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Originally posted by kipperthefrog

I heard PSP costs 300 if you want all the upgrades.

I don't know what 'all the upgrades' means, but let me put it this way:

- The PSP costs $250 with the basics and *NO GAMING AT ALL* - not even a playable demo like the DS has.

- The 'value pack' is a con job - it includes just the 32MB memory card which is *required* to save games, AC adapter, which is a necessity, the slip case, which is very basic and should also be considered a necessity, a 'movie demo' of games, a wipe for the screen, and Spiderman 2, basically a commercial to watch movies on it. So anyone saying 'it is an extra pack, you can get the basic PSP for much less' ... it is a load of crap.

- So given that the *least* you'll pay is $40 for a game, you are looking at $300 to play *one* game.

- I got two games, and so paid ~$350. I have not added extra memory stick, as I seelittle value right now.

 

Mike

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The whole thing is confusing me.

 

If you would have asked me before they launched I would have said the PSP was going to suck and the DS was much more innovative.

 

The touchscreen should be great, the dual screen clamshell should be the best formfactor, etc..

 

But there have been almost NO decent lauch titles for the DS, and the few that do use the touchscreen use it is peripheral or gimmicky ways. Also they have failed to exploit any of it's PDA potential in terms of things like web browsing or email.

 

PSP on the other hand seemed overpowered for a portable, seem to use stupid proprietory formats (UMD and memory stick) and have a stupid formfactor for scratched screens...

 

But, the lauch software has looked pretty good (if a bit full of ports and with long load times), the prices of memory stick duos have begun to drop to the point that the few gigs needed might be feasible and they seem about ready to lauch email and web browsing accessories.

 

Add to that the fact people are coding p2p psp video encoders and that it may be possible to link it up to an ipod over usb and it all looks a bit more promising.

 

Still, having already owned a handheld that would play back video from memory cards (gp32) I have to say that I rarely used the feature as the hassle of transcoding it and the small size meant it wasn't great to watch... plus you actually rarely find the uninterrupted time to watch whole films. I mainly used it for short cartoon episodes.

 

I've played with both, and neither hugely impressed me... so i'm waiting until the software situation irons itslelf out, at whcih point one might become worth buying.

 

Still, nintendo seems to be managing to mess it up AGAIN due to lack of software/extra features... which is just mind blowing.

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I don't see how nintendo messed up. Their thing is gaming, not multimedia systems. All they need now is to put out more DS titles. The PSP is a gimmick that will lose it's novelty after a while. It was a good effort, and will help Sony in the future when they decide to make another portable, but it's a flop that's riding on it's hype that will eventually die out. The DS isn't perfect either, it has it's flaws, but atleast it's not a giant gimmick, but it is running a bit too much on it's touch screen goodness. Needs to incorporate it's features more into necessity for games.

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Originally posted by InsaneSith

Their thing is gaming, not multimedia systems. All they need now is to put out more DS titles.

Exactly - so where are they?!?! I have had mine since Christmas, and have spent <1 hour on non-GBA stuff, 30 on Metroid demo, 30 on Mario. And what is coming that interests me either has no target date (Final Fantasy III and FF Crystal Chronicles) or no details - Episode III game.

 

Originally posted by InsaneSith

The PSP is a gimmick that will lose it's novelty after a while. It was a good effort, and will help Sony in the future when they decide to make another portable, but it's a flop that's riding on it's hype that will eventually die out.

I don't think I agree - while the non-gaming aspects are gimmicky, which is basically why PDA's are a dying breed, the game system is actually really good. I hate the UMD thing, but am used to it - it is like loading times on a new PC game (think HL2 - small areas with long loads) The analog controller is silky smooth, the overall control scheme is pretty efficient. The graphics are great, the sound is OK, so if the games come, it will be OK. I don't see it poised to take over the world, it is just too darn expensive, and no way it can come down all that much - they're probably already losing money at $250!

 

Originally posted by InsaneSith

The DS isn't perfect either, it has it's flaws, but atleast it's not a giant gimmick, but it is running a bit too much on it's touch screen goodness. Needs to incorporate it's features more into necessity for games.

??? The whole touch screen thing is not a gimmick?!?! It is a gimmick, and one taht is proving hard for developers to put to good use. I like the thought of the FPS control for it ... we'll see when metroid comes ...

