is psp dead?

Placebo

i havent touched mine in months? whats good thats out? whats everyone playing?
looks like its sinking in japan big time

qz

I was just thinking about this today. I haven't played mine in ages, the first time I picked it up in months was a few days ago to upgrade the firmware, but now I just couldn't be bothered.

I reckon it'll pick back up a bit once Vice City Stories comes out, but I do think it's dying a death.

projectmayhem

mine has gathered dust for months but with the new 2.71 downgrader i've been on it all day playing streets of rage... i do want to get SOCOM and one or two other games though

iFight

Does seem like it's dying if not dead. Haven't heard anything of them in ages.

BlitzKrieg

i've only ever played 2 official games on my psp, but because i want the best out of my emulation fun i havnt ever bothered to upgrade the firmwire beyond 1.5 (i think)

But i still blast on it evey now and then for a game of sonic or mario.

But as a competitive handheld console its pretty much stagnant at the moment.

it lacks anything beyond a mobile ps2 to appeal to people.

projectmayhem

BlitzKrieg wrote:

it lacks anything beyond a mobile ps2 to appeal to people.

if sony put more money into concept games like lumines and mercury, and advertised the games it has it'd be much better off. that's what's selling the ds!

but right now, back into my 1.5 mode, i'm loving the psp again

Retr0gamer

Haven't even bothered charging mine in months. I'd like to play loco roco and exit when I get the money to buy them but other than that I'm not interested in anything else on it or forthcoming. As for my DS when the battery runs out it's like a little piece of me has just died.

JBoyle4eva

As a PSP owner, I have to say I only have 5 games for it, and I only seem to play the 2 over and over. I brought a DS there last week, and it's 1,000,000 times better than the PSP!

blocparty

its not dead and never will be. the handheld market isnt that big over here so give it time. i have the japanese version of tekken and it is simply fantastic i love it and its a game share so you only need one copy to play two player.

i dont know many people with a ds or ds lite but i really think they're ugly especially the ds which is a monstrosity. the ds lite is a fun console but i played burnout on it and then played burnout on my psp and there is no comparision. the ds version looks like poo, simple as

while i understand that graphics dont make a game but the ds is seriously lacking in this department. i think sony will change their tactics slightly and try and mussle in on the ds type games that seem to be doing well

koneko

There will be some more good games for it, but it's severely lacking in content alright. Silent Hill might be good when that's out, for one. Not getting rid of mine but I don't play it much anymore (except Loco Roco sometimes). My DS is in use all the time.

blocparty, if you think graphics mean everything then you're playing games for the wrong reason IMHO And yes, I know you said "i understand that graphics dont make a game" but then you still talk about them. It's the only plus point you've mentioned for the PSP. It's better because it has better graphics. Riight.

You don't buy a DS to play Burnout, you buy it to play the absolutely brilliant classic games on it. Look at Eurogamer, they've done several articles on which DS games are must-haves. Get those. Not games like Burnout so you can compare the graphics and go "ewww the DS one doesn't look nice I hate this console". Also, the original DS was ugly, it was a brick, but the Lite is sexy

koneko

Oh, also :

blocparty wrote:

its not dead and never will be. the handheld market isnt that big over here so give it time. i have the japanese version of tekken and it is simply fantastic i love it and its a game share so you only need one copy to play two player.

The handheld market isn't as big here as it is in Japan, it's huge there, but let's look at the Japanese sales figures for consoles (August 21-27) as an example:

- DS Lite: 163,274 88,779 (119.17%)
- PSP: 29,945 11,590 (27.90%)

Numbers in bold are units sold.

weemcd

Enjoying tekken 5 and the new guilty gear at the mo, will serve me well on bus journeys to uni in the next few months, and has served me well as a portable mp3 player with fairly decent speakers when me and a few mates were staying over for an "un-named concert":rolleyes: a few weeks ago.

So all in all, i dont really care how anyone else is getting on with theirs, i'm getting the use out of mine and still have games such as mgs portable.

According to psp updates i'll also be looking forward to:
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trio logy - September 12 2006
Metal Slug Anthology - October 31 2006
Scarface: Money.Power.Respect - October 6 2006

robinph

Mine has not got a whole lot of use recently, although I did mess about with it for a bit after getting it running 1.5 firmware. Mostly just used when I'm off travelling, but then that is surely the whole point of a handheld games machine and so the reason for it's lack of use is that I've not been away anywhere recently, and that can hardly be blamed on the PSP.

