Sony announced more information about what the Playstation portable can do. Most interesting that the 3D power is the fact that it is going to have built in WiFi 802.11 wireless networking and a digital music player that is probably going to use the Sony Memory Stick slot. It can be used as a MP3/WMA player and is going to appeal to a lot more than Yu-Gi-Oh addicted kids.
Judging from the specs I think that Sony is going to charge between $150 and $200 for the PSP but they are not going to put it out of the range of the average consumer like Nokia is doing with The N-Gage. There is the "$200 limit" with game systems and it is once game systems reach that price point that your average kid and casual gamer can justify the cost of the hardware. Nintendo knows this and that is why then have respected the "$200 limit". But that is my own 200 Yen.
The announcement of Wifi Networking is a big deal. That is at least 11 megs a second. If you look at the speed of the disk it is also at 11 megs a sec.
Hum.. could that mean that we could see wireless multiplayer games using only once copy of the game?
One PSP could act as the server and data could be streamed to other players within 300 feet. That is as fast as Ethernet and is faster than data transfers from cable modems and DSL. Also I would bet all my NES games that the PS3 will have a Wifi chip so it can network with the PSP wirelessly. Once I saw the new super Sony PDA with Wifi and a super powerful custom Sony chip set I knew that the same cyberpunk technologies were going to make it into the PSP.
Also imagine 30 gamers with PSPs all playing a first person shooter game team death match having a LAN party without the wires. Imagine having 64 megs of Sim-virtual pets Digimon on a Memory Stick and being able to trade the data in a matter of moments. Imagine massively multiplayer games on the PSP using the Internet and the Wifi chips. This could be better than the GameBoy link cables and Xbox Live. Imagine the graphics of Final Fantasy VII and the multiplayer game play of Final Fantasy XI in a handheld game system.
Don't expect this is Japan until late 2004 and I am guessing based on previous game systems release dates that we might not see the PSP in the US until early to mid 2005.
If the rumor and the hype of the PS2 could kill the Sega Dreamcast than I think the hype of the PSP is going to kill the chances of the Nokia N-Gage. I mean your high end gamer who would buy the N-Gage is probably reading about the PSP right now. It is going to be much more powerful have more developer support and will probably end up being less expensive. I bet you that the system designer at Nintendo are going back to the drawing boards to upgrade their GameBoy Advance replacement to be as powerful as the PSP. Sega upgraded the Saturn once they saw the PSOne 3d chip in action.
We can expect an analog control stick and the normal tried and true Playstation DualShock button layout.
Here is to hoping they are not going to pull the "No 2d games on Playstation" crap they gave Capcom about MegaMan X4 for the PSOne.
Sony is going to start to show prototypes at the next E3. And I bet that every PS2 game developer and their mom is going to be signing up to get a PSP development kit when they ship to the eager game developers.
When they start to take reservations for the PSP I suggest that you run, skip school, skip work, do not use turn signals and speed, and kill if you have to in order to get your reservation ticket.
Update: Instead of stealing from your mom I suggest that you just do some white collar crime. Try dumping some junk stocks or hyping stocks on the internet for some quick sales. Also you might try to hide acquired debt by investing in off-shore sub-contractors in Bermuda. Then you can raid the retirement funds of your workers, blame your accountant and get off scott-free. That will get you money for the Playstation Portable
I think that the normal DVD and CD is to big and fragile for a portable game system and I think the UMD and Memory Stick combo is a great way to go.
The hardware is going to support 3d but the software can probably do what ever kind of game they want. Of course they can do 2d games on the PSP. It depends on the attitude that Sony gives the game developers that might limit the amount of 2d games being made. But the PSP will have massive Japanese gamer support and they love their 2d games in Japan. I would not worry.
They are saying Q4 in 2004 and I assume that means Japanese release. They might pull a half-assed launch in the US like they did with the PS2 and only ship three units per store. I would rather they postpone the launch until they can do it right. Remember when a PS2 got up to a thousand bucks on Ebay the week of the launch?
I hope by 2005 the market will still be into this. It's a great idea, but it may be too little too late.
On the other hand it could be the kick in the pants the gaming industry needs.
I like what I've seen about the PSP because it takes the hand held/console to the next level. Much like the modded X-box it does more than play games.
Later,
-Dave
Would stealing from my mother to put down a deposit be taking it a little too far?...Nah :)
"The PSP: A Kick in the Pants For Gaming"
I hope Sony's marketing department is taking notes.
In any case, if Sony can pull this off at that magical $200 price point, it will gain a solid market share and be the digital swiss army knife that every geek dreams about.
The use of the propritary UMD versus a standard size disc format I feel limits it a bit. Sure it will be more portable that way, but it would be great to have DVD, audio CD, and maybe MP3 CD capabilities. That would be, as the cool kids say, fly.
In terms of games, they better not ditch 2D though. If they do, I still think that the current GBA hardware will continue to appeal to those people uninterested in monkeying with a third access or having to manage the camera.
What's going to kill the N-Gage isn't its price, but the fact that it's absolutely horrible. The screen sucks, the games are crap, and as a phone it's hideous.
As for the PSP, if I had to guess, i'd say summer 2004 in Japan, December 2004 here.
Personally I've always been a fan of the Game Boy, but looking at some of the specs Sony actually designed for the future for once and not attachments or addons a few months down the road. If this unit ships with what is being said it will definitely be the game boy killer, I am definitely willing to admit that.
There is no way that Sony would abandon 2d for this system - just look at FFT or SotN, both awesome games for the PSone. I can totally see them making "portable" versions of these games and those like it much like Nintendo did with re-releasing old SNES titles for the GBA.
That's about it. I am excited for this platform but if it actually delivers will remain to be seen.
The N-gage doesn't have a chance. Its launch titles are crap and they are selling to the wrong market.
gatmog.
Ode to N-Gage:
I will enjoy watching you die slow,
So I can spout my grand "I told you so."
This PSP was exactly was I was expecting, i knew that Sony was going to come through. What i want to know is when are they goin to have a preview of this console i cant wait to see how it looks!!
They are going to show it at the next E3 trade show. That is early summer 2004.
as we all know, PSP's specs is superior to GBA's specs, but remember that Nintendo is full of surprises, when it comes to innovations and pushing the capabilities of its hardware, and besides, in a few years later, NIntendo will come-up for developing a new portable system.
Yeah I know Nintendo is working on a new Gameboy to compeate with the PSP and I would not write them out.
Nintendo has already said that it has a plans to upgrade the GBA. While the PSP looks great, I'm sure that Nintendo will release a newer more advanced GameBoy shortly after PSP, branding the PSP somewhat useless, remember that Nintendo has built up a strong following with the GBA. To say that Sony will dethrown the GBA is to say that XBOX2 or GC2 will dethrown the PS3, which we all know isnt gonna happen any time soon im afraid. Sony is evil and trying to take over the entire gaming industry, Mr Monobags would be proud, (MONOPOLY MAN). Isnt there a corporate watchdog to monitor Sony? I mean they screwed over Microsoft...
Oh I don't think that Sony is evil and I don't think that Nintendo will be beaten but there will probably be two sucessfull portable game systems. If the rumor that the PSP will be 300 bucks is true might really hurt them.
GBA2 will support previous Gameboy games. That will already DESTROY PSP's library. Not to mention Sony has a history with half-arsing their products and over-hyping....*cough*Playstaion 2*cough*. More developers will be sticking with the GBA2. Oh well, we'll see.
Oh I dont know Sony seems to be doing just fine selling the PS2. I think what might hurt the PSP is if they make it 300 like the N-Gage and the next Gameboy will probably be a hundred bucks like all the other ones