PsP: Ready to Rock America

[Gadfly2317]

Until we have a PsP forum, just wanted to start an anticipation thread as we count down the week. Even though I'm not getting mine the first week, I'm still really excited.

Sony is doing this right. Have you seen the slick set-ups, the tons of games? They are also distributing free, large color "Buyers Guides" on the PsP at electronics and games stores. SMART MOVE. It talks about the games, the hardware, the free movie with the first million ordered. . . everything.

The brochure even feature another game I'd never heard anyone here mention. So in addition to Lumines, I'm going to have to get this game Smart Bomb. It's "just another puzzle game" as Glock would say--if this were on DS--but it looks super cool. You work in a bomb disposal unit defusing bombs,basically by solving the puzzle on the different bomb apparatus. Graphics like phenomenal, and the gameplay original. This is another one of those I wish were a DS game, because the touch interface would be great for this games structure.

Anyone asked their gamestore employees about pre-orders? I've only asked at one store, where I remembered the DS pre-order. This store took the max of 16 pre-orders for DS. This time, they've take 50 pre-orders for the PsP. I don't know if they over-reserved (something I've never seen this gamestop do) or Sony ran shortages in Japan so it could drop the atomic bomb in the US.

Dying in anticipation? Indifferent? Got your hands on one yet? Any particular game/games that are deciding factors, or must plays?

Anyone who gets one, I'm curious as to how well it works as an Mp3 player. Will it also play .wma files? I just got a 30gig Mp3 player, and now am a little less enthused about the Mp3 aspects of the PsP. But still, does the thing have a carrying case/belt clip that mkes listening to Mp3's easy without leaving your systems screen exposed? How easy is it to navigate the menu if the system is covered?

Basically, get your PsP's. . . I don't think I'm alone in wanting to know every little thing about how it works and what you can do with it.

Thanks in advance.

[Superjoint Ritual]

I'll wait for the ridiculous hype to die down. Plus, $250? No thank you. I'm waiting on the DS ( castlevania ) and it's $150.

A couple thoughts on the PsP and DS...

1... Nintendo has done NOTHING to at least TRY and combat the PsP. A price drop and add campaign whould've been nice... I will pick it up at $99 bucks in a heartbeat.

2... If the PsP can't quickly destroy the experimental DS, it will be smoked by the next Gameboy. Which Nintendo should have on stand-by at E3 to cover thier a$$.

[shogun]

While I'm leaning toward neither, PSP is absolutely crushing DS in terms of quality software. If the thing didn't have questionable build quality and crap battery life I'd be all over it. As for now it's gonna need a lower price or some engineering improvements for me to bite.

I overheard the local eb guys saying they have 40 PSP preorders and 40 accounted for. They're trying to balance the number of units they're getting with preorders so everyone who put down money will get one at launch. Meanwhile, a slow but steady trickle of DS's accumulates behind the desk, unbought. This isn't even going to be a contest. The games Nintendo has released for DS since launch such as Warioware and Yoshi's touch n go, were exactly as I feared...all gimmick, no substance. PSP is gonna have 5 times as many worthwhile games at launch.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Dying in anticipation? Indifferent? Got your hands on one yet? Any particular game/games that are deciding factors, or must plays?

I'm one of the probable few who isn't hyped on the PSP release. I prefer consoles to handhelds, and there are a ton of games I'm picking up between next week and June. Still, I wouldn't mind playing one in EBGames, since I have already tried out the DS with the Metroid game. I guess I can give a non-biased comparison of the two, or something.

My local EBGames manager claims that if gamers didn't pre-order one, there wouldn't be any available to buy until the Holiday season.

[Gamer From '78]

Until we have a PsP forum, just wanted to start an anticipation thread as we count down the week. Even though I'm not getting mine the first week, I'm still really excited.

Sony is doing this right. Have you seen the slick set-ups, the tons of games? They are also distributing free, large color "Buyers Guides" on the PsP at electronics and games stores. SMART MOVE. It talks about the games, the hardware, the free movie with the first million ordered. . . everything.

