Rumor: is the PSP going mini?

by Ross Miller { Sep 7th 2005 at 5:45PM }

PSP mini (425)

Between the Game Boy Micro and today's announcement of the iPod Nano, companies seem to firmly believe that by taking their standard products and adding a word meaning "small" to the end of its name, consumers will buy it. This new item is very likely just a fan-made mock-up image, but it does make for an interesting idea. Making its way through the Internet rumor mill currently is the Sony PSP mini, which features a Nintendo DS-style flip-up screen and a square PSP logo where the screen once was.

Now, whether or not the image is fake (almost certainly is), the product presented is an interesting one, as the PSP is bulky as is. If Sony were to make a PSP mini, would anyone be interested in buying it?

[Thanks, Shizzle]

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Gwyn Perry @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Just being pedantic, but a 'prefix' at the end of something is generally referred to as a suffix.

PvpMan22 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Hmmm..................I probably wouldnt buy it but it is very interesting and might get me after a couple of price drops...Might have a impact on the smaller screen because of movies and even games from the bigger format. Well it is a good mockup though.

Tyler J. Smith @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Here's an idea: Rather than putting yet another console onto the market, put the money that would be used for development INTO GAMES. Once the PSP has a loyal following (with the several hundred successful titles Gameboy does), then maybe think about shrinking it down.

Looks more like a portable DVD player than a gaming system to me.

pspgamer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

I would not expect any changes to the PSP form factor for several years. It hasn't yet avoided the path of the Nomad or Game Gear.

Apples short product cycles do not work in the console gaming market.

011000010111001101110011 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

@ 3:
Right on!

I completely argee with you.
You pretty much took the words right out of my mouth.

Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Problem is, that doesn't seem that small...

CapAmerica @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

I don't care about the size of the system, what matters are the games. The only reason I don't own a PSP is because I can play all the games that intrest me at home on my PS2.

Dmitri (Online Name: ScopeShot) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

What #8 said...

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

To #3 and #6.... Sony makes the hardware for the most part. The lack of games has to do with DEVELOPERS AND PUBLISHERS. You know, SquareEnix, Rockstar North, Sega, Capcom, SNKPlaymore, Konami, Bungie, MicroSoft Studios, Namco. You really can't blame Sony for the lack of games, unless you get joy out of blaming people that aren't responsible. To each their own.

As for this design, as much as I'd love something to self-protect the screen, I just wouldn't like it. I hate flip phones, and I have a feeling it'd have an equally thin "breaky" feel to it. Dunno, I'm one of the few that thinks the PSP is good the way it is shapewise?

Mza @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Before the nintendo fan boys come streaming into this thread. Sony is not going to make this device so please don't lecture on how they should be focusing on games. They are.

John Bennet Ramsee @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

SUper^59 OMG OMG!!!!!! The Fanboys ould EAT it up. You'd have the Nintendorks on one side cursing and banting about how its a total rip off and blah blah and on the other hand you'd have the gay station portable (its not really gay but thats a funny name) fanboys swearing it was the illest piece since sliced bread. I actually think it would be a good idea and get rid of the stupid screen protectors. But I like both my DS and my PSP (Thats right I have both... and what.....) and I don't think I would wanna buy one, especially with v. 2.0 loaded on there.

Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Heh, yeah, Gwyn, I agree with you. But see, the mini, nano, and micro in this sense are not modifying anything - they are being used as stand-alone words, so technically they are neither prefix or suffix. But in most uses of the 'words,' they are used as prefixes (as in nanosecond, miniskirt, and microprocessor)...that's why i said prefix, at least.

NergiZed @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

wouldn't it be actually bigger in mass? it's probably mearly twice as thick, and it's only shrunk horizontally about 1/3. Plus a smaller system would probably have more problems (dead pixels, pop-out UMDs) then the last one. Obviously fake, you can see the photoshoppedness where he cropped out the screen and stuck in the UMD drive.

But the next PSP? A PSDS (playsattion Duel screen) now there's an idea! :D

dredub @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Hey Eran, "I've got a PSP and nothing to look forward to aside from a few ports."

