A workable game download distribution business model...

[Deadmeat]

...

I'm going to disagree with this. For one, it doesn't have to be a 99 dollar handheld.

Why was GB series a mega success? Because it was cheap so the entry barrier was low. Why move away from a proven fomula?

Secondly, it is already possible to make the Gamecube "portable", as there is a mobile monitor and battery pack available for the device, which allows it to run for 2 and a half hours

But at what cost and what size? Can a GC handheld with a drive can run on AA batteries for 4 hours? Can it be built for $99??? Since a decent 320x240 LCD panel costs $25, you would have to put together the rest of system for $50 at most to meet the MSRP of $99. You can't do this with GC chipset + drive but you can with a N64 chipset.

Sure, PSX2 would have had 64 MB and Xbox would have had 128 MB if the cost wasn't a consideration, but they are in the real world.

 

[Squeak]

I have a five year old MiniDisc player that can run for +10 hours on a single AA battery. But why would you want it to run on AA batteries? Nintendo have already used rechargeable batteries in GBA SP, why shouldn’t they do the same on their next handheld?

 

[Deadmeat]

...

But why would you want it to run on AA batteries?

Because Nintendo wouldn't want to pay for the battery, batteries not included and Nintendo saves a bunch.

 

[Squeak]

Re: ...

But why would you want it to run on AA batteries?

Because Nintendo wouldn't want to pay for the battery, batteries not included and Nintendo saves a bunch.

Not a bunch, only pennies, and it would annoy consumers to no end too. You can buy cell phones with li-ion batteries for practically nothing today, so it should be pretty much standard on any handheld device in a very near future.

 

[Clashman]

Re: ...

Why was GB series a mega success? Because it was cheap so the entry barrier was low. Why move away from a proven fomula?

Because that formula only works in the absence of any real competition. Nintendo hasn't had any since the Gamegear and Atari Lynx were hot items.

But at what cost and what size? Can a GC handheld with a drive can run on AA batteries for 4 hours? Can it be built for $99??? Since a decent 320x240 LCD panel costs $25, you would have to put together the rest of system for $50 at most to meet the MSRP of $99. You can't do this with GC chipset + drive but you can with a N64 chipset.

As I mentioned before, it doesn't have to be. In fact, I think the main thing proponents of a GB64 are forgetting that I doubt Nintendo is, is that sooner or later the PSP will be a 99 dollar product. If they don't have anything to combat that from the start, by the time PSP becomes a 99 dollar product it will be too late to launch a GCP. PSP will most likely have reached critical mass by then, and the market will already be theirs. A GCP is really the only chance I see Nintendo having of nipping Sony in the bud, ie stopping them before they take the last market Nintendo has effective control over.

 

[PC-Engine]

As I mentioned before, it doesn't have to be. In fact, I think the main thing proponents of a GB64 are forgetting that I doubt Nintendo is, is that sooner or later the PSP will be a 99 dollar product. If they don't have anything to combat that from the start, by the time PSP becomes a 99 dollar product it will be too late to launch a GCP. PSP will most likely have reached critical mass by then, and the market will already be theirs. A GCP is really the only chance I see Nintendo having of nipping Sony in the bud, ie stopping them before they take the last market Nintendo has effective control over.

I TOTALLY agree!

 

[Deepak]

Re: ...

I'm going to disagree with this. For one, it doesn't have to be a 99 dollar handheld.

Why was GB series a mega success? Because it was cheap so the entry barrier was low. Why move away from a proven fomula?

Secondly, it is already possible to make the Gamecube "portable", as there is a mobile monitor and battery pack available for the device, which allows it to run for 2 and a half hours

But at what cost and what size? Can a GC handheld with a drive can run on AA batteries for 4 hours? Can it be built for $99??? Since a decent 320x240 LCD panel costs $25, you would have to put together the rest of system for $50 at most to meet the MSRP of $99. You can't do this with GC chipset + drive but you can with a N64 chipset.

Isn't GC already $99, and N is still making money, and costs will ONLY come down in future so they may launch portable GC for $99, ultimately PSP will be a BIG factor in N's pricing strategy.

 

[jvd]

As I mentioned before, it doesn't have to be. In fact, I think the main thing proponents of a GB64 are forgetting that I doubt Nintendo is, is that sooner or later the PSP will be a 99 dollar product. If they don't have anything to combat that from the start, by the time PSP becomes a 99 dollar product it will be too late to launch a GCP. PSP will most likely have reached critical mass by then, and the market will already be theirs. A GCP is really the only chance I see Nintendo having of nipping Sony in the bud, ie stopping them before they take the last market Nintendo has effective control over.

Of course the psp has to be worth buying other wise it will die way before it drops to a 100$

 

[Legion]

Can anyone provide me with a valid reason as to why Sony would launch the PSP at over 150 USD? That seems rather ridiculous.