The brochure even feature another game I'd never heard anyone here mention. So in addition to Lumines, I'm going to have to get this game Smart Bomb. It's "just another puzzle game" as Glock would say--if this were on DS--but it looks super cool. You work in a bomb disposal unit defusing bombs,basically by solving the puzzle on the different bomb apparatus. Graphics like phenomenal, and the gameplay original. This is another one of those I wish were a DS game, because the touch interface would be great for this games structure.

Anyone asked their gamestore employees about pre-orders? I've only asked at one store, where I remembered the DS pre-order. This store took the max of 16 pre-orders for DS. This time, they've take 50 pre-orders for the PsP. I don't know if they over-reserved (something I've never seen this gamestop do) or Sony ran shortages in Japan so it could drop the atomic bomb in the US.

Dying in anticipation? Indifferent? Got your hands on one yet? Any particular game/games that are deciding factors, or must plays?

Anyone who gets one, I'm curious as to how well it works as an Mp3 player. Will it also play .wma files? I just got a 30gig Mp3 player, and now am a little less enthused about the Mp3 aspects of the PsP. But still, does the thing have a carrying case/belt clip that mkes listening to Mp3's easy without leaving your systems screen exposed? How easy is it to navigate the menu if the system is covered?

Basically, get your PsP's. . . I don't think I'm alone in wanting to know every little thing about how it works and what you can do with it.

Thanks in advance.

I have no intentions personally of buying a PSP at or near launch. But damn, it is tempting. I walk into Wal-Mart and those security bars next to the front doors have a big, cardboard PSP add on them talking about movies, games, MP3s, etc. The display case at Wal-Mart has even made room for a few empty PSP display boxes at the expense of the place where Gamecubes once sat. :eek:

The gaming stores I go to have empty display boxes, brochures and other goodies about the PSP on the floor.

And referring to "perceived value", the system looks like a steal at $250. Here you get the most powerful handheld in the world with graphics on-par with the PS2. Very tempting.

Next, add in movie viewing and MP3 playback and things look even better.

Add a "free" memory card so's you don't have to buy one and people are getting warmed up to it.

Throw in a carrying case, battery and a "free" copy of Spider-Man 2 and it's a sure thing.

Meanwhile, Nintendo continues to do a whole lot of nothing on the DS front. No big game announcements. No new games. Hardly any retail presence. No advertising. No nothing.

The PSP is smoking Nintendo's DS in Japan and will do the same thing in the US come next week.

Then get ready in 2006 for another ass-stomping by Sony when the PS3 is released.

[theWacoKid]

Windows media files on a sony system?! I think not. Atrac and mp3 for sound. Jpeg for photos and mepg4 for video.

As far as the launch goes, its anything but smooth. Right now its a pr nightmare for sony. Forced bundles out the wazoo both by sony and by retailers. I'll discuss the canadian psp situation.

I just got off the phone with an EB store manager asking me if I'd like to switch my value pack bundle over to the canadian gretzky bundle, to which I replied, hell no! Sony wasn't content to force the accessory pack on gamers, in Canada they introduced a gretzky bundle. Its the value pack plus gretzky hockey for $349 canadian, saving you zero dollars on gretzky. In other words, sony is screwing you over unless you really want gretzky hockey but your bundle savings are nil. The value pack is $299 and gretzky hockey is $50. The bundle saves you nada. What's worse, is that sony short shipped EB value pack bundles, so that a lot of gamers who thought they were going to get value pack only bundles were forced either to swtich to the gretzky bundle or cancel their pre-order. But, wait, it gets better.

Best buy and future shop have 1upped sony. They''re forcing an additional game on top of the gretzky bundle, so we have bundling on top of bundling on top of bundling. Futures shop is selling the psp gretzky bundle and Twisted Metal for $399 and BB is selling the gretzky bundle and Wipeout for $399.

EB.com stateside required the purchase of three games and an accessory pack along with the psp for online pre-orders. Walmart online has a 5 game and accessory pack bundle. It's nuts.

The system might be great, the intial reviews of a number of games are looking solid, but the handling of this system at launch is FUBAR. The ps2 launch was smooth compared to this mess. To be on the safe side, lest any more nasty news comes from EB, I pre-ordered a value pack only bundle from Toys r us. No gamer should have to go through this nonsense.

