Sony Press Conference Catch-All

Aaron D. wrote:

I'm confused.

Is the PSP GO more powerful under the hood? Obviously there's aesthetic changes + no UMD's, but are the guts stronger than the original PSP? Too weird.

The original PSP is over 4 years old now and if Sony wanted to introduce the true sequel handheld to it, I could at least understand the $250 price tag.

Am I correct in thinking that they just gave the handheld a cosmetic makeover and sent it out the door at $250?

The way I see it, you get less of a system in new wrapper for a hundred bucks more. That can't play used physical games you can pick up for cheap at the flea market. But it's shiny, or something. And downloads, which you can already do via PSN on existing PSPs. Yeah, it's kinda goofy in all sorts of illogical ways. This sucker should be $149 period.

Aaron D. wrote:

I'm confused.

Is the PSP GO more powerful under the hood? Obviously there's aesthetic changes + no UMD's, but are the guts stronger than the original PSP? Too weird.

The original PSP is over 4 years old now and if Sony wanted to introduce the true sequel handheld to it, I could at least understand the $250 price tag.

Am I correct in thinking that they just gave the handheld a cosmetic makeover and sent it out the door at $250?

I think it was Sony's hamhanded way to make more spread on the hardware, as well as tamping down on piracy. Not that I expect either of those to be actual outcomes of the Go hitting the market.

Swat wrote:
Aaron D. wrote:

I'm confused.

Is the PSP GO more powerful under the hood? Obviously there's aesthetic changes + no UMD's, but are the guts stronger than the original PSP? Too weird.

The original PSP is over 4 years old now and if Sony wanted to introduce the true sequel handheld to it, I could at least understand the $250 price tag.

Am I correct in thinking that they just gave the handheld a cosmetic makeover and sent it out the door at $250?

The way I see it, you get less of a system in new wrapper for a hundred bucks more. That can't play used physical games you can pick up for cheap at the flea market. But it's shiny, or something. And downloads, which you can already do via PSN on existing PSPs. Yeah, it's kinda goofy in all sorts of illogical ways. This sucker should be $149 period.

That's just sad.

I own a launch-day PSP and to this day REALLY enjoy it. I don't buy many games for it these days, but I've got a huge collection (over 40 umd games) and I go back to them constantly.

I was pretty hyped about GO (enough to upgrade my PSP fat), but for $250 just so I can't play any of my umd's on it?

No thanks.

(Still love my orig. PSP, though.)

The $250 is because the 16gb drive, right?

Wow, two pages of bashing already... what a surprise

Haven't seen the press-conference, and I certainly won't be buying one, but HERE IS THE REASON WHY THE PSP Go! and the PSP-3000 will supposedly co-exist on shelves. Like the DSi, we get one cheaper option and one more expensive option.

Is $250 too much? Depends on your point of view. Compared to other 16GB media devices, it's not that ridiculous. Hell, $250 was the system LAUNCH price in 2004.

garion333 wrote:

The $250 is because the 16gb drive, right?

I imagine it's because that's what Sony thinks they can get for it.

So no word on a way to get digital copies of games you already own UMDs for onto a PSP-NoGo?

Either way, I'm shafted. I can either buy an old PSP and have access to rafts of cheap second hand UMDs, but have to deal with the shortcomings of the obsolete hardware (short battery life, unlikable form factor), or pay over the odds for the new PSP, but be shafted on prices for DL-only software.

Which leads me onto the big blank in the PSP-NoGo: there's been no details of game pricing.

  • If a digital copy costs the same as a physical copy, they can f*** right off.
  • If there's no discounting of older titles, they can f*** right off.
  • If there's no sensible way of managing large game libraries that exceed the onboard memory of the device, they can f*** right off.

The funny thing is, until the NoGo leaked, I was starting to consider a PSP as a secondary portable. Now I'm not. Well done Sony!

Whoa. FFXIV.

Edit: Ugh. MMO.

garion333 wrote:

Whoa. FFXIV.

Edit: Ugh. MMO.

BUT PS3 EXCLUSIVE!!!!

Sony totally made a glow in the dark dildo.

Jonman wrote:
garion333 wrote:

The $250 is because the 16gb drive, right?

I imagine it's because that's what Sony thinks they can get for it.

Isn't the pretty much the conerstone of capitalism?

Jonman wrote:

The funny thing is, until the NoGo leaked, I was starting to consider a PSP as a secondary portable. Now I'm not. Well done Sony!

There's nothing stopping you from buying an older model PSP. If you don't want a flip screen or an internal storage option, then why has this turned you off? If you're concerned with battery life, you can always try using CFW and rip your own games.

Sony Waggle Demo. Looks interesting, uses Eye toy and a new (as of yet unfinished) controller. Looks like there could be some interesting uses. First company that makes a worthy RPG in First Person where I have 1:1 sword/Shield/Bow controls, they've got my money..

I'm impressed by the controller demo. It's always a problem to launch new control systems after launch, but I'm excited to see what they can actually do with it in games.

Overall, I'd say Sony has a had a very good talk.

SommerMatt wrote:

Is $250 too much? Depends on your point of view. Compared to other 16GB media devices, it's not that ridiculous. Hell, $250 was the system LAUNCH price in 2004.

It the same old Sony line! I remember when they launched the PS3 and we were all told is was a fair price compared to other similar devices. That has been great for Sony! They are not launching a 16GB MP3 player, or a 16GB video player - they are launching a gaming system. They need to compete against gaming devices. If they want to make an iPod competitor fine (just like if they wanted to make a Blu-ray player!) but they keep wanting to drag their gaming into these other areas....and it doesn't work!

