Move over GameBoy, There's a New Game In Town
 

I got this from gamesarefun.com and the news was also posted on the tape for the stock market.


Enhancing its strong platform strategies, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today plans to expand its in-home entertainment to outside the home with a new, all-in-one portable entertainment platform, "PSP(TM)." Scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2004, the company's goal is to extend the reach of PlayStation(R) to a broader audience, allowing consumers to enjoy gaming and other entertainment content anytime, anywhere. Specific details on release plans and pricing will be disclosed at a later date.

The introduction of "PSP" highlights the company's long-awaited foray into the portable entertainment market. With unmatched advantages of the Sony Group, such as global brand awareness, superior technologies in the most advanced semiconductor processes, "PSP" further broadens entertainment experiences into the portable arena.


The foundation of this new platform is Universal Media Disc (UMD), which comprises of a 60mm optical disc (1.8 GB) in a cartridge, developed by the Sony Group, utilizing its latest disc technologies. Compared to the out-dated mask ROM cartridge, optical disc has huge advantages such as shorter turn around time for manufacturing, larger data capacity and lower media costs. The latest copy-protection technology will be applied to offer content developers and publishers a safe and copy-protected environment.


"PSP" will be equipped with a wide screen 480 x 272 pixel (16 by 9) TFT LCD monitor with a backlight, and powered by super chipsets utilizing the latest 90 nm semiconductor technology. For graphics, 3D rendering will be enhanced by the employment of curved surfaces (NURBS) along with conventional polygons. Video quality will also be enhanced with MPEG4, which delivers quality equivalent to DVD video at a low data rate.


"PSP" will have an USB 2.0 port for further expandability and connectivity to other devices, such as "PSP," PlayStation 2 and many other systems, along with a Memory Stick(TM) slot for network applications and data transportability in a wireless environment.


SCEI will offer PC-based development tools starting from fall 2003 for the preparation of a new range of computer entertainment content. A new license scheme for "PSP" software development will be announced in summer 2003. Pursuing the founding principles of the PlayStation business, Sony Computer Entertainment will expand its efforts to support content developers to create new forms of computer entertainment.


Together with its business partners, SCEI aims to aggressively promote this new platform to further broaden the arena of entertainment.


"Just as PlayStation and PlayStation 2 revolutionized in-home computer entertainment, we aim to become a new driving force in the portable entertainment platform arena," said Ken Kutaragi, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "The world of PlayStation encompasses hundreds of millions of users worldwide, most of whom view computer entertainment as part of their everyday lives. We look forward to extending the experience through a portable entertainment platform, and are excited about the possibilities and impact 'PSP' will have on the market. Along with game applications, 'PSP' will have a huge potential for delivering other forms of entertainment as well as live entertainment through the network, anywhere, anytime. This is the 'Walkman' of the 21st century."

"PSP" Specifications
Platform name: PSP(TM)
Display: Wide screen (16:9) TFT LCD with backlight
(480 x 272 dots)
Disc medium: "UMD" 60mm optical secured ROM disc with cartridge (1.8GB)
Video CODEC: MPEG4
Graphics: 3D Polygon/NURBS
Sound: PCM (built-in stereo speakers, stereo headphone output)
I/O: USB 2.0, Memory Stick(TM) slot
Battery: Rechargeable (lithium-ion)

bring on the PS1 ports :)

Sony has been talking about this for a long time. I guess they decided now was the time to attack rival Nintendo.

It will be interesting to see how this fares against the Gameboy.

The key will be how this catches on with kids. As much as I hate the Nintendo=kiddy stereotype, the Gameboy's success is due mainly to it's popularity with kids. Everywhere you go you see kids with GBAs.

Sounds like a bunch of crap to me. File this in the "too good to be true" category. Why would Sony create a product and then talk about it? They always talk about there products way before they are to be released. Also, this would have to be at E3 and I have heard none of the gaming news websites mention it. I'm calling this news fake.

This is great news. About time someone got a disc based portable going. Sounds like the N-gage and GBA have some competition. Wonder what it looks like.

joshd2012 how do you know it isn't at E3?

Really? I usually see adults with them on the subway and in airports. Seems like the reason the GBA is popular is because of the backwards compatibility too.

Sorry lads, looks like it's already been done - years ago! ;)

http://www.classicgaming.com/vcsp/PSp/PSp1.htm

So it's quite possible - a portable PSX? I'd buy it - I never got around to upgrading my Gameboy Color because I didn't like the types of games Nintendo had... boo hoo for me I know :p

If you could use it as a PDA type device also... *dream*

God damn it, they just announced it along with some other ****. Oh well, I'm aloud to be wrong.

