Ignatz Mouse
Banned
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-psp15.html
Pretty harsh! Also, what's with some of the FUD regarding distribution?
Pretty harsh! Also, what's with some of the FUD regarding distribution?
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Chicago Sun-Times on PSP
- Thread starter Ignatz Mouse
- Start date
MassiveAttack
Banned
There are so many errors and misconceptions in that article that it's not worth commenting on. Suffice to say, if someone from SCEA actually did say that movies are the PSPs "killer app", he should start looking for a new line of work.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
This caught my eye because it was a blurb on the front page. A lot of people will read this.
Some of the stuff is right on (battery, cost)-- but a few things really irked me.
1) Proprietary format-- like every handheld system to date, yes?
2) Absolutely *no* mention of the huge launch library, and implications that games would be overshadowed by movies. They neglect to say that there are going to be over 20 games available right away, compared to other systems' launch. They even imply that games themselves might be in short supply. WTF?
3) No mention at all of network gaming.
Some of the stuff is right on (battery, cost)-- but a few things really irked me.
1) Proprietary format-- like every handheld system to date, yes?
2) Absolutely *no* mention of the huge launch library, and implications that games would be overshadowed by movies. They neglect to say that there are going to be over 20 games available right away, compared to other systems' launch. They even imply that games themselves might be in short supply. WTF?
3) No mention at all of network gaming.
I stopped reading after the first paragraph . Yeah, dude, hardcore gamers will be upset with being able to watch movies and TV on their portables, right? I guess that's why no one buys those Gameboy Video carts, and the SP is failing because those are the only things available for it...wait...
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
He probably did say that... He was talking to a group of people that write for general newspapers like New York Times, not the gaming media.
This article is weird on so many levels. One moment, the authors seem technologically competent, then they throw out garbage like "only two hours of movie playback", and show general lack of understanding on the cost of the technology involved. They complain about the movie sales pitch, then spend no more than one sentence talking about the games they played.
Then they say that if you can afford it, it's the best thing there is...
This comment doesn't sound good though, and is news to me:
I think I liked this part the best:
In general, pretty love/hate article about the PSP. Sounds like typical pre-launch jitters from some content providers with a dose of unfamiliarity covering this segment of the technology marketplace on the writers' part.
I'm still try to wrap my head around exactly what Mr. Cole thought he was conveying there.
In general, pretty love/hate article about the PSP. Sounds like typical pre-launch jitters from some content providers with a dose of unfamiliarity covering this segment of the technology marketplace on the writers' part.
MassiveAttack
Banned
There was no mention of any of the games that will launch with the system. How can the word "fair" be used in conjunction with this article?
Geek said:
The general readership of the Sun-Times will think to themselves :Two hunnert and fifty dollars for an electronic games toy?1 Oh... it plays movies too!" Then find out that it won't play their DVDs and they'll have to buy the same movies twice.
The PSP will not sell as a DVD player or an MP3 player. It is a game machine.
MassiveAttack said:
I know what you mean. Reading only this article would not be fair to make an opinion on the psp. But the information they provide is also true. Medias tend to only see the bright sides of the psp, which is not good either. Balance makes us live in a better world.
:shrug: I think the guy has a view on the device that I happen to share. I don't like general purpose devices; they're always jacks of all trades and masters of none which is especially galling when I only care about one function. That probably disposes him to be negative on the device but it's a valid point of view.
Ulairi said:
..the article does point that out.
Memorable quotes:
"Consumers might find a shortage of PSP units, and films and games for the device might also be scarce because of Sony's decision to use proprietary storage media -- the 1.8-gigabyte Universal Media Disc."
A shortage of units at launch? Of course that's how it usually is... a shortage of films? Probably, cause there won't be that many.... a shortage of games? No chance.
"Film content on the UMD really suffers. Lions Gate Films was able to cram "Terminator 2" on one disc (more than 2 hours of content), but don't expect DVD bonus features."
Film content doesn't suffer... bonus features might... two different things.
mashoutposse
Ante Up
Nobody cares about the demographic that consists of people who would make such statements. Not yet.
Sony has a pool of ~150 million gamers to whom they can sell the device before they have to worry about making money off of unsuspecting middle management types and soccer moms.
Sony is looking to convert gamers. They can sell 50+ million (and probably much more) to this demographic alone. It doesn't have to be an iPod-killer to outsell it four times within the next few years.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
The article was a hatchet job.
1) FUD about availability of games and movies. Implies that using a proprietary format is unusual, or that having Sony make the games is not the norm.
2) Negative comparison to NDS on price, but fails to mention any advantages. Implication is that the NDS is an equivalent machine for $100 less.
