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Old 04-09-2005, 02:19 AM   #1 (permalink)
dscuber9000
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dscuber9000
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Default Out with a flash

Yes, I am a Nintendo fanboy and proud of it. Delete my account all you want, I don't care! Curse all you want, who cares? Makes you look stupid (although posting this doesn't exactly raise my IQ). Before I go, just a few suggestions for the admin: better emoticons, less pictures, backgrounds, etc. for faster loading times, and an actual logo. Great that you finally moved (or got a complete new skin and template) but you did forget a few things. Now to officially leave psp-forum.com!

I'm sure you all remember this article right here:

Although I don't want to start another fanboy system war, I feel there are many things that need to be said.

Certain people in the press would have you believe that the PSP is the best thing since ?sliced bread.? And yet at the same time, they conveniently ignore the PSP?s MANY shortcomings.

So without further delay here's my PSP reality check, dedicated to all of those who do not yet know the truth:

1. "When will the Disc Read Errors Begin?"
We all know the truth about Sony's consoles. If you don't, you have been living in a cave. DRE's or "Disc Read Errors" have become synonymous with Sony's poorly built machines. Some people even think they design their systems like this ON PURPOSE. And I am one of them. It's an idea called "Planned Obscelescence" and it's something automobile manufacturers have been doing for years.

Here's a quote from a controversial interview given by Shinji Mikami. Mikami worked with Sony for almost a decade before he finally had the courage to speak out:

Quote:
"Shinji Mikami, producer of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry, strongly criticized Sony and Square in a recent radio interview in Japan. Mikami accused Sony of purposely designing their consoles to break easily so that gamers will have to buy a replacement. He also said that Sony's high sales figures are helped by the fact that many gamers, himself included, have had to buy a second PlayStation and PlayStation 2."

From there, Mikami went on to accuse Sony of doing the same thing with their line of PCs, Walkmans, and cell phones. He asked why no one has complained about this and said that it was almost like cheating and committing a crime. The radio DJ tried to interrupt Mikami and shift the conversation to another topic, but when Mikami was asked if he thought Sony's customers are foolish, he replied, "Yes."

Ouch!

He isn't the only one who sees the truth here. Sony has already been SUED SUCCESSFULLY, several times, over issues relating to their shoddy products.

Here's a link to a Law Firm that has challenged Sony over their defective products. In July of 2002, the law firm of Sheller, Ludwig & Badey filled a ?Class Action Lawsuit? against Sony over defects in the Playstation 2 video game console. Essentially a "Class Action Lawsuit" means that you have a LARGE CLASS/GROUP of people to represent.

Sheller, Ludwig & Badey is a legal practice that specializes in consumer defense. They have gone after many corporate giants in the past on such varied topics such as Consumer Fraud and Defective Products.



1. http://www.sheller.com/Practice.asp?PracticeID=109
Here?s a quote from the site:

Quote:
"The Complaint alleges that Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., marketed and promoted the PlayStation 2 unit-which was designed to function both as a game system and a DVD movie player-as a reliable and adequate DVD player when, in fact, the DVD player component suffers from a number of defects that prevents it from playing a wide-variety of DVD movies. The class action also contends that Sony concealed the DVD playback defects from purchasers and required those who reported the problem to pay $120 to have their defective units repaired or replaced. The Complaint also charges that in spite of receiving these complaints, Sony has failed to warn new or existing purchasers about the defective DVD component."

$120 to fix something that SHOULD work correctly in the first place?! You?ve go to be kidding me.

Here's a link to the Department of Consumer Affairs, the United States' main consumer advocacy group. They too have dealt with Sony's shoddy products.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news03/playstation.html

The United States Department of Consumer Affairs is the most powerful group of its kind. Here?s some interesting quotes from this article:

Quote:
"My son bought a Sony Playstation 2 in September. By Christmas, it stopped working with a Disc Error, cannot read disc."

Gee, that one sounds familiar. Here?s another:

Quote:
?Consumers have been complaining for more than a year that Sony's Playstation 2 video game machine stops reading DVDs and certain types of games, often when the unit is just a few months old."

