PlayStation Meeting: PSP2 revealed Finished
Sony did not disappoint.
This morning, Kaz Hirai, Shuhei Yoshida and chums strode onto a Tokyo PlayStation Meeting stage to unveil the PSP2. It's known, for now, as the NGP (Next Generation Portable).
It's powerful. Boy is it powerful - this puppy was demonstrated rendering games as capably as a PS3.
Plus it's got a massive screen, a left stick
No console will succeed without games, however, and Sony has those too: big first-party blockbusters Uncharted (demonstrated on stage), Resistance, Killzone and WipEout, as well as huge third-party support from Call of Duty, Monster Hunter, the Dynasty Warriors team and none other than Hideo Kojima, who's expecting big things.
Even engine supremos Epic Games took part, declaring the NGP to be four times more powerful than any portable out there.
It was an action-packed reveal, then, but one lacking two very important pieces of information: date and price. Whether that can stay under wraps until this summer's E3 - if that's the plan - remains to be seen.
Our live coverage has now ended. Here's what you missed: Updating...
Good morning, Eurogamer readers! Or is it night time? The sun doesn't seem to know.
Are we about to find out what the PSP2 cam do? I hope so.
We're touching base with our man on the ground, Oli Welsh. His updates from the PlayStation Meeting will begin shortly.
thegolddon says:
I agree - the PS3 has some serious oomph. A handheld version would burst into flames.
Hello, come in over. Tokyo calling.
Good morning! Welcome to a crisp and sunny winter's afternoon in Tokyo. Well done for getting up.
We're in the giant ballroom of the Prince hotel, right by the Tokyo tower. We were greeted by approximately 800 SCEI staff. This is a Big Deal.
Informed estimates are putting the length of this "meeting" at one and a half to two hours, so I hope you're refreshed and ready and have girded any loins that may be appropriate.
Thanks to a potent cocktail of jetlag and, er, cocktails, I slept for ten hours last night, so I'm raring to go.
An hour and half, though, eh? This is Sony, so I imagine Bertie is right: they'll fill it with many graphs indicating the purposeful onward march of PlayStation.
You should fortify yourselves. Go and get some breakfast. It's cool, I'll shout if anything happens. At the moment it's just tasteful disco lights and tasteful disco music on the PA (and in my translation headset).
I love new hardware too Bradach. (Are you who I think you are?) Captain Carl, don't worry, you haven't missed anything yet.
I'm sorry, I haven't had time to do any Gibson-style sleb spotting. I'm pretty sure the entire Japanese games industry is here, though.
Light down. Volume UP.
Here we go. It's Kaz Hirai!
He's nervous since it's a long time since our last PlayStation Meeting. Guess what though, he's excited to discuss strategy and possibilities going forward.
There's going to be a major strategic announcement! No kidding.
We're going to start with a video clip from E3 2005. "Revisiting the future that we envisioned back then."
The film's called "Cyber society". 3D cameras combined with digital information. Virtual golf. "Reality becomes data. It's a new way to view information. Imagination and dreams come true." That made no sense.
Bradyarrowmoss says:
BACK TO WHAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE THE FUTURE
PS3 has been connecting the two worlds of reality and digital data thanks to immense power etc. "We wish to deliver the joy of computer entertainment to people all over the world, regardless of age and ethnicity."
"Today I'd like to speak about a whole new world that PlayStation is going to bring to reality."
One word on the screen: "Home." Oh no.
It's OK, I think that was a red herring. He's talking about how great PlayStation Network is now.
More than 80 per cent of PS3 consoles are connected to the internet. 69 million registered PS3 accounts. 50 countries, 25 currencies, billions of downloads. STATS.
Cross Platform - Portable - Home. Are the words on the screen now, linked in a circle. So I guess home was meant literally.
Now we're talking Cross Platform. I see where Kaz is going with this.
The environment surrounding portable gaming has undergone a radical transformation since the launch of PSP.
