Doc Holliday
SPOILER: Columbus finds America
I'm in NYC no targets or Walmarts 
At least not near me.
LOL 482.99 for the bundle at walmart.
At least not near me.LOL 482.99 for the bundle at walmart.
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The US PSP Launch
- Thread starter Amir0x
- Start date
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Local Canadian EB got NFSU today, went there, bought it, it's pretty damn good. I'm not sure I can say too much about it that hasn't been already said, except that around 2/3 of the soundtrack is atually pretty damn good and fitting (Hip Hop and Electronic stuff) Burnout 3 crappy soundtrack this is NOT. Oh, there's also a neat hard rock / hard electronic remix of Adam Freeland's "Fear"! YES, the tune from 5th area of Rez!!! Why has noone mentioned this yet?? :lol
Also, framerate is a lot more steady than what I've seen in the NFSU1 demo of the PS2 version.
This is my first NFSU game, never owned the console versions except for demos, so I'm by no means expert at it. However, if anyone has any questions about the game, feel free to ask. Right now, I'd say it's at least on-par with Ridge Racers in fun department, except that they both excel at different things. Also, the game is very hard to put down. Been playing it for 4-5 hours now non stop. VERY addictive...
There was a little episode at EB. When I bough the game some Microsoft rep that was there writing down some stuff and talking to a clerk, then out of curiosity he asked the clerk why is he selling games when there's no system to play them. Clerk said they are allowed to do so, and that the games would work on Japanese PSP for people who own it. I already had PSP in my hand all hyped up to try the new game as soon as possible, and said "hehe, and that's exactly what I'll be doing right now" Well, I guess you'd have to see the MS reps face when he saw that I'm holiding the PSP - he had such a big smile on his face, and it seemed like he really wanted to ask me to try it out, but decided against it as it would be too funny. The whole episode reminded me of that Pepsi commercial where two truckers of coke and pepsi trucks reluctantly exchange their respective drinks in a failed attempt to be nice to each other
Also, framerate is a lot more steady than what I've seen in the NFSU1 demo of the PS2 version.
This is my first NFSU game, never owned the console versions except for demos, so I'm by no means expert at it. However, if anyone has any questions about the game, feel free to ask. Right now, I'd say it's at least on-par with Ridge Racers in fun department, except that they both excel at different things. Also, the game is very hard to put down. Been playing it for 4-5 hours now non stop. VERY addictive...
There was a little episode at EB. When I bough the game some Microsoft rep that was there writing down some stuff and talking to a clerk, then out of curiosity he asked the clerk why is he selling games when there's no system to play them. Clerk said they are allowed to do so, and that the games would work on Japanese PSP for people who own it. I already had PSP in my hand all hyped up to try the new game as soon as possible, and said "hehe, and that's exactly what I'll be doing right now" Well, I guess you'd have to see the MS reps face when he saw that I'm holiding the PSP - he had such a big smile on his face, and it seemed like he really wanted to ask me to try it out, but decided against it as it would be too funny. The whole episode reminded me of that Pepsi commercial where two truckers of coke and pepsi trucks reluctantly exchange their respective drinks in a failed attempt to be nice to each other
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
It will have to wait until tomorrow... It's 1:30AM here, and I have to go to bed if I want to wake up for work
In the meantime, tell me what's the best way to rip the music. The only thing I can think of is connecting PSP headphone out to Mic-In on my soundcard. Will that be good enough?
In the meantime, tell me what's the best way to rip the music. The only thing I can think of is connecting PSP headphone out to Mic-In on my soundcard. Will that be good enough?
Kobun Heat
Member
I would like to add that Spider-Man 2 (the movie) is really bad. Was it always this retarded or did they just fuck it up special for PSP?
Kobun Heat
Member
Whoops, sorry!
I mean the movie. I don't have the game yet.
I mean the movie. I don't have the game yet.
Oh, um, well. The movie wasn't bad....in the middle of summer, at midnight, with nothing better to do. I don't think I could sit through it again, though.
Did you know...?
...if one were to analogize the PSP's battery life with Pabst Blue Ribbon, then Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix would be Raoul Duke.
Did you know...?
...if one were to analogize the PSP's battery life with Pabst Blue Ribbon, then Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix would be Raoul Duke.
Kobun Heat
Member
I don't know what that means but I'll sign on for the ride.
EDIT: Wait.
I think I might get it.
EDIT: Wait.
I think I might get it.
Two loads before you even get to the main menu, another load to get to the actual gameplay. Once the level's loaded, you're in the clear for load times. If you're playing with music on, however, each time you restart in Classic is a new track. And since Classic mode consists of two minute sessions, well, there's a lot of restarting.
I'd imagine Story mode is a bit better as the music isn't changing every two minutes, but I'd wager it's still rough. Think Ridge Racers, but with more loading and longer races.
I'd imagine Story mode is a bit better as the music isn't changing every two minutes, but I'd wager it's still rough. Think Ridge Racers, but with more loading and longer races.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
What the... Spidey 2 is quite possibly the best superhero flick ever made, and a great action movie regardless of superhero-ness. But I'm not going to argue about it now (and in the wrong forum).