Don't know much about Smart Bomb aside from it being a puzzler. From everything I'm reading the psp screen is the same exact screen as the japanese models and sports the sharp lcd dispaly. There doesn't seem to be any issue with square button stickage. Spidey 2 on umd has been reformatted to fit the psp screen and it comes in just a cardboard sleeve.

For the time being, Europe is screwed. Sony said it would be several months before they got around to europe. Sony passed one million psp units sold in japan last week and the psp is still outselling the DS handily in japan, nine weeks in a row.

While I'm looking forward to the unit, I don't like getting stressed out over this stupid gretzky bundle that sony pulled out their ass for the canadian market. Fortunately, I was an early enough pre-order to avoid this gouging. To add insult to injury, gretzky hockey looks like its going to the worst game in the launch lineup.

[Superjoint Ritual]

While I'm leaning toward neither, PSP is absolutely crushing DS in terms of quality software. If the thing didn't have questionable build quality and crap battery life I'd be all over it. As for now it's gonna need a lower price or some engineering improvements for me to bite.

I overheard the local eb guys saying they have 40 PSP preorders and 40 accounted for. They're trying to balance the number of units they're getting with preorders so everyone who put down money will get one at launch. Meanwhile, a slow but steady trickle of DS's accumulates behind the desk, unbought. This isn't even going to be a contest. The games Nintendo has released for DS since launch such as Warioware and Yoshi's touch n go, were exactly as I feared...all gimmick, no substance. PSP is gonna have 5 times as many worthwhile games at launch. Agreed, but from a buisness standpoint, it was pretty crucial for Nintendo to launch the DS early without quality software. Also, everyone seems to ignore the DS plays GBA games. So it has a huge libary of games it can lean on.

Nintendo is banking it can hold it's pretty large lead until the holiday season where the DS will have some really great software coming.

[theWacoKid]

I'll wait for the ridiculous hype to die down. Plus, $250? No thank you. I'm waiting on the DS ( castlevania ) and it's $150.

A couple thoughts on the PsP and DS...

1... Nintendo has done NOTHING to at least TRY and combat the PsP. A price drop and add campaign whould've been nice... I will pick it up at $99 bucks in a heartbeat.

2... If the PsP can't quickly destroy the experimental DS, it will be smoked by the next Gameboy. Which Nintendo should have on stand-by at E3 to cover thier a$$.

Dream on, Mr. Delusional. What next gameboy? The DS IS the next gameboy, no matter what nintendo is telling people. The best that might happen is a spiffed up gba sp with some extra features like backlighting, standard wifi, etc. But, it's still going to be just a gba sp at its core.

Nintendo thinks the DS is a HUGE success. You don't introduce a brand new system on top of a brand new system. How many pillars is nintendo going for, four, five, six?!

[Superjoint Ritual]

How many pillars is nintendo going for, four, five, six?! No, just three. Which is why the DS isn't the next gameboy. You see... 1,2, ahhh, 3. That, and the fact it's not called Gameboy is kinda a clue as well.

[Pandarbock]

The DS is as much the next gameboy as the gameboy color was the next gameboy in its time. The gbc had what a 2 year life span. Anyway as far as the PSP, we already got six units in where i work (probably all we will get for a long while) if only I can figure out a sly way to swipe one :P

[thelastword]

Until we have a PsP forum, just wanted to start an anticipation thread as we count down the week. Even though I'm not getting mine the first week, I'm still really excited.

Sony is doing this right. Have you seen the slick set-ups, the tons of games? They are also distributing free, large color "Buyers Guides" on the PsP at electronics and games stores. SMART MOVE. It talks about the games, the hardware, the free movie with the first million ordered. . . everything.

The brochure even feature another game I'd never heard anyone here mention. So in addition to Lumines, I'm going to have to get this game Smart Bomb. It's "just another puzzle game" as Glock would say--if this were on DS--but it looks super cool. You work in a bomb disposal unit defusing bombs,basically by solving the puzzle on the different bomb apparatus. Graphics like phenomenal, and the gameplay original. This is another one of those I wish were a DS game, because the touch interface would be great for this games structure.

