2nd Gen PSP on the way?

[trebor]

POSTED: 9/29/2005 3:04 PM

Piper Jaffray, a U.S. investment firm, has released their latest predictions and recommendations through 2008 concerning the video game market. One of their most interesting predictions concerns an update to the PSP.

In addition to home console estimates, check out their final thought:

"Microsoft is expected to launch its X-Box 306 platform in the U.S. on November 22, 2005. We project that Sony and Nintendo will launch their next-gen systems in late-2006 (in U.S.). We also expect Sony to launch the next generation of its PSP (including an audio/video hard-drive) in mid-2006."

This would be a surprise move on Sony's part, but it makes perfect sense. Adding a hard drive should significantly cut load times -- the biggest complaint for virtually every PSP game. While they're at it, Sony might as well add in a second analog stick so we can play first person shooters and Katamari Damacy the way they were meant to be played.

-Bryan Vore

http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/7D174184-46F7-460C-ADAE-F6F686707276.htm

Remember when I said I was going to hold off on buying a PSP until they release one with a better battery and an internal HDD? Remember when certain people, specifically Waco, proclaimed this would never, ever happen?

Well, I hope this comes true, so certain people, specifically Waco, can choke on it.

[Superjoint Ritual]

This is the prime example of why you do not buy hardware at launch...

Early PsP adopters = Screwed.

[mandark]

This would be a surprise move on Sony's part, but it makes perfect sense. Adding a hard drive should significantly cut load times -- the biggest complaint for virtually every PSP game. While they're at it, Sony might as well add in a second analog stick so we can play first person shooters and Katamari Damacy the way they were meant to be played.

-Bryan Vore


My concern will be the battery life of the next PSP. With a hard drive built in that will cut the 4 hours of play time available to the PSP by more than half. Unless Sony has some secret new battery than hold 2 to three times the capacity of the old one, I don't see this hard drive in the PSP working all that well.

[T.Tashi]

POSTED: 9/29/2005 3:04 PM

Piper Jaffray, a U.S. investment firm, has released their latest predictions and recommendations through 2008 concerning the video game market. One of their most interesting predictions concerns an update to the PSP.

In addition to home console estimates, check out their final thought:

"Microsoft is expected to launch its X-Box 306 platform in the U.S. on November 22, 2005. We project that Sony and Nintendo will launch their next-gen systems in late-2006 (in U.S.). We also expect Sony to launch the next generation of its PSP (including an audio/video hard-drive) in mid-2006."

This would be a surprise move on Sony's part, but it makes perfect sense. Adding a hard drive should significantly cut load times -- the biggest complaint for virtually every PSP game. While they're at it, Sony might as well add in a second analog stick so we can play first person shooters and Katamari Damacy the way they were meant to be played.

-Bryan Vore

http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/7D174184-46F7-460C-ADAE-F6F686707276.htm

Remember when I said I was going to hold off on buying a PSP until they release one with a better battery and an internal HDD? Remember when certain people, specifically Waco, proclaimed this would never, ever happen?

Well, I hope this comes true, so certain people, specifically Waco, can choke on it.
Well, it's been rumored that the drive is as big as 50GB to compete with Ipod. If you think battery life is an issue now... the UMD AND a harddrive? and Sony is already selling the psp at a loss. I doubt very seriously if Sony gives us a harddrive for free so how much more are people willing to pay for it? Also a harddrive would undercut the UMD and increase piracy. Right now getting movies on a memory stick is a pain in the butt with it's size restraints and a hardrive makes it that much easier. It's an interesting idea, but not very well thought out. I'll believe it when I see it. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

[GameLegend]

No way it'll be 50 GB, i find that really really hard to believe. How can that dumb rumor even spread?
If Sony really is going to release a harddrive realisticially speaking less than 5GB, add 45GB its gonna be one expensive hefty baby.

[Pandarbock]

Seriously they would have to do away with the UMD drive in order to put a HD in not only because of power concerns, but also size. The reason that ipods can have such large capacity drives is because they are essetially all drive and battery, with a lcd and control disc bolted on the front. 2GB memory stick duo pros are avalible for around $150 and I am sure 4GB are around the corner, certainly not as big as the ipods drive (60GB version) but a decent amount for about the same price (psp and stick combined) considering all of what you can do on the psp (1.50 firmware) as compared to an ipod.