Why does this not surprise me?

Finally, here is a link to a ?Buyer Beware? horror story. It?s one of literally hundreds that I have collected. I

Part One:

http://www.winternet.com/~mr_n64/upd...01/011601.html

Part Two:

http://www.winternet.com/~mr_n64/upd...01/011601.html
Here?s an interesting quote from this gentleman?s unfortunate experiences:

Quote:
?I paid $16.80 to ship it insured to Sony's service center to be repaired under warranty service. My PS2 returned about a week later, scratched and completely non-functional. The drive door was stuck and would not move.?

So not only did he have a defective PS2, but when he sent the machine in for repairs, it came back NOT WORKING AT ALL!
In the end, it's not a question of "IF" the PSP will see DRE's or Disc Read Errors, but rather a question of WHEN it will happen because, in my opinion, it almost certainly will, probably just after your warranty expires.

(Go to http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=4010)

---------------------------------------------------------------
2. "90 Minute Battery Life/Overheating?"

Quote:
Gamespot brings us word that two industry watchers, PJ McNealy and Piper Jaffray & Co, are predicting a delay for the launch of the PSP. They cite numerous reasons including Sony's propensity for missing hardware launch dates. They take it further, however, and point out the more serious problems that they are having with the PSP including battery life (90 minutes) and heat.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/10...s_6109524.html

Just in case you don't know, PJ McNealy (from American Technology Research) and Piper Jaffray & Co are two of the most respected and well known Analyst Firms of their type. Their reputation rides on the truth of their information. However, these two industry analysts aren't the only ones who have raised serious concerns about the PSP battery life and how it WILL effect games.

Now, people have tried to counter this article by saying "That's old news." However, this piece was written only a few weeks ago. The 90 Minute Battery life was discovered by several writers observing the event (TGS). Here?s a link to a new article that raises some of the same concerns.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=5251

Here's some interesting comments made by Sony?s own Ken Kutaragi. His comments in this piece are quite telling to say the least.

Quote:
?A puzzle game will last longer, but Ridge Racer will probably be shorter than that," he told the site, referring to the battery life statistics released by SCE last week - which claimed four to six hours of battery while playing games.

"The figures quoted by SCE rely on playing with headphones, without using the wireless multiplayer capabilities of the device, and with screen brightness set in a specific range - leading to widespread speculation that using the full power of the system will bring the battery life down closer to the originally rumored two hour level."
Kutaragi's comments seem to confirm that games which use the features of the console more intensively will drain the battery life faster, and are backed up by the firm's efforts to restrict developers from using features such as data streaming from disc (as used in a large number of PS2 titles) due to their "high power consumption."

"The implication is clear, however, and Kutaragi's comments will undoubtedly be taken as a tacit admission that there is a problem with the PSP's battery life - and that the firm may be hoping to fix this in a later revision of the hardware."

Later Versions? Two Hour Battery life? It seems like we keep hearing the same thing over and over again. There is a term in the legal practice called ?A Preponderance of Evidence.? This means that if the evidence is overwhelming then it must be true.

Well, are the overheating and the battery life complaints legitimate? I?ll let you, the readers decide.


3. "Battery Life Problems Limit Gameplay" or "The Real Reason Metal Gear Acid is Turn-Based."

Another interesting quote from the Kutaragi Article states that: "Developers will find ways to optimize their games to use the battery life more efficiently."

What does that mean? To be honest, the statement seems a bit "fishy." Well the story below may reveal why I feel this way.
It all starts with the story of Metal Gear AC!D.

At first the series creator, Hideo Kojima stated that, "The current architecture of the PSP is not suitable for a proper Metal Gear title." What does he mean by this? Well, this statement is VERY telling and it reveals a controversy that most people are unaware of. Essentially when he says "Architecture" he means the systems design and it's problems with battery life.You see a PROPER Metal Gear title requires TONS of data streaming. Data streaming requires constant disc access. Disc access DRAINS battery life BIG TIME, remember this quote?

