f13.net

Will you still love the PSP in 3 months?!  I must know the answer before spending cash!

I may have to eat my money hat based on those pics.

Schild, what games are you getting for it on day one?

Ok, so this picture posting thing is a pain in the ass. I'm getting my games staggered 2 days at a time. I have 7 or 8 on preorder at various places. But  here's what I'm getting in order.

Day 1 (launch day, Thursday 24th):
Archer Maclean's Mercury
Lumines
Metal Gear Acid!

Day 2 (the 26th, Saturday):
Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix
Ridge Racer or Wipeout Pure!

Day 3 (the 30th, Wed)
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory for PC
Rengoku

Day 4 (the 1st, Fri)
Darkstalkers: Chronicles (probably, maybe, still thinking about it)
Twisted Metal.

On or around April 3rd or 4th, I'll have a full writeup up with my impressions of each and multiplayer if possible.

*wipes a tear* It's so awesome to see Schild going all fan boi gooey over a new product. I feel the load of jaded pessimism lifting already. A new day is coming!

He might hate it in a week and a half. 

Cultural shift? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 

I've said some fanboish shit in my time, but that needs to be bronzed.

Not trolling here, but what's the battery life on that sucker?  Traveling to Europe in September and I'll be buying some sort of handheld system for the plane flights.

And while overly melodramatic, I think Schild is right on this one.

The PSP will hurt Nintendo badly. Maybe even mortally.

Let me say it this way: There was wailing in the office when Sony wanted their PSP back. The DS in front of me looks like it's a keeper... and I don't rally care. Even with a free DS, I'm still buying the PSP.

Does anyone know if the PSP is going to have region lockout? Could be hope for that Go game after all (though it probably takes a geological age for the program to decide on a move).

$250 is way too much to pay for a handheld video game system, and the mass market won't jump on it.

Sony thinks this will be like an iPod for games and video, but people don't want an iPod for video and people won't pay that for games.

Portable gaming is not something people spend a lot of time doing.

I think Sony and Schild expect this thing to blossom into a cultural phenomenon like the iPod, but it isn't going to happen. The iPod wraps sleek design (much more high concept than the utilitarian PSP)

I think this is a cool gadget, but I don't want it bad enough to pay $250 for it. The average consumer has less money and less interest in games than I do, so I think this thing is not going to make the iPod-sized splash  I think Sony expects.

What level are you in WoW? Have you not shifted your life to work around it?

I'll make you eat those words, blasphemer. You just watch. Soon the Gameboy will start losing market share, Nintendo will announce their next GBA since the DS was an utter failure, and then Sony will drop the price on the PSP.

Sony will announce a PSP with a 2-5gig hard drive in it that will barely increase the size of the unit, the next GBA still won't get third party support, and Sony will control a majority of the market.

Eventually the FAA will get rid of the cell phone ban, you'll be able to play your PSP with people on planes - wirelessly.

I kind of hope it flops...cellphones already annoy, this would be worse....People should try having conversations with the people they are with, instead of fiddling with phones constantly. They don't need to watch movies constantly too.

Not seeing the cultural shift.  And your response doesn't negate that being one of the most absurd things that ever been said on this site, save utterances from certain neocons.

Someone's off his fanboi rocker :)

Nintendo DS 2005 sales to date = 407,099
Sony PSP sales to date = 536,476. I would venture to guess this is only limited by the number made available.
Source (http://www.game-science.com/).

Flat out. I'm comfortable saying you're wrong. And when they sell all million units by the weekend, I won't even have to convince you. Cuz you'll want one too.

Even OPM (That's official playstation magazine) knows the PSP was a cut at the throat to Nintendo. As much as Kaz and the rest of Sony play it off like Nintendo isn't a competitor, it's because they know they already have them beat.

You being a penny pincher doesn't exactly make you the sort of sample size Sony cares about. The average consumer has less money, sure, but he's also willing to blow credit card debt through the roof to get one of these fuckers. I'm confident enough to say that the midnight sale at the Sony Metreon store will look much like a Detroit riot. It will be a viscious pit fight. And it upsets me, people will be playing Lumines before I can.

Also, if people will spend $400 on a music player (the original consumer CD PLAYERS only cost around $200 back in the mid 80s) or $250 on a mini shitty music player - they'll spend $250 on a widescreen beast that can hold 3 full movies on a memory stick and play ridiculously good looking games. The unit is just sexy enough to grab hold of the whole market. Don't use your bad taste for basis of what you think will be poor market performance.

- People will spend $400 on a high quality hi fi system, and for a source only, $400 is a very high quality one at that. No one pays $250 for walkman that looks like shit.

What on earth makes you think people want to watch movies on a handheld device? The one single time I can see that being useful is long haul plane trips. Long haul planes almost all have personal movie screens already.

Like all playstation products - the physical box looks like ass. It is not nearly attractive enough to be taken seriously at that price point by anyone except a gamer.

It's probably a better handheld game system than the DS. It will take market share from the DS. It will probably also expand the handheld market some by appealling more to students or travellers over the age of 16. Espeicially once $100 has been knocked off the top. It is not a breakthrough device. It will not sell as many units as the ipod.

Because I'm lazy, someone remind me what the options are here for multiplayer? Is it just local area wireless, or is there provision for online stuff?

schild, here's a hint -- when people talk about hardware and complain about "the physical box", they're talking about the case.  Not the cardboard box.  He's saying the case looks like ass.  And not the carrying case, either.  The hard plastic shell that gets wrapped around the circuit board, with buttons and stuff on it.

