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(GI.biz) Sony plans restrictions on PSP games power consumption
- Thread starter Chittagong
- Start date
carbonbased
Member
D00MED.
Go Go Ackman!
Banned
Jonnyboy117 said:
So what do you wiseasses propose? A cartridge based system fueling PS2-powered hardware? WTF?
People would be cry about ROM sizes or memory stick prices limiting PSP devs rather than battery life. You can't have it both ways.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Probably. The good thing with PSP is that there's a media processor that can decode music without the use of CPU, so, basically, storing a 2-3MB MP3 file in the memory is going to give you an excelent sound quality with no penalties, and without constant streaming. I doubt we'll see games like Jak & Daxter on it anytime soon, though.
Oh, and for the people singing doomsongs, I hope you are not the same people who laughed two years ago, saying that GC would leave Xbox far behind in the dust?
From what I've heard, RR is using the synthesized music. So, no streaming for them.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
And release an obsolete hardware? Well, that's what we had all along with Gameboys! People who cared about it, cared. I personally didn't, and like a lot more what Sony is doing with PSP.
The issue here is that Sony is pushing too far too early. Yes, it's great that PS2 graphics are achievable portably, but there's a trade off. In order to do so, you need a large storage medium and a powerful gfx chipset. Both of these take power.
Do I think a handheld system with PS2 graphics would be cool? Yes.
Do I think NOW is the time to release such a thing? No.
Reason being, technology just isn't there. There is no balance in the PSP. It's all about power. That was a design choice. Sony could have done 1 of 3 things:
1. Wait for more efficient batteries.
2. Wait for more efficient ROM storage.
3. Back down the PSP specs.
They did none of these, and now they are suffering the consequences. If you look at Nintendo DS, you'll see exactly this strategy. They went for a ROM-based solution, and the specs are not current-generation console gfx. The point? Battery life, battery life, battery life.
DaCocoBrova
Finally bought a new PSP, but then pushed the demon onto someone else. Jesus.
Whoever can invent a new form of cheap, portable and relatively safe portable 'powah' is in to make a lot of $$$$.
The power consumtion thing is keeping portable anything from reaching true potential. Power consumption is one thing I hate about laptops.
The power consumtion thing is keeping portable anything from reaching true potential. Power consumption is one thing I hate about laptops.
Forgotten Ancient
Banned
Then the developer could suffer the consequences for making an inefficient (power consumption-wise) game. But, I think it should be left up to the informed consumer - if they know a game is a battery hog, as long as they don't have a problem with this and they really want the game - sales +1. However, totally restricting such a game to be developed is a pretty lame idea IMHO.
This would be similar to the computer industry somehow regulating software so it would have to be fully functional,compatible, and optimized with the lowest common denominator (We'd still be stuck playing Jazz Jackrabbit or some shit). Let the buyer beware...but for fuck's sake, let the buyer at least decide what to buy.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
In the sense of 3D rendering chipset, absolutely - considering that it's released at the same time with nVidia GoForce 4500, PowerVR MBX and PSP.
kitchenmotors
Banned
Marconelly said:Oh, and for the people singing doomsongs, I hope you are not the same people who laughed two years ago, saying that GC would leave Xbox far behind in the dust?
Same could be said for people who said Xbox would be the market leader. Has that happened? No, because Sony is. What makes you think it'll be an easy ride for Sony to take over the handheld market? So far nothing points to this direction, besides the idea of more POWER, the same excuses the Xbots threw around. Did more POWER help the Xbox? No.
I can't wait for the actual outcome.
^^
DaCocoBrova said:
That is a key point to this discussion. I remember Mashing bringing up a similar point a long time ago, saying that current battery technology was woefully inadequate. Maybe Nintendo and Sony would've been better off looking at what is being done in this area as oppossed to adopting their respective strategies of making a weak chipset with a better rom technology vs making a high performance chipset with complete disregard for the importance of power consumption in a portable.
Infernodash
Member
Why wont you fuckers just wait for the psp to be released and shut the fuck up with all the crying and bitching. Christ, for years people wished for a superior handheld, now they've finally gotten their wish, and now they're bitching about everything that's wrong with it. If you ask me, no industry can ever please you fuckers. Ungrateful bitches. [/end rant]
This really shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
Everyone should have known this, from the day the first spec sheet said the processor speed was "1-333MHz" - of course battery life was going to be dependent on the game being run!
