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[marc^o^]

article from Next Generation

By September DS was enjoying an attachment date of 2.62, while PSP was down to 1.91. A relative lack of killer PSP releases is cited as a major factor.

In the first half of 2005, DS featured three titles scoring 500,000 or more copies sold. Hamamura said Nintendo’s success had come from its ability to attract new gamers, with titles like Nintendogs, while PSP has stuck to traditional hardcore game-styles.

Enterbrain also released stats showing software sales across all formats are up 60% for the first half of this year, compared with 2004. This represents a rise of 2.5 millions units including 1.27 million DS games and 720,000 PSP titles In the meantime, PS2 game sales decreased by 12.8% (around 820,000 units).

Seems like Nintendo's strategy is paying off. DS lineup is now looking very good, though we are still missing the Brain games in the West. I'm pretty sure they will attract new gamers here too, including adults. From what I can observe in my ecosystem, Nintendogs is enjoying a huge success among non gamers, girls are buying the DS/Nintendogs bundle every day at my retail store

 

[TranceVibrator]

It's really true, Nintendo know their handhelds. Kudos to them, they deserve all the success they're getting.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

yeah I don't know why they aren't trying harder to get the brain games to the west. You would think that would be top priority given the sales of them in japan. I'd buy em.

 

[drohne]

actually i'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy to videogames handed ds the lead. exhibit a: wario ware.

 

[Rhindle]

From what I can observe in my ecosystem, Nintendogs is enjoying a huge success among non gamers, girls are buying the DS/Nintendogs bundle every day at my retail store

That's nice. Although I wouldn't expect those girls to ever enter your ecosystem again.

 

[Andy787]

actually i'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy to videogames handed ds the lead.

Yep.

 

[nubbe]

Seems like Nintendo is saving the industry… again.
We are moving from franchise entertainment to lifestyle entertainment.

 

[Catchpenny]

Actually, I'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy towards developing for PSP is what handed DS the lead.

 

[Scrow]

Actually, I'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy towards developing for PSP is what handed DS the lead.

 

[Zeo]

Actually, I'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy towards developing for PSP is what handed DS the lead.

Yep.

 

[marc^o^]

Actually, I'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy towards developing for PSP is what handed DS the lead.

High development costs + piracy + small user base + bad dpad diagonal control that hurts some genres + DS success now making it a more attractive investment = rather small commitment towards the psp. But as said Sony, psp relies more on movies than on games to be successful.

 

[Slayven]

Why is the PSP considered dead if he isn't saleing well in japan, even though it is doing well in the USA and Europe?

 

[Frankfurter]

By September DS was enjoying an attachment date of 2.62, while PSP was down to 1.91.

Woha. DS an attachment rate of about ~1.5 compared to 1.8 if I remember correct as we got the last complete Media Create data (the week this included was the week ending April 10th)! PSP had a really high attachment rate at the beginning, but it hasn't changed much for months.

 

[Juice]

High development costs + piracy + small user base + bad dpad diagonal control that hurts some genres + DS success now making it a more attractive investment = rather small commitment towards the psp. But as said Sony, psp relies more on movies than on games to be successful.

I don't know who you are, but I agree with this assessment.

 

[drohne]

it's the case that the ds is selling in japan, and it's a persistent gaf belief that ds has good games, but you won't be able to connect the two until stuff like castlevania starts outselling stuff like brain training. you have no evidence. i, meanwhile, have exhibit b: nintendogs.

i propose that the psp would be selling even worse in japan if it had any new games.

 

[Bebpo]

High development costs + piracy + small user base + bad dpad diagonal control that hurts some genres + DS success now making it a more attractive investment = rather small commitment towards the psp. But as said Sony, psp relies more on movies than on games to be successful.

I agree with all the stuff you listed except for the bad dpad diagonal controls. You're actually right that PSP has a terrible d-pad, but it's not really a reason that the DS is doing better than the PSP since the DS has a terrible d-pad that's bad at diagonals as well.

There hasn't been a good d-pad on a handheld since...ever :\

 

[Cheebs]

actually i'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy to videogames handed ds the lead. exhibit a: wario ware.

Yeah. Nintendo has a tendency to being in the right place at the right time with hardware. Ala DS in Japan and NES in USA

 

[Juice]

i propose that the psp would be selling even worse in japan if it had any new games.