Quote:
"Kutaragi's comments seem to confirm that games which use the features of the console more intensively will drain the battery life faster, and are backed up by the firm's efforts to restrict developers from using features such as data streaming from disc (as used in a large number of PS2 titles) due to their high power consumption."

Another quote from a different article:

http://playstation3.weblogsinc.com/e...7531420796275/

"Looks like Sony is trying to make certain games built for the PSP don?t tax the somewhat-limited potential of the battery system designed for the portable unit."

"Draft guidelines sent to developers, which will eventually evolve into the technical requirements checklist (TRC) for the system, are alleged to include a demand that games should not exceed a certain level of power consumption."

Seeing there was a problem, Sony decided to ask it's 3rd party developers to design their games in a way "best suited for the PSP," meaning to me, ?make your games use as little battery life as possible.?

Later on however, once Sony's public relations department got a hold of him, Hideo Kojima changed his tune and offered this LAME excuse as to why his new Metal Gear Title was turn based:
(Speaking to Computer and Video Games)

computerandvideogames.com

"EXCLUSIVE: KOJIMA - CLASSIC METAL GEAR 'NOT SUITABLE' FOR PSP' "

Quote:
"When asked about the strategic direction of his first PSP game, Metal Gear Acid, Kojima admitted "Metal Gear Solid the series is about stealth-action, and it requires very delicate, very fine button controls, button input. If you make a little mistake with the button input, you might be spotted by the enemy."

Quote:
"A handheld system is just not suitable for that kind of fine input, and when I discussed it with the team, we reached the conclusion of coming up with a game that has the Metal Gear Solid look, the feel, the flavor, but something that's not action-based because of the buttons and controls. That's why we've come up with something with more strategic elements."

Gee, that's funny, they made an EXCELLENT Metal Gear game for the 8-Bit GameBoy Color. Something sounds fishy here.

Here's more:

Quote:
"This news will likely cause disappointment amongst Snake fans clamoring for a true version of Metal Gear for PSP, and also raises concerns over the complexity of titles we can expect from PSP in the future, despite the obvious power of the hardware."

After reading this, you have to ask yourself, as good as MGA might turn out to be, what would fans want MORE? A "traditional" Metal Gear Game or this "turn-based" garbage?

What would SELL more? A "traditional" Metal Gear Game or this "turn based title"?

I think the answer is obvious to us all.

So there you have it, the REAL story behind the "Turn Based" Metal Gear game. It makes me wonder, what other games might be affected by these battery life issues?
Could it be that the "Final Fantasy" franchise might be the next game to feel the pinch of the PSP?s poor design?

Recently, a new Final Fantasy game for the PSP was announced. Final Fantasy VII: CORE CRISIS is being billed as an "Action RPG." The key word here is "action," meaning no drawn out cut scenes and none of the other "bells and whistles" that modern day Final Fantasy fans have come to expect from the franchise.

Although it?s too early to tell if FF: Core Crisis is another victim of the PSP?s shortcomings, you have to ask yourself the same questions that we stated earlier concerning Metal Gear AC!D. What do fans want more? A traditional Final Fantasy game with all the cut scenes and beautiful FMV, or an "action title?"

We all know that the GCN?s own Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles sold fairly well, but no where nearly as well as Final Fantasy X-2, a more traditional entry for the series.


4. "Price: It Still Matters"

As it stands now the PSP is estimated to cost around $199 US. However, what about accessories and games? We all know that the average gamer will buy at least ONE game and the needed "Memory Stick."

Well, the "Value Pack Bundle" that includes Earphones, Carry Case and the Memory Stick will cost an estimated $249 US.
However, you still need at least one game, bringing your PSP launch day budget closer to $300. Either way, you'll also probably need a Screen Cover (if you buy the basic system) and an extra PSP Battery Pack, in case you plan on traveling, adding even more cost to your initial investment. The PSP Battery Pack will cost an estimated $44 (4800 Yen = around $45 and it is NOT included in the "Value Pack Bundle.")

