Kutaragi Ken interview on PSP

[Galian Beast]

Common sense... UMDs and UMD players have not released. Common sense... DVDs isn't a prime mediun for portability. DVD is more expensive than UMD.

Why do people buy DVDs of VHS movies they already own? Better quality? Well UMDs are a portable fix. It something we have never really had. Portable video has never been mainstream.

I haven't bought a music cd for the past what 5 years? Why would I start to buy music on UMDs? But the fact is people are still buying music on cd, and the industry IS looking for a replacement that isn't pirate friendly.

I don't have an MD Player, why would I buy prerecorded MDs... (didn't even know they made them).

Sony isn't doing ANY of that in the console industry. The only things that I don't like about sony is the direction they are taking gaming into, and the fact that they abuse their market share.

The PlayStation 2 is the perfect controller. Properly evolved from the SNES controller. Which at the time was also the perfect controller. I never said too many buttons was good. But too few is just as bad.

 

[MfA]

Isn't 2cm is nearly an inch in all directions?

Hmm I never use imperial units, but I wasnt aware they were depriciating ... well if an inch is 1 cm now then sure.

How would you cut costs of the cpu and graphics chip? Does your company produce these things in-house?

Not cut costs in that way, cut costs as in cutting corners ... leaving a large performance gap with the PSP.

Your system would also be plagued by piracy.

It is entirely feasible to build a system for which running pirated games from mini-DVDs (normally they would only be run from the proprietary variant) would be as easy to accomplish as say running pirated games from a mini-HD on PSP.

Microsoft, Sega, and Nintendo are all pitfalls for 3rd party support. If sega ever opted to make another system NO ONE would support it. Microsoft will get less support next generation than it did this generation... and Nintendo is almost as big a joke as Sega. I'll be surprised if ANY big support comes for Nintendo. It's a joke in Japan, and 3rd party support in the west is already dropping like flies.

If you dont have to sell it at a loss numerous internal development teams can make for a profitable business, it is for nintendo right now. If after a while a platform has enough volume trust becomes a non-issue ... and really m$ doesnt need trust, if they want to they can just pay off the financial risks involved for the developers.

 

[Galian Beast]

I asked if TWO cm were nearly an inch... not ONE!

Leaving a gap between the PSP and your product would not be the best way to sell it to consumers...

I have no idea what you were trying to say there..., but the main reason why Sony isn't using minidvds is most likely because of piracy issues.

Nintendo isn't as profitable as you think they are. If the PSP succeeds in eating away at Nintendo market share in the handheld industry, you are going to see their company fall big time, like a a bunch of trees being chopped down by paul bunyan.

Microsoft Gaming Studio/Microsoft's Home and Entertainment Division does not have unlimited resources. They just can't pay their way out of everything. They tried to do it this way, and failed. If they don't get a profit soon out of the next system, my guess is shareholders will ask for the project to be dropped.

 

[PC-Engine]

Common sense... UMDs and UMD players have not released. Common sense... DVDs isn't a prime mediun for portability. DVD is more expensive than UMD.

UMDs and UMD players have not released. Umm...then why in the world are you championing something that is nonexistant against something that is entrenched?? Talk about common sense.


DVDs not a prime medium?? Says who??? How many portable DVD products are out there??? How many people have DVD players??? How man people have in dash DVD players??? DVDs are the same size and shape as a CD. How many people own portable CD players???


DVD is more expensive than UMD??? I thought UMD doesn't even exist yet???? Where can I buy a cheaper version of T3 on UMD???? Better yet how can I buy a UMD movie that can play in my in dash DVD unit??? or my home player??? You know why UMD won't be successful as a movie format??? Because it will be competing with DVD which is superior in every way except physical size. Physical size alone isn't going to convince people to go out and replace their existing library. Again did MD replace the CD???

Why do people buy DVDs of VHS movies they already own? Better quality? Well UMDs are a portable fix. It something we have never really had. Portable video has never been mainstream.