3) Omits nearly all the strong poitns of the PSP-- graphics, wi-fi, number of titles, screen quality. Emphasizes the true weak points, and fabricates one (availability of game media), and implies another (that playing movies makes it a bad game machine).
4) The print version says "may leave gamers yawning"
That's nto fair, unless you belive that the best way to counter hype is to distort in the other direction.
1) FUD about availability of games and movies. Implies that using a proprietary format is unusual, or that having Sony make the games is not the norm.
2) Negative comparison to NDS on price, but fails to mention any advantages. Implication is that the NDS is an equivalent machine for $100 less.
3) Omits nearly all the strong poitns of the PSP-- graphics, wi-fi, number of titles, screen quality. Emphasizes the true weak points, and fabricates one (availability of game media), and implies another (that playing movies makes it a bad game machine).
4) The print version says "may leave gamers yawning"
That's nto fair, unless you belive that the best way to counter hype is to distort in the other direction.
mashoutposse
Ante Up
Azih said:
How would the omitting of non-gaming multimedia features make the PSP a better game player? It certainly didn't work for Gamecube...
mashoutposse said:
eh, it's a truism, a device designed for one purpose only will do a better job on it than a multi-funtional device which has to cater to a number of different purposes (assuming of course that the skill of the designers/engineers is comparable). I'm hardly saying that if you just remove the ability of the PSP as is to play movies then the it would magically become a better gaming device. I'm saying that a PSP designed from the ground up with only gaming as it's focus then it would be a better gaming device.
Multifunctional devices can never focus on optimising one function if it interferes with another one of its functions; that's a definite. Plus there is the possibility that one of the functions has to be comprimised because of the needs of another.
And the gamecube is better gaming hardware than the PS2; setting aside the controller and Moore's Law, the gamecube was designed to minimise loading times whereas the PS2 wasn't. Lower loading times makes for a better gaming device.
Azih said:
Of course you know making a statement like that immediately means that the point can be argued.
For all intensive purposes the PSP does the follow:
1. Plays games
2. Plays movies
3. Plays music
4. Views pictures
Now if #1 is the primary how do the addition of 2-4 hurt #1?
EDIT:
Azih said:
I think you need to modify that first sentence to include something to the effect of "when those multiple functions require that sacrifices be made to other functions of the device". Then we need to get in to what types of sacrifices could have been made to enable 2-4 at the expense of 1.
MassiveAttack
Banned
Ignatz Mouse said:
Does it actually say that??
:lol :lol if true.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Azih said:
I would argue against it. How would it be better? I don't see how the features which allow movie and music playback don't also enhance the gaming experience. The media allows for cheaper production of bigger games, and the memory stick allows saves and downloadable game content.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
MassiveAttack said:
It's the headline.
MassiveAttack
Banned
Azih said:
Let's face a terrible truth together. You've never seen or used a PSP in your life, correct?
Azih said:
You're kidding, right? You do realize that when you watch a video or play music on a PSP, that it's not different from viewing an FMV intro or hearing music in a PSP game, right? There are also video carts for the GBA (and music, if they wanted). Does that make it a "jack of all trades"?
Oh hell I can't believe I'm actually having a discussion with you sonybots about this.
Let's take a look at the other of the two primary functions of the PSP for chrissakes. Movies.
The PSP is NOT as good as a protable DVD player in playing movies. Since portable DVD players don't have to worry about gaming buttons, gaming ergonomics, they can ACTUALLY PLAY DVDS instead of the PSP's crud selection, lower capacity UMDs. They also have larger screens and can use heavier batteries since the restrictions of a gaming portable don't force it be handheld and can be pseudo laptop devices instead.
In terms of gaming the argument is a mite hypothetical sure, because none of us are privy to the design process or the decisions that Sony made (aside from making the Square button less responsive in order to keep the screen from getting smaller). But dammit a gaming only device can Optimise for gaming to an extent that a multi-media device CAN'T. This should be self evident.
Let's take a look at the other of the two primary functions of the PSP for chrissakes. Movies.
The PSP is NOT as good as a protable DVD player in playing movies. Since portable DVD players don't have to worry about gaming buttons, gaming ergonomics, they can ACTUALLY PLAY DVDS instead of the PSP's crud selection, lower capacity UMDs. They also have larger screens and can use heavier batteries since the restrictions of a gaming portable don't force it be handheld and can be pseudo laptop devices instead.
In terms of gaming the argument is a mite hypothetical sure, because none of us are privy to the design process or the decisions that Sony made (aside from making the Square button less responsive in order to keep the screen from getting smaller). But dammit a gaming only device can Optimise for gaming to an extent that a multi-media device CAN'T. This should be self evident.
