Possibilities: PSP Go still functional as gaming system in closed state

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jun 16th 2009 2:10PM

Obviously the PSP Go is designed to be a gaming system in its open state, but what about when it's closed? We contacted Sony to find out if it was even possible to play games in the handheld's shuttered mode and if the company had any titles in development that would utilize the functionality. A representative for Sony told us it hasn't announced any titles in development that strictly use the PSP Go's L/R shoulder buttons, but that "users will be able to play those games with the PSP Go in closed mode."

The Sony rep continued, "Users will be able to access content and applications on the XMB such as videos, music and Skype when the panel is closed -- but users will need to launch the application first before closing the panel." Other accessible features when the panel is closed include "original applications," like the clock and calendar.

Tags: psp-go, sony

Reader Comments (84)

It'd be better for me if I wait til Chobot's given it a pass with her tongue first.

S'all good, I can wait.

Should have made it touch screen... That would have made sense if you are going to play games with the system closed... Geez Sony think a little PLEASE!

I Think u need to think, would u realy enjoy a game like Little big planet with touch screen? or Metal gear peace walker?

Um, it's called including both. If devs don't want to use the touch screen, they can use the D-Pad. Does every DS game rely solelyon the touch-screen? Nope.

Thats the thing tho...This is NOT a DS

It doesnt need a touch screen.

I ilke the Dualshock idea - it would solve the second anologue nub problem

Yes! Now I'll be carrying a PS3 Controller along as well! Epic Win Sony!

touch screen or built in camera or a second analog nub would have made this thing worthwhile to buy. but this just looks like another psp remodel which fails in my book.

if im gonna be paying 250 for a new PSP then at least put something in to make it stand out from the rest.

i dont see this closed screen thing working for anything that you will do on the psp with just the L and R buttons.

I think Sony just very badly avoided what was most likely supposed to be revealed at an upcoming games event (Leipzig, TGS, etc.):

DualShock/Sixaxis support

Think about it, what's the point of including bluetooth in the PSP, except for maybe headset support? For Sony, they need to save money so you would think they would reduce the kind of technology included in the Go. But they also need a selling point, so this is maybe where bluetooth comes into play.

I still think a lot about the PSPgo has yet to be revealed. October is still over three months away: anything can happen.

Adam Grant the PSP European Product Manager said there is still more to be revealed, i think they were waiting till more event to reveal such info (App store,Closed screen gameplay, F.list,TV gameplay) but in doing so, they have made some people dislike the console very early on. Of course Headsets arent the only use for bluetooth lol. Your very right.

Resistance Retribution can already use a PS3 controller through USB. It's possible that there may be Bluetooth syncing but that would require the controller to have the ability to connect to multiple systems and as far as I can tell they're only designed to sync with one at a time thats how you turn the system on with it. On the topic of Bluetooth headsets, there are uses for online gaming as well as stereo bluetooth headsets for music so it's not inconceivable that it's the only thing they had in mind, so try not to get your hopes up too high.

Since this blog post was posted i been trying to find the source but im almost cirtainly sure the go can manage up to 4 Daulshock controlers at once (thats were i get exited at Peace walker = 4 snakes)
And yes resitance R can use the daulshock but my whole dig is playing it on my TV i would love that.

PSP Go! is such and ill-conceived idea, that it makes me wish for Sony to go out of the hardware business all together.

Dont u remember the move from the original game to the gameboy pocket?

Yeah I remember the transition from gameboy to gamboy pocket ..... No innovation but you could also beat someone to death with the original gameboy the PSP and PSP slim already fit nicely into ones pocket and carrying around a UMD or two isn't all that bad, regardless of what some 90lb complainers seem to think.

On a side not I also remember fondly not purchasing a GB pocket .... in fact I don't think I touched another gameboy until the advance and only purchased an original never bothered with any of its iterations then the DS was released.

I still play my DS Fat and my good oll PSP 1000 with its sweet ejecting UMD drive, the 2000 and 3000 already feel like cheaply constructed knockoffs why do we need the Go, what exactly is its angle? Bluetooth lol

@ Scuffles

Well imagine the Go as the Gamboy advance

But the Go is not like the Gameboy Advance, the Gameboy Advance was a whole new system with it's own proprietary games that the OG Gameboy couldn't play. The Go is the exact same system that has a smaller screen, unnecessary slide out controls, costs MORE money, doesn't have the ability to play UMD games & movies... all you can do is download games... which you can ALREADY do with the OG PSP...

Their PSP hardware has been sucking since the PSP-2000. I can't believe that this piece of the cheapest plastic ever that I own is made by Sony.

So if I can download certain psp games to my psp go, does that mean I can download certain psp games to my ps3 and play them on my ps3?

I mean, is that not technically possible (I'm not a specs expert), but why can't we just do this instead?

you can download PSone and PSP games to the PS3 to install on the PSP but you can't play the PSP games on the PS3 because that destroys the need for playing on the go with the PSP. It's like trying to sell someone a motorcycle and a car, if they can use the car anytime they like, why would they buy the motorcycle? They're two seperate markets and the longer you keep them seperate the longer they can both coexist.

A next Metal Gear is: Unplayable!

Give me the ability to map functions to the shoulder buttons (or someone make an app for the likely upcoming app store) with multiple clicks or button hold lengths and it would be great for video and music.

only thing this thing has over the old psp is the memory. 16 gb is nice but thats it really to me. I have a 4GB stick and I'm just fine with it. I can get about 4 or 5 games on it. Thats all i need at any given time.

You have to think of this from a developers point of view too... There are a lot of games that are made for the iphone that could have been ported over to the PSP with very little extra work from the developers. This would be a huge influx of inexpensive games for the consumer. Plus a touch Sceen would add a huge amount of functionality for the device.

I'm a pretty big proponent of convergence. The less crap I have in my pockets the better.

I think it'd be better for me if I wait til Chobot's given it a pass with her tongue first... I can wait.

Gaaah, comments section hijinx.... >.<

Wish I could delete.

If there was room for 4 shoulder buttons that might be OK for those visual novel games, but without a proper d-pad even the least control-heavy games (like SRPGs) aren't plausible.

Too bad, a touch screen would have been a perfect interface while in closed-state. Sony dropped the ball on that one.

Do you guys happen to know if the psp2000 is going to get those clock and calendar features?

No.

If they mean 'watching' the game demos by being functional as a gaming system while closed, then I understand that. But actually interacting in a game without access to the face buttons is beyond me.

Yay.

all this proprietary glut will catch up to sony one day. Indeed that pspgo was tossed out to get potential gamers to fork over money for crap tech that is currently out. We all know the pspgo is that tired mylo revamped but priced to match the psp's price the day it was launched.
And of course all the accessories are NON interchangeable with the psp.
Will I buy it? NO!
However, had sony thrown in one of them tegra chips, raised the ram to say 512 megs, threw on an additional analog stick then I'd be willing to fork over $400.00 for that.
wishful thinking.

Some why I con only recall one game, that I ever seen using only two buttons: TMAGOCHIIIIII!!!!!!!!! xD

Previous 50 Comments

Possibilities: PSP Go still functional as gaming system in closed state

Reader Comments (84)

Posted: Jun 16th 2009 6:20PM LordAbsu said

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