[T.Tashi]

Gamespot says it's bogus.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/25/news_6119243.html

[Renzatic Gear]

...2GB memory stick duo pros are avalible for around $150 and I am sure 4GB are around the corner...
There are rumors that Sandisk has a 20 gig duo pro prototype floating around. Cool as that is though, I'd hate to think of how much it'd cost to get one.

[trebor]

Gamespot says it's bogus.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/25/news_6119243.html

That only says the 50gig HDD rumor is bogus - not the HDD rumor itself. IF Sony adds a internal HDD, I'm predicting a 1 - 5 gig affair.

As far as battery life, whether the HDD rumor is true or not, I can still see Sony coming out with a 2nd Gen PSP with longer battery life.

[Renzatic Gear]

There are already external battery packs for the PSP that offer up to 3 times the amount of battery life...I'm sure it won't be long before they release one you can just pop into the machine itself.

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=307&products_id=7339&

Oh yeah...does anyone else think the white PSP's (http://www.lik-sang.com/image.php?category=218&products_id=7302&img=psp-console-cw-jpn&show=1) look considerably better?

[ThaMaskedGamer]

What you mean Sony is going to have gasp, multiple versions of the PSP. That is horrible. I feel sorry for the suckers who jumped on the first one. Consumers are going to be confused. What about compatiability and people having different game experiences.

You guys need to step into the future. I think its good that console manufacturers start to think about modular systems. I wish MS had of made 360 more modular than just the HDD.

[slade]

That only says the 50gig HDD rumor is bogus - not the HDD rumor itself. IF Sony adds a internal HDD, I'm predicting a 1 - 5 gig affair.

As far as battery life, whether the HDD rumor is true or not, I can still see Sony coming out with a 2nd Gen PSP with longer battery life.

What would be the advantage of an internal HDD over say a memory stick? Don't the memory sticks come in around the capacities, 1-5 gigs, that you mention. It would be sort of redundant to stick a hdd in there, if so.

[Gadfly2317]

What you mean Sony is going to have gasp, multiple versions of the PSP. That is horrible. I feel sorry for the suckers who jumped on the first one. Consumers are going to be confused. What about compatiability and people having different game experiences.
It's a rumor; and if its true, you are right, it sucks. Some systems with HDD's and some without, some games making use of the feature screwing gamers who don't have that verison. If its true, that's even worse than what MS is doing; at least both of their version are available at launch (unless they later release a version with an HDVD player.)


You guys need to step into the future. I think its good that console manufacturers start to think about modular systems. I wish MS had of made 360 more modular than just the HDD.
MORE MODULAR? Like what? And why?

Step into the future? You mean a future dominated by incompetence, incomplete products, more screwing the consumer with add-ons so you can play all the games on the system? You are actually cheerleading a future that sucks for gamers?

[Mochan]

You guys need to step into the future. I think its good that console manufacturers start to think about modular systems. I wish MS had of made 360 more modular than just the HDD.

I think you should just buy a PC and forget about the 360.

And yes, this is a bad thing. What is it, the PSP now only has one stick, right? And what if they add a second stick "so FPS games can be played properly?" Imagine how screwed the version 1 PSP owners would be since their PSP can't control the game right? And what if it's an online game against others, immediatley they are disadvantaged against the v2 people.

And consider this: basic unit may be cheap and subsidized but I assure you the business model will be that the extra modular parts will be highway robbery. Are you sure you want to open a can of whoopass on yourself by asking for modular console and handheld systems?

And again, if you really want that, why wait, just get a PC, you've got your modularization right there, along with all the headaches that come with it. Weren't you complaining about PC gaming and its headaches? Modularizing consoles will bring you one step closer to that which you loathe.

What would be the advantage of an internal HDD over say a memory stick?

The real advantage is size. Other than that, I don't see much advantage and I see multiple disadvantages.

[trebor]

What would be the advantage of an internal HDD over say a memory stick? Don't the memory sticks come in around the capacities, 1-5 gigs, that you mention. It would be sort of redundant to stick a hdd in there, if so.

Not when you're trying to compete with the iPod, which Sony is doing. They aren't going after just Nintendo, you know.

