The real battle isn't DS vs. PSP...

[Kolgar]

It's PSP vs. the next Gameboy... isn't it?

I know what Nintendo's said about DS being a "third pillar" and all that, but come on. Even if the thing is repositioned as a PDA-style device and pushed at that audience, wasn't DS really just meant as a stop-gap solution to shore up support for Nintendo handhelds in the face of PSP's initial push?

That's the way I see it. One way or the other, the DS is going to fall by the wayside - either by fading out of the picture or by being repositioned as something else - as Nintendo eventually steps up to combat Sony's threat with a proper sequel to its Gameboy juggernaut.

And boy, is this going to be fun to watch! Will it be 1995 all over again, with Sony stealing the king's crown? Or will the challenger be crushed the same as every challenger in the past?

*grabs a tub of popcorn and looks on excitedly*

 

[hey69]

"t's PSP vs. the next Gameboy... isn't it?"
so you did buy into nintendos crap?


i'm sure nintendo has a backupplan but as of today , DS is selling like hotcakes, i dont see them release gba2 this year or next year

 

[Geeforcer]

No, the real battle is "the next Gameboy III" VS PSP2.

 

[Teasy]

I see no reason for the DS to fall by the wayside unless Nintendo brings out another handheld too soon. Since release DS has broken sales records in more then one region and sold better then anyone could have imagined worldwide (including Nintendo).

 

[mckmas8808]

No the real battle is PSP vs. DS. Those are the two next gen handhelds out right? Of course Nintendo will make us think that the real battle is GBA2 vs. PSP. Because they get to see Sony's cards and plan on a new handheld to drop one to two years from now. Which is really not fair. To me thats like comparing the PSP to the GBA (time frame wise).
________
MEDICAL MARIJUANA NEWS

 

[Blade]

The real battle is Goku versus Frieza. No battle will ever top that.

 

[Sonic]

Seems fair enough to me. If Nintendo is capable of having two hand helds in the market and still remain very profitable then I see no reason for them not to.

 

[Fox5]

It's PSP vs. the next Gameboy... isn't it?

I know what Nintendo's said about DS being a "third pillar" and all that, but come on. Even if the thing is repositioned as a PDA-style device and pushed at that audience, wasn't DS really just meant as a stop-gap solution to shore up support for Nintendo handhelds in the face of PSP's initial push?

That's the way I see it. One way or the other, the DS is going to fall by the wayside - either by fading out of the picture or by being repositioned as something else - as Nintendo eventually steps up to combat Sony's threat with a proper sequel to its Gameboy juggernaut.

And boy, is this going to be fun to watch! Will it be 1995 all over again, with Sony stealing the king's crown? Or will the challenger be crushed the same as every challenger in the past?

*grabs a tub of popcorn and looks on excitedly*

Hmm, so you think DS equals the new Virtual Boy?

 

[see colon]

nah, DS has already sold enough to be a "limited success". i really expected the psp to demolish the ds , but after looking at the numbers i think i might actualy be wrong. nintendo is actualy marketing the ds pretty good, i just wish they would pump some games out for it. the two machines really do appeal to different kinds of people.

 

[Legend]

will the challenger be crushed the same as every challenger in the past?

Come now, PSP and Sony is like nothing Ninty has EVER faced in the handheld realm. No past competitor had Sony’s experience in design, marketing, electronics, support, etc.

And about sales; PSP is out selling DS by 10-15K units per week. Think about what will happen after it gets cut loose on the world.

Another thing is DS hasn’t got enough titles to support its marketed features- namely touch and dual screens. While PSP on the other hand has a big movie support on its “new platformâ€￾ (the UMD) from the get go (that is the US’s release onward).

-about having different demographs; I believe that DS has a specific group to target, but PSP includes the same group + a whole lot wider.

And I think we know which people will chose when comparing the two systems side by side in stores (unleass we are taliking about Ninty veterans- who may as well get a PSP on top of DS)

And of course it is too soon to determine a winner.