Blind Nintendo Fanboy

cool dude @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

it depends if i would buy it or not. if the price was lower than the original psp and the only difference was that it was smaller oi would probabdly get it. but i dont see why you would get it if the price was the same or more than the original psp. the original psp is a good size and to pay the same price for something thats not as good i dont see the point. unless you thinlk smaller is better but the psp is pretty small too.

Tyler J. Smith @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Oh, before I'm pegged as a Nintendo fan boy.....

I own both a PSP and DS.

PSP is freaking sexy, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I just wish there was a bigger (and better) selection of games.

DS isn't as sexy, but it does have a huge selection of games. Games that I've actually been enjoying, rather than being frustrated with long load times.

Either way, both of these devices come with me wherever I go, and each get quality time devoted to them when I'm not gaming on my PC, which has been quite a bit with my schedule in college.

I don't care who is to blame, frankly. I just want to play better games than I have been on that monstrous PSP screen. That's all. A gaming device used for gaming? LIKE OMG!!!?!?!?

Tyler J. Smith @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Oh, Hawke....nothing worth having on the PSP?

GTA: Liberty City Stories comes out rather soon. Let's hope the game is 'killer'.

Dmitri (Online Name: ScopeShot) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Smith, that game will not be a killer. I guarantee it. It will have many flaws which people do not expect because they are blinded by San Andreas and the previous 3rd person GTA games.

Load times. Roaming. Graphics. Play time. These are just a few things that will prevent the over-hyped game from being a "killer".

O well, atleast my PSP friends have Fireteam Bravo to look forward to (hah!)

Andrew Hsieh @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

I was actually interested quite a bit in the PSP, but I eventually "settled for" a DS instead (quotes meaning that I'm enjoying the thing, even though I didn't really think it would do much). Even with a design change, however, I don't think I'd get it.

Dave Himself @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

I didn't really have to click "comments" to know that the number 21 next to it meant 18 rabbid bashings of the PSP and 3 defenses of said bashings.

Allow me to answer the actual question. If the screen remains the same dimensions and the thicknes of the unit does not increase (meaning the height of the compacted unit when closed and sitting on the table does not increase) then I might say it would be a nice improvement. But I am an adult with real sized hands and I actually enjoy the distance at which the PSP places my hands.

So all that said I think I would pass.

Now please return to screaming at eachother about game choices.

JOYSTIQ, when ever writing about the PSP please simply close with "leave a comment if you have a strong uninformed opinion about game availability for the PSP."

Kent @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Isn't it a tad too early after a system's initial launch? I would definately like the mini better too. Seems like it would be more safe for the screen. How does the normal PSP owners feel about it?

chudgoo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Wow. They're not even trying with these mockups anymore...
Someone discovered portable DVD players apparently...

Sean O. @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

If it was cheaper as well I could see a bright future for such a device... as it stands it would probably have to be more expensive and I already think that $250 is way too much.

Isn't anybody else bored of GTA? I killed some hookers (a lot actually), I blew up some ambulances (a lot actually) and I killed some gang/mob bosses...

Eran Hawke @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

The only ones here who are blind fanboys are the ones that can't admit that the PSP has a poop-tacular lineup for the foreseeable future. I put my money where my mouth is. I waited in line for my PSP. I would gladly lavish my riches upon Sony if they could get some great games in my hands. Instead, we get news articles about how they expect us to buy more inferior movies for the damn thing than play games.

I feel like I wasted my money on the PSP and I'm now bitter. I don't know how anyone who reads Joystiq can be happy about their PSP purchase.

Eran Hawke @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

And it is SAD when the ONLY things people have to look forward to are GTA and emulators of Nintendo games that Sony keeps trying to break.

I am telling you, the future is bleak. As PSP owners, we should DEMAND better!

Soothsayer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Take a leaf out of Sluggy's book.

PSPuny.

Mack @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Don't know about you guys, but I'm trading my PSP in for a few more PS2 games. It's just a system that doesn't have any decent content for the forseeable future. (Note to Ninty fanboys: The DS doesn't really interest me. I'm more into epic-type games.)

Agent X @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Eran, we get it already. If you truly spent your hard-earned money on one and are disenchanted with it, then guess what? It's your fault and yours alone that you didn't do research before your purchase. No one forced you to buy the machine. You wasted your money, but don't expect any sympathy here. Just sell it to someone who would appreciate it, and quit whining about it.

