[Kolgar]

I'm writing an article on PSP and am having trouble remembering something I read years ago, maybe in Next Generation magazine, about a Sony executive chastising his team because "Gameboy should have been a Sony product."

Does anyone else remember this quote, or where I could find it today? I tried Googling and Yahooing, but no luck yet. I'd really like to avoid going through all my old issues of Next Gen, but I will if I have to.

If you can help, I'd be very grateful!

[Kolgar]

I FOUND IT!

Next Generation magazine, Volume 1, Issue 3, March 1995.

Damn, that was one great magazine...

[cthellis42]

Care to... um... include a link and the quote in some more context?

[Kolgar]

One of the reasons for Sony's reluctance to launch an all-out assault on the videogame market was Nintendo. Sony became increasingly intimidated by the Kyoto giant during the must successful years of the NES (1985-1988), and the company was further subdued by the arrival of Game Boy in 1989, which saw Nintendo encroaching on Sony territory.

Sony was so impressed with the design and performance of the low-cost handheld Game Boy that its main R&D team working on consumer portables was apparently chastised by its manager on the basis that "the Game Boy should have been a Sony product." According to David Sheff's definitive hisotry of Nintendo, Game Over, one engineer was so ashamed that he actually left the company.

Very interesting...

[see colon]

Sony was so impressed with the design and performance of the low-cost handheld Game Boy that its main R&D team working on consumer portables was apparently chastised by its manager on the basis that "the Game Boy should have been a Sony product."

so does sony consider the PSP low cost?

[mech]

PSP is very low cost for what it does.

[see colon]

PSP is very low cost for what it does.

is it?

[Kolgar]

Originally Posted by see colon

is it?

I think it's a good start.

Besides, Sony's on to something here.

They weren't looking to build just another portable games machine. They want the "Walkman of the 21st Century" - something that will reach far beyond the traditional portable games market. That means the addition of music, movies, photos, and possibly internet capabilities.

They're essentially creating a new market with PSP, as opposed to merely competing in an existing one. And because PSP is unique, yes, Sony can charge a higher price for it. (Though I'm not sure how much, if any, money they're actually making on each unit sold.)

So while for now, the price may be too high for most, the price will drop in time. It will become more affordable. Then the price will drop again. And in a few years, by the time PSP is selling for $129 or $99, Sony will have tapped into an untapped market, and they'll have just that much of a head start on competitors (I can just imagine a new model of iPod being drawn up right now).

Eventually, PSP 2 will fix some of the current unit's problems - by adding a hard drive, for example. And then the cycle will begin anew.

Boom - they've got their new "Walkman." Essentially by taking the Game Boy idea and expanding it with features that appeal to everyone.

Their whole approach reminds me a lot of how they got into the home console biz in the first place, only I think the "personal, portable media machine" market will ultimately prove to be a hell of a lot bigger.

Time will tell, but for the time being, I personally feel the cost is worth it. I'm an early adopter to a new kind of machine - I expect to pay more.

[see colon]

I'm an early adopter to a new kind of machine

but it's not a new kind of machine. ngage and zodiac both did what PSP does (movies, music, pictures, and games) and they've been available for years. sony may have "got it right" but they weren't the pioneers you are making them out to be.

[mckmas8808]

Yeah but there are the first to get it right. Therefore they will be the ones that most remember 5 to 10 years from now.

[Kolgar]

Originally Posted by see colon

but it's not a new kind of machine. ngage and zodiac both did what PSP does (movies, music, pictures, and games) and they've been available for years. sony may have "got it right" but they weren't the pioneers you are making them out to be.

OK, but it doesn't matter that you got there first if no one remembers your name. And Ngage and Zodiac are non-events because they barely made a blip on most consumers' radar.

That's one of the advantages of being a Sony - you have the financial resources, marketing acumen, and name recognition to, if not pioneer a market, then succeed where others have failed.

In this case, they're building on their PlayStation franchise, and one has to wonder if maybe this wasn't the plan all along... the very REASON Sony got into games in the first place... because it will serve as a stepping stone to something even bigger.

