet it will have a completely different storage method than anything else currently available :) And, it will probably contain moving parts :rolleyes: Hopefully they will fit a minidisc player so I can play all those old discs, currently collecting dust next to my cassettes!

jb1280

Jun 28, 2009, 06:17 AM

With products like the Palm Pre, Apple has to take care it does not just make the iphone for "fanboys" rich enough to own one. Nokia Sony RIM etc. can do "me to" products that do everything that the iphone will and more, for less. In the end features will sell the handset, rather that the ergonomics, ease of use, surprise and delight that are only discoverable in everyday use. When did you last see an iphone for demo in-store? Apple needs to think about its phone line up if it wants to sell outside it happy band of evangelists.
What i am really saying is
DROP THE PRICE!

what?

An iPhone 3G can be had subsidized with a contract in the U.S. for $99. I doubt there are many other 3G network phones with ATT that can be had for less than that price subsidized.

The service plans are another thing, but I have a feeling those are all equal across that class of mobile phone.

Also, by all accounts Apple is selling iPhone to large numbers of people outside of the so-called "happy band of evangelists."

neiltc13

Jun 28, 2009, 07:02 AM

There are so many points being missed here and there are so many people dismissing Sony as if it's some tadpole competitor.

Sony sells WAY more phones than Apple. According to Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52J1UC20090320), even in a bad quarter they are selling 14m units.

The "phone" part of iPhone has been poor from day one. Lack of MMS, dropped calls, no standardised ringtone support, poor voice quality, horribly positioned microphone etc.

Professional video game developers are jumping on iPhone because it is extremely cheap and easy to develop for in comparison to other platforms. But this leads to poor quality software, because they aren't willing to dedicate the same resources to the development.

I'm yet to find a game on the App Store which comes anywhere close to being comparable to a PSP game.

PSP is also a far superior video playback device because it has a 16:9 screen. Apple continually ********s its customers by claiming that iPhone and iPod touch are "widescreen", yet with any 16:9 content you'll be seeing black bars or having to do a crop.

An iPhone 3G can be had subsidized with a contract in the U.S. for $99. I doubt there are many other 3G network phones with ATT that can be had for less than that price subsidized.

Whoops, yet another American blinded by their borders. Sony is a Japanese company. iPhone isn't doing much in Japan, and it is also vastly overpriced in many countries around the world. Can I interest you in an iPhone 3GS 8GB for £725 from the UK's carrier, O2?

The PS3 is hard to develop for and Microsoft has taken Apple's all-in-one solution and applied it to gaming.

Whoops, it was Microsoft that pioneered the ultra low cost, all in one development environment for independent developers and end users. They called it XNA and it came along a long time before anyone had even whispered "App Store".

iluvgr8tdeals

Jun 28, 2009, 07:07 AM

Hope they produce a good phone, to make Apple step up their game. I hope that their smartphone shall not go the way of Sony GPS systems, which were dismal to say the least.

See how the release of the PalmPre brings out new features in the iPhone. A good Sony smartphone might just bring in all the features we have so badly craved for in the iPhone!

Competition is a very good thing!

MikeDTyke

Jun 28, 2009, 07:29 AM

Whoops, yet another American blinded by their borders. Sony is a Japanese company. iPhone isn't doing much in Japan, and it is also vastly overpriced in many countries around the world. Can I interest you in an iPhone 3GS 8GB for £725 from the UK's carrier, O2?

Stop spreading *********. There's no such thing as a 8GB iPhone 3GS and the most expensive is the 32GB one on payg which is £538.30....

It really pisses me off when people spread misinformation.

M. :mad:

DELLsFan

Jun 28, 2009, 07:32 AM

The Commodore 64 vs. the iPhone.

http://technologizer.com/2009/06/21/commodore-vs-iphone/

A shame. I spent hours playing Wing Commander II on one of those C64s! Great fun in those days!

BS85

Jun 28, 2009, 07:32 AM

just tell sony to make an iphone peripheral! sorta the best of both worlds. gaming hardware by sony, and digital content by apple...
http://brandonshigeta.com/blog/2009/06/02/sony-iphone-perphiral/

kornyboy

Jun 28, 2009, 07:45 AM

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

I really think the PSP is in a different catagory than the iPhone. It may compete a bit on the cell phone side of things if Sony releases a PSP with the capabilities but I don't think that it will appeal to the same audience as the iPhone so for direct competition it will be a flop. We shall see.

PCMacUser

Jun 28, 2009, 07:46 AM

Well I like new technology, so hopefully Sony brings something exciting to the table.

It's important for Apple fans to remember that competition is essential - it's not a bad thing. Do we want to see Apple become the next 90's-era Microsoft?

Saladinos

Jun 28, 2009, 07:56 AM

Mobile gaming is unique in that games have to be short, simple and fun to take off. Horsepower is a low priority. I've had more fun playing Snake on my monochrome Nokia than I have on my PSP.

That said, Sony can't seem to do anything right these days:
- VAIO P: Fantastic in every way except the price
- VAIO UX: Fantastic concept, great design, bad price
- PSP GO: No second analogue stick, no more power (boosting the system to allow in-game XMB and background downloading would be nice), WAY overpriced.
- PS3: Price still too high. Publishers threatening to dump it.
- XPERIA X1
- Sony Ericsson: Sales down 50%, needs to raise cash to stay afloat

I haven't seen a really good Sony product in a while. Although I'd buy a VAIO P like that >click< if I had the dough.

Pika

Jun 28, 2009, 08:01 AM

I'm not sure how Sony is going to compete against this...

First they need to develop an Operating System... With SDK support... an app store.... tons and tons of application.... multi-touch... media support and all that stuff... Starting with a browser...

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7115/iphie.png

.:R2theT

Jun 28, 2009, 08:15 AM

With products like the Palm Pre, Apple has to take care it does not just make the iphone for "fanboys" rich enough to own one. Nokia Sony RIM etc. can do "me to" products that do everything that the iphone will and more, for less. In the end features will sell the handset, rather that the ergonomics, ease of use, surprise and delight that are only discoverable in everyday use. When did you last see an iphone for demo in-store? Apple needs to think about its phone line up if it wants to sell outside it happy band of evangelists.
What i am really saying is
DROP THE PRICE!

You are pretty much wrong on all fronts.

And AT&T/Apple did drop the price. $99 for the iPhone 3G is a terrific price for a device of its caliber!

elppa

Jun 28, 2009, 08:15 AM

Nothing much wrong with Sony Ericsson phones.

I'd pick one over a Nokia every day.

Sony as a company clearly has talented staff, it just probably needs a bit more direction. Or quite a lot more.

I would never underestimate them or write them off like some of the posters on here have.

swagi

Jun 28, 2009, 08:17 AM

A shame. I spent hours playing Wing Commander II on one of those C64s! Great fun in those days!

Wow - that must've been a hell of a C64.

Nevermind, but Wing Commander was one of the first games to really use up VGA gfx. So no chance playing that on a 16 colors C64.

I personally thought, it sucked btw.

dohspc

Jun 28, 2009, 08:17 AM

Sony would be best to just license a psp emulator for the iPhone and be done with it. The games would sell themselves and they would make $$$.

dragossh

Jun 28, 2009, 08:21 AM

blackcrayon

Jun 28, 2009, 08:21 AM

I'm sure I saw this discussed elsewhere, but - the 3GS offers an API allowing communication with devices attached to the dock port.... it won't be long. :)

It's not the iPhone 3GS that offers it, it's iPhone OS 3.0. Therefore ALL of the existing iPhone and iPod Touch devices could easily get some sort of "cradle" with buttons (and strongly resemble the PSP ironically :)

A group was already working on one for jailbroken phones http://www.icontrolpad.com/ , but now that Apple is officially allowing things like this i think we're only months away from seeing something from Belkin or somebody where the phone just snaps into a cradle. I would like to see something like this with an integrated battery. That way you could lock your iphone into it wherever and game for a while without worrying about draining your main battery for a while...

The only issue would be for there to be unified support for all of these devices that come out, that way game developers would only have to worry about supporting 1 or 2 types of these things...

andy721

Jun 28, 2009, 08:21 AM

Yeah good luck with that Sony, we all know they put the crappiest hardware parts inside all of their products.

Yet again another company tries to make something Apple have perfected. It's not going to work Sony. I guess we'll have to wait to see if there's any flaws kinks or F ups in the up coming gamer cell phone.

But I guess it could be interesting but that's about it, I probably won't buy it anyhow. :rolleyes:

LOL even MJ thinks so. http://www.sony-sucks.com/

andy721

Jun 28, 2009, 08:22 AM

They can just use Android or Windows Mobile.

Then it would be like every other crappy phone from Microsh*t.

blackcrayon

Jun 28, 2009, 08:34 AM

There are so many points being missed here and there are so many people dismissing Sony as if it's some tadpole competitor.

(---snip---)
PSP is also a far superior video playback device because it has a 16:9 screen. Apple continually ********s its customers by claiming that iPhone and iPod touch are "widescreen", yet with any 16:9 content you'll be seeing black bars or having to do a crop.

Ok i see where you're going with this, but that point is a little silly IMO. Do you want the iPhone to be *longer* than it is now? Or do you want them to shave off the sides and make it more skinny, just so you can say it has a 16:9 screen? :rolleyes: What about movies that are wider than 16:9? Apple is "*****ing" its customers because they call the iPhone widescreen? They've been calling their laptops and displays "widescreen" for about a decade now, and none of them has ever been 16:9.

windywoo

Jun 28, 2009, 08:37 AM

bruinsrme

Jun 28, 2009, 08:41 AM

it seems the Sony phone will target a much different audience.

If sony can make a decent platform it will attract a much younger audience and parents might be more willing to buy this to reduce the number of items their child has to maintain.

for all the Apple loyalists, the Sony will not be for you because the iPhone will always be good enough but with more and more people wanting to enjoy their games to a fullest extent, the Sony platform may draw some attention.

Imagine syncing to a PS3 or computer. Downloading game saves and bring them to a friends to play.

bruinsrme

Jun 28, 2009, 08:46 AM

Ok i see where you're going with this, but that point is a little silly IMO. Do you want the iPhone to be *longer* than it is now? Or do you want them to shave off the sides and make it more skinny, just so you can say it has a 16:9 screen? :rolleyes: What about movies that are wider than 16:9? Apple is "*****ing" its customers because they call the iPhone widescreen? They've been calling their laptops and displays "widescreen" for about a decade now, and none of them has ever been 16:9.

There are a tn of movies that are larger than 16:9..

2.35 to 1 aspect is wider than 16:9

windywoo

Jun 28, 2009, 08:50 AM

Stop spreading *********. There's no such thing as a 8GB iPhone 3GS and the most expensive is the 32GB one on payg which is £538.30....

It really pisses me off when people spread misinformation.

M. :mad:

He may have got the storage wrong, but add up the cost of the monthly contracts and you may find a figure close to what he quoted.

elppa

Jun 28, 2009, 08:54 AM

They can just use Android or Windows Mobile.

And Sony Ericsson have used both in the past, although their Windows Mobile experiment seemed to begin and end with one phone.

macjonny1

Jun 28, 2009, 08:59 AM

After Sony's rootkit fiasco I will never buy a product from them again.

andiwm2003

Jun 28, 2009, 09:26 AM

I don't think it's a question of whether or not the iPhone is a better gaming unit than the PSP... but it's probably "good enough" to the point that people will think twice about buying a dedicated portable gaming device when their iPhone or iPod Touch does a good enough job.

arn

this is especially true when you project the iPhone's gaming capabilities into the future. Will developers continue to support the PSP when the Iphone 4G and 5G will have he same power as the PSP today and when there will be 200 million iPhones out there?

andiwm2003

Jun 28, 2009, 09:35 AM

With products like the Palm Pre, Apple has to take care it does not just make the iphone for "fanboys" rich enough to own one. Nokia Sony RIM etc. can do "me to" products that do everything that the iphone will and more, for less. In the end features will sell the handset, rather that the ergonomics, ease of use, surprise and delight that are only discoverable in everyday use. When did you last see an iphone for demo in-store? Apple needs to think about its phone line up if it wants to sell outside it happy band of evangelists.
What i am really saying is
DROP THE PRICE!

I think you're wrong there. For the vast majority its not features (all the main features are there already) but the easy of use that makes them buy the iphone. I agree that a few people want features more than style and ease of use. But as the sales numbers show most people go for style.