When IGN.COM reported the price list for the PSP and it?s accessories, they deliberately left all of the prices for the system accessories in YEN, probably because they didn?t want the public to know that Sony was going to sell a battery for almost $50! They even went so far as to LIE about the battery saying that ?the battery's user-removable, and cheap."

http://psp.ign.com/articles/560/560947p1.html

Wow, $50(!) for a battery pack? That?s not "cheap." That's like saying "Bend Over Consumer!!!"

Meanwhile, you can buy a Gameboy SP for $79 and a Nintendo DS for $149. Now, if you buy a game with your DS you still are below the $200 range, and as many have already predicted, the DS will see a price drop just around the time the PSP launches in the States. If Nintendo is really smart, they may even include a pack-in game, other than the MPH demo, that is. In my opinion, this would really give the consumers the VALUE they deserve.

5. "The Truth about PSP , Mp3s, and Movies"
Many people still erroneously believe that the PSP will up seat the iPod as the new MP3 player of choice. (What a laugh)!
However, the reality is this. You need to store MP3's on a Memory Stick (sold separately). The Memory Stick that is planned for release with the system is nowhere near large enough to hold a decent amount of songs. And of course, it?s only compatible with the PSP. So if you already have a memory stick, you won?t be able to use it with your PSP.

Also, since the memory stick doubles as a ?memory card,? gamers will have to store their music on the same device they store their game saves on, so anyone planning to use their PSP as an MP3 player will probably have to invest EVEN MORE MONEY on an extra memory stick if they want to hold a decent amount of songs. Again, a mere 128 megs is not a lot of space when it comes to MP3?s.

There have even been rumors that state that the audio quality of MP3?s on the PSP is "inferior" to those found on other MP3 players. Only time will tell if that?s true, but just considering that the average memory stick has only a tiny fraction of the storage space offered by a real MP3 player, audiophiles will probably have to make certain "sacrifices" if they want to store a decent amount of music - "Sacrifices" that could include cutting the bit rate on your mp3?s, which we all know reduces their quality.

But what about movies you say? Well as we all know, watching a movie on the PSP cuts its battery life to around two hours. What if your movie is longer than two hours? Well, tough luck. What if you want to play games AND watch a movie? Well again, tough luck. And would any sane person hold a handheld at arms length for two hours just to watch a film on a tiny screen? I wouldn?t even think about it.

6. "Analysts Predict DOOM for PSP"

That's right I said PSP and NOT Nintendo DS. It doesn't matter what some fanboy thinks, here are the opinions of the people who matter. The one's whose decisions affect vast financial empires. They know the truth, and they aren't afraid to tell it.

Quote:
"ANALYSTS DECLARE 'NO REASON' TO BUY SONY PSP
New Nintendo console analysts' choice
By TAIGA URANAKA
Staff writer

The PlayStation Portable is the talk of the town after basking in the limelight at a recent game show. But despite all the hoopla, Sony Computer Entertainment Co.'s soon-to-debut portable game console is unlikely to loosen Nintendo Co.'s grip on the global market, according to game industry analysts. They say there is no compelling reason for gamers to buy the PSP. Its rival, the Nintendo DS, they say, offers eye-opening novelty.

Nintendo's new handheld console, which features a dual touch-sensitive screen, will go on sale in the US on Nov. 21 at $149.99 and on Dec. 2 in Japan for 15,000 yen. Sony has not announced the price or release date for the PSP. Analysts expect it to cost between 25,000 yen and 30,000 yen, putting it at disadvantage against the Nintendo DS.

Analysts say that while the PSP has razor-sharp screen resolution and stylish design, it is no match for the Nintendo DS in terms of uniqueness. It fails as an attractive game console, they say.

"With a dual touch-sensitive screen, voice recognition and wireless communication, the Nintendo DS has a load of new features," said Eiji Maeda, game analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd.

Nintendo says such features will allow users to experience new kinds of games and, more importantly, play intuitively, meaning they can forget about using a complicated control pad and use a stylus pen and their voice instead.

"Our intention was that anyone, regardless of age, gender or game experience, should be able to stand on the same starting line and enjoy playing games," Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told a media preview in Tokyo earlier this week. "The single-minded pursuit by the game industry for ever-more complicated and time-consuming games will only serve to alienate potential users," he said.

