Commence rampant PSP part deux speculation!

by Christopher Grant { Apr 11th 2006 at 4:30PM }

We've already had a fair share of PSP revision B speculation (flash memory, hard drive, mini form factor], and the weeks leading up to the annual gaming gala known as E3 will only bring more. We have here the first two entrants:

The reputable Shacknews claims the PSP follow up is "a successor rather than a redesign of the current system" while acknowledging recent rumors of a redesign. They're saying hard drive is in, UMD is out, and the system is known simply as the "PSP 2." Oh yeah, they say it "may" appear "in the next three years." While this may be accurate information, that's like saying we're pretty sure there's gonna be a PlayStation 4.

The much more dubious source of New Tech Spy claims a shamelessly DS-esque touchscreen PSP (or PSi, for interactive, get it?) will introduce a smaller form factor, a bevy of wireless capabilities (WiFi, WiBro, UMTS, EVDO, WiMax), and maybe even some transmutational powers to turn that pesky lead into shiny, shiny gold. Yeah, we're skeptical.

[Thanks, SuicidalMuskrat and boots]

Read - New "PSP 2" in the Works [Shacknews]
Read - Sony's new "Smaller" PSP with Touch-Screen [New Tech Spy]

Tags: PSPLite, Revision, UMD

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kwipper @ Apr 11th 2006 4:34PM

One thing I hope they change in the PSP2 is get rid of the whole glossy look of the system. I really hated it becuase I spent more time cleaning off the fingerprints I made on it, then playing the libary of medocore games I could find on the PS2. (Lumines is an exception becuase it's a great game)

minus_273 @ Apr 11th 2006 4:35PM

touchscreen man thats such a gimmick! it will never fly. what a next gen hand held really needs is better graphics. wifi hifi scifi!

Sense @ Apr 11th 2006 4:41PM

I have an idea. How about a d-pad that doesn't suck.

fawazr @ Apr 11th 2006 4:42PM

It's not like Nintendo invented touchscreens. I'm sure Sony will implement a more robust touchscreen function and keep things at only one screen. This will make Okami on the PSP much more intuitive. The touch screen would also be great for puzzle games or texting. It would be really interesting to see Sony finally pull out all stops with a higher resolution, touchscreen that works similar to a high end Wacom tablet. And the departure from UMD is great, especially with the new download stations. All Sony has to do now is lower the price for memory.

lmao @ Apr 11th 2006 4:44PM

well said #1!

James @ Apr 11th 2006 4:46PM

#2 Nintendo might not have invented touchscreens, but they were first to successfully integrate one into a handheld console (Zodiac anyone?).

Having two screens is great because you dont miss any of the action because your big hands are in the way.

tranism @ Apr 11th 2006 4:47PM

^^^ As far as gaming with mass market appeal goes, yes Nintendo did invent the touchscreen.

Lets see, first DS naysayers said touchscreen was a gimmick. Now PSP gets one.
Then DS naysayers diss Nintendo for revising the DS. Now the PSP gets one too.

I guess the tables have turned.

lunatech @ Apr 11th 2006 5:06PM

#3
Quotes from Phil Harrison

"With the DS, it's fair to say that Nintendo stepped out of the technical race and went for a feature differentiation with the touch screen, but I fear that it won't have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick - so the long-lasting appeal of the platform is at peril as a direct result of that."

"Nintendo knows its target audience, because it has really narrowed that down; and it's pretty much defined by a boy or girl's ability to admire Pokemon."

----------------------------------------------------

If there is touchscreen on the PSP, Sony will just look like a hypocrit.

Then again being a hypocrit for Sony is probably more favorable than being known as a distributor of rootkits .

MMM... star modding shows a Sony bias. Oh that's probably why I take this site with little or no credibility.

Kill Fat People @ Apr 11th 2006 5:15PM

All I want is a Pictochat-like program that works across the internet instead of 30 feet away. The PSP already has online access. If they add a touch screen then they don't need a keyboard and now they have a PDA instead of a.....uhmm......whatever the PSP is now.

Hoffy @ Apr 11th 2006 5:21PM

Does anybody really think that the redesigned PSP will have a touchscreen?

It's ludicrous to think so, as any new game to take advantage of that feature would render the original PSP useless.

