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[kaching]

It's interesting to see Sony today come out and admit what everyone has known for a while: PSP is not doing well.

This has taken pretty much everyone by surprise. The thinking after E3 2004 was that Sony has a clear winner in their hands. So, I thought it'd be interesting to discuss what are the possible product concept shortcomings contributing to the unexpectedly poor performance.

With all due respect, I think the biggest problem with the PSP's performance is highlighted in this passage, not the rest of your analysis: that it's not performing how some people thought it "should" perform. You can hide behind how many of you there were I guess but it just seems you guys got scared that Nintendo was going to somehow mess up like they did with the N64 and maybe comments from Nintendo like "heterogenous goods" and "10% of the market will like it" (paraphrased) helped that along.

But how often have we really seen a clear market leader displaced overnight (since that seems to be the measure of "success" here) who isn't making any significant mistakes in their approach to the market?

That Sony is saying now that the PSP isn't doing as well as currently projected doesn't confirm "what everyone has known for a while" because they were close to hitting their earlier projections. Those just didn't happen to be enough to meet your expectations that they should be able to handily depose Nintendo from handheld market dominance.

 

[kojacker]

What is keeping you from trying out other good games, though? What is it about the games that has prevented this? I just can't fathom how someone could completely ignore such a solid lineup for no reason.

I'm not sure if you mean me, but there's nothing I'm interested in. Funnily enough I'm just back from the Tescos (supermarket) and I was checking out the games sections. There was really nothing I fancied playing on the pretty large PSP section. What would you suggest I try?

 

[Mrbob]

If you have all the support from shareholders, retailers, publishers and press to become number one, you fail if you don't. I said this many times: Coming out of PSP, PSP2 would have FAR less initial support from ALL of these stakeholders. Exactly what does "getting a foot into the door" mean then? Nothing. Back to square one.

Well, I think there is already an example out there which discredits your statement. Look at Xbox to Xbox 360. Xbox didn't exactly light the retail world on fire, and yet the 360 has gained some pretty tremendous support overall. Especially from Japan where the system still isn't selling well.

 

[elostyle]

Here's another reason:

Sony thought the main point of handheld games is portability, while that actually plays an insignificant role compared to complementing consoles with a complementary line up of games. The PSP quite obviously doesn't do that.

 

[dark10x]

I'm not sure if you mean me, but there's nothing I'm interested in. Funnily enough I'm just back from the Tescos (supermarket) and I was checking out the games sections. There was really nothing I fancied playing on the pretty large PSP section. What would you suggest I try?

What type of games appeal to you?

 

[First Children]

Let me correct this. It takes game to create that "console friend" that tells you about the console. For the game to drive the console the hardware needs to be attractive and decently priced.
The PS2 was a success because (beside following the recognition of the PS1) it was decently priced for what it has to offer and was also attractive in the way it looked cool and was a DVD player (the big buzz at the time). THEN the games came and the loop for success what complete.
The PSP is having many good games. It's the other part of the process that wasn't done right (pricing, attracting/focused hardware, promise)

But the games are not creating buzz, it doesn't matter if they are good.

 

[kojacker]

The usual ignorant post. It's your fault that you don't try to inform yourself over it's line-up (which has been quite amazing the last half year), not the device's. Also, UMD movies ARE a third of the normal price already, which proves my second sentence.

Forgive me if we don't have the same taste in games. What great amazing games do you suggest?

UMDs are a third of the price of UMDs?? I think you've just proved how ignorant you are.

 

[elostyle]

Well, I think there is already an example out there which discredits your statement. Look at Xbox to Xbox 360. Xbox didn't exactly light the retail world on fire, and yet the 360 has gained some pretty tremendous support overall. Especially from Japan where the system still isn't selling well.

I believe the 360 gets much better support from all groups than the xbox did so that would actually be a good example of a "getting a foot in the door" case. The xbox didn't light up at retail but it was roughly in line with the expectations (probably even exceeded them) and thus gained trust. Therefore more faith was put into the 360 and thus xbox served as a stepping stone.

Coming from the support the PSP had from the beginning, there is only one way to from there. Down.

 

[Pureauthor]

Here's another reason:

Sony thought the main point of handheld games is portability, while that actually plays an insignificant role compared to complementing consoles with a complementary line up of games. The PSP quite obviously doesn't do that.