The Computer Entertainment Suppliers' Association estimates that the combined domestic market for video-game consoles and software came to 446.2 billion yen in 2003. The market for hardware fell 17 percent year-on-year, while for software, it declined by 8.2 percent during the same period.

During the media preview, Nintendo unveiled some of its new game titles, including one in which players can raise virtual puppies. The dogs respond to voice commands and can be "tickled" by brushing the screen with the tip of a stylus pen. In another game, a player can snuff virtual candles by blowing on the console screen, the sound of which is picked up by the console's built-in microphone.

Daiwa's Maeda said that while PSP's game lineup also includes popular titles, many are already available on the PlayStation 2.

"Popular titles do not necessarily make killer titles, by which I mean games that users can only play with that particular console," he said.

And Nintendo has still other advantages.

Takashi Oka of UFJ Tsubasa Securities Co. said the Nintendo DS' backward compatibility allows users to play games created for the Game Boy Advance, which has 500 game titles in Japan.

"It is reassuring for users to know that they can also play existing games," he said.

Even worse for PSP, industry watchers suspect that Sony might have to delay its launch, which the firm has said would happen by the year's end in Japan, because game software makers cannot meet the deadline.

"I think it would be better for Sony to delay the PSP's launch to avoid direct competition with the Nintendo DS, even if it means missing the holiday shopping season here," Masaru Onishi of JP Morgan Securities Asia said. "Instead of releasing (the console) with a weak game title lineup, it should wait until next year to get fully prepared."

(The Japan Times: Oct. 9, 2004)

7. "Square-Enix and their strong support for the Nintendo DS"

As we already know, the PSP will receive one Final Fantasy game, and the Final Fantasy Movie entitled ?Advent Children.? But who is really getting the "lion?s share" of support when it comes to the biggest RPG company in the world?

Well, a recent poll held in Japan hints that Square-Enix may finally be returning to its roots. This poll asked gamers which classic Square-Enix title gamers would like to see released on the DS. Among the choices were:

Final Fantasy 3 (Already Confirmed)
Final Fantasy 4
Final Fantasy 5
Final Fantasy 6
The Sa-Ga Series
Front Mission
Chrono Trigger
Legend/Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu) (Already Confirmed)
Hanjuku Heroes

Add these games to the already confirmed titles listed below:

EGG Monster Heroes
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Dragon Quest Monsters
"A New Secret of Mana"
"A New Story of Slime Morimori Dragon Quest"

And don?t forget that Square-Enix also plans to bring Final Fantasy 1+2 and a new Kingdom Hearts game to the GBA. After reading this impressive list of titles, it?s not hard to see which company Square-Enix thinks will rule the handheld kingdom. You may ask yourself, "Why does this matter?" Well, like them or not, Square-Enix titles MOVE SYSTEMS--especially overseas. Their support will be vital.

And who knows, maybe the rumors about them being "unhappy with Sony" are true?


8. That HORRIBLE Analog Disc: The Achilles heel of the PSP?

Well to be perfectly honest, the PSP?s miserable battery life is its true "Achilles heel" but if I had to pick one other flaw that truly stood out in my mind, it would be the PSP?s "Analog Disc." You know how some Nintendo DS haters are fond of pointing out that the DS has no analog stick? Well, neither does the PSP! It?s has what is instead called the ?Analog Disc.?

This little monstrosity is located just below the D-Pad on the face of the PSP. The way it works is that the disc "slides" over the surface of the machine itself, rather than tilting in one direction or another. To me, this is a terrible way to design an "input device." Yet the REAL problem is the cramped way in which gamers must hold the machine while using the PSP?s analog disc. You won?t believe how bad it is until you try it for yourself. Essentially, you have to contort your thumb in such a way that even the smallest amount of game play is bound to cause severe hand cramping.

It almost seems to me that this "Analog Disc" is nothing more than a poorly designed after-thought.