No. The resdesigned PSP (if there will be such a thing) will be much more practical. Possibly smaller. Probably in matte finish, and probably lower power consumption for better battery life.

If we're talking about PSP2, 3 years seems fairly soon, but I guess you can't really rule it out. Either way, there's no possibility Sony would be showing it so soon after releasing the origianl.

Sabre @ Apr 11th 2006 5:22PM

"^^^ As far as gaming with mass market appeal goes, yes Nintendo did invent the touchscreen."

If you are going to even go that route you are inviting tons of attacks dude. James was right that they successfully brought touchscreens to a new platform but they in no way were the first to invent it. Touchscreens for gaming have been used on PDAs but that is more of a niche market since most PDAs are used for that purpose...holding personal data.

I'm still waiting for the PSP to bring haldheld gaming out of the "portable gaming ghetto" (Kaz Hirai) b/c last time I checked, portable gaming was doing just fine before Sony came along.

Jeff @ Apr 11th 2006 5:30PM

Well, my obvious question is... I mean come on, PSI??? As in, "pounds per square inch"? No way in hell Sony is naming a machine that.

Yeah, sure, they could have gotten the name wrong and gotten everything else right. I doubt it. The picture doesn't look anything like a Sony product either; it's like, let's take the PSP, and see what it would have looked like had it been made by Tiger Telematics!

I understand the matte finish, but all the lines and even the look of the buttons is just pre-school. It doesn't look anything like something Sony would actually release. The next generation of the PSP is not going to look worse than the first!

The PSP2 "rumor" is more believable, but I agree the way that it's written is so vague that almost anything would be believable given the timeframe and lack of real specifics (beyond the hard drive). It's less a rumor than informed speculation on what Sony's likely working on, which we all could have guessed just as easily.

Seroth @ Apr 11th 2006 5:34PM

"I have an idea. How about a d-pad that doesn't suck."

But that would only make sense! Seriously, I'm surprised that the PSP is getting so many fighting games. The D-Pad really is one of the worst ever.

Joe @ Apr 11th 2006 5:36PM

Wow Sony, if there was a low you just accomplished it. Seriously stick to your own concept and ideals, and stop ripping off Nintendo.

I find it sad that all the things you and your fans laugh at us for, you guys wind up copying...and suddenly once Sony does it..you guys never laughed at it -_-....

I am sorry but you are very unrespectable in my book, get your own ideas...and own concepts.

Joe @ Apr 11th 2006 5:37PM

Flying Caveman @ Apr 11th 2006 5:38PM

All I am asking is that when Sony does copy Nintendo, don't forget to give Nintendo some credit.

Anyway, when PSP2 comes out with a touchscreen, Nintendo will be releasing the DS Rev.. Sony will just have to keep playing catch up.

Nintendo does it first, naysayers will say it's a gimmick or it sucks, it takes off.. Sony copies. eg. Rumble, Analog, Wireless Controllers. When Sony adopts it the naysayers say well Nintendo didn't invent it and that Sony advanced it (like they have any choice).

Why is the PS3 just a beefed up PS2, Sony had nothing to copy because the Gamecube didn't really bring anything new, I suppose that's part of the reason it failed...ish.

Why does the PSP look like a beefed up GBA?..

mike @ Apr 11th 2006 5:38PM

3. It's not like Nintendo invented touchscreens. I'm sure Sony will implement a more robust touchscreen function and keep things at only one screen

---

LFMAO .. oh here we go. It's only fitting that Sony should be chasing Nintendo .. who are these dimwits still picking up PSP's.

Remmeber back when we thought battery life and shooting UMDs were the only things wrong with the PSP?

*sigh

Sabre @ Apr 11th 2006 5:43PM

"I have an idea. How about a d-pad that doesn't suck."

...and a version that doesn't kill your hand when you play for a long period of time. I'd play Daxter more if my hand didn't hurt so much after playing it.

Zsavior @ Apr 11th 2006 5:45PM

Seriously I will reserve a real comment till I actually see a PSP2 with any nintendo ideas on it. Till then nothing really to say, but if a PSP2 does drop and Fan boys defend it with Sony does it better though sony charges 300 bucks for it, that will be it for me. Seriously because if you are sitting at home swearing up and down right now that Sony is taking the touch screen ideas from PDAs you just either are in denial, or to much of a fanboy to give a damn about gaming any more.

