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[Omie]

It seems Sony is keeping its own even though it's not selling as crazy as the DS in Japan. I'm just curious how other companies have fared against Nintendo in the handheld wars and who has come closest to giving Nintendo decent competition. My guess is Sega with their GameGear but I honestly have no clue. Again, I think Sony is doing great compared to others that have come against Nintendo, and the war is still not over...

 

[bjork]

Are the other handhelds still around? There's your answer

 

[sprsk]

no, the game.com really gave nintendo a run for its money.

 

[mutsu]

Solid, but not spectacular.

 

[Dimmuxx]

The war is over but psp is the one that have come closest to giving nintendo some competition.

 

[Archie]

no, the n-gage really gave nintendo a run for its money.

fixed

 

[ethelred]

It seems Sony is keeping its own even though it's not selling as crazy as the DS in Japan. I'm just curious how other companies have fared against Nintendo in the handheld wars and who has come closest to giving Nintendo decent competition. My guess is Sega with their GameGear but I honestly have no clue. Again, I think Sony is doing great compared to others that have come against Nintendo, and the war is still not over...

The war for what? To say the war isn't over, you really have to define what the objectives here are...

Sony has created a quality, successful handheld that has carved out a solid portion of the market. The PSP has good developer support, good consumer support.

But when you say "the war is still not over," do you mean to imply that the PSP can still overtake the DS and claim a majority of the handheld market? Cuz, yeah, that ain't happening, and the window of opportunity for that has pretty much closed.

 

[Bad_Boy]

I think so. Sega is the only other one who came close to be even considered being called 'competition' (game gear/ nomad)

 

[DDayton]

The war is over but psp is the one that have come closest to giving nintendo some competition.

Are you sure about that? How did the GameGear sell during its height?

 

[Lyte Edge]

fixed

http://www.sidetalking.com/ <-- It's still around?!

 

[Wollan]

No one has ever come as close as Sony. Don't Sony have like 40% marketshare in the west(even though launching later)?
What I like about the PSP is that we know it will be staying here for a good while(No succesor until a year before PS4 I would reckon).

 

[Bad_Boy]

What I like about the PSP is that we know it will be staying here for a good while(No succesor until a year before PS4 I would reckon).

If there is one thing I hate about nintendo, that would be it. They release more updates than ipods. I kinda feel sorry for the ones who put money for the first gen handheld hardware, then updates come out that every one is talking about almost forcing them to buy the next gen of that system. It's like computer hardware but 10x worse.

 

[gimz]

it was, 2 years ago, before they came out
actually PSP helps Nintendo a bit

not about the DS, but now more people is interest in the Wii

 

[ethelred]

If there is one thing I hate about nintendo, that would be it. They release more updates than ipods. I kinda feel sorry for the ones who put money for the first gen handheld hardware, then updates come out that every one is talking about almost forcing them to buy the next gen of that system. It's like computer hardware but 10x worse.

Em, well, I'm pretty sure Nintendo would still be going with the GBA if not for the fact that one of their competitors was putting a new product into the market. It would've been stupid for Nintendo to allow Sony to launch a new system and then not put out a new system of their own.

If you're talking about upgraded versions of the same system, then I dunno what to tell you -- that's not limited to Nintendo. Sony put out revisions to the PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, and it's really pretty crazy to say with any degree of certainty that they won't be putting out a revision of the PlayStation Portable.

 

[Jokeropia]

Don't Sony have like 40% marketshare in the west(even though launching later)?

Nah, it has around 33% marketshare in the US the last six months (before the DS Lite) and probably not much better in Europe.

Your comment about it launching later would suggest that you're talking LTD marketshare, but then you must know that it gets dwarfed by the GBA?

Anyway, does anyone know how much the Game Gear sold in total?

 

[Tyrone Slothrop]

the game gear did alright but with all the shit going on with sega in the mid-late 90's i guess they couldnt risk investing in a successor to the system

the psp has done pretty good. sony has a place in the h.held market

edit: i think the game gear sold around 10 million

 

[Nerevar]

no way.