I'm not saying I agree; I'm just saying I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.

The iPod is NOT a very high quality hi-fi system.

Isn't the real mission going to be finding a decent case for the damned thing and it's precious weak screen?

You are far too lazy (as you put it) and completely uninformed to pass judgement the way you have.

play games over the net from any hot spot (it even apparently has logins and whatnot for shit with security - according to OPM),

I was probably being unclear - my point was that the PSP isn't such a thing rather than that the ipod is. The ipod justifies its price through uber marketing and pretty design wheras Sony's marketing department have been on extended vacation ever since the PS2 launch, hence most of the company's problems.

Isn't the real mission going to be finding a decent case for the damned thing and it's precious weak screen?

It looks only slightly better than the PS1&2, which were the two of the ugliest pieces of consumer electronics released in the last ten years, only they weren't in a market where looks matter. If there is to be a 'breakthrough' device purchased by significant numbers of those who are not already 'our people', it won't look like that. And it's unlikey to be black. Unless we are all mysteriously transported back to the late 80s.

Hell yes, but when did that last stop someone around here.

For the record though, I have no particular judgement to pass on the gaming capabilities of this device. I don't doubt they can be characterised as 'a bit better than the DS, oh and with actual games available'.

I just don't see people wandering about desperate to buy a portable gaming system, if only they could find one that also allows them to watch movies on a tiny screen or listen to music through a device not quite as good or cool as the MP3 player they already own.

OK, so that would make me moderately interested when travelling and when the price has halved. It wouldn't interest anyone else I know in the real world one iota though, because either they don't travel enough or they don't game enough (or, more commonly, at all).

- What on earth makes you think people want to watch movies on a handheld device? The one single time I can see that being useful is long haul plane trips. Long haul planes almost all have personal movie screens already.

(apart from Apple who has never done anything first)

  Cultural phenomenon? Nah.  Nintendo killer? Very possibly.

I don't think it's already too late.

There have been other innovative developments that didn't put a chink in Nintendo's armor, right? Like X-Box Live (and despite the success of Halo 2 I still don't really consider the X-Box a venerable foe to either Nintendo or Sony).

I'm hoping that Nintendo will at least realize that they're not holding all the cards anymore and perhaps the business tactics that are potentially contributing to their demise can be shifted. I don't think it's already too late.

Also, if the average gamer is in their mid-twenties with a semi-disposable income, does that include the average handheld user? I still think of handhelds as having kid-dominated usage. Am I totally off-base?

Here's a few for the list:

First Personal Computer  :-o
First consumer oriented UNIX
SCSI
Firewire
First to abandon the Floppy Disk   :roll:

Hopefully, I'll be able to get one for $200 from the eBay aftermarket before E3 (my next out of town trip, looks like).

Since schild seems to know more about the PSP than Sony at this point - let's talk video. How can I take my collection of WMVs and DivX files that I've taped off cable and copy them to my PSP? Is that even possible?

waiting for AOK and Katamari Damacy DS.

It seems there's a lot of waiting for decent stuff on the DS. I'll take a pass on both the DS and the PSP. I have better things to spend my money on, like a big-ass aquarium for my kid because my wife told me I had to and I'm not holding any kind of grudge against her on that or anything.

Where was I? Oh wait, PSP, DS, meh.

See, that would require me to have children and less disposable personal income.

At this point, I'd say I win, but I'm busily saving up for an engagement ring and potentially a down payment for a house.

Since schild seems to know more about the PSP than Sony at this point - let's talk video. How can I take my collection of WMVs and DivX files that I've taped off cable and copy them to my PSP? Is that even possible?

I'm probably going to get one of these eventually, but I really don't want to spend more than $200 on a handheld. (I was going to get a DS, but the game selection is pretty meh). Hopefully, I'll be able to get one for $200 from the eBay aftermarket before E3 (my next out of town trip, looks like).

Since schild seems to know more about the PSP than Sony at this point - let's talk video. How can I take my collection of WMVs and DivX files that I've taped off cable and copy them to my PSP? Is that even possible?

Getting them to the PSP: am I stuck with memory sticks (I assume the Sony VAIO ones)? Or will there be a way to burn new whatever-DVD-substitute they're using?

Playing them: What video format does it use? Proprietary/MPEG4/???

I'm sorry, I can't hear you, I'm too busy playing Daigasso! Band Brothers and waiting for AOK and Katamari Damacy DS.

Since schild seems to know more about the PSP than Sony at this point - let's talk video. How can I take my collection of WMVs and DivX files that I've taped off cable and copy them to my PSP? Is that even possible?

Try this thing: PSP Video 9 (http://www.pspvideo9.com/)

Memory sticks are made by Sandisk and Sony. Regular MP4 works. I think the value pack comes with a USB cable.

I'm so confused by all of this. It's supposed to play games right, exactly how much shit do I have to buy and what is this going to cost me if I want to get one of these at optimal levels. If the package is more than my new LCD monitor, I'm passing.

The monitor was $400 with a $100 mail-in rebate.

This is damn pricey. And no I didn't preorder. And no I wont be camping. I'll be in the wait a month and see crowd on this.

I'm hereby asking everyone to not buy a PSP. I would like to make sure schild has no one to play against and then he will come crawling back to us talking about how much it sucks because he can't play anyone and we can all just laugh as the last whisps of fanboy drift from him.