Seriously If this blog fills up with people saying Nintendo didn't popularize TOUCH SCREEN ON A HANDHELD GAME CONSOLE first that will be it for me. Because at that point it is obvious people don't give a damn about market compition and all that crap they say about PSP being second to the DS. All you really care about is seeing sony sell Millions, and that right there makes NO DAMN SENSE.

The ZeroCorpse @ Apr 11th 2006 5:59PM

Sony keeps forgetting (or missing) the things that make Game Boy products fly off the shelves:

1. Portability
Simply put, the PSP is not portable. It's compact, but not compact enough (or sturdy enough) to go in a pocket. It's battery powered, but only lasts a few hours at best. It's got a great screen, but no protection for it. It's got a backlight, but no option to turn it off and play in bright light or sunlight outside. It's yet another "non portable, portable" that challenged Nintendo and lost.
See also Game Gear, Turbo Express, Lynx I, Lynx II, and Sega Nomad.

2. Playability
Lots of great games are starting to roll out for the PSP, finally. Unfortunately these are mostly ports of PS2 games, and they are deep, involved, and require some time commitment to play them. The load times are horrendous, the save abilities are questionable, and on some the power drain is oppressive.
The reason Lumines is a best-seller is because you can play it for a few minutes, and then put it away. The same applies for almost every successful Game Boy game. Sony has yet to realize that portable=instant & quick.

3. Price
The price of the PSP is way too high for what you get (especially when you compare it to PDAs, iPod +video, and other gadgets), and downright offensive when you consider the gaming value of the GBA-SP, Micro, and DS. Likewise, the games themselves cost as much as $20 more than the highest-priced games on the Nintendo systems. When you consider that these are ports of games that are sometimes cheaper on the PS2, it's really just another example of Sony spitting in the consumer's face. People don't like that.

4. Marketing
Their TV ads are obnoxious and aimed clearly at teens. Their own marketing people say the PSP is aimed at the 18-35 year-old demographic. The print ads are aiming at younger kids and teens. And they have an UNADVERTISED, unrestricted internet browser on the device which makes parents pretty mad when they discover it's there. From start to finish, Sony has been dishonest to the consumer when it comes to the PSP, and parents are starting to figure that out. Since your average teen doesn't have $250 walking around money, they have to ask their parents for it, and if Sony doesn't appeal to these parents, the teens will have to buy a stolen PSP on eBay instead.
What this all boils down to is that Sony hasn't got their sh** together, and they don't know WHO to market the PSP to. They want anybody they can get, and so they don't refine the ads or the product's features. They need to decide if this is a game system to compete with Nintendo, or a PDA gadget to compete with Palm and iPod, and stick with a marketing plan. Right now, they're all over the place, and it's confusing consumers (and I know. I sell these things for a living).

5. Attitude
Simple and to the point: Sony isn't very friendly, and consumers see them as an out-of-touch megacorporation that doesn't pay attention to what parents want, what teens want, or what gadget-freaks want. Sony needs to soften their image a bit. It worked for Nintendo, who used to be in the same boat during the 16-bit era (they were seen as inflexible and unapproachable).

6. Proprietary B.S.
Drop the UMD. Drop the Memory Stick. Drop ATRAC.
Then we'll talk.

wolfie @ Apr 11th 2006 6:06PM

...Previously at the office in Sony, the CI(continuos improvement) team are eating pizza and playing nintendo. One guy at the lookout notices the boss is coming.
-Hey guys, the boss is coming, hide the games, quickly.

The boss for Sony arrives at the CI teams room:
-OK team, we have to come up with a more innovative portable for our next PSP, so we can beat the DS. Your budget will be practically limitless.
(The boss leaves)
-Is he gone? asks one from the CI team(God knows how many they are, assuming they have one).
-Yeah, he is gone. Ok, we'll do it as usual and copy Nintendo. We will present our idea in a year so that it will look serious. Back to playing nintendo than.

-God, our job is the best. All we have to do is wait and see what Nintendo does and than copy it.
-Maybe we should have two touch screens, that will look twice as innovative.
-Sure, whatever, don�t disturb me when I'm playing.
-I can�t believe they pay us for this. Hand me a pizza slice will you?
...

Gonzo @ Apr 11th 2006 6:09PM

Taking out the umd is probably the best thing they could do. It made the games slow and just added a whole mess of moveable parts which (anyone who's ever owned a sony product) break very easily.