Whatever, I'm babbling. Bottom line, it's less important to get there first than to be first to get it right.

[mech]

Originally Posted by see colon

is it?

That's what I said, isn't it?

It is amazingly cheap for the level of power and the awesome LCD screen it has.

[jvd]

Originally Posted by mckmas8808

Yeah but there are the first to get it right. Therefore they will be the ones that most remember 5 to 10 years from now.

says who ? Its a handheld with bad battery life that isn't getting it right . Its damn close but night right

[mech]

PSP does not have "bad" battery life.

My ipod has a similar if not worse battery life than the PSP (especially if I'm skipping through tracks) and it's doing a LOT less than the PSP is, AND it hasn't stopped Apple storming the world with them. For most people, 5-6 hours is a perfectly acceptable battery life.

[pahcman]

actually if one just try teh zodiac, can easy say sony did not "get rights fully"

for one the analog stick, yes u can press as button too, roll aaaaaaaaaaaall over psp nub. this is no exggeration, try it and get back to us.

the zodiac is also lighter smaller compacter slimmer than psp.

the built quality is superb for that, feel strong when u grip it tight, and buttons click fast and hard. the shoulder buttons are smartly sized great to use.

everything imho a handheld gadget should feel. psp feel bulky and weak in quality, just grip psp tight after u grip zodiac. u will fear psp breaking up.

the screen is higher res but no fancy widescreen. thats one way sony got positively right. by being first to use hiquality lcd panel planned for future pmps. psp lcd, while not best ever portable screen, still really good, rich colors, just the right size between big enough yet cutie small. but i sure other companys will start to use those sharp/samsung pmp panels too.

i say zodiac feel more like the real tech cool gadget wheres psp is more a tech cool gameboy toy.

but psp do have some designs area better, mostly as a games player. duh.. zodiac is too slim for own good, to hold too long action gaming and face buttons bad ergonimics.

in past when saw psp photos and heard kutargai want to shrink it further, i thought kidding me! but went finally in my hands, im sure there are few areas more to slim and toughen up.

[Lazy8s]

mech:

It is amazingly cheap for the level of power

It's sold under a loss leading business model which most consumer electronics aren't, so it may be a comparatively low priced product. For it's capability, its technology carries high costs, though: four pipelines, 166-MHz clockrate, only a few hours of battery life, etc.

[mech]

For it's capability, its technology carries high costs, though: four pipelines, 166-MHz clockrate, only a few hours of battery life, etc.

Four pipelines and 166Mhz clockrate - what?

But yes, I also believe PSP is being sold at a loss just like PS2, etc - which goes against the Nintendo model, which always made the handheld profit off the console itself.

PSP games are awesomely cheap actually - I'm paying LESS for PSP games than I was for my original Gameboy games! Less than my GBA games too! It's amazing.

As for the whole battery life thing, read my post above

[PC-Engine]

I wouldn't say $40 and $50 for portable games as being cheap.

[see colon]

Originally Posted by mech

That's what I said, isn't it?

It is amazingly cheap for the level of power and the awesome LCD screen it has.

what you said was that the PSP is low cost for what it does. the PSP plays games, displays pictures, plays movies, and plays music. the ngage does all of that and is $150 cheaper. other devices can do what the PSP does (like portable mp3, DVD, pda's, high end phones) and many cost less than the PSP.

saying that the PSP is cheap for the quality of what it does is another story. it's not what the PSP does it's how well it does it.

Originally Posted by mech

PSP games are awesomely cheap actually - I'm paying LESS for PSP games than I was for my original Gameboy games! Less than my GBA games too! It's amazing.

where i live there is about a $20US difference between PSP and GBA games, and at least a $10 difference with DS games. you are either getting a great deal on PSP games, or someone has been ripping you off for years.

