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PSP primarily multimedia device games machine second?
- Thread starter Monk
- Start date
the ipod video says "that's really too bad."
sony has to stop being so schizophrenic. focus on one or the other and put everything behind it. because right now the general public doesn't know how to treat the psp and it is showing in every territory except for uk.. hell it could even be showing in the uk. who knows how many more units they could sell there if they would concentrate on the unit as a primarily singular device.
sony has to stop being so schizophrenic. focus on one or the other and put everything behind it. because right now the general public doesn't know how to treat the psp and it is showing in every territory except for uk.. hell it could even be showing in the uk. who knows how many more units they could sell there if they would concentrate on the unit as a primarily singular device.
Well the beauty of the PSP is that you can use it for either of those purposes depending on your requirements at the time and it does both jobs equally as well. Best portable movie player on the merket, best portable games device on the market.
/hugs PSP
/makes sure nobody is looking and gives PSP a tonguey
/hugs PSP
/makes sure nobody is looking and gives PSP a tonguey
In my local big retail and game specialty stores, the DS has to share floor space with the GBA. The PSP has two areas for games and one for movies. Although I agree that it is a problem when they mix UMD movies and games together, but I don't think PSP has been given the shaft in terms of marketing space.
Now as for UMD movie numbers being greater than games, that's the consumer's fault for buying those damn things.
Now as for UMD movie numbers being greater than games, that's the consumer's fault for buying those damn things.
sonycowboy
Member
BorkBork said:
The number of facings for PSP games at most retailers is usually at least 2-3 times what the DS gets. Not quite sure what the original poster was trying to read out of the dfc article.
borghe said:
Why should they? The real strength of the PSP is that it is a multimedia device, games being one of those media. I think they'd be better off playing to that strength in their advertising. As far as the development angle is concerned, it's not like it takes a ton of resources on anyone's part to release movies on UMD, so focusing on that aspect of the machine probably wouldn't yield much different results on that front than what we're seeing now anyway.
(As an aside, does anyone here know if this 'DFC Intelligence' outfit is legit? For a research company supposedly specializing in interactive entertainment, their website looks awfully ghetto. Not to mention the fact that AFAIK, most legitimate analysts don't use multiple exclamation points - the 'New Market Research Reports Released!!!' link looks more like a forum topic than anything I'd expect from a company that expects to be taken seriously.
)As an aside let me tell you how our PSP got used the other day.
Took it to work, played Burnout Legends at lunchtime.
Came home missus stuck her memory card full of photos and home movies in it, took it with her to visit her mother, showed her pictures.
Came back went out to eat, played Burnout Legends on the way to restaurant.
After being seated and while waiting for our food watched Sahara.
I don't know if the PSP is the greatest portable videogame device, etc...
I do know that it's multiple functions suits our household very well.
Took it to work, played Burnout Legends at lunchtime.
Came home missus stuck her memory card full of photos and home movies in it, took it with her to visit her mother, showed her pictures.
Came back went out to eat, played Burnout Legends on the way to restaurant.
After being seated and while waiting for our food watched Sahara.
I don't know if the PSP is the greatest portable videogame device, etc...
I do know that it's multiple functions suits our household very well.
I could agree with this. Most retailers I've been at here in the Netherlands, generally stock quite a bit more UMD movies and music instead of games.
Meanwhile though, the NDS seems to share shelfspace with either GBA or NGC, which makes it's store presence rather limited. So it all balances out quite nicely in the end it seems. Wonder how this will change this year.
Meanwhile though, the NDS seems to share shelfspace with either GBA or NGC, which makes it's store presence rather limited. So it all balances out quite nicely in the end it seems. Wonder how this will change this year.
I seriously don't understand why the PSP never seems to be viewed for the value of all of it's parts. The PSP is such a great device. And hell, I admittedly haven't even played a game on it in a while. Honestly, if the PSP launched with an HDD, I don't see how it could be considered anything less than the greatest portable device ever created. Yet the iPod, costing more money than the PSP, is seen as some massively exciting value, while many think the PSP is too expensive. Shit, I love my iPod too, but it isn't nearly as useful as the PSP. On the PSP, not only can you play plenty of great games, but you can also listen to music (and the PSP's music output is actually better than the iPods'), watch movies, listen to podcasts, and even browse GAF or check your email. Yeah, the iPod holds a shitload more music, but I think the other features ad so much more to the PSP. Bah.