Laguna

The reason it's failing and so many people don't even bother using theirs anymore is simple to me, it offers nothing new. Now, I know not every console that comes out doesn't always offer something new (the 360 for example, same **** different resolution), but the DS offers a new way of interacting with games, albeit in a simplistic way with the stylus. Given the choice between two products, one playing the same old song (except not quite as well) and something mildly innovative, I think I understand why the DS is trouncing the PSP...

griffdaddy

Laguna wrote:

The reason it's failing and so many people don't even bother using theirs anymore is simple to me, it offers nothing new. Now, I know not every console that comes out doesn't always offer something new (the 360 for example, same **** different resolution), but the DS offers a new way of interacting with games, albeit in a simplistic way with the stylus. Given the choice between two products, one playing the same old song (except not quite as well) and something mildly innovative, I think I understand why the DS is trouncing the PSP...

this is something sony has realised and is striving to fix. we'll see a whole different and expandable psp when the gps and camera add-ons emerge, as well as it's high compatability with the ps3.

Retr0gamer

griffdaddy wrote:

this is something sony has realised and is striving to fix. we'll see a whole different and expandable psp when the gps and camera add-ons emerge, as well as it's high compatability with the ps3.

Don't mean to offend you butI think thats rubbish. I think the camera and GPs will be expense add-ons that will be failures. People don't like buying gimmicky add-ons for consoles as can be seen with the failure of the 32X and Mega CD. As for PS3 compatibility, it looks like what nintendo tried with their connectivity between the GBA and the GC which was a failure. Despite some good connectivity games being released that were lots of fun the problem was getting over the awkward setting up process. I also don't see the point in having the PSP as a rearview mirror :rolleyes:

griffdaddy

Retr0gamer wrote:

Don't mean to offend you butI think thats rubbish. I think the camera and GPs will be expense add-ons that will be failures. People don't like buying gimmicky add-ons for consoles as can be seen with the failure of the 32X and Mega CD. As for PS3 compatibility, it looks like what nintendo tried with their connectivity between the GBA and the GC which was a failure. Despite some good connectivity games being released that were lots of fun the problem was getting over the awkward setting up process. I also don't see the point in having the PSP as a rearview mirror :rolleyes:

some of the best games on a sega system were on the mega cd! well a few of them anyway:D The idea of a gps add on isnt that ridiculous, they've already got games in the pipeline that implement it. as for a camera, i'd hardly call that ridiculous after the overwhelming success of the eye toy. i'm not saying the psp is better than the ds, i've never even seen a ds, which is strange cause i've been playing games all my life, i'm just saying that those add ons aren't necessarily going to be shít.
i'm waiting for my 2gig memory stick to come in the post before i really test out my psp. even though i've had it for about a year, i couldnt afford a stick until recently. one thing is certain, the potential of the psp is nothing to be scoffed at, particularly with such a dedicated homebrew community.
When did i start sounding like a fanboy??:D

Retr0gamer

I'm not calling you a fanboy just disagreeing with how successful these things will be.

There were some decent games on the Mega CD but not that many. It still never stopped the MCD being a total failure. I don't see how the PSP camera will work with games. When you play PSP you hold it awfully close to you which restricts the view of the camera since the whole shot will taken up by you. Also I wouldn't like to be seen waving my arms around like a loon on the bus. It sounds like a silly idea which only purpose being to turn the PSP into a dodgy expensive and unweildy digital camera. The GPS is probably a better idea but I doubt it will be beneficial to games. Again it turns the PSP into an expensive GPS device.

Placebo

i have 2mp in my phone. forget a 1mo addon to a huge brick

griffdaddy

Retr0gamer wrote:

I'm not calling you a fanboy just disagreeing with how successful these things will be.

There were some decent games on the Mega CD but not that many. It still never stopped the MCD being a total failure. I don't see how the PSP camera will work with games. When you play PSP you hold it awfully close to you which restricts the view of the camera since the whole shot will taken up by you. Also I wouldn't like to be seen waving my arms around like a loon on the bus. It sounds like a silly idea which only purpose being to turn the PSP into a dodgy expensive and unweildy digital camera. The GPS is probably a better idea but I doubt it will be beneficial to games. Again it turns the PSP into an expensive GPS device.

haha, i know, i was calling myself one! aren't there games for the ds where you have to blow into it and things like that though? i remember reading something like that in the guardian ages ago. i didnt know the camera was only 1MP, that is shít and i personally wouldnt have too much use for gps. i've loved all the games i've played on it though, and still play most of them regularly. wipeout pure and loco roco are never out of arms reach if i'm on a bus or sitting around college or something. is the ds really that good? i don't like this, i'm getting the consumer itch and might have to pick one up!:D what games are good on it?

griffdaddy

oh, another thing i was thinking earlier is that the ease with which psp games can be pirated surely isn't helping matters. do you guys think that could also be a factor?