Tiger 4 life.

 

[MarkRyan]

Wonderswan may have done better in Japan, but I don't know.

 

[LittleTokyo]

Sony has created a quality....

Dead pixels say that is debatable.

 

[ibu]

Where the f**k is the Neo Geo Pocket/color love dudes?

I loved that console so muvch i bought two!!

 

[ethelred]

Dead pixels say that is debatable.

And I have dead pixels on my DS Lite. So by that standard, neither system is quality. I disagree.

 

[LittleTokyo]

And I have dead pixels on my DS Lite. So by that standard, neither system is quality. I disagree.

I never claimed one way or the other about the DS Lite. But frankly, I'd return it and get the pixels you paid for.

 

[Amir0x]

Dead pixels say that is debatable.

Dead pixels is a pitfall of the screen technology, what does Sony have to do with that :lol

do you have an alternate solution, good sir?

 

[ethelred]

I never claimed one way or the other about the DS Lite. But frankly, I'd return it and get the pixels you paid for.

I imported. It's not a big enough deal (doesn't really affect my playing) for me to deal with the hassle.

I just don't think dead pixels here and there disqualify a piece of hardware from being an overall quality product (something that is, I think, far more defined by the software library than anything else).

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Just say yes folks whats so hard?

 

[Jiggy]

Probably, although that says less about the PSP than it does about previous handheld competitors.

 

[The Shadow]

You never see dead pixels on the DS, or any other kind of LCD screen. ever

 

[fse]

Dunno if the PSP is the best competitor... Sega and other did well. In japan, was the wonderswan popular?

 

[LittleTokyo]

I imported. It's not a big enough deal (doesn't really affect my playing) for me to deal with the hassle.

I just don't think dead pixels here and there disqualify a piece of hardware from being an overall quality product (something that is, I think, far more defined by the software library than anything else).

I can agree there, the software library of the PSP is the best that Nintendo has ever faced in the handheld market.

 

[ethelred]

Just say yes folks whats so hard?

If the OP had asked his question ("Is PSP Nintendo's best handheld competitor?") and left it at that, I would've just said yes and moved on. Instead he kept going and tossed in kooky asides like "This war isn't over yet!"

So my answer deserved a qualifier. Yes, it's the best competitor. No, it's not going to overtake Nintendo and become the #1 product in that market... that kind of delusional stuff should be shot down at this point, because it's just fantasy land.

 

[typhonsentra]

Nah, it has around 33% marketshare in the US the last six months (before the DS Lite) and probably not much better in Europe.

You really think it's fair to include the GBA in your figures?

 

[Archie]

You really think it's fair to include the GBA in your figures?

you think it's fair to exclude gba when it is still selling as well as the psp and ds? (in the united states)

 

[Jokeropia]

You really think it's fair to include the GBA in your figures?

Since it still sells, yes. It might not be fair to use the GBA LTD, but my 33% figure is from current monthly sales.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

If the OP had asked his question ("Is PSP Nintendo's best handheld competitor?") and left it at that, I would've just said yes and moved on. Instead he kept going and tossed in kooky asides like "This war isn't over yet!"

So my answer deserved a qualifier. Yes, it's the best competitor. No, it's not going to overtake Nintendo and become the #1 product in that market... that kind of delusional stuff should be shot down at this point, because it's just fantasy land.

agreed, that was kinda kooky

 

[Zaptruder]

PSP has been a pretty solid competitor. Certainly by far Nintendo's strongest competitor to date.

But considering that the DS is also their strongest handheld to date as well, it's probably worth saying that the PSP and DS are carving out portions of their own marketshare.

Sony aren't in the position they were with the Playstation... but they're much better off than Microsoft with their Xbox relative to the PS2, with regards to the PSP.

