I sold my old PSP-1000 and collection of games when first info on PSPGo started popping up. Got good price for them and could probably buy the damn thing now... but somehow I don't feel like it.
When I was buying my first virgin PSP in 2005 in Japan, it was a promise, a glimpse of future of portable gaming in very sleek form. During next four years Sony f****d everything on the platform that they could. I am not getting caught by Sony marketing division again, no way.
I will buy PSPGo and rebuy Lumines, Wipeout Pure, Crush, Burnout Legends, Tekken, Super Stardust Portable and God of War when they are cheap as dust, which probably means two to three years from now. Maybe there will be one or two good titles that get published in the meantime, although I honestly doubt it.
Until then, you can admire my mighty middle finger, Sony.
Sony have a lot of great PSP games lined up for the future which I really think you should look into (don't worry, no list war here ;D ).
Also, don't buy a PSP Go!. Instead, buy a regular PSP 3000 and 16GB Memory Stick for cheaper than the price of the Go!. That way you get the benefits of the PSP Go! (well most of them) and the benefits of a regular PSP in one. Win-win no?
@Knoxximus ver. 5.66: I doubt this'll ever work out. DA is good and all, but Sony has done everything they can to try and kill the homebrew scene since its emergence. They sealed off the battery and I doubt they still allow the same service mode entry as they did before, ontop of that the mobo is probably derived from one of the as of now unmoddable editions.
As for the TV Out and Sixaxis support, the homebrew community remains lightyears ahead of Sony. Flawless TV Out without cropping as seen in the Slim has been available through a simple cable mod on every iteration, RemoteJoy allows for play, recording, and joystick support, even keyboard support. The RazorXPCB mod adds a second joystick onto the PSP, and there are countless mods to get everything from SNES to 360 controllers working on the PSP.
When it comes to the homebrew community that's made up entirely of the consumer, Sony is still playing catch up.
@Altima NEO: Riiight. Through this logic, the PS3 is two steps backward (net one step) from the PS2.
That's also a big negative on the "buying a standard PSP offers everything and more" front.
It doesn't offer bluetooth support, it doesn't offer appropriate portability, and it doesn't offer the ability to use a sixaxis. It does however offer a $250 price point which is astoundingly ridiculous.
@Altima NEO: Personally, I found the "few" negatives to strongly outweigh the positives. The price barrier is too high, you have to re-purchase every single one of your games (and that's assuming certain ones come to the PSN), and the battery life doesn't scream portability.
Sure that's only a few, but they're big ones. So I would agree they outweigh the advantages that come with a smaller form factor or Bluetooth.
Obviously Crecente is entitled to his opinion, but I strongly wonder how he would have felt had he been required to purchase the system and all his games back with money from his own pocket.
@dreadnought666: Not so much the PS3 to PS2, but the PS3 to itself.
Like removing backwards compatibility, and linux support.
Then take the PS2. They did the same thing, removing hard drive support and the firewire connection.
Then all the way back to PS1, they removed the rear port for connecting stuff like the GunCon and Gameshark. Not to mention they changed the video connector.
Its things like that, that Im talking about. Sure they slim the design, but they take out features in the process.
@Prinny1God: You cant use your old UMDs, you cant buy cheap games at the bargain bin, because youre pretty much stuck with sony's prices on PSN. And you cant sell your digital games once you get tired of them, like you could with UMD.
The battery, which lasts about 3 hours, is worse off than the older PSPs. And its not even removable, so you cant keep a spare on you like you can with a phat.
And then theres the price. In my eyes, its just not worth it. You could buy an Xbox 360 for that much.
The few minor features outweigh the disadvantages over the older PSPs.
I really think Sony should have just released this as an all new console and not weigh it down with the baggage that comes with the PSP name.
@RicoTheSaboteur: From everything I've heard, the ghosting issues of the 2k are gone, as are the interlacing of the 3k. It's already been torn apart here - [www.ifixit.com]
I think there's a model number on the LCD, but the almighty Google has no info on it.
@Ssylex: I have never seen first hand how bad the problems with the 2000 and the 3000 were, but if the Go indeed offers a significantly better image quality, it could be and should be one of the key selling point.
@RicoTheSaboteur: I've owned a 2k, and currently own a 3k. The interlacing isn't that bad on the 3k, but the ghosting on the 2k used to drive me bonkers. Your eyes may vary, I s'pose.
If the Go gives me the brightness of the 3k, with no interlacing, it's definitely a plus.