BlitzKrieg

the only appealling element of the PSP for me was the pireted factor, i dont play psp games i play snes and megadrive games, and I understand the homebrew factor is a small but steady pull for buyers of the PSP.

projectmayhem

BlitzKrieg wrote:

the only appealling element of the PSP for me was the pireted factor, i dont play psp games i play snes and megadrive games, and I understand the homebrew factor is a small but steady pull for buyers of the PSP.

looking at the amount of idiots who brick their psp's and end up buying 2 or 3 of them, i'd say sony makes a tidy sum off downgrading etc. alone

BlitzKrieg

hence i dont buy PSP games so i dont have to upgrade my psp again (though I can still play metal gear acid)

griffdaddy

BlitzKrieg wrote:

hence i dont buy PSP games so i dont have to upgrade my psp again (though I can still play metal gear acid)

you could use devhook to play any game you wanted, regardless of firmware.

wayne040576

I hadn't played mine for ages until Loco Roco came out. It's a good game but a little repetitve and a bit too easy. The system needs more games like this that can show its strengths rather than showing its weaknesses by trying to port ps2 game (you can't play a game properly on it that originally required 2 thumbsticks). Currently playing tales of Eternia on it. The random battles thing are getting a bit annoying now. I want to get ultimate ghosts n' goblins when it comes out (next few weeks I think).

spidermonkey

im waiting for bboy the game. www.bboythegame.com its rumored to be out on friday.
the only other one will be hotpxl www.hotpxl.com
as regards use its used more than my modded xbox, im running 2.80 firmware. modding on a psp didn't really interest me. not with the size limitations and price of memory sticks.

i find that prolonged use hurms me hands. its so fcuking un erogonomic.
a note for sony: form over function doesn't work for handhelds

Placebo

i think that is a huge factor, piracy. Developers not making money ? so not making games? sonys making money for psps, im not sure how it works.
ABOUT A HUGE, nearly all of psp owners just download games, if you go to any torrent sites and look for a latest game its download number would be over 300 for days !
Piracy in ds is also possible but you need to buy extra equipment, where as on psp its easier, no add ons needed. Games are expensive, 40+ a pop, not handheld suitable. i said this ages ago, where will people play theyre psp? much easier to pop out ds and have a go at mario rather then waiting 10 minutes street fighter alpha to load.

will metal slug anthology make any money ? neogeo cd emulator was out ages and metal slug series was the first thing i got .

Retr0gamer

I'm looking forward to gradius collection myself. The Gradius series is excellent and should really suit the PSP. Gradius 4 is a bit of a duffer but the rest are excellent except for gradius gaiden. Gradius Gaiden is godly.

griffdaddy

that bboy game looks deadly, although i'm not really into those dance mania and drumming games really. is it gonna be a 'push buttons in this order' kinda game?

tck

koneko wrote:

Oh, also :



The handheld market isn't as big here as it is in Japan, it's huge there, but let's look at the Japanese sales figures for consoles (August 21-27) as an example:

- DS Lite: 163,274 88,779 (119.17%)
- PSP: 29,945 11,590 (27.90%)

Numbers in bold are units sold.

Not to mention, the top 10 games chart in Japan for last month consisted of 10 DS games. Not one single PSP game. Japan are in LOVE with the DS.

FutureGuy

blocparty wrote:

its not dead and never will be. the handheld market isnt that big over here so give it time. i have the japanese version of tekken and it is simply fantastic i love it and its a game share so you only need one copy to play two player.

i dont know many people with a ds or ds lite but i really think they're ugly especially the ds which is a monstrosity. the ds lite is a fun console but i played burnout on it and then played burnout on my psp and there is no comparision. the ds version looks like poo, simple as

while i understand that graphics dont make a game but the ds is seriously lacking in this department. i think sony will change their tactics slightly and try and mussle in on the ds type games that seem to be doing well

I think you summed up perfectly why the PSP is bombing...all fancy and no fun. I'm sure you will still have sales based on what the media tell people to buy, but anyone interested in games will be playing DS. I have a DS and a PSP and I havent picked up my psp in about 6 months. Who cares what a console looks like??? Its what you play on it that counts!!!

Look at what games are coming fo the DS in the next 6 months! I'll hope to have sold my PSP in the same period of time. You cant even play games properly on it with its useless d-pad. :rolleyes:

iregk

tck wrote:

Japan are in LOVE with the DS.