Kobun Heat
Member
Whoa, which TRU is that? I should go to that one.
Contrary to GameSpot's review, THUG2 Remix does not have Create A Park.AZYUMA86 said:
I'm starting to worry that I'm the only one disappointed with THUG 2. Everyone else seems amazed by the technicalities of it all, but it appears the developer's focus was on recreating the console versions, not optimizing the experience for quick on-the-go gaming. Boot up to gameplay takes almost a minute.
Don't get me wrong, it's still fun and all, but you'd think they'd take load times and battery life into account. I know I'm being harsh, especially since it's a launch title, but this is the kind of quickie port I've been afraid of.
ManaByte
Gold Member
Doc Holliday said:FUCK YOU SONY....seriously this launch is rediculous. These bundles are a god damn rip off, and good luck getting a system. Are they planning on selling PSP's online like they did with the PS2. I really want one, but god damn 400 bucks on a handheld is a little too much. Especially during tax time
Sony isn't making you do a bundle. Blame EB and Gamestop for that.
Kobun Heat
Member
As I'm watching this (pausing every fifteen minutes or so to belly-laugh and dry heave at the revolting dialogue), I'm thinking it was a great idea to pack it in. Not because of the particular film's merits but because it says HEY KIDS, THIS THING PLAYS MOVIES.
Also because they're apparently not releasing Image Convertor 2 yet in the US which means this is the only movie most PSP owners are going to be watching for a while.
Also because they're apparently not releasing Image Convertor 2 yet in the US which means this is the only movie most PSP owners are going to be watching for a while.
BuddyC said:
That loading at the start is just flat out crazy. I will go on record here and say it's unacceptable. And then all the loading for the individual studio movies at the start? Excruciating. You're best off loading it up and keeping it in sleep mode for the next time you play; woe to the user who actually attempts to reboot it
.The gameplay so far still works well for me though and seems fully intact. Is it worth 50 bucks for a THUG2 version with noticeably downsampled textures? When you think about the console version being 10 bucks cheaper at most stores, it's a bit overpriced for what it is.
I guess I still need to play the actual game more before I render a final verdict.
Also, is it just me or are there stray popping sounds during the spoken dialog?
No, there's definitely something up with the dialog, sometimes the pops are there, sometimes not. Lyte Edge noticed it in his copy too.Dsal said:That loading at the start is just flat out crazy. I will go on record here and say it's unacceptable. And then all the loading for the individual studio movies at the start? Excruciating. You're best off loading it up and keeping it in sleep mode for the next time you play; woe to the user who actually attempts to reboot it
The gameplay so far still works well for me though and seems fully intact. Is it worth 50 bucks for a THUG2 version with noticeably downsampled textures? When you think about the console version being 10 bucks cheaper at most stores, it's a bit overpriced for what it is.
I guess I still need to play the actual game more before I render a final verdict.
Also, is it just me or are there stray popping sounds during the spoken dialog?
I'm not one to criticize reviews or cry bias, but I'm seriously disturbed by GameSpot's complete lack of discussion regarding load times in their review. This, their incorrect statement about Create-A-Park mode, and the part where final copies only arrived yesterday, makes me think they may have jumped the gun a tad on this one.
Kobun Heat
Member
Was there an announcement?ManaByte said:
Kobun Heat
Member
Oh. I thought you were talking about Image Convertor.ManaByte said:
Hmm. I was at TRU today, that's where I picked up Tony Hawk. The nice fellow at the counter said they had 40 PSPs, so far. And hey, if they're slated to get Wipeout Friday, GameStop can shove it. Come to think of it, that's a wonderful plan regardless - it's a sad day when Toys R Us bests a dedicated game store, yet that's the norm around here.Wario64 said:
Marty Chinn
Member
BuddyC said:
Ya, I'm surprised they mentioned it. I have to review it really soon but it was already on my notes list of things to mention. It's pretty bad. Heh I was talking to someone who worked on the game and if only you knew how bad they were before and not to mention some of the stuff that happened during development. =)
Pedigree, sorry I missed you in chat. I haven't had any issues with the square button on my JP PSP during Tony Hawk. You're never really pounding the square button for more than two or three presses, so it works alright. Played for at least an hour and played through a bit of Classic, so that's good news.
However, I did notice today, for the first time, that my square button loves to stick. Thankfully none of my games use it as the main action button, but it's only a matter of time.
However, I did notice today, for the first time, that my square button loves to stick. Thankfully none of my games use it as the main action button, but it's only a matter of time.
BuddyC said:
Have you guys noticed cracks and pops in the soundtrack? Another thing, you guys say it takes about a minute to get to the menu screen, do you also experience a black screen for about 5-10 seconds when the game first boots up? I just want confirmation that it's the game and not my PSP.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Latest issue of OPM has a short article about video encoding and even they recommend 3GPP over Image Converter, giving some instructions how to use it and where to download it. The word about 3GPP is spreading fast, which is good.