Aside from the fact that the handheld is too expensive and I just don't want a damned PSPGo, I happen to have pretty terrible download speeds, so even IF I wanted to have an all-digital $250 version of a nearly-4-year-old handheld it would be extremely inconvenient to be downloading entire PSP games at a snail's pace.
My point is that this handheld asks too much of the consumer. The consumer is responsible for a lot of things (having good, constant internet connection, buying or re-buying a new Memory Stick format, choosing between losing UMD games or re-buying them if switching from a regular PSP to a GO) while at the same time being MORE restrictive (no buying/selling used, no owning of a physical copy, no easy battery exchange). And on top of all that, they price this handheld in home-console territory.
Does ANYBODY here think it'll be successful? At all?
Well, quite a difference from Gizmodo's review.
I'm still not convinced this is good even for new PSP owners.
I'd still recommend the earlier PSP 2000 versions over Go.
Price wouldn't be a big problem if it wasn't for the fact that there were just too few improvements over previous versions.
I'm also not that much worried about build quality pointed out by the latest Gizmodo post about the PSPGo, as long as it won't break for no good reason.
Memory Stick Micros are more expensive... it would be a nice change if they adopted other formats.
Stowed away batery is the worst of all problems. I always carry an extra batery with my PSP, and always end up using it, specially when I need it the most which is on long trips.
I also heard Sony didn't address VERY ANNOYING stuff like hitting shoulder buttons by accident while watching a video.
Processor speed remains the same, Wi-fi remains the same, screen has the same resolution and is smaller (even if only a tiny bit).
So, overall, I see too few advantages on Go, and several problems that were either created on the Go, or not solved from previous versions. Plus the unjustified increase of price.
For me, it is not a matter of price or features BUT the mere fact that this system shuns physical media ENTIRELY.
A slew of limitations and restrictions forced upon a consumer come along merely because of that factor alone.
Yes, downloading is convenient BUT is convenience alone worth all the limitations? I don't agree and hence will not buy into a solely physical-media free unit.
And this is coming from someone who has purchased EVERY handheld update/incarnation since the original Game Boy Advance. I am just not interested in this. Period.
I just see this system selling to some gadget geeks, who likely will not be serious gamers and don't own a PSP, or other handheld console.
Btw, still waiting for my Patapon 2 on UMD Sony...
@smirnoffski: I'd imagine that a few years down the line digital only will be the standard. It seems to me though, that the PSPGo is really too far ahead of its time.
If it was a new platform altogether, rather than an update of a current one, people might be more keen to embrace it.
Is it just me or does the PSP-3000 look more appealing than ever? I'm not much of a hand held gamer but there are a few games on the DS and PSP that I've been dying to play.
Any digital version of PSP games that come out can be put on on a mem stick and played with the PSP-3000 right?
If thats the case I'm gonna go with the 3000, and get games like Loco Roco, Papaton, Portable Ops, emus, and take the cheaper price point thank you very much.
Side note: Whats the largest mem stick you can put in a PSP and have it still recognize?
I can't understand how Sony plans to go head to head with iPod when the PSP can't even browser the web efficiently.
To be blunt: the web browser is worthless, especially when compared to the iPod's browser.
You can't watch any web videos; it doesn't allow zooming; you can only view three pages; most pages do not render properly, if at all; the two viewing modes fail to render any pages properly within the screen's width and, when set to normal, pages always extended off screen; and it's constantly running out of memory on even the simplest sites.
Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the web browsing aspect of the PSP, but it's been a real hindrance for me with my PSP-3000 and I wouldn't invest in another PSP system until it at least worked on par with the PS3's browser (which isn't the greatest, but still light years ahead of the PSP's).
@CowLion: I'd say it's planning to go head to head with the iPhone as a gaming and media (non-web media) device.
The web browser is just a side item in that regard.
I still find the idea that people would consider an iPhone/iPod Touch as a comparable portable gaming system to PSP/DS a bit farfetched, but then again, that's just my point of view :)
Don't like the lack of accessory compatibility and the game pause feature can ruin alot of games if it's a permanent thing and not a quick save. RPG's especially, now you just save right in front of the boss, instead of having to work through a dungeon etc. Not a make or break thing...but it could mess with what designers want with the game right?
@Masonvrocks: Mastered the art of lurking.: I think that, unlike a game save, this would be a game state save that would be erased when you restart the game, not something you can reload again and again because you died.
I just don't like this device... too expensive, no solution for UMD owners... Sony shows again that they like to come across as a bunch of elitist bastards who care little for their customer base...
I get how Sony are trying to get onto the same market sector as the iPhone/iPodTouch and the DSi - online software downloads - but I think the PSP Go will succeed or fail based on one thing and one thing only.