And at $99 + contract the price seems to be low enough. The monthly costs of a phone are $70 or more so the actual price of the phone is less important.

mambodancer

Jun 28, 2009, 09:42 AM

Ok i see where you're going with this, but that point is a little silly IMO. Do you want the iPhone to be *longer* than it is now? Or do you want them to shave off the sides and make it more skinny, just so you can say it has a 16:9 screen? :rolleyes: What about movies that are wider than 16:9? Apple is "*****ing" its customers because they call the iPhone widescreen? They've been calling their laptops and displays "widescreen" for about a decade now, and none of them has ever been 16:9.

16:9 is only ONE widescreen format proportion of many, thus the variable size of black bars when watching movies in different widescreen formats.

Please see the Wikipedia link for more information before you make such a misinformed statement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widescreen

adamcz

Jun 28, 2009, 09:48 AM

I don't think it's a question of whether or not the iPhone is a better gaming unit than the PSP... but it's probably "good enough" to the point that people will think twice about buying a dedicated portable gaming device when their iPhone or iPod Touch does a good enough job.

arn
I fall into this category. iPhone games are kind of lame, but they're something to pass a minute or two of free time here and there. I'm not going to spend extra money and more importantly carry an extra device just to get slightly more entertainment out of five minutes free time.

soapsuds

Jun 28, 2009, 10:00 AM

16:9 is only ONE widescreen format proportion of many, thus the variable size of black bars when watching movies in different widescreen formats.

Please see the Wikipedia link for more information before you make such a misinformed statement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widescreen

I think you're missing blackcrayon's point, which is that the OP complaining about the iPhone not having "true" widescreen doesn't make sense given that movies are often wider than 16:9 and "widescreen" computer monitors are typically 16:10. Unless you were replying to the original post but quoted the wrong post.

Xibalba

Jun 28, 2009, 10:21 AM

too little too late to compete with iphone, but another gaming device may do well in this market. and sony does have more pull overall in the teen to early 20s gaming market since their PS2 has done so well.

however i will be curious to see how sony can make this product fit into one's pocket - just take a look at the PSP and PS3...

Pika

Jun 28, 2009, 10:37 AM

They can just use Android or Windows Mobile.

If SONY fall into one of these smartphone operating systems, then we can conclude that the iPhone is the clear winner (in terms of features):

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7115/iphie.png

If not... then they have a long way to create an operating system as good as those smartphone operating systems.

M!K

Jun 28, 2009, 10:41 AM

Sony always copies on everything company around them (e.g. Microsoft, Nintendo and Apple). that is just annoying!

iceman1234

Jun 28, 2009, 10:50 AM

from sony's history they have always been att/gsm. If they want to reach all the people that want an iphone but hate att/gsm they have to branch out and to veriozon/cdma. That way they are reaching different buyers than iphone buyers.

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 11:10 AM

Hi
Think Windows XP. Even when Mac OX X runs rings around Windows, people still pick XP because it is less expensive and "good enough". Apple is using the Microsoft approach this time when it comes to gaming.
LMAO! "Less expensive". That's awesome. :D Far from it chum. Many choose it because they are afraid minorities like the Mac OS are too risky in compatibility, support, ... Which, as we know, for the most part is wrong. Quick example... Apple knows Snow Leopard isn't a huge release but it certainly brings plenty 'to the table'. Vista to 7 is about the same ( less in my opinion ). Leopard to Snow Leopard = $20. Vista to 7 = $50 - 100 ( pre- order pricing ). The fact is that Microsoft knows the'll get tons of sales despite and that they need the income generated by these high priced OS ( and Officr ) sales to cover the losses from other departments.

neiltc13

Jun 28, 2009, 11:14 AM

Stop spreading *********. There's no such thing as a 8GB iPhone 3GS and the most expensive is the 32GB one on payg which is £538.30....

It really pisses me off when people spread misinformation.

M. :mad:

Sorry I meant 16GB, no need to get so angry. Apple's current line is unnecessarily confusing. I didn't hurt you or your family! :eek:

Anyway, the prices of iPhone 3G and 3GS are ridiculous in the UK. I quoted the Pay as You Go model prices because I think they're more relevant to consumers who are interested in the device for gaming as well.

The prices are:

8GB iPhone 3G = £342.50
16GB iPhone 3GS = £440.40
32GB iPhone 3GS = £538.30

In comparison, a PSP Go with 16GB internal storage is going to be no more than £250 (hopefully less if Sony realise the pricing is still a little high). This is for a device which is better at movies and better at gaming than iPhone.

The software on PSP is very good - it's reliable and I've never seen it crash. If they can expand this to include telephone support as well then I think they'd be on to a winner.

from sony's history they have always been att/gsm. If they want to reach all the people that want an iphone but hate att/gsm they have to branch out and to veriozon/cdma. That way they are reaching different buyers than iphone buyers.

Please can we stop discussing this as if the US market is somehow the deciding factor in the success of Sony's products? There's a whole world out there buying phones.

i will be curious to see how sony can make this product fit into one's pocket - just take a look at the PSP and PS3...

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/05/psp_go_vs_psp_iphone.jpg

blackcrayon

Jun 28, 2009, 11:18 AM

16:9 is only ONE widescreen format proportion of many, thus the variable size of black bars when watching movies in different widescreen formats.

Please see the Wikipedia link for more information before you make such a misinformed statement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widescreen

Yes, my point exactly. That "widescreen" can mean several things and that even if the iPhone were 16:9 you would still get black bars with anything that didn't fit *that* exactly. Check the post I was replying to originally. The poster was saying that Apple was somehow cheating its customers by calling the iPhone widescreen. I was saying that Apple (and every other computer manufacturer) has already established widescreen to include plenty of other ratios than 16:9 (usually being around 16:10).

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 11:21 AM

I fall into this category. iPhone games are kind of lame, but they're something to pass a minute or two of free time here and there. I'm not going to spend extra money and more importantly carry an extra device just to get slightly more entertainment out of five minutes free time.
Exactly! That's the point. You don't typically play hours on a portable ( though sometimes one can lose track of the time ). That's what a 'full size' gaming console is for. IMHO, the iPhone / iPod touch games generally reflect this. They are a few moment, simple, mini-type games. As busy as our lives are, we always seem to find one or two minutes to just do something that isn't a project. Products like the iPhone cannot only fill the small functions of our daily 'work' but also those couple minutes.

Dagless

Jun 28, 2009, 11:22 AM

I wouldn't bother with it. I like my PSP (when it's moddable, and not for piracy) and I like the iPhone. The PSP has all the games I want and not cheap knockoffs like some of the iPhone games, but the iPhone is probably the best phone on the market... Well for my needs it is the best phone on the market.

Thing is their competative products don't seem to fare well. The DS is outselling the PSP, the iPod is outselling the Walkman, the Wii and 360 are outselling the PS3. I'd rather see them focus on making something unique and great than see them copy.

In comparison, a PSP Go with 16GB internal storage is going to be no more than £250 (hopefully less if Sony realise the pricing is still a little high). This is for a device which is better at movies and better at gaming than iPhone.
No it's not. I used to use my PSP for watching TV shows, then I went back to the iPod Classic, now I'm on the iPod Touch. The display on the iPod is just generations better, stores much more, better sound through headphones. And not so much a big deal if you leave it plugged in but the battery life is much worse on the PSP.

The software on PSP is very good - it's reliable and I've never seen it crash. If they can expand this to include telephone support as well then I think they'd be on to a winner.
Really? The music portion of the software is horrendous to use, wifi reception isn't as good, there's no organisation allowance for stored games, video requirements are sketchy (at least in iTunes it tells you if the video will play on an Apple device... Rather than leave you to test it out on the PSP itself).

I've also had a fair few crashes. Occasionally when it brings the keyboard up and the frequent one that doesn't let me turn off the device (even with hacks), and that's the same on my brother and friends PSP-2000.

grosslyclever

Jun 28, 2009, 11:23 AM

So y is making a Phone combined with a PSP? WHAT?

I'm laughing out loud! :D

Bubba Satori

Jun 28, 2009, 11:28 AM

It is said that certain predators can smell fear.

Colrath

Jun 28, 2009, 11:29 AM

Yeah good luck with that Sony, we all know they put the crappiest hardware parts inside all of their products.

... What are you talking about?

neiltc13

Jun 28, 2009, 11:33 AM

Yes, my point exactly. That "widescreen" can mean several things and that even if the iPhone were 16:9 you would still get black bars with anything that didn't fit *that* exactly. Check the post I was replying to originally. The poster was saying that Apple was somehow cheating its customers by calling the iPhone widescreen. I was saying that Apple (and every other computer manufacturer) has already established widescreen to include plenty of other ratios than 16:9 (usually being around 16:10).

Sorry let's be clear here - most (if not all) of the movie and TV show content Apple sells on its own store is 16:9. Pretty much every TV show I watch is 16:9.

If iPhone was WIDER than this then I wouldn't be bothered by their widescreen marketing. But to most users, the term "widescreen" means 16:9 - I don't think anyone can possibly consider 3:2 "widescreen".

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 28, 2009, 11:38 AM

Sony always copies on everything company around them (e.g. Microsoft, Nintendo and Apple). that is just annoying!

Examples?

Pika

Jun 28, 2009, 11:38 AM

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/05/psp_go_vs_psp_iphone.jpg

The PSP is more of a toy for teenage gamers then a professional business device like the iPhone.

It is build only to play games.

I'd LOL to see a business person using a PSP as a communication device.

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 11:45 AM

Hi
I think that will only matter to hardcore gamers, and I'm sure there are hardware controller addons that work through the dock port in development. I would guess the only unknown is whether they will reach critical mass with hardcore gamers so that big development houses make their games compatible with them.
[Just a general snide remark] "Hardcore gamer" = a 300lbs or more / unhealthy thin person with BO and crumbs / opened food packaging decorating the seated area, located in a dark apartment or basement, where he spends 12 hours or more a day playing titles like WoW while feeding on nothing but convenient store food / beverages, and fears exposure to sunlight.

:)

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 12:00 PM

Hi
If they do come up with something, you can bet it will have a completely different storage method than anything else currently available :) And, it will probably contain moving parts :rolleyes: Hopefully they will fit a minidisc player so I can play all those old discs, currently collecting dust next to my cassettes!
In all fairness. Sony knew it was a gamble to try and trump Nintendo and even Microsoft. However, Sony did put a lot of thought into the PS3 that will likely gain them a ton more money. That is... Their Blu-ray triumph. Licensing rights are what's going to put coin I their pockets. They realized that from the beginning and knew THAT would be worth the risk. Even MS and Apple will need to throw them some $$$ now.

Nym

Jun 28, 2009, 12:19 PM

... What are you talking about?

There is definitely a MacRumors culture to hate everything non-Apple so I'm not even gonna comment on the topic.

However, I can tell you this about their "cheap hardware":

I bought a PS2 in 2002, still working.
I bought a PSP in 2006 (first version), still working, never had a XMB crash or a game crash.
I bought a PS3 in 2008 and I had 0 problems so far, even with the free online play.

I've actually had quite a good experiences with Sony's various gaming platforms and, although my iPhone is certainly enough for some quick gaming sessions, it's an exaggeration to say that "SONY SUCKS" IMO.

organerito

Jun 28, 2009, 12:44 PM

Don't bother Sony... Apple is clearly winning.

Microsoft is winning clearly in market share of OS and browsers? Should Apple give up?

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 12:46 PM

Hi
The "phone" part of iPhone has been poor from day one. Lack of MMS, dropped calls, no standardised ringtone support, poor voice quality, horribly positioned microphone etc.
I don't have experience with the original iPhone but no one has had trouble hearing me or vice-versa with the 3G or my 3GS. MMS is a fairly silly delay. Apple hinted at that as well by throwing AT&T 'under the bus' during the WWDC keynote. Ringtones are just as tedious as my Samsung.

Professional video game developers are jumping on iPhone because it is extremely cheap and easy to develop for in comparison to other platforms. But this leads to poor quality software, because they aren't willing to dedicate the same resources to the development.

I'm yet to find a game on the App Store which comes anywhere close to being comparable to a PSP game.
Best example that I can think of off hand is EA Mobile. They've invested quite a but now into the iPhone / iPod touch.

dan3L

Jun 28, 2009, 12:48 PM

There is definitely a MacRumors culture to hate everything non-Apple so I'm not even gonna comment on the topic.

However, I can tell you this about their "cheap hardware":

I bought a PS2 in 2002, still working.
I bought a PSP in 2006 (first version), still working, never had a XMB crash or a game crash.
I bought a PS3 in 2008 and I had 0 problems so far, even with the free online play.