Well now your argument sounds downright wonky.

 

[Andy787]

Seems like Nintendo is saving the industry… again.

From.. what?

 

[Jacobi]

Actually the PSP is selling well in Japan. But the software isn't.

 

[Juice]

From.. what?

To spare lamer replies, the short answer is monotony.

When I ask Japanese men in their twenties why they don't buy games anymore, the only thing they've told me is because every main game has had ten identical sequels, that there's nothing new. The PSP and the DS get everybody excited; the former because of it's slick gadgetry (of which many have told me is cool, but not worth carrying around on top of their 3D-game enabled phone) and the latter is split between apathy and "ooh, now there's something i haven't seen before" kind of responses.

Asking a 28 year old Sony stock holder whether he was excited for the PS3, he responded that he wasn't personally, because he didn't play games anymore. He was over when the Revolution teaser came out (I was furiously masturbating over it), and it wasn't long before he joined in; we had a half an hour discussion on how it could give the industry in Japan a fresh start: something Sony needs to happen for it's own sake, too.

 

[drohne]

Survey: Why Did You Purchase a Nintendo DS?
72%: I hate videogames and want them to go away
22%: I am sexually attracted to bad graphics
5%: I am unable to respond to this survey because my mouth is full of glue
1%: FU IGA

 

[marc^o^]

Industry : Japanese adult gamers prefer Nintendo DS to Sony PSP
Posted by Xtonic on 2005/10/9 13:59:27 (335 reads)

"Nintendo are just for kids." How many times have you heard that? Well, in Japan, things are a little different. Details inside...

There are portables that are easily associated with a younger audience like the GBA, but as for the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP it would be wrong to assume that adults would opt for the PSP.
To confirm that, the Otonafami magazine decided to find out which console is more popular with older players.

To realize this research, the magazine used a sample built by 1000 players with ages equal or superior to 20 years. And the results couldn’t be clearer, with 25% of the interviewed revealing they possess a Nintendo DS and only 14% a PSP.
As for the players that had not bought any portable, they were asked if they were interested in buying one of these. Once again Nintendo took the advantage, with 34% of the interviewed showing interest in buying Nintendo DS and only 31% revealing plans to buy a PSP.

In the hardware field the Nintendo took an advantage, but in software the difference was huge. 23% of the players that have a Nintendo DS have more than 6 games for the console, while in the case of PSP that number was just 11%.

It is important to remember that this survey was initiated entirely in Japan. A similar survey in Europe or the US would likely have very different results. Still, its great to see Nintendo have so much popularity, and that they may have managed to shed their 'childish' image a bit can only be a good thing.

 

[Juice]

Industry : Japanese adult gamers prefer Nintendo DS to Sony PSP
Posted by Xtonic on 2005/10/9 13:59:27 (335 reads)

"Nintendo are just for kids." How many times have you heard that? Well, in Japan, things are a little different. Details inside...

There are portables that are easily associated with a younger audience like the GBA, but as for the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP it would be wrong to assume that adults would opt for the PSP.
To confirm that, the Otonafami magazine decided to find out which console is more popular with older players.

To realize this research, the magazine used a sample built by 1000 players with ages equal or superior to 20 years. And the results couldn’t be clearer, with 25% of the interviewed revealing they possess a Nintendo DS and only 14% a PSP.
As for the players that had not bought any portable, they were asked if they were interested in buying one of these. Once again Nintendo took the advantage, with 34% of the interviewed showing interest in buying Nintendo DS and only 31% revealing plans to buy a PSP.

In the hardware field the Nintendo took an advantage, but in software the difference was huge. 23% of the players that have a Nintendo DS have more than 6 games for the console, while in the case of PSP that number was just 11%.

It is important to remember that this survey was initiated entirely in Japan. A similar survey in Europe or the US would likely have very different results. Still, its great to see Nintendo have so much popularity, and that they may have managed to shed their 'childish' image a bit can only be a good thing.

Yikes. Nice little recap there.

Too bad it opened up with one of my least favorite grammar nuances of non-American English.

Nintendo IS for kids, goddamnit.

 

[Suikoguy]

Yikes. Nice little recap there.