Considering a 1 gig memory stick will cost $150 minimum, how much do you think a 5 gig memory stick would cost? $400? $500? Add that to the $250 pricetag of the PSP and you can't really compete with a 60gig iPod for $499.

I could see Sony adding a 5 gig HDD in the PSP and selling it for $350.

[T.Tashi]

The real advantage is size. Other than that, I don't see much advantage and I see multiple disadvantages. Yep. If the advantage of including a HDD was that legitimate, it wouldn't even have been a debate among consoles. But MS and Sony both scratched their heads over whether to include it or not. Personally it's a non issue for me. If the psp design changed I would just trade up like I did when the GBA got a backlit screen. But honestly it doesn't need a redesign. I was playing FPS on consoles way before dual analogs. What the psp needs is good games. But as you said Mochan, there's the larger size and faster load times vs. the risk of everything else including preparations for PS3.

[Pandarbock]

What you mean Sony is going to have gasp, multiple versions of the PSP. That is horrible. I feel sorry for the suckers who jumped on the first one. Consumers are going to be confused. What about compatiability and people having different game experiences.

You guys need to step into the future. I think its good that console manufacturers start to think about modular systems. I wish MS had of made 360 more modular than just the HDD.
Yep I can't wait to see a surprise shortage of complete XBOX 360 packages this holiday season, leaving the people who can't find the complete one to have to pay the $100 just for the HD by itself (if they want the suggested specs for the extra features ie. oblivion) and another $40 for a wireless controller that both of which probably won't be in short supply by themselves, won't that be nice.

[T.Tashi]

Considering a 1 gig memory stick will cost $150 minimum
Don't pay that. You can get a 1 gig stick from newegg for around $80-85. Even Sony's memory stick sells there for less than $100. If you Froogle it you might find it for even less. But when a 5gig stick becomes available, yeah I would expect it to cost in the $400-500 range, but the price should drop fairly quickly.

[trebor]

More Power for your PSP
New battery gives you 20% more.
by David Karlin, 10/04/2005
57 of 59 users recommend this story.
Until now, Sony's PSP has held onto a pretty comfortable 4-6 hour battery life. Not ideal for long flights, but it has tended to be enough for daily use. Still, more hours for the system would always be nice. While it's true that there have been some 3rd party higher capacity batteries released, they were all bulky things that didn't fit naturally into the small battery compartment on the system. So finally ten months and over two million units sold since release, Sony is about to start selling a new improved official battery that'll get you about 20% percent more playtime, or in other words, about 6-8 hours total for game playing.

This new battery comes out on October 27th in Japan and will retail for about $55. It will be accompanied by a new official 1GB memory stick which will sell $100. Both items sport a matching bronze color scheme, though it's not like you'll be able to see them when in use, so matching colors probably aren't a high priority for most gamers.

No doubt these peripherals will make their appearances rather quickly in the US and gamers will be able to get a little more bang for their buck. At this rate by next summer maybe we'll start seeing official batteries with 50 percent more power and maybe even 100 percent more by Christmas 2006. Though a 10-15 hour battery life isn't something most people really need, it would still be a little more convenient and convenience is always good.

It was a no brainer that Sony would produce a better PSP battery, but I didn't see them charging an additional $55 for it. I'd like a PSP and all, but this is a rip-off.

Say what you want about Nintendo, but when they came out with a better battery for the GBA/SP a couple years ago, they sold the base unit with the newer battery. They understand the concept of value.

[Gadfly2317]

It was a no brainer that Sony would produce a better PSP battery, but I didn't see them charging an additional $55 for it. I'd like a PSP and all, but this is a rip-off.

Say what you want about Nintendo, but when they came out with a better battery for the GBA/SP a couple years ago, they sold the base unit with the newer battery. They understand the concept of value.

Speaking of upgrading systems, I know you've already got a DS and all, but since you liked the SP so much, did you see N is releasing two new colors (some kinda pale blue, and slate). . . what's cool is they feature the crisper backlit LCD of the GB Micro.

[theWacoKid]

In case people have missed it, if all you're going to be doing is buying a micro for the backlit screen, think again. Nintendo has upgraded the gba sp screen. Check the link.

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/652/652641p1.html

[trebor]

Speaking of upgrading systems, I know you've already got a DS and all, but since you liked the SP so much, did you see N is releasing two new colors (some kinda pale blue, and slate). . . what's cool is they feature the crisper backlit LCD of the GB Micro.