I've actually had quite a good experiences with Sony's various gaming platforms and, although my iPhone is certainly enough for some quick gaming sessions, it's an exaggeration to say that "SONY SUCKS" IMO.

Congratulations on being a responsible person taking good care of your stuff. Actually, my issues with Sony have little to do with their products which by the way, have dropped in quality in a general sense. Aren't these the guys that were putting root kits on our computers? The their settlement in that case was to offer free downloads of a group of songs no one would want. Hardly a company looking out for their customers/stockholders.

I wouldn't buy Sony if for no other reason that simple principal.

Rocketman

Jun 28, 2009, 12:56 PM

I said what I meant and meant what I said.
Better never than late. At this point.
Apple is now de facto dominant in media, apps, device take-up rate, and solvency.

Based on the chart posted, the only thing missing from iPhone is Domino and Blackberry support which can be addressed by approved software applications. For a two year old device, the hardware, software, and cloud ecosystem, breadth and depth is amazing.

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 01:04 PM

Hi
Aren't these the guys that were putting root kits on our computers? The their settlement in that case was to offer free downloads of a group of songs no one would want. Hardly a company looking out for their customers/stockholders.
I'll be honest that I haven't heard of that but I'l tell you from experience that a lot of Sony computers have an extremely strange ( and IMHO dumb ) HDD partition setup. I don't remember the exacts off hand but something like the first 25% is the C: Drive and than there's this seemingly empty D: drive taking up the rest. So... People fill up their primary partition almost immediately causing a lot of problems. So... I usually turned it into one partition for them. Never did understand why Sony did it but maybe it is part of this rootkit dealy you speak of. Or just to get people to upgrade to 1TB drives so they have 250GB to use. :)

irnchriz

Jun 28, 2009, 01:09 PM

Im still wondering why people think a phone and a game console are in competition. Any serious gamer knows that the iPhone is not a very good unit to game on, yet the media keeps thinking it can compete with the psp.

Funny, the Wii is not a very good console to game on (as far as gamers are concerned) but Nintendo sells millions of them every month.

andy721

Jun 28, 2009, 01:15 PM

... What are you talking about?

I knew someone would ask this ok listen sheep, SONY puts crappy hardware inside ALL of their products.

Now you understand?

emulator

Jun 28, 2009, 01:22 PM

Ah, good old SONY, always a day too late for the party. Another botched waste of potential coming up. I swear, nothing SONY has done since the PlayStation 2 has even scraped the same neighbouring universe of its success. At this rate of failiure the PSOne, PS2 and Walkman are at the danger of actually being seriously considered coincidental successes, and abysmal failiure being the norm.
sure the black trinitron was coincidental, right? they invented much more in the consumer electronic field, etc.

the problem is with their corp heads (just like m$), not the technical knowledge of the engineers.

TeeJayEm

Jun 28, 2009, 01:29 PM

I'm all for it! When there's competition, the consumer wins.

Daniel0418

Jun 28, 2009, 01:38 PM

Ah, good old SONY, always a day too late for the party. Another botched waste of potential coming up. I swear, nothing SONY has done since the PlayStation 2 has even scraped the same neighbouring universe of its success. At this rate of failiure the PSOne, PS2 and Walkman are at the danger of actually being seriously considered coincidental successes, and abysmal failiure being the norm.

This is true to an extent. But if you look at the numbers there is a different story to be told. For example ps2 just sold its 50,000,000 unit. He price started at 299 and made its way down to 99. Ps3 has sold 28,000,000 units at 399.99 and 499.99... Pretty good. If ps3 drops price to 199 it will become very successful.

organerito

Jun 28, 2009, 01:57 PM

This is true to an extent. But if you look at the numbers there is a different story to be told. For example ps2 just sold its 50,000,000 unit. He price started at 299 and made its way down to 99. Ps3 has sold 28,000,000 units at 399.99 and 499.99... Pretty good. If ps3 drops price to 199 it will become very successful.

If I buy a Blue Ray player it is going to be the PS3. As I already have a Xbox 360, I am just waiting for the price to drop.

Dagless

Jun 28, 2009, 01:58 PM

Examples?

I can only speak for games but-
Sony was to build a CD drive for the SNES called the Playstation. Sony turned it into their own console using the SNES controller as a template.
Nothing much (hardware wise) changes until the PS3 where Nintendo announced motion controllers, needless to say so did Sony.

They don't seem to copy Nintendo as a whole, but rather their controls.

There is definitely a MacRumors culture to hate everything non-Apple so I'm not even gonna comment on the topic.

However, I can tell you this about their "cheap hardware":

I bought a PS2 in 2002, still working.
I bought a PSP in 2006 (first version), still working, never had a XMB crash or a game crash.
I bought a PS3 in 2008 and I had 0 problems so far, even with the free online play.

Congrats. I take care of my hardware too (not a scratch on my 2 year old iPod 5.5G :)). Sony hardware was the most faulty stuff I purchased, though that seems to have changed recently.

PS1 broke, needed laser replacing.
PS2 for the same reason (there was a class action lawsuit for this very reason).
My cousin needed a replacement PS3 - IIRC there was a power issue but because the power brick is internal the whole console had to be sent back.
PSP's dead pixel problem anyone? Breaking analogue sticks and UMD drives are rarer problems.
A Sony amp fried, one of the tweeters on my Sony speakers went. My Minidisc recorder had QC issues. Even my PSP-2000 has a single dead pixel and ghost problems with the display...

All that said my low end Sony MDR headphones are years old now and working perfectly.

Funny, the Wii is not a very good console to game on (as far as gamers are concerned) but Nintendo sells millions of them every month.

I disagree. I'm a hardcore gamer (bleh) and I rely on the Wii for providing an experience that the other consoles cant do. Also: Brawl and Mario Galaxy. 2 of the best console games I've ever played... People buy the Wii because it's cheap, fun and a good system to play games on. From the sounds of it it just doesn't match what you consider a good game.

Feng Shui

Jun 28, 2009, 02:05 PM

They'll probably lack app support like the other phones that tried to compete with the iPhone.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 02:15 PM

Ah, good old SONY, always a day too late for the party. Another botched waste of potential coming up. I swear, nothing SONY has done since the PlayStation 2 has even scraped the same neighbouring universe of its success. At this rate of failiure the PSOne, PS2 and Walkman are at the danger of actually being seriously considered coincidental successes, and abysmal failiure being the norm.

they said the same thing about nintendo during n64 and gamecube days. now look at them laughing all the way to the bank with the ds and wii platform. every company have their moments. apple sure as hell isn't always on a constant win.

you are one to be ignored.

RAGING DEMON

Jun 28, 2009, 02:20 PM

Okay...

Apple has taken:

The Walkman business away from Sony with the iPod
The PSP business away with the iPhone/Touch

Could there be more, what's left?

TV (but I don't think so) but hows about Console Gaming?

****WELL*****

What do we have that could jump right into that market...

Apple TV

Sure it wouldn't work in its current incarnation but with Apple slowly but surely building its relationships with game developers... Would it be that much of a stretch for Apple to drop in a real GPU and throw in a controller with the Apple TV? (with a blueray player please)

Now you'd have your first game console where you can buy the games you want to play without leaving the tv.... Apple would simply sell AppleTV games using the same type/style storefront that they are using for the iPhone/Touch.

Everyone always shoots down the idea of an Apple console, including me for a long time. Now, I'm starting to think they might very well be in a position to pull it off.

Dave

YOUR FORGETTING, COLUMBIA PICTURES, MGM, AND WHAT NOT, EVEN IF SONY ARE NOT COMPETING WITH THE IPOD/IPHONE, THEY AT LEAST HAVE A BIGGER INCOME THAN APPLE!

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 02:24 PM

I knew someone would ask this ok listen sheep, SONY puts crappy hardware inside ALL of their products.

Now you understand?

there goes the neighborhood with this guys blatant ignorance. what cheap hardware are you speaking of? my walkman from the 90s still runs like a champ. my ps1, ps2, ps3 never any problems. my psp when it first came out -no problems.

macs aren't special if you are talking about the hardware involved...they contain the same guts as the "other guys". the only thing that often differs them from the rest is the chasis body and os.

pdjudd

Jun 28, 2009, 02:29 PM

If ps3 drops price to 199 it will become very successful.

Thats a rather big if. Lots of people have called on Sony to lower the PS3 price and many have predicted it will happen (it has been believed that Sony was going to announce said price cuts at least twice) but it never did. Sony in fact has not given any indication that it will happen any time in the near future. We have rumors, but no facts. We also have to consider that if it goes down in price - it will be nowhere near @199. Even at it's cheapest price of 399, its more than likely going to go down 10 maybe 349 or at most 299. and its already been on the market for 3 years. It's not going to be anywhere near 200 for quite a long time if at all. Sony is already selling the systems at a loss.

Yes, you can sell a lot of anything if you sell it cheaply enough. Its kind of pointless to do it if you never make any money off of it.

str1f3

Jun 28, 2009, 02:36 PM

There is definitely a MacRumors culture to hate everything non-Apple so I'm not even gonna comment on the topic.

However, I can tell you this about their "cheap hardware":

I bought a PS2 in 2002, still working.
I bought a PSP in 2006 (first version), still working, never had a XMB crash or a game crash.
I bought a PS3 in 2008 and I had 0 problems so far, even with the free online play.

I've actually had quite a good experiences with Sony's various gaming platforms and, although my iPhone is certainly enough for some quick gaming sessions, it's an exaggeration to say that "SONY SUCKS" IMO.

I can't speak for the PSP & PS3 but the PS1 & 2 were horribly built. Especially the former. I had to replace the PS1 twice and the PS2 once. The PS1 was notorious for having to turn it upside down after a year or two of use. It usually is the case with gaming consoles in that they are poorly built (see red ring of death) though I hear good things about the PS3.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 02:40 PM

Hi

[Just a general snide remark] "Hardcore gamer" = a 300lbs or more / unhealthy thin person with BO and crumbs / opened food packaging decorating the seated area, located in a dark apartment or basement, where he spends 12 hours or more a day playing titles like WoW while feeding on nothing but convenient store food / beverages, and fears exposure to sunlight.

:)

i play games and was sponsored by my korean guild in warcraft 3 for 3 1/2 yrs by AMD. i graduated high school at 16 and went to yonsei university. i worked as a graphic artist and photography for rice addict magazine. i have a degree in psychology and working on a strategic leadership in business degree. i was the top tank and pvp player in my WoW guild and i own a nes, super nes, gamegear, dreamcast (the best in imo), psp, ds, dsi, wii, gamecube, psx, ps2, ps3, n64, xbox and xbox 360.

i eat quite healthy (sometimes i'll have a coke). my major vice is cigs. i surf and workout mon, wed, friday, and sundays.

most of the gamers and friends i know never fall into that lame stereotypical category smartasses such as yourself try to play.

and if you were joking - this is in response to all the other times i've read similar remarks in the past.

irnchriz

Jun 28, 2009, 02:46 PM

I disagree. I'm a hardcore gamer (bleh) and I rely on the Wii for providing an experience that the other consoles cant do. Also: Brawl and Mario Galaxy. 2 of the best console games I've ever played... People buy the Wii because it's cheap, fun and a good system to play games on. From the sounds of it it just doesn't match what you consider a good game.

each to their own but the VAST majority of wii owners have their for the sports games. I would also like to point out that the wii is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. £179 for the console. If you use it for family games and need another 3 sets of controllers that's an additional £135 then if you want wii fit that's another £70 and now if you want motion plus that's an additional £20 per player.

Best thing about the wii is that after 2 years you can sell it and get ALL of your money back. It pretty much Is depreciation proof at the mo.

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 28, 2009, 02:52 PM

I can only speak for games but-
Sony was to build a CD drive for the SNES called the Playstation. Sony turned it into their own console using the SNES controller as a template.
Nothing much (hardware wise) changes until the PS3 where Nintendo announced motion controllers, needless to say so did Sony.

They don't seem to copy Nintendo as a whole, but rather their controls.

Why wouldnt Sony use the SNES controller as a basis for the DualShock? Its not that Sony copied Nintendo there, they just used what worked. Just because Nintendo had it first doesnt mean Sony was reverse-engineering everything they did just to copy it.
Nintendo officially announced the wiimote in april 2006, and sony announced the sixaxis in october 2006. The sixaxis was known about long before that though. Do you really think that Sony heard nintendo's announcement and scrambled to redesign and manufacture new controllers in those 6 months? Im not saying they didnt, but it seems very unlikely.

madmax_2069

Jun 28, 2009, 02:59 PM

The PSP is more of a toy for teenage gamers then a professional business device like the iPhone.