9. Fighting on Two Fronts: The Power of GBA and Nintendo DS Combined

From a historical standpoint, fighting a war on two fronts has ALWAYS been a bad idea. Forget for a moment that Sony is already battling Nintendo and Microsoft for console supremacy, for when the PSP enters the market it will be fighting against not one, but TWO separate, Million-Selling handheld game systems. Of course I?m talking about the Nintendo DS and the GBA/SP. Nintendo?s tried and true handheld dynamo has yet to disappoint fans with it?s massively robust game library and it?s incredibly cheap price. And to think, some of the GBA?s BEST GAMES are still on the way. Games like "Zelda the Minnish Cap," "Final Fantasy 1+2," "Kingdom Hearts" and many, many more. Over 25 Million gamers already own the GBA. The GameBoy brand currently ranks as the most popular game system in the history of mankind. Some estimates even state that Nintendo sells several GBA units EVERY MINUTE, with no signs of slowing down.

With a recent price drop and a strong library of games, the GBA is bound to have one AMAZING Holiday season, even with the Nintendo DS looming on the horizon.

But what about the Nintendo DS you say? Well, recently it was reported that Nintendo DS pre-orders have topped TWO MILLION in Japan alone. That?s one amazing number. As for the rest of the World, Nintendo expects to sell over 4 Million Nintendo DS systems by March 05 alone!

This will give the Nintendo DS a serious head start in the console war by the time the PSP launches, just like the head start Sony had with the PS2 in the console war. And if the rumors are true and the PSP is delayed until next fall, this will only widen the lead for the Nintendo DS. Either way, it will be an uphill battle for Sony, while it tries desperately to compete with these two powerhouse systems.

A quote from an article concerning PSP Delays:

"Sony's PSP is at "high risk" of a substantial delay--into next year for Japan, and perhaps all the way to November 2005 for the US market. That's the word from two separate memos sent on consecutive business days from noted industry analysts."

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/10...s_6109524.html

10. Sizing up the Competition: A History Lesson of Other Losers in the Handheld Wars
You may or may not know that Nintendo has already defeated nine, count them NINE, serious competitors when it comes to defending it?s handheld kingdom. Now many in the press will tell you that, ?Sony is the first REAL competition this company has ever faced.? Well, those people are lying. When Sega released the Game Gear, they held the top spot in the console war of the time (of course later, SNES would win the day). When NEC released their "PC Engine/Turbo Grafx Express" system, it boasted the unique ability to play CONSOLE games on a handheld platform. Sound familiar? The Sega Nomad, another failed portable, also boasted this "impressive" ability, and yet it too failed.

Miserably.

Finally when Bandai decided to release their own handheld, they turned to former Nintendo's Great and Genius designer Gunpei Yokoi to help them design their clever little handheld. And in the end, even the brilliance of Yokoi-san, the father of the Gameboy, could not up seat the power of the GameBoy brand.

What did all these handhelds have in common, I mean other than getting their asses kicked by Nintendo?

Well, first, they all had better and sometimes bigger screens. They all had more "bells and whistles" including the ability to watch TV shows and other useless, non-gaming applications.

Many of them had poor battery life, especially the TG Express, Atari Lynx, the Sega Nomad and Game Gear Systems. (Again, sound familiar)?

And in the end, they were all destroyed. Something tells me the PSP is next on the hit list.

11. " 'PSP: The Portable You Play at Home?' or 'PSP: Don?t Leave Home WITH It.' PSP Design Issues?

Now, this part is just my opinion and I want to make that clear before I begin. However, many of you might agree with the points I am going to bring up. First, every time I see the PSP I can?t help but think how cheap and flimsy it looks. Like the entire machine is constructed from light weight plastics. This machine hardly looks durable and since we all know about Sony?s reputation for making shoddy products, it makes me wonder, will anyone WANT to leave home with their PSP?

I mean, that?s the purpose of a portable gaming device, gaming on the go. Yet, every time I look at the PSP, I cant help but think how easily it could break. How the "open face" design of the machine will leave it susceptible to serious damage. How putting this already large system in a carry case would only increase it?s size and decrease it?s portability.

I also wonder why the put the D-Pad and the Buttons so close to the screen. There will be many a thumb print griming up that 16x9 screen. And something tells me, replacing that screen WON?T be cheap.