 

[typhonsentra]

you think it's fair to exclude gba when it is still selling as well as the psp and ds? (in the united states)

So will we also be seeing "Sony owns the console market!" this holiday season too? How about the next?

 

[Vormund]

In answer to the thread question: YES.

I would say GameGear is next. Probably only came as close as it did (still way behind though) was because it was at the beginning of the handheld wars, and it was colour.

 

[Archie]

So will we also be seeing "Sony owns the console market!" this holiday season too? How about the next?

maybe, but that is irrelevant to my question.

 

[cvxfreak]

It sure is. It's really brought Nintendo into a competitive spirit.

 

[Suikoguy]

Well, the DS would proably not exist yet if it were not for the PSP. So i'd say yes.
It forced nintendo's hand far earlier then they wanted.

 

[fse]

seems GG sold about... 8.65 Mil.
Sega Game Gear: 8.65 Million (Japan: 1.78, Other: 6.87)

Edit:
GBA/DS/PSP comparisons

Current system sales
Nintendo Game Boy Advance: 75.13 Million as of March 31, 2006 (Japan: 16.55, The Americas: 38.10, Other: 20.48)
of which Game Boy Advance SP: 38.23 Million as of March 31, 2006 (Japan: 6.42, The Americas: 20.95, Other: 10.86)
of which Game Boy Micro: 1.82 Million as of March 31, 2006 (Japan: 0.57, The Americas: 0.47, Other: 0.78)
Nintendo DS & DS Lite sold: 19.1 Million as of May, 2006 (Japan: 9.16 (of which Lite: 2.2), The Americas: 5.14 (of which Lite: 0.14), Other: 4.71)
Sony PSP's shipped: 17.03 Million as of March 31, 2006 (Japan: 4.70, The Americas: 6.39, Europe: 5.94)

O_O

 

[Kapsama]

Nah, it has around 33% marketshare in the US the last six months (before the DS Lite) and probably not much better in Europe.

Your comment about it launching later would suggest that you're talking LTD marketshare, but then you must know that it gets dwarfed by the GBA?

Anyway, does anyone know how much the Game Gear sold in total?

lol @ this

So we are to count the GBA even though it's a last gen handheld? the gba launched 6 years ago for christ's sake.

 

[CoolTrick]

Sony aren't in the position they were with the Playstation... but they're much better off than Microsoft with their Xbox relative to the PS2, with regards to the PSP.

:lol :lol :lol Good one.

 

[ethelred]

lol @ this

So we are to count the GBA even though it's a last gen handheld? the gba launched 6 years ago for christ's sake.

Yeah, but it continues to sell hugely in North America; many months it's ahead of the PSP (and most months ahead of the DS).

It's pretty hard not to count it in that context.

 

[Wollan]

:lol :lol :lol Good one.

I don't see anything wrong with that statement. The PSP has a better marketshare compared to leader than Xbox ever had.

 

[VariableTerry]

The neo geo pocket color is awesome, it's a shame it didn't get more support. I can only think of 20 or so different games for it.

 

[Kapsama]

Yeah, but it continues to sell hugely in North America; many months it's ahead of the PSP (and most months ahead of the DS).

It's pretty hard not to count it in that context.

very well then count the GBAs that have been sold since the DS/PSP launch.

oh and according to this logic PS2 has already won the 256 bit generation wars.:lol

 

[CoolTrick]

The Xbox has the consumer mindshare the PSP doesn't the Xbox 360 COULD fathomably overtake the PS3 if consumers aren't willing to pay $600.

The PSP cannot overtake the DS. It will always be distant second as the generation goes on.

 

[neptunes]

I don't see anything wrong with that statement. The PSP has a better marketshare compared to leader than Xbox ever had.

If you talking strictly about hardware then maybe, but there's virtually no software moving at all.

 

[ethelred]

very well then count the GBAs that have been sold since the DS/PSP launch.

oh and according to this logic PS2 has already won the 256 bit generation wars.:lol

Did you read the subsequent post where he said that his 33% figure is based off MTDs?