I hope that this one will be a little smaller (so I can actually put it in my pocket), a little sturdier (so it doesn't break after you cough on it), and the touch screen won't have a bigger dead pixel problem.

Oh yea. The first one was way overpriced (and still is); they really need to produce something that people can pick up on a whim.

is @ Apr 11th 2006 6:16PM

God, sony sucks balls. Its fanboys suck too. I really do hate everything about them. I will never ever buy a sony product again, in as much as I can possibly help it. F**k em.

JRM @ Apr 11th 2006 6:21PM

I'll laugh if the PSP has a shorter life than the Game Gear.

Pretty Obvious @ Apr 11th 2006 6:28PM

Ive completely lost interest in my PSP. So at this point im eager to see what kind of portable Microsoft comes up with.

Sabre @ Apr 11th 2006 6:41PM

...or you can just play the great games that the DS has.

Flying Caveman @ Apr 11th 2006 6:49PM

Pretty Obvious,

Microsoft have no need for a handheld device. They have no hope of it being profitable (see Xbox1 $4 billion dollar loss). If they release a handheld, it will have to be superior graphics wise to the PSP or even the shameless touchscreen PSP2, hence the need to subsidise it greatly. I doubt they'll be able to recoupe the loss much like the Xbox1. There is profitability in the Origami, let Asus, Samsung or whoever take the risk with hardware, we'll just do the software and if they can make it small enough....

The only reason they are "still in the race" so to speak it because they want to maintain a presence within peoples homes in the hope that one day the Xbox as we know it will become your entertainment centre/PC hybrid.

Sony got in the handheld race thinking they'll sell 100 million. I think the Playstation brand just got a little weaker.

striderhayasa @ Apr 11th 2006 7:05PM

don't forget that Sony is still losing money on every PSP unit sold. You have to understand that there have been employees of Sony Computer Entertainment that wanted to challenge the GBA when the first playstation was still in rotation. Ken Kutaragi said no, so the company could continue to establish the console. When the PSP was finally announced and unveiled, Sony expected it to totally steamroll the DS. It didn't happen. Developers and Gamers alike accused Nintendo of trying to cash in on a gimmick. It was all over the web. Gamasutra had a very good write up of opinions on the topic from the develpment community. Now we hear rumors of PSP re-designs and such. How ironic.

If anyone thinks that it's not causing Sony problems that the DS is stomping their guts out in Japan then you're just in denial. Sony is in such a state of panic that they are straight ripping of DS marque titles. they have a Brain Games rip and a Nintendogs rip in the pipeline. Expect an Animal Crossing rip and another attempt at a FPS now that Metroid Prime Hunters is out. The touch screen is real, the dual screen functions are great and Sony has problems. All of this and Zelda and Final Fantasy for the DS hasn't come out yet. When that happens....

don_sf @ Apr 11th 2006 7:41PM

instead of writing a univervity lecture, speak some sense.

the psp is twice as much as ds, and its still selling as a good competor. imagine if psp was same price as ds....then you might see a difference in sales.

personally i like ds gameplay better than psp, metroid prime hunters and super mario. but obviosly u dont know teenagers, the psp is a cooler item with teenagers. parents will buy ds for kids because its not easy to break.

and all you fan boys thinking nintendo OWNS sony, just remember there were only two consoles to reach the 100 million mark: sony playstation 1 and sony playstation 2.

Capt. Castellanos @ Apr 11th 2006 7:50PM

i for one would like a touch screen.
not like it needs one.
but it would still be neat.

sure i like the DS more.

but i've always liked nintendo's radical ideas.

nintendo is a trailblazer.
the others take advantage of what nintendo has done.
i appluad Nintendo for thinking up all these crazy things, and making them fun.
and i applaud the other companies for taking what nintendo has done, and fixing it up, and making it more powerful. even though they forget about the fun and focus on the technology.

the PSP is just one of the future systems to come out that people will fight over:
Nintendo Vs. (system here).

i just wish it were more:
Nintendo AND (system here).

boots (former bd (former b)) @ Apr 11th 2006 7:53PM

Yay, I sent this in!! Anyway, I don't think we can be so sure there will be a PS4. What if Sony goes bankrupt after PS3? It could happen.

boots (former bd (former b)) @ Apr 11th 2006 7:59PM

"If there is touchscreen on the PSP, Sony will just look like a hypocrit."

