I really want one of these, but I imagine that the eyestrain from using this is going to be immense. My eyes easily get strained from sidescrollers on portables, so the full 3D of the PSP is going to be a bitch for me.

I was thinking that you could burn part of an DVD onto memory stick or future UMD burners....

Well Sony did try to get us to buy mini disc versions of the music we already bought on CD. So I'm sure Sony is hoping we will buy the UMD versions of the movies we already have on DVD.

I 'played' the PSP. Meaning, I ran around for 10 seconds before the demo was over :-(

UMD Movies will be roughly $5 less than there DVD counterparts and include special features to make them more desirable. Sure, no one is going to but hundreds of them, but I will be picking up some of my favorite movies to watch while traveling.

Hmm. Interesting. Still doesn't appeal to me, but at least they're going about it the right way.

Something like this is absolutely useless, but Sony is very adept at sucking in the youth of America, so I'm sure this will be on all of their X-mas wish lists. An X-box can be had for $150 and people are going to go out and buy psp? Blows my mind...

Wow, so you're comparing an X-Box to a portable handheld system? Way to go!

It's apples and oranges, but I get his point.

Why pay $200-300 for a portable, to play games with graphics not near as good as the GC or X-box, with no surround sound on a tiny screen.

Of course, if you travel a lot, have a daily subway commute or what not it might make since. But financially, it's silly for the rest of us.

I bought a GBA to play 2D games, so far it looks like the PSP will be just like the current gen systems game lineup wise- i.e. 99% 3D. I don't need the extra features either. In the rare instances I travel, I can watch DVDs on my laptop. I just bought a nice PDA, so any of that kind of stuff (if it's included) is useless to me.

I'll easily put out some $$ to have a few movies on UMD...This is pretty cool to have on the road.

Maybe the PSP can hook up to a TV and you can watch the movies their as well. Or maybe the upcoming PS3 can play them too?!?!

Uhhh, yeah... psp will cost more than the x-box or cube, so yeah, I'm a gonna compare them. Now, what was your problem?

Wouldn't it be better to invest that money in a portable DVD player and have access to your entire DVD library? You can get a 5" one for $130-200. If you plan on buying 10 or more UMD movies, that's the price of a portable dvd player right there.

Exactly.

That's why I'm not interested in companies putting extra crap (phones and movies on portables, tivo, dvd playback etc on consoles) on game machines.

There's always better stand alone options. Including this stuff just drives up the cost as I have to buy features I don't need as I already have something that does the same thing better, or have no interest in in the first place.

Personally if you can cram more functionality into a unit and still make it easy to use then I'm all for it. Even now when I travel I have my cell phone, palm pilot, pager, and ipod. If I was to add a DVD player to that it would be a bit insane to travel with all those gadgets.

All this whining is the same as when the PS2 came out and they said it would play DVD movies and everyone said it would be the end of Sony. It's nice to have additional features for for a marginal price increase in my eyes. If you use the PSP for movies or music, then good for you. If you choose to only play games then that's cool too. I wouldn't be hatin' (sorry that's some GTA: San Andreas anticipation coming out) just because they included extra features.

And in terms of price you have to assume that it'll be expensive if it's able to run similar or equal quality games as the PS2. A portable PS2 for $200 sounds money to me. It's more portable and cheaper than buying a PS2 plus a an LCD screen. And besides, nobody knows how much it'll cost or how much the movies will cost yet. If the games are $30 and the movies are $20-30 then taht's fine with me. Bordering on an impulse buy.

I'm not saying this will be the end of Sony. I think this will do very well, as well the next gen systems if they come out as set top boxes.

I'm just saying I won't waste my money on them as these features will likely put them out of my price range.

$75 is the most I'd pay for a portable gaming unit, as I don't travel much or have a non-driving commute.

$199 is the most I'll play for a console as I don't have much spare time and gaming has fallen to the bottom of my list of hobbies in recent years. I still enjoy it, but most of the time I'd rather hit the gym, go for a run, watch a movie, read a book etc. etc.

I think the problem is that you're comparing apples and oranges here--or maybe better, different kinds of apples.

What you're largely paying for in the cost of the PSP is the price of portability. Sure, perhaps I can get an Xbox for less money, but I can't take it with me wherever I go (or at least, not conveniently). Yes, the PSP has a smaller screen, lacks a hard drive, and on and on, but it's got portability--and that's the draw here. With a PSP, you have a gaming option while you're killing time between classes, waiting at the dentist's office, or bringing it along for a weekend visit to the in-law's house.

Why do computer laptops generally cost a lot more than desktop PCs? Same thing. Now granted, they have more functionality in common, but still, you're paying extra because of the convenience of being able to take it anywhere. And some people--myself included--will not look at the price issue between a portable gaming system and a standalone console system because the latter does not meet the needs I am looking for--namely, convience of portability.

Sure, you could get a portable DVD player for say, $150.

Then you would have to get a GBA-SP for $100.

Then spend, what, another $100 for an MP3 player.

So, I can spend $350 on 3 separate devices, or just puchase one that does it all. I have no idea how much it is going to cost, but it won't be $350 and definitely won't take up as much space as all three. Sony adds value by adding features. It may not add value for everyone, but it will for enough people for it to be sucessful.

Mmm.. yellow. Hell yes.

Wait.. are there any games that aren't already on the PS2?

Hey Pixy, did you see the video clip with Ys in it?