 

Mike

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Originally posted by txa1265

I don't think I agree - while the non-gaming aspects are gimmicky, which is basically why PDA's are a dying breed, the game system is actually really good. I hate the UMD thing, but am used to it - it is like loading times on a new PC game (think HL2 - small areas with long loads) The analog controller is silky smooth, the overall control scheme is pretty efficient. The graphics are great, the sound is OK, so if the games come, it will be OK. I don't see it poised to take over the world, it is just too darn expensive, and no way it can come down all that much - they're probably already losing money at $250!

That's my point, they put too much into the multimedia gimmicks that it's just ridiculous, sure it plays nice for how long it does, but when it's at such an absurd price and with such little battery life, and mostly novelty features, it's a flop. Your money is better spent on a home console, or a portable dvd player with ability to use as a console video display.

 

Originally posted by txa1265

??? The whole touch screen thing is not a gimmick?!?! It is a gimmick, and one taht is proving hard for developers to put to good use. I like the thought of the FPS control for it ... we'll see when metroid comes ...

It is a gimmick, but not a giant one like the multimedia garbage that's clogged up the PSP. It atleast has a chance for practicality. There is a chance for it to be put to good use, but so far it hasn't, so gimmicky, but not a giant waste like the multimedia stuff on the PSP. Sorry for the confusion.

 

PDA's are dying because their niche has been filled with new cell phone capabilities that rival that of new PDA's. Plus with smaller, lighter, more advanced laptops, PDA's are no longer of much need since we have laptops some can easily fit in their pockets. Check out the tiny sony laptops, I can fit 3 in my side cargo pockets, 1 in my pockets in my slacks. They're (PDA's) kingdom has been dismantled.

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Originally posted by legameboy

I'd get a DS if someone bought one for me...

 

Right now I have to save up for all the Star Wars crap that will come out when Episode III (or around then) is released.

 

If I had a million dollars...

 

*sigh*

 

c'mon leggie, lets rob a bank together !!!

 

:p

 

mtfbwya

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I've also bene hearing about dead pixels on screens.

 

It really irks me how people say that the PSP is better than the DS because it can play movies and mp3s. Wow! You can listen to 8 songs! And you get to buy movies twice! One for DVDs, and 1 for UMD!

 

It's like someone said, comparing a DS and PSP is like comparing PCs and Macs. They're two different experiences.

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People will try to convince you that UMD isn't the way movies will be played, that people will be ripping DVD's onto Mem Sticks ... but given that a movie will be >500MB, you will need a 1GB card, which are still pretty costly (>$125 anyway). Then there is the whole rip and transfer over a cable which is not provided ...

 

That means it is for geeks (like me ;) ), and I'm done with that stuff. Sure I'd buy any of the Star Wars movies for UMD, and maybe a couple of others, but not much else.

 

Mike

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Originally posted by Sam

Besides battery life what problems are you talking about?

 

 

It sounds like they're built poorly, or at least not sturdy enough. They can be twisted, which causes the mini disks to shoot out the back. Also, the buttons are apparently cheap plastic and have been breaking a lot.

 

They're getting dead pixel problems as well but some of that's to be expected.

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Originally posted by Boba Rhett It sounds like they're built poorly, or at least not sturdy enough.
Let me just say that this is *not* a GBA SP competitor ... this is an *adult* toy.

 

My kids are pretty gentle with their SP's, but at my younger son's cub scout meeting at our house the other night, one of the siblings - a 4 year old - had an SP playing some Scooby Doo game. It looked like he could have shot the cartridge out of that thing! Watching him, it was hard to believe it was made from plastic and glass ...

 

Mike

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Originally posted by Boba Rhett

It sounds like they're built poorly, or at least not sturdy enough. They can be twisted, which causes the mini disks to shoot out the back. Also, the buttons are apparently cheap plastic and have been breaking a lot.

 

They're getting dead pixel problems as well but some of that's to be expected.

 

It's pretty sturdy, not as sturdy as my brick of a DS though and the buttons have been fixed in the US version.

 

I twisted it as hard as I could with that hole in my wallet in mind and the disk didn't shoot out. If thats true you would have to twist it pretty hard to get the disk out.

