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[neptunes]

" However, he tried to assure skeptics that Sony's long record with portable electronics would ensure a respectable battery life. "I don't know what everyone is worried about...The PSP has been designed for low-power consumption," he said, mentioning the low-power demands of the device's VME (virtual mobile engine) specifically. He said both the PSP's battery life and final retail price would be revealed at the Tokyo Game Show later this month.

The PSP will be based around four key blocks: the main CPU core, the media engine, the dedicated graphics processor, and the "Virtual Mobile engine," a reconfigurable assistant chip that will also be used in Sony's Walkman portable music player to conserve battery life. At press time, it wasn't clear whether each block would be integrated or broken out into a separate chip.

I want to hear more...

 

[xsarien]

"However, he tried to assure skeptics that Sony's long record with portable electronics would ensure a respectable battery life. 'I don't know what everyone is worried about...'"

Well, you see, whenever you completely dodge the question whenever someone asks, it starts to look like you're hiding something.

 

[hooo]

Those are pointless sales, I mean the hardware itself is usually barely turning a profit especially at first and if you buy hardware with no intent of buying no games , no one is making money from you.

The more hardware sold, the larger the perceived audience the publisher sees, and with the hardware in hand, even the pirates might just buy one piece of software.

 

[Deg]

Um...

"The DS will run for ten hours on one lithium battery charge." - Official Nintendo Mag UK, #143, p. 24

So...

I dont think they know

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Well, that's good. Did not know that for sure. Does that mean we can play PSP games on a television?

Just the fact that it is able to connect with the PS2 means about as much for playing PSP on television as the GCN-GBA cable has to do with playing GBA on the television.

 

[jett]

"I have no idea what the battery life is going to be like. It will depend on a lot of factors, like how loud the player has the volume."

:lol WTF?

 

[Socreges]

Just the fact that it is able to connect with the PS2 means about as much for playing PSP on television as the GCN-GBA cable has to do with playing GBA on the television.

In this case, sure, maybe. But just because the GCN-GBA cable was designed to go through a controller port and carry relatively little information does not mean the same would necessarily apply to one for the PS2 that goes through a USB port. The rule, if there is one, would be that you can't send video/audio information through such a cable and port.

 

[The Faceless Master]

PS2 is USB 1.1...

i dunno how well that will fly with a full screen display...

 

[Keio]

"I have no idea what the battery life is going to be like. It will depend on a lot of factors, like how loud the player has the volume."

Isn't volume the biggest drain/variable for most portable MUSIC players?

Do you think that the feared "other Sony department blunders in on a SCEI project"-thing has happened?

 

[iapetus]

Um. Volume changes the battery life of the GBA too, IME.

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

Um. Volume changes the battery life of the GBA too, IME.

In my experience, not really to the point that Nintendo couldn't still at least attempt to give a general estimation of battery life. The difference is rather small. I find it strange that Sony isn't even attempting to tell anyone a remotely concrete estimate.

 

[kaching]

oic

I guess the coverage the other day didn't have enough partisan bias injected into it to attract interest.

As for the unflagging interest in the PSP's battery life vs. the DS's its worth noting AGAIN that Sony has already been more forthcoming about battery life than Nintendo has. Sony has acknowledged the fact that the PSP is a device with variable power consumption by indicating battery life expectations for a number of different uses - 2-3 hrs for CPU intensive games, 8-10 hrs for music with the screen turned off, etc. Meanwhile, to my knowledge, Nintendo has only indicated one number for DS battery life, 10 hrs, which was unspecific about which use that referred to - is that for...

- GBA gameplay, where the touchscreen will likely be turned off
- Or is that for actual DS games using both screens
- And what if a DS game doesn't use the touchscreen for input
- And what if a DS game only shows fairly static visuals on one screen vs using both screens for rapidly changing visuals
- And what about the cost to battery life for using either form of wireless multiplayer?

Etc.

