What's up with the PSP?

[mouselock]

The more I see about this system, the more interested I am. A local has an imported japanese system and, well, the system design seems gorgeous. The one imported game he has does a good job of showing off what to expect graphically (Armored Core) even if nobody can play it due to lack of knowledge of japanese.

I think the system if it comes out for $200 or less has huge potential. And last I heard vis. the CES statement it should show up here by march at the latest. But no price data, no release date, no official hype whatsoever? Am I just impatient, or is that a little odd with just over two months left?

I'm looking forward to this (as much for convergence as anything else.. I've wanted an MP3 player for a while, don't care about ultra-small size, and even with the $60 necessary for a 512MB duo stick it's still not hideous if it comes out at a price contemporary with the Japanese price), but the lack of any info strikes me as odd. Especially since we know the product exists and doesn't seem to have any glaring deficiencies that have been hidden away behind layers of careful marketing. Is Sony just trying to downplay their hand to make the release more impactful?

[DeathMonkey]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3137897

*article*
In an interview with Nikkei Business Sony Computer Entertainment President Ken Kutaragi admitted that the square button (one of the four primary buttons typically used for actions along with triangle, circle and 'X') on the PSP is less responsive than the others. This is a result of the design and "something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to."

At fault is the location of the button right next to the edge of the display. It is too close to put the button's switch directly underneath it, so instead it has been located off to the right. This results in the reduced sensitivity of the button and in extreme cases the button sticking. Although Kutaragi stated that about 4800 units have been returned for this behavior, he insisted that it was not a design mistake and that the location was precisely according to specification.
*end article*

Yeah, the square button not working correctly was "by design."

Sony does quiet iterations of hardware (most frequently to introduce lower cost components) after the launch of their hardware; I hope this gets fixed before I get one. :)

[extarbags]

But it's so sexy!

:roll:

[BobJustBob]

Aw, I thought this was going to be a flamebait thread about the sticky square button (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/24/news_6116985.html) and Ken Kutaragi saying "Tough shit."

EDIT: Someone beat me to it while I was composing my post.

As a system, the PSP is fairly boring. The movie and music features are pointless, it's aimed solely at graphics whores, and the battery life, while not crippling, is disappointing. OTOH, more power is never a bad thing.

But as with the PS2, the games are going to sell the system. Sony has enough developers on their side to make it a must-have. I mean, it's got a freaking turn-based card-based Metal Gear Solid. That alone would have probably sold me on the system.

But as you say, the lack of any pricing info this close to launch is peculiar.

[Gunmetal]

Someone opened up a PSP to better demonstrate the square button problem:
http://www.gamesarefun.com/consoles/psp/square.jpg

And speaking of opening up a PSP, here's some idiots running one over in their RX-8:
http://www.mobilegamearena.net/news_133.html
I'd love for someone to explain that video to me. Other than the obvious "let's spend destroy $200 worth of equipment to become internet-famous!" (a cause which I've unfortunately just contributed to)

[mouselock]

*shrug*

I'm more interested in the PSP than the DS. I've seen two games for the DS which look interesting enough to make me want to buy the system. However, the PSP has 3 or so at launch that interest me. Maybe it's graphics whoring, but, hey, if that's the case, then I'm a graphics whore. I'm just interested in spending ~200 on a system I'll use, rather than one which looks cool but ultimately I won't play much on. If I could figure out a way to get yoshi touch and go onto a PSP I would. On the other hand, if the DS could put up a decent version of wipeout pure*, or had a nice version of Darkstalkers on it, I'd go that way. The thought of carrying GTA around with me (so, you know, I'd actually play it instead of thinking I ought to when I'm home and then getting sucked into something else) is appealing too.

So the supposition is the lack of firm release plans is to try to fix the square button before the hardware comes stateside so as to avoid the complaints of the (probably more vocal) American audience?

[Rob_Merritt]

Another piece of poorly design sony hardware coming out and it will sell a million anyways. Ugh...

[DeathMonkey]

So the supposition is the lack of firm release plans is to try to fix the square button before the hardware comes stateside so as to avoid the complaints of the (probably more vocal) American audience?

My assumption is that the reason that there's no firm release date is due to manufacturing difficulties and expense and that they can't produce them at a rate fast enough to make a decent launch.

I don't think Sony cares if hardcore gamers have a fit over the square button. They have a nice looking system with a big screen and a number of gorgeous looking games coming out at launch. The PSP would sell out even if half the buttons didn't work.

-Scott-

[Jose Liz]

On the road Grand Theft Auto and NBA Street did it for me:(

[Dave Long]

Protip! - Never buy first generation Sony hardware! Give them a year to figure out all the things that don't work in the release systems. I have a PS2 Slim (the new one) that can't fucking play movies right. I'll be getting it replaced before the warranty runs out (1 year) but definitely not now while the same bugged systems are lying on shelves.

I repeat NEVER buy first gen Sony hardware! You WILL have problems!

--Dave

[Andrew Mayer]

Stop trying to curse me!

My "Slim PS2" plays perfectly!

I raise my hexen shield and send the curse back at you!

[Dave Long]

Dude, put in a DVD-9 disc. Movies I had problems with were all the DVD-9's. It's a known issue.

--Dave

[Mark Asher]

Speaking of movies, I noticed a new handheld DVD viewer about the size of a PSP that will use the smaller DVDs. It's aimed at kids first, but there are already movies out for it. Will these also play in the PSP?

Can't remember who makes this, but it was someone I'd heard of before, maybe Warner?

[Kevin J Baird]

I'm not saying one is better than the other, and I'll buy a PSP when it comes out. But the location of the Left Analog stick sucks. Since it's location at the very bottom, there is no place to rest your thumb and you'll get cramps for sure. Plus the load times of twenty seconds is just ridiculous. You can watch the battery meter go down a notch while the game is loading.

K

[Jim Preston]

Protip! - Never buy first generation Sony hardware! Give them a year to figure out all the things that don't work in the release systems. I have a PS2 Slim (the new one) that can't fucking play movies right. I'll be getting it replaced before the warranty runs out (1 year) but definitely not now while the same bugged systems are lying on shelves.

I repeat NEVER buy first gen Sony hardware! You WILL have problems!

--Dave

I agree with Dave completely. Sony has had a fairly poor track record of initial hardware launches ever since the original PSX. Having said that, once people see the quality of the screen and the shiny black shell and the image quality that will be almost indistinguishable from the PS2, concerns like loading time, battery life and reliability go right out the window and you will want one. As long as retailers display them in kiosks where they will have a continuous power supply and won't be running off a battery and have a game in that looks great with low load times, Sony will sell a ton of these things.

[Andrew Mayer]

Dude, put in a DVD-9 disc. Movies I had problems with were all the DVD-9's. It's a known issue.

--Dave

HEXEN SHIELD!!!

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/atari_shack/gfx/hexen.gif

[Joel]

Speaking of movies, I noticed a new handheld DVD viewer about the size of a PSP that will use the smaller DVDs. It's aimed at kids first, but there are already movies out for it. Will these also play in the PSP?

Can't remember who makes this, but it was someone I'd heard of before, maybe Warner?

No. There's a Samsung platform called DVD Jr. with small DVDs. It's still born and I think they know it, but everybody wants to sell kids media because their one of the biggest markets for episodic video content. The PSP uses UMD, which is like a DVD inside of a plastic case (not unlike a MiniDisc, don't chaknow). Sony just recently said they'd 'open' up the format to other content providers (besides Sony Pictures/Music) but it's a totally incompatible format with anything else (unless Sony lets people make set-top UMD players or something. Likely, but not until a couple of years after launch).