Anyone asked their gamestore employees about pre-orders? I've only asked at one store, where I remembered the DS pre-order. This store took the max of 16 pre-orders for DS. This time, they've take 50 pre-orders for the PsP. I don't know if they over-reserved (something I've never seen this gamestop do) or Sony ran shortages in Japan so it could drop the atomic bomb in the US.

Dying in anticipation? Indifferent? Got your hands on one yet? Any particular game/games that are deciding factors, or must plays?

Anyone who gets one, I'm curious as to how well it works as an Mp3 player. Will it also play .wma files? I just got a 30gig Mp3 player, and now am a little less enthused about the Mp3 aspects of the PsP. But still, does the thing have a carrying case/belt clip that mkes listening to Mp3's easy without leaving your systems screen exposed? How easy is it to navigate the menu if the system is covered?

Basically, get your PsP's. . . I don't think I'm alone in wanting to know every little thing about how it works and what you can do with it.

Thanks in advance.
I did make mention of smartbomb as one of the games I'm looking forward to on PSP early on, (somewhere in one of my recent posts), however it's not a launch title. It should be released early in April, just after launch. The launch titles however are looking very solid indeed with some solid reviews just the same, the only downer would be that demand is way over supply, ain't that just a bummer.

[Glockstar]

...all of which will go on sale during the PSP's unspecified "launch window."

Ape Escape: On the Loose
ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
Dynasty Warriors
FIFA 2005
Gretzky NHL
Lumines
Metal Gear Acid
MLB
MVP Baseball
NBA
NBA Street Showdown
Need for Speed Rivals
NFL Street 2 Unleashed
Rengoku: Tower of Purgatory
Ridge Racer
Smartbomb
Spider-Man 2
Tiger Woods PGA Tour
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix
Twisted Metal: Head-On
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade
Wipeout Pure
World Tour Soccer

Also of note was SCEA's revelation that some PSP games would sell for as little as $39.99, some $10 lower than the standard $49.99 price most retailers list PSP games for. However, the announcement did not specify which games would carry the lower price.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/03/news_6117815.html

[Glockstar]

GameSpot has already reviewed 11 of the 24 launch games.

And 8 of those 11 they've graded at 7.0 or greater:

Lumines ... 9.0
Wipeout Pure ... 8.8
Twisted Metal: Head-On ... 8.5
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix ... 8.5
Ridge Racer ... 8.3
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower ... 8.1
Need for Speed Underground Rivals ... 7.9
World Tour Soccer ... 7.6

Those top 3 are the 3 I most want.

But I can't pay this much for this thing. Especially not when I foresee so many problems with it - initially. I don't mean to discourage you guys tho' - hopefully I'm wrong.

Good luck - and I hope you enjoy.

[theWacoKid]

GameSpot has already reviewed 11 of the 24 launch games.

And 8 of those 11 they've graded at 7.0 or greater:

Lumines ... 9.0
Wipeout Pure ... 8.8
Twisted Metal: Head-On ... 8.5
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix ... 8.5
Ridge Racer ... 8.3
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower ... 8.1
Need for Speed Underground Rivals ... 7.9
World Tour Soccer ... 7.6

Those top 3 are the 3 I most want.

But I can't pay this much for this thing. Especially not when I foresee so many problems with it - initially. I don't mean to discourage you guys tho' - hopefully I'm wrong.

Good luck - and I hope you enjoy.

IGN true to their overrating roots, has given 9.0+ ratings to TM:HO, Wipeout Pure and Ridge Racer. Thug remix scored 8.7 and lumines 8.6.

Gretzky looks pretty bad, sketchy framerate and no commentary. I want running commentary in a sports title, right now 989 sports is looking very weak in that area. World Tour Soccer's commentary is the announcer just naming who has the ball. LAME! Ridge Racer has the full audio going on, sound effects, soundtrack and the goofy announcer, so what the problem with 989 sports is, I don't know, except for their typical suckage.

The achilles heel of the psp could be the umd transfer rate which is half the rate of dvd from what I'm reading. Not sure how Rockstar is going to work aournd that for GTA.