(In contrast, replacing a GBA screen costs around $2 and you can do it yourself).
And then there are the nagging battery life issues. What is a gamer supposed to do? Carry an extra $50 battery pack around, just in case they want to play games after they watch a movie? The whole concept seems ridiculous to me. A portable is about rough and ready, PORTABLE gaming. Not sitting at home while your handheld is plugged into a wall. There is NO WAY the PSP could ever survive the brutal world of the average portable gamer.

PSP, don?t leave home WITH it.


12. In Conclusion

Well, I wanted to write so much more in this article, but unfortunately, I am in excruciating pain while I wait to pass my THIRD kidney stone. Let me tell you, they are NO fun. And the painkillers they gave me are making me see things!

But seriously for a moment, the reason I wrote this article is not because I?m some fanboy who just wants to see Sony fail. I?m no hypocrite; I have purchased Sony products in the past. However, this is one product where I truly feel consumers are being handed a RAW DEAL.

Consumers are getting a poorly designed machine that is being rushed to market. The only reason it even exists is to further Sony?s plans of ?World Domination.? Sony could care less about the average gamer or their needs. Look at the way the PS2 has only two controller ports, while EVERY OTHER modern system has FOUR. This is just a small example of how they love to stack the cards in favor of their corporate machine.

And you the consumer pay the price.

Since the mainstream press is either too afraid, or too corrupt to tell the truth, I felt the responsibility fell upon my shoulders. Sony is leading the gaming world down a path of mediocrity. I for one will not follow this goose-stepping march into oblivion. I will not pay close to $300 to play a bunch of PSone Greatest Hits titles from a series of dead franchises (like Twisted Metal, etc).

I want the system that brings me new experiences and new ideas. I want a breath of fresh air. In my opinion, Nintendo DS is not only the BETTER system for the gamer, it?s better for the industry as well. It?s unique design and features will challenge even the most creative of game designers. (Article over)


Now, here is sale reports from IGN on the American Sony PSP reports from top retailers:

PSP Launch: Hot or Not?
Has Sony's handheld capitalized on the hype at the registers?
by Nix
March 25, 2005 - Reader responses to our PSP Launch: Retail Report from yesterday afternoon have been decidedly mixed -- many readers are reporting back to IGN that they just haven't seen the same level of business in their areas. Pre-order locations are obviously hotspots since buyers already have money down and have the date marked, but from there, it has been unpredictable as to how the PSP is selling on its first day out.

PSP advertisements started this week, including a TV spot featuring Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" and billboards. But the company has not put the kind of advertising dollars and mass-market push into the new handheld that console releases tend to see, and mass market newspaper and TV coverage has not matched the fury that previous hardware releases have garnered.

Official numbers will likely not be announced until after the weekend, but below are the various responses we've received back from readers (including a number of those in the retail market) about how active PSP sales were on Launch Day.




Late-night on Launch Day at the Metreon.
How active will PSP sales be this first weekend?



Just thought i would shoot you guys some feedback on the PSP sales in my area. I'm a retail manager at a Target in the Denver Metro Area. We do the 3rd most business in the state of Colorado for target stores. We received 40 PSP's for the launch and we only sold 10 at yesterday. During Christmas we had people lining up everyday, to see if we got any DS, PS2 or Xbox in. We had only a handful of people really ask about the PSP, it seems to me that most non-hardcore gamers really didn't know the system was coming out. A few parents i talked with didn't even know what it was and was amazed when i showed them it. Just thought i would shoot you guys a heads-up on sales on the PSP in my store.
--Jimmy



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I work retail, and our store received 60 PSP's and sold 10 the entire day. Outside of hardcore gaming stores, I was curious to find out if that was just an anomaly, or the standard. I actually had many people come up and talk to me about it, but balked at the price of $249.99.

--Jeff L.



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Just to let people know, there are still plenty left in San Antonio, Tx. Out of our initial shipment (Target), we got rid of about 20 out of 80. Kind of funny, considering school's out because of good Friday. If there's any left on Sunday, I might pick one up for myself. Checking by the Gamestop in the same shopping center, they had a few left as well.

