PSP's Future? [question]

[Perfect_Cell]

I've recently been eager to get my hands on a PSP for awhile now, I held off and not much has caught my eye but with Crisis Core out and now knowing thats its a region free system, I was just wondering if its stupid or not to invest in a PSP now, I don't know where the system stands as of now, so I'm a little skittish on making any moves at this time. Can anyone help?

[Advent_Nebula]

I got a PSP over a DS, and have been quite pleased. Hell I even have a 4 gig memory stick because it is also my MP3 player.

[Perfect_Cell]

Have you bought any imported games for it? how well does that work out?

[ADC]

I think the DS is overall the better system, with more great games; but when the PSP is good, it's really good. FF7CC is almost a system-seller on its own, and when you add in the Holy Trinity of TRPGs (Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, Jeanne d'Arc), that's sure enough good stuff for me. Getcha some.

[lostnomad84]

Um... I was excited about the PSP when it first came out, but truth be told, the DS has a better library of games. The PSP in itself has fewer games, but they are good games for what is out there. I don't really use it for multimedia purposes, but the screen is great and if you want to take advantage of it for those reasons, then go right ahead. It is a well designed unit.

Have you bought any imported games for it? how well does that work out?

I have a PSP and I did import one game. Basically the games are not region-locked, so they will load and work just fine. The only thing region locked is the UMD movies.

[WRX]

I've had a PSP for a while and just recently got a DS Lite too. Overall, I think the PSP games are more visually impressive but the DS seems to have a much larger library. Both systems have their must-have games and both have more interesting games on the horizon.

[GHardin]

I've had a PSP for a while and just recently got a DS Lite too. Overall, I think the PSP games are more visually impressive but the DS seems to much larger library. Both systems have their must-have games and both have more interesting games on the horizon.

That pretty much sums up my feelings as well. Each system has their own strengths and weaknesses. In the end, it's all what you make it to be...there are plenty of good games for the system; it's just whether or not it's your cup of tea.

To be honest, I haven't really touched my handhelds in a while - Crisis Core is probably the first time I've played my PSP since...I'm guessing November or December with the Dracula X Chronicles. :P

[Johnny]

Sony recently stated that the PSP, like the PS3, will be a '10 year system'. In other words, while the DS is likely to be around for another 3-4 years, the PSP should still be here (although the design is likely to change) for another 7 or so years.

This is a nice time to get into the PSP, especially if you own a PS3 as all the connectivity between the two is starting to come to fruition such as being able to access files/watch videos on your PSP direct from your PS3 from anywhere in the world.
Admittedly, Sony did overplay the media capabilities early on in the PSP's lifespan but right now we're seeing everything they were talking about come together. It's also pretty convenient that you can access your multimedia on the go.

Thankfully, the myth of 'the PSP has no games' seems to have finally been put to bed by all but the most desperate of fanboys, mainly since the release of games such as Wipeout Pulse, Silent Hill Origins, Patapon, Echochrome, God of War and Crisis Core in the last few months.
There is a fantastic back catalogue of PSP games available too.

You asked about importing, being in the UK, most of my PSP games are either American or Japanese and importing is easy as it's a region free portable. If you're in the US it's even easier as retailers such as Playasia will ship to you. Other online stores are Yesasia, NCSX or even eBay.

The DS is a fantastic portable with an amazing library of games but sometimes (with me anyway), the touch screen is nice, but you want what is essentially a portable PS2 to mess about with and in that respect, the console is fantastic.
Get yourself some custom firmware and you have access to emulators, PSX games and so on.

[Nyanyaan]

Sony recently stated that the PSP, like the PS3, will be a '10 year system'. In other words, while the DS is likely to be around for another 3-4 years, the PSP should still be here (although the design is likely to change) for another 7 or so years.

This is a nice time to get into the PSP, especially if you own a PS3 as all the connectivity between the two is starting to come to fruition such as being able to access files/watch videos on your PSP direct from your PS3 from anywhere in the world.
Admittedly, Sony did overplay the media capabilities early on in the PSP's lifespan but right now we're seeing everything they were talking about come together. It's also pretty convenient that you can access your multimedia on the go.


It just to me seems that Sony is again back on making the multimedia stuff the lynchpin of the system (skype, internet radio, even legal 'rips'). While this may feed the need of part of its user base, it doesn't necessarily mean strength for the games side.

Yes, PSP did just have arguably the two biggest mainstream game titles in its history release (GOW and FFVII) and last year was a good year for the TRPG, but if you look at the release schedule both upcoming soon and later stuff, it is pretty barren. Plus there have been some pretty recent major cancelations -- thinking here of the PSP versions of both Gran Turismo and Elder Scrolls.