 

[cthellis42]

It won't matter. Eventually Galactus will devour the earth, and all our petty little portable squabblings will be for naught!

 

[PC-Engine]

While PSP on the other hand has a big movie support on its “new platformâ€￾ (the UMD) from the get go (that is the US’s release onward).

You actually think UMD movies will sell?

 

[Kolgar]

Hmm, so you think DS equals the new Virtual Boy?

Not exactly. But I do think Nintendo's DS is an expensive piece of subterfuge meant to steal some of the excitement from Sony's PSP. I'm just not sure the machine has much of a future, because Nintendo's future belongs to the next Game Boy proper.

And I agree with many of z's points - Sony's built an impressive device in PSP and the machine poses a terrifying threat to Nintendo's last stronghold. If I were a Ninty exec, I'd be ordering up a clean pair of underwear, pronto.

 

[jvd]

Not exactly. But I do think Nintendo's DS is an expensive piece of subterfuge meant to steal some of the excitement from Sony's PSP. I'm just not sure the machine has much of a future, because Nintendo's future belongs to the next Game Boy proper.

Well this isn't the future , its the here and now . When the game boy 2 comes out or whatever , the ds will be around the gba sp or gba price to make .

It can play gba games and its own games . Its basicly the last upgrade path for gameboy sp owners . Its second screen being touch adds alot of fun tricks to the mix .

And I agree with many of z's points - Sony's built an impressive device in PSP and the machine poses a terrifying threat to Nintendo's last stronghold. If I were a Ninty exec, I'd be ordering up a clean pair of underwear, pronto.

Nintendo doesn't have much to worry about . THe gba and gba sp have sold like gang busters for years the games still sell extremely well and will continue to sell wel lfor along time .

The ds is selling very well also and will continue to do so for a very long time . It may never reach game boy numbers but then again it doesn't have to .


As for the psp , yes its very nice , but it also has just as many cons as the ds . Don't fool yourself into thinking it doesnt

 

[sunscar]

They both have their cons... DS has an extremely quirky controll scheme at its heart and a more conventional controll pad that is rarely being properly utilised. That leads to fewer games being made because fewer companies wish to devise a gimmic to take advantage of that screen, and fewer gamers playing due to possibly enraging controll schemes. Case in point... I am God's Machine when it come to playing Metroid Prome, but Prime Hunters on DS... FTS!!, I can't move more than a few metres inside the game world without killing the person standing next to me with my bare, bleeding tallons.

Then we have the PSP... while she's a brute of a machine she also has a brute of a price tag stapled to her. Two-Hundred and fifty USD is far too much to be spending on any small, non-utilitarian device. That's a potential roadblock for the PSP, though it hasn't killed the Ipod yet.


DS

Pros: Innovation, wireless functionality, bacwards compatibility, strong back library.

Cons: Possibly quirky controll interface inforced by Nintendo, slightly prehibitive MSRP, weak software line-up as yet.

PSP

Pros: Tried and true controll mechanisms, media capabilities, wireless functionality, strong launch line-up titles and "near-release" titles.

Cons: Decidedly short battery life, highly prehibitive MSRP, UMD Media are yet to be widely accepted.


There's got to be more, but it's late, and I'm tired. That's just to point out that both have their good and their bad points.


G'night

 

[jvd]

They both have their cons... DS has an extremely quirky controll scheme at its heart and a more conventional controll pad that is rarely being properly utilised. That leads to fewer games being made because fewer companies wish to devise a gimmic to take advantage of that screen, and fewer gamers playing due to possibly enraging controll schemes. Case in point... I am God's Machine when it come to playing Metroid Prome, but Prime Hunters on DS... FTS!!, I can't move more than a few metres inside the game world without killing the person standing next to me with my bare, bleeding tallons.

I guess i'm lucky that i have a thumb stick. I don't know why nintendo wont put these out for us to buy ... I'm going to have to kid nap our nintendo rep till she gives me enough of them to send to all you guys haha

That's a potential roadblock for the PSP, though it hasn't killed the Ipod yet.