And Nintendo is a hypocrite for using optical drives and making online games from now on. And Microsoft is a hypocrite for vowing to japanese gaming needs and not making its system the most technologically advanced system.

Then again, non of them are. It's called gee... I don't know... The Sesame Street gang says: Competition!

Flying Caveman @ Apr 11th 2006 8:36PM

Optical drives.. OMG the gameplay value.

Hopefully you realise that the Gamecube can do online and infact has an online game.

Lane @ Apr 11th 2006 9:26PM

You fanboys crack me up!!!

Michael @ Apr 11th 2006 9:57PM

I'm not a fanboy, and don't own a PSP, PSOne, or a PS2; but I assume Sony is not dumb. If they aren't dumb, then where could they take the system?

If the PSP2 rumor is true, the question is what will replace the UMD -- It can't be just the hard drive, since there needs to be some way to get games into the machine.

Sony has delivered portable DVD's in camcorders in the past. Let's say they put one of these in the PSP2. Then the unit could play all PS2 and PS1 games directly on a handheld. Then Sony doesn't have to worry about getting people to make movies to some unsupported format.

Yes, I'd increase the battery life, and the online gaming features -- not a web browser, but online gaming.

Finally, I'd think about streaming video support. I think the DS has no need for it (at least not today), and the DS' focus on gaming is great. However, Sony sees the PSP playing in the video ipod space. In the recent past most of the NCAA BB tourney was streamed live over the net. Disney has announced free availability of many of its shows over the net, and many others are working on it. Think of live, streaming, access to television at ballparks, on subways, airports, malls, and in other venues.

I'm sure Sony has a few better ideas, but just because they stumbled in this generation doesn't mean that they will stay behind the game.

Michael

striderhayasa @ Apr 11th 2006 11:02PM

let's just stop this "let it stream, play all PS games from any generation,camera, phone all in one toaster combo" nonsense. Can sony just make another PSP that concentrates on games? Isn't that a novel idea. a portable gaming device for games. GAMES! It's ingenious. Why didn't they think of it before.

rorym @ Apr 12th 2006 4:51AM

The thing is, why are we all criticising psp for copying nintendo because they might do a redesign in a couple of years. When this sort of thing happens in sony playstation anyway?
Remember the original playstation got shrunk and redesigned to make PSone
The Original Playstation 2 got shrunk and redesigned.
It's only a matter of time before the PSP gets redesigned.
Oh and comment number 21, stop talking out of your arse. How in any way imaginable is the PSP a copy of the Nintendo DS?

Case @ Apr 12th 2006 1:08PM

#37 "Remember the original playstation got shrunk and redesigned to make PSone"

That happened after Nintendo shrunk and redesigned the SNES, which in turn happened after Atari redesigned the 2600, which in turn happened after cavemen redesigned the wheel. No one stole from anyone.

#8 "MMM... star modding shows a Sony bias. Oh that's probably why I take this site with little or no credibility."

Really? I find Joystiq has more of a Nintendo bias than anything else. At least, I think that's why I keep coming back ;)

#1 "(Lumines is an exception becuase it's a great game)"

Agreed, but I like Meteos more... it uses the touchscreen, it's not a "focus on one block at a time" sort of game, and it can't be solved deterministically (not that I would do that, and on the other side of the coin, you could scribble randomly in Meteos and sort of get away with it).

The fact that the designer of the game also designed Smash Bros is icing.

mark @ Apr 12th 2006 1:53PM

'I have an idea. How about a d-pad that doesn't suck.'

Sony's problem here is that Nintendo holds the patent for the design of the cross-shaped D-pad which can be found on Nintendo controllers/Gamboy/DS etc. Sony can't therefore copy the Nintendo design which is far superior to the Sony D-pad and very important for hand-held gaming. One of the reasons I don't like the psp (and for that matter the PS1/2 controller) is the terrible D-pad - and the location of the analogue stick.

don_sf @ Apr 12th 2006 8:41PM

sonys dpad and analouge is much better than any other system. the n64 anoluge felt unnatural, i used to hold my ps1 controler and feel how good it was.

the dual shock 2 is the best controller in the world, if you want proof go look in ebay and see which controller design is being copied the most.