One note Schild:  The DS is slightly more powerful than a N64. Mario 64 DS is a good example of this.  Unfortunately, there's not too many games to show off the DS's potential, which is why most things look like GBA/Snes games.  Check out Nanostray (http://www.nanostray.com/about/screens.php) and Meteos (http://planetmeteos.com/movie/index.html#play).

Oh yea, and Mario Kart DS has good graphics too.

7: It looks butt ass fugly.  This is NOT a pretty videogame system.  The DS is pretty.  This system is ugly as sin and becomes even more a pocket hog if you would like to protect your overpriced investment with extras to protect all its fiddly bits from the basic realities of roaming about with a portable.

8: Not just a games device.  The more things a game console tries to do, the more it sucks at it.

Its pretty silver plastic.  Minimalist. 

The PSP is this big black thing with lots of buttons sticking out of it from every possible point with all this interruptive text.
Your pictures show exactly why the DS is prettier.

Is it that my taste is bad SC, or that you are sadly becoming a raving fanboy over a cruddy piece of Sony Electronics?

I mean cmon!  Its only missing the TYPE R sticker as is...

Besides, if you like it, why do you care what I think anyhow?  You clearly want it.  I see a 250 system that needs about 100 in accessories that won't fit in my pants, looks ugly, and plays games for 50 bucks on a small screen that I doubt I would pay 20 for to play on my big 30 inch TV.  Enjoy it.  Rock out with it.  But don't be surprised if lots of folks choose to not praise you over it.  Or even mock it a little. 

Though if you start buying 60 dollar EA games for it, you deserve whatever abuse you get.   :evil:

Its all in fun, right?  Otherwise what is the point?

Can you show us on the doll where portable gaming touched you? :roll:

The iPod is NOT a very high quality hi-fi system. It's your above-average Mp3 player. Arguably a PSP is your above-average portable gaming system if you use the GBA as your baseline. Oh, but you can apparently run 3rd party apps from memory sticks (emulators anyone? I didn't think I'd have to spell that out for you people), play games over the net from any hot spot (it even apparently has logins and whatnot for shit with security - according to OPM), and enough bells and whistles to make your head spin. All things considered, I'd sell my ipod for a 2 gig memory stick for my PSP. At first all that space seemed useful. Then I realized I collectively listened to about 50-100 songs in total on the thing.

Someone seems to want shit like this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6801598&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002&id=1091099798251) and this (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6425683&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002&id=1077627051029) and this (http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=246&products_id=3983&). Oh and then there's laptops. I'd rather carry along something small than my laptop with a 17" widescreen. Particularly on short flights. Also, the personal movie screen thing - not quite caught on in America like it has in western Europe and Japan.

Its pretty silver plastic.  Minimalist. 

The PSP is this big black thing with lots of buttons sticking out of it from every possible point with all this interruptive text.
Your pictures show exactly why the DS is prettier.

The DS is a sleek euro import.  The PSP is a Honda Civic covered in decals, ground effects, and whatever other ugly ass crap your average Fast & Furious fanboy has all over his car thinking it looks cool.  The difference between a slinky black dress and a pair of jeans & "Who Farted?" Tee shirt combo.

Try this thing: PSP Video 9 (http://www.pspvideo9.com/)

Thanks, you just cost me $250.

Untold Legends and Lumines to start, looks like. Maybe Rengoku and/or Dynasty Warriors, depending on reviews.

In other news, schild may actually be slightly understated about the PSP's impact. According to Bloomberg, it may save Sony (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=aZVq5Fr2qbds&refer=japan).

Had to slip that in, didn't you?

Beware of the Apple fanboi. Schild's PSP thing ain't shit compared to me.

Here's a few for the list:

First Personal Computer  :-o

First consumer oriented UNIX

SCSI

Firewire

And just to mention: They might not be as innovative as some claim to them to be, but their real strength is in bringing otherwise unknown or barely used technologies to the forefront (GUI, True Type, Audio, Rendevous, Quicktime, Wireless Networking, DVDR's, etc., etc.).

Thanks, you just cost me $250.

I mentioned earlier in this thread that Sony marketing had been on vacation since the PS2 launch.

Where they appear to have been on vacation *too* is the land of attempting to shore up the share price by convincing the financial press to write puff pieces about Sony technology that the aforementioned press don't understand.

As for the movies, The PSP's video playback is the most worthless feature ever. I would prefer DVD over UMD movies in every scenario, without exception. I can't imagine watching movies often enough on the PSP to justify a UMD movie collection.  So even if I happened to find myself in a situation where I might want to watch a movie on that thing, I wouldn't have any movies to watch.   

At 480 x 272 the resolution on the PSP only offers about 33% more detail when watching 4:3 material compared to VideoCD (320 x 240 resolution). It does offer about 125% more detail when watching widescreen material compared to VideoCD but that is still nowhere near DVD resolutions (720 x 480 for NTSC).

NeXTStep?

He was, of course, referring the OSX.  And he was wrong, but he was also right.  In 1988, a year before NeXTStep came out, Apple released A/UX, which was a version of SYSV with System 7, Finder, etc. running on top of it.  I'd have to say that this was the first truly consumer oriented UNIX, since it was designed for the home computer; keep in mind that NeXTStep at the time was still restricted to NeXT cubes which were mostly bought by universities and businesses rather than for home use.  And then there was AMIX, which was the first full SYSVR4 implementation, which was available on the Amiga in 1990 or 1991.