It is build only to play games.

I'd LOL to see a business person using a PSP as a communication device.

The PSP wasn't made to only play games, that's why its called a multimedia device (hince movies, music, limited web surfing and other things like GPS and camera, (when modded) emulation and so many other things the PSP can do.

the go only lacks the UMD drive, added bluetooth in a smaller redesigned slide case with smaller screen (i smell fail with the PSP Go) the only thing i see the GO has going for it is the addition of bluetooth.

when the PSP go launches every game will be able to be bought as a digital download (mainly for the PSP go) or on UMD for the older PSPs.

but yeah business people would look funny carrying around a PSP instead of a Phone.

neiltc13

Jun 28, 2009, 03:06 PM

Best example that I can think of off hand is EA Mobile. They've invested quite a but now into the iPhone / iPod touch.

Yep, they've invested more than some of the others but the EA games being released for iPhone aren't a patch on the PSP efforts. They either lack the depth that a PSP game has (The Sims 3, SimCity) or the controls fail the gameplay (NFS Undercover).

While it would be nice to see some decent, in depth games coming to iPhone, it's never going to happen while Apple allows developers to price their applications at 59p - there's just no room in the market for better things.

RAGING DEMON

Jun 28, 2009, 03:07 PM

Why wouldnt Sony use the SNES controller as a basis for the DualShock? Its not that Sony copied Nintendo there, they just used what worked. Just because Nintendo had it first doesnt mean Sony was reverse-engineering everything they did just to copy it.
Nintendo officially announced the wiimote in april 2006, and sony announced the sixaxis in october 2006. The sixaxis was known about long before that though. Do you really think that Sony heard nintendo's announcement and scrambled to redesign and manufacture new controllers in those 6 months? Im not saying they didnt, but it seems very unlikely.

SONY ASKED NINTENDO TO BUILD THE CONSOLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT HALFWAY THRU THE PROCESS , NINTENDO DECIDED TO GO THRU THE PAPER WORK AND REALISED THAT PRETTYMUCH EVERYTHING NINTENDO DID, WOULD BE SONYS OUTRIGHT, WITH NO ROYALTIES , THATS WHEN NINTENDO PULLED OUT AND SONY TOOK WHAT WAS COMPLETED SO FAR AND MADE IT INTO THE PLAYSTAION! SOMETHIGN LIKE THAT!!

http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/original-nintendo-sony-playstation-prototype-found/

http://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/nintendo-cd/

Dagless

Jun 28, 2009, 03:09 PM

each to their own but the VAST majority of wii owners have their for the sports games. I would also like to point out that the wii is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. £179 for the console. If you use it for family games and need another 3 sets of controllers that's an additional £135 then if you want wii fit that's another £70 and now if you want motion plus that's an additional £20 per player.

First off I'd like some links to prove these points, and then I'd like to know why sports games are any less of a game than others and why it's different to any other consoles sports games.
The console can be bought for a lot less than that. Asda were selling them for £139 recently. A full controller (wii controller+nunchuck) can cost around £40. Whilst you're looking these up do a pricecheck on a DualShock 3 controller.

So again... Why is it any different to any other console? A Playstation 3 with 3 DualShock 3's would cost £387.97, and that's before games.
A fully kitted out Wii would cost £254 and you at least get Wii Sports with that.

Dagless

Jun 28, 2009, 03:12 PM

The PSP wasn't made to only play games, that's why its called a multimedia device (hince movies, music, limited web surfing and other things like GPS and camera, (when modded) emulation and so many other things the PSP can do.

Yes, that's what Sony says it is. But the photo function is useless (needed an SD card slot), music is okay but lacks playlist features (handles like an MP3 player from circa 2000), video is the best function but also limited, internet is useless.
It's primarily a games machine that has a few thrown in extra features. If they wanted a real multimedia device it wouldn't be so limited and use more common media types.

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 03:25 PM

Apple should be really worried here and scared...

Rumor has it that what with the r&d and ingenuity that goes on in Sony these days we are in for a staggering new product.

edit:

***ALERT***, leaked photos of the new crossover psp/phone by sony, this is big...

http://www.whatistruth.info/oldphone.jpg

and the bottom horizontal part makes for a nice iphone stand.

Stargaze

Jun 28, 2009, 03:34 PM

so now that apple has released its 3rd generation of its iPhone

Sony has finally decided "maybe we should put a sony ericsson in our PSP??"

that seemed so second nature from the release of the first iPhone im afraid it might be too little too late for the Playstation Phone..

Mattie Num Nums

Jun 28, 2009, 03:43 PM

I hate the term "iPhone Killer". Its like if another company dares to make a smart phone its now an "iPhone Killer".

Apple is the newest to the game of Smart Phones, Sony has been making handheld devices for a very long time. The thing is the iPhone set new standards and companies are now forced to adjust and innovate to those. Now Apple has been pretty stagnant with there iPhone and I love the competition because this will just make the Smart Phone realm better.

Colrath

Jun 28, 2009, 03:49 PM

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 28, 2009, 04:00 PM

http://www.whatistruth.info/oldphone.jpg

I swear to god, i have that exact phone hanging in my stairway. The first thing i thought when i saw your post was "how the hell did he get in my house?"

:D

*LTD*

Jun 28, 2009, 04:04 PM

From Jon Gruber:

That Sony is only now “considering” this epitomizes everything that’s wrong with them. They’ve been making both cell phones and handheld video game systems for years, and yet it didn’t occur to them to fuse the two until after the iPhone became a smash hit. It’s as though they learned nothing after watching the iPod kill the Walkman.

Exactly.

And ultimately, who the hell cares?? Sony is a follower.

Virgil-TB2

Jun 28, 2009, 04:05 PM

Reminds me of just before the release of the PSP and all the Sony fanboys were proclaiming it would kill the iPod. They clamored that it would eviscerate the iPod in features and in sales. Slightly over five years later only 51.6 million PSPS, and iPod with its almost eight years at some 206 million. ...It's because Sony doesn't look at the market but at what the market "should" be. They have also never really understood the non-Japanese consumer very well.

Outside of Japan, PSPs mostly appeal to a very young crowd of mostly boys who don't have much money and are not very social. It's going to be harder to get that demographic to buy into the idea of having a phone in their PSP than it is to get the people with the cool iPhone to buy into the idea of using games in general.

The kind of kids into hard-core shoot-em-up games are not the kind of kids that are into buying heavy phone contracts. It's a niche market at best and won't affect their overall sales. It will just be a handy extra feature for those already buying into the PSP ecosystem, whereas the iPhone is the exact reverse.

The iPhone demographic is much much broader and for them, the addition of games is the "extra feature." It's a safe bet that the relative size of the two markets and the two demographics will remain constant despite the addition of the extra features.

The only way the PSP w/phone will eat into the iPhone market is by morphing into a multi-function device similar to the iPhone. In other words, by changing from a gaming machine to something else entirely.

alexacker

Jun 28, 2009, 04:08 PM

As an iPhone 3GS user and Apple brand ambassador, the one thing that iTunes is missing is alot of very high-quality brand name games designed for the hardcore "gamer". Yes, iTunes has a lot of great stuff and I've hundreds of dollars buying them, but PS3, Xbox and Wii have the market cornered on high-quality brand name games . If their phone GUI is brilliantly designed as the iPhone, they've got the best shot at being the famous "iPhone killer" more so than the Pre or any Android phone.

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 04:10 PM

Sony has been making handheld devices for a very long time.

Sure, Sony has been making by and large crap phones for a long while, that's why apple that hadn't been making phones for a long while kicked their butt and now they are invisible in the smart phone market.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 04:10 PM

SONY ASKED NINTENDO TO BUILD THE CONSOLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT HALFWAY THRU THE PROCESS , NINTENDO DECIDED TO GO THRU THE PAPER WORK AND REALISED THAT PRETTYMUCH EVERYTHING NINTENDO DID, WOULD BE SONYS OUTRIGHT, WITH NO ROYALTIES , THATS WHEN NINTENDO PULLED OUT AND SONY TOOK WHAT WAS COMPLETED SO FAR AND MADE IT INTO THE PLAYSTAION! SOMETHIGN LIKE THAT!!

http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/original-nintendo-sony-playstation-prototype-found/

http://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/nintendo-cd/

actually, at the convention when nintendo was going to display and discuss what the sony partnership meant and what to expect for the nintendo platform - nintendo blindsided sony and announced an (ill-fated) partnership with phillips. sony then took what they had already done with nintendo and continued development and it evolved into the playstation.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 04:11 PM

Eidorian

Jun 28, 2009, 04:12 PM

actually, at the convention when nintendo was going to display and discuss what the sony partnership meant and what to expect for the nintendo platform - nintendo blindsided sony and announced an (ill-fated) partnership with phillips. sony then took what they had already done with nintendo and continued development and it evolved into the playstation.It's nice to see someone else remember that.

I get what you are saying but the iPhone is good enough at so many things, that it makes me regret buying other things. My DS is better at portable gaming than the iPhone. Bit I don't use it anymore because my phone is always with me, and it's good enough.Shovelware ahoy!

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 04:13 PM

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 04:16 PM

It's because Sony doesn't look at the market but at what the market "should" be. They have also never really understood the non-Japanese consumer very well.

Outside of Japan, PSPs mostly appeal to a very young crowd of mostly boys who don't have much money and are not very social. It's going to be harder to get that demographic to buy into the idea of having a phone in their PSP than it is to get the people with the cool iPhone to buy into the idea of using games in general.

The kind of kids into hard-core shoot-em-up games are not the kind of kids that are into buying heavy phone contracts. It's a niche market at best and won't affect their overall sales. It will just be a handy extra feature for those already buying into the PSP ecosystem, whereas the iPhone is the exact reverse.

The iPhone demographic is much much broader and for them, the addition of games is the "extra feature." It's a safe bet that the relative size of the two markets and the two demographics will remain constant despite the addition of the extra features.

The only way the PSP w/phone will eat into the iPhone market is by morphing into a multi-function device similar to the iPhone. In other words, by changing from a gaming machine to something else entirely.

iphone isn't popular in japan and most japanese cell phone users don't find it interesting compared to whats available in japan.

BongoBanger

Jun 28, 2009, 04:16 PM

Excellent find LTD, and excellent quote by Jon Gruber.

Kinda sums up why vision, in life as well as in technology, surpasses everything.

Actually Gruber, as usual, has it wrong - Sony saw the complete mess that Nokia made of merging games with mobile phones and rightly held off. Of course times have changed since then.

As for gaming the iPhone is a fine device but it's an auxiliary function and as such will never be as good as a dedicated device.

Eidorian

Jun 28, 2009, 04:20 PM

iphone isn't popular in japan and most japanese cell phone users don't find it interesting compared to the whats available in japan.The feature set and the hardware need to catch up to cater to the Japanese market. It's interesting to see how "American" products fare there. I can say the same for other countries.

3G internet was being pushed quite hard in Mexico the last time I was there. You didn't hear a peep stateside until many months later.

Actually Gruber, as usual, has it wrong - Sony saw the complete mess that Nokia made of merging games with mobile phones and rightly held off. Of course times have changed since then.

As for gaming the iPhone is a fine device but it's an auxiliary function and as such will never be as good as a dedicated device.N-Gage we hardly knew ye.

X38

Jun 28, 2009, 04:26 PM

The greatest weakness of the iPhone is the lack of buttons for gaming. As great as the touchscreen is, you need a D-pad + 2 buttons to get quality controls. The lack of feedback makes most games frustrating to me, particually the ones that try to be more traditional.

Since access to the dock interface for third party hardware has been added to the SDK now, can't somebody just make a game controller that plugs into the dock for those who really want it?

BongoBanger

Jun 28, 2009, 04:31 PM

Since access to the dock interface for third party hardware has been added to the SDK now, can't somebody just make a game controller that plugs into the dock for those who really want it?