He's talking about the poor system performance of phones when PSP came out. It's going to be a challenge getting through the next 10 minutes without mentioning, iPhone, but Kaz has been training his whole life for this moment.
He's announcing PlayStation Suite, which extends the PlayStation experience beyond PSP by providing PlayStation content on mobiles.
It will make PlayStation content available on Android-based smartphones and tablets.
The PS experience will be delivered on Android through collaboration with developers and publishers.
A service called PlayStation Certified will "help" developers with testing and quality assurance for PS Suite.
"Legendary original PlayStation content" - i.e. PSone games - will be available on Android devices.
There's a screen of a snowboarding game (SSX?) with PSone controls overlaid on the phone screen: dpad and symbol buttons.
There's a "hardware-neutral game framework" that enables "PlayStation-quality" content to made for all kinds of mobile hardware.
Now: distribution strategy. With PS Suite, devs and pubs will have a unique and secure framework for distribution and users with an easy experience. That means PS Store for Android.
"We envision PS Suite an an initiative that is essential to the world of portable entertainment."
PS Suite content will be available within this calendar year.
Now: Portable.
At the same time, we want to pursue what PS has always strived for: "a captivating ultimate portable gaming experience". That takes an integrated system.
The successor to PlayStation Portable! It's codenamed NGP - Next Generation Portable.
Revolutionary control system; location based entertainment; social connection; augmented reality features; and PS Suite compatibility.
Video time. A pale man plays with CG bubbles of information in the street.
Kids do social networking, a young chap plays games virtually on the bus.
There's a heavy emphasis on social networking and apparently using this to get girls. At one point a guy clicks and drags a girl from the street into his bus. "The power is now in your hands."
Our goal is to transform every aspect of your everyday life into entertainment, says Kaz.
It looks - exactly like a PSP! DUAL ANALOGUE.
Front and rear touchbads. 3G and Wifi. Sixaxis motion control, threeaxis compass.
He's got one on stage. Very halting applause.
There's an eject button on the back and a physical medial slot, folks. Dpad and symbol buttons above the two raised analogue sticks. They look good.
5" OLED display with four times the resolution of PSP.
Front and rear cameras "suitable for gameplay".
The new game media looks like a SD card. Saving data directly on the card and allowing higher capacity in future.
Released starting from the holiday season this year.
Here comes worldwide studio president Shuhei Yoshida to talk games.
The advantages of NGP are PS3-quality graphics, a large-size high-quality screen, dual analogues and the combination of traditional control with motion and touch panels, Shuhei says.
Game time: Golf Next! Gravity Daze, a sort of free running thing?
Killzone! Looks very nice.
Pool and "reality fighters". An augmented reality puzzle game. A game where you roll a ball around by stroking the back of the screen.
WipeOut! Resistance! Uncharted!
Now we're going to play Uncharted live. The graphics really aren't far off PS3, you know.
The screen is spectacular. Lovely dynamic lighting going on in-game. The 5" display is about twice the size of the PSP's 3.5".
Very wide viewing angle on the screen.
"Perfect for users like me who like to lie down while playing games."
Rather than a sliding analogue like PSP (or 3DS), it's a micro analogue stick designed to give you the feel of a Dual Shock.
He's running around in Uncharted. You can jump with X, or use the front touchscreen to "push" Drake over obstacles. You can tlit the console to swing him on a rope. Shuhei climbs a vine by stroking his fingers on the back touchscreen up and down alternately, as if he's actually climbing.
The additional controls are supposed to give you a connection with the character, and put you inside the game. You can use swipe touch controls to move Drake around when climbing, as well as use the stick. Shuhei dispatches enemies using swipes to pull and push them off cliffs.
Now he's aiming a rifle using the "very sensitive" gyro sensor.
The device looks quite big, but comfortably sized in his hands.
Muneki Shimada, a young suit from Sony software dev, is on stage.
Kaz is recapping first: dual analogues, dual touch screens, dual cameras, motion sensors, location sensors. The touch pads enable "touch, grab, trace, push or pull" sensations.