The UMD issue isn't much of a deal, because it's pretty obvious that Sony are trying to expand their base outside of the people who already have an older PSP; Those people will continue to buy UMDs as long as they are on sale.
No, to me, the big deal for the "Go" is the "marketplace" - the online store for selling games. While they already have a download store for the PS3, the only new software you can buy there is only available via download, whereas the PSP will be selling software that exists on both UMD and download. To that end, the success of the PSP Go will depend on the pricing of the download store. Keep it the same as retail, and the download will seem overpriced and not worth the convenience - especially if you can pick it up as a used game for less than regular retail. But take the price too much lower than retail, and retail could kick back in a way that hasn't been seen yet - a blanket boycott of Sony products.
I personally think the best way to go, is to follow Apple all the way into the rabbit hole - let the market decide the price for their products. Maybe try to direct them to keep their prices below a certain point, but beyond that, let them compete with each other, and move the potential dispute with retail out of Sony's house, and into the laps of the software developers and publishers.
As someone who has had two separate PSP's (Launch model and 3000), I'm interested, but until I read about software pricing in my region, I have to remain on the fence.
09/29/09
When I was buying my first virgin PSP in 2005 in Japan, it was a promise, a glimpse of future of portable gaming in very sleek form. During next four years Sony f****d everything on the platform that they could. I am not getting caught by Sony marketing division again, no way.
I will buy PSPGo and rebuy Lumines, Wipeout Pure, Crush, Burnout Legends, Tekken, Super Stardust Portable and God of War when they are cheap as dust, which probably means two to three years from now. Maybe there will be one or two good titles that get published in the meantime, although I honestly doubt it.
Until then, you can admire my mighty middle finger, Sony.
09/29/09
But now I might as well reply to you :D
Sony have a lot of great PSP games lined up for the future which I really think you should look into (don't worry, no list war here ;D ).
Also, don't buy a PSP Go!. Instead, buy a regular PSP 3000 and 16GB Memory Stick for cheaper than the price of the Go!. That way you get the benefits of the PSP Go! (well most of them) and the benefits of a regular PSP in one. Win-win no?
09/29/09
09/28/09
Dark Alex...do your stuff. ;)
WHOA! Wait a minute...SIXAIS support!?! Oh yeah...I'm sold just for Monster Hunter and other PSP Ad Hoc games with TV out ALONE.
09/29/09
As for the TV Out and Sixaxis support, the homebrew community remains lightyears ahead of Sony. Flawless TV Out without cropping as seen in the Slim has been available through a simple cable mod on every iteration, RemoteJoy allows for play, recording, and joystick support, even keyboard support. The RazorXPCB mod adds a second joystick onto the PSP, and there are countless mods to get everything from SNES to 360 controllers working on the PSP.
When it comes to the homebrew community that's made up entirely of the consumer, Sony is still playing catch up.
09/28/09
09/28/09
Throw some adhoc party software like Xlink Kai on the iPhone would be even better if you could do this for Adhoc Party. :D
09/28/09
To me theres more negatives than positives on the Go. You could easily just buy a standard PSP and get everything the Go has to offer and more.
This is what I hate about Sonys hardware. One step forward, two steps back.
09/28/09
09/28/09
That's also a big negative on the "buying a standard PSP offers everything and more" front.
It doesn't offer bluetooth support, it doesn't offer appropriate portability, and it doesn't offer the ability to use a sixaxis. It does however offer a $250 price point which is astoundingly ridiculous.
09/29/09
Sure that's only a few, but they're big ones. So I would agree they outweigh the advantages that come with a smaller form factor or Bluetooth.
Obviously Crecente is entitled to his opinion, but I strongly wonder how he would have felt had he been required to purchase the system and all his games back with money from his own pocket.
10/01/09
Like removing backwards compatibility, and linux support.
Then take the PS2. They did the same thing, removing hard drive support and the firewire connection.
Then all the way back to PS1, they removed the rear port for connecting stuff like the GunCon and Gameshark. Not to mention they changed the video connector.
Its things like that, that Im talking about. Sure they slim the design, but they take out features in the process.
10/01/09
The battery, which lasts about 3 hours, is worse off than the older PSPs. And its not even removable, so you cant keep a spare on you like you can with a phat.
And then theres the price. In my eyes, its just not worth it. You could buy an Xbox 360 for that much.
The few minor features outweigh the disadvantages over the older PSPs.
I really think Sony should have just released this as an all new console and not weigh it down with the baggage that comes with the PSP name.