Of course, one could argue that Microsoft's Xenix was the first consumer UNIX, but back then the "consumer" of microcomputers was quite different.  Much more of a hobbyist thing.

I agree that buying movies on UMD is silly. On the other hand ripping DVDs or taking recorded TV programming and reencoding them to play on the PSP is appealing to me (and apparently others as well), though I'm pertrubed that the resolution on the PSP isn't higher than it is. At 480 x 272 the resolution on the PSP only offers about 33% more detail when watching 4:3 material compared to VideoCD (320 x 240 resolution). It does offer about 125% more detail when watching widescreen material compared to VideoCD but that is still nowhere near DVD resolutions (720 x 480 for NTSC).

And properly, A/UX was only created to satisfy the federal government's requirements that there be Unices available for any computers they bought on contract.

You're assuming the screenshots are done on the screen itself and not from a video output on a larger source.

Also, compressed an episode of Alias down to 74 megs.

You lost a lot of high art fag status right there.  Alias?  ALIAS!?  Ok the first season was moderately watchable, I'll concede that.  But then it became Falcon Crest (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081858/) with spies.  No thanks, I had to sit through enough primetime soaps as a kid at my grandmother's house.  And we've already covered Jennifer Garner's mannish inability to act (http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=1899.0) elsewhere.

Do not taint the screen of what could be a great handheld with the strong fe-manly jaw of bad acting.

But the online part...
If you can play (or will be able to play) some PSP games online, then doesn't there need to be some sort of PSP Live service?  Is Sony hosting these servers?  Have the games implemented their own lobby functionality?  Is it free?  How do I register an online handle so friends can distinguish my game from others in a public listing?

I have these same questions about the DS's online wireless functionality.

Don't be a moron. When you see the unit, you'll understand the marvel that is the screen.

Furiously, they're 480x272. That hoopla about two seperate screens is just that - hoopla.

My hope is that nintendo begins a competetive pricing war.

I think you need to see somebody about this problem you have. I raise a question, and I'm a moron? "OMFGTHEPSPISROXORINGULOLOLNINTENDOSUXLOL" isn't exactly the most stunning endorsement.

Yeah, the screenshots as shown are 480x272. I reserve judgement for a later date. It still doesn't answer the question of what source the shots came from.

Sky, Voodoolily: I think you'll be waiting many a moon for some sort of pricing war. The PSP needs to have competition for there to be such a thing. Right now, it doesn't.

It's rare that Schild gets excited about anything except movies. I've decided this is a good thing.

PSPFANBOI.COM is already taken. (click here for info)

schild is quite obviously a fanboi for the thing. I can hear his erection on the phone when he speaks of it. I wonder how he can walk around without a drool bib on.

On another note, I just picked up Metal Gear Ac!d. Obviously I can't play it but there's one thing I'd like to point out: If it says infrastructure on the back of the box it may only be the equivilent of Live Aware (Xbox Live, not playable but cna download shit and updates).

Litigator, please - you obviously aren't their target market. Stop thinking of yourself as a sample size. Have to crack encryption. Christ, don't act like you're completely clueless.

Review I read wasn't too kind to the game.

Now you're getting into something that requires extreme tech savvy. Don't you have to crack encryption to rip a DVD?

And wouldn't you have to reencode the file for PSP resolution?

I have a DS.  I love it.

But this frothing and utter insistence its the best thing since the discovery of oral sex is just...  SILLY.  Last night I was mostly playfully trolling you and it was clear you were getting all bent out of shape about it like I was defiling a holy object and not poking fun at a media device being released by a mega corporation from Japan. 

PLEASE RELAX DUDE.  ITS ONLY A VIDEOGAME.

If IGN gives a score that low to a game, you know it's bad.

$150 for a 1gig stick?  That does nothing to endear me to the PSP...

Edit: BTW, how come you didn't pick up one of the midnight sale PSPs?

Just don't rub it on your crotch when you finally get one. Or if you do, don't put it in your review.

Now that battery thing is quite fancy.

But do folks really need the big memory stick doo dahs if they just like, want to play videogames on the thing?  Like I said, in the future once it gets some good games or if I happen to be a sheep and buy one just because its OMG new I would only want it for games and not to watch movies on anyhow.  Since coffee breaks aren't exactly conducive to film watching.  I know I have been poking a bit of fun at the thing, but learning more about a new game product is never a bad thing.

Exploit your local EBGames today. Or tomorrow. Any time through April 10th.

Buy Xbox Exhibition packs volume 3 and 5. Buy LOTR: Return of the King or Eternal Darkness for $18.99 total (using a 10% off edge card).

Trade them straight back into that best buy for $30 credit towards any PSP game. Or you can trade it in for Twisted Metal, Ape Escape, Wipeout, ATX, Soccer, Baseball, Football or Basketball and get them for $2. Rebuy the games you just traded in. Rinse repeat.

When I do my roundup next week it will have:
THUG2
Ape Escape
Wipeout Pure
Twisted Metal
Metal Gear Ac!d
Lumines
Untold Legends.

All told I spent about $122 on all the games.

If you can't rationalize camping an EB and exploiting a programming bug - think of it this way: They rip you off when they trade in games. It's your turn.

^_^

Edited: Clarity.

