Apparantly the PSP2 exists.

[MfA]

Has Sony ever answered any questions about stereoscopic 3D for handheld gaming?

I really think they are in complete internal denial about it, refusing to adapt their plans to the market Nintendo has presented them with ... and that they are going to fail spectacularly because of it.

 

[patsu]

I personally don't see anything wrong with it, then again I never viewed phones as men jewelry

Phone is half a fashion item. I saw girls bought PSPs. No reason not to appeal to everyone visually.
It's a prototype, hopefully the production unit makes a striking appearance. ^_^

Has Sony ever answered any questions about stereoscopic 3D for handheld gaming?

I really think they are in complete internal denial about it, refusing to adapt their plans to the market Nintendo has presented them with ... and that they are going to fail spectacularly because of it.

I remember Kaz said they are not going to have it in PSP2. I also think that 3D display for portable consoles and phones is inevitable. So they may be forced to deal with it later on. The interesting part is in 3D control schemes.

 

[Xenus]

3D on a portable strikes me as both cool and incredibly infuriating. It's good but it requires you to hold the system in the exact same position the whole time not to break the effect which could drive people insane.

 

[MfA]

I also think that 3D display for portable consoles and phones is inevitable.

They need to deal with it now ... yes scrapping the design and launch preparations and adding a stereoscopic screen represents a huge cost (if anyone from Sony is reading, I'd recommend the 3M directional backlight) but launching the PSP2 only for it to fail comes at a much greater cost ... not just money wise, but brand wise as well.

Later on might be too late.

 

[Npl]

They need to deal with it now ... yes scrapping the design and launch preparations and adding a stereoscopic screen represents a huge cost (if anyone from Sony is reading, I'd recommend the 3M directional backlight) but launching the PSP2 only for it to fail comes at a much greater cost ... not just money wise, but brand wise as well.

Yeah and add touchscreen and tilt-sensors and whatever else.

Sony dint plan for it, and now its too late to rethink PSP2 IMHO. "3D" will be a huge marketing push by Nintendo, but is Sony really saving themselves if they quickly add something?
How much do you think the Sixaxis "Motioncontrols" helped fight off the Wiimote? If anything it drove up the price of the controller with noone using this feature.

Adding a 3D-Screen will have alot implications, for one you surely are left with lower resolution (would compare badly to smartphones), motion/tilting will be a pain if you need keep your viewing angle, etc.

Let Nintendo do their own thing, compete with them but dont try to be them. Because that would be the safest way for a failure.

 

[MfA]

Nope ... the surest way to failure is trying to compete with an expensive handheld which is objectively behind the times technologically, especially since technological excellence is their schtick, especially since they are behind the times in the exact area Sony is trying to hype for their TVs and consoles.

Every dollar of the money they spend on the massive advertising campaign to launch a non stereoscopic PSP2 will be a dollar lost which they could have used to make saleable hardware which didn't continue to erode their brand image.

SixAxis did nothing because it wasn't useful for party games ... and suitability for party games sold the Wii, and is selling the Kinect, combined with price. The problem wasn't the copying, the problem was poor copying. They are already aping Nintendo with the PSP2 with the reverse touchpad, they are trying to sell the PSP2 on gimmicks ... except this time they are competing with a Nintendo which hasn't chosen to just compete with gimmicks, but also with technological excellence ... and they still have their own gimmicks in the second screen and cameras.

The PSP had technological excellence over the DS ... what will the PSP2 have over the 3DS? Nothing, unless they decide to compete with Nintendo on price

 

[Brad Grenz]

Nintendo may be pricing the 3DS like high-end technology, but it's pretty far from it. Maybe the PSP2 won't have the 3D screen, but it will almost certainly be exponentially more capable from a performance perspective.

 

[MfA]

Performance is a means to a cause, displaying pretty pictures ... more polygons won't be able to make up for the fact of a lack of stereoscopic effect IMO.