09/28/09
09/28/09
I think there's a model number on the LCD, but the almighty Google has no info on it.
09/28/09
09/28/09
If the Go gives me the brightness of the 3k, with no interlacing, it's definitely a plus.
09/28/09
My point is that this handheld asks too much of the consumer. The consumer is responsible for a lot of things (having good, constant internet connection, buying or re-buying a new Memory Stick format, choosing between losing UMD games or re-buying them if switching from a regular PSP to a GO) while at the same time being MORE restrictive (no buying/selling used, no owning of a physical copy, no easy battery exchange). And on top of all that, they price this handheld in home-console territory.
Does ANYBODY here think it'll be successful? At all?
09/28/09
I'm still not convinced this is good even for new PSP owners.
I'd still recommend the earlier PSP 2000 versions over Go.
Price wouldn't be a big problem if it wasn't for the fact that there were just too few improvements over previous versions.
I'm also not that much worried about build quality pointed out by the latest Gizmodo post about the PSPGo, as long as it won't break for no good reason.
Memory Stick Micros are more expensive... it would be a nice change if they adopted other formats.
Stowed away batery is the worst of all problems. I always carry an extra batery with my PSP, and always end up using it, specially when I need it the most which is on long trips.
I also heard Sony didn't address VERY ANNOYING stuff like hitting shoulder buttons by accident while watching a video.
Processor speed remains the same, Wi-fi remains the same, screen has the same resolution and is smaller (even if only a tiny bit).
So, overall, I see too few advantages on Go, and several problems that were either created on the Go, or not solved from previous versions. Plus the unjustified increase of price.
Huge NO.
09/28/09
A slew of limitations and restrictions forced upon a consumer come along merely because of that factor alone.
Yes, downloading is convenient BUT is convenience alone worth all the limitations? I don't agree and hence will not buy into a solely physical-media free unit.
And this is coming from someone who has purchased EVERY handheld update/incarnation since the original Game Boy Advance. I am just not interested in this. Period.
I just see this system selling to some gadget geeks, who likely will not be serious gamers and don't own a PSP, or other handheld console.
Btw, still waiting for my Patapon 2 on UMD Sony...
09/28/09
If it was a new platform altogether, rather than an update of a current one, people might be more keen to embrace it.
09/28/09
Any digital version of PSP games that come out can be put on on a mem stick and played with the PSP-3000 right?
If thats the case I'm gonna go with the 3000, and get games like Loco Roco, Papaton, Portable Ops, emus, and take the cheaper price point thank you very much.
Side note: Whats the largest mem stick you can put in a PSP and have it still recognize?
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
To be blunt: the web browser is worthless, especially when compared to the iPod's browser.
You can't watch any web videos; it doesn't allow zooming; you can only view three pages; most pages do not render properly, if at all; the two viewing modes fail to render any pages properly within the screen's width and, when set to normal, pages always extended off screen; and it's constantly running out of memory on even the simplest sites.
Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the web browsing aspect of the PSP, but it's been a real hindrance for me with my PSP-3000 and I wouldn't invest in another PSP system until it at least worked on par with the PS3's browser (which isn't the greatest, but still light years ahead of the PSP's).
09/28/09
The web browser is just a side item in that regard.
I still find the idea that people would consider an iPhone/iPod Touch as a comparable portable gaming system to PSP/DS a bit farfetched, but then again, that's just my point of view :)
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/30/09
09/28/09
The UMD issue isn't much of a deal, because it's pretty obvious that Sony are trying to expand their base outside of the people who already have an older PSP; Those people will continue to buy UMDs as long as they are on sale.
No, to me, the big deal for the "Go" is the "marketplace" - the online store for selling games. While they already have a download store for the PS3, the only new software you can buy there is only available via download, whereas the PSP will be selling software that exists on both UMD and download. To that end, the success of the PSP Go will depend on the pricing of the download store. Keep it the same as retail, and the download will seem overpriced and not worth the convenience - especially if you can pick it up as a used game for less than regular retail. But take the price too much lower than retail, and retail could kick back in a way that hasn't been seen yet - a blanket boycott of Sony products.
I personally think the best way to go, is to follow Apple all the way into the rabbit hole - let the market decide the price for their products. Maybe try to direct them to keep their prices below a certain point, but beyond that, let them compete with each other, and move the potential dispute with retail out of Sony's house, and into the laps of the software developers and publishers.
As someone who has had two separate PSP's (Launch model and 3000), I'm interested, but until I read about software pricing in my region, I have to remain on the fence.