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[sonycowboy]

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/061019/18833_id.html?.v=1

Thursday October 19, 12:33 pm ET

Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits: Sony (NYSE: SNE - News) is planning to offer a new limited edition Playstation 2 in the next few weeks, and will offer two new versions of its PSP portable game device next spring, according to Paul-Jon McNealy, an analyst with American Technology Research.


The pending arrival of a limited edition PS2 has been discussed on many gaming and gadget blogs. Engadget earlier this week reported that a silver-colored PS2 launches October 24. The site says only 500,000 of the new version of the console will be produced.

More interesting is the pending refresh of the PSP. McNealy says there will be two new models: One with a hard-disk drive and one with no drive but with “a significant amount of flash memory on board.” He expects the hard-drive model to be priced at $199 or above, and the flash model under $199.

He also says Sony is revving up its marketing machine for the PS 3, which is coming to retail later this year. He says Sony will put 15,000 PS3 units for hands-on game play at North American retailers between the end of October and the day after Thanksgiving. McNealy says he expect “online capabilities to some degree for these boxes,” and also says they “could likely be packaged for display at retail with Sony high-definition Bravia TV sets.”

 

[frAntic_Frog]

every week, i swear.......

 

[kenta]

Why would I buy a new PSP when MS Duo prices are falling like rocks?

 

[Mrbob]

Finally Sony is learning if this is true. You have all that multimedia functionality, PUT A DECENT AMOUNT OF ONBOARD STORAGE ON YOUR SYSTEM!

This is why I've been waiting on a PSP. I have a nagging feeling a new model will be introduced in about 6 months time. Maybe we'll hear something about it today.

Why would I buy a new PSP when MS Duo prices are falling like rocks?

Incentive for those who don't own a PSP (like me).

 

[bud]

Impbl sce hre a losg eou mny in ps3.

 

[replicashooter]

Hope they improve the ergonomics of the PSP2 and include a TV output feature.

 

[Danj]

Paul-Jon McNealy, an analyst with American Technology Research.

McNealy says there will be two new models: One with a hard-disk drive and one with no drive but with “a significant amount of flash memory on board.” He expects the hard-drive model to be priced at $199 or above, and the flash model under $199.

This is not news, it's speculation.

 

[davepoobond]

atp, Sony should just do it. everyone and their ****ing mother has been saying there'll be one with a hard drive in it or something and it does NOT help the PSP as it is to keep having these idiots say there'll be one.

 

[Eiji]

Impbl sce hre a losg eou mny in ps3.

shtu hte kfuc pu!

tge a elif!

 

[KINGMOKU]

129$, and the PSP, wich I was going to get for a car mounted movieplayer will be mine.

 

[Chittagong]

Impbl sce hre a losg eou mny in ps3.

Yeah, I hope they improve the text in put in the PSP browser too.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

Impbl sce hre a losg eou mny in ps3.

I think he is saying that he wants to be banned

 

[Mrbob]

atp, Sony should just do it. everyone and their ****ing mother has been saying there'll be one with a hard drive in it or something and it does NOT help the PSP as it is to keep having these idiots say there'll be one.

Exactly. This is why I keep on holding off because I read stories all the time about a better PSP model coming down the road.

 

[kenta]

I suppose the good news is that the current PSP would drop price to like $150 or something if this is true. We all know how much the PSP needs the kind of sales boost that would cause

Edit: Mrbob your PSP backlog is going to be INSANE by the time you pick one up, seriously

 

[jax (old)]

I think all the speculation about new PSP might have hurt sales inadvertently... I remember first reading about this awhile back and thought, damn, shouldn't have bought mine. If its just rumours (with no basis), SONY should definitley quash it. I don't see how they can improve it...

people calling for HDD installed in it.... :lol pirate central

 

[davepoobond]

people calling for HDD installed in it.... :lol pirate central

as if that weren't happening already?


i have to admit i would seriously think about buying one with a hard drive/mega flash card in it.

 

[Xiaoki]

He expects the hard drive PSP to be $200.
He also says the flash ram PSP will be under $200.

And yet the normal PSP is still $200 with no price drop in sight.

Uh, wait a minute......

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

They don't need anymore PSP versions out there right now.

-All they need is to drop the price.

-Get rid of the $50 price range for games (seriously Metal Gear Portable Ops is only $40 but but Activision and EA "efforts" are like $50...that ain't sitting right).

-Fire who ever is doing those retarded PSP commerials, what the hell happened to the sleeker Sony ads they are reknowned for?

 

[mollipen]

Put some built-in memory into this thing (8GB would be nice, hard drive great but for some reason I would worry about it a bit), and then totally copy Nintendo (I'll forgive it this time) and slap on a touch screen.

 

[drohne]

screw on-board memory. i want a new screen with a better refresh rate.

 

[LOcKY]

lol if it is true then...

what about all those PsP sitting on the retailer shelf? they surely wont be too happy if this turns out to be true... how many psp has been SHIPPED again?

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

what happens to my glorious UMDs?

 

[sugarhigh4242]

-Fire who ever is doing those retarded PSP commerials, what the hell happened to the sleeker Sony ads they are reknowned for?

they used to have them for the PSP.

Those original PSP commercials with "Take Me Out" playing were damn-near perfect. They showed the various functionality, the near-PS2 graphics, they showed people having fun with the system, and they had a hit song that subliminally conveyed everything PSP is supposed to be about.

BRING THEM BACK!

 

[Drek]

screw on-board memory. i want a new screen with a better refresh rate.

I've heard a lot about ghosting on PSP screens, but I've never seen this on my screen. What games exhibit it?

I have Lumines, Field Commander, Wipeout Pure, and Exit. I haven't seen any ghosting in any of them. I also have a PSP stand alone pack, 2.6 original firmware with a TA-082 mobo so its a pretty young unit, probably one of the last few runs before the new bundle went into production.