Are we buying "Buy Xbox Exhibition packs volume 3 and 5. Buy LOTR: Return of the King or Eternal Darkness for $18.99 total (using a 10% off edge card)." from EBgames and then returning them to EBGames?

So? How is it?

I'm sure that schild has passed out from gamegasm and lack of sleep, and I'm so goddamn tempted to call his ass and wake him up, just for the sheer pleasure of hearing him slur out the word "Whorebag."

But I won't.

One question. What's with the "special" memory stick you need? I've got a ton of "regular" ones.

What did they change that the PSP requires a "special" memory stick. I have the feeling I've been violated yet another time by some Best Buy pressure selling asswipe.

Some PSP vs DS humor:

http://www.tokyopia.com/deluxe/pspwned.jpg

Playing a user-created adventure game on the PSP will require the Adventure Player UMD software and a Memory Stick Duo with the saved game data. Wannabe developers will create their own game data on PCs by using a development kit called Adventure Player Studio, which will be downloadable when Adventure Player hits retailers.

and the square button feels like it has nearly nothing until the left side of it. I dunno if Sony fixed the problems with some PSP's square buttons.

Edit: And according to my friend, every single one in DC was sold out by noon. He's gonna try and find one in Virginia tomorrow.

Any release sales numbers been put out yet?

Katamari Damacy - PSP

Then my life would be complete.

No. Really.

Katamari Damacy - PSP

Then my life would be complete.

No. Really.

Source: The latest issue of Nintendo Power, Nintendo's official US magazine.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: What could be more fun that a diminutive alien rolling around a huge ball of sticky junk on the screen? How about a diminutive alien rolling around a huge ball of sticky junk on TWO screens? In a upcoming release schedule of the latest issue of Nintendo Power, Namco's quirky hit will roll--no pun intended (ok, a little pun intended)--onto the dual-screen handheld later this year. But despite the article being in Nintendo's own publication, a spokesperson for the company said it was "not our place to comment on the matter." Namco also insisted the Nintendo Power mention of the game was unfounded. "I can assure you that Katamari Damacy for the DS is still just a rumor," said a rep. "Namco Hometek has not made any official announcement for this title for the North American market." So did the editors of Nintendo Power just make it up? Highly unlikely.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus.

That's from Gamespot - obviously. If it's coming to the DS I'm pretty confident it's a lock-in for the PSP. Which I think I said above in a post somewhereorrather.

EA Games DO NOT Support Online PSP Play (http://www.portagame.com/sony_psp.php/2005/03/26/ea_games_do_not_support_online_psp_play)

If you've spent the past two days trying to get an EA PSP game to go online--STOP TRYING! Apparently the rumors that EA would support online play at launch were false. Apparently, the printing on the back of all the EA PSP games stating support for infrastructure (online) support are also false. Dan at Blog for the Sports Gamer tried hooking up his new PSP to play a little Tiger Woods online and couldn't get it to work. He the found this online retraction that stated he will never get it to work and most likely became disenfranchised (EA is becoming good at that). This news is rather disturbing, as I was looking forward to picking up NFL Street 2 only to play online against my out-of-state brothers. Now that won't happen.

Now if you are struggling to get infrastructure support to work for a game that actually DOES support it (like WipeOut Pure, etc.), there is a comprehensive PSP Online FAQ (http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=psp&message.id=261251) that has been compiled by Lt.Ping on the Official Playstation forums. Just don't expect to get Need For Speed to work for it.

The Memory Stick Duo form factor is much smaller than that of the original Memory Stick (about 1/3 the size) so that's why the PSP uses the Duo -- it presumably would've taken up too much internal space within the PSP to support the full-sized Memory Stick.

Sounds like this thing has serious teething problems:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3139152

Hmmm.

My square button is perfect.

Glare is a nonissue when you're playing.

Screen very much is robot Jesus.

I saw my first PSP in person this morning on the Muni streetcar...

Damn not only are they $250 but they are the size of a small brick lengthwise.  What in the fuck would I do with it?  Buy a fanny-pack to store my gaming device?  No thanks, handhelds that can barely be handheld and are too big for even my baggy jean's deep pockets is just..  well, stupid?

I don't get this at all? Don't you guys ever wear coats?
I wear a coat and carry a bag to work, so it's bo problem.
Of course I also have a job and never wear baggy jeans, so maybe I shouldn't be discussing this with some teenager with bad cloathing sense...

I recently got back from a local diner where I was playing Lumines while having breakfast.

Everyone, including the hostess, my waitress, and 3 other waiters thought the PSP was just the coolest goddamn thing they'd ever seen. They didn't even know it was out yet. Maybe Sony really should have, ya know, THOUGHT OUT THEIR ADVERTISING PLAN. A spot on Desperate Housewives could *not* have hurt them.

Sony's PSP will hit Korea with streaming content services and online gaming capabilities at launch.
According to sources in Korea, Sony Computer Entertainment will launch its PlayStation Portable, or PSP, in that country on May 2. Unlike the Japan and North America markets, the first shipment of the handheld will come with Internet features ready for use. Sony is partnering with KT Corp., a major wireless Internet service provider in Korea, to offer easy online connectivity and other services.

Similar to the North American launch, Korean consumers will be limited to the Value Pack bundle of the PSP (which will be priced at 328,000 won, or about $320, in that market). The Value Pack will come with the PSP unit, an AC adapter, battery pack, headphones with remote control, a carrying pouch, a cleaning cloth, a strap band, and a 32MB Memory Stick Duo. But that market's Value Pack will have one big difference from the unit's previous releases: out-of-the-box online connectivity.