True but once you get into peripherals to perform mainstream functions on a handheld device it becomes a bit pointless.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 04:31 PM

i will never (well, maybe not never...) take the iphone/ipod touch seriously as a gaming machine. why? the inherent lack of physical buttons is a major no-no for me. there are a few genres where it works - and some work superb. be that as it may...motion control and an onscreen d-pad is not the answer for everything. lets try playing street fighter with an onscreen d-pad and see how much of a headache that will be trying to do the d-pad movements...

now i can't be entirely negative because recently released games such as world of tunes, zenonia, and real racing have colored me impressed. world of tunes feels like a game that nintendo could have put out for the ds. zenonia is a great rpg and for the price i paid...it was a bargain of a deal. it was like having another chance to enjoy an old school zelda game. real racing...well i think for the most part we can already agree that racing "works" on the platform it has with iphone/ipod touch.

the problem is what plagued the wii. every developer initally felt that motion control had to be included in everything. not every game or genre for that matter should be played touchscreen or motion control. this is what will keep the iphone/ipod touch from truly succeeding in winning the hearts of many.

Actually Gruber, as usual, has it wrong - Sony saw the complete mess that Nokia made of merging games with mobile phones and rightly held off. Of course times have changed since then.

As for gaming the iPhone is a fine device but it's an auxiliary function and as such will never be as good as a dedicated device.

bingo.

but, i would be wary of saying the iphone will NEVER be as good sa a dedicated device. apple had no immediate desire to promote gaming on the iphone. once developers took charge and released "inspiring" gaming apps...thats when apples "lightbulb" turned on and helped market the app store.

with that said...with each new iphone revision...i believe eventually the iphone would be a decent dedicated device.

Since access to the dock interface for third party hardware has been added to the SDK now, can't somebody just make a game controller that plugs into the dock for those who really want it?

yea...how appealing would that be to have to balance the iphone in your lap while using a controller in the subway?

and if you say it could be directly attached to the iphone...what about games that play vertically or only in landscape mode? i don't want dongles and adapters galore for my iphone/ipod touch...

iankrissanto

Jun 28, 2009, 04:40 PM

So, when this gadget realize?

mygadget (http://c-mygadget.blogspot.com)

windywoo

Jun 28, 2009, 04:42 PM

I can't see the iPhone as a serious gaming device because of the limitations others have already mentioned. However, many people do not really want a serious gaming device and just like the idea of being able to play games on their phone.

I don't see the iPhone as competing with PSP or DS because the market for those is younger. How many parents would buy their child an iPhone?

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 04:47 PM

I swear to god, i have that exact phone hanging in my stairway. The first thing i thought when i saw your post was "how the hell did he get in my house?"

:D

Ha, hahahghahahh, is that so? That's so funny!!!:p:D

When do you want your house keys back btw? :D:D

mixel

Jun 28, 2009, 04:48 PM

Good luck Sony. :D

I love many of Sony's products. Generally speaking they've spend a lot of R&D on quirky weird stuff, some of which has little to no market (Aibo, Clie UX50). They seem similarly quality obsessed to Apple but a tad more eccentric and liable to take bizarre gambles. I like that. They're definitely up there with Apple in the "interesting technology companies list" for me.

I wouldn't discount them at all. They've done great things before and will again. The PS3 and PSP shouldn’t be ignored either, they sell very strongly in many territories.

I'd stick with my iphone + PSP rather than getting a PSP-S/E phone hybrid, but I'd prefer a market where both were options!

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 04:51 PM

Actually Gruber, as usual, has it wrong - Sony saw the complete mess that Nokia made of merging games with mobile phones and rightly held off. Of course times have changed since then.

As for gaming the iPhone is a fine device but it's an auxiliary function and as such will never be as good as a dedicated device.

Actually, I cant really figure out how you say they "rightly held off" when their mobile phone share was about say very roughly 20% or even more and now their smart phone market is just %, nothing in front of it.

As you say times have changed since and where is sony, are they on the forefront of the wave with apple? No, they are in the beach with the other monumental bozos at ms trying to copy apple's surfboard just to get a taste for water....

that's not really good is it?

lamadude

Jun 28, 2009, 04:56 PM

gescom

Jun 28, 2009, 05:07 PM

the vj

Jun 28, 2009, 05:14 PM

The Phazer

Jun 28, 2009, 05:18 PM

yea...how appealing would that be to have to balance the iphone in your lap while using a controller in the subway?

and if you say it could be directly attached to the iphone...what about games that play vertically or only in landscape mode? i don't want dongles and adapters galore for my iphone/ipod touch...

You have a fold out device that attaches to the top and bottom of the phone, with controls on it.

Nobody would make vertical scrolling games that used it any more than than they do for the Playstation 3. Issue solved.

Phazer

X38

Jun 28, 2009, 05:20 PM

Im still wondering why people think a phone and a game console are in competition. Any serious gamer knows that the iPhone is not a very good unit to game on, yet the media keeps thinking it can compete with the psp.

I think you're kind of missing the point. I've never owned a game console and there's very little chance I ever will. Slight chance I may get a Wii, but beyond that, no chance. Definitely no chance I'd ever get anything like a PSP or DS - I just don't care. On the other hand. I got an iPhone on day one and upgraded to a 3GS on day one and have gotten a ton of use out of both. And I've gotten a heap of games for my iPhone and play games on it quite frequently. From what I've read, I've probably bought more games for my iPhone than the average PSP or DS owner buys. I never thought of games as a reason for getting my first iPhone, but after getting exposed to them, games where a significant factor in my desire to upgrade to the extra speed of the 3GS.
I know of a lot of people who have exactly the same outlook and experience with portable devices. I think that's what has Sony worried - the smart phones are going to kill off the standalone pocket gaming devices just like they did PDA's.

neiltc13

Jun 28, 2009, 05:22 PM

And I do not see Sony Ericson being that professional compared to Apple.

Their cellphones are ok but they are cheap, lots of eye candy features but... without charm. They have about 7 models and is always complicated to choose one because they lack of things.

You do realise you're talking about Apple here - the company that markets every product based on how "thin" it is, thinks that shaking a device is the best way to perfrom a function and that has a store filled with soft porn, fart applications and dating calculators?

BongoBanger

Jun 28, 2009, 05:27 PM

Actually, I cant really figure out how you say they "rightly held off" when their mobile phone share was about say very roughly 20% or even more and now their smart phone market is just %, nothing in front of it.

Nokia's was even better and they made a complete bollocks of it. The market just wasn't ready for the model proposed. That's where Gruber gets it wrong - he relates today's market conditions to the ones in existence 5-10 years ago.

As you say times have changed since and where is sony, are they on the forefront of the wave with apple? No, they are in the beach with the other monumental bozos at ms trying to copy apple's surfboard just to get a taste for water....

Sony have been a dead man walking for a while - Gruber is right on this part, he's just wrong on the mobile gaming front. As for your comments on MS, frankly, you're being ridiculous unless MS have released a handheld gaming device whilst I wasn't looking.

PlayRadioPlay

Jun 28, 2009, 05:29 PM

aygie

Jun 28, 2009, 05:32 PM

Part of the reason for that high of a sales number is partly because parents will buy their kids these PSP's. Try getting a parent to buy their 7 yr old an iPhone with a dataplan on a 2 year cellplan commitment is a different story...

PSP is a generally good device however if Sony tries to compete with iPhone it better have something worth a darn.

They have the framework in place, PSN store (Full PSP/PS1 games, demos, themes etc) Movie store (HD, SD movies/TV shows) and a "rumoured" music store (Sony BMG is a great starting place!) and even rumours of an app type store.

The PSPgo is the testing ground for the PSP2/PSP phone (as in a total media less device)

Their past few products are not much to look at even if they have a ton of power under the hood.

and i hope your not talking about the PS3! Its friggen awesome! :D

X38

Jun 28, 2009, 05:37 PM

You do realise you're talking about Apple here - the company that markets every product based on how "thin" it is, thinks that shaking a device is the best way to perfrom a function and that has a store filled with soft porn, fart applications and dating calculators?

For portable devices, "thin" is one of the most important parameters. The comfort and ease with which I can carry my iphone in my pocket despite its relatively large screen is a big reason why I am happy to own it and will never own a portable devices with a physical keyboard or game controller built into the main device.

Slim02

Jun 28, 2009, 05:40 PM

Everybody here seems to act like apple has totally won and the psp is a failure. Yet the article mentions that 50 million psp's have been sold, that's more than iPhone and iPod Touch combined and doesn't seem so bad after all.

If sony can create a phone that is compatible with all existing PSP games, that could be a huge advantage.
I love my iPhone, but I think it's a lousy device for most genres of games. Tilting the screen to steer a car? come on.

Yes and out of them 50 Million how many are replacements for broken PSP or are running homebrew? I bet it is a high % of users..Also I bet the software (games) are not as high because people are pirating the games instant of buying them.. Look at the Wi too. Hardware is through the roof but the Software is not even close... The PSP and Wii are the same.. People are running homebrew..

gescom

Jun 28, 2009, 05:40 PM

They have the framework in place, PSN store (Full PSP/PS1 games, demos, themes etc) Movie store (HD, SD movies/TV shows) and a "rumoured" music store (Sony BMG is a great starting place!) and even rumours of an app type store.

The PSPgo is the testing ground for the PSP2/PSP phone (as in a total media less device)

Yes, yes, cool, cool... that being said they don't implement this stuff very well. It has so much more potential but they never get there.

and i hope your not talking about the PS3! Its friggen awesome! :D

Sorry I was and that system was my reason for going Xbox 360, sad I know after being so Sony loyal but I realized they had their heads up their bums. It resembles someone blowing too hard into a PS2! Ugly is an understatement IMHO (of course). The 360 is just as good (not trying to invite a flame war) for me.

DELLsFan

Jun 28, 2009, 05:41 PM

Wow - that must've been a hell of a C64.

Nevermind, but Wing Commander was one of the first games to really use up VGA gfx. So no chance playing that on a 16 colors C64.

I personally thought, it sucked btw.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it. Great fun for me. You're sure it didn't run on it? It was years ago and maybe I'm mistaken. But for sure this game was on 5 1/4 floppy disks at the time. Maybe it was a PC using this drive? I could've swore it was the C64! :confused:

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 28, 2009, 05:46 PM

I think you're kind of missing the point. I've never owned a game console and there's very little chance I ever will. Slight chance I may get a Wii, but beyond that, no chance. Definitely no chance I'd ever get anything like a PSP or DS - I just don't care. On the other hand. I got an iPhone on day one and upgraded to a 3GS on day one and have gotten a ton of use out of both. And I've gotten a heap of games for my iPhone and play games on it quite frequently. From what I've read, I've probably bought more games for my iPhone than the average PSP or DS owner buys. I never thought of games as a reason for getting my first iPhone, but after getting exposed to them, games where a significant factor in my desire to upgrade to the extra speed of the 3GS.
I know of a lot of people who have exactly the same outlook and experience with portable devices. I think that's what has Sony worried - the smart phones are going to kill off the standalone pocket gaming devices just like they did PDA's.
By your example the iPhone isnt competing with the PSP or DS anyway, so im not sure what you are trying to say.

aygie

Jun 28, 2009, 05:49 PM

Yes, yes, cool, cool... that being said they don't implement this stuff very well. It has so much more potential but they never get there.

Sorry I was and that system was my reason for going Xbox 360, sad I know after being so Sony loyal but I realized they had their heads up their bums. It resembles someone blowing too hard into a PS2! Ugly is an understatement IMHO (of course). The 360 is just as good (not trying to invite a flame war) for me.

Don't worry i'm not one of these people who think your not entitled to your opinion! Everyone can like what they want and shouldn't be flamed for it. :)

What made you dislike the PS3?

aristotle

Jun 28, 2009, 05:49 PM

i will never (well, maybe not never...) take the iphone/ipod touch seriously as a gaming machine. why? the inherent lack of physical buttons is a major no-no for me.

Are you kidding me? Have you even tried games like Assassin's Creed on the iPhone? Have you heard of the Nintendo DS? A lot of games rely on the stylus for game play. Not only can the iPhone emulate that sort of game play but onscreen controls are perfectly usable give the multi-touch nature of the display. Also, games like real racing make good use of the accelerometer for steering.

but, i would be wary of saying the iphone will NEVER be as good sa a dedicated device. apple had no immediate desire to promote gaming on the iphone. once developers took charge and released "inspiring" gaming apps...thats when apples "lightbulb" turned on and helped market the app store.

I'm sorry but you are either blind or you have no TV service because you have completely missed the ads on TV that feature *GASP* games on the iPod Touch as a central feature.
:rolleyes:
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/gallery/

The iPhone and iPod Touch share the same platform.

andy721

Jun 28, 2009, 05:50 PM

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 05:53 PM

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 06:03 PM

Are you kidding me? Have you even tried games like Assassin's Creed on the iPhone? Have you heard of the Nintendo DS? A lot of games rely on the stylus for game play. Not only can the iPhone emulate that sort of game play but onscreen controls are perfectly usable give the multi-touch nature of the display. Also, games like real racing make good use of the accelerometer for steering.