So, given the fact that Sony has already given more insight into PSP battery life than Nintendo has for the DS, perhaps the reason why Bain was so recalcitrant about answering the questions on battery life was because they were all apparently coming from reporters, not developers for whom the conference was for:

The session closed with an at-times heated exchange between reporters and Bain on the PSP's most controversial feature, its still-secret battery life.

Kaz Hirai has gone on record more than once about PSP battery life so what are reporters still fishing for, monopolizing a Q&A session that is meant for developers, with Gamespot go so far as to label the battery life as "still-secret"?

I'm not a game developer, but I do business software development and have gone to plenty of developer conferences - I have rarely seen reporters attempt to monopolize a Q&A session meant specifically for developers at such an event. Professional journalists seek the answers they're looking for offline or in GENERAL Q&A sessions.

 

[GDGF]

It's like i've been saying all this time. Sony didn't do it's research or something (or they just chose to ignore history) and created a handheld with the same problems that sank all other Gameboy family competitors.



And things have been getting much worse for the PSP as time goes on. I don't see how one could argue otherwise.

 

[iapetus]

In my experience, not really to the point that Nintendo couldn't still at least attempt to give a general estimation of battery life.

I'm not saying it does. Just pointing it out for the people who seem to find it hard to believe that volume could have an impact on battery life.

 

[kaching]

LW - I accept your challenge. Pull together your "talking points" and let's see how well I fare arguing otherwise

I'll be out for the next few hrs but will respond when I return.

 

[TekunoRobby]

Don't LW, you'll enter an endless hell where there is no escape and the only victor is kaching no matter how correct you might be.

HAR TIS A JOKE.

Anyways I'm waiting for TGS myself, I can't way to see what Sony produces for that show.

 

[GDGF]

:lol No way, guy. This isn't the primaries and I'm not running for president of the handheld kingdom (think that's jarrod's job anyway)

 

[Lazy8s]

Observers realize that battery life and price are the two most critical standards that must be maintained while delivering performance/functionality for the portable mass market. Nintendo has shown this with their Game Boy line that is one of the highest installed and highest selling pieces of consumer electronics ever.

The whole mobile market is growing, yet selling points like portable movie watching, which has been testing the market in mobile DVD players, hasn't proved to be a killer app.

 

[doncale]

....this just in, breaking news.....


......PSP will require you to hook up to your PS2 for power........

thus giving you unlimited playtime, so long as your PSP is attached to your PS2

 

[Deg]

I guess the coverage the other day didn't have enough partisan bias injected into it to attract interest.

As for the unflagging interest in the PSP's battery life vs. the DS's its worth noting AGAIN that Sony has already been more forthcoming about battery life than Nintendo has. Sony has acknowledged the fact that the PSP is a device with variable power consumption by indicating battery life expectations for a number of different uses - 2-3 hrs for CPU intensive games, 8-10 hrs for music with the screen turned off, etc. Meanwhile, to my knowledge, Nintendo has only indicated one number for DS battery life, 10 hrs, which was unspecific about which use that referred to - is that for...

- GBA gameplay, where the touchscreen will likely be turned off
- Or is that for actual DS games using both screens
- And what if a DS game doesn't use the touchscreen for input
- And what if a DS game only shows fairly static visuals on one screen vs using both screens for rapidly changing visuals
- And what about the cost to battery life for using either form of wireless multiplayer?

Etc.

So, given the fact that Sony has already given more insight into PSP battery life than Nintendo has for the DS, perhaps the reason why Bain was so recalcitrant about answering the questions on battery life was because they were all apparently coming from reporters, not developers for whom the conference was for:



Kaz Hirai has gone on record more than once about PSP battery life so what are reporters still fishing for, monopolizing a Q&A session that is meant for developers, with Gamespot go so far as to label the battery life as "still-secret"?