With the connectivity disccused between the PSP and PS3, Sony has also made some pretty extravagant claims, of which as I see, are still pretty far off.

All that being said, I do have and enjoy my system (the new Wild Arms XF being another game to check out).

[dunno001]

I'm going to preface this post by stating that I am much more of a DS fan than I am of the PSP, but I'm going to be as objective as I can.

Sales figures on the PSP indicate that it is not going to go away in the short term. (I can't predict long-term, as it only started outselling the DS recently.) Things like Crisis Core are definitely helping to sell the system in Japan, and more system units moved means more attention from the game developers. If you already see a bunch of other games you want for the system, then I will say to go for it. If you're only looking at 1 or 2 games, then ask yourself- are those games worth the price of the game AND the system (divided by 2 if 2 games)? If you still feel you will get the value, then again, you should go for it, otherwise, I'd say to hold out for more games that you want.

I personally see the multimedia capability as a gimmick. If I buy a gaming system, I want to play games. While the PSP has a larger screen than the DS, it's still too small for movies IMO. If you want to play MP3s, there are cheaper MP3 players out there than even buying a larger memory stick. Even streaming PS1 games through the PS3 doesn't sound too good; those games were designed with a larger screen in mind, and this may have some smaller details completely lost on the PSP.

Overall, I personally am not interested in the PSP. There are no games I'm interested in that I couldn't get elsewhere, we don't even have a PS3 (nor plans to get one), and I don't need all those 'extras' in multimedia. My roommates did cave and get one, but all they play on it is Crisis Core. I suspect it'll go to gathering dust when they finish that game. The DS, on the other hand, has a lot of things that I like. (Pictochat at a con, anyone?) But that's not the topic of this thread, so I'll save that for another time...

[Danj]

While the PSP has a larger screen than the DS, it's still too small for movies IMO.

I disagree, I think it's the perfect size for portable video, it's not so huge that it won't fit in a coat pocket, and it's not teeny like iPod screens. Plus it has the proper widescreen aspect ratio. Mind you, companies are slowly coming out with higher-resolution panels (e.g. 800x480) at that size, so there may be devices that eclipse the PSP's capabilities in that area by now, but I still find it to be an actual useful function of the device.

[Johnny]

Plus there have been some pretty recent major cancelations -- thinking here of the PSP versions of both Gran Turismo and Elder Scrolls.


Oblivion may have been cancelled but Gran Turismo Portable is still in development. Yes, it's been "in development" since before the PSP was released but Yamauchi has recently stated that with development of GT5 Prologue and GT5, the PSP version has been pushed back but is still going to appear at some point. I'd say it will be released shortly after GT5 with some sort of connectivity between the two games.

As for upcoming PSP titles, there's a decent amount of interesting stuff:

SNK Arcade Classics
S4 League Portable
Secret Agent Clank
R-Type Command
Bleach: Heat the Soul 5
Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Sony said last week that there are also a lot of specialist games coming to the PSP which haven't been revealed yet. I imagine E3 will reveal all.

[ADC]

Even streaming PS1 games through the PS3 doesn't sound too good; those games were designed with a larger screen in mind, and this may have some smaller details completely lost on the PSP.
Negative on that, Hondo. While the PS1 was capable of video resolution up to 640x480, most of the games I saw were 320x240. That fits pretty well inside the 480x272 PSP screen with no loss of detail. (Relative term, that; "PS1 detail" is a contradiction in terms.) That said, the part of it that fails for me is the streaming thing. Let me put my PS1 games on a memory stick, please, without having to resort to mod firmware or hacked batteries or what have you.

[Kinomoto_Shinji]

I use my DS more often because of the Sonomama Japanese dictionary, but my PSP library far exceeds my DS collection 3:1. With the latest titles released THIS YEAR, plus the great backlog from last year, it's hard to pass up. If you want rhythm type games, you got Taiko, DJMax, and to a lesser extent, Papaton. Of course there's Metal Gear Portable Ops too...and you can't forget awesome redone classics such as Caslevania DX Chronicles and Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins (still damn hard).

With the DS...the only games I enjoy are adventure games like Phoenix Wright, Trace Memory, Hotel Dusk, etc. There are other titles outside of adventure games that I want for the DS, but most of the portable games that have interest are on the PSP.

[Skywise]

Let me put my PS1 games on a memory stick, please, without having to resort to mod firmware or hacked batteries or what have you.

Sony realizes that, which is why they've really started selling PS1 games for download to sticks for cheap prices.

If you have a large library on your own, just fork out the money for the extra battery and mod it. It's simple enough to do.