I'm sorry but you are either blind or you have no TV service because you have completely missed the ads on TV that feature *GASP* games on the iPod Touch as a central feature.
:rolleyes:
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/gallery/

The iPhone and iPod Touch share the same platform.

yes i have. i have downloaded over 45+ games...boredom while deployed will do that to you. i'm sorry, but you obviously did not read my posts in full as i had stated i own a ds...and a dsi for that matter. i ALSO stated that real racing and racing games in general tend to work (still with quirks in gameplay) rather decently well. however, without physical buttons you would be hard pressed to pull off any combos in a fighting game that required accurate d-pad movements. not just fighting games either. you need to realize that the spectrum of gaming isn't just limited to your casual gaming apps. even games that tend to impress fall short on the gameplay delivery - need for speed undercover is one of them. argue all you want but that game really could have benefited from physical buttons...but, EA made due and delivered a decent game...but, the sacrifices in the transition are apparent. not everything needs physical buttons...but you can't replace them either for everything.

also, apple didn't set out for the iphone and ipod touch to be a decent market for gaming apps as it is today. true they market it - but, it was only until they discovered just how (using this world lightly) capable it was to create games like monkey ball and crash bandicoot 3d did they run with the marketing and developers getting interested in producing ports and easily cheap funded projects on a mass platform.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 06:04 PM

Are you kidding me? Have you even tried games like Assassin's Creed on the iPhone? Have you heard of the Nintendo DS? A lot of games rely on the stylus for game play. Not only can the iPhone emulate that sort of game play but onscreen controls are perfectly usable give the multi-touch nature of the display. Also, games like real racing make good use of the accelerometer for steering.

I'm sorry but you are either blind or you have no TV service because you have completely missed the ads on TV that feature *GASP* games on the iPod Touch as a central feature.
:rolleyes:
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/gallery/

The iPhone and iPod Touch share the same platform.

yes i have. i have downloaded over 25+ games...boredom while deployed will do that to you. i'm sorry, but you obviously did not read my posts in full as i had stated i own a ds...and a dsi for that matter. i ALSO stated that real racing and racing games in general tend to work (still with quirks in gameplay) rather decently well. however, without physical buttons you would be hard pressed to pull off any combos in a fighting game that required accurate d-pad movements. not just fighting games either. you need to realize that the spectrum of gaming isn't just limited to your casual gaming apps. even games that tend to impress fall short on the gameplay delivery - need for speed undercover is one of them. argue all you want but that game really could have benefited from physical buttons...but, EA made due and delivered a decent game...but, the sacrifices in the transition are apparent. not everything needs physical buttons...but you can't replace them either for everything.

also, apple didn't set out for the iphone and ipod touch to be a decent market for gaming apps as it is today. true they market it - but, it was only until they discovered just how (using this world lightly) capable it was to create games like monkey ball and crash bandicoot 3d did they run with the marketing and developers getting interested in producing ports and easily cheap funded projects on a mass platform.

gescom

Jun 28, 2009, 06:13 PM

Don't worry i'm not one of these people who think your not entitled to your opinion! Everyone can like what they want and shouldn't be flamed for it. :)

What made you dislike the PS3?

I just thought that the lighting in the games looked washed out plus the unit looked like an overweight darth vader fanboy sitting in my living room. I just could get that image out of my friggin head. That being said, if they were to recase it slimmer and drop the price a bit I would crack. I am a glutton for gaming. :D

Dmac77

Jun 28, 2009, 06:15 PM

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 06:22 PM

Nokia's was even better and they made a complete bollocks of it. The market just wasn't ready for the model proposed. That's where Gruber gets it wrong - he relates today's market conditions to the ones in existence 5-10 years ago.

Sony have been a dead man walking for a while - Gruber is right on this part, he's just wrong on the mobile gaming front. As for your comments on MS, frankly, you're being ridiculous unless MS have released a handheld gaming device whilst I wasn't looking.

My comments for Ms refer to their running behind wagging their tails and creating the zunes and zune hds and thinking they are hip, I was referring to their let apple do and will copy it then attitude, their "I just finally copied the dock in 7 and I think I am innovating because I actually copied myself in windows 1.1 with a dock I never evolved as an idea" attitude, which is also demonstrated by sonny too

As for what Gruber said and the fact that the market conditions were different, your argument doesn't really make sense. It's exactly what he is saying, that apple forged a way and created a market and sony sat like a duck and....ok I won't get graphic on what they did but you get my drift...and watched their walkman get trampled without being able to have a VISION for the future. HECK, their first mp3 players wanted you to convert your mp3s and purchase your tunes in a propriety sony format acem, acap, whatever its name was...REMEMBER that? Immensly stupid move, there was the de facto format in mp3 and sony was trying to adance it's own (unlike apple that simply wanted aac to co-exist with mp3). ABSOLUTELY NO VISION. So much r&d and the dwarf iriver came up with better designs, features etc. etc.

Same for mobile gaming and phones, sure that was not the case way back when but still people had started gaming on their phones, in the primal way with the black and white screens, we all remember the snake games and what have you...But sony lacke the vision to advance an extended plan for a crossover product, with all their knowledge, everything and archos has better products...come on....

As for nokia, you are wrong, nokia have STILL a great stronghold on both phones and smartphones, and to be frank that's the only platform I personally would consider instead of the iphone. IN NO WAY are they getting their butts kicked as sony erickson. Erickson was better positioned than nokia actually and sony managed to mess them up to the point of almost obliterating them from teh map.

Think about all that, before making rush judgments.:apple:

*LTD*

Jun 28, 2009, 06:28 PM

Anyone that thinks that the iPhone or iPod Touch is a better gaming device then the PSP is fooling themselves. It's totally asinine to even suggest that the iPhone can rival the PSP as a serious gaming platform.

Don

Really?

Because it's happening. And it'll just get better from here on in. All you need are developers + platform.

And guess where all the developers are?

And guess which current handheld platform has nearly unlimited potential?

If the device you want to bring to market isn't:

a) an all-in-one mobile computing platform, effectively combining music, media, video, phone, applications, with a great UI

OR

b) the iPod Touch,

then it's dead. Don't even bother bringing it to market.

This is the kind of problem MS will face with the ZuneHD, for example. We already have an iPod Touch, which is the standard. By miles (with Apple's development cycle being quite aggressive.) And guess what is rendering it obsolescent?

The iPhone. And the ZuneHD isn't an iPod Touch. And it certainly is no iPhone. So it's already old. But it'll be fun for those hardcore Windows enthusiasts who will be able to get in on Microsoft's "me too!" platform that's already been done to death, earlier, by someone else, and which has no phone capability. Again, MS is a day late and a dollar short.

So are the Palm engineers heading over to Sony? Because that's what they'll need in order to attain even remote relevance in this area. Sony has ceased to be the de facto standard in all of its markets. Been that way for years now. Not even in TVs. Sony can't even make its PS3 competitive. And now, years after the iPod touch changed the game, years after the iPhone took it to a whole new level, and just after Palm's Hail Mary attempt (with Apple talent, to boot) failed to "kill" the iPhone . . . Sony wants to do a better job? LOL . . . right. Because that is exactly what competitors need to do now: do a much, much better job. Being at par or just adequate isn't good enough anymore.

Unless Sony is content with just "adding another device" to the pile. Which it seems to know how to do pretty well.

applecultvictim

Jun 28, 2009, 06:30 PM

Anyone that thinks that the iPhone or iPod Touch is a better gaming device then the PSP is fooling themselves. It's totally asinine to even suggest that the iPhone can rival the PSP as a serious gaming platform.

Don

Yeah but as it has been said a gazilionth times there are a lot of users that dont care for a "serious" gaming device, they just care to play a few games and the iphone covers them more than a psp because of the crossover factor....

*LTD*

Jun 28, 2009, 06:42 PM

Yeah but as it has been said a gazilionth times there are a lot of users that dont care for a "serious" gaming device, they just care to play a few games and the iphone covers them more than a psp because of the crossover factor....

Handheld devices that DO ONE THING, are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Eidorian

Jun 28, 2009, 06:44 PM

Handheld devices that DO ONE THING, are quickly becoming a thing of the past.Sad but true.

X38

Jun 28, 2009, 06:55 PM

Handheld devices that DO ONE THING, are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

True...

I thought I would never be able to give up my ancient but faithful old HP28S. A few days ago I was distraught to find the battery compartment full of corrosion, but then I realized that the various calculator applications I've downloaded for my iPhone do enough for me that maybe I don't really have to have the HP with me all the time any more. Still makes me kinda sad, but I haven't yet cleaned it up and returned it to my briefcase...

Not ready to give up on the Kodak yet, but I do find myself bringing it along for casual use a little less often.

*LTD*

Jun 28, 2009, 07:01 PM

True...

I thought I would never be able to give up my ancient but faithful old HP28S. A few days ago I was distraught to find the battery compartment full of corrosion, but then I realized that the various calculator applications I've downloaded for my iPhone do enough for me that maybe I don't really have to have the HP with me all the time any more. Still makes me kinda sad, but I haven't yet cleaned it up and returned it to my briefcase...

Not ready to give up on the Kodak yet, but I do find myself bringing it along for casual use a little less often.

I kind of sympathize with everyone who wailed and clamoured for a better camera in the iPhone. It's no HD video/camera recording like this:

http://www.vimeo.com/4167288

But you get the idea. We're heading to a place where everything is consolidated on one, easy device. And each of the functions are getting better and better. It was assumed that a multifunction/multifaceted device could not perform better in any single area than a dedicated device. Well the tables are turning.

By the way, the music in that video is called "Chunga's Revenge." Look for it on iTunes.

Eidorian

Jun 28, 2009, 07:02 PM

But you get the idea. We're heading to a place where everything is consolidated on one, easy device. And each of the functions are getting better and better.So the best solution is to never buy one? :D

X38

Jun 28, 2009, 07:09 PM

[...] It was assumed that a multifunction/multifaceted device could not perform better in any single area than a dedicated device. [...]

It will probably always remain true that to some extent stand alone devices are better at their intended function that multifunction devices. However, when it comes to handheld portable devices it is REALLY hard to beat the portability of having fewer devices on one's person. And portability after all is one of the most important functions of portable devices.

*LTD*

Jun 28, 2009, 07:45 PM

It will probably always remain true that to some extent stand alone devices are better at their intended function that multifunction devices. However, when it comes to handheld portable devices it is REALLY hard to beat the portability of having fewer devices on one's person. And portability after all is one of the most important functions of portable devices.

A fair clarification.

MacCheetah3

Jun 28, 2009, 07:50 PM

Hi
i play games and was sponsored by my korean guild in warcraft 3 for 3 1/2 yrs by AMD. i graduated high school at 16 and went to yonsei university. i worked as a graphic artist and photography for rice addict magazine. i have a degree in psychology and working on a strategic leadership in business degree. i was the top tank and pvp player in my WoW guild and i own a nes, super nes, gamegear, dreamcast (the best in imo), psp, ds, dsi, wii, gamecube, psx, ps2, ps3, n64, xbox and xbox 360.

i eat quite healthy (sometimes i'll have a coke). my major vice is cigs. i surf and workout mon, wed, friday, and sundays.

most of the gamers and friends i know never fall into that lame stereotypical category smartasses such as yourself try to play.

and if you were joking - this is in response to all the other times i've read similar remarks in the past.
I'm being very sincere in saying that I'm sorry I struck a nerve and congratulations on apparently being a skilled gamer. Yes, it was meant to be jokingly.

I won't argue with you that physical controls may help some game types. Doesn't stick out so much as I have no real interest in the fighting genre. I've played a dozen or so and it just doesn't interest me. Just to throw it out there, in case it helps my opinions, I'm not a huge RPG / MMORPG fan either. Back to my point. The iPhone and similar audience devices are for very short play. While fun, games like SimCIty stretch that intent. It's a game you can play for a few minutes, pause for a day or two, come back, and continue that but it reduces the enjoyment. SimCity is one of many types of games more enjoyed in 'full scale' and not so much on an iPhone. Companies realize this. It's not that they wouldn't be willing but, while there would be sales to it, a $20 Halo 3 or Halo Wars title wouldn't be fitting the iPhone platform. Perhaps a little more for iPod touch users but it's still not the same type of demand ( game type, ... ) that a gaming console, HDTV, and surround sound speaker system can provide. As simple as i can make it: There are some games I want strictly on a console, some strictly on a personal computer, some strictly on a portable device, and some would work for all.