Although it sucks that the worst case battery life on the PSP is possibly pretty bad, I think it's reasonable for Sony to make these restrictions. After all, if you get a PSP and you buy a game and the battery only lasts an hour, you're probably going to call the Sony customer service line to complain, right?
Everyone should have known this, from the day the first spec sheet said the processor speed was "1-333MHz" - of course battery life was going to be dependent on the game being run!
Although it sucks that the worst case battery life on the PSP is possibly pretty bad, I think it's reasonable for Sony to make these restrictions. After all, if you get a PSP and you buy a game and the battery only lasts an hour, you're probably going to call the Sony customer service line to complain, right?
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Sho Nuff, so does that mean that the PSP games at the show were actually running off the UMD, and not off the memory stick like some people suggested?
Noone ever said either that's going to be an easy ride, or to expect Sony to take over handheld market. However, by the way some people are speaking, it seems they think PSP is destined to be a total and utter failure. It's hard not get the echoes of the Xbox pre-launch, and look how much respect that console enjoys now, both among gamers and developers.
Forgotten Ancient
Banned
Yeah, battery technology is painfully inadequate. I can't go for 2 hours on my laptop without being plugged into a wall.
It seems that if battery life is such a problem for the PSP, most people will be stuck playing games next to an outlet. For the most part I'd guess that when people are playing a portable when it's plugged into a wall, they're doing so at their house/apartment or whatever. At that point it'd almost be pointless having the portable at all, because I'd rather play games at home on a home console than on any portable*
*I feel I'm contradicting myself here. None of my current gen systems are even hooked up at the moment, yet I find myself falling asleep everynight trying to get an "S" ranking in all of the levels on Advance Wars 2 **
** Then again, I can play for hours without having to worry about the game suddenly powering down on me
It seems that if battery life is such a problem for the PSP, most people will be stuck playing games next to an outlet. For the most part I'd guess that when people are playing a portable when it's plugged into a wall, they're doing so at their house/apartment or whatever. At that point it'd almost be pointless having the portable at all, because I'd rather play games at home on a home console than on any portable*
*I feel I'm contradicting myself here. None of my current gen systems are even hooked up at the moment, yet I find myself falling asleep everynight trying to get an "S" ranking in all of the levels on Advance Wars 2
**** Then again, I can play for hours without having to worry about the game suddenly powering down on me
Chittagong
Gold Member
Based on what I heard from a guy in the office, there was not an UMD drive on the PSPs that came free with the chicks. And he was on the show.
DaCocoBrova
Finally bought a new PSP, but then pushed the demon onto someone else. Jesus.
To be honest, I'd rather a 2D mega machine portable (Neo Geo visuals) than what we're getting. I don't really want 3D on a portable, mainly due to control issues, screen size and aforementioned power consumption.
But that's me.
As i learend today, portable computers scale down the clock speed according to the processing power needed at any given time. Is this the same way the PSP will do things?
Furthermore, all of the PSP games have looked pretty sh!ty (IMO). What kind of 2D performance can we get?
But that's me.
As i learend today, portable computers scale down the clock speed according to the processing power needed at any given time. Is this the same way the PSP will do things?
Furthermore, all of the PSP games have looked pretty sh!ty (IMO). What kind of 2D performance can we get?
Chittagong
Gold Member
Infernodash said:
:lol whoa
Infernodash
Member
Sorry for the rant. I had a tough day, and I needed to take it out on some whiners. Anyway, I think the move is a good one.
PSP is future proof!
Sony will be able to let developers take more and more advantage of the hardware as better battery technology evolves.
They might not be allowed to take full advantage of the hardware just now! But just you wait! You will see just how powerful PSP is just a few years from now.
Sony will be able to let developers take more and more advantage of the hardware as better battery technology evolves.
They might not be allowed to take full advantage of the hardware just now! But just you wait! You will see just how powerful PSP is just a few years from now.
Go Go Ackman!
Banned
Infernodash said:
That's pretty much what I'm thinking.