Same reason why they bought CDs to replace audio cassettes and LPs. It's digital, doesn't degrade, superior audio/video quality, instant track/chapter selection.

BTW portable DVD players can be had for $250 nowadays and by the time PSP arrives it will be even cheaper.

I haven't bought a music cd for the past what 5 years? Why would I start to buy music on UMDs? But the fact is people are still buying music on cd, and the industry IS looking for a replacement that isn't pirate friendly.

Umm and MD was supposed to be a replacement too...what happened there??? It's funny how you don't buy CDs yet somehow you know people will automatically flock to prerecorded UMDs.

I don't have an MD Player, why would I buy prerecorded MDs... (didn't even know they made them).

LOL it's not just YOU dude. Does ANYONE buy prerecorded MDs??? Will ANYONE buy prerecorded UMDs????

You know what? Somebody has already been thinking of prerecorded 3" miniDVDs too that use DivX compression to hold 2 hours of near DVD quality video, but the idea will never materialize into a product because existing DVD players can't playback DivX encoded video so movie studios will never release movies on these miniDVDs.

 

[MfA]

You asked if it was "an inch in all directions" ... I mistakingly thought you were talking about the radius from the center. Mea culpa.

As for piracy issues, sure that together with trying to launch a new standard with a headstart is sure to be one of their reasons. They like everyone else have been known to make wrong decisions though.

A simular device with mini-DVDs could really become the new walkman ... if you were able to make piracy of games sufficiently hard by putting them on a proprietary variant of the disc, which I think you could, it would be the smartest way to try to compete with Sony IMO.

 

[Galian Beast]

I am only championing a system, that I believe will bring us great games and great competition in the handheld realm. I am not championing UMDs persay. But I clearly understand why they are using a proprietary format, rather than going with mini-dvds.

Portable DVD players have not picked up. Thus it isn't a prime format for portability. DVDs and CDs. There is a clear difference here.. There is a reason why a large part of the music industry doesn't want to use DVD-Audio, and a lot are pushing for SACD. CD players are limited in size, and are now having trouble competing with stand alone mp3 players.

Sony has already stated that UMDs will be cheaper than DVDs. You should pay more attention. Again that is like saying that home cd players are competing with portable cd players... it's wrong...

MD Players have become fairly popular in Europe and Asia, but they never caught on because there was not enough push, but again you are comparing Sony Electronics to Sony Computer Entertainment. Two completely separate companies.

I would like you to show me a good portable dvd player for 250 dollars...

UMD success is going to be COMPLETELY parrallel to the success of the PSP. I believe that the PSP is going to be extremely popular as long as Sony doesn't screw up, therefore I believe the UMD will also be successful.

Sony's entire goal with the UMD seems to be to rally support, by providing a format that is extremely hard to pirate. If the disc is mini-dvd it would still be easily pirateable. Why else do you think sony just didn't use a minidvd disc.

 

[PC-Engine]

Portable DVD players have not picked up. Thus it isn't a prime format for portability. DVDs and CDs. There is a clear difference here.. There is a reason why a large part of the music industry doesn't want to use DVD-Audio, and a lot are pushing for SACD. CD players are limited in size, and are now having trouble competing with stand alone mp3 players.

Umm..again says who??? Compared to one or two years ago portable DVD players HAVE picked up, just look at how many different models from different companies are out there, don't know what planet you're living on. Also last time I checked DVD-A and SACD both have about equal marketshare. BTW why are you even bringing up stand alone MP3 players??? Unless a UMD player can record and is smaller than a portable MP3 player then it means nothing. At least you can record MP3s onto CDR.

Sony has already stated that UMDs will be cheaper than DVDs. You should pay more attention. Again that is like saying that home cd players are competing with portable cd players... it's wrong...

Umm..no whatever SONY promises is irrelevant unless the industry is behind UMD.