Back to the "hardcore gamer" tag. I don't know if there is an official definition for it but I'd say the best would be someone who spends the majority of their day on gaming related activities. Since there are already terms of defining skill level of a task(s), hardcore wouldn't seem to fit. By that, I wouldn't consider yourself a hardcore gamer for getting awards or being talented. I would tag you as a "successful gamer" or a "talented gamer."

Keeping it simple. Stereotyping isn't bad. ...As long as one keeps an open mind. As far as someone meeting me for the first time, I'd fall into the redneck category. It doesn't bother me when someone starts off that way. My definition ( not as negative as the official definition ) of stereotype is placing characteristics on a person or group based on some initial elements ( geographic location, speech, physical appearance, .... ). There is a reason the term stereotype came into existence after all.

martint84

Jun 28, 2009, 08:19 PM

I will never buy a PSP phone, period. However, I really hope they make one and that it has some great features. My reasoning:

Competition is good. It's one thing that Apple definitely responds to. When microsoft puts out commercials about the high prices on mac laptops, Apple drops the price. When Palm releases the Pre, Apple updates the iPhone. When Microsoft and Sony release details about console motion controls, Apple gives us gesture control for our Apple TVs.

If Sony comes out with a PSP phone, maybe we'll see that "Premium App" store that was rumored a while back, who knows. Personally, like a lot of iPhone/iPod users, I have no interest in a console-like experience on my handheld device. But you know that whatever Sony comes up with, Apple will one up them with something even better. And that is good for all of us!

Now if only Sony would release an amazing new monitor so it will force Apple to give us the new ones!

Speedy2

Jun 28, 2009, 08:20 PM

Everybody here seems to act like apple has totally won and the psp is a failure. Yet the article mentions that 50 million psp's have been sold, that's more than iPhone and iPod Touch combined and doesn't seem so bad after all.

It is bad if you compare it to the sales of the DS (> 100 million).
The OS X platform will have outsold the PSP by the end of the year, with Sony having a 2-yr head start. And Apple makes a hell lot of more money with their OS X devices than Sony does with the PSP. What else would you consider a failure if not this? You have to see the situation in 2 or 3 years. Where will the PSP (or successor) be then? Will Sony even bother releasing a future-generation gaming-only handheld? I doubt it.

Speedy2

Jun 28, 2009, 08:21 PM

I don't see the iPhone as competing with PSP or DS because the market for those is younger. How many parents would buy their child an iPhone?

iPod touch

Speedy2

Jun 28, 2009, 08:25 PM

And I do not see Sony Ericson being that professional compared to Apple.

Their cellphones are ok but they are cheap, lots of eye candy features but... without charm. They have about 7 models and is always complicated to choose one because they lack of things.

True.

SE is seriously on its way down. Market share is dwindling and the joint venture is ending soon anyway. It will be Sony-only then.

Unfortunately, I have to say. I own one of their phone myself (3 yrs old) and I am quite happy with it. But compared to what's available now from the competition, it's a lame ass piece of hardware.

Speedy2

Jun 28, 2009, 08:28 PM

You do realise you're talking about Apple here - the company that markets every product based on how "thin" it is, thinks that shaking a device is the best way to perfrom a function and that has a store filled with soft porn, fart applications and dating calculators?

We do realise that you are obviously not interested in an unbiased, serious discussion. Or what else did you want to say with this unwarranted statement?

Speedy2

Jun 28, 2009, 08:34 PM

By your example the iPhone isnt competing with the PSP or DS anyway, so im not sure what you are trying to say.

I don't understand, why you don't get it. It's not that hard.

A certain amount of buyers of DS and PSP are casual gamers. Will these gamers still buy a dedicated gaming device when their mobile phone / MP3 player can do the same?

The "hardcore" gaming people will probably still buy a PSP / DS, but how many are these? At the moment, probably quite a few. However, as smartphones get better, the need for an extra device will go back year after year. Not exactly a market where you want to invest a lot of money, right?

Packersfan27

Jun 28, 2009, 09:14 PM

Cool!

It is always a good thing for the consumer when a new player comes to the table! If they make an awesome PSPhone, then that is good for those that buy and good for those that stick with their other platforms because the makers of those other platforms (iPhone, Palm etc) will have to work harder to compete. If it is bad, then the consumer will still have many other great options to choose from! I am excited to see what Sony comes up with. I am also excited about the Zune HD, I am gunna have to choose between that and the iPod Touch 3G in a few months and I hope Microsoft makes it a good fight!

akaralias

Jun 28, 2009, 09:14 PM

..but with what OS, Android comes close but it ain't iphone.
Symbian? No way
Windows mobile? that would be a lough!
Palm Pre? Closer if they give them the rights...

See the thing is, iphone succeeds because of the GUI and OS, then the App Store then the games!

And by the way I am not sure if apple wanted to compete with that market in the first place, it just happened!

Anyway, good luck.

I own 2 iphones but I would hate to see them become a monopoly!

kainjow

Jun 28, 2009, 09:27 PM

MacTheSpoon

Jun 28, 2009, 09:43 PM

The greatest weakness of the iPhone is the lack of buttons for gaming. As great as the touchscreen is, you need a D-pad + 2 buttons to get quality controls. The lack of feedback makes most games frustrating to me, particually the ones that try to be more traditional.

Agreed. If Sony adds these buttons and an app store (maybe just basing it on Android would be enough, since there would already be an app store then), they will have a better product.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 09:45 PM

Hi

I'm being very sincere in saying that I'm sorry I struck a nerve and congratulations on apparently being a skilled gamer. Yes, it was meant to be jokingly.

I won't argue with you that physical controls may help some game types. Doesn't stick out so much as I have no real interest in the fighting genre. I've played a dozen or so and it just doesn't interest me. Just to throw it out there, in case it helps my opinions, I'm not a huge RPG / MMORPG fan either. Back to my point. The iPhone and similar audience devices are for very short play. While fun, games like SimCIty stretch that intent. It's a game you can play for a few minutes, pause for a day or two, come back, and continue that but it reduces the enjoyment. SimCity is one of many types of games more enjoyed in 'full scale' and not so much on an iPhone. Companies realize this. It's not that they wouldn't be willing but, while there would be sales to it, a $20 Halo 3 or Halo Wars title wouldn't be fitting the iPhone platform. Perhaps a little more for iPod touch users but it's still not the same type of demand ( game type, ... ) that a gaming console, HDTV, and surround sound speaker system can provide. As simple as i can make it: There are some games I want strictly on a console, some strictly on a personal computer, some strictly on a portable device, and some would work for all.

Back to the "hardcore gamer" tag. I don't know if there is an official definition for it but I'd say the best would be someone who spends the majority of their day on gaming related activities. Since there are already terms of defining skill level of a task(s), hardcore wouldn't seem to fit. By that, I wouldn't consider yourself a hardcore gamer for getting awards or being talented. I would tag you as a "successful gamer" or a "talented gamer."

Keeping it simple. Stereotyping isn't bad. ...As long as one keeps an open mind. As far as someone meeting me for the first time, I'd fall into the redneck category. It doesn't bother me when someone starts off that way. My definition ( not as negative as the official definition ) of stereotype is placing characteristics on a person or group based on some initial elements ( geographic location, speech, physical appearance, .... ). There is a reason the term stereotype came into existence after all.

i truly appreciate a sincere and worthwhile reply. shows good character. :cool:

madmax_2069

Jun 28, 2009, 11:29 PM

Yes, that's what Sony says it is. But the photo function is useless (needed an SD card slot), music is okay but lacks playlist features (handles like an MP3 player from circa 2000), video is the best function but also limited, internet is useless.
It's primarily a games machine that has a few thrown in extra features. If they wanted a real multimedia device it wouldn't be so limited and use more common media types.

The photo function only requires you to have storage (MS Pro duo) and if you want to take pictures with the PSP you need the Cam which hooks on top of it http://www.renchi.com/renchi/PSP_PSP_Slim_Lite_Accessories_PSP_Camera_Official.htm (which i think was only released in japan but you can have one shipped). The web browser is almost useless but not entirely useless it will still allow you to post on forums and such (which is what i do) and you need it for the internet radio.

the PSP is more capable then what many think, its just that you have to unlock its capabilities. with the PSP having dual CPU's i run a little App called IR Shell which allows the PSP to run more then a few things at once.

Swift

Jun 28, 2009, 11:31 PM

this:

Gamers tend to "float" their thumbs on the buttons, touching them but not pressing them. This is impossible on the iPhone, which makes it very awkward to hold if you arent pressing any buttons. Imo, the DS got it right, a touch screen with buttons that can work on their own or together in any given game.

We also have to think about games. Sure, indie devs are awesome, and make some really cool games, but can a bunch of indie devs compete with the likes of God of War, Ratchet and Clank, MotorStorm, and MGS?

Sure, gaming fanatics will always choose a platform that is best for games, whatever it is. But the iPhone is a computer. The games are cheap and downloadable. People get adapted to it, and it's "good enough," particularly when you can also do e-mail, go to the web, have a hundred other apps on the phone, and oh, yes, make phone calls. The old iPod with video was not the best video platform. It was the one that was good enough, and you could download thousands of videos from iTunes, and render other ones that just loaded up with no problem. With the iPhone and the iPod Touch, you have multipurpose computers that can be used like a laptop, and which do a surprisingly good job of games, too. Just the thing to kill time while you're waiting in an airport, a train, or a line. It's no Xbox, or Playstation, or PSP. But it doesn't have to be.

jnguyen4

Jun 28, 2009, 11:47 PM

How is this a negative thing? Bring on the competition.

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 28, 2009, 11:57 PM

Sure, gaming fanatics will always choose a platform that is best for games, whatever it is. But the iPhone is a computer. The games are cheap and downloadable. People get adapted to it, and it's "good enough," particularly when you can also do e-mail, go to the web, have a hundred other apps on the phone, and oh, yes, make phone calls. The old iPod with video was not the best video platform. It was the one that was good enough, and you could download thousands of videos from iTunes, and render other ones that just loaded up with no problem. With the iPhone and the iPod Touch, you have multipurpose computers that can be used like a laptop, and which do a surprisingly good job of games, too. Just the thing to kill time while you're waiting in an airport, a train, or a line. It's no Xbox, or Playstation, or PSP. But it doesn't have to be.

see this is what i find amusing. the forums are up in arms about how iphone/ipod touch is cutting into psp/ds profits and how much better it is as a gaming platform...and yet all too many posts contradict the inital debate.

i will say this. say sony doesn't screw up. they make a phone that is sleek and stylish and doesn't crap it up with its lame properitery devices...which lately sony has been easing up on forcing consumers on...and allows direct acesss to the playstation store as its "App store" i would throw my middle fingers in the air and scream praise jeebus all night long.

sony was on a path to nowhere because of every division being so completely seperated and designers and engineers never able to fully communicate because of the r&d process and etc... but, ever since 09 sony has done some incredible internal changes...for the best. managment has been shifted and focus has become clearer for the company. sony may have been lackluster - but, not incompetent. they are a company full of talent and the knowledge to back it up...they just had the wrong people guiding and losing touch with what made them great. it happens...i'm just glad they are getting their act together.

people should stop being such negative nancys and as "geeks" and lovers of all things technological...we should hope that sony can provide that iron fisted competition that only drives the hearts of others to do better as well. nothing wrong with great products from other companies - we benefit from them.

its late...im tired...i'm ready to get off work.

NoSmokingBandit

Jun 29, 2009, 12:07 AM

If the psp is to compete with the iphone (or vise-versa) then the psp needs to become a usable smartphone or the iphone needs to become a usable game device. The zealots are shouting that the iphone only has to be "good enough" but are you willing to use that theory in favor of sony? The psp doesnt have to be a great phone, it only has to be "good enough" and it will cut into iPhone sales.

applecultvictim

Jun 29, 2009, 12:20 AM

How is this a negative thing? Bring on the competition.

What competition? Sony? Give me a break. Sony is so big they should have had their own OS by now...and they are still shipping overpriced crap with vista for gods sake in 2009...while a bunch of people from south Africa and a fos community can make something as cutting edge as ubuntu...

Surely Sony could too, but they lack the vision....