[ADC]

Sony realizes that, which is why they've really started selling PS1 games for download to sticks for cheap prices.
Which you can do iff you have a Windows PC or a PS3. You cannot make use of it directly from the PSP, and you're similarly out of luck using a Mac or Linux box. My request is that Sony eliminates the restrictions altogether. If they're going to make PS1 games playable on the PSP, I should not have to mod my PSP to make it work.

[Leon_Belmont]

I love my PSP. Owned it about as long as my DS and has more than twice as much play time. The DS library overall is indeed probably slightly better, but the PSP calibre is close enough that given one's preferences its not at all unlikely that they'd enjoy it more like myself.

I'd recommend it. Memory prices are always falling and they have the TV out version now so its not like you should feel stupid for waiting. BTW, Crisis Core blew me away, and I consider myself only a casual FFVII fan. It's such a phenomenal production for a handheld its mindblowing. Those stacks of money must be taking up too much room in S-E's offices that they had to blow it on minute extra details and unnecessarily awesome scenes and graphics.

[Kevinroc]

I've had a PSP for a while and just recently got a DS Lite too. Overall, I think the PSP games are more visually impressive but the DS seems to much larger library. Both systems have their must-have games and both have more interesting games on the horizon.

That pretty much sums up my feelings as well. Each system has their own strengths and weaknesses. In the end, it's all what you make it to be...there are plenty of good games for the system; it's just whether or not it's your cup of tea.

To be honest, I haven't really touched my handhelds in a while - Crisis Core is probably the first time I've played my PSP since...I'm guessing November or December with the Dracula X Chronicles. :P

Before Crisis Core, I also hadn't touched my PSP since the Dracula X Chronicles. The DS has a better library of games overall, IMO. I tend to use my DS pretty frequently.

[Skywise]

Sony realizes that, which is why they've really started selling PS1 games for download to sticks for cheap prices.
Which you can do iff you have a Windows PC or a PS3. You cannot make use of it directly from the PSP, and you're similarly out of luck using a Mac or Linux box. My request is that Sony eliminates the restrictions altogether. If they're going to make PS1 games playable on the PSP, I should not have to mod my PSP to make it work.

You will shortly though. Sony is adding direct PSN support to the PSP.

Even if they DID open it up, you'd probably STILL need a PS3 or Windows computer to do the conversion using their software. Linux and Macs are just not a priority, and most people who have those as their main computers realize that.

[TheStrongMan]

I don't know what I was doing the other day, but I decided to watch some game trailers...and then I saw it. And now it won't get out of my head...

pata pata pata pon
pata pata pata pon
pata pata pata pon
pata pata pata pon
chaka chaka pata pon
chaka chaka pata pon
pon pon pata pon

Ahhh yes...Patapon is dominating my mind right now. Combine that with a liberal dose of gushing over Crisis Core and I am ripe for an impulse purchase of a PSP. Except I have been burned by impulse purchasing before. So, I am forcing myself to wait for the God of War bundle (http://kotaku.com/360999/first-look-at-god-of-war-special-edition-psp) that is supposedly coming out in June.

But still...this is a handheld, and as such, I continue to waffle back and forth on whether or not I should get a system for essentially 3 games...Patapon, Crisis Core, and Chains of Olympus.

I already have Lumines for XBLA, and Disgaea for PS2. What other games can I use to justify this purchase to myself?

I should note, for portable systems, I generally prefer rpgs, puzzle type games, and shmups.

[Johnny]

I already have Lumines for XBLA, and Disgaea for PS2. What other games can I use to justify this purchase to myself?

I should note, for portable systems, I generally prefer rpgs, puzzle type games, and shmups.


Tales of Eternia
Breath of Fire III
Jeanne D'Arc
Final Fantasy I & II
Final Fantasy Tactics
Every Extend Extra
Echochrome
Capcom Puzzle Collection
After Burner
Gradius Portable
Salamander Portable
Parodius Portable
Twinbee Portable
Star Soldier

[ZenAmako]

I have a PS3, but my favorite gaming system right now is the PSP (also have a DS). If you're into J-RPGs, the DS may be the better choice, but I'm a big fan of retro gaming. I love the collections of classic games like Capcom Classics Collection, Gradius/Salamander/Twinbee Portable, Taito Legends Power Up, Sega Genesis Collection, etc. Many of these are available on the PS2, but I like having portable versions. And then you have the updates of classic games like Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles and Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins.

I also like the tactical RPGs like Disgaea and Jeanne D'Arc, the DJ Max Portable games (although they are hard as $#^* for me), and the offbeat original games like Patapon and Dead Head Fred.