 

[Npl]

Nope ... the surest way to failure is trying to compete with an expensive handheld which is objectively behind the times technologically, especially since technological excellence is their schtick, especially since they are behind the times in the exact area Sony is trying to hype for their TVs and consoles.

you mean its a good idea to make PSP2 more expensive, at the same time possibly reducing other "features" like a high resolution and wide viewable angle LCD would bring?

Every dollar of the money they spend on the massive advertising campaign to launch a non stereoscopic PSP2 will be a dollar lost which they could have used to make saleable hardware which didn't continue to erode their brand image.

I`d say the only thing lacking on the PSP was (continued) marketing and software. Read not an hardware issue

SixAxis did nothing because it wasn't useful for party games ... and suitability for party games sold the Wii, and is selling the Kinect, combined with price. The problem wasn't the copying, the problem was poor copying. They are already aping Nintendo with the PSP2 with the reverse touchpad, they are trying to sell the PSP2 on gimmicks ... except this time they are competing with a Nintendo which hasn't chosen to just compete with gimmicks, but also with technological excellence ... and they still have their own gimmicks in the second screen and cameras.

you use "technologically excellence" in a weird context. 3DS is again a rather underpowered machine with a single standout feature. Nintendo understands selling this standout-features (looking at the Wii Id say gimmick as I cant name a single game except the few "Sports" and "Swordfighting" games where the Motion controls are put to good use). Sony doesnt, and I think its a far stretch
to assume the reverse touchpad is supposedly an answer to Nintendo, seems more usefull for enabling Smartphone-funtionalities.

The PSP had technological excellence over the DS ... what will the PSP2 have over the 3DS? Nothing, unless they decide to compete with Nintendo on price

Well, its hard to say concretely until PSP2 is announced, but I`d guess it will have way more power and android-compatibility. Lets ask, what will PSP2 and 3DS have over smartphones-games ? Big Triple-A titles which arent sold on Smartphones any time soon.

PSP2 is supposedly holding its own in terms of performance and PSP games usually are big titles. Nintendo is IMHO way more competing directly with the cheap-ass smartphone-games.
Competing directly with Nintendo seems like nonsense to me, it will only alienate their own market.

Again, Sony should focus on keeping strong where they already are - I`d rather have a good non-stereoscopic LCD than one thats full of compromises.

 

[MfA]

3DS is again a rather underpowered machine with a single standout feature.

I disagree, the fact that it's a stereoscopic camera as well is also a highly marketable ... it's more gimmicky with no impact on "real" games, but still marketable.

looking at the Wii Id say gimmick as I cant name a single game except the few "Sports" and "Swordfighting" games where the Motion controls are put to good use

Party games and Wii Fit sold it, along with price.

Again, Sony should focus on keeping strong where they already are - I`d rather have a good non-stereoscopic LCD than one thats full of compromises.

A second comer should have no real compromises at all compared to it's competitor, at least for actual gaming, especially if it's more expensive.

It needs to have the best screen, the best processing/rendering hardware and the best UI (at least for traditional games, although the touch pad might be a nice touch to compete with the second screen if it works well). This was in my opinion true for the PSP, but it's shaping up not to be true for the PSP2.

 

[Npl]

I disagree, the fact that it's a stereoscopic camera as well is also a highly marketable ... it's more gimmicky with no impact on "real" games, but still marketable.

err... lack of CPU and GPU horsepower has an effect on games.

Party games and Wii Fit sold it.

Thats kinda my point - its a one-trick-pony. Heck all Wii-games that interest me are either not using motion controls in any significant way (NSMB), are way better if you use the nunchuck instead (Mario Kart) or are so showing the limitation of the controls that its painful to play (Metroid Prime).

A second comer should have no real compromises at all compared to it's competitor, at least for actual gaming, especially if it's more expensive.

Well, even considering this is the case, do you think parents will buy their kids a PSP2 or a 3DS with Nintendogs 3D?