Their vision went as far as trying to shove some nonsense atrac music format down our throats while apple blew like the wind over their Walkman and diskman empires.

Nokia and a handful of others are putting some ingenuity into their efforts, and then there's the abyss.

Apple is pretty much competing with themselves. Like some high jump athletes who keep breaking world records all by themselves.

Still apple competing with itself seems to be good enough.

MacFly123

Jun 29, 2009, 12:44 AM

So another company jumping on the bandwagon 3 years late and with nothing really to show? HAHA, ok Sony bring it! :rolleyes:

cocky jeremy

Jun 29, 2009, 01:07 AM

LagunaSol

Jun 29, 2009, 01:31 AM

Sehnsucht

Jun 29, 2009, 01:48 AM

Sony = the Microsoft of the electronics world. Zero original ideas anymore. Rested on their laurels while their quality and innovation tanked. Now all they can muster is "me too" products. Rest in peace, Sony. And take Microsoft with you.

Hey now, their HDTVs and cameras are nice. I refuse to buy a camcorder from anyone but Sony.

The PSP, on the other hand......ugh. I had one for a bit, bought about six games for it, and regretted my purchase. The built-in web browser was god-awful, the screen quality sucked (I mean, seriously, a screen that small can and should have a much higher resolution, but I can count every pixel from 2 feet away) it's a PITA to load music tracks onto (not to mention the PSP is too big to use as an MP3-player replacement anyway) and the UMD discs were retarded. Long story short, sold it to some loser who paid nearly full price for it used. :D

LagunaSol

Jun 29, 2009, 01:52 AM

Sadly, Sony seems to be on a one-way collision course with destruction. The PS3 platform is sputtering. I refuse to buy anything from MS, so no Xbox for me. Here's hoping Nintendo will join the 21st century with high-def graphics soon. Love my Wii, but I need more.

Mattie Num Nums

Jun 29, 2009, 02:23 AM

So another company jumping on the bandwagon 3 years late and with nothing really to show? HAHA, ok Sony bring it! :rolleyes:

I'm sorry but Apple jumped on the bandwagon they just had a great product. Apple saw that the Smart Phone market was dying and that Blackberry was taking advantage of this. Apple saw a way for them to take Blackberry out by innovating a very profitable market. Apple jumped on the bandwagon and took it by Storm. Sony has been in this market along long time. I hate the fact that people here are acting like Apple invented the Smart Phone. Apple just innovated it. Now Apple needs to re inovate there own Smart Phone because even those this "3GS" is out its still the same damn iPhone we saw years ago. Its time for some competition to force Apple to move forward and not just stand still.

BTW: for those of you who have been to Japan you'll probably know that the iPhone is somewhat of a joke there. If you have seen the innovation in the Japanese Cell Phone Culture (notice I say culture and not market. It is a culture in itself) then you will see genuinely "Smart" phones.

consoleboi

Jun 29, 2009, 02:31 AM

What a bunch of apple sheeps the lot of you..

Forget competition..

Let Apple rule the world with skyrocketted prices and lack of features..

I'm looking forward to seeing what Sony comes up with..flop or not.

Everyone says blu-ray was gonna flop...PS3 would not sell...blah blah blah..

LagunaSol

Jun 29, 2009, 02:34 AM

Everyone says blu-ray was gonna flop...PS3 would not sell...blah blah blah..

Newsflash: PS3 isn't exactly burning up the charts. Though it is burning through Sony cash in a hurry...

Hey, at least it doesn't RROD though.

Sounds like Sony has some sheep of its own...

consoleboi

Jun 29, 2009, 02:46 AM

Newsflash: PS3 isn't exactly burning up the charts. Though it is burning through Sony cash in a hurry...

Hey, at least it doesn't RROD though.

Sounds like Sony has some sheep of its own...

Oh pls..
For the price PS3 is charging and still selling..you do the math..
Baaa..

I buy quality products...I don't blindly follow what Apple tells me to buy..

I held off buying into hype of original Iphone because it lacked features common on standard smart phones and even with 3GS it still lacks..so I will play the waiting game until Apple sells what I WANT to buy...

RiCEADDiCTBOY

Jun 29, 2009, 02:52 AM

Newsflash: PS3 isn't exactly burning up the charts. Though it is burning through Sony cash in a hurry...

Hey, at least it doesn't RROD though.

Sounds like Sony has some sheep of its own...

For several months this year the ps3 overtook the sales in japan. The ps3 from a global sales perspective is doing well. It is selling faster then the ps2 if following the same timeframe. Sure Sony made fumbles with the console..because of arrogance riding in from the success of psx and ps2. So did nintendo back in the days. But Sony has been fighting the good fight and not getting lazy. 2009 has an awesome exclusive lineup.

Another thing to factor in is that the recession is going to impact the current gen consoles considerably which every company acknowledges. With the ps3 slim and price this fall it's only going to get better for Sony.

Mooey

Jun 29, 2009, 03:04 AM

I can't believe there are so many PS3 bashers in this thread especially idiotic ones with comments like, "Price is too high." If the price is so high, why did you buy an Apple computer? An Apple MP3 player? An Apple TV? All of these things compared to the other guy are EXPENSIVE. Yet you get the best quality out of these products (excluding Apple TV). Sony's PS3 is by far the best console out this generation of consoles.

Honestly, most of you people make no sense. Another thing is Sony does not make money through hardware. They make it through their games. They currently have 15 first party developers developing exclusive titles that WOW people (LittleBigPlanet, Killzone 2, Uncharted 1/2, etc). It just upsets me that people make ignorant comments such as, "Sony's fumbling the ball this console. Activision is threatening them."

Fact: Activision sold most on the PS3 last year - why would they jump ship?

"Sony's crap with software."

Fact: The Xross Media Bar which is featured in several of Sony's televisions and the PS3 won an Emmy and has been updated to rival the Xbox in online capabilities (give me crossgame chat, and I won't be paying for Live anymore).

"The Wii and Xbox 360 are blazing past the competition."
Fact 1: Xbox 360 came out a year ago - as for the Wii, there's no excuse. That thing continues to amaze me even though I don't play mine anymore.
Fact 2: Once Sony drops the price, the PS3 sales will skyrocket. In Japan and Europe, the PS3 maintains the lead over the Xbox 360. It will outsell them.

As for the PSPPhone, I don't think Sony would do something like this after that fiasco that Nokia made. What was it? The N Gauge? Or something, lolol. Same difference. It'll flop hard.

Anyway, I'm done ranting. I'm sure there will be more ignorance spewed in this thread so I'll make my exit. :P

twilson

Jun 29, 2009, 03:24 AM

Sony Corp is working on a cellphone/game player hybrid to better compete with Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone.

This has Epic FAIL written all over it.

Sadly, it's about 3-4 years too late.

fr33 loader

Jun 29, 2009, 03:42 AM

I want the PSPphone to happen. I want the ZunePhone to happen. I want the next gen IPhone to happen. Heck, I wish all electronic companies produce their own phones to sell. I want all of them to fight for my money. I'll choose the phone that best suits me feature and prize wise.

Bevz

Jun 29, 2009, 03:43 AM

A positive vote from me because any competition is good, although I'm not sure this will make much of an impact...

aygie

Jun 29, 2009, 03:58 AM

I just thought that the lighting in the games looked washed out plus the unit looked like an overweight darth vader fanboy sitting in my living room. I just could get that image out of my friggin head. That being said, if they were to recase it slimmer and drop the price a bit I would crack. I am a glutton for gaming. :D

You might be in luck mate! Thats the exact rumors for this winter, slim version + price drop.

Seriously its a great machine (as the is the 360) and has come leaps and bounds since its release (blessed are the firmware updates :)!!!

macshill

Jun 29, 2009, 04:27 AM

Sony making an iPhone killer? OH, NO! :eek:

http://i40.tinypic.com/23af13.jpg :apple:

RAGING DEMON

Jun 29, 2009, 05:23 AM

http://gizmodo.com/5280410/nintendo-ceo-satoru-iwata-says-he-wouldnt-use-a-mac-or-iphone-if-apple-was-a-competitor

neiltc13

Jun 29, 2009, 06:03 AM

A lot of you seem to be under the impression that the App Store is somehow a gold mine for every professional developer out there. It really isn't.

Unless your game is at the top of the sales charts for week after week after week you're going to see very little return on your investment. The only game I can think that has managed this so far is Flight Control and while it's a good game, it's still not anywhere close to offering the depth of what you can find on PSP.

Remember, Apple takes a 30% :eek: cut of revenues before developers even see them. This leaves 70% for everyone else, and if it's a developer working on the game on their own (such as Tag Games, Firemint etc) then this is a very attractive deal indeed. But if it's a major publisher working with an external developer and maybe a marketer or someone else taking a cut then it becomes even more difficult to produce an iPhone game profitably.

As the applications which sell best are the lowest priced ones, there is no incentive whatsoever for any developer to put effort into producing in-depth games. They'll end up losing money.

As Nintendo have found out to their cost in the past, without the support of third party developers your console is worth nothing. Give it a year or two and we'll see how many big name developers are actually producing decent software for iPhone. I bet it won't be many if Apple doesn't allow them to promote their products more effectively.

Dagless

Jun 29, 2009, 06:30 AM

I'm surprised no one has posted this yet:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a172/homerun7dh/icontrolpad-final-580x435.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ojLKeewbEk&feature=player_embedded

It only takes a simple add on ($50-$100) to make the iPhone a direct competitor to the PSP. The one pictured above is obviously not the best concept, but they can get there if someone puts enough money into it.
Oh dear that's horrible :D
What a lot of people don't realise is what makes a good gaming system is having games. What the iPhone currently has is nothing of real stature. There isn't a game with history or with character. They're still mobile phone quality games, just with fancier graphics. There isn't a 50+ hour RPG or anything to really rival Mario, Kirby, Metal Gear Solid etc. There are ports and clones but nothing groundbreaking.
In a way it's an awful lot like Microsoft. Just pure vanilla. There's a lot of it and it's expensive, high quality vanilla.
A cheap controller for the iPhone is no competition for something as brilliant as the DS or as powerful and console-like as the PSP.

I can't believe there are so many PS3 bashers in this thread especially idiotic ones with comments like, "Price is too high." If the price is so high, why did you buy an Apple computer? An Apple MP3 player? An Apple TV? All of these things compared to the other guy are EXPENSIVE. Yet you get the best quality out of these products (excluding Apple TV).
Because with Apple you get a heap of quality. I know if I buy Apple hardware with a single dead pixel I can complain about it and get a replacement. I know that the hardware I buy today will still be functioning years down the line, unlike the Playstation hardware I've owned. What has that got to do with not liking a PS3?

Sony's PS3 is by far the best console out this generation of consoles.
Opinion, opinion, opinion. I'm very happy with my Xbox 360, Wii and spend most of my gaming time on the PC.

Honestly, most of you people make no sense. Another thing is Sony does not make money through hardware. They make it through their games. They currently have 15 first party developers developing exclusive titles that WOW people (LittleBigPlanet, Killzone 2, Uncharted 1/2, etc).
As I said earlier in this thread, it all depends on what you are wowwed by. I've played 3/4 of them above titles and wasn't particularly blown away. At the end of the day I went back to playing L4D on PC or Brawl on the Wii. Most of the PS3 games I saw at E3 didn't wow me at all. (though I did think the PSP 'won' it)

"Sony's crap with software."
Have you not used their MP3 transferring software, the PSP or PS3? Less so the PS3, they've put effort into that but we're still seeing basic functionality missing from the PSP (playlist support, DivX support, better web browser).

Fact: The Xross Media Bar which is featured in several of Sony's televisions and the PS3 won an Emmy and has been updated to rival the Xbox in online capabilities (give me crossgame chat, and I won't be paying for Live anymore).
If a menu winning an emmy doesn't scream fix then I don't know what does ;). The XMB had been out for years before in the PSX and a few of their TV's but it honestly took until the PS3 to win the award? It's all very suspicious.

"The Wii and Xbox 360 are blazing past the competition."
Fact 1: Xbox 360 came out a year ago - as for the Wii, there's no excuse. That thing continues to amaze me even though I don't play mine anymore.
Fact 2: Once Sony drops the price, the PS3 sales will skyrocket. In Japan and Europe, the PS3 maintains the lead over the Xbox 360. It will outsell them.
Actually this is not true. The gap is closer in the EU market but overall the Xbox360 is doing better in Europe than the PS3, in totals and in weekly results (vgchartz.com (http://vgchartz.com)) the PS3 is behind the 360.