Well the ipod actually isn't very expensive compared to the other machines out there . Dell offers a 5 gig player for 250$ and apple now offers a 3 gig for 200 or a 6 gig for 250$ . Thier 20 gig is about the same cost as others 20 gig.

Its going to cost you here in america most likely 500$ or more to get a 3 gig psp for music .

Pros: Innovation, wireless functionality, bacwards compatibility, strong back library

you forget the touch screen. Have you play mario 64 rec room games ? feel the magic ? wario ware ? Those mini games make for some serious fun. Esp drunk serious fun ! and my female friends love the system . Right now they don't care my psp but that might change at some point .

Cons: Possibly quirky controll interface inforced by Nintendo, slightly prehibitive MSRP, weak software line-up as yet.

Eh i can agree on the control but there is still the d pad . As for the price its a 100$ less than the psp and in some ways it gives you things you can't get with the psp. Not to mention gba users can use old games on it . However a big con you left out for some is the graphics , while great looking in thier own right they are not as great as a psp

Pros: Tried and true controll mechanisms, media capabilities, wireless functionality, strong launch line-up titles and "near-release" titles.

I just don't agree on the software line up . THe launch isn't really that impressive here in the states though its slightly better than the ds line up at launch

Cons: Decidedly short battery life, highly prehibitive MSRP, UMD Media are yet to be widely accepted.

More cons . Its media features cost extra in a round about way. Want music ? you need a memory stick , want more than a cd worth of music and you need a big memory stick , wnat hte videos and you need a memory stick . Umd is more expensive than dvd and you can only play it on your psp . Don't forget its games are also more expensive about 10$ more expensive .

 

[rabidrabbit]

There is something inexplainably addictive in clicking the screen and controlling directly with a stylus, and I can see it's a big draw-in for many who try it.
But as fun as it is, I've had doubts if it is enough unless there will be games that make more varied and innovative uses for it.
Currently it's a lot like EyeToy. It works great and gives a new experience, but the games that use it are basically all very similar, using the stylus/EyeToy in similar manner, only with different graphics.

 

[jvd]

well that is true . However with more time there will be more ways of using the stylus and even if the scope of the games stay limited they are extremely fun and like the side scrollers of yesteryear they will be varied enough that people will keep buying them. Add in traditional games that can get a little benfit and its not so much a gimic

 

[Tysan]

Well Imo is PSP vs GBA+NDS+GBA2, Nintendo is using NDS now as a way to minimize PSP damage in Nintendos handheld market in the mid range price market.

Nintendo cant compete right now (IMO) with PSP performance/price wise with a similar product, so they are fighting with other weapons.-

* Lower price
* Lower development costs
* Better production scheme
* Some exclusive ways of entertaiment

They are also fighting PSP with GBA in the low range price market.

And with GBA2 they will fight PSP in the 'Hardcore/performance' market.

As time goes by they will try to focus NDS as much as posible with 'alternative ways of entertaiment' (stylus gameplay, PDA functions) and lower its price to become the new Budget portable [GBA role right now]

At that time Nintendo will be quite able to pull a greater than PSP portable and get their chances in the Hardcore/Performance market [seeing MBX or Bitboys offerings right now I see quite feasible releasing a more powerful portable at PSP price and maybe with new battery tech two years down the road]

Will NDS be able to hold Nintendos market share till GBA2? or will PSP totally crush Nintendos offering? only time will tell, but IMO Nintendos GBA+NDS+GBA2 strategy has a chance to hold a nice portion of the handheld market.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It sounds like people think Nintendo have been working on a powerful GBA2 device for some time, but is there any reason to believe this? They've never had the best (most powerful anyway) hardware in the handheld arena, competing in different ways. eg. Nintendo value battery life - you don't get long battery life with powerful hardware.

Seems to me it's likely Nintendo were cruising along with whatever developments they had in mind, and PSP has suddenly shaken them out of complacency, where they rush out a tech based on ideas they were toying with, and now talk of a more PSP like device in the future. Or maybe the developments in the mobile phone market were encouraging such a reaction before PSP appeared?