--G



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Just read your article on the PSP Sales, and I must say that here in Indianapolis IN, they are sold out jus about everywhere. A certain store that I won't name ... took TOO MANY preorders even and were out of PSP's for my all my friends preorders! So they all went to the out of the wall location where I got mine (Gamestop) who had plenty, and we all bought them out at once I had to call around for about half an hour to find PSPs available. Also games selling out here rapidly are Ridge Racer and Dark Stalkers.

--Casey H.



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hmm.. the PSP launch at my Wal-Mart went like this. We opened at 7am. 10am we sold one. 11:30. we sold another. 5:00pm. Almost sold one, another customer said "metal gear is a card game" lost the sale. we have 58 units left. great day.

--tom



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I think you need to contact stores not on the coastlines to gauge how the PSP is becoming one of the worst launches in history. I'm in St. Louis and this thing is easier to find than a Gamecube right now.

Go ahead, call some Best Buys in the area. Some Toys R US, or Circuit City stores. And then rewrite you're glowing praise to reflect what's really happening.

--wmatistic



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Thought you might be interested in how the sales were going with the PSP in mid-Oregon. In Eugene, the game shops in the large malls seemed to be completely out, while the Best Buy had plenty, they almost seemed desperate to sell some (at about 4pm). In Albany (about 40 miles north of Eugene), I decided to buy my own system at the Target I worked in at about 8pm, and I was only the 4th person to buy one the entire day. Of course the first one I bought happened to have a dead pixel, so that was quickly replaced.

--DN



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I work at a Wal-Mart(sigh) in West Texas and we had plenty of PSP's left today. I personally only sold one, and I think we sold 4 or 5 altogether today. We had MANY calls though to see if we had any in stock. I called all the other stores in my district and they all had plenty. So I think the big retails might be the way to go if the specialty shops start selling out.

--Jeff A.



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just for those who are foolish enough to try to sell the PSPs on Ebay for "massive" profit... I looked up PSP and found the first three that sold...

269.99 255.00 237.50

The bottom line is that one sold for $237+$16 shipping=$253 and the others sold for a MAX of about $35 over $250 (with shipping included in that price). In other words, once you take out taxes that the original buyer paid, the cut that Ebay takes out, and shipping costs, the Ebay sellers are coming out with about a MAX of $10, and in some cases a significant loss. You know the seller that sold one for $253 (with the cost of shipping included in that price) is kicking himself. Bottom line, it looks like Sony made just enough so Ebay scammers aren't going to make hundreds of dollars off of their product. You may want to return those extra PSPs you have laying around.

-- Harry



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I read the mailbag that Jason replied to, and read where the guy wrote (or typed) about no one buying the PSP...I believe it has sold well so far, but honestly...ok, here's the story. I was going into WalMart to get my job in electronics back (I was a seasonal worker during the holidays, 2004) and I was talking to one of my ex-electronics co workers. She said "Are you here to buy the PSP?" Honestly...I forgot it came out today. I was like "ITS OUT??? OH YEAH!!" And went ahead to look at it. I saw a stock full of PSP's sitting in the glass cases-going nowhere. A sign read "Limit one PSP per household due to shortages" I thought to myself "well that shouldn't be a problem" as I saw NO ONE looking at it and simply passing it buy...seriously, about 10 were gone from the shelves, and this was at about 2:30 pm in the afternoon. The store opens at about 6 in the morning...Sony can't be keeping it on THAT low of a profile where no one's buying it in a local Wal Mart that every one went crazy about the day after thanksgiving for the blitz sale where game boys were only 30 bucks...in other words a lot of people shop there, and a lot of them are gamers. What happened?

-- Anthony L.



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Just thought I'd let you guys know that I visited my local Best Buy in downtown Chicago and there were plenty of PSPs to go around. There was a stack of at least 50 PSPs in a display in the middle of the store and this was around 2:00 in the afternoon. After all of the talk of preordering I was surprised that Best Buy (in the busiest part of Lincoln Park) ending up having such a large quantity, especially because they advertised in Sunday's ad about opening early to sