Can someone tell me exactly why the PsP is considered a failure?

[Ghostz]

I don't get it... ...the doom and gloom about what's excepted for PsP2...

The unit sells approximately 70 million skus and it's considered a failure by analysts?

Some help me out...

Aren't they making money on the Psp? Or is the barometer only what Nintendo and Apple sells and not what's profitable?

 

[BRiT]

Their sales have been shrinking at least in the US and seems to be falling even in Japan

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28539/Weekly_PSP_Sales_Drop_As_DS_Hardware_Leads_In_Japan.php :
Media Create said Friday that sales of PSP hardware -- including the PSP-3000 and PSP Go -- were 36,697 for the week ended May 9, good enough for second place on the combined sales charts. That's compared to 59,315 units sold the week prior, when the highly-anticipated Peace Walker launched.

On an individual platform basis, the PSP-3000 led overall hardware charts for the week with 35,233. The PSP Go sold just 1,464 to come in last place overall.

The DS line -- which includes the DSi LL, DSi and DS Lite -- sold 46,393 to top the combined hardware sales charts. On an individual platform basis, the DSi LL was the highest-placing DS hardware with 26,733 sold to capture third place. The DSi sold 15,739 during the week and the DS Lite sold 3,921.

http://nukezilla.com/2010/02/13/january-psp-sales-down-58-since-last-year/ :
The market research group NPD has recently released its figures for US PSP sales in January 2010. The data shows that only 100,000 PSP-3000s and PSPgos were sold in the first month of the year. This is in comparison to this time last year, where it sold 170,000 of both units, meaning a 58% drop in year-on-year sales.

 

[Mize]

Yet it would seem the PSP holds its own when observing commuters on the Tokyo subway...

 

[Ghostz]

That is a red herring, it's a failure because its sales are shrinking? It's a "failure" because it's not on top of the DS? Again, this makes no logical sense to me... ...I see the psp as a successful entry platform that sold comparable well against an established brand and was profitable.

Now, the Ps3, that's a failure by comparison the Psp, not so much.

 

[obonicus]

As far as I can tell, its software sales are abysmal (even though it gets a shocking amount of 'big'-name titles). Even Sony properties fail to show up on it.

The DS is better off, but we also hear plenty of complaints in the west about the performance of DS titles from 3rd parties.

 

[zed]

Its a failure cause, outside of japan, it doesnt sell much software. The attachrate is only something like 4:1 when it should be double that at least.
Also it appears to be a failure when you compare it against the nintendo DS, but like you say 60million is certainly not a failure, in fact its one of best selling consoles ever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles
Depends what yardstick you use, its not a failure Ild give it a mark of (between A-E) B, the psp-go OTOH is a E-

 

[obonicus]

I'm sure that Sony's making money off each item sold, so there's that bit of icing too. But 2008 was pretty bleak for PSP releases, too, at least in the west.

 

[wco81]

Maybe it's more about the prospects.

Sony tried to bring more power to handhelds but with the success of the DS and the iPhone, it may be that the portable market is about casual games more than trying to replicate the console experience.

PS3 in a pocket? Why when you can wait to go home and play on the big screen? In the mean time, you can find some other diversions which work better on the smaller screen form.

 

[catisfit]

It's a failure because that's how the internet works - there always has to be a winner to cheer and a loser to deride. There's no notion of all platforms being pretty good and successful in their own right, where's the fun in that?!

When PSP launched as a first-gen handheld in a sector than Nintendo had owned for decades, I expect if you offered Sony this situation they would have taken it. PSP has done much more than simply establish a foothold in the market for PSP2, which I expect would have been the minimum criteria for success.

 

[thop]

 

[thop]

It probably also because many, including this forum, expected the PSP to laugh the DS out of town.

 

[patsu]

As far as I can tell, its software sales are abysmal (even though it gets a shocking amount of 'big'-name titles). Even Sony properties fail to show up on it.

Its a failure cause, outside of japan, it doesnt sell much software. The attachrate is only something like 4:1 when it should be double that at least.

Yeah, partly because Sony neglected the platform for 1-2 years. Left it to stagnate until homebrew and piracy took over the "orphaned" hardware.

Also it appears to be a failure when you compare it against the nintendo DS, but like you say 60million is certainly not a failure, in fact its one of best selling consoles ever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles
Depends what yardstick you use, its not a failure Ild give it a mark of (between A-E) B, the psp-go OTOH is a E-

Yes, when it was first launched. It's very good value for a combo media and game player. I vaguely recall some observers commented that every GBA competitor has been killed, so PSP would be in an uphill battle against Nintendo in the handheld market. It managed well. Sony executives themselves thought they could beat DS with shear hardware values/features. Coupled with the aforementioned neglected 1-2 years, it was basically left to rot. I remember initial sales was good/brisk but can't recall the follow up details anymore. It's certainly time for a hardware refresh now.

Now it faces stiff competition from smart phones, DS, iPad, and to some extent the PS3 itself. It is unclear who PSP's customers are in the new landscape.

 

[Mr. Domino]

Are the software sales so low because of piracy or is there an other reason? 60 - 70 million people have bought a PSP but they're not buying games?

 

[JB9861]

That's mostly down to current situation of declining hardware sales in the west and the overall bleak software sales. On top of that the DS is printing money year after year and tracking at a record pace. The PSP is on the other side of the spectrum in terms of success compared to the DS.

 

[flynn]

It probably also because many, including this forum, expected the PSP to laugh the DS out of town.

Yes, but Nintendo has beaten better hardware in the past (Gameboy vs Lynx vs GameGear) so it's not surprising that the less than impressive DS managed to stay on top.

That might force Sony to go with off the shelf solutions for the PSP2 which would be a real pity for people interested in playing with exotic hardware.

 

[patsu]

Are the software sales so low because of piracy or is there an other reason? 60 - 70 million people have bought a PSP but they're not buying games?

IMHO, probably all of them above. Piracy, target audience, too similar to PS3, lack of direction and execution for 1-2 years, etc.

 

[obonicus]

But what are they buying the PSP for? Purely a media device?

 

[Squilliam]

But what are they buying the PSP for? Purely a media device?

Thats the answer which makes the most sense to me over the 'everyones a pirate, noone buys games' which gets bandied about.

 

[flynn]

But what are they buying the PSP for? Purely a media device?

I'd say most people buy it for the "free" games. But I know several people with unmodded PSPs that are gathering dust.

 

[zed]

Im not 100% sure about this
But arent the average game prices of DS stuff quite a bit lower than the psp?