The first 100,000 units sold of the Korean PSP Value Pack will come with a Network Utility UMD and a limited-time membership for wireless Internet service, in addition to a UMD movie of Spider-Man 2.

By tapping the Network Utility UMD functionality, gamers in Korea will be able to enjoy a number of other online services in addition to games, including Web browsing, an online movie player, and an online music player.

The first shipments of the Value Pack also come with a membership for NESPOT, the wireless Web service offered by KT. Gamers who register to NESPOT will be able to access more than 14,000 wireless hot spots within Korea. They can also opt to get NESPOT APs (Access Points) installed in their houses for no additional charge. The first month of NESPOT usage will be free; thereafter, gamers will be charged a flat rate of 5,000 won ($4.92) per month.

Gamers who register with NESPOT will also receive a free online-enabled game developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Korea (SCEK), titled Glorace.

Other networked services scheduled for PSP consumers in Korea include on-demand streaming music, on-demand streaming videos (including TV shows), e-learning options, and electronic books. SCEK and KT expect that they will be the first companies to provide a full online experience for the PSP user in any market.

If people see a non-child/teenager using these on the subway, they think "wow, that guy will never, ever, get laid unless he pays for it" and people just don't want to attract that kind of derision. 

If people see a non-child/teenager using these on the subway, they think "wow, that guy will never, ever, get laid unless he pays for it" and people just don't want to attract that kind of derision. 

You honestly give a fuck what someone on the subway thinks of you?

And also, who gives a shit? Those people aren't gadget freaks, and therefore aren't the market at all.

No, I honestly think that a lot of people are not going to shell out a couple hundred bucks on a device that says "I live in my mom's basement."

It's ok to be cool and live in your posh house and stick your mother in an institution, but it's taboo to live with her and nurture her.

Thanks for furthering my point about giving a fuck what people think about you.

As for the point you are struggling to make, why not just compare the amount of people who listen to music to the amount who play games? Games will always be niche, especially compared to something as universal as music.

I'd say gun for urban markets where public transport is the norm, ala NYC. Also, I'd say go after the business travel market heavily. Show young execs watching movies on planes, listening to music, and playing the games. Class it up, make it a multifunctional time-waster.

I dunno. I play mine when I'm at home as well. It is PORTABLE. I can play it anywhere in my house without disturbing anyone. Ear-buds are nice.

Sometimes I don't want to go to a specific room, turn on a TV and mess with a console.

My favorite feature about my new PSP is that I don't have to deal with all the b.net trash I've been "enjoying" in WOW. The PSP is a nice break from the insanity. It's mine and you can't take it down for 12-24 hours of maintenance or nerf it.

I'd rather refer to it as a PlayStation Personal.

F13.net -- Your definitive source for all things WoW and PSP.

I missed the Britney thread. Linkage please.

 The mass over-30 market is not what you want to target this at. Businessmen who travel a lot already have laptops, and are more likely to be catching z's or working on that laptop while on the plane than buying a handheld. If they want entertainment they're more likely to rent a movie at the airport blockbuster than waste time and effort putzing with ripping them to a PSP memory stick.  That's far, far too geek for even me and I'm the geekiest guy I know. Plus there are other things to consider, which is what ElGallo is getting at.  I'm only 30 and a gamer and there's no way I'm spending $250 on a handheld.  It's not just a stigma thing (I do get odd looks when I whip-out the Gameboy while waiting at the airport, I just ignore them.)  it's also a "why the hell would I spend $250 on something that won't help my career at all" thing.  Different priorities when you're working on getting more entrenched in your field and paying for the house, car and kids. $250 isn't justified on my budget and while I'm not wealthy, I'm not exactly poor either.  Maybe gadget geeks will get into it, but that's a limited market.

I'm not convinced that the 'not going to spend $250 to not further my career' thing is entirely valid. But it is valid to say that people who travel a lot on business have laptops which already play music and movies, access the internet, and play games. Also, we already have too much hand luggage thankyouverymuch.

People bought ipods becuase of better marketing and because it gives you a personal stereo you can use while doing other things. The 'while doing other things' is what is special about music. You can't watch movies or play games while doing other things.

Rubbish.
An iPod won't further your carreer, they're just nice to have. And there's cheaper ways to listen to music, but 75% of those buying portable music players (and a lot are 30+) still buys iPod.
I'm 34, I have a wife and a kid and another one due soon... my PSP will arrive shortly from the States (I hope). The stuff that will further my career I expect my boss to pay for.

You can't watch movies or play games while doing other things.

The Good
That screen really is beautiful
The best launch lineup I can remember
Third party apps make encoding your own video a simple process
The power of the sun in the palm of your hand!

The Bad
The value pack: too much pack, not enough value
The Spiderman 2 UMD comes in a cardboard slip, not an actual case. Gee, thanks Sony
Slight ghosting and blurring on the screen
Less than optimal battery life
High price of Sony memory sticks makes the media functions an expensive proposition

The Ugly
The battle this review will cause in our forums.