Shuhei's now playing a game called Little Deviant, which uses the rear touch panel.
There are mischievous, prank-playing orange cartoons characters around the world. The player catches them by using the back touch panel to push the world up underneath them, and roll them around.
The back touch panel is the same size as the 5" screen, so your finger's loaction is exactly replicated on the screen.
Tap the back to make the deviants jump. You can use two fingers - is that multi-touch, then?
Using front and rear panels at the same time you can "pinch" or grab the deviants, pull and release them like slingshots.
There are a few buttons along the top, start and select on the front. I can't tell if those are shoulder buttons in the top corners but I would assume so. I can see a white NGP as well as black units on display on stage.
Now Shimada-san is going to talk about user interface, social features and the network.
The user interface has all your games, apps and features in circular, 3D lozenge icons.
The "Live Area" is what they're calling the front end for games. It links to the store. Everything is tap and touch controlled. You can switch very quickly between the game and the Live Area.
Live Area also supports communication. Go through to social features, you can see a feed of what your games are up to in the game (it's a golf game we're looking at). Comments, too.
Basically, it's Xbox Live and Facebook features embedded in the device's front end.
You can play online over mobile networks. It's constantly online.
Now we're talking about "Location-based entertainment" - basically using the GPS compass in gameplay.
Select "near" and you can find out who's playing what where you are.
The Near application - it's an app - tracks where you go during the day. A video shows someone walking around Tokyo and the NGP recording this.
Retrace your footsteps in Near you can see what the most popular game is in each area you've walked through.
There's a loaction-based user search which shows what users were in, say, Shibuya, up to an hour before or after you were there. You can view a ranking of the most popular games in that area.
You can the click through to more information about a game you don't have or aren't familiar with. You can view stats about it, or go and buy it from PS Store immediately.
Now Kaz wants to talk about "converging real and virtual worlds" with augmented reality features. The cameras, mostly.
Shuhei's going to demonstrate with Hot Shots Golf.
He taps his lady golfer and she waves at him, rather than initating a sexual harassment suit. Sweet.
He moves the NGP around to move the view with the tilt sensors. When he holds it end up, the scenery stays level, showing a portrait view.
He turns around 180 degrees on stage to rotate the view all the way round to a close up of the golfer. He points it down to look at her feet and the golf ball.
He uses a button to swing and play the shot, though.
It has the same gyro sensor and accelerometers and PS Move.
Now Kaz is going to talk about PS Suite and its cross-platform abilities. It works on NGP, too. PS Suite Compatible software will work on a wide number of devices then, and Kaz hopes it will entice them to buy PSP2s. Sorry, NGPs.
He's talking some impenetrable marketing speak now, but the gist is that PS Suite is a kind of advertising Trojan horse for the PlayStation brand.
It's goodbye to Shuhei and his friend. Thanks, guys. Now Kaz is going to invite some game creators on stage.
"Our friends from Capcom, Sega, Tecmo Koei, Activision, Epic and Konami." First up: Jun Takeuchi from Capcom.
Takeuchi is going to talk about two things. One of them is not going to be his beige rollneck. One of them is going to be how much money he's making from Monster Hunter.
There's going to be a download version of Monster Hunter 3 Portable, apparently.
MH Portable 3 will run on NGP. It's the download version of the PSP game. Jun's playing it on stage. He's quite excited - he claims he hasn't touched one before.
They've implemented a right-stick analaogue camera. "The stick feels... great! You can quote me, that's my first impression. I think it is very suitable for an action game like this."
Now Jun wants to talk about Capcom's NT Framework engine. They're preparing it for NGP.
Here's a video of the opening of Lost Planet 2, rendered real-time on NGP. It looks spectacularly good, to be honest.
NT Framework moble can do shaders, HDR rendering just as PS3. Light filters, shadows and all the physics are the same.
"NGP's specification is not yet to be announced."
Capcom's devs thought the NGP envirnonment was very flexible and easy to develop for. The Lost Planet 2 demo took two weeks.