Wait, what?

As a portable system (with emphasis on portable), the PSP was poorly designed. The big freaking screen alone should prove that.

 

[quetz67]

I pity those still playing games from the UMD. OK, most casual gamers dont know better, but every hardcore gamer should know how to play their games from memory stick (after legally purchasing them of course).

Besides that most of the original points hold some truth. But PSP just isnt a DS. It was meant as a game AND multimedia machine with a big screen and more power (resulting in heigher weight and shorter battery life). A disc media format isnt perfect, but it allows games not possible on a Nintendo handheld).

Fact is, the hardware sells good and the games not really that much worse than DS games. And the machine holds enough power to be around some more years and maybe a complete redesign.

And with PS3 around and a little more time on Sonys hands to care about the PSP I am sure the overdue download services for all kinds of media (including games) will finally happen.

 

[Guns N' Poops]

I'm not sure if you mean me, but there's nothing I'm interested in. Funnily enough I'm just back from the Tescos (supermarket) and I was checking out the games sections. There was really nothing I fancied playing on the pretty large PSP section. What would you suggest I try?

How about Loco Roco?Syphon Filter: DM?Field Commander?Daxter? Megaman: Powered Up/Megaman Maverick Hunter X? Mercury Meltdown? Me & My Katamari? Monster Hunter: Freedom? Ridge Racer 2? Tekken: Dark Ressurection? Gradius Collection?

But something tells me you are more the type for for some rad Mario innovation and mathematics formulas to train your brain.

 

[Ranger X]

But the games are not creating buzz, it doesn't matter if they are good.

I was countering your post #93. Now i'm not sure what you're getting at since you seem to counter my counter post...

 

[quetz67]

Wait, what?

As a portable system (with emphasis on portable), the PSP was poorly designed. The big freaking screen alone should prove that.

But the screen is what initially made my buy a PSP. You cant have everything and Sony decided not to go for 'ultra portable', but that has nothing to do with poor design.

 

[Razoric]

Well, I think there is already an example out there which discredits your statement. Look at Xbox to Xbox 360. Xbox didn't exactly light the retail world on fire, and yet the 360 has gained some pretty tremendous support overall. Especially from Japan where the system still isn't selling well.

Bad example.

Xbox came from nothing and gathered major 3rd party support, introduced a huge franchise and brought XBL to the gaming world.

I would say that is a nice foot in the door.

 

[elostyle]

Wait, what?

As a portable system (with emphasis on portable), the PSP was poorly designed. The big freaking screen alone should prove that.

I believe that most people don't buy a portable gaming machine mainly for the reason that it provides portable games but because it provides games that provide games that complement their console games. This is a problem for the PSP. I'm just talking about the games, not the machine itself.

I'm saying - there was no handheld ghetto. People bought handheld games before because they did want to play those games, not because they wanted to play something portable and those happened to be the only available ones. Maybe there was a ghetto but it was one that people were happy in. Or something.

 

[Larry Bird]

You guys sound like Nfans defending the Gamecube back in the day.

Yes, it is. It is about 600,000 units sold behind the DS in the US right now. Sales just stabalized at the launch of the DS Lite and didn't increase. They will definitely skyrocket this holiday again, however, especially with Vice City Stories.

Step 1: Denial

The main point of the PSP was to COMPETE with Nintendo's handheld market, not take it completely away or be in "1st place". Who cares if its sales aren't beating the DS's. The PSP has sold more than 9 million PSPs worldwide, which is half of that of the DS. I think Sony has done a great job with their first handheld, as nothing else in the past has come remotely close.

Step 2: Acceptance

Games are not the issue as the PSP features an amazing lineup.

 

[First Children]

Exactly. How are people not getting this?

Let me explain this:

It doesn't matter if Loco Roco is a good game, because no one care about it.
It doesn't matter if Ultimate Ghost & Ghouls is a good game, bacause no one care about it.

Psp does not have a single game that is really mainstream, that make people talk.


We cannot say that the games are good SO it must be the hardware fault, reality is that the consumers don't find really interesting these games, so they don't buy them.