[Phil]

I payed more for my portable mp3 player that most definately carries less features than the PSP does...

anyway, you guys sure like to bitch around the same old issues over and over again. I think some of you are forgetting the times when the first GameBoy came out and how its battery faired. Then, you have the same old issues with the newer class mobile phones that pack in more and more features and better displays at the expense of battery life... As anywhere, technology comes at a cost, either in size, battery life or other factors. It's getting the balance right and in that aspect, I'd favour a PSP type unit over a Nintendo DS class any day, any time. 4 to 6 hours is very acceptable and seeing how it's selling, I figure I'm not in the minority.

[mech]

saying that the PSP is cheap for the quality of what it does is another story. it's not what the PSP does it's how well it does it.

See, you've completely misconstrued what I wrote, and are having a roundabout silly argument for the hell of it. Obviously when I wrote "what it does" I meant how well it does stuff.

where i live there is about a $20US difference between PSP and GBA games, and at least a $10 difference with DS games. you are either getting a great deal on PSP games, or someone has been ripping you off for years.

Welcome to the wonderful world of PAL territories. Gameboy games here cost between AU$60-80 - I paid AU$55 for Wipeout Pure DELIVERED from Canada.

AU$55 is really cheap for such great games.

$80 for a GBA game is outrageous.

[PC-Engine]

Originally Posted by Phil

I payed more for my portable mp3 player that most definately carries less features than the PSP does...

anyway, you guys sure like to bitch around the same old issues over and over again. I think some of you are forgetting the times when the first GameBoy came out and how its battery faired. Then, you have the same old issues with the newer class mobile phones that pack in more and more features and better displays at the expense of battery life... As anywhere, technology comes at a cost, either in size, battery life or other factors. It's getting the balance right and in that aspect, I'd favour a PSP type unit over a Nintendo DS class any day, any time. 4 to 6 hours is very acceptable and seeing how it's selling, I figure I'm not in the minority.

I paid $175 for my 1GB flash MP3 player. I wouldn't want to spend that much just for a 1GB MS DUO itself. Not to mention my flash MP3 player is leagues above what PSP offers in terms of size, function, features.

As for the original GB, I believe it lasted 20+ hours on 4 alkalines.

[mech]

20+ hours on 4 AAs? In your dreams maybe!

It lasted about 8-10 hours... and if you used rechargeable batteries, it was more like 3. Less than the PSP, omg! Yet somehow I coped!

Comparing the price of dedicated MP3 players to the PSP is ridiculous, the MP3 playback on the PSP is just a bonus. $175 is a bit rich for a 1gig duo stick btw.

[see colon]

See, you've completely misconstrued what I wrote, and are having a roundabout silly argument for the hell of it. Obviously when I wrote "what it does" I meant how well it does stuff.

not to bicker, but when i wrote "is it?" i meant "is the PSP cheap for the things that it does". how well it does those things is another story. perhaps you misconstrued what i wrote. regardless, i'm tired of running in circles because we can't seam to communicate with eachother. no hard feelings i hope.

As for the original GB, I believe it lasted 20+ hours on 4 alkalines

i remember it being closer to 8-10 hours or so. IIRC it had a little over twice the life of a gamegear, and they lasted about 3-4 hours and that was with 6 AA's. with the light on of course, and you really couldn't see anything without it on.

[PC-Engine]

Originally Posted by mech

20+ hours on 4 AAs? In your dreams maybe!

It lasted about 8-10 hours... and if you used rechargeable batteries, it was more like 3. Less than the PSP, omg! Yet somehow I coped!

Comparing the price of dedicated MP3 players to the PSP is ridiculous, the MP3 playback on the PSP is just a bonus. $175 is a bit rich for a 1gig duo stick btw.

I'm not sure if I got that right or not but the orginal GB lasted a long time with alkalines. It wasn't designed back then to get lots of time with NiCads anyway, since NiCads has way lower capacity than today. Alkalines OTOH have about the same capacity as Alkalines 10 years ago.

My MP3 player has built-in FM, line in recording, voice recorder, not to mention awesome sound. I was just giving my 2 cents about PSP being a lot for your money which in reality it isn't since music and movie playback don't work out of the box.