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Would DS have won if PSP had 2nd analog stick?

Karish

Member
Simple question... or is it?

EDIT: To those saying Vita losing to 3DS proves that this is a non-question, I believe the market is much different now than it was when DS and PSP first launched. 3DS success is largely a result of DS success.
 
Yes, easily. It had the better software as well as software that catered to a broad audience. It had games like Brain Training and Nintendogs that captured the public's imagination. It had Professor Layton and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It had Mario Kart DS.

The # of analog sticks PSP had or didn't have had nothing to do with it.
 
Not simple.

A second analog would have given devs more options of what to release on the PSP, but the differences between DS and PSP development run deeper than that. It really comes down to software, and I'm not convinced that dual analog would put the PSP far enough ahead to "win."
 
Is the Vita selling well? No? So, there's your answer.

Seriously though, the amount of sticks didn't matter at all. The reason the DS sold as great as it did was because it appealed to the casual crowd like no device before -- these are the people who don't give a shit about sticks in general.
 
It's all about the games. I don't think the 2nd analog matters, to be honest.

Look at the Vita. It has a 2nd analog and amazing graphics but it isn't selling well. The PSP never really sold well in the west and only took off with Monster Hunter in Japan. The DS also had a sluggish start until it started to get games, which is what the 3DS is going through right now.
 
Yes. The lack of a 2nd stick didnt stop portable versions of PlayStation franchises and ports yet sales still werent there to support it long term. DS had an avalanche of software after year one and had even less sticks.
 
PSP was great, but the UMD was the main thing holding it back IMO.

DS had the better lineup, though, so a second stick probably wouldn't of pushed the PSP over the top.
 
To those saying Vita losing to 3DS proves that this is a non-question, I believe the market is much different now than it was when DS and PSP first launched. 3DS success is largely a result of DS success.
 
Yep, it's all about software.


How many quality ds games are out there that made you think 'if only this had a right analog stick'?

How did the 'face button camera' games sell on psp like Peace walker, syphon filter, etc?
 
I doubt the software would have been much different save for controlling a lot better. With this in mind I say no.
 
It's about the software. Not... Buttons or whatever.

Even if the PSP had four analogs it still wouldn't have sold more than the DS.
 
I think more likely you'd need the PSP's current state in regards to features to have been there day 1 along with stronger piracy protection. Second analog may've helped, the system likely would've been more respectable for 3D camera dependent games anyway, but part of the DS's success was that if provided games that simply weren't on consoles, especially the more casual games. PSP with a second analog would've simply been closer to a real portable console.
 
To those saying Vita losing to 3DS proves that this is a non-question, I believe the market is much different now than it was when DS and PSP first launched. 3DS success is largely a result of DS success.

Maybe the DS's success was just a result of the GBA's success. PSP would have needed at least 3 analogues to beat the GBA.
 
Yes. I'm sure a second analog stick would have helped, but it wouldn't have had anywhere near the impact that fanboy revisionist history would have you believe.
 
I'm pretty sure that it wouldnt have changed much. The touchscreen on the DS including the software with it was the main thing that made the DS so incredible popular. The PSP might have been more popular with two analog sliders however.


...Apparently huh? ...what the hell is his question?
He asks if the PSP would have been a lot more popular if it had a 2nd analog slider, making more people buy the PSP instead of the DS.
 
Yes, easily. A missing second analogue stick was not the PSP's biggest problem
Also if it was another one of those shitty nubs then fuck that, the "analogue stick" on the PSP was complete ass.
 
The DS and 3DS will always win. I would buy a DS or 3DS to my parents to play brain training or to my children, if I had children to play the nintendo games like Mario and Pokemon. I would never buy a PSP or Vita for my parents or children if I had any.

For myself I would by a PSP and Vita over a DS and 3DS.

For the reason stated in my original paragraph the DS and 3DS will always win.
 
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