Getting back to the topic at hand: The picture is clearly a mock-up and a fake. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to see some redesign of the PSP at some point in the not-too-distant future. Most successful systems (and even a few not-quite-so-successful ones) have undergone one or two design revisions during the course of their market lifespans. Atari 2600, Intellivision, NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, Lynx, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and N-Gage are all on this list. I predict that the PSP will receive an overhaul in late 2006 or 2007.

Dave Himself @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

" If Sony were to make a PSP mini, would anyone be interested in buying it?"

" If Sony were to make a PSP mini, would anyone be interested in buying it?"

answer the question people... we know you hate the games, we know you like the DS better, and the post actually says its a fake. So why are you commenting.

I am curious who WOULD buy it and WHY? So is the author of the piece. So stop already.

satt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

the image is just spliced. if you notice on the top edge of the screen is the shoulder buttons how is someone suppossed to pressthose buttons while pressing the directional keys, analog nub etc?

Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Hey all you nintendo fanboy morons.I had a ds before psp came out and I traded it in.I have 2 PSPs one for upgrading and watching movies books and playing games.And one for playing roms of all the nintendo games you claim make nintendo a better system.Well..... can your ds play my psp games!Well can it!

amiga_tone @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

My question is, can Sony create such a device based on someones mock-up?

I have seen some great mock-ups in my time with Engadget but surely a company would have to buy the conept from someone which would put them in a position of not being really creative.

Are all these mockups affecting what a company makes?

Psiven @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Sony will clean up with a PSP OLED. And because of the higher density of OLED they can reduce the screen size while keeping the resolution the same. The screen will look even better.

They just have to do it before the Gameboy. I predict that Sony will release this around the same time as Nintendo.

Zell @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Mike:
"...playing roms of all the nintendo games you claim make nintendo a better system.Well..... can your ds play my psp games!Well can it!"

Uhmm... aren't you just pretty much proving the point that there are hardly any PSP games out worth getting? Listen to what you said, you're playing Nintendo games on your PSP. So you're proud you bought this machine to play games that weren't even made for it.

To answer the question at hand, no, I don't see myself buying a mini PSP if they were available.

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Eran Hawke------

"The only ones here who are blind fanboys are the ones that can't admit that the PSP has a poop-tacular lineup for the foreseeable future."... "I feel like I wasted my money on the PSP and I'm now bitter."
--Yeah, I'm sure that doesn't make you blinded at all... The fact that you now hate Sony because you think you wasted your money.

"Instead, we get news articles about how they expect us to buy more inferior movies for the damn thing than play games."
--Well, you see what you want to see. I see a ton of PSP content that's news on games and such(on GameSpot and IGN if you wanna go look, or psp411). If you actually read into these things, you'd realize that. If you skim the surface all you'll find are people like yourself.

"I don't know how anyone who reads Joystiq can be happy about their PSP purchase."
--I can watch movies anywhere I want(including things not released on DVD, like the latest family guy eps), I enjoy the games on it like Namco Museum, Wipeout Pure, Untold Legends, Lumines and World Tour Soccer. I also look forward to future games like
LotR:Tactics(Have a feeling this will be worlds better than FF:TA for GBA, and before you say its an FF:T ripoff, that was a ripoff of Ogre Tactics for SNES)
Burnout Legends
PoPoLoCrois & Legend of Heroes(the only interesting RPGs hitting ANY system for a few months)
Star Wars Battlefront looks amazing
GTA:LCS will probably be tons of fun too(I only owned GTA:SA so I'm not tired of 'em)
Street Fighter Alpha 3/Guilty Gear Judgement
The Con sounds amazingly fun with a new twist on 3D fighters
Kingdom of Paradise looks great
Infected sounds like that'll be a riot
Tales of Eternia
Untold Legends 2
Generation of Chaos
FF7: Crisis COre
--------