 

[drohne]

the best demonstration of psp screen ghosting is rally-x, in namco museum or while ridge racers is loading. but it's always present, and it's particularly noticeable in 2d games. i don't think it's as severe as some people make it sound, but i'd be happier if it was minimized.

 

[Eric_S]

Removable/upgradable storage ftw! Serioulsy, Sony could just pack it with a larger memstick and be done with it if that's they want to do. So why complicate things with onboard, presumably non removable/uppgradable memory?

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Removable/upgradable storage ftw! Serioulsy, Sony could just pack it with a larger memstick and be done with it if that's they want to do. So why complicate things with onboard, presumably non removable/uppgradable memory?

Exactly.

 

[Larry Bird]

screw on-board memory. i want a new screen with a better refresh rate.

IAWTP

 

[yamaneko]

what happens to my glorious UMDs?

own3d ?

 

[Safe Bet]

I've been planning on buying a PSP for the new Metal Gear game with Big Boss, but all this talk of "this version that version" makes me nervous as hell...

Nothing like a nice piece of FUD first thing in the morning.

 

[Lord Error]

Yeah, I hope they improve the text in put in the PSP browser too.

Do you have any suggestions? I was thinking about this, but realized that the cellphone input is one of the fastest text inputs you can have with a button setup like on the PSP, and yet have it be familiar to most people.

The only faster input I could think of would be what SCE used on PS2 on the network browser setup disc. To have nine groups with four letters each, use analog stick to highlight the group, then press one of the four face buttons to select one of the four letters.

To have a reagular ABC or QUERTY on-screen keyboard would be impractical and too slow for text input.

 

[Meier]

So that's what PJ stands for.

 

[Stronty]

Please upgrade the screen to be better than the DS's super bright screens, if no screen upgrade, no purchase, I'll wait for the next next upgrade.

 

[Ranger X]

Sony shouldn't follow the terrible "redesign" Nintendo trend. That truly sucks.

 

[Matix]

Um, haven't these same ass speculations been running around for almost a year now. Wake me when some decent confirmation is actually made (from SONY), besides the same old weekly BS.

 

[mollipen]

the best demonstration of psp screen ghosting is rally-x, in namco museum or while ridge racers is loading. but it's always present, and it's particularly noticeable in 2d games. i don't think it's as severe as some people make it sound, but i'd be happier if it was minimized.

I picked up LocoRoco, and the visuals are a mess whenever you move, which is a REAL shame for that game.

 

[trancejeremy]

I've heard a lot about ghosting on PSP screens, but I've never seen this on my screen. What games exhibit it?

I have Lumines, Field Commander, Wipeout Pure, and Exit. I haven't seen any ghosting in any of them. I also have a PSP stand alone pack, 2.6 original firmware with a TA-082 mobo so its a pretty young unit, probably one of the last few runs before the new bundle went into production.

I have the same model PSP as you, and I've never seen the ghosting either. I guess maybe it only exists in older PSPs? Or we're both blind...

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Sony shouldn't follow the terrible "redesign" Nintendo trend. That truly sucks.

Hello? PSOne, PSTwo? o.o

 

[Ranger X]

Hello? PSOne, PSTwo? o.o

I'm not speaking about that. The home consoles that get refreshed after 5 years (read "after their generation is quite done") is perfect fine imo.
It's the quick redesigns Nintendo is doing with handhelds that i'm against. It's like 2 years between each. It's insane, let's have "generations" for handhelds too.

 

[GuessWho]

IAWTP

what does this mean? lol

 

[fartblast]

I'm not speaking about that. The home consoles that get refreshed after 5 years (read "after their generation is quite done") is perfect fine imo.
It's the quick redesigns Nintendo is doing with handhelds that i'm against. It's like 2 years between each. It's insane, let's have "generations" for handhelds too.

i'm not trying to sound like nastradamus here or anything, but as soon as the DS came out I knew that nintendo would release a smaller one in a few years and laughed at everyone buying those bulky bricks. same thing will probably happen with DS Lite but that'd be pushing it a little too far.


as for a PSP revision, i would be all over it. the only reason i don't own one right now is because of the ridic. price and the fact that a new version's coming out.... it . is . inevitable . . .

 

[Xenon]

screw on-board memory. i want a new screen with a better refresh rate.

Many games are unplayable for me because of this.

 

[fartblast]

wouldn't a hard-drive in PSP already rape the short battery life? is the battery in PSP even that good?

 

[Joe Molotov]

what does this mean? lol

It roughly translates into "I can't come up with my own opinion on this topic, but still feel the need to post."

 

[Mar]

Am I the only one that thinks they need to simplify the machine, fix its problems, and lower the price? Not make it more complicated, and more expensive?

 

[GitarooMan]

This makes all the sense in the world with the way PS3-PSP are going to be transferring video, games, etc. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

 

[slaughterking]

Okay, now how small can HDs get these days? I mean, the concept of a portable console doesn't allow it to let the PSP become bigger and maybe even more expensive.

 

[replicashooter]

what does this mean? lol

I am wasting this post?

 

[elostyle]

Bad move if it keeps the price up.

 

[Lyte Edge]

I'll believe this news when I see it. A PSP with a HD is also not as appealing as a redesigned PSP with a sharper/brighter screen and/or redesigned buttons and d-pad would be. A clamshell-style flip top would be nice too.

Okay, now how small can HDs get these days? I mean, the concept of a portable console doesn't allow it to let the PSP become bigger and maybe even more expensive.

I've seen PDAs with built-in HDs that are quite small. It shouldn't be a problem, but wouldn't having an HD in a PSP lessen the battery life and possibly cause the start-up time to be longer?