Too bad it opened up with one of my least favorite grammar nuances of non-American English.

Nintendo IS for kids, goddamnit.

That bothers the hell outta me too!
Nintendo is a CORPORATE ENTITY.. IE SINGULAR!! ARGH!

hehe, but really its one of the areas of grammar that is changing, likely 50 years from now that whole rule will be changed.

 

[Scrow]

yay for nintendo

There hasn't been a good d-pad on a handheld since...ever :\

original Game Boy?

 

[D3VI0US]

Wasn't it common knowledge that the DS was ahead of PSP in Japan?

 

[GitarooMan]

actually i'm pretty sure widespread japanese antipathy to videogames handed ds the lead. exhibit a: wario ware.

I agree, which is why none of this stuff really translates to the west, where the antipathy doesn't exist (at least as of yet)

 

[Unison]

He was over when the Revolution teaser came out (I was furiously masturbating over it), and it wasn't long before he joined in

:lol :lol :lol

 

[marc^o^]

I agree, which is why none of this stuff really translates to the west, where the antipathy doesn't exist (at least as of yet)

Well, Wario Ware did pretty well in the west, Nintendogs is doing GREAT from what I heard, and I'm sure the Brain games will be huge hits here too if they keep the prices as low as in Japan.

 

[GitarooMan]

Well, Wario Ware did pretty well in the west, Nintendogs is doing GREAT from what I heard, and I'm sure the Brain games will be huge hits here too if they keep the prices as low as in Japan.

Oh, I'm not saying these games won't be hits, I'm just saying plenty of other games will be hits too, unlike Japan where sales of more "traditional" games have been weak. I think the DS is a success so far in the West, but the relative success of PSP shows people in the West are still interested in spending lots of money on more "traditional" games (not to say DS doesn't have any "traditional" games, see Castlevania).

 

[Kroole]

That bothers the hell outta me too!
Nintendo is a CORPORATE ENTITY.. IE SINGULAR!! ARGH!

hehe, but really its one of the areas of grammar that is changing, likely 50 years from now that whole rule will be changed.

Doesn't that rule only apply to american english?

 

[Xellotah]

Well, Wario Ware did pretty well in the west, Nintendogs is doing GREAT from what I heard, and I'm sure the Brain games will be huge hits here too if they keep the prices as low as in Japan.

I think he was referring to the antipathy.

 

[DDayton]

If "Nintendo" were being used to describe the business, I can understand using either "is" or "are".

When "Nintendo" is being used to describe a catagory of items ("Nintendo are just for kids"), I get a little more picky. If "Nintendo" is being used as a catagory, it is necessarily a singular entity, like "animation", "Twain", or "American Literature". In that case, you should really use "is".

The article quoted seemed to use "Nintendo" to refer to the entire catagory of video games produced by Nintendo (or the brand, perhaps), and not specifically to the corporation itself. I'd argue that "is" would be the proper word to use in that case.

(Not that it matters, as American English is becoming the dominant form, anyway.)

 

[Diffense]

it's the case that the ds is selling in japan, and it's a persistent gaf belief that ds has good games, but you won't be able to connect the two until stuff like castlevania starts outselling stuff like brain training. you have no evidence. i, meanwhile, have exhibit b: nintendogs.

i propose that the psp would be selling even worse in japan if it had any new games.

exhibit of
'logic'
unfathomable
in its
egotism

 

[RevenantKioku]

it's the case that the ds is selling in japan, and it's a persistent gaf belief that ds has good games, but you won't be able to connect the two until stuff like castlevania starts outselling stuff like brain training. you have no evidence. i, meanwhile, have exhibit b: nintendogs.

i propose that the psp would be selling even worse in japan if it had any new games.

Hi thar, show me good PSP games plz? OH WAIT.
Both systems are in shambles for quality game titles as far as I'm concerned.
But they both have their subsections. Sony went with movies and music, Nintendo went with non-games and looky what the Japanese market wanted!
DS smash.

 

[crisdecuba]

Hrmm... one could say that we're looking at a similar situation with the Revolution. With the PSP, Sony was going for as advanced a portable system as they could muster - Nintendo countered with a new interface (touch screen), a variety of "secondary options" (mic, 2 screens), and an increased focus on wireless play... and the power of the system, while way less than the PSP, still was a significant increase (like going from SNES to N64).

