gp98

I think you've stumbled on the perfect way to take portability to the next level. Make it waterproof so you can play it in the shower or leave it by the pot and not worry about it falling into the sink....I saw the pic of a yellow PSP, aren't yellow Sony products waterproof? That's what I learned from the 90s.....

PixyJunket

I've got a Neo Geo Pocket on the tank and I've not had a problem with it falling into the bowl, but um.. that's an interesting idea. Not sure about the shower thing, usually in a shower you kind of have to pay attention to soap and shampoo.. taking a dump is pretty automatic.

cheapskate

Well... at a certain age, yes.

But I think that's a little outside of Sony's demographic.

Trigger

Handhelds -

I won't comment on the Nintendo DS
I thought the Gizmondo was really nice - felt nice in the hand, had great graphics and everything - camera, mp3, same stuff as PSP. Price point was a bit high at 400 bucks. I kinda want one though.
I think the Sony PSP will do well and I like the design with the large screen. I would have to hold one in my hand to make the final decision. I do know that most of their "demos" were simply videos and not real games... they did this for PS1 and PS2 as well before they launched. Sony is a marketing genius, that's for sure.
Nokia NGage - their booth was nice and large. A last ditch effort to drum up support for and interest in their handheld. The new design is better, but still very flawed. Having so many buttons under your right thumb just makes playing the thing to difficult. They could've easily cured it by placing a smaller and more distinctive bump on the 5 key instead of the two bigger blob sized bumps they have now... my thumb can't tell the difference. This won't sell very well either, I'm afraid.

The handheld market is being flooded too - not just with what I've listed either - there are about 3 or 4 other handhelds coming to market not to mention all the cell phones and PDAs and whatnot.

Alvis

Does anyone know of any places taking pre-orders on the PSP?

And if they are, how can they take pre-orders on something that doesn't have a definite release date?

Get Me Coffee

Nothing yet....I can't wait to pre-order this sucker!

Thrillhouse

First off, XBOX and Cube weren't at these low prices when they came out. This is a new system. Secondly, compare the sizes.

outer-edge

Usually GameStops start pretty early with pre-orders. Not sure if the PSP is up for pre-order yet, so you'd need to check.

As for how they do it: The pre-orders are done with a store credit slip. Typically, the pre-orders are in the computer and therefore printed on the credit. If the pre-order is not in the computer, then the store simply makes a generic store credit with all necessary information and saves them. Then, when the game/system is in the computer, they take the early pre-orders and turn them into actual pre-order slips.

Just because there is no date, doesn't mean the store is not willing to hold onto your money until the thing comes out.

indy2029

He probably compares a GBA SP to a Dreamcast, or a Game Gear to a N64....

Portables are a different market than home consoles people. Be rational! When you want something to play anywhere, you will never take your PS2 or your XBOX.

Get Me Coffee

I love this new sony quote:

"[The Nintendo DS] seems like an extension of what they've done-Game boy, Game boy Advance, the DS- WHICH TELLS ME IT'S MORE FOR A LOWER AGE DEMOGRAPHIC "
- SONY CEA CEO Kaz Hirai

I agree with him!

spainlinx0

I don't get it. Are they saying the DS itself implies that it's for younger gamers?

msdmoney

I think they are saying just by association with Nintendo the DS is intended for a younger market, given past history. I guess they are trying to position their product towards the older, "hipper" generation with disposable income. Makes sense, since no younger gamer would spend $300 on a portable, we'll see if their target market will spend that.

Homer Simpson

One thing I've really come to love about my GBA SP is the fact that it closes and protects the screen. My GBA had several scratches in the screen from being thrown in my briefcase. If I do buy one of these I will definitely be investing in some sort of annoying clip on cover to protect the screen.

CreatureX

Yep. Sony is going after the same market that Nokia went after with the N-Gage.

Zodo

Are you talking about the market of people with IQ's lower than 80?

msdmoney

Makes sense, since this is the fastest growing market.

Fok

How do the graphics compare to a PS1?

joshd2012

A better question should be, how do the graphics compare to a PS2, becuase the PSP will be very similar to the PS2 in graphic capability.

Fok

Sweet!

drmoze

Yeah, but you can only compare the 'graphics' s they appear on a much lower-res screen. Even if the PSP is capable of crunching higher-res graphics, it will be limited by the display quality and resolution. Which means even PS2-quality text and stuff won't look much better than PS1 on a regular tv, and any extra nuances of the textures will likewise be lost to a large degree on the small screen.

Not that it will look bad at all, mind you. $^)

ClarkKentKY

Get Me Coffee

I was on a 9 hour flight yesterday and all I was thinking about was...I WANT A PSP! Can't wait!

PixyJunket

You'd need 3 of 'em to occupy the whole flight.

joshd2012

Vampire Chronicles is such a money game. I can't wait to play it on a portable.

Get Me Coffee

hmmmm or I could get a two DS's and look like a kid again