No new game announcements from Capcom, though.
Here comes Toshihiro Nagoshi from Sega! YES. Mr Monkey Ball and Yakuza. What a hero. He is rocking a cad moustache and a low-cut muscle shirt under a black suit with some discreet bling.
Not sure about the orange hair, though.
Good question!
Machetazo says:
will there be a demon's souls game for this?
"This is hardware with no excuses," he says.
It's a Yakuza cut-scene. "We took about three months to export it to NGP."
It's all running in real-time. The shaders and shadowing are great. Zombies burst in - so it's a new one.
He's excited to develop something new for a network gaming expience. It was just a demo using the latest version of Ryu Ga Gotoku, i.e. Yakuza, explains Kaz.
Here's Akihirio Suzuki from Tecmo Koei. Here's his obligatroy opening spiel about how great NGP is.
He's from the Omega Force development team and he's showing touch pad controls in a Musou (Dynasty Warriors) game.
You can select multiple enemies by tapping them and then attack them all at once.
Tap one enemy a few times to focus on him. This is a live demo, by the way. You can trace across the touch pad to select multiple enemies at once.
That's it from Tecmo and Suzuki-san. He reckons it's going to be awesome - it will be easy to port popular series, but they will also be reborn through implementation of new features like touch.
Here comes Hideo Kojima!
His spectacles are from the future. Funnily enough, the future is what he wants to talk about.
A demo of MGS4 running on NGP. Holy cow. Some environmental detail lost, but the characters (Snake and Otacon's mini Metal Gear) look incredible.
Is this native res? It looks unbelievably sharp.
The demo used the model data and environments from the PS3 game, exported directly to NGP and rendered in real-time at 20 frames per second.
Not so fast then, he admits, but it proves PS3 quality can be done. But that's not really what NGP is about, he reckons.
He's recalling his comments from the Peace Walker launch last year about cloud computing (which kind of annoyed Sony at the time).
But he's arguing that NGP kind of enables this kind of cloud computing environment - a seamless, connected experience whether you're at home or out and about. Most of this has come true, apart from one aspect: the same game in the living room or portable.
That's what he wants to realise with NGP. You can use your PS3, large screen TV and audio system to enhance the game at home, and NGP with its location and camera features to enhance it on the move.
He's working on that concept right now and would like to present what he's doing at E3. MGS Rising across PS3 and NGP maybe? Or something new and exclusive?
Here's Tim Sweeney from Epic with - gasp - an Unreal Engine 3 demo.
"We at Epic regard this system as a game-changer" - but the demo is the fantasy castle environment that eventually became Infinity Blade for iOS.
It's smoother with more effects, to be fair, and Tim says NGP has roughly four times the performance we've seen on any previous mobile platform. They also like the console-style operating system with efficient control over memory and resources.
Here's a demo of a cartoon action-RPG. I don't recognise it.
Sorry for the double post. Now here's Philip Earl (a Brit) from Activision to show Call of Duty.
Or announce it, at any rate. There's a COD logo superimposed on a picture of an NGP on the screen. Well done.
Bars will be set, deep and immersive gaming at the core of the PlayStation DNA, etc.
Now he's listing the device's features for the umpteenth time today. There are a lot of them, to be fair. No details on COD for NGP today, I'm afraid.
Kaz in on stage recapping and thanking his partners. There's a lisdt of developers who've announced there suport. It's pretty much everyone - I spot Rockstar, PopCap and Ubisoft, as well as the entire Japanese industry.
PS Suite will offer "a wide population of users a taste of the PlayStation experience" while NGP emphasies high-quality hardware and gaming.
The two together will revolutionise mobile gaming, announces Kaz. Maybe not, but you know what, it's a good stab.
And that's it. It's all over. Sorry I didn't do more jokes but a) there was a hell of a lot of information actually and b) I'm not Ellie. I know, sad right?
Watch the site later today for an interview about NGP, PlayStation Suite and everything else I can cram in with a high-ranking Sony executive.