Usually the saying goes "more than the sum of its parts" but in the PSP case the broad perceptions seems to be "less than the sum of its parts". People don't really like jack of all trades devices that are not cellphones because a cellphone you will carry around with you anyways. People in the market for an additional music player device will likely not chose a PSP because all the alternatives are much better at playing music. Many people will also rather chose a different device for portable movie playback that plays dvds. Games is what people go to the PSP for because it is what it is best at and does better than anything else (except the DS of course 
. Now, in the public eye the perception of its gaming strengths is blurried because it is unclear where the PSP's focus is.
For the record, I never understood why console makers want to establish their machines as multi media jack of all trades media hubs.
. Now, in the public eye the perception of its gaming strengths is blurried because it is unclear where the PSP's focus is. For the record, I never understood why console makers want to establish their machines as multi media jack of all trades media hubs.
elostyle said:
Because the console makers that DO, are not true game companies to begin with (Microsoft and Sony). This might sound a bit harsh, but the videogame market is just an interesting way for them of claiming multimedia hub dominance in households all over the world. It's far more profitable for them than just focussing on games.
This is probably the biggest difference between Nintendo and Sony/MS and also explains the difference in business strategies between them for a large part.
Forsete said:
http://rafpsp.blogspot.com/
You need firmware 1.5 for it, but just set your psp network settings to dhcp, it picks up all the shoutcast radio stations from around the world and streams them to your psp. Its working like a charm, I'm using the latest .37 beta, just chuck it in the usual spot, hit start, connect to your network, hit start again, hit triangle and choose a genre.
ftp://ftp.berlios.de/pub/pspradio/pre_releases/PSPRadio0.37-pre8.zip
Took a snap of it in action, one of the best things about it is it shows the song title playing so if you hear a mad tune you can easily get it later.
DaCocoBrova
Finally bought a new PSP, but then pushed the demon onto someone else. Jesus.
Please keep in mind that casuals aren't going to be using PSPVideo 9 to encode content and what not. Hence the strong UMD movie sales. I'm sure about 6% of the PSP owning population uses the device to its fullest.
I thought it was until December's lineup in Japan. I hadn't touched my PSP since early summer and had been enjoying the great DS lineup for Oct/Nov. I had thought DS was the place to be and PSP had totally blown their chance. Then game December.
Exit
Megaman X Irregular Hunter
My My Katamari Damacy
Metal Gear Acid 2
Devil Summoner (a port, but much better than the original Saturn game)
Suddenly there's more games on the PSP than I can even play and I'm having to backlog PSP titles because I just can't play them all in a month. It's like PSP came back out of nowhere and is suddenly the best handheld I've ever played. If they can keep up quality games like this for the next year, the PSP is gonna be like the PS2: a really weak first year or so while developers are coming to grips with the system...and then total awesome-ness for the following 5 years.
Exit
Megaman X Irregular Hunter
My My Katamari Damacy
Metal Gear Acid 2
Devil Summoner (a port, but much better than the original Saturn game)
Suddenly there's more games on the PSP than I can even play and I'm having to backlog PSP titles because I just can't play them all in a month. It's like PSP came back out of nowhere and is suddenly the best handheld I've ever played. If they can keep up quality games like this for the next year, the PSP is gonna be like the PS2: a really weak first year or so while developers are coming to grips with the system...and then total awesome-ness for the following 5 years.
Galactic Fork
A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
People just throw out there how great the PSP is that it can do all these things. The problem isn't if it can do them, it's if it does them well enough to choose it over something that specializes in a function. I think you have to look at each of its main features separately to see how they stack up.
MP3 player: As an MP3 player the PSP is huge and you have to use both hands to sort through music. Requires the memory sticks too, so to hold more music you have to spend even more money and still can't compare to a 20 gig mp3 player that's much smaller.
Movie player: Well, the screen's pretty, but you can't play DVDs. You have to play a proprietyary media disc with comparable prices to DVDs, not nearly the selection, and you don't even get the same special features of DVDs. You could buy an army of portable DVD players with the money to buy the PSP + the UMDs to compare to many people's DVD collections. Sure you can rip your DVDs to your computer and load them to the memory sticks, but is that a feature that Sony wants to be bragging about?
Portable Gaming device: It does this quite well, and has wonderful graphics. But it isn't as portable as it should be with the battery life. Plus it's not very durable, so you have to be careful when taking it with you.
I honestly don't know how good the PSP is at surfing the internet. But I would personally think with the screen, viewing typical web pages would be nearly impossible. But I can't be sure of this myself. But I hate typing with a DPad, so it can't be fun.