Now with the PS3, Sony is going for the most advanced console technology possible - Nintendo counters with a new interface (freestyle remote), a variety of "secondary options" (backwards compatibility with the entire Nintendo back-library, and whatever else they haven't revealed), and an increased focus on wirless play... (the "power" issue is yet to be resolved).

This is why I think Nintendo is going to be successful beyond the portable realm - their approach is different and their philosophy is sound.

~Cris

 

[Jonnyboy117]

(I was furiously masturbating over it), and it wasn't long before he joined in

....

 

[marc^o^]

Hrmm... one could say that we're looking at a similar situation with the Revolution. With the PSP, Sony was going for as advanced a portable system as they could muster - Nintendo countered with a new interface (touch screen), a variety of "secondary options" (mic, 2 screens), and an increased focus on wireless play... and the power of the system, while way less than the PSP, still was a significant increase (like going from SNES to N64).

Now with the PS3, Sony is going for the most advanced console technology possible - Nintendo counters with a new interface (freestyle remote), a variety of "secondary options" (backwards compatibility with the entire Nintendo back-library, and whatever else they haven't revealed), and an increased focus on wirless play... (the "power" issue is yet to be resolved).

This is why I think Nintendo is going to be successful beyond the portable realm - their approach is different and their philosophy is sound.

~Cris

So easy to figure out, yet so hard for some to digest.

 

[Ceb]

Hrmm... one could say that we're looking at a similar situation with the Revolution. With the PSP, Sony was going for as advanced a portable system as they could muster - Nintendo countered with a new interface (touch screen), a variety of "secondary options" (mic, 2 screens), and an increased focus on wireless play... and the power of the system, while way less than the PSP, still was a significant increase (like going from SNES to N64).

Now with the PS3, Sony is going for the most advanced console technology possible - Nintendo counters with a new interface (freestyle remote), a variety of "secondary options" (backwards compatibility with the entire Nintendo back-library, and whatever else they haven't revealed), and an increased focus on wirless play... (the "power" issue is yet to be resolved).
~Cris

And both the DS and PSP have been successful so far! It just remains to be seen which one can tap into unchartered waters the most.

Rev and PS3 is a whole different ballgame though. A big plus for the DS is its portability, something Rev doesn't have. I see it becoming a nice secondary system for the hardcore, plus a good choice for the usual pro-Nintendo crowd. Anyone who thinks grannies are gonna plunk down the system is delusional though. The videogame market doesn't need saving, just a bit more focus.

 

[Mad Hatter]

I agree with all the stuff you listed except for the bad dpad diagonal controls. You're actually right that PSP has a terrible d-pad, but it's not really a reason that the DS is doing better than the PSP since the DS has a terrible d-pad that's bad at diagonals as well.

There hasn't been a good d-pad on a handheld since...ever :\

NGPC Clicky pad!!!

 

[Razoric]

I'd like to see PSP get a few true killer apps (ie not just PS2 ports w/ '33% more content') before saying who had the better stratagy.

Obviously Nintendo has hit the jackpot with Nintendogs and Brain Training. It'll be interesting to see how Sony combats this.

 

[RevenantKioku]

NGPC Clicky pad!!!

God that was awfully noisy.
But still beat the PSP's analog nub.

 

[borghe]

Rev and DS will be the saviours of the industry.

Apathy hasn't hit the West yet, but it is coming. Many forget that videogames have been mainstream in Japan for a much longer period of time than in the West. They have really just been mainstream through the end of last gen and now through this gen. Once all of those mainstream gamers realize they have been playing the same games for two (now soon to be three) generations, apathy will set in.

Once they see the DS and Rev and realize that these aren't the same games and bring something new to the table (at least some games) it will surge sales.

Not saying Nintendo will be number one this coming gen, but ironically they will still save the industry from atrophy. They will drive gamers to purchases and will still remain relevant. Pretty impressive for a company who aside from first party sales and handhelds was all but still born this generation.

 

[Juice]

Rev and PS3 is a whole different ballgame though. A big plus for the DS is its portability, something Rev doesn't have. I see it becoming a nice secondary system for the hardcore, plus a good choice for the usual pro-Nintendo crowd. Anyone who thinks grannies are gonna plunk down the system is delusional though. The videogame market doesn't need saving, just a bit more focus.