In case people have missed it, if all you're going to be doing is buying a micro for the backlit screen, think again. Nintendo has upgraded the gba sp screen. Check the link.

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/652/652641p1.html

If I hadn't already bought a DS several weeks ago, I'd be seriously considering the new SP. But alas, it makes no sense at this point, since the DS more then effectively displays GBA games.

I have to wonder though, who would buy a Micro for $100 when they can now get an SP, with a bigger backlit screen, and an overall better design IMHO, for $80?

[Gadfly2317]

I have to wonder though, who would buy a Micro for $100 when they can now get an SP, with a bigger backlit screen, and an overall better design IMHO, for $80?

The Micro looks cool. Electronics-as-fashion accessory strikes me as stupid, but look at all the people who referred the plastic casing of the PsP as "sexy."

[trebor]

The Micro looks cool. Electronics-as-fashion accessory strikes me as stupid, but look at all the people who referred the plastic casing of the PsP as "sexy."

The only advantage I can see for the Micro is it's size - it's simply so compact that you could easily slip it into a pocket along with a cell phone and some house keys. Which, I guess, would be handy to have while you're bored at work.

You're right though, consumers are a pretty shallow bunch, so I'm sure the Micro will be more appealing for those who are insecure about which electronics they're seen in public with.

[Mochan]

Heck, I want an iPod Nano because it looks so small and cool.

[Gadfly2317]

Heck, I want an iPod Nano because it looks so small and cool.

I saw someone mention somewhere that the Nano, for the first time in human history, will allow a person to fit 1000 songs. . . in their ass.

[T.Tashi]

http://psp.darkplanets.co.uk:81/datel-4gb-harddrive.asp

It's hella expensive, but obviously a better deal than than a 2GB stick.

[muffinkitty]

If I hadn't already bought a DS several weeks ago, I'd be seriously considering the new SP. But alas, it makes no sense at this point, since the DS more then effectively displays GBA games.

I have to wonder though, who would buy a Micro for $100 when they can now get an SP, with a bigger backlit screen, and an overall better design IMHO, for $80?

Backwards compatibility... I'm holding onto my SP. The DS is cool and everything, but I don't really want to play Nintendogs, and I'd like to be able to play the entirety of my gameboy collection dating back to all those aeons ago. I traded my gba for my SP. I might trade towards the version with the crisper display, but that'd be the extent of it. And for a colour other than black - but I'm not going to sacrifice everything I get out of my SP for the style element, nor am I gonna pop more than you pay for a new one just for the luxury of an itty bitty bite-sized accessory. Let me put it this way - I still have my 5gb first-gen iPod... if I were going to upgrade, I'd get a photo, not a photo -and- a shuffle. :rolleyes:

[Mochan]

I want to get a DS to play Gyakuten Saiban, Trauma Center and Jump Superstars.

I never bothered with an iPod, if I got it the main reason I would want it is to have a large external harddrive. I can find uses for large portable memory... and it's not going to be for carrying songs around. For music playing, this very old 128MB flash drive MP3 player I have is fine. I actually prefer the smaller size of the flashplayer. If I had to buy an iPod, I'd probaby buy the Nano since it is about the size of a flash drive MP3 player.

Oh, and welcome to the forums kitty. You're the first new addition to System Wars since I came onboard.

[Mochan]

I like that quote, Gadfly. I will turn it into a sig someday.

[trebor]

Backwards compatibility... I'm holding onto my SP. The DS is cool and everything, but I don't really want to play Nintendogs, and I'd like to be able to play the entirety of my gameboy collection dating back to all those aeons ago. I traded my gba for my SP. I might trade towards the version with the crisper display, but that'd be the extent of it. And for a colour other than black - but I'm not going to sacrifice everything I get out of my SP for the style element, nor am I gonna pop more than you pay for a new one just for the luxury of an itty bitty bite-sized accessory. Let me put it this way - I still have my 5gb first-gen iPod... if I were going to upgrade, I'd get a photo, not a photo -and- a shuffle. :rolleyes:

Based on my understanding, the Micro isn't compatible with the original Gameboy cartridges either, so I guess you are affirming my point.