I don't get it, what's the big deal? It's a Wiimote =P

(edit: And 3 years too late, yeah I'd expect it to be more precise but... uh.. I don't get it, did they even announce any games or something)

The motion control has a lot of potential. It seemed pretty weak at first but I can see it working better with games than Microsoft's motion capture. It's early days though. They have a lot of work to do.

I liked the glowing whip. It hinted at a lightsabre without them having to pay George Lucas anything.

Mex wrote:

I don't get it, what's the big deal? It's a Wiimote =P

And doesn't look Ready for Prime Time.

PS3 Motion Controller looks amazing! I am actually excited to own a PS3!

larrymadill wrote:
Mex wrote:

I don't get it, what's the big deal? It's a Wiimote =P

And doesn't look Ready for Prime Time.

I think it does look like it's ready for release, but I don't want one myself unless it's worth it eventually.

farley3k wrote:
SommerMatt wrote:

Is $250 too much? Depends on your point of view. Compared to other 16GB media devices, it's not that ridiculous. Hell, $250 was the system LAUNCH price in 2004.

It the same old Sony line! I remember when they launched the PS3 and we were all told is was a fair price compared to other similar devices. That has been great for Sony! They are not launching a 16GB MP3 player, or a 16GB video player - they are launching a gaming system. They need to compete against gaming devices. If they want to make an iPod competitor fine (just like if they wanted to make a Blu-ray player!) but they keep wanting to drag their gaming into these other areas....and it doesn't work!

Just because you see it as a gaming device doesn't mean it can't be marketed in a different way. Anyone that wants to own a PSP can do so RIGHT NOW. I've seen countless deals for PSPs less than $150. Sony seems to want to make an iPod Touch sort of competitor with this device, with their own iTunes-like download store, and so let them. If there is no demand, then it will fail or drop in price. If there is demand, then good for them.

People have constantly complained about wanting internal storage, and when it arrives, people want to pay less than the price of the current system for it. Is that realistic? Of course not. Like I said before, I think the DSi is a total rip-off for what it offers, so I chose not to buy one. Other people obviously DO want one... doesn't harm me. I'M not buying a PSP Go!, but if someone is looking for an iPod-esque all-in-one device, it seems like a fair price compared to what you get with a 16GB Nano.

SommerMatt wrote:
Jonman wrote:

The funny thing is, until the NoGo leaked, I was starting to consider a PSP as a secondary portable. Now I'm not. Well done Sony!

There's nothing stopping you from buying an older model PSP. If you don't want a flip screen or an internal storage option, then why has this turned you off? If you're concerned with battery life, you can always try using CFW and rip your own games.

It's true. However, my fear is that for all that Sony are saying that the NoGo won't replace the UMD format, I suspect that it will over time.

Does the original PSP support the same download functionality as the NoGo, albeit using MemorySticks?

D_Davis wrote:

So - I don't own a PSP, but I've heard that a lot of people who do don't really like it for playing games. Is the problem that the screen didn't flip up? If so, problem solved!

Having the screen above the controls "feels right" in my opinion. Gives you more room for the controls, something the DS has a problem with and the GBA SP didn't. However that price is crazy.

larrymadill wrote:
Mex wrote:

I don't get it, what's the big deal? It's a Wiimote =P

And doesn't look Ready for Prime Time.

A Wii mote clone might be the smart move.

The technology is there by the looks of it they just don't have anything like a game to go with it.

Johnvanjim wrote:

PS3 - Eye Toy camera with added hand-held accelerometer device. Seems like it could be the best of all worlds.. Accurate 1:1 hand manipulation as well as large pattern limb movements.

Accelerometer? Seemed like it was IR tracking to me perhaps without the need of an accelerometer.

Edit: Perhaps it has both upon reflection. And it's probably not IR, but something like it. Did I just say nothing? lol

No release date for GT5 apparently. So basically... its never coming out?

Jonman wrote:

Does the original PSP support the same download functionality as the NoGo, albeit using MemorySticks?

Yes.

The new PSP seems to be aimed at people who already own a PSP, but hate the UMD drive and have given up on the machine as a gaming device because it sucks and the UMD drive is a crippled and {ableist slur} media platform so they have sold all their games on disk.

I bet there are five of these people, including me. But secretly I know that I'd download a few games and never play them.

So, there will be 3 different types of motion capture out there by 2010:

Wii - IR For pointer detection, Accelerometers for motion detection, Wii Motion Plus to boost accuracy of minute hand movements and buttons. (It still lacks the ability to detect "location in space" however..)

360 - 3D camera with algorithmic limb detection and voice/facial recognition and no additional interface requirements. (Seems like the resolution of the camera will be important in control fidelity, but would be lacking in precise hand movement detection, like the PS3 and Wii would have, and you wouldn't have access to any "button controls".)

PS3 - Eye Toy camera with added hand-held accelerometer device. Seems like it could be the best of all worlds.. Accurate 1:1 hand manipulation as well as large pattern limb movements and access to control buttons.

Granted, they're all new tech, but it at least gets me as excited as I was before I found out what the Wii motion control implementation actually turned out to be.

SommerMatt wrote:

Just because you see it as a gaming device doesn't mean it can't be marketed in a different way. Anyone that wants to own a PSP can do so RIGHT NOW. I've seen countless deals for PSPs less than $150. Sony seems to want to make an iPod Touch sort of competitor with this device, with their own iTunes-like download store, and so let them. If there is no demand, then it will fail or drop in price. If there is demand, then good for them.

Again I will just look at the PS3. It is the same thing over again. Don't get me wrong. I love my PSP and I want it to succeed, but I want it to succeed as a gaming device. There is nothing about NoGo which will lure more developer support, nothing.

So what you guys think..def better than Nintendo but don't think it was better than MS. What are your thoughts on Sony??