New PSP

[Kalyx triaD]

There are "leaked" pics of it online and this PSP Go looks like a complete sidestep. It still has one stick and it just seems like a reshuffle in general. I guess we'll need to hear about a feature set, but to me it doesn't say "next-gen portable" like DS Lite did when it dropped.

Also it has 16gigs of flash memory, so entire games could be stored there. I suspect this will be Sony's primary method of games for this thing. Glad they recognized how gay UMDs were.

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/05/pspgo_2.jpg

[Xero]

Sexy, but I'd think I'd have a problem with the controls because they look depressed (to go under the screen). If that's the case may not be so great.

[Big Fat Mike]

Why the fuck does everything have to look and function like a sidekick?

[Vietnamese Crippler]

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[#BROKEN Hasney]

It's still a freaking nub

*stabs the inventor of the nub*

[Kalyx triaD]

http://cache-foo.kotaku.com/gawker/assets/images/9/2009/05/504x_PSP_GO_007.bmp.jpg

[Dorkchop]

I don't know how comfortable that would be. My hands naturally hold controllers and handhelds like this:
http://www.gearlog.com/images/Nintendo-DSi-camera-effect.jpg

There's a lot less room for my palms to hold it:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/pspgohirez580.jpg

It's probably a lot more comfortable than my first assumptions though.

[Kalyx triaD]

Surely it went through 'hand testing' or whatever before they signed off on the design. I'll give Sony the benefit of the doubt on that front.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Surely it went through 'hand testing' or whatever before they signed off on the design. I'll give Sony the benefit of the doubt on that front.

Why? The original didn't feel likme it did. It almost was like "What if we just took the PS pad and stuck a big screen in the middle?!?.... Shit the stick(s), well we'll just have the one stick, but make it a nub, and put it all the way down in the bottom left of the system. That will do, I'm going for lunch"

[G]

That looks very nice.

[My Final Heaven]

:-\

I think I'll be sticking with my Darth Vader LE, thanks.

[My Final Heaven]

http://www.uncrate.com/men/images/2007/10/darth-vader-psp.jpg

:heart:

[Kalyx triaD]

Nice screen at least.

[Vietnamese Crippler]

Aaaaaand NOW it's official: http://psp.ign.com/articles/988/988431p1.html

Also I want to see how long the PSP Go and PSP-3000 can co-exist.

[Kalyx triaD]

It won't. Nintendo said the DS was gonna co-exist with GBA SP.

Although, the PSP Go being lack-luster may help PSP 3000 last longer.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

I've ripped this from a poster on another site because I completly agree with it

This is probably the stupidest thing that Sony has ever done.

Essentially, it's a PSP with a smaller screen, no UMD drive, and a different memory card port. As far as I can tell, the hardware itself is the same as the current PSP versions. If it's not, that's an even bigger problem.

What this is going to do is split the platform right down the middle.

The PSP Go is completely incompatible with the PSP. It will not play any existing PSP games, and you can't even use content from a PSP via a memory card, because it doesn't use the same memory cards. This means you're going to have a complete split between the PSP and PSP Go.

So, we're taking a moderately successful platform, and creating a completely separate version of it. We're throwing away all of the install base they've managed to gain, and we're also throwing away the entire back catalog of PSP games.

It's pretty obvious that nobody who actually bought a PSP will be upgrading to a PSP Go if none of the games will work on the bloody thing. They're obviously going after people who don't already own a PSP. From a developers point of view, this is bad. No upgrade path means that anyone who has a PSP will be forced to keep it, so you'll have to keep making games for it. Since the PSP Go is where the growth will be, you have to make games for that as well.

There's a pretty big difference between downloadable games and games delivered on a disc. 1.5GB is really too much to download on a portable, especially one with only 16GB of storage to work with (and extra storage costing more than it did on the PSP, and something like four times as much as an SD card). So the storage is scarce and, outside of the US, bandwidth is kind of expensive too. So that removes one of the only advantages the PSP has. Outside of piracy, images of UMDs just aren't going to cut it.

You could turn this into an advantage, and make games bigger than a UMD, of course, but then it would be impossible to release them for the old PSP. It might limit the number of people who would be able to download it.

So... Fewer features, a single added feature of limited utility (bluetooth), and a control layout that suggests they looked at the original DS, and took entirely the wrong lesson. The PSP is uncomfortable enough as it is, but this thing...

