PSP: Year in review

by Blake Snow { Dec 6th 2005 at 8:00AM }

Overclocking Projects takes an in-depth look at the first year of the PSP. The site covers the good, the bad, and the ugly of Sony's first handheld attempt and what to expect in its future.

From the article: "Everyone knows that games are what can make or break any video game system. It is fact. I don't know if Sony thought that by giving the PSP a ton of multimedia functionality they could overlook this, or if they just didn't give a damn what developers release for the system, but the PSP has quite a few lemons."

All-in-all, the PSP is still fighting for portable market share from Nintendo's dominant duo, the GBA and DS. But Sony is still in the game up to this point which begs the question: will the PSP's success or failure prove consumer interest in video game convergence?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Supervlieg @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

We definitely need more triple A titles. GTA was a good start, but we need more. And not just rehashed from the ps2 versions, we need original titles. And a normal metal gear adventure.

Chris @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

Win! Just wait, the unit has not been around for a Christmas yet. The units are selling out in many markets, even after Sony increased its production and available units. The PSP Giga pack is sold out in many stores, check CC.com and you will see.

I would also bet that the xbox360's lack of availability will drive sales. Parents will need to buy junior something. If they cannot find a 360, then the PSP will definitely be the next thing on the list.

Moose @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

I think a huge issue is that people who had previously been nintendo handheld users did not want to switch to the competition because Nintendo always wins.

And in this case, the DS is indeed winning. But PSP really IS the first handheld that has put a Nintendo handheld in a dangerous situation... and it's also the first competetive handheld that is, well, good in my honest opinion.

Bender @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

That article took 7 pages to say very little.

Sorry for my bad english @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

PSP will be sucessful.... in movie and music only. Game will fail.

I have first time, try out on PSP at Wizard World in Texas. The loading is something I can't stand, unlike Gameboy tradition.

goody24 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

My 2cents - PSP is not living up to its potential for 2 reasons - 1. lack of games 2. lack of decent storage. Had sony taken a closer lesson from apple and put in a HD with itunes like site to download content the device would be doing better. I would glady pay $10 to download a movie in the correct format over $20 - $30 for a UMD. Leave it to sony to saddle a convergence device with a proprietary storage format

SpotAnime @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

The PSP will succeed as a multimedia device, but fail as a game console. There will be very few AAA titles released, unfortunately, due to glaring design flaws - controls and battery life are two of the most important.

The controls are a problem because it is just too difficult to make anything that plays as advanced as its graphics. Having the analog nub so far down makes holding the PSP unnatural and uncomfortable. And the absense of a second nub for FPS and camera controls limits what developers can create. Kingdom of Paradise is a title that did well by making a fixed camera and letting the player go about actually playing the game rather than fighting to control it. But others, like Ape Escape and Medevil suffered because the player-controlled camera was difficult to manage.

Battery life effects many of the PSP's features:

- Online, because the WiFi takes up valuable juice and limits portable playing time
- Loading, because the more a title accesses the UMD, the more battery life is minimized. This results in the long loading times, instead of streaming from the UMD. GTA streamed, but you can't play more than two hours before the battery is completely drained.
- Potential power of the PSP, because the CPU speed was dialed back to provide a longer battery life. Because of this, developers might never realize the full potential of the system.

Don't get me wrong - I think the PSP is a great piece of hardware. I own one and I even sold my GBA SP to get it. I think it has some fabulous games - WipEout Pure, X-Men Legends II, Lumines. But I also think it is flawed, most notably by the design. Asthetically it's form without function - a real looker but an ugly duckling to play games with. I could even live with the shorter battery life if games were easier to control on it, since I could just plug into a car adapter or AC unit. But right now it's purely a multimedia device for me - I primarily use it with the Sony PSP Media Manager to manage my podcasts and listen to them in the car. So really it's just a glorified iPod Video. And I can't help thinking that others have the same point of view.

Nossy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

PSP Annoyances

#0001: No hard drive for digital music/movie storage.

#0002: No great ORIGINAL games. (Socom, GTA, Burnout, XMen II...etc.)

#0003: Long load times.

#0004: Short battery life.

#0005: No downloadable contents, not compatible with subscription musics.

#0006: MS Pro Duo 1GB, $120+ at major retailers. (Target actually have it for $88)

#0007: PSP UMD Movies are $15+.

#0008: Extra cost for the "official" movie conversion software.

#0009: Web browser is slow and sluggish.

#0010: Only one analogue stick.

To Be Continued...

FooAtari @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

I still see it failing eventually, or not being the success Sony wants.

It has no good original games. I'm not spending �200 just to play PS2 reashes.

No large storage for a music player. I dont want to carry loads of memory cards about.

UMD will go the same way as MiniDisc for same reason.

Loading times, on a HandHeld?!?!?!

It's a jack of all trades but master on none IMO.

Brad Twitty @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

The DS can have a year in review, since it is over a year old, but the poor little PSP is still an infant. This should be posted in March, wait, it will be reposted then to probably, so little love for the DS on joystiq, I'm off to 4cr.