 

[Guns N' Poops]

UMDs are a third of the price of UMDs?? I think you've just proved how ignorant you are.

http://www.play.com/Games/PSP/BROWSE/5-/GenreBrowse.html?searchstring=UMD
http://www.game.co.uk/browse.aspx?cat=11274

Lots of 1/3 priced UMDs. YOU = OWNED

 

[Pureauthor]

I believe that most people don't buy a portable gaming machine mainly for the reason that it provides portable games but because it provides games that provide games that complement their console games. This is a problem for the PSP. I'm just talking about the games, not the machine itself.

Yes, that's debatable, but I'm more asking about where you got the idea that Sony thought 'the main point of handheld games is portability', because their hardware (and to an extent their software) doesn't seem to reflect this.

 

[Razoric]

Let me explain this:

It doesn't matter if Loco Roco is a good game, because no one care about it.
It doesn't matter if Ultimate Ghost & Ghouls is a good game, bacause no one care about it.

Psp does not have a single game that is really mainstream, that make people talk.


We cannot say that the games are good SO it must be the hardware fault, reality is that the consumers don't find really interesting these games, so they don't buy them.

The consumers don't find the software appealing because the entire PSP market is a confusing mess. If the PSP were sold strictly as a game machine and was about $100 cheaper, there WOULD be buzz around that exact same software.

 

[sugarhigh4242]

I think the elephant in the room is that Sony didn't design PSP for the bread-and-butter of the handheld market: KIDS

In the past, handheld's primary function is a diversion on car rides in the back seat.

PSP, although more sturdy than most people think, is still not the tank Nintendo designed the DS to be.

And at the same time, most of the good games are rated T or M. Little Johnny is not going to be allowed to play a game where you can Tazer someone until they catch fire (pure brilliance of Sony Bend BTW).

I think the barrier the PSP has always had is that it is trying to reach a market that simply may not exist. I've said this before, but its worth repeating.

If Sony really wanted PSP to hit DS-levels of success, they wouldn't make a cheaper, slimmer, sexier system: they'd make a sturdier, kid friendly version. They'd simplify the interface, and they'd make a healthy batch of E-rated games.

Either that, or they have to push a lot harder in the other direction and try to tap into the Ipod crowd while at the same time bringing 3d games along for the ride.

 

[beelzebozo]

How about Loco Roco?Syphon Filter: DM?Field Commander?Daxter? Megaman: Powered Up/Megaman Maverick Hunter X? Mercury Meltdown? Me & My Katamari? Monster Hunter: Freedom? Ridge Racer 2? Tekken: Dark Ressurection? Gradius Collection?

excluding loco roco--which i am extremely interested in--the other games you mention are all things that i either (a) feel like i've played better versions of on consoles [syphon filter, daxter, both mega man games, me & my katamari] or (b) long ago lost interest in genre-wise [tekken, ridge racer, monster hunter, gradius].

coupled with my perception that i would inevitably one day find that there was some problem with the lens being dirty or some other disc-related issue, and my distaste for umd as a format, i don't see the allure.

i just don't think i'm the audience that the psp is shooting for, which is fine. i'm sure that audience exists, and they'll flock to it, but i won't be one of their number.

 

[aparisi2274]

ok perhaps I was a lil hasty in claiming the system was full of PS2 ports, and I apologize for that, but the fact remains that most games on the system just seem very unoriginal... Yes most games are just scaled down versions of PS2 games, and I think that was what I was trying to convey with my ports of PS2 games comments..

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Silent Hill Origins
GTA Vice City Stories
SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 2
Brothers in Arms: D-Day
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Medal of Honor: Heroes
Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Far Cry
Wild Arms: Crossfire
GTA: Liberty City Stories
NFS
Madden
FIFA

Most of those games are just downgraded PS2 games... in my opinion they dont offer anything new that would make me want to go out and spend upwards of $40 for a portable game.

Same goes with the UMD movies, which is why its now a dead format. Why would a consumer spend $30 to watch a movie on a 4"screen with no extras, when they can buy a DVD for $20 and watch it on a nice big screen.

I will be honest, I have not turned on my PSP in over 10 months. It just sits in its case collecting dust, because there is not one game coming out that truly interests me.

I mean if I want to play Ace Combat, I will play the PS2 version, which is probably cheaper than the PSP version.