MD Players have become fairly popular in Europe and Asia, but they never caught on because there was not enough push, but again you are comparing Sony Electronics to Sony Computer Entertainment. Two completely separate companies.

I'm talking about UMD as a movie/music format not as a game format.

I would like you to show me a good portable dvd player for 250 dollars...

How about $175 or $228...

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?DPNo=242130&adcampaign=email,ECOSTPG

http://www.abtelectronics.com/scrip...328&AID=5470160&PID=603315&setflag=1062993960

How much would these cost by the time PSP is released fall of 2004???

UMD success is going to be COMPLETELY parrallel to the success of the PSP. I believe that the PSP is going to be extremely popular as long as Sony doesn't screw up, therefore I believe the UMD will also be successful.

Sony's entire goal with the UMD seems to be to rally support, by providing a format that is extremely hard to pirate. If the disc is mini-dvd it would still be easily pirateable. Why else do you think sony just didn't use a minidvd disc.

As a proprietary gaming format sure, as an industry accepted prerecorded audio/video format? Um..no..

And the reason why SONY didn't use a mini-DVD format is because they like coming up with their own proprietary formats like MD, MS, ATRAC, etc....is this really news to you?

 

[cybamerc]

Galian Beast:

> Rather the machine was stagnating the industry.

You said it was a stagnating member of the market. Now, you can change your explanation all you want but "market" implies business and the word "stagnating" was clearly used about the GBA, not the industry.

A certain level of communicative skills is required to properly debate. I shouldn't have to explain you the meaning of your written words.

> They broke even after the first year of sales.

Either you don't understand the meaning of breaking even or you are just misinformed. After the first year on the market the Game business posted a loss of 51.1 billion Yen. Sony achieved zero profitability on the hardware after about a year on the market but that is far from the same as breaking even.

> Where is your proof to that?

Where is your proof of the opposite?

There is a time and a place for everything. Adults don't have time or energy for gaming during the day and teenagers won't dare in fear of being labelled as children or nerds.

> The dimensions of the original GB (not the screen) are much larger.

Your point would be? A lot has happened since 1989.

> Being flip top basically solves all problems when it comes to size.

First of all, it hasn't been confirmed that it will use a flip top design. Secondly, the unit will still be considerably larger than a modern portable music player and that will remain a fact no matter how many times you keep saying that it isn't that big.

> Learn how to read. I said consoles have always dominated handheld
> sales.

Actually, you said the console market was always bigger than the handheld market. A rather ambiguous statement.

> A rehash is a game that takes the exact same elements from another
> game, and reuses them as the complete basis.

That definition covers just about every sequel on the market.

> Isn't 2cm is nearly an inch in all directions?

1 inch = 2.54 cm
2 cm = 0.7874 inch

> Your system would also be plagued by piracy.

Please explain that logic to me.

> and Nintendo is almost as big a joke as Sega

Being the world's second largest games publisher, completely dominating the handheld market and constantly turning a profit is a joke?

> Matsushita

Tried and failed.

> Intel

Now you're just listing random company names.

> IBM

See above answer.

> Apple

Tried and failed.

> DVD is more expensive than UMD.

Surely you have proof of that?

> Sony has already stated that UMDs will be cheaper than DVDs.

In retail and it is nothing but hopeful speculation.




PC-Engine:

> BTW do you buy prerecorded MDs???

I doubt he was even born when they stopped making prerecorded MDs.




Vince:

> Flawed
> analogies
> ,
> huh
> ?

STOP REPLYING TO MY POSTS!

> there wasn't a single thing you talked of that I already didn't cover

You covered it alright. You just didn't make any sense.

> because I have

No you haven't. Just because people stop downloading music it doesn't mean they will pick up a physical copy instead. Music sales will continue to decline until the business offers more favorable deals to the consumers. Universal Music has realized this and will lover the price of CDs and MCs in the US as of this October. Now the price reduction probably isn't large enough to make a significant difference but it's a step in the right direction. However, people still won't buy multiple copies.