"Oh no, emotion engine hard to code for! Game developers revolt! SONY DOOMED!"
"Oh no, PSP programming must be done with battery life in mind! Game developers revolt! SONY DOOMED!"
Bluemercury
Member
Marconelly said:
But battery is also part of the technology, i think we will know if the portable which uses the GoForce 4500 will have a good battery tough..........you have to even both things, at least that's my taking, sure Nintendo could actually do a bit more on the 3d chip, but Sony is just pushing PSP with too many features to not compromise the damn thing.....for example i could care less about the media as long i have a solid game experience, i dont care about FMV or watching movies on a format that i will surely not buy outside of games, so why not go with Rom media? it would probably make the battery last longer....
Infernodash said:
Superior handheld? In what way? I'm open to getting a PSP, but anybody that is not a total fanboy can see that there are numerous flaws/problems/hassles involved with the PSP that aren't in the GBA or the DS, for that matter. From the sound of it, the DS is, all things considered, better designed for 3D handheld gaming for the masses than the PSP. I include myself in the "masses" on this one.
Go Go Ackman!
Banned
Deg said:Do you consider PS2 and GBA obselete?
Deg said:
Back at E3 2000 or whenever, I remember GBA being touted as NeoGeo's equivalent in terms of processing power (scaling, rotation, resolution, etc). But then reality sets in - no dedicated sound hardware, cart size, etc... Maybe we'll get some beautiful 2d games or fullfledged neogeo ports on the PSP. All I know is that dreams of NeoGeo quality 2d on GBA ain't happening.
Chittagong
Gold Member
nubbe said:
This is actually an excellent post.
Infernodash
Member
Meier said:
Womp womp womp....
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Huh? Of course. PS2, Gamecube and Xbox all have obsolete 3D rendering chipsets in them...Do you consider PS2 and GBA obselete?
DaCocoBrova
Finally bought a new PSP, but then pushed the demon onto someone else. Jesus.
'Obsolete' is not the word. There's nothing that has replaced those things.
'Obsolete' means that something is no longer of use.
'Obsolete' means that something is no longer of use.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Probably... but this way you at least get a decent music in games, and cheap, (pretty) massive storage almost on par with DVDs used in consoles today, that can hold comparable games.
I'm not calling the consoles obsolete. Far from that! Technology used in them, however, is obsolete, and I don't see how that can be denied.
Bluemercury
Member
Marconelly said:
Ok but you can have good music the same way with rom media you just need to have bigger ones, i still think going with CD media may prove to be the wrong way, mainly because of battery constraints, and limited autonomy.
jesus. Are you guys all pissy after staying up late for IGNs mega announcement?
Please name more than battery and price as flaws for PSP? And both of these have not been announced yet, so it'd just be speculative flaws at best.
As for the TRC stuff - good. Most likely it'll be stuff like minimising access to UMD, nothing more. They certainly aren't going to spend millions of dollars developing a mobile 3D chip etc, then not let devs use it. It'll just be good common sense, helping devs who aren't used to coding for such a device (i.e. all of them)
TekunoRobby
Tag of Excellence
Hah hah yeah quite a few people were pissy about it.mrklaw said:
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Massive storage. You can store actual soundtracks there, at a very, very low cost. You can also store big levels, textures, etc. I mean, if each level in a game on PSP takes up 32Megabytes of data, you do the math, just for the basic 15-20 level game that doesn't stream anything. No matter how cheap, cartridge based media can't be nearly as cheap, when a big storage comes into play.
Come on now, who uses speakers when playing handheld games? That's where the headphones come into play. You can't argue against playing something like Rez on a handheld with good hadphones...
Okay...
Assuming this is true, why not cut the extra power (since it won't be used, ANYWAY) and make the thing cheaper?
This is equally as dumb as the fact that Nintendo made GameCube but continually produced games with Dreamcast-like graphics. If you don't use the power, why sell a system with that much power?
Assuming this is true, why not cut the extra power (since it won't be used, ANYWAY) and make the thing cheaper?
This is equally as dumb as the fact that Nintendo made GameCube but continually produced games with Dreamcast-like graphics. If you don't use the power, why sell a system with that much power?