Games on PSP that made me go out and purchase them are games that I never saw on the PS2, like Mega Man Powered Up. A game like that, even though it was a NES game, warranted a purchase becuse it was completely redone from scratch, and that is when I can see myself getting a PSP game.

Thats basically the point I am trying to get across... The PSP has failed to live up to Sony's expectations because so far every game that has come out has been a trimmed down PS2 game in some shape or form.

Not to make a comparison with the DS, but the games on that are intriguing...

Brain Age
Trauma Center
Big Brain Academy
FF3
Contact
Nintendogs

Those games have a uniqueness factor to them and that is what is selling the DS. If the DS just had trimmed down GC games or beefed up GBA games, I am not sure it would be selling so well either.

 

[djtiesto]

How about Loco Roco?Syphon Filter: DM?Field Commander?Daxter? Megaman: Powered Up/Megaman Maverick Hunter X? Mercury Meltdown? Me & My Katamari? Monster Hunter: Freedom? Ridge Racer 2? Tekken: Dark Ressurection? Gradius Collection?

But something tells me you are more the type for for some rad Mario innovation and mathematics formulas to train your brain.

Forgot to mention Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth... sure, its a shitty port but it is a lot more readily available than the PS1 version, and the source material is one of the greatest games ever.

I just wish SCEA wasn't such a bastard with bringing over 32 bit ports... the PSP would be getting a lot more play from me if we had stateside releases of Tengai Makyo: The Apocalypse IV, Princess Crown, BOF3, and Tales of Eternia.

 

[GDJustin]

We've written a couple editorials about why the PSP is getting trounced that are pretty spot-on, imo:

http://www.modojo.com/features/20061013/122/help_us_help_you_sony/
http://www.modojo.com/features/20060918/114/psp_20/

 

[elostyle]

Yes, that's debatable, but I'm more asking about where you got the idea that Sony thought 'the main point of handheld games is portability', because their hardware (and to an extent their software) doesn't seem to reflect this.

Well, they obviously thought that portable PS2 games would sell a lot of machines. Since the only difference between a portable PS2 game and a PS2 game is that it is portable, they must have thought that portability would be the big selling point. Which, as I outlined above, appears to have been a misconception.

 

[dark10x]

You guys sound like Nfans defending the Gamecube back in the day.

There's a difference, though. The GC and the PS2 were both similar machines and had similar goals. The Gamecube offered a nice selection of quality games, but the PS2 had a much MUCH larger library with more titles than the GC ever dreamed of. There was a pretty large gap between the amount of quality software between them. That did not necessarily mean the GC was not of high quality, however (it was). It survived long enough to provide plenty of great games for its fans as well.

With PSP and DS, honestly, the two machines are simply too different and opinions can be swayed completely in either direction. I feel the PSP offers a much larger selection of games I want to play over the DS. The DS library is extremely uninteresting to me. The software catalogs between the machines each have a very different focus...which wasn't the case with GC vs PS2. Just look at the list of top selling, popular DS games and you'll see that.

 

[yamaneko]

anyway

I WANT PLAY SILENT HILL ORIGINS!!!

 

[First Children]

The consumers don't find the software appealing because the entire PSP market is a confusing mess. If the PSP were sold strictly as a game machine and was about $100 cheaper, there WOULD be buzz around that exact same software.

Mainstream consumers don't even know Psp plays movies, and Loco Roco e UG&G wouldn't sell on any console, sorry.

Good reviews don't make good sales, ever.

Portable GTA won't sell more than a third than Gta on ps2, idem for a portable Mgs or a portable GT. There is not interest from consumers in having similar games to those they play at home in a portable, and the games that are really new are really far from being mainstream.

 

[beelzebozo]

gta controls horribly enough without being amplified by the psp's already noted control issues.

 

[kojacker]

What type of games appeal to you?

Hey that's a difficult one! I'll try most things if it looks interesting, I'm acually a mobile (cell) programmer so I spend a lot of time playing mobile games for stuff to, well, rip-off basically! On the go, I prefer stuff I can play in short bursts.

If you're up for the challenge, here are some of the mobile games lying on the floor at the moment:

Super Mario Bros (DS)
Dr Whatsits Brain Training thingy (DS)
Wario Ware Inc (GBA)
(All Nintendo, I know!)