As are the rest of us! Amazing little machine the DS. I sold my psp long ago as I thought it was pure crap. Bought a DS and have just been crazy about it ever since. The DS is the ultimate accolade to the line: "games make the console." They do and because of Ninty's inventiveness the DS is the king of handhelds.

spidermonkey

not sure about the bboy game playing style, but what im guessing is a tony hawks style playing going into certain modes and pushing button combos to do different moves. i'll know in a few weeks.
my younger brother has a ds lite, he's got nintendogs, burnout and the world cup soccer game. i've got a psp & gta:lcs, burnout, pro evo 5, twisted metal.

graphics wise burnout on psp is ps2 quality, ds is what i would consider ps1 quality.
pro evo5 on the psp is again excellent quality, the world cup soccer game on the ds is absolut sh!t. ever play driver 2? remember that messed up looking character that you were playing when running about trying to steal another car? well theres two teams of him on the pitch.
the ds is creative and nintendogs is fun but if they put better graphics and screens into the ds it'd be a true psp killer.

psp's rule, but i wish they were more comfortable to hold.:(

BlitzKrieg

graphics wise burnout on psp is ps2 quality, ds is what i would consider ps1 quality.
pro evo5 on the psp is again excellent quality, the world cup soccer game on the ds is absolut sh!t. ever play driver 2? remember that messed up looking character that you were playing when running about trying to steal another car? well theres two teams of him on the pitch.
the ds is creative and nintendogs is fun but if they put better graphics and screens into the ds it'd be a true psp killer.

But for the games that the DS does the graphics and screens are perfect for it, there's no need to upgrade to PS2 graphics, the problem with the games like world cup soccer and burnout is that you can tell they have been really lazily put together by just looking at them. That the creative force behind them took the day off and the workforce just tried to push out a racer and footie in the mould of all the ones before it on the DS system when thats not what the DS is about, the creative force should have completely redone the game system to both games so it would suit the machine, if the characters look like the guy from driver 2, dont use those sort of graphics, go for more colourful simple styles, or something edgy.

Developers need to play to each consoles strength, and so far more developers are playing to the DS's strength then there are playing to the PSP's.

shortys94

Its slowly but surely building up some good games in its library, some of the jap games are good and vice city stories looks great, i was going to sell psp but im gonna wait for this to see if itw worth holding onto, tekken, syphon filter are some good games too

http://psp.ign.com/articles/731/731884p1.html

vice city interview recently

CiDeRmAn

Hmmm, I was really not interested in a PSP, having sold my US PSP last Aug just before the Euro launch.
Then the sight of LocoRoco changed everything, suddenly I started paying attention to the PSP release listings and found a ton of things I wanted and more importantly a lot of titles now second hand.
Having owned a PSP, again, for the last 3 weeks I now own 8 games and am looking forward to more, loving LocoRoco itself, revisiting Ridge Racer and WipeOut Pure and getting my StuntCar Racer kicks from GripShift and losing hours to Pinball.
I know the console is plagued with PS2 reheats but there is the possibility for Sony IPs to be refreshed on the hardware, as were Wipeout and RidgeRacer.
Vice City Stories and Gran Turismo Mobile should convince all that the handheld is worth charging once again.
I get the impression there is a certain amount of snobbishness about the handheld market, people keeping one eye on the jap market to decide for them what is "in" and whats "out".
I love my DSlite, still play it most everyday but there is room for both machines given the different types of games on both, I mean I've played Burnout legends on both PSP and DS and I can tell you the DS edition sucks while the PSP is a faithful integration of the 1st three titles, good stuff.

shortys94

yea and ridge racer 2 will be out soon:)

what about gran turismo, when is that out

justfortherecor

Buy Tekken DR. Its the first game to show what the PSP is capable of. Re-Kindled my interest in the console.

weemcd

^ speaks the truth, really does bring graphics to a level you wouldn't believe in a handheld. I played the arcade version recently and i have to say the collisions when a player is thrown to the ground (ie. cracked pavement) are much more impressive on the psp.

4Xcut

Placebo wrote:

nearly all of psp owners just download games

no way, sony would not continue if that were the case. the fact that most people online do is not reflective of the general public. For one its too complicated for most people what with downgrading, firmware emulation and the games only being available through that thing we're not really supposed to talk about.

As for the psp being dead, well i haven't touched mine in months and i am a racing fan. But i just don't want to play games i plaed years ago again. Got outrun for the pc(god bless my ps2 controller adapter) and it would be deadly on the psp(i know it is) but its about the only pick up and play for a few minutes. The rest of the games don't suit handheld gaming


the problem with the psp is that it is a portable playstation. Sony didn't design a portable system, they took a home comsole from 2 geerations ago(or one at time of launch) and squeezed it(just barely) in to the palm of our hands.

CiDeRmAn

Maybe, but they built it around a lovely screen and while its unfortunate tha they hobbled the better capabilities of the console ie homebrew and emulation, it still remains a capable games machine and at this stage in its life there is bound to be a couple of games to suit everyone, remember when the software on the DS sucked? Waiting seemed to have boosted its range manyfold, and so it has been with the PSP.
No such thing as bad consoles, just lazy developers and uninspired publishers.