Those are a *FEW* reasons why I feel like personally, my investment was well made. MAJORITY of those will be out before February(the time frame all DS users include since they always say Metroid is due out)... Only ones that aren't are FF7:CC and Generation of Chaos(TBD) So it's not that long of a time, and definitely not before a price drop. Sorry you wasted your money, but don't speak for anyone but yourself on the topic(or atleast educate yourself). There is plenty of a future for the PSP. Honestly, any system that has a Final Fantasy on it will not fail, that's been pretty much a proven fact. Then throw in other big fan followings like Nippon Ichi, Namco's "Tales of..." line, a Devil May Cry game, and countless other unmentioned titles that I didn't list that are TBD 05/06. It'll be a good year, and I can guarantee by next summer you won't be posting anywhere that the PSP is shit. You'll sit hushed hoping nobody notices your stack of a dozen PSP cases strewn about your computer desk and GameFAQ bookmarks for PSP games.

Glenn @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

"Honestly, any system that has a Final Fantasy on it will not fail, that's been pretty much a proven fact"

How many Wonderswans did Bandai sell?

"at least educate yourself"

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

Original Final Fantasy games. not remakes.

And Wonderswan was a sweet system, it's untimely death was just a lack of 3rd party support. PSP definitely has all the big guns behind them.

Me @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

I don't any of the gaming consoles "sexy". This term is being thrown around like we're speakin' about chics, which is the only thing I do find "sexy". Btw, I would purchase the psp if it was redesigned as posted above. It would then be practical as well as fun,imo.

White Rose Duelist @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

I like this design better than the original, since the screen is lesslikely to get mutilated and the square button would probably work right. however, I won't touch a PSP with a 10-foot pole until they make some decent games for it. Hardware and firmware don't sell systems, folks!

Blue Balloon @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

W...T...F!?

What is Sony doing in iPod-fan site?

I am not interesting on PSP unless they offer cartridge. I am pretty happy with DS with high quaity game that I can actual enjoy. Look at Advanced Wars DS! It's fr-eeeeeeek-aky-Awesome!!!!

recklessgemini @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

That's not a bad job on photoshop. Not a bad idea either.

Anyways, I bet I'm one of the few that actually sit's around (at work) reading these lengthy threads. And I can honestly tell you guys, majority is in favor of Nintendo. I'm guessing most of them and myself have grown up with Nintendo. I remember when I used to say, "Sega sucks! Nintendo is better!" in P.E. back in the days. But times are changing and right now, Sony has been the one fulfilling my gaming need.

I own both a PSP and a DS. I love my DS, I love Advance Wars and my girlfriend loves Nintendogs. But I don't regret buying a PSP. Chris has done a good job posting all the games I'm looking forward to such as LOTR: Tactics, Legend of Heroes, FF7: CC (it's Zack's story, but I'm hoping to learn more about the Turks, Rufus, Sephiroth, and Cloud) and he left two out that I'm looking forward to as well, Viewtiful Joe and Socom. I play my PSP plenty and all the extra media is just a plus. Load time isn't too big of a deal. You guys make it sound like you're sitting there looking at the loading screen for 5 minutes. Load time on games like RidgeRacer or Wipeout are about 10-15 seconds. One nifty thing is I can pause the game turn it off take a phone call, and turn it back on where I left off with no load time.
About GTA..... I'm not a big fan of GTA, only one I bought was Vice City cause of its resemblance to Miami (where I live). But GTA has been a hit on the sales chart since GTA3. Undoubtedly millions of fans will want to get a taste of a portable GTA, being "PSP's first killer app". Pfft... whatever. I want more RPG's and to see a God of War on it too.
Sony's library ain't too extensive. But last time I checked neither was the DS. But hell, a little competition on the handheld market for Nintendo can actually do it some good.

I have a dream that one day Nintendo, Sony, and yes, even Microsoft will hold hands in harmony and........

Who am I kidding? Let the flaming and fanboy bashing continue!

