We can probably lock this thread, b/c the nail got hit squarely on the head with this post. Perspective says it all. If you can't wait 30 seconds (and realize that the load times listed are HALF that), then I don't know how you got through the last two gens (yes, even my GC has 10+ second load times as evidenced by Madden 2005), and I don't know how you're gonna enjoy gaming from now on. With each gen, RAM increases. Drive speeds increase too, but with more RAM to fill, it means the games will still have load time. The only ways to drop load times to the sub 5s region is with a HDD or by using solid-state media. Both are costly and shortsighted options. The best option is to just stop bitching about it.Belfast said:Shit people, you need to get some perspective. You're complaining about this loading time from the perspective of it being a PRINCIPLE (i.e. Portables should not have load times, blah blah blah) instead of the looking at the reality of the situation. OK, so you're sitting on the toilet, doing your business. ANY game you boot up is going to take at least 30 seconds for you to get into anyway. I'm not talking about loading up, but instead actually accomplishing any goals within said game. When you're done doing your business, you're just going to switch off the game without having actually accomplished anything. The ONLY game that could circumvent this is Wario Ware, but that's because of the way it was designed. Its not worth complaining about since WW plays faster than just about ANY other game out there. This whole thing is about as silly as when people were bitching about FF7 before it came out cause there was going to be swearing and crossdressing and shit. I should know, I was there. I was an embittered Nbot at the time! What I'm saying is that those 30 seconds are ultimately negligent in ANY REALISTIC SITUATION. If you plan on sitting on the toilet for another 30 minutes after you're done, too lazy to move, that it honestly doesn't matter anyway, now does it?
Please, people, get some perspective and quit complaining about absolutely banal (and completely expected, since WE'VE KNOWN THE PSP USES AN OPTICAL DRIVE SINCE IT WAS ANNOUNCED) bullshit. Do you honestly think 30 seconds is going to matter on a long car trip? Do you think 30 seconds is going to be long at the doctor's office (since it usually takes an hour to actually get in there anyway after you've signed in)? Do you think it matters for the average Japanese person on a 2hour commute to work?
They aren't better because of it, but I think it makes it clear that those factors don't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, and definitely not to the extent the fanboys would want us to think. It really just boils down to software and marketing IMO.JoshuaJSlone said:Sure the most popular system has had the longest load times, fewest controller ports, and highest price, but that doesn't make those qualities any better.
There are more console gamers than handheld gamers. Thus, there are more casual gamers on consoles than there are on handhelds. Can you recall a time when one of your friends complained about the load time? I keep mentioning it b/c it is probably the worst offender of load times in history, but we've had endless Madden marathons where not a single peep was made about the load time. And on the PS2, the load times just to get into a game has to be over 20 seconds, and close to 30. It's friggin insane. On the GC, it's gotta be over 15 seconds. Yet the loading has never taken away from the fun of the game. If you really haven't adjusted to loadtimes in games, then you haven't played many of them in the last few years. Load times are a matter of fact now. They'll never be gone until solid-state media is dirt cheap is massive quantities. But seeing as that hasn't happened yet, I'm not gonna hold my breath. A plastic disc will always be cheaper to manufacture than silicon. So, optical media (and the load time it brings) will always be around. PEACE.paul777 said:I have a very hard time believing that loading times won't make a difference. The bulk of handheld gaming consumers are as casual as they come. They look for convenience, simple recognizable fun, low prices, and pokemon (notice that the prettiest graphics or newest tech does not factor in at all). PSP can offer the simple fun, but loading times are awfully inconvenient and a deal breaker for a consumer that just wants that simple fun on the go. Factor in the gargantuan competition that the PSP faces in the Game Boy Advance and its pseudo-sequel, DS, and those loading times become an issue if Sony intends for this thing to compete for Nintendo's market.