On my mobile I have Lumines (I know! already one of my PSP 3 though), some Zookeeper match-3 puzzlers, and a bloody awful King Kong.

And my two fave games ever are Rez and JSR, and when I'm alone Samba de Amigo.

Sooooo... am I just a lost cause? Give me a suggestion and I'll get the boss to order it in.

(ps: the 3 i have is Ridge Racers, Lumines, and GBA:Liberty City Stories).
(ps2: yes, 99% of cell phone games are worse than awful)

 

[kojacker]

Katamari

Katamari maybe

But something tells me you are more the type for for some rad Mario innovation and mathematics formulas to train your brain.

Good guess, see my post above!

 

[kojacker]

http://www.play.com/Games/PSP/BROWSE/5-/GenreBrowse.html?searchstring=UMD
http://www.game.co.uk/browse.aspx?cat=11274

Lots of 1/3 priced UMDs. YOU = OWNED

Aye, try again later

 

[kojacker]

Wait, what?

As a portable system (with emphasis on portable), the PSP was poorly designed. The big freaking screen alone should prove that.

The big screen is the best thing about it

 

[MoxManiac]

Hey that's a difficult one! I'll try most things if it looks interesting, I'm acually a mobile (cell) programmer so I spend a lot of time playing mobile games for stuff to, well, rip-off basically! On the go, I prefer stuff I can play in short bursts.

If you're up for the challenge, here are some of the mobile games lying on the floor at the moment:

Super Mario Bros (DS)
Dr Whatsits Brain Training thingy (DS)
Wario Ware Inc (GBA)
(All Nintendo, I know!)

On my mobile I have Lumines (I know! already one of my PSP 3 though), some Zookeeper match-3 puzzlers, and a bloody awful King Kong.

And my two fave games ever are Rez and JSR, and when I'm alone Samba de Amigo.

Sooooo... am I just a lost cause? Give me a suggestion and I'll get the boss to order it in.

(ps: the 3 i have is Ridge Racers, Lumines, and GBA:Liberty City Stories).
(ps2: yes, 99% of cell phone games are worse than awful)

It sounds like the PSP is not for you. The games that make PSP great for me are SFA3, both Megamans, VP: Lenneth (even though I have the ps1 version), Metal Gear Acid 1-2, Wipeout Pure, UGnG, X-Men Legends II, Burnout, etc. However, that kind of cross-section of games seems very much different than what you've laid out.

 

[kojacker]

We've written a couple editorials about why the PSP is getting trounced that are pretty spot-on, imo:

http://www.modojo.com/features/20061013/122/help_us_help_you_sony/
http://www.modojo.com/features/20060918/114/psp_20/

Great stuff, I really like your site by the way. Keep up the good work.

 

[sugarhigh4242]

Sooooo... am I just a lost cause? Give me a suggestion and I'll get the boss to order it in.

Exit.
Gripshift.
Megaman: Powered Up.
Mercury Meltdown.
Every Extend Extra.

 

[Moderation Unlimited]

Emulation and downloadabe games may save the PSP in my opinion

 

[Guns N' Poops]

And my two fave games ever are Rez and JSR, and when I'm alone Samba de Amigo.

DJ Max Portable

And soon to be released

Parappa the Rapper

Loco Roco (you seem to like psychedelic games, so this is perfect). Mario-good if you ask me.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

I still is the most successful non-Nintendo handheld machine out there and in some instances, outsold a new Nintendo handheld. Give credit where it is due.

People just expected it to shake the foundations of Nintendo. Sony damaged it by not realizing that the handheld gamers and console gamers are two different things. Even if they are the same people, they want different things. Its how GBA did awesome but the GC was outsold by a new console by one of the most hated companies in the world today.

I think it is too late for PSP to ever get good sales again. I expect the thing to be phased out in 2008. By 2009, it will be forgotten, with the exception of a few small titles that seem to be there for every system.

Having owned the PSP myself, the system was fun. Ridge Racers is a classic and I had lots of fun with HSG Open Tee. I wouldn't mind playing the Megaman games or SFA3 Double Upper but they don't scream, "OMGBUYNOWLOL" Maybe the PSP is just lacking in the "must have" categories. Good games but none so compelling that people have to go in droves to own. Gran Turismo PSP could be one such title but I feel like that title is the PSP's last stand. What Majora's Mask was to the N64, what Sonic Adventure 2 was to the Dreamcast, etc.