 

[Galian Beast]

Portable DVD players are NOT mainstream, and have NOT picked up significantly. It isn't about the amount of models companies are bringing out, it is the amount of units actually being sold to consumers.

The point was that the dvd formats aren't as useful for portability. If they were SACD wouldn't have stood a chance.

The point was that CD players are no longer able to drive the market, even if they are still present in them. The format is physically too large, and people are trying to release smaller media so that they can create smaller players.

Sony made a statement saying that their format is cheaper than DVDs. This doesn't matter? LOL...

Please learn to read and understand. SCE is pushing the format, not Sony Electronics. That the difference. I never said you were talking about a game format instead of audio/video. I am saying with the PS brand pushing the format it has a much larger chance at being succesful than a random proprietary format.

One of the players you posted doesn't tell battery life. The other lasts only 3 hours...

Again SCE is NOT Sony Electronics.

Learn to read Cybamerc. Pages 7, and 8 will go along way for you...

Sony started breaking even on hardware sales, I didn't say they made up for past R&D. Sony clearly said that they were starting to profit on hardware sales after the first year (although that could have been the first year according to SCEA).

My point is that the original gameboy was just extremely portable, it's only problem was it's bulkyness.

I think it is common sense that Sony will use a flip top design, especially with a 4.5' screen.

The console market always HAS been larger than the handheld industry. Hardware sales of the NES were stronger than the Gameboy, and so were software sales. While the industry continued to grow in the early to mid 90s, the handheld industry was going through quite a bit of trouble. In 1995 iirc, Nintendo brought in the VB to replace the gameboy's low revenue.

I wouldn't say most sequels use the EXACT same elements. Or perhaps I am not being clear enough. Look at the difference between gameplay in Metal Gear Solid 2 and MGS1 then look at the difference in gameplay between Twisted Metal 2 and 3.

and as I said 2cm is NEARLY an inch. Its is half a cm away...

A system using an easily pirated medium... will be plagued by piracy... does that logic make sense to you?

When a company has no clear long term future, it is a joke... A company who is falling less succesful each generation... is a joke....

Matsushita wasn't completely responsible for the 3DO. Intel is a R&D mastermind... as is IBM. And as I could see Apple getting into it, but I never said that they would be successful.

Deering has already said that movies on UMDs will be cheaper than DVDs. That is proof enough. LOL sony officially makes a statement, and it is hopeful speculation? You are hilarious. What are you 5?

 

[MfA]

A system using an easily pirated medium... will be plagued by piracy... does that logic make sense to you?

You dont have to use it for official software to support it, use a dual format drive. Add media-ID, encryption and some subtle differences in read/write ordering etc etc.

 

[cybamerc]

Galian Beast:

> Sony made a statement saying that their format is cheaper than DVDs.

Please sort out the facts before posting on this board. You're wasting everyone's time.

Chris Deering said that "movies on the UMD format will almost certainly cost a little less than DVDs." This is purely speculation of course as noone has actually committed to UMD at this point. Perhaps with the exception of Sony Pictures but as you like to point out yourself SCEI is a seperate business with no direct influence on other Sony companies. The wording alone clearly shows that nothing is set in stone, So does similar comments made by Kutaragi.

> SCE is pushing the format, not Sony Electronics.

SCEI is pushing the format now but the plans extend beyond PlayStation. To achieve that SCEI will need the help of not only the other companies within the Sony Corporation but also outside parties.

> Learn to read Cybamerc.

My reading skills are outstanding, You on the other hand have problems making sense of your own writings. Imagine how the rest of us feel.

> Sony started breaking even on hardware sales, I didn't say they made
> up for past R&D.

Breaking even means just that: recuperating the initial investment. What you are referring to is the point when Sony no longer loses money on the production of PS2 hardware. Breaking even comes way after that.

> My point is that the original gameboy was just extremely portable, it's
> only problem was it's bulkyness.