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Oh, right. I forgot that it was perfectly acceptable for toys to be built poorly if they're for older age groups. My bad.

 

:confused:

 

 

The target market here is still teens. Even if it wasn't, the psp adverts all show people walking around everywhere with the psps dangling around their necks. Which means that they'e going to get banged up one way or another from what is presented in commercials as their perfectly normal use. The fact is that portables need to be able to take a licking, even if they are targeted for older users.

 

Not a competitor? The PSP is totally, completely in competition with the GBA. They aren't trying to develop a totally seperate "PSP market" just for the psp to rule in. This is a handheld war that Nintendo has dominated in for 10+ years and the PSP is Sony's try at grabbing some of the handheld market from them.

 

 

They fixed the buttons on the U.S. version, Sam? That's good to hear.

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I'm not sure you could have misunderstood my intent more ;)

 

Originally posted by Boba Rhett I forgot that it was perfectly acceptable for toys to be built poorly if they're for older age groups.

Not what I meant - I meant that unlike the sturdy things targeted at younger kids and teens, this is more like the early high-end iPaqs, which would have been toast in 15 seconds if handled like people handled their PalmIII ...

Originally posted by Boba Rhett The fact is that portables need to be able to take a licking, even if they are targeted for older users.

Yep. I saw a very responsible teen, going to help a young kid, drop their CD player out of their sweatshirt, and the headphones pulled out and the CD shot out ... but it worked perfectly fine right after. I don't think the PSP could handle a bang, let alone a drop.

Originally posted by Boba Rhett Not a competitor? The PSP is totally, completely in competition with the GBA
Not in the way I stated - there is no competition in how well they are put together or how durable they are. You give this to a 5 year old who takes it on the bus - you might just have well used $300 for kindling! It won't make it to school the first time!

 

Mike

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I think the "badly made" arguments are being blown out of all proportion. Any new techie item is bound to have a few teething troubles, but as i understand it the number with problems is very small, the problems are mostly minor and most have been fixed. Dead pixels are no more a problem with PSPs than DSs or any other LCD technology.

 

Battery life may be an issue, but at least it isn't as bad as it looked like it would be.

 

Still, without trying one for a prolonged period it is hard to get a good impression, but i wouldn't believe they are cheaply made rubbish.

 

It really irks me how people say that the PSP is better than the DS because it can play movies and mp3s. Wow! You can listen to 8 songs! And you get to buy movies twice! One for DVDs, and 1 for UMD!

 

That was exactly what I thought, but now it is starting to look like the UMD drive will only really be used for games... everything else can be ripped onto the memory stick (urgh, why couldn't they have used SD cards... i'd have bought a sony T3 camera by now as well if they used decent memory).

 

Memory cards are dropping in price at massive speed, you can get 1gb now for the price you paid for 128Mb 12 months ago. (though memory sticks are still the most expensive format). In 6 month when you can get a 5gb card for a reasonable price they will be very handy.

 

As for the PDA thing, i agree that pdas are dying out, as you are starting to get their functionality on other devices... like phones... or PSPS!. If you have a handheld with built in wireless, a good screen (or a stylus) it is daft NOT to include email and internet options... looks like sony are going to do so, i just hope nintendo do it too...

 

But, overall, the thing that has me moving more towards the PSP than my initial DS stance is the games... (eg there aren't any good ones for DS), and the fact that the PSP which WAS all hype seems to be maintaining all the buzz online... which means it has the momentum, and people are starting to code for it and come up with clever ideas (bittorrent movie converter plugins, psp to ipod linkups, etc..).

 

I just haven't seen any of that for the DS (yet?)

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Originally posted by txa1265

Cool stuff ... though I think that PDA software for the DS would rule!

 

Mike

 

The DS has a touch screen, it could be possible :p

 

I wouldn't be suprised if some company did make a "PDA" component. Slap all the programs on a DS/GBA cartridge.

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Originally posted by StarWarsPhreak

The DS has a touch screen, it could be possible :p

 

I wouldn't be suprised if some company did make a "PDA" component. Slap all the programs on a DS/GBA cartridge.

Well, we *know* that Nintendo has licensed the PalmOS, so ...

 

Mike

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