 

[wellsed]

PSP! Its like a concrete block you can swim with outside!

I'll have to say that the PSP TV comercials in the US are atrocious. I have very little interest in the device myself, but those ads just make me ever more leary of it.

Who would respond positiviely to those ads? What target market thinks "Its like cheese you can listen to outside" or "Its like nut you can play with outside" to be interesting or funny or clever or anyting but idiotic or confusing?

 

[dark10x]

OK then...

EXIT - An excellent action puzzle game mixing stylish visuals with Lemmings meets Flashback/Another World meets Lost Vikings style gameplay with plenty of unique twists. Really high quality title.

Loco Roco - Not for everyone, but it is a very charming and fun little game with plenty to see and do. Experiencing the levels and music alone makes for a worthwhile game.

Every Extend Extra - Goes far beyond the original net game and adds a lot of new wrinkles to the gameplay along with Lumines quality presentation. Great music and great fun. Keep an eye out for Gunpey PSP as well (which looks fantastic). There's even a REZ-like level in here.

Mercury Meltdown - A HUGE improvement on the original and really lives up to what the original should have been. While it starts out fairly simple, the puzzles become brilliant after a while. Manipulation of the Mercury glob through these crazy puzzles is a great time.

Wipeout Pure - I'm suprised you missed this one, actually. A real gem of a racer that demands a lot from the player but gives a lot in return. Not only that, the downloadable free content literally DOUBLES the total content.

Irregular Hunter X (Megaman X) - I know this is a remake, but if you just happened to have been a fan of this series, the game might really appeal. I had been dreaming of just such a remake for years and was thrilled with it.

Virtua Tennis - If you haven't played this to death, it's an awesome version of VT and makes for a great handheld game. DC quality visuals at 60 fps.

Daxter is a rock solid platformer which translates very well to the machine, if you enjoy that sort of thing.

DJ Max Portable and Gitaroo Man Live! are great on the go music games.

Field Commander is a very solid portable strategy title, Gokumakaimura (Extreme Ghouls and Ghosts) is a hardcore platformer, Tokobot is a fun little puzzle based platformer, Tekken DR makes for an awesome portable game, Gurumin is a PC port (I know) but is a really fun platformy/action RPG, and Metal Gear Ac!d 2 is an awesome strategy game based on the series.

There's more than that, but I think you would probably enjoy those. The first four should especially appeal. Just give them a try and I think you'll have some fun.

 

[kojacker]

Right, of those I'm going to check out Exit, Gitaroo, and probably Parappa. This means I'll lose my chances of emu though...

BTW I know where you're coming from with Loco because I thought I'd like it too, but I found it mind numingly tedious to play. It's a marmite game (either love it or hate it).

 

[dark10x]

Right, of those I'm going to check out Exit, Gitaroo, and probably Parappa. This means I'll lose my chances of emu though...

BTW I know where you're coming from with Loco because I thought I'd like it too, but I found it mind numingly tedious to play. It's a marmite game (either love it or hate it).

You're going to ignore Every Extend Extra? I figured that would be right up your alley. :\

 

[Andonuts]

Another thing to consider is that the benefits of increased processing power are for the most part wasted on a portable system. This is not to say that there are no advantages, but considering that portable games systems are geared towards casual gaming and are played on a small screen, increased resolution and detail don't really make as much a difference as they don playing games on a TV.

 

[Shogmaster]

It's interesting to see Sony today come out and admit what everyone has known for a while: PSP is not doing well.

This has taken pretty much everyone by surprise. The thinking after E3 2004 was that Sony has a clear winner in their hands. So, I thought it'd be interesting to discuss what are the possible product concept shortcomings contributing to the unexpectedly poor performance.

I realize this thread has the potential to turn into a trainwreck and get locked, but I still think it'd be great to debate this, since we already had the software debate. So keep it clean.

Here are my analysis of the main conceptual challenges of PSP:

Unclear positioning: While the form factor and user interface of PSP communicated gaming, it was heavily promoted as an overall "media concept", with gaming as one of the cases. Remember the "red media icons" campaign. I believe this was to justify the higher price and to broaden the demographic, but it might have just confused the market.