I'm not a game developer, but I do business software development and have gone to plenty of developer conferences - I have rarely seen reporters attempt to monopolize a Q&A session meant specifically for developers at such an event. Professional journalists seek the answers they're looking for offline or in GENERAL Q&A sessions.

actually Nintendo havent said a thing about Ds's battery life.

 

[firex]

What? You mean Sony's mega-hyped latest piece of technology isn't going to deliver what they claim? SHOCKING.

 

[JJConrad]

If Sony gave a straight answer on the PSP's battery-life, without the countless variables, without the damage control, without the spin.... the badgering would cease. Sony's spin has backfired because it has made the company look unconfident and weak about the system.

Granted if the battery-life is as poor as it seems, then they'll be badgered about it being so low.... but that's to be expected.... and completely deserved.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

actually Nintendo havent said a thing about Ds's battery life.

Nor do they have to give specifics on verying gameplay setups. You can assume that it'll be for both screens, lit and judging from their record, they will be underestimating battery life. The GBASP gives me a shit ton of hours. You don't even have to think about it.

 

[jarrod]

If you go for PSP like performance on a smaller screen you will be wasting your R&D dollars and for the rest of the system... well if you want similar performance you will pay a similar price.

I agree... with the smaller screens on DS, N64 level performance is just fine for good looking 3D. A higher spec chipset would be wasted without a similar jump in the display.

actually Nintendo havent said a thing about Ds's battery life.

Perrin Kaplan (sp?) mentioned battery performance should be close to GBASP (about 10 hours with lighting on). I expect WiFi options/play would drain that more quickly though.

 

[maharg]

"Sure, but UMD will still eat more regardless"

Disk drives are rather efficient these days, my minidisc can go for some 40 odd hours on one AA battery. I saw a MP3/WMA portable CD player that was labelled as 100 hours for WMA playback.

The name of the game is read-cache-stop. there ain't no way you're gonna see big games that constantly stream from music or level data from disc. and if you do see them, then THOSE are gonna be the battery hogs. normal games shouldn't cause a problem as far as battery drain through disc access goes.

An audio CD, for the most part, rarely needs to seek. That is, as long as it's playing it needs to spin up exactly once and spin down exactly once. MD does have random seeking if you've done a lot of editing, and obviously those CDs would as well, having files on them instead of simple music tracks, but in ideal conditions neither should have to seek very much.

I find it funny that people think a situation where you're constantly spinning up and applying breaks to a disc motor is *better* than a constant speed for a longer time. More energy is always used in accelerating and decelerating than maintaining.

 

[deadhorse32]

An audio CD, for the most part, rarely needs to seek. That is, as long as it's playing it needs to spin up exactly once and spin down exactly once. MD does have random seeking if you've done a lot of editing, and obviously those CDs would as well, having files on them instead of simple music tracks, but in ideal conditions neither should have to seek very much.

I find it funny that people think a situation where you're constantly spinning up and applying breaks to a disc motor is *better* than a constant speed for a longer time. More energy is always used in accelerating and decelerating than maintaining.

You make too much sense SHUT UP

 

[Master Chieftec]

If you turn down the volume you will have a longer battery life?
Is this Sony's vision on handheld gaming?

 

[neptunes]

"ALRIGHT! that's enough bashing for one day, move along!"

 

[Kiriku]

'However, he tried to assure skeptics that Sony's long record with portable electronics would ensure a respectable battery life. "I don't know what everyone is worried about...The PSP has been designed for low-power consumption"'

PR bullshit, or could there actually be some truth in this statement? At least there's hope.

 

[GDGF]

Since this thread is just about dead, I'd like to use this opportunity to post a new picture of people enjoying the Nintendo DS (and no wires to be found!)

Enjoy!

 

[Lord Error]

Since this thread is just about dead, I'd like to use this opportunity to post a new picture of people enjoying the Nintendo DS (and no wires to be found!)

Are you sure? I see some kind of shadow...

 

[iapetus]

Slanted thread title, check.
Increasingly desperate trolling, check.
Thread locked, check.