That's like saying the video game console market (or the home DVD player market) will never be huge cause, well, you can't do other things while playing games (which isn't totally true either). And yet 100 million in PS console sales, and close to 100 million in PS/2 console sales says you are wrong (with the iPod trailing far far behind at 10 million in sales). Just cause the PSP is a portable device that doesn't mean the only time you can use it is while riding a train/bus/plane, waiting at the airport or whatever.

Good point, mobile TV sets are an excellent analogy.  They've been around a while, but the only time I ever see them is at sporting events, where hard core fans take them to watch replays.  At home, people watch real TVs, and there just aren't that many times when you are outside the house and able to devote your eyes, ears, and focus to something.

Good point, mobile TV sets are an excellent analogy.  They've been around a while, but the only time I ever see them is at sporting events, where hard core fans take them to watch replays.  At home, people watch real TVs, and there just aren't that many times when you are outside the house and able to devote your eyes, ears, and focus to something.

Apparently (according to Southpark), the PSP was sent to earth by god himself to train warriors to battle off an invasion from hell. Kenny gets sent back to Earth by Gabriel in Schiavo's body.

Brilliance.

Oh, and I beat Lumines.

That was the best god damn southpark ever.

God damn I can't even watch South Park without being exposed to PSP hype.

Ya know, there really hasn't been that much hype. I think you're just talking to hear yourself speak. Outside of my blatent fanboism and a couple tv spots that are obviously targeting the right consumers, I've seen dental care products get more hype.

You apparently don't have Tivo, as they have PSP crap spammed all over the menus now. Ya would think that since I pay them per month for the service, they wouldn't subject me to ads like this.

Would you rather it be McTivo?

It's odd. EBs and Gamestops all across the country have sold out. Period. Sold Out. But Best Buy and Walmart that each got 250/40 or so respectively still have them. Well, about half of them. I'm sure we'll get numbers soon.

   I think the black PSP is ugly, but white with clear buttons and black text is so much nicer for some reason.

Well hell, there go a lot of the arguments about videogame portables being geeky and not very chic.  When famous hotsluts start carrying them, the floodgates open ...

I hear Freddie Prinze Jr. got a Nintendo DS.

Now that is a low blow.

Isn't he married to Buffy?

And we have photographic EVIDENCE of the PSP being owned by a filthy talentless moronic slut (http://www.f13.net/index2.php?subaction=showfull&id=1112625265&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&). 

So I take it schild is still treating this thing as the new, electronic Viagra (or Levitra, or Cealis if you will)?

Edit: Spacebars are cool.

C|@li5.

Crap! I though I could translate L337. Damm. There goes my job at the UN!

I bought 2 PSPs yesterday. One for me, one for my GF. I didnt get a Spiderman2 UMD, and BOTH have dead pixels. Mine has one right in the center of the screan.

Kind of pissed about that.

Where did you purchase them? I hope somewhere that has a decent return policy.

Sony is currently developing policies to deal with the issue. When we talked with Sony Computer Entertainment's public relations representative about the issue, we were told that Sony Customer Service is taking calls and will deal with the issues case by case as they come up. A call to that Customer Service line (a yellow Technical Support leaflet is included inside the PSP packaging), a customer service representative we spoke with about the issue explained that the current policy is that they are asking customers to play with and use their PSP for a week to see if the dead pixels disappear, as they sometimes do. If, at that time, the pixels are not firing or cycling, customers can mail their PSP in for an exchange. As of now, the policy is that customers will incur the cost of shipping and returning, and it was not known how much that would be.

When the Nintendo DS came out in Japan, this same issue came up, with similar numbers of complaints about dead pixels. Nintendo took a strong stance on the issue, with an official policy announced early on and a good customer service mechanic to keep gamers with a system in-hand during the process. In Nintendo's warranty exchange system, gamers returning systems with dead pixels would automatically be sent a second, brand-new DS system; once gamers received the DS, the customer would then send back the system they are not happy with. (A valid credit card must be put down to make this particular exchange, as Nintendo will bill the customer for the second system until they have received the problematic system in exchange.) Sony has not made official statements on how it will address warranty exchanges, but the company policy seems to mirror Nintendo's customer service line quoted below:

"We suggest you use your system for a few weeks to determine whether this interferes with your enjoyment of game play. If, after using your system for awhile, you feel that this tiny dot is too distracting, the Nintendo DS does carry a one-year warranty. We are happy to inspect and, if necessary, fix your system at no charge within the warranty period."

Customers can also manage their concerns with dead pixels at the store they purchased their system at. However, these policies vary by retail chain and even from store to store. Presently, some stores we talked to in the San Francisco East Bay are sticking by the page 13 in the PSP manual where it explains that the sports are normal:

"Red, blue or green spots (bright spots) or black spots (dark spots) may appear in certain locations on the LCD screen. The appearance of such spots is a normal occurance associated with LCD screens and is not the sign of a malfunction"

Whether these stores will continue to stick to this policy remains to be seen. Most stores we talked to have implemented a certain degree of warranty exchange despite the PSP manual's description on what falls within the official warranty. The issue here is that stocks are not always there to make the replacement (particularly in stores that have been taking pre-orders over the months leading up to launch and still are waiting to deliver to all customers on their pre-order list. In the stores that do have stock (and also in stores that have no stock but are preparing for exchanges), various policies have been implemented -- some stores have zero-tolerance policies to exchange anything customers are not happy with, others are setting guidelines that as many as 16 dead pixels must be present before they make an exchange. Policies may also change at given locations as customer complaints come in, so be sure to keep in contact with the store if you are on a waiting list for an exchange from the next PSP shipments.