The original Game Boy like any Nintendo hardware is a good, sturdy product that can stand some rough use. For it's time it wasn't all that bulky but things have changed, expectations have changed. Just because the original Game Boy achieved success doesn't mean a similarly sized product would be accepted today.

> I think it is common sense that Sony will use a flip top design,
> especially with a 4.5' screen.

I think a flip top design is the most likely choice as well, but the point is that it hasn't been confirmed. The PSP could very well end up being considerably bigger than the smallest achievable size.

> Or perhaps I am not being clear enough.

That or you simply don't have a clue.

> Look at the difference...

Why don't you explain it to me in words. Discussion without communication gets old quickly.

> A system using an easily pirated medium... will be plagued by piracy...
> does that logic make sense to you?

First of all, you seem to completely ignore the part were MfA mentions that the format could be a proprietary variant. Secondly, GameCube is a perfect example of how you can take an open format, use proprietary security schemes and have the most pirate proof system with arguably the least effort. Of course, one could make the argument that Sony (and M$) isn't really interested in keeping pirates away from the platform.

> When a company has no clear long term future, it is a joke

Yogi Berra once said: "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." When talking about long term prospects nothing is absolutely clear. Between the three big hardware manufacturers Nintendo is the one with the most stable business (gaming only).

> And as I could see Apple getting into it

Pippin... though that probably doesn't mean much to you kiddo.

> Deering has already said that movies on UMDs will be cheaper than
> DVDs.

Do I need to spell it out? R.E.T.A.I.L.

And why argue the same thing twice?

 

[Galian Beast]

MFA, one that would be more expensive, two that would STILL lead to piracy. Kind of how the Dreamcast could read cds and GDROM. Because it could read cds, it was an easy way for GDROM data to be copied to CDROM and then put on CDROM.

Kutaragi has already said that he has talked to people from the film industry... Don't make baseless assumptions that because Sony has a film company that they would be in any way connected to the UMD. Deering said that UMDs will be cheaper than dvds, and Kutaragi has already spoke about the cheapness of UMDs, and I think they have a little more authority on the matter than you... They've stated that UMDs will retail for cheaper than both DVDs (movies) and CDs (audio).

The fact is SCE is a COMPLETELY different company than Sony Electronics. Comparing them for ANY reason (other than internal profiting or something)is sheer stupidity. They have completely different management, different goals, and different practices.

LOL, your comprehension level is that of a child...

I never stated that they broke even on R&D. That was your assumption. They started breaking even on ps2s sold after the first year.

LOL, AGAIN learn how to read. I simply said that the PSP will be SMALLER than the original GB according it's screen size. And as long as it is smaller than the original gameboy, its MORE than acceptable today.

Again you lack common sense, there is no way sony WOULDN'T use a flip top design when using a 4.5' screen.

You're such a moron...

Metal Gear Solid 2's gameplay is by far more advanced than Metal Gear Solid's. It isn't simply a rehash where they used the same engine, or a similar engine and then made a sequel to it, like they do with sports games. Again you lack the ability to comprehend basic things.

The gamecube uses proprietary minidvds... it isn't an open format... there is no difference between using these and using umds... You can make an argument that sony and microsoft don't care about piracy... LOL you really are a moron.

LOL, Nintendo has the most stable business? Their market share has been carved up into almost nothing, and had it not been for their handheld revenue, they wouldn't have made jack squat last year. Where is your ****ing stability? Their software sales have been dropping for the past decade.

The pippin was less of a console than the xbox. It was basically just a mac completely stripped down for gaming...

Why argue something twice... LOL... learn how to read, then maybe I wouldn't have to.

 

[MfA]

MFA, one that would be more expensive

It would be more expensive than a plain mini-DVD drive ... but the format would be a simple superset, what needs to be added is no different from what UMD drives have from the get go.

two that would STILL lead to piracy. Kind of how the Dreamcast could read cds and GDROM.

Only if it is hacked, I believe it could be made sufficiently hard.