I'm going to dash and take some photos of it now. I'm not allowed to touch one, sadly.
I do actually want it. It's powerful, the rear touch makes more sense now I've seen it in action and my God that screen. If the sticks are good, it's what Sony always promised for PSP - an actual console in your pocket. Well, bag. It would have to be a big pocket.
Laters all!
DavidBoring says:
the big question, can it be used as a rear-view mirror ?
Latest comments (606)
Updating...Log in to comment on this livetext.
And I doubt UMD's are harder, or more expensive to produce, than flash. Isn't the whole strength of optical media that it's literally just a piece of plastic with not a lot done to it? ie: dirt cheap for lots of storage.
And I doubt UMD's are harder, or more expensive to produce, than flash. Isn't the whole strength of optical media that it's literally just a piece of plastic with not a lot done to it? ie: dirt cheap for lots of storage.
Actually, the fact that it doesn't probably makes it more future safe.
So you're basing your argument on Sony continuing to use a media format that is more expensive and harder to produce than the alternatives on the basis that they should actually have used a format that doesn't exist anywhere other than your imagination?
What?
Yes, most core gamers are going to end up with a fistful of memory cards; that's still a big improvement over my armful of UMDs.
This might just turn out to be the first ever console I have ever purchased on day-one. Let's just hope that Sony don't repeat the fiasco of the PSP where it was released in Japan months and months before the UK and Europe.
Now we get onto PSP 2 and there's no UMD, but PS3 quality graphics. Which means many problems as far as I can see:
1) No backwards compatibility
2) Limited files sizes for games, if you're talking about putting MGS4 or Uncharted onto SD cards you're talking 12Gb+ cards
3) If it's PSN then again you run into size constraints, how many 5+Gb games can you fit on one memory card?
4) If it's PSN then you can also kiss goodbye cheap games (the days of getting
3DS out March 24, this comes out late 2011
3DS sticks with games purchased on external media, this (unless Sony says otherwise) is tethered to purchasing through PSN online store only.
3DS is broadly backwards compatible, this isnt.
Judged against the ludicrous PSPGo launch price, this will be too expensive for many.
IMO, a weaker set of launch titles than 3DS.
Apple iPhone 5 and dual-core Android smartphones will be all over the marketplace by late 2011, with tons of impressive and dirt-cheap games. Maybe not Metal Gear Solid, but hey, you can make a phonecall with your games console too!
This thing is dead in the fucking water.
Good man!
Who wouldn't, looks tasty to me.
27/the-s...
GAMEPLAY VIDS
My PSP scratches in a soft breeze whereas my iPhone seems like it could take a bullet and laugh.
Hoping Sony will take a lesson from Apple in that respect.
I can see those analogue sticks possibly getting in the way when intensly involved in a game using the d-pad an buttons though...
4-5 hrs battery life is not bad as long as it is accurate and representative of playing games rather than just "social notworking"
"You can play online over mobile networks. It's constantly online." - Yeah but not in this country, my HTC Desire struugles to get news in full strength 3G coverage.
The principle of playing a game on PS3 and then moving to PSP2NGPmastercontrolprogram, would this in theory mean 2 x purchases of the same game?
Existing PSN gaming content on PS3, is there a vision to bring these titles to NGP, for Savage Moon and Pixeljunk gaming on the go? Again would the above apply or would we go into the store and see our little "you have already bought this" icon there.
I know we are not meant to but lots of us have got US PSN IDs and games off the US store, be it for additional content or PSone games at "proper" speed reasons. Are we going to have the ability to have our US accounts on UK consoles.
Is "game sleep" going to be present in the new console?
Will the media server functionality from PS3 exist in NGP? I am envisioning plugging the console into a TV, streaming from my PC and controlling via a bluetooth remote here.
Do they intend to call it the PS3 Portable and market it as a mid-cycle redesign of the console for people who haven't bought a PS3?
ok can it do skype over 3g network?,,, if not why not.... 1st to do that will decimate iphone.