I can not imagine any self-respecting gamer looking at the PSP and yawning, unless he or she was tired from furiously masturbating to a picture of the PSP the night before.Ignatz Mouse said:
The problem is that none of the PSP's non-gaming functions interfere with its gaming function.Azih said:
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
I really, and I mean *really* don't see how PSP's game playing ability suffers from the inclusion of music and video playback. For all intents and purposes those two things are an extra option in the user interface that you may never use or see if you really don't want to.
If anything, the thinking in the media savvy direction that made PSP what it is, has brought it a UMD, a disc that due to it's capacity allows it to have a game playing experience simillar to what you have on home consoles, and a very high quality screen that you don't see on other devices dedicated solely for game playing.
MassiveAttack
Banned
Azih said:
Thanks for confirming the suspicion that you've never seen or used a PSP.
mashoutposse
Ante Up
Azih,
Actually, you will find that the multimedia functions that have suffered from being grafted to a gaming device -- not the other way around. I can't think of a single concession made for the benefit of movie/music playback that detracts from the PSP's gaming capabilities.
Actually, you will find that the multimedia functions that have suffered from being grafted to a gaming device -- not the other way around. I can't think of a single concession made for the benefit of movie/music playback that detracts from the PSP's gaming capabilities.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Azih, the problem is that your "self evident" truism isn't self-evident. This is the problem I have had with people complaining about "multifunction" devices ever since the PSX played CDs.
It *can* be true and is *often* true, but it is not a truism. People argued that the N64 would be a better game machine, and that carts were better for games than CDs. That, however, was not true. CDs held more, and their cheaper manufacture allowed for discount publishing, wider variety of titles, and more content, with a trade-off of load times. Hostory has borne out that this was a better design choice. And it allowed for a secondary function.
I *do* agree with you that as a music and movie player, the PSP has issues that a dedicated music or movie player won't have. Completely. But that's precisely *becuase* the unit was optimized for gaming. If they wanted it to be more of a movie or music player, they could have used less powereful gfx hardware for the game functions and made it more DS-level, and crammed a 4 GB hard drive there.
And given the number of times I've said that many of the negatives in the article are true, I resent being called a "sony bot." Being excited about a new piece of hardware despite its flaws is no reason to be insulted. I suggest you take a look at whatever agenda your toting around, becuase it's getting in your way.
It *can* be true and is *often* true, but it is not a truism. People argued that the N64 would be a better game machine, and that carts were better for games than CDs. That, however, was not true. CDs held more, and their cheaper manufacture allowed for discount publishing, wider variety of titles, and more content, with a trade-off of load times. Hostory has borne out that this was a better design choice. And it allowed for a secondary function.
I *do* agree with you that as a music and movie player, the PSP has issues that a dedicated music or movie player won't have. Completely. But that's precisely *becuase* the unit was optimized for gaming. If they wanted it to be more of a movie or music player, they could have used less powereful gfx hardware for the game functions and made it more DS-level, and crammed a 4 GB hard drive there.
And given the number of times I've said that many of the negatives in the article are true, I resent being called a "sony bot." Being excited about a new piece of hardware despite its flaws is no reason to be insulted. I suggest you take a look at whatever agenda your toting around, becuase it's getting in your way.
Azih said:
I think the problem folks have with this argument is that you haven't explained how a game only PSP would be superior to the current iteration when it came to playing games which is it's primary function.
Most MFC's take a hit in their primary functionality to add the other functions... an MFC printer, fax, scanner, might print and fax well, but have a low resolution scanner as an example.
Miburou said:
alright look the sonybots comment was a bit out of line but I'm being jumped on here.
And no I haven't seen a PSP, the damn thing hasn't launched yet.
And one of the problems here is that my whole stance from the very beginning was a hypothetical one and I made no effort to hide it (That stance being that IF the PSP was designed from the ground up as a purely gaming device, then it would do a better job of gaming). And I'm being drawn into a physical argument that can only be conducted between dang Sony engineers who worked on the thing. My examples of PSP being a somewhat crippled movie player was just an effort to show a real world example of my rule of thumb (which is single purpose devices always > multi purpose FOR THAT PURPOSE).
Now the counter that the PSP *is* a single purpose gaming device with movie and music as really large bonus functions is valid. I mean it's obvious that PSP is much worse as a movie player and a music player (no internal storage) then it is as a gaming machine.
But here I'd make the rebuttal that we all know that the PSP was always meant to be a multi media device and thus decisions that would have made the gaming bit better but would have severely hampered (or even invalidated) movies/music playback wouldn't even have been considered. (edit: And also the PSP vs Ipod mentality Sony seems to have.. which doesn't make any sense if PSP music/movies didn't rate really high in Sony's mind) Now if I had Pana or Faf's knowledge then I'd be able to make some educated guesses as to what those decisions might be. But I don't. So I'll just reiterate my wariness of devices that do more than one thing (when I only care about one of those things) and hold my peace.