PSP no longer showing promise?

[Immortal Goat]

I read a recent article from Game Informer about the PSP, and I must say, whatever was making me think it was going to be a challenger to DS is gone. The system really isn't that impressive. Sure, for a handheld, it is nice, but it is just a shrunk-down PS2. Most of the games for it will be on the PS2 anyway, so why shell out another $300+ for it. I know that there is no set price for it, but the technology in that thing will guarentee a high price point.

Plus, it isn't really revolutionary as far as gaming in general is concerned. It just has a wider screen and plays a movie format that isn't even widespread. And the biggest problem is battery life. The president of SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment of America) said that it will have a 10 hour battery life, but that is slightly misleading. He admitted in the interview that I read that the 10 hour life is only if you are listening to music without images on the screen. For a normal, fast paced game, it will more than likely be 2 to 3 hours.

Faced with this information, I don't think I need to question which handheld will reign supreme. Nintendo's system is innovative, backed by tons of experience, and has a longer battery life than even the SP. Plus, the price will be a lot lower. Nintendo gets my money this holiday season.

[Anonymous]

Just as the bay should claim your life. This holiday season.

[James]

Goaty, it just sounds like you're taking VERY early speculation of the PSP, and comparing it to essentially nothing. You're not comparing it to the promise the DS might have, yet you're ready to claim that just because you THINK certain things are true about the PSP, then the DS is much better.

How much is the DS? What will the DS present that couldn't already be done on the Gamecube (with or without the GBA connectivity Nintendo was so high on, and then fizzled out)? How long is the battery life of the DS? What makes the DS so "revolutionary," when it hasn't even been out and given time to prove itself?

[Immortal Goat]

Good points, James. I probably should have mentioned that there was also information about the DS in the magazine as well. Nintendo has announced that the battery life will eclipse that of the SP, that it will be cheaper than the PSP, and that it will have wireless connectivity between systems that (supposedly) can go nation wide. That, along with some unique uses for the second screen, makes the concept behind the DS more revolutionary than the concept behind PSP.

[DamnthatDavid]

wireless connectivity between systems that (supposedly) can go nation wide.

And Gamecube is internet capable. >:

DS might work, if they combine some sort of palm pilot into that incorparates the second screen as a touch screen.

[James]

The second screen IS touch-sensitive.

[McClain]

it will have wireless connectivity between systems that (supposedly) can go nation wide.

I'm gonna' call a bs on that one.

[Immortal Goat]

David, you really don't pay much attention to anything, do you? I thought everyone knew that the second screen was touch-sensitive. It comes with a stylus, and you can have instant messages between systems that include pictures (drawn with the very same stylus).

I'm not too sure on the wireless nationwide connectivity, either, McClain, but they did say that it was going to be WiFi compatible.

[whoreable]

yea 802.11b doesnt exaclty have a range spanning the globe, but it is a very common standard.


we cant say much about either yet, but fromt eh looks the psp is pretty big in size and is supposed to cost quite a bit. personally i like the idea of a smaller more portable gaming device(not sure if the game boy is yet) the psp doesnt look like it really is.

[Immortal Goat]

The DS isn't as sleek as the PSP is, but as a gaming machine, it has more functionality. That's what I look for. Plus, even though the DS that was on display was a little larger than the PSP, it wasn't the finished product. It was merely a tech demo for the attendees at E3.

However, I bring up the battery life again. If a system is portable, it should be able to power itself for longer than 2-3 hours. That sounds more like something that you would keep at home so you are always near an outlet than something you would take with you on a long trip where outlets may be few and far between.