Also, ask him if you are allowed to tell us the battery life and price that you already know.
also, internet, flash and stuff, you know.
yes, good call des, ps2 emulation!
I do agree with you that Sony have a chance this time around, Android support and the white elephant in the room, protecting software against piracy. But my take is it is more to do with Nintendo beginning to underwelm with recent announcements regarding the 3DS rather than Sony having delivered something spectacularly new with this announcement.
Regarding having games like Uncharted 3 on the go, the idea of cloud gaming and being able to carry over progress has potential but as part of a wider range of new services rather than something to pay large amounts to use.
It does not need to be unique it needs to offer other experiences bar ports which with the real touch panel it will. Also access to Android store will help. Doesnt matter if one game kept the console alive as the console still sold so people still enjoyed playing it, Sony have clearly learnt some lessons by not making the new console totally seperate main console.
Sony just want to sell more than original PSP and more software and that will make it a resounding success
You would not be interested if say the Release Uncharted 3 and you can download portable version to continue game when say travelling? Respect your opinion mate and sorry if i sounded rude before but Sony have a chance here with this just hope they dont blow it
PS3 is already around
Well i dont want a similar devise to what Ninty offer as different approaches bring different game types and experiences. People i.e you may not want it but other people will say otherwise
People already have a PS3 and don't need a portable to offer the same thing.
Most badly timed comment ever?
Is the same mass market that eats up CoD going to want to buy a dedicated handheld games console for the same experience in portable form?
@ cjx: I see your point, but at the price I expect them to charge, you're going to want more than what they're giving you.
I believe in the future Kojima!!!
To me, this looks decidedly like a PSP-DS (Double-Sided) - apart from sheer power, it really has no stand-out features (except for the back-touchpad) that differentiate it from the next iPhone or overcome the 3D-"WOW" of 3DS. The price will HAVE to be right, and I have a feeling it won't be.
YES!
they're saving COD for last!
Didn't he just say it was a custom made game for the platform?
@Machetazo Fatal Frame is an odd one, working with Nintendo again on a remake of the second after what happened with 4 never making it over here.
The MGS thing was just a demo, not an announcement or a port. And YES!!!! @Lee_Morris
Considering the increased development costs of next gen games are publishers going to be willing to take any risks on NGP or are we going to see them playing it safe with ports and a staggering array of me too FPS's
I hope Santa Monica Studio have something to show off. Can this do MLAA?
*EXPLOOOOODES*
The 3D in the 3DS is incredible. I've experienced it, and there are certainly ways to innovate using the so-called "gimmick"
Re: Musou -- Has more in mind with PSP2-to-Android ports, it seems.
Maybe it'll work this time around with these extra features, perhaps if they had as people have mentioned above games like Call of Duty. But to be honest I don't think either Nintendo or Sony have nailed it so far with new portables that will instantly hit it off with the mainstream.
price = ???
graphics = awesome
game lineup = awesome
batterylife = main concern
I'm not AS interested in playing console ports that often don't have portability (on-the-go) in mind. Might have same problems as the original PSP in that regard.
I don't think so this thing is pretty big it should have a giant battery on the back i thnik
What about "I can't play anymore as I've run out of power"
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ko
taku-jap...
Would be a nice excuse why Treyarch are fucking up atm.
11/01/so...
ia/image...
ia/image...
It would top, but is it free or we'll have to buy it from the store?
LOL
ASL?
where u from
So Tired
Can he lie on the floor and point it upward to look up her skirt? That'd guarantee a...certain audience in Japan, at least.
damn, it's wafer thin!
ia/image...
taku-jap...
/sickipedia
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ko
taku-jap...
/faints
ia/image...
lol
rom-sony...
It's iPad+PS3+360+EPIC
http://cdnmo.coveritlive.com/med
ia/image...
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-9FTXXcZ...
that can't be good for battery life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9
LOdPwVJh...
LOdPwVJh...