I really think Sony should have primarily considered the PSP a gaming device. But they want everybody to think it's a carpet you can watch outside.
MP3 player: As an MP3 player the PSP is huge and you have to use both hands to sort through music. Requires the memory sticks too, so to hold more music you have to spend even more money and still can't compare to a 20 gig mp3 player that's much smaller.
Movie player: Well, the screen's pretty, but you can't play DVDs. You have to play a proprietyary media disc with comparable prices to DVDs, not nearly the selection, and you don't even get the same special features of DVDs. You could buy an army of portable DVD players with the money to buy the PSP + the UMDs to compare to many people's DVD collections. Sure you can rip your DVDs to your computer and load them to the memory sticks, but is that a feature that Sony wants to be bragging about?
Portable Gaming device: It does this quite well, and has wonderful graphics. But it isn't as portable as it should be with the battery life. Plus it's not very durable, so you have to be careful when taking it with you.
I honestly don't know how good the PSP is at surfing the internet. But I would personally think with the screen, viewing typical web pages would be nearly impossible. But I can't be sure of this myself. But I hate typing with a DPad, so it can't be fun.
I really think Sony should have primarily considered the PSP a gaming device. But they want everybody to think it's a carpet you can watch outside.
DaCocoBrova
Finally bought a new PSP, but then pushed the demon onto someone else. Jesus.
^^
Doesn't own a PSP.
Doesn't own a PSP.
Broad perception, eh? Sounds like you're trying to extend relative Japanese ambivalence towards PSP far beyond its bounds.elostyle said:
Well, you see, at the point when the CE companies begin to achieve the ability to produce affordable gaming devices with CD-quality stereo sound and full-motion video for the purposes of gaming some of those companies will naturally come to the realization, along with a portion of the marketplace, that those capabilities can naturally be isolated and offered as standalone services in addition to the gaming services without hampering the gaming services, simply enriching the overall experience and enhancing the value proposition of the device with little additional investment.
It's crazy, I know.
The Take Out Bandit
Member
1. There are PSP kiosks at retail now.
2. Sony please drop the price so more people can afford to move out of the portable ghetto and realize what a magnificent device the PSP is.
It's literally Jesus in a box.
I opened it, and now I have fish and wine for all my parties.
Maybe the Government can provide like - Gaming Section 8 or something.
2. Sony please drop the price so more people can afford to move out of the portable ghetto and realize what a magnificent device the PSP is.
It's literally Jesus in a box.
I opened it, and now I have fish and wine for all my parties.
Maybe the Government can provide like - Gaming Section 8 or something.
Galactic Fork
A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
Lionheart said:
Well, it's marketing. I don't mind if it HAS extra features, heck it can have a built in blender for all I care. But the focus should be on video games. But no, they want the all in one techy people and urban nomads, who don't even need to like video games to enjoy the PSP. They want people to see all these great things it can do. If they would focus on video games, then we would probably see better 1st party support, and better 3rd party support as well. It's so much easier for 3rd party publishers just to push out ports when the company that created the thing seems to be downplaying the video game aspect.
The point of my previous post was to say OK, if you want the PSP to be considered an MP3 player, then fine, how good is it as an MP3 player. It wouldn't be so bad if Sony said, hey it's a portable video game system that can play MP3s if you want to. But no... it's a Multimedia Device. So it should be judged by how well it does them.
I agree that video gaming should be the number one focus of the PSP. Sure, having the other features is a bonus. However gaming should be the primary focus.
A perfect example of this is I went into my local Circuit City and I started looking for PSP's in the videogame section. Guess what? There were none to be found. Do you know why? Because they were sitting in the same area as the ipods!! Why? I mean why are they choosing to go head to head with ipod instead of as a portable games machine? Honestly, the ipod smokes the PSP as far as storage and size/convenience. If I was looking for a music player only, the PSP would be my last choice.
As a portable video player it's a nice bonus. However because Sony is using the proprietary UMD format, it's never going to sell very well on that aspect alone. Very few people are going to buy 40 year old virgin on dvd AND on UMD. It's just not going to happen.
So at the end of the day, what we're left with is a kick ass portable games machine that, oh yeah, just so happens to do video, photo, and mp3. This should be the focus of the machine.
A perfect example of this is I went into my local Circuit City and I started looking for PSP's in the videogame section. Guess what? There were none to be found. Do you know why? Because they were sitting in the same area as the ipods!! Why? I mean why are they choosing to go head to head with ipod instead of as a portable games machine? Honestly, the ipod smokes the PSP as far as storage and size/convenience. If I was looking for a music player only, the PSP would be my last choice.