John Bennet Ramsee @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

@37
There is a couple things wrong with you'r post.
1 - FF: Crisis Core has had no info relased about it and gamespot yanked it off the list. I don't know if it will or won't be a title for the system.
2 - Any RPG fan who really loves RPG's regardless of their possible fanboy nature knows that there is a new Lunar on the horizon for the DS and is waiting in utter anticipation for this title (although I really REALLY HATE CARD BATTLE SYSTEMS. F-in pokemon has ruined RPG's. If I wanna play with cards then I would buy them at the store and not bother with video games. Its an un-neccessary step that wastes time.)
3 - The line up for the psp is disapointing to alot of people (not to me though, I like Untold Legends ;)) but it is exactly the same thing the DS users whined and complained about. For a long time the DS was shunned as crap (especially by sony fanherms) and even Nintendo Loyalists were getting annoyed by the lack of games. Then E3 came and everyone shut up about it b/c they knew there is alot of games coming soon. Same with the PSP. The system hasn't even been out all that long and ppl whine way too much. Personally I am looking forward to a portable version of Armored Core. That will definitely rock the house.
Both systems are good.
The End.

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

"1 - FF: Crisis Core has had no info relased about it and gamespot yanked it off the list. I don't know if it will or won't be a title for the system."
--Pick up the latest EGM(Cloud on the cover from AC), they do an article on it. Also, Advent Children($300 bundle) comes with a full 22min episode anime that leads into Crisis Core. It's definitely being released for the PSP in 2006, they're just keeping hush on it to wow people over when it's released. It's going to be the only actual RPG of the FF7 Compiliation games as well, not a shooter or cell phone or movie or anything like that. Not that I hate that, but let's be honest, we all want a traditional RPG when it comes to FF7, that's why we loved it.

"2 - Any RPG fan who really loves RPG's regardless of their possible fanboy nature knows that there is a new Lunar on the horizon for the DS and is waiting in utter anticipation for this title (although I really REALLY HATE CARD BATTLE SYSTEMS."
--Yeah, I know, Dragon's Song on the 27th or 20th, one of the two(of Sept, this month). Was going to borrow my friend's DS to play through it. As much as I love Lunar(bought both on PS1), I really don't like the battle system's look on this. It's corny looking IMO. I still love old school traditional RPGs though(hence my excitement for PoPoLoCrois), so I'll play it, just as it stands it doesn't look quite my style.

Don't quite get why you listed that(or #3) as something wrong with my post though... I didn't say anything about the DS, just a few reasons to keep your PSP around. All my post was explaining was that games were on the way, don't hock your system on eBay. Grim future? Wayyyy to early to tell.

Also, have you looked at the info on Untold Legends 2? It looks REALLY sweet, Game Informer did an article on it. The style reminds me of that Rise of Kasai game in the next one. Not to mention a much more pimped out evolution system, and of course infrastructure support. =))))

Tim Houghton @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

"and a square PSP logo where the screen once was"

Looks like a circle to me ... but if they've got a space there, why not a keyboard?

apoc06 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:08PM

#43: maybe my psp is faster than most people's but the load times on ridge racer for me are like 5-7 seconds. wipeout is about 10. lumines had none, neither did metal gear acid. unfortunately, atv offroad has a load of about 30+ secs [i really need to sell that one back...], and i hear that midnight club is pretty bad too. strange enough, atv looks worse than both of the titles that load quicker. all that is to say that load times arent a shortcoming of the system. its the developer/ publisher. it can be done... its up to them to take their time and not shovel us crap.

i second your request for a sequel to god of war on the psp. its precisely what we need. a game system should also allow you to take out your stress on the go too. and besides, sony would be stupid not to; it could be a system seller in its own right. right up there with ff, mgs, gt and gta. if they actually take their time and dont rush it like they did with the first, i wouldnt mind a portable killzone either.

to everyone else, the psp is a great system. those that sold theirs, maybe it just wasnt meant for you, maybe youre lying and never had a psp in the first place, but y'know what? its okay if you werent happy with it. for each of you thats disappointed with game availability in the launch window, theres someone that loves their psp. no need to bash the system. besides how many systems dont have a crunch following the launch window? name one...

the ds is nice, but its not meant for the same experience for a reason. and finally, the psp games are coming. theres at least an 8 month cycle for the creation of games. its not like every publisher can just keep churning them out every week. and if they did, youd have even more reason to complain. for the time being, there /are/ enough titles out for you to enjoy while we wait. sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone and play other genres too. i know most of you didnt like rpgs until you stumbled upon ff7. you took a chance with that, try a different genre for a change. good or bad, at least with the psp all the genres have /some/ form of representation.