Multimedia use cases prioritized redundant UMD instead of digital: The main focus for music and video use cases was on UMD delivery of media. The world had moved onto digital media delivery already, so a new physical format wasn't bound to take off. Consumers weren't willing to invest on a format that wouldn't work in their current ecosystem.

Digital multimedia use cases executed poorly: PSP doesn't deliver well on music, photo and video use cases straight out of the box.

1. Unless you got a Giga Pack, the first thing you have to do is to get a bigger memory stick.
2. Once connecting with USB to PC, you have actually to go to a menu to set on USB.
3. PSP doesn't tap into your existing media libraries automatically.
4. Video requires conversion. Compared to Cowan media player that plays anything you've got from online regardless of format and resolution, PSP is a hassle.
5. Stupid folder and file naming conventions that make digital media usage a pain.
6. E-commerce platform still not there.

Weight and size: PSP is rather large and bulky, mainly due to the disc drive and 4" screen. This makes it less than convenient to carry around with than iPod, DS or a N73.

Perceived fragility: The combination of a large, beautiful screen, an non-folding form factor, a glossy surface and a disc drive clearly communicated to consumers that PSP is fragile. Whether this is actually the case can be debated.

Media choice hindered the main use case - gaming on go: Because of the UMD load times, the fact that the disc just needs to start spinning makes going in and out of games tedious, a lot less snappy than on DS or mobile. This created an additional barrier to start playing.

The misleading audience "wow": Like we saw in E3 2004, crowds were very quick to say "wow!" to the impressive screen, glossy surface and 3D graphics. The product has probably done really well in focus groups, too. In this short exposure, the conceptual challenges like the perceived fragility and poor media use cases, are overruled by the sheer "wow". These concerns have re-entered once the consumers have considered purchase.

I think I said as much way way back when I was pimping my hilarious XBoy idea. It's got too much heft, too expensive, optical media which isn't good for battery life + load times, and bad controls = sabotaged from the get go.

 

[kojacker]

You're going to ignore Every Extend Extra? I figured that would be right up your alley. :\

We have it and Mercury Meltdown in the office already ... x2

Actually I don't know anyone who likes either of those so it was strange to see them come up 3 times!

 

[Juice]

The people still stomping about that the PSP has some kind of amazing library really need to admit their position within a deeply engrained hardcore niche. The average person has very obviously declared that they give no **** about any of the PSP's games, and its continually lagging software sales in every territory (third and first party alike) ought to make that evident.

I'm not saying that PSP's poor conceptualization isn't part of the problem, it is. And I was one of the few on GAF pointing out a lot of these problems when the PSP was first revealed; while the majority here were sploojing over the idea of hardcore console games on-the-go, I was bemoaning the fact that development costs would be insane, that portable software design sensibility would be out the window, and that during its traction-gaining phase, the amount of investment publishers would have put in it would have distracted from their more lucrative, mature console outings.

But the games are still the core of the problem. Just like when I was getting laughed at for calling its line-up laughable over a year ago, I feel even more justified in doing so now. The only people who the PSP's lineup seems to appeal to are the people who grew up only playing their Game Boys/Gears/Coms/Lynxs in front of the TV and never out of the house. I was recently discussing among a group of devhook-savvy PSP owners who were all bitching that there wasn't even anything on the PSP coming out that was worth pirating.

 

[sugarhigh4242]

Another thing to consider is that the benefits of increased processing power are for the most part wasted on a portable system. This is not to say that there are no advantages, but considering that portable games systems are geared towards casual gaming and are played on a small screen, increased resolution and detail don't really make as much a difference as they don playing games on a TV.

that's assuming there isn't a genre of 3d causal games out there waiting to be pioneered.

I absolutely think there is.

 

[dark10x]

We have it and Mercury Meltdown in the office already ... x2

Actually I don't know anyone who likes either of those so it was strange to see them come up 3 times!

What don't you like about them? I'm very suprised, actually. I suppose it's all opinion, though. I refused a free copy of Brain Training DS and Animal Crossing simply because I have absolutely NO interest in ever touching those things again...

I should note that EEE has quite a learning curve, but once it clicks, the game rocks.