I would argue against that.

PS3 and PSP:
-More or less introduce an entirely new movie disc format
-Are as gun-ho about being as high-tech as possible
-Are focused on really slick, multi-media centric approach to digital lifestyle
-Seemingly apathetic to online. Completely unwilling to firm it up under a single umbrella.
-Are not wavering at all in their traditional approach to interface/input
-Aside from having an improved SDK, are doing nothing to slow down rising dev costs

Rev and DS:
-Pretty much unconcerned with storage format, beyond how it applies to game performance. Completely proprietary for almost every purpose.
-Completely saying "fuck it" to being at the cutting edge of graphics, the first time Nintendo's taken that approach so drastically (though one could argue that the Famicom was a miracle of cheap-skatery)
-Are focused on straightforward legacy of gaming, as opposed to multimedia. The DS and Revolution will be able to play everything but Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, though who's to say for sure the Revolution won't be capable.
-Convinced that easy wi-fi gaming is finally ready for the mainstream, and implementing it wherever it makes sense in games for both systems--completely cross-compatible as far as we know.
-Obviously engaged in massive input/interface overhauls. Both have one major overhaul (touch screen / gyro) and a bunch of minor ones (microphone / shell, GBA slot for rumble/tilt packs / expandability of remote).
-By not trying to be cutting edge, completely undercutting the competition by being able to offer tried-and-true middleware packages based on current technology and cutting development costs dramatically.

They sound really quite similar to me. It's not about saving the industry. The industry was just as fine with millions of GBAs floating around as it is with millions of PS2s. The Rev and the DS both attack the same angle. If anything, one might wonder whether Nintendo will release a second console in 2008 and claim a fourth pillar in the industry, one of technical excellence and one of sandbox innovation. (Obviously that won't happen unless Sony and Microsoft spontaneously combust, but it seems that would be Nintendo's ideal strategy atm).

 

[ThunderEmperor]

I would argue against that.

PS3 and PSP:
-More or less introduce an entirely new movie disc format
-Are as gun-ho about being as high-tech as possible
-Are focused on really slick, multi-media centric approach to digital lifestyle
-Seemingly apathetic to online. Completely unwilling to firm it up under a single umbrella.
-Are not wavering at all in their traditional approach to interface/input
-Aside from having an improved SDK, are doing nothing to slow down rising dev costs

Rev and DS:
-Pretty much unconcerned with storage format, beyond how it applies to game performance. Completely proprietary for almost every purpose.
-Completely saying "fuck it" to being at the cutting edge of graphics, the first time Nintendo's taken that approach so drastically (though one could argue that the Famicom was a miracle of cheap-skatery)
-Are focused on straightforward legacy of gaming, as opposed to multimedia. The DS and Revolution will be able to play everything but Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, though who's to say for sure the Revolution won't be capable.
-Convinced that easy wi-fi gaming is finally ready for the mainstream, and implementing it wherever it makes sense in games for both systems--completely cross-compatible as far as we know.
-Obviously engaged in massive input/interface overhauls. Both have one major overhaul (touch screen / gyro) and a bunch of minor ones (microphone / shell, GBA slot for rumble/tilt packs / expandability of remote).
-By not trying to be cutting edge, completely undercutting the competition by being able to offer tried-and-true middleware packages based on current technology and cutting development costs dramatically.

They sound really quite similar to me. It's not about saving the industry. The industry was just as fine with millions of GBAs floating around as it is with millions of PS2s. The Rev and the DS both attack the same angle. If anything, one might wonder whether Nintendo will release a second console in 2008 and claim a fourth pillar in the industry, one of technical excellence and one of sandbox innovation. (Obviously that won't happen unless Sony and Microsoft spontaneously combust, but it seems that would be Nintendo's ideal strategy atm).

they thing about your argument on ps3 and psp,is that they don't aid gaming but do aid muiltmedia entertainment. rev and ds are gaming devices that bring something totally diffreent to gaming. which means rev and ds go to show gaming has a different angle besides sequels and gta clones as an example. while ps3 and psp , brings more of the samw with the last generation, which is simple we will make this more multimedia than a fuckign pc.