As a portable video player it's a nice bonus. However because Sony is using the proprietary UMD format, it's never going to sell very well on that aspect alone. Very few people are going to buy 40 year old virgin on dvd AND on UMD. It's just not going to happen.
So at the end of the day, what we're left with is a kick ass portable games machine that, oh yeah, just so happens to do video, photo, and mp3. This should be the focus of the machine.
The Take Out Bandit
Member
Haven't shocking UMD movie sales silenced these morons yet?
Honestly, I'm one of the smart, good looking, well dressed PSP owners and I know I can dump my favorite movies to memory stick; but for some reason morons keep buying the damned UMD movies.
What Sony needs is The One Game™ (all consoles need one, not just the PSP) that all you morons can agree on that "justifies" it's relevance as a portable gaming device.
So far as gaming goes I'm having a grand old time. It has the best version of Twisted Metal on it, with on-line play. And there are games in most of the genres I like that I will purchase as time and funds allow.
Still, it's all telling you Lemmings what cliff to jump off of, so Sony needs to do something fast I'm getting tired of hearing this crap.
Honestly, I'm one of the smart, good looking, well dressed PSP owners and I know I can dump my favorite movies to memory stick; but for some reason morons keep buying the damned UMD movies.
What Sony needs is The One Game™ (all consoles need one, not just the PSP) that all you morons can agree on that "justifies" it's relevance as a portable gaming device.
So far as gaming goes I'm having a grand old time. It has the best version of Twisted Metal on it, with on-line play. And there are games in most of the genres I like that I will purchase as time and funds allow.
Still, it's all telling you Lemmings what cliff to jump off of, so Sony needs to do something fast I'm getting tired of hearing this crap.
Um, wouldn't this argument make sense if either DS software sales or UMD movie sales were outpacing PSP software sales?
Last I checked here in NA the PSP was selling more games than movies, and also selling more software than it's leading competitor, despite a smaller installed base.
Last I checked here in NA the PSP was selling more games than movies, and also selling more software than it's leading competitor, despite a smaller installed base.
sonycowboy
Member
Mook1e said:
Nope.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I am bored with the PSP as a GAMING machine. I love Lumines and Hot Shots, but the other features are more just "its cool when I want to". I play my DS more than anything.
In fact, I am about to sell my PSP this week. Mainly because I need the money for bills, but also because I know it will drop in price once more games I want come out. And perhaps some new colors too.
Anyone interested in a very great shape PSP with 1gb mem stick? Still has 90 days left on an EB warranty so you could technically trade it in for a new one?
In fact, I am about to sell my PSP this week. Mainly because I need the money for bills, but also because I know it will drop in price once more games I want come out. And perhaps some new colors too.
Anyone interested in a very great shape PSP with 1gb mem stick? Still has 90 days left on an EB warranty so you could technically trade it in for a new one?
Can you elaborate at all Sonycowboy? Through November, I have PSP with a software lead of 122,764 units (and that is missing a couple of small DS titles, and possible a small PSP title or two). I'm not sure how many Nintendogs and Mario Kart bundles were sold, but I would have to believe that it couldn't be too much below 120,000. Plus there were the Super Mario 64 DS bundles earlier as well (although I don't remember if the game came packed in, or was scanned separately). In any case, I have a feeling that the DS will be in the software lead once December's NPD comes out, so this all may be irrelevant anyway.sonycowboy said:
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
I do play games on my PSP, but lately I have been using it to play podcasts like crazy.
PhoncipleBone said:
You know, I hear about this same thing from everyone and the only games they ever list are launch or launch window games. You are bored, fine, but jesus at least TRY one of the new games out. Don't out and out ignore them. Borghe for example was constantly trolling in PSP threads and then he finally bought a new game and wham, different tune.
sonycowboy
Member
Dalthien said:
The software bundles are surprisingly not as big as you'd think (SM64DS was scanned seperately). But, more to the point, the original post I replied to was that the DS would be ~easily outselling the PSP software, which isn't true at all. The two systems are essentially tied as of November LTD software wise and the PSP was out for much less of a time (13 months vs 8 months).
I agree that in December, the DS is going to really do a number on the PSP. (and Dec NPD is due on on the 12th this month)
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Ponn01 said:
I have tried the new games out, and honestly, they are not enough to compel me to keep the machine right now. I have tried almost everything on the system and it still does not change my opinion on it. I picked up Virtua Tennis the other day, but even that isnt enough for me to say "lemme keep it"