I'll admit to being quite excited though, even if the price will probably keep it out of my reach for a long time.
ia/image... Looks like we have bubbles instead of an XMB now.
*wakes up*
Now that has potential!
thread.p...
Don't panic. Scroll down and you'll see a side on view of it and they are actual buttons. phew
ia/image...
@steveb07:
There's a white one on the table in this pic:
http://cdnmo.coveritlive.com/med
ia/image...
I doubt I'd ever get rid of my emulator suite 2000. Don't think another console will as be as gaming-history-in-your-pocket friendly.
that's where the touch controls were, then. Although I do reckon you're right
XoVDJWP12I
ia/image...
I'll have me some of that.
Yes, Killzone is what I want to play on the trains. EXACTLY what I wanted.
Isn't that just leaving it open to R4-like piracy?
ia/image...
Ooh, curvy
thanks!
ia/image...
Still don't think it's PSP2 mind.
With the PSP we got it wrong. Gamers got it wrong as well. Nintendo got it right. Apple also got it right. But Capcom saved our arse with Monster Hunter in Japan.
This is how we intend to get it right this time around...
I want to be able to play Uncharted 3 on my PS3 and on my PSP2. With the same graphics.
How about that?
@ bradach exactly what im implying
I have 4 accounts...
Playstation Network has so many users that dont use home'
(FAIL!)
Agreed, should get home in time for the big announcement.
She'll have to understand.
@hammerstein07
She may ban sex, so which do I choose? PSP2 or sex?
But what Feral suggested works as the 3DS ad goes behind the box allowing me to post.
lets hope for some ps3 news as well
I'm off to work is a few minutes
There's no ad blocking me anyhow
BTW is it just me or is anyone else finding that the Alienware ad is over the livechat comments box.
Got some bad news for you dude - Sony don't read these forums
I can only hope that if it is download only, the prices are very reasonable. Otherwise it's going to be a repeat of the original PSP with low attach rates and developers dropping it like a hot potato.
Nintendo always make money on hardware.
fuck umd.
If it has the save states stuff from the Go, and the BluTooth connectors for headsets and even controllers as well as a good video out (that can perhaps do 1280x720 at least for video), it could be very promising. They have a lot to prove mind, but it will be interesting to see what the two analog sticks bring. If they work well, that could make it a great portable gaming device that offers precisely those games that right now no other platform can offer in a comfortable way, while the addition of the rear touch screen, gyros and cameras still gives interesting touch/pointer features.
But we'll have to wait and see again! It could end up that the 3D of the 3DS still gets me (the original DS almost got me). I'll find out when I get one in my own hands and eyes! But very interested in what we're getting tomorrow.
I hope Kaz announces a proper (not dumbed down) Ridge Racers 3 for it as one of the many launch titles. An Uncharted game from ND would help seal the deal for me.
On the whole media format issue, Sony have said that this will have physical media, maybe there is truth in that mini blu-ray rumour....
"I'm expecting something along the lines of 349 EURO launch price. "
What was I thinking? It's probably at least 449 euro.
I bet in at least one sense it is going to be. I'd happily put money down now that it'll be digital download and the easiest way to get content onto it is via USB sync to a PS3.
Jon
I'm expecting something along the lines of 349 EURO launch price.
No touch screen, no buy. Make the bottom screen/slideout a controller which changes depending on the type of game being played. This is the future man.
I think from rumours they clearly have learned some things. No UMD for starters. Secondly, bringing touch - and their novel take on it - is important. PSP couldn't benefit from a whole raft of touch-based game development, which basically came to dominate the handheld space. PSP2 should be a lot more comprehensive, shouldn't miss out on trends like PSP did.
As much as I'd like to see Sony upset Ninty enough into rethinking their price point, I suspect it won't happen. £299.
Did anyone ever seriously expect the PSP2 to feature UMD? I mean, on my PSP I've only ever used it as a small and convenient compartment to carry extra memory sticks with games around
Carry on...
et-variety
Could be nice!
Well, at least the price of the PSP1 will drop. That's some good news, heh?