It's true...it's all over the place, and reported at live transcripts of the Sony conference:

Sony E3 conference update

Sounds like BS....Anyway, how much will this thing cost, $300? Yeah, this thing will be flying off the shelves.

LOL, it doesn't even come out until 2004 and you're already criticizing a non-existant price? It is E3 week you know...when new products are announced?

FS

Yes...I know. I will be going tomorrow. However a system with those specs, will most likley be in the $200-$300 range.

Well, I am looking forward to this. It seems like Sony sat a bunch of portable game players in a room and asked them what they wanted -- then delivered. The specs look amazing and I am eager to see how the games will turn out and which developers will be onboard.

Well.. I'd say that there's no way in hell they could kill the Gameboy.. but I said the same thing when the first PSX came out.

The problem here is that the Gameboy already has Sony's practice of "don't care how good the games are as long as there's a thousand of them on the shelf" in effect.. and Nintendo has a MUCH tighter hold on the portable market than they EVER had on the regular console market. Considering the digital media approach, if they make the games more than the fun and simple fair that is typical of GBA games, it's going to become less of a on-the-go system.

This will be an interesting one to keep eye on.

The thing is, this is announce for late next year (If its not delayed). We may see the new Gameboy Advance by then as well. Nintendo has been established for nearly 13 years, with thousands of games already made. Is Sony ever decides to do this, it will be VERY hard to compete (look what happened to every other gaming system, Game Gear, Nomad, Turbo Express, Game.com, Neo Geo Pocket, Wonderswan). So far there has not been one handheld that has been able to compete with Nintendo.

In the Nintendo press conference the president had said he heard about the announcement and said it sounded like classic Sony just floating a bunch of specs, and questioned the pricepoint and other things. Still I think Nintendo should take this development more seriously, than by just "releasing good games."

Sigh......
Makes me remember the Atari Lynx. It came out the same month as the Gameboy and should have kicked it's butt.
Never underestimate the power of better marketing.

The Atari Lynx was cool...I always wanted one...

However I think it failed for two reasons...1) it was *way* too big, and 2) it took about 17 D sized batteries (hence the size).

I hope the PSP is truly "portable" unlike the PSOne where, it's portable, as long as you take the extra LCD screen, adapter, carry case etc... I want to be able to throw it in my pocket... I'm needy and high maintenence I know :p

Sam,

The LYNX was a decent system, but the games... I own one with 25 games...only 2-3 are decent (Rampart, Klax, and Rampage). The system used 6 AA Batteries (same as a Game Gear), and they also lasted a little longer then the Game Gear. However, where was the Lynx sold? Egghead stores. I don't think they were ever sold in places like Toys R US.

Man, I do remember when everyone at school would bring there Lynx and Game Gear and brag....ahhh...memories.

The only place I ever saw them for sale was in Pawn Shops... ;)

I remember California Games as being a good one - however, I'm not sure I'd say the same thing if I played it right now - especially the frisbee and hacky sack segments - god, actually that game was awful! :p

The Lynx had horrible games, a hard to view screen, and required a nuclear cylinder to power. Poor marketing was not the reason for the machines demise.

Au-contraire pixyboi, I own 2 Lynx consoles (the original massive one, and the redesigned rev 2.0) and it had great games for the time. They said it was like a portable amiga back then. I have almost all the games available for the system. You haven't truly experienced gaming nirvana until you've played "Todd's adventures in Slime World" with 8 people (yes it allowed 8 people link up gaming). Also California games with 4 people was great, as was Blue Lightning etc etc.

Battery life did blow though, but we always used AC adapters.

Wonder what the form/price/battery-life of PSP will be? I think Sony will aim this device to people who have "graduated" from the Gameboy, similarly to that new Tapwave portable console.

I would be VERY surprised if the PSP was sold for under $200.

There was a redesigned Lynx?! Wow.. I did not know that. Got any pics?

Sure, there are good games for every system made (except the CD-i).. ooverall I remember the games being mostly bad or medicore, or color version of games you could get on the GB. I do remember hearing that the Xenophobe on the system was awesome, plus it had Pac-Land.

Even with a few good games, the cons far outweighed them.

Come to think of it.. I'd really like to get my hands on a Turbo Express.. that thing ate batteries like a mofo too.. but I don't think there's any sane gamer on the planet that won't deny how great that little thing was. Still to this day I'm depressed on how the Turbo got squashed over here. There were too many A+ titles on that machine.