 

[jvd]

Can anyone provide me with a valid reason as to why Sony would launch the PSP at over 150 USD? That seems rather ridiculous.

because it costs 500$ to make ? Or 300$ to make . Sony doesn't want to take a huge loss on both the psp and the ps3 in such a close amount of time ?


Can you give me a valid reason why ms wont launch the xbox2 for 50$ usd ?

 

[notAFanB]

Can anyone provide me with a valid reason as to why Sony would launch the PSP at over 150 USD? That seems rather ridiculous.

you NEVER launch at more than $100 if you want it to be an impulse buy and not just for the geeks.

this applies especially to handhelds, but doesn;t neccessarily apply to the UK whom for some strange reason seem not to mind.

 

[Legion]

Can anyone provide me with a valid reason as to why Sony would launch the PSP at over 150 USD? That seems rather ridiculous.

because it costs 500$ to make ? Or 300$ to make . Sony doesn't want to take a huge loss on both the psp and the ps3 in such a close amount of time ?


Can you give me a valid reason why ms wont launch the xbox2 for 50$ usd ?

If it can't compete at over 150 USD JVD do you think it makes sense to release it as such? The xbox was released at a competitive price JVD not to cover cost.

 

[DeanoC]

Nintendo don't need a cheap portable system because they have one.
GBA
They can keep selling GBA based machines for as long as they need at whatever price they want.

That leaves them the breathing room to go head to head with PSP. Nintendo aren't likely to forget how successful Sony have been in the mainstream console market, and they aren't likely to give the crown away so easily this time.

Sony really are the underdog in this arena, and cost is a major factor in the 'toy' market. And that where this market will be won or lost. Sony may like talk about other features but its largely irrelevant if 30 million kids ask for a GBA2 for Christmas 2005.

My personal view what I'd like as a gamer and a developer. I'm hoping GBA2 isn't just a GC portable (even though I'd like one...). I hope its built using very low powered components (battery life is the no 1 feature IMO). I'd like to see some PowerVR (MBX) tech driving the 3D side of things, for things like transparency sorting, high fillrate and easy multiple texture passes. Hook it up to a 200-400 Mhz ARM processor, a GBA:SP screen increased to 320x240 res. I'd still like cartridges but with flash RAM cards available for MP3 playback etc, I can see some advantages to disks but I don't like the skipping and power issues. Pretty certain GBA2 will have wireless networking built in.

But I'd settle for a portable GC

Within the next couple of months details should become more solid and then the specficiation arguments (between PSP and GBA2) can really get going. Until Nintendo show there hand we just don't know anything about GBA2 at all.

 

[jvd]

Can anyone provide me with a valid reason as to why Sony would launch the PSP at over 150 USD? That seems rather ridiculous.

because it costs 500$ to make ? Or 300$ to make . Sony doesn't want to take a huge loss on both the psp and the ps3 in such a close amount of time ?


Can you give me a valid reason why ms wont launch the xbox2 for 50$ usd ?

If it can't compete at over 150 USD JVD do you think it makes sense to release it as such? The xbox was released at a competitive price JVD not to cover cost.

Competitive price would have been to match the gamecube price of 200$ not to sell for 300$ . IT wasn't competting against the ps2 .

Just like the psp wont compete against the 99$ gameboy . Sony will loose that battle . They need to market it as the cool thing to have and to have all these features. To release it for a 100$ of the bat will make many casual consumers or impulse buyers back away thinking its a lower quality product.
Same as a 50$ xbox 2 will have alot of people back away . Esp if it costs the same as the xbox 1 or the ps2 at the time of launch


Price is just as much of a factory as quality. Because most people put the two togehter .

 

[PC-Engine]

 

[Deadmeat]

...

If it can't compete at over 150 USD JVD do you think it makes sense to release it as such?

Because SCEI has no choice because of cost issues(Costs over $300 to construct one), this is why Kutaragi is promoting it as a next-gen walkman gadget to justify its higher price, movies, music, and games. When doing a PSP interview, Kutaragi didn't talk about playing games, he mostly talked about playing movies, content protection, and his discussion with Hollywood studios, etc.

 

[gurgi]

Because Nintendo wouldn't want to pay for the battery, batteries not included and Nintendo saves a bunch.

see gba SP



On the topic of downloadable games. From a perspective of a compulsive collector, the very idea makes me want to vomit!! I need a physical copy of all my games. So as long as that is available in addition to any form of downloadable medium, Im ok.

 

[MfA]

Re: ...

Because SCEI has no choice because of cost issues(Costs over $300 to construct one), this is why Kutaragi is promoting it as a next-gen walkman gadget to justify its higher price, movies, music, and games. When doing a PSP interview, Kutaragi didn't talk about playing games, he mostly talked about playing movies, content protection, and his discussion with Hollywood studios, etc.

So? Harsh DRM is reason for me to expect them to subsidize the hardware even more ... if they were really interested in selling hardware at a profit they would provide writers.

MP3 players were the next-gen walkman already.