Brad

CorrectingTheStupid @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

A year in review, well here it is:
A beautiful and powerful sytem gets released.
Its primary use becomes playing movies.
Very few games (even less good games) released on the system.
Underpowered competition destroys PSP in sales.
Hackers/Homebrew comunities do a great job making emus to play older games on it.
Sony releases a 2g mem stick duo.
Sony uses firmware upgrade to stop you from using unsigned code on your system which destroys the best thing the system has going for it right now.
Modders create firmawre downgrade hardware.
Sony focuses on hyping up the PS3 and forgets about the PSP.
Sony speds more time trash talking the competition then doing something useful to help the PSP.
Thats about it folks!
Its sad you know, PSP is an awesome piece of hardware, but its software is just not there. I had a PS and a GBA (not even a DS) and I had more fun with the GBA? Something's wrong with this picture! Hopefully Sony won't let the PS3's focus become being a next-gen dvd player!

MrP @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

The reason why I'm going for a GP2X instead of a PSP, is that beyond a portable GTA, there's really nothing I want for it. And the PSP's price kinda screws it up in certain circles, too. Being twice the price of the other major 'next-gen' portable hurts it immensely, I think, media player or not.

nick @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

DS year in review:

System launched to much skepticism and little software of merit. Quickly sells out holiday launch.

Wario Touched released, the first really great stylus game. DS owners understand the appeal.

Sales chug along in the US and explode in Japan for the first few months of '05.

Nintendogs hype builds. Brain Games and those wacky rythym games in Japan start sounding freaking cool. Jam w/ The Band, Ouenden, etc. Electroplanton cements the DS's position as an innovative system.

Nintendogs released to great acclaim around the world. Advance Wars (best in series, imho) makes the DS essential.

Fucking Mario Kart released. Simple WiFi bests any online system yet devised. It's simple, yes, but fun.

Nintendogs the big video game seller this Xmas. 360 what? Just hype. The 360 will be a fine systems next year, but it's got nothing going for it right now.

Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time released, a sequel to one of the best RPGs ever made.

Animal Crossing released. Sells a billion.

... ... ...

Moral: Nintendo rules. Be happy they exist.

Brisbane @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

i had a PSP for a month and traded it in for a DS due to the PSP having no games out that were new or fun to me. I am 26 and for me the DS is a lot more fun to play then the PSP was. DOn't get me wrong, i liked the PSP but having it for a month and not finding any games i thought were worth paying the $50 to play was not good.

Also i was wondering...when all the Hi-Def movies start coming out on the new BLU-RAY and HD/DVD disks will companies still find it worth
it to make non Hi-Def movies for the PSP? Seems like it would be a waste to me.

rockinrobbie @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

Personally, i think the PSP is pretty cool. The problem is I don't own one and don't plan on buying one because of serious lack of games. I recently bought a DS cuz they went on sale. Since then I have bought, Meteos, Advance Wars :DS, Castlevania, Metroid Pinball and Mario & Luigi 2. I haven't even got Mario Kart or Sonic yet (I love sonic, flame away). Metroid Hunters hasn't come out yet or FF:IV. Personally I have plugged over a 100 hours of very enjoyable time with my DS and I've been extremely impressed (and surprised) by its features (both the Dual screens and the touch, and although I thought it was gimmicky at first, I love the rumble pack with Pinball and M&L2).

I can only hope the PSP comes out with better games soon....

Brad Twitty @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

Nice DS post Nick,

You're not 4cr Nick, are you?

Enemtee @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

Hello everybody. I own both the DS and the PSP. As other have already said, there are too few games for the PSP, the controls are bad, the volume for the PSP is low (I want my beats with bass and high volume), etc. I don't know, but I won't be selling my PSP, I will keep it for my collection, but buying more games, nah, I don't think so.

Sony, thanks for the most boring piece of sh*t ever created. I'm playing on my DS everyday. Great games, fun and easy controls. DS is a modern classic for me.

Repsode @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

I think it's fair to have a PSP year in review, The system did make it's debut in December 2004 in Japan, you know.

I have owned both the PSP and the DS since their respective "world debuts". I was equally excited about both.
Next few months after their launches got bored of both.

Skip to present and the DS is being played relentlessly while the PSP is brought out every now and again for GTA.

Bottom line and word to Sony(no $ here, My keyboard has a working S key!): I bought my PSP for GAMES(It IS a Playstation, after all). Not UMD movies, not a web browser, not a mp3 player. I bought it for games, and I am sorely disappointed that that is the least important thing to Sony. Next year the emphasis had better change or I selling it!

Doug teh H-Nut @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

I'm going to get a PSP next year. Tokobot, both Mega Man games, X-Men Legends II, and Star Wars Battlefront II (both portable) have made the PSP have enough games worth buying.

tranjsaic @ Dec 18th 2005 9:02PM

I think the PSP is potentially the best portalable system ever made, unfortuantly the potential will NEVER be realized. I got to admit I was soooo hyped about the PSP I was reading articles about it for months before the release. When it finally came out I brought it that day. Here is my breakdown of the system.

1. Best video player out there, the widescreen is so F'ing nice looking.

2. The fact that no portable harddrive has killed the system.

3. That UMD shit they are trying to sell is a joke. I am not going to pay 30 bucks for a freaking movie I can only play on my PSP.

4. No real Itunes, man could u image if they created software that was like Itunes and was free.

5. No gotta have it games.