Because it could read cds, it was an easy way for GDROM data to be copied to CDROM and then put on CDROM.

In a system with media-IDs and end to end encryption you would need some fancy hacking to get the device to believe a mini-DVD was a protected disc. First of all the encryption would be impossible to remove from the data without reverse engineering the main SOC, I believe that could be made sufficiently hard for it not to happen.

It would be designed to not playback encrypted data from mini-DVDs, so the only option for the hacker is to make a mini-DVD look to the main SOC as a protected disc.

Lets be tricky and include encryption of the instruction stream between the SOC and the player so a simple translation of read commands for a proprietary disc could not be translated to their equivalent for a ripped mini-DVD by simply putting an IC in the communication path. Now the hacker is stuck with trying to get in between the drives control IC and the optical&mechanical parts of the drive assembly.

This is going to be a rather complex hack, I dont see any cheap way of handling the problem. You would either have to reverse engineer the ICs at the gate level (if you want to be really secure you can use live carried keys which rely on power from an extra li-ion battery) or put an entire physical drive emulation system in between the control IC and a drive with its own extra control circuitry ... which you would be hard pressed to fit in the case.

Gates are cheap, good security comes cheap as far as production costs go.

 

[PC-Engine]

Portable DVD players are NOT mainstream, and have NOT picked up significantly. It isn't about the amount of models companies are bringing out, it is the amount of units actually being sold to consumers.

Why are there SO MANY models to choose from then??? So all of these companies are jumping on the bandwagon for nothing???? BTW nobody said portable DVD players are mainstream

Prices are getting lower and lower so obviously sales are picking up not slowing down.

Seems like you're out of excuses and resorting to semantics. How much would these already cheap portable DVD players cost fall 2004???

The point was that the dvd formats aren't as useful for portability. If they were SACD wouldn't have stood a chance.

They're useful for MOVIES for home players AND portables. DVD-A and SACD are niche AUDIO formats PERIOD and has NOTHING to do with how physically portable it is. They're a niche audio format because they require many speakers to take adavantage of the multichannel feature. Can you see a person listiening to his portable DVD-A music collection with 6 speakers attached to his head???

The point was that CD players are no longer able to drive the market, even if they are still present in them. The format is physically too large, and people are trying to release smaller media so that they can create smaller players.

And???? You think UMD can??? or how about MD????

Sony made a statement saying that their format is cheaper than DVDs. This doesn't matter? LOL...

Cybamerc already addressed that...LOL

Please learn to read and understand. SCE is pushing the format, not Sony Electronics. That the difference. I never said you were talking about a game format instead of audio/video. I am saying with the PS brand pushing the format it has a much larger chance at being succesful than a random proprietary format.

Cybamerc addressed that too

One of the players you posted doesn't tell battery life. The other lasts only 3 hours...

And I found you a DVD player that was $175 a lot less than my originigal estimate of $250...you're were saying??? Heck you don't even know how long the battery in PSP will last while playing back a movie, yet you're downplaying the 3 hrs??? Again get back to me Fall 2004 when you have solid evidence to back up your argument

 

[cthellis42]

I've kinda ducked out of things since Galian turned up both the heat and the silliness, but I picked up on this line and just felt the need to comment on a tangent.

> Apple

Tried and failed.

I assume you're talking about the Newton here (which of course was not a portable console) and just wanted to see if anyone else finds it weird that Apple keeps pushing out tech that is "cool" but fails to take off, and sometime after it dies on their end it ends up getting picked up elsewhere and becomes a very big and profitable. Palm-size computing? Small form factor PC's? What gives? Were they just "lubing up" the market and creating enough exposure for others to slide in easier later? Can't JUST be the name, since Palm came out of total obscurity to dominate...

Ah well, at least they got their timing better with the iPod. Hehe...

 

[Galian Beast]

There are plenty of MD player models, and yet that cleary isn't something that picked up...
It isn't about the number of players. It's still a niche product selling to those who can afford such an expense.