Speaking of taking the wrong lessons from the DS - we have a design that you can open to play games, or close to make it smaller to carry around. Fine. Just missing one of the more important features of the DS design - it protects the screens. This thing just leaves the entire exposed surface as the screen. It's not even recessed or anything. It's going to get scratched to bits.

[Kalyx triaD]

OWnED

[Kane Knight]

Why? The original didn't feel likme it did. It almost was like "What if we just took the PS pad and stuck a big screen in the middle?!?.... Shit the stick(s), well we'll just have the one stick, but make it a nub, and put it all the way down in the bottom left of the system. That will do, I'm going for lunch"

the original DS control pad hurt my hand, too. Granted, I have big hands, but a lot of the controllers over the years have been released with no consideration to ergonomics.

[Kane Knight]

I've ripped this from a poster on another site because I completly agree with it

I agree with his outrage, but not necessarily all his points:

This is probably the stupidest thing that Sony has ever done.

really? Even over making an 800 dollar children's toy?

The PSP Go is completely incompatible with the PSP. It will not play any existing PSP games, and you can't even use content from a PSP via a memory card, because it doesn't use the same memory cards. This means you're going to have a complete split between the PSP and PSP Go.

To be fair, they are divorcing themselves from the two worst elements of the PSP: The proprietary and failed UMD, and the expensive, proprietary Memory sticks. On the second front, though...is it true they're going with the Memory Stick micro, which even most of their own company has bailed on? If so, it's dumb, but removes one of the existing points, as you can use an adapter to transfer shit. Oops.

So, we're taking a moderately successful platform, and creating a completely separate version of it. We're throwing away all of the install base they've managed to gain, and we're also throwing away the entire back catalog of PSP games.

The latter is ostensibly true, provided they don't put the back catalogue online to buy. The former isn't even remotely true.

However, consider that the Go may be intended for a different market. It's not actually replacing the PSP 3000 or whatever the current model is. HDD MP3 players didn't do away with the CD player market, and even though the marker for the latter has dwindled, we're talking several gens of hardware later. So with Sony, it'll probably be one gen or less, but it's hardly like they're dropping the market or truly dividing the base. some people want internal storage.

It's pretty obvious that nobody who actually bought a PSP will be upgrading to a PSP Go if none of the games will work on the bloody thing.

It's pretty obvious he's never paid attention to consumer trends.

They're obviously going after people who don't already own a PSP.

Not solely, no, but why is this even a statement worth making?

From a developers point of view, this is bad. No upgrade path means that anyone who has a PSP will be forced to keep it, so you'll have to keep making games for it. Since the PSP Go is where the growth will be, you have to make games for that as well.

I don't see the problem here. Aren't all indicators on this being the same hardware? So, like, you can make a UMD version and an electronic version of the same game with almost zero dev issues?

There's a pretty big difference between downloadable games and games delivered on a disc. 1.5GB is really too much to download on a portable, especially one with only 16GB of storage to work with (and extra storage costing more than it did on the PSP, and something like four times as much as an SD card). So the storage is scarce and, outside of the US, bandwidth is kind of expensive too. So that removes one of the only advantages the PSP has. Outside of piracy, images of UMDs just aren't going to cut it.

We have some of the worst bandwidth in the western world. USA! USA!

How many games actually use a full DL UMD, anyway? How will compression factor in? how will the adapter on the Memory Sticks factor into the "premium" cost of the new format?

You could turn this into an advantage, and make games bigger than a UMD

This seems stupid. Going from "Games are too big, downloading is too costly!" to "They could make games bigger than a UMD" as an advantage with oen mere line break? Surely this guy forgot his ritalin.

Speaking of taking the wrong lessons from the DS - we have a design that you can open to play games, or close to make it smaller to carry around. Fine. Just missing one of the more important features of the DS design - it protects the screens. This thing just leaves the entire exposed surface as the screen. It's not even recessed or anything. It's going to get scratched to bits.

so it's exactly like most devices on the market, and will rely on a screen protector or protective casing. The thing was intended to be used for waching movies in the closed position, a feat that would be difficult of the screen was hidden. Doesn't sound like it's a "bad" idea, per se, just not one I'd waste time on.

[El Fangel]

the original DS control pad hurt my hand, too. Granted, I have big hands, but a lot of the controllers over the years have been released with no consideration to ergonomics.

Xbox: Duke controller was one nasty fucking piece of shit

N64: The way I held it made it seem too big and after an hour my hands were cramped :(