It needs to have the best screen (which means stereoscopic), the best processing/rendering hardware and the best UI (at least for traditional games).

best screen = stereoscopic is your personal opinion. if everything else is the same then sure, but today its a compromise.
Get a stereoscopic screen and you will have a way worse screen atleast for everything "2D", for a device that should be able to compete with smartphones aswell, thats a pretty hefty disadvantage if all your media-files will be displayed with lower res, text is harder to read, etc..

 

[MfA]

Screens for phones aren't even being sold on viewing angle ... tiny screens and low viewing angle doesn't work well.

 

[patsu]

If it's powerful enough, how hard is it to retrofit 3D for a small screen ? (I mean adding a 3D screen to newer cellphone models).

PSP2 screen -- yeah, I think they may have to do it at launch.

 

[MfA]

The barrier method can be applied to any screen but halves the horizontal resolution in stereoscopic mode, could even work with AMOLED. AU Optronics polarization dependent lenticular too, although it works best with LCD.

3M's method can be applied to any LCD screen which can manage high enough refresh rates and low enough grey to grey delay times (<10 msec). It does not halve the horizontal resolution.

 

[Xmas]

The barrier method can be applied to any screen but halves the horizontal resolution in stereoscopic mode, could even work with AMOLED.

Unless it uses PenTile.

How much impact on perceived brightness (and thus battery life) do the methods you mentioned have?

 

[TheChefO]

PSP2 will be dead on Arrival

It looks to me like young kids are just as happy playing with an iPod Touch or a Nano

I pretty much agree.

I think it also applies to DS3D. Traditional handhelds are toast. Smartphones are the future of mobile gaming.

 

[Teasy]

3D on a portable strikes me as both cool and incredibly infuriating. It's good but it requires you to hold the system in the exact same position the whole time not to break the effect which could drive people insane.

No it doesn't.

I think it also applies to DS3D. Traditional handhelds are toast. Smartphones are the future of mobile gaming.

The old "phones will destroy next gaming handelds" argument, never gets old.

 

[TheChefO]

The old "phones will destroy next gaming handelds" argument, never gets old.

http://unplugged.rcrwireless.com/index.php/20101124/news/5392/ipad-and-computer-among-american-kids-most-wanted/

Nintendo needs to get involved with those pre-k videogame companies like Leapfrog.

Their future is quite grim with MS and Sony both taking the casual/motion market and mobile gaming getting scooped by smartphones. Especially in the $300 market segment.

At least Sony has enough sense to incorporate phone functionality into their psp. Hopefully they are planning the same with psp2.

 

[Teasy]

I-things are popular, I already knew that, doesn't change my opinion on mobile gaming one little bit though. As games machines phones (and current I-Pods) are quite frankly pathetic and dedicated gaming handhelds will continue to be the only option for real gamers (and most casual gamers). We'll have to wait and see if Apple ever bring out a real gaming handheld.

As for Nintendo's future in home consoles, Nintendo's future was probably grim in your eyes when GameCube didn't do to well. If Nintendo stood still you'd have a point, but despite your lack of imagination they'll have plenty of ideas up their sleaves. The fact that MS/Sony have copied their last innovation through a peripheral won't stop them adapting and bringing something else out. 3D without glasses in a dedicated games system will be copied next and they'll just adapt again.

 

[TheChefO]

I-things are popular, I already knew that, doesn't change my opinion on mobile gaming one little bit though.

I'd agree, but the fact Nintendo is trying to capture the $300 market is treading into I-things price range. Difference being I-things in that range are infinately more useful for things outside of gaming and gaming as well. And from what I've seen, the I-things also outclass what 3ds is able to do graphically as well.

They are aiming well above their ~$100 target they had with ds gba and gbc.

Doing so with limited ability to just be a gaming system at this point is asinine.

Pretty sure Sony isn't going to make that mistake with psp2 from what I've seen. At least Sony saw the light there.



Just looked up leapfrog. $400million mkt cap with a PE of 46. Nintendo should just buy them and at least have that market to fall back on.

Sony and MS just stole their dinner reservation next year at the big boy restaurant and the soccer moms are looking to start cheating too...