They are niche because the industry hasn't aligned itself behind one.

Like I said MD had nothing pushing it besides SE. UMD has a push from a much more popular brand, and company.

Yea he addressed it like a fool...


I clearly said a GOOD portable dvd player. 3 hour battery life is hardly good. The point was never that the PSP would have great battery life, but that point was that the market is limited because of the price. If quality needs to be decreased in order to reach a lower price, that doesn't mean that people will buy the product... Thus still limited...

I swear you don't pay any attention to what you write about.

 

[cybamerc]

Galian Beast:

> Kutaragi has already said that he has talked to people from the film
> industry

Talk and commitment are two entirely different things.

> Don't make baseless assumptions that because Sony has a film
> company that they would be in any way connected to the UMD.

If you had a normal understanding of the English language you would see that I don't.

> Deering said that UMDs will be cheaper than dvds

And he said that without anyone having actually committed to the format. That equates to speculation.

> I never stated that they broke even on R&D. That was your
> assumption.

That was not an assumption. It was the meaning of what you had written.

> They started breaking even on ps2s sold after the first year.

No matter how many times you repeat it it doesn't make your usage of the term "breaking even" any less wrong. What you wrote initially had a different meaning than what you're trying to argue, in wrong terms, now. You can't just ignore fixed costs just because it fits into your little agenda.

Please go back to school and don't return until you have at least a rudimentary understanding of the English language.

> I simply said that the PSP will be SMALLER than the original GB
> according it's screen size.

It will also be smaller than a 40" direct view TV. What the hell is your point?

> Metal Gear Solid 2's gameplay is by far more advanced than Metal Gear
> Solid's.

I'm sure it is but you're still not doing a particularly good job putting your thoughts into words. From what I know about the MGS series MGS2 falls under your definition the of a rehash. It takes the same characters, the same basic gameplay and builds on it. Now personally I don't think that automatically qualifies it as a rehash but you apparently do - unless you've changed your mind.

> The gamecube uses proprietary minidvds

Which is what MfA proposed.

> Nintendo has the most stable business?

Indeed. They are turning a constant and consistent profit and that is what business is about after all.

> The pippin was less of a console than the xbox.

It was PS3/Xbox2 ten years earlier.




cthellis42:

> I assume you're talking about the Newton

No no... Newton was a PDA and was really ahead of its time. Pippin was a multimedia/gaming system that was based on the Mac hardware and Mac OS. It was basically what M$ is aspiring to achieve with Xbox (not sales wise of course).

 

[cthellis42]

> I assume you're talking about the Newton

No no... Newton was a PDA and was really ahead of its time. Pippin was a multimedia/gaming system that was based on the Mac hardware and Mac OS. It was basically what M$ is aspiring to achieve with Xbox (not sales wise of course).

The Pippin? Hmm, how did THAT slip under my radar? <roots around a bit>

Oh yeah... The Power Player. <laughs> Man, I rather forgot about that thing! Would've been a nice thing to see take off somewhat. (Would've created decent gaming synergy with Mac as well.)

I wouldn't entirely discount Apple for doing something in the portable arena, though. Highly unlikely at this point, but you never know. (And they at least have market presence and visability in a nearby area with the iPod--not to mention being able to push some really good inter-operability with the iPod. (A portable gaming machine with a 20GB+ HD to fall back on? Yeah, nothing good about THAT! Hehe...) Still, I'd expect them to do something of the PDA variety first if they're going to branch out, and it seems like they've been resisting that--not sure why. Even years afterward, there seems to still be much love for the Newton. Would be nice to see a return.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Pippin: the name must have killed it

J/K

 

[marconelly!]

A simular device with mini-DVDs could really become the new walkman

Probably not a good idea as you really need a caddy system for pocket/handheld systems. Sure, you could put a mini DVD into a caddy, but that would pretty much Make it as propriatary as UMD as none other DVD compliant device could use it.