Sony will likely make official statements and more clear policies regarding its handling of dead pixels in the coming weeks. If you have a system with issues, check with the retail outlet you bought your system at to find out their exchange policy, and if you are still unhappy with how their policies handle your problem, be sure to give Sony's customer service line a call at 1-800-345-SONY (1-800-345-7669), or visit the official SCE PSP site for FAQ info, installation guides, customer service contacts and more.

PSP processor capped (http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/news/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=35400&subsectionid=1591)
   
[15/04/05 15:34]
Sony has cut the processing power of PSP by a third, but why?

According to breaking internet reports, one third of PSP's processing power is currently sitting idle, capped by Sony to ensure a healthier battery life.

While the specification of Sony's new handheld states the machine has a 333mhz capable processor sitting beneath its cool-looking exterior, the machine has been capped to just 222mhz, according to a Sony America representative speaking at the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco last month.

But why?

This is something of a mystery, with popular opinion suggesting Sony capped the full potential of the machine simply to spare battery life, which does ring true when you consider that PSP's battery life was one of the most talked about features of the machine preceding its Japanese launch.

Further speculation suggests Sony will release a new, revised PSP package later in the handheld's lifespan, which will feature an uncapped processor and a battery capable of dealing with the extra processing load.

This could mean PSP games will look much more impressive in the future, possibly bettering what's possible on PS2 - a console that runs its processor at around 295mhz.

As for current PSP owners, it's suggested they'll be able to download some kind of software upgrade for the machine that will unlock PSP's full power, ensuring they don't have to endure horrible frame rates and potential system failures when playing newer games.

Current owners would also have to buy a newer battery to avoid increased battery consumption.

At this time, this is purely speculation and no one outside Sony really knows what's planned. It could just be a case that PSP's processor was capped to avoid overheating - a common problem with miniaturised devices.

Considering PSP's compact size and advanced (for a handheld) abilities, this is perhaps the most logical reason for the processor capping.

A cynic could also suggest Sony only bothered using the 333mhz chip because, quite simply, it looked good on the initial specification for the machine, and never really intended using it at full throttle.

Well, it's not a game(Lumines is the best one of the bunch methinks), but Once Upon A Time In Mexico compliments the system nicely.  I was able to pick one up for $14-odd dollars at a nearby walmart this past tuesday.  Still overpriced, though, considering the barebones nature of the UMD movies so far(no chapter skip is fucking bullshit, Sony knows better).

One of my favorite aspects of the PSP is the number of people who are getting their first real exposure to PopGame games, through Lumines and Mercury (the marble one). So many folks are all gaga over games they can play for free at Shockwave.dom, or can buy for half the $40 they cost for the PSP at PopCap.com (where they retail for $19.99).

As seen on Slashdot: Sega Fantasy VI (http://www.hcn.zaq.ne.jp/cabic508/rsf/frame1.html) (PSP vs the other game systems)

I wonder if porn power (http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/19/technology/personaltech/playboy_psp/) will help out the sales?  I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Until they perfect the one-handed handheld interface, I'd say pr0n is not the killer app for a handheld gaming device.

Just got mine finally. No dead pixels, but no Spiderman 2, shrug.

Just picked up this:

Logitech Playgear Case (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2362,CONTENTID=10181).

Awesome case. Pictures don't do it justice. For the price I'd say just buy it and don't look back.

I'm reminded of the guy in Deus Ex who requested a "skul gun". That's probably what he had in mind.

Just picked up this:

Logitech Playgear Case (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2362,CONTENTID=10181).

Awesome case. Pictures don't do it justice. For the price I'd say just buy it and don't look back.

Have you, uh, pimped your ride (http://playgearpics.tripod.com/) yet?

Gameboy Emulator Released for PSP
The first real Gameboy emulator has just been released for the PSP. It currently only works with the Japanese 1.0 PSP and doesn’t have sound support – but it’s amazing how quickly these homebrew apps are being developed. - Read [source: HelloGamer (http://www.hellogamer.com/)]

I just got one. Short reply because PSP keyboard input is tedious.

You took it to the office this morning.  Let me know how that works out for you? 

PSP wireless in Starbucks (http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/27/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm)

"SOE is also in talks with select wireless providers that would let owners of its PSP games to freely and automatically log onto their Hot Spots in public areas (such as coffee shops and airports). The plan, said Smedley, is if you enter one of those Hot Spots and decide to play for a bit, you'll be able to log on without having to configure your PSP with a username or password – and without having to pay the usual fee.

In return for the bandwidth, the wireless provider would likely get advertising in trade, perhaps on a game's loading screens, perhaps in game. Negotiations are continuing."

And other stuff. Interesting article if you haven't already seen it.

Very interesting.

I'm especially excited about getting free stuff to watch a frappachino (sp) commercial during my loading screen.

Have you, uh, pimped your ride (http://playgearpics.tripod.com/) yet?

But for me a portable needs to be small, not break, and have lots of turn based strategy games where I can save any place I want. 

Kevvy thinks itll make WOTC own it or something.

Or balance the effing game for that matter.  To his credit, Palladium has some of the most reasonably priced books on the market.  Too bad the game system sucks.

Katamari Damacy PSP
$39.82
Preorder this item today and it should ship on 10/03/2005

Katamari Damacy PSP
$39.82
Preorder this item today and it should ship on 10/03/2005