This OPM is all about PSP btw, it has a rally nicely illustrated PSP-themed cover page.
sonycowboy
Member
Wario64 said:
Hmmm...
30k units and TRU has a market share of about 5-6% (and falling fast), which would give us only 500,000 - 600,000 on day one. Now, I'll allow for Gamestop, EB, & Best Buy to get somewhat larger initial shipments, so lets say 700-750k day 1 shipment numbers by that calculation.
Either TRU is getting screwed on initial allocation, the poster is wrong, or Sony isn't shipping nearly 1M units day 1.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
sonycowboy said:
I was kinda thinking the same thing. 30k units doesn't sound like much for the biggest toy store chain in North America. How many stores does TRU have these days?
Though I don't work at EB anymore, I can help you with that. If you're not happy with the PSP, you can return it until you find one you are happy with. There's no way they can deny you a return if you're unhappy with your purchase.
I'm not sure of the price for the PSP plan but it's a one time replacement - bring it in, get a new one.
I'm not sure of the price for the PSP plan but it's a one time replacement - bring it in, get a new one.
Kung Fu Jedi said:
Their "about us" website says there are roughly 1500 stores worldwide, with 570 outside the US. So, if there are around 900 stores in the US with an average of 157 PSPs per store, we're looking at a bit over 140,000 PSPs being sent to Toys 'B Us 'N Shit. If Sony really is shipping one million units, that gives TRU 14% of the initial shipment, which seems about right.
FnordChan
sonycowboy
Member
FnordChan said:
TRU getting 14% is 3 times their normal market share, so I don't believe that. You have to be careful with how you apply the "157" average. It could mean that the average selling TRU will get 157 units, whereas lower volume stores will get much less, and presumably higher volume stores will get more.
I think it's incorrect to try and apply that number directly against the number of stores, and given that 140k number you ended up with, it can't possibly be correct, IMO.
It'll be interesting to see what March's NPD says, although I don't know if I truly expect a nationwide sellout in 10 days (March's reporting period) if Sony can truly ship 1M+ units. Many, many stores will be soldout, especially the specialty gamestores because of preorders, but with that many units, it might be possible to still find them in more rural areas or at certain retailers.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
FnordChan said:
Thanks for the info! But if they're only getting 30k PSP's for TRU that's about 33 per store. I'd say your 140,000 units seems closer to what I'd expect though, at least maybe company wide.
And oh, I guess TRU is the second biggest toy store chain in NA. At least according to this article which talks about them being bought out:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150715,00.html
sonycowboy
Member
BuddyC said:
That's almost correct, there are a few caveats.
1) You won't be able to get a replacement if they are sold out, so you might have to hold onto it for a few weeks or more.
2) When you replace the system, your warranty is gone. You'd have to get another warranty for the new system. and if you didn't like that, you'd have to get another warranty for another system. You can't simply keep trading them in until indefinitely you get the absolute most perfect one. You'd have to pay $25 bucks each time.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
I know that RR, Lumines and probably Dynasty Warriors runs at 60.
NFSU runs at a solid 30, though. Definitely more stable than the demo of the PS2 version was.
Also, while it's definitely possible to notice the difference between the 30 and 60FPS on PSP, due to it's screen size it's not nearly as obvious as on a big TV.
NFSU runs at a solid 30, though. Definitely more stable than the demo of the PS2 version was.
Also, while it's definitely possible to notice the difference between the 30 and 60FPS on PSP, due to it's screen size it's not nearly as obvious as on a big TV.
sonycowboy said:
That was a quick bit of math that assumes 1) "average" meant just that, and not some bizzare variation of the term and 2) the TRU corporate info website wasn't making shit up. However, I forgot to account for Babies 'R Us which, according to their website, had 185 stores in 2002 and are adding an average of 18 locations per year. Assuming the corporate websites are reasonably up to date and that there haven't been a ton of store closings, we'll say that BRU now has 230 locations. That leaves us with roughly 700 Toys 'R Us locations in North America. If they're getting an average of 157 units, that's about 100,000, or 10% of the initial PSP shipment.
Of course, these are all pretty rough numbers that don't mean a whole helluva lot. However, there is something we can take from all of this. The moral of the story: if you want a PSP, haven't pre-ordered, and don't want a bundle, go try TRU.
FnordChan
IGN put a new mailbag up. A kid asks if you need a router for head to head play (which I would assume means playing with a person next to you) and here's the answer he got:
So this kid is going to go out and buy a router, and when he sees his friends playing head to head on the sidewalk, he's going to curse the day he wrote IGN.
So this kid is going to go out and buy a router, and when he sees his friends playing head to head on the sidewalk, he's going to curse the day he wrote IGN.
Marty Chinn
Member
So any news on what games arrived today? Wipeout is showing as now shipping within 24 hours on EB's site. Its too early here to call and see, but maybe on the east coast someone can confirm? I wanna pick up some games today =)