This thing strikes me as impractical. The statements about battery life sound like a gloss-over of what is certain to be a major issue with this player. If it doesn't get 6 hours of gameplay, it's not a viable portable platform, in my opinion. Considering the optical media, the large backlit screen, and the amount of computer power in this thing, I think that a 2-4 hour battery life is to be expected.

I'm extremely skeptical about the viability of PSP as a convergence device. The UMD movies are inferior in every way to DVDs, and can't be viewed on conventional players. PSP is also bit large to be practical as a music device. This thing probably won't be competive with quality dedicated players. The media is inconvenient, and if it can't interface directly with a computer, I don't see how you can get your music onto the PSP without repurchasing it on the dedicated format. The player has wireless, but there is no indication that the drive is not read-only.

Also, while Sony can be generally relied upon to aggressively court developers, there is no killer app as of yet. GT is a cool tech demo, but it's the same game you can get on the PS2. Most people will be disinclined to buy this twice. As for Metal Gear Acid, the card-game mechanic lacks the appeal appeal of the traditional MGS gameplay.

If the price is above $200, a lot of people will walk away from this. I think $99 is the ideal price point for a portable, but $149 can be justified if, as in this case, the technology impresses.

Not that I am an instant devotee of the Nintendo DS, either. Nintendo continues to play chicken with the line between giving people something they didn't know they wanted (animal crossing) and something they didn't want (virtual boy). Although the titles are impressive and innovative, this thing clearly lacks the power of the PSP.

Nintendo would have been better off investing the development resources that went into creating the touch screen and pressure sensor in packiong more computing power into a conventional, reasonably priced portable. The gaming press seems to have been won over by this thing, and that's a good sign, but it still seems like this is a novelty device.

But you get devices that do it better (with the exception of the GBA-SP if you prefer 3D games, I prefer 2D so the GBA still wins out).

From what I've read the UMD movies don't look as good as DVDs, and you have to add in extra cost for having to by UMD movies, when with a portable DVD player you can just grab DVDs of your shelf, no extra cost for rebuying movies in a portable format.

As for MP3's, the only time I'd need an MP3 player is when lifting weights or running, and the PSP is way to big for that, as ScandalUMD said below. And he had the other great point that there might not be a way to get MP3's from your computer to it, which would again possibly force you to purchase music you already own on UMD discs.

But I agree that this will still do fairly well. I don't think it will challenge the GBA, as it won't bring in the Kid/parent market IMO. It will likely beat out the DS though as both will probalby be fairly similary priced (thus ruling out a lot of kids).

This is a major issue that will only be tackled after people start getting their hands on demo units. We know that it will last 2 hours when the disc is moving at all times. That is what happens when watching a movie. With a game, the disc doesn't spin all the time, and the majority of spinning is during the load sequence. It will depend on the game as to how long the battery last.

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I'm extremely skeptical about the viability of PSP as a convergence device. The UMD movies are inferior in every way to DVDs, and can't be viewed on conventional players. PSP is also bit large to be practical as a music device. This thing probably won't be competive with quality dedicated players. The media is inconvenient, and if it can't interface directly with a computer, I don't see how you can get your music onto the PSP without repurchasing it on the dedicated format. The player has wireless, but there is no indication that the drive is not read-only.

UMD movies will look similar to DVDs. The resolution is lower, but the screen is a lot smaller. It should balance out nicely. The PSP is bigger than a normal MP3 player, but that doesn't bother me as I don't use an MP3 player while doing physical activity. The PSP will connect via USB 2.0 to a computer for easy transfer of media to a Memory Stick Duo. The UMD is read only.

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Also, while Sony can be generally relied upon to aggressively court developers, there is no killer app as of yet. GT is a cool tech demo, but it's the same game you can get on the PS2. Most people will be disinclined to buy this twice. As for Metal Gear Acid, the card-game mechanic lacks the appeal appeal of the traditional MGS gameplay.

As was mentioned by Sony, this was the show that showed off the PSP. TGS will show off the software. Wait until TGS to comment on game titles.

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If the price is above $200, a lot of people will walk away from this. I think $99 is the ideal price point for a portable, but $149 can be justified if, as in this case, the technology impresses.

We don't know the price, so commenting is useless. Also, if $99 is the ideal price, why is EB and Gamestop predicting DS at $199? Does Nintendo not share your knowledge of portable pricing?

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Not that I am an instant devotee of the Nintendo DS, either. Nintendo continues to play chicken with the line between giving people something they didn't know they wanted (animal crossing) and something they didn't want (virtual boy). Although the titles are impressive and innovative, this thing clearly lacks the power of the PSP.

DS doesn't need the power of PSP, because it has the innovation. Nintendo is trying to change the way portable gaming is played. Will it take? Only time will tell.

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Nintendo would have been better off investing the development resources that went into creating the touch screen and pressure sensor in packiong more computing power into a conventional, reasonably priced portable. The gaming press seems to have been won over by this thing, and that's a good sign, but it still seems like this is a novelty device.

So you want them to add the power of PSP with the innovations of DS? The machine would be $500! Nintendo will always have a strong fan base. They are just giving those people what they think they want.

I sure hope by TGS Sony has some software to show that is 1) Not an existing PS1/PS2 title, and 2) Something more suited to portable gaming. Nintendo has 15 years experience as the king of portable gaming; Sony will need to differentiate between a home game and a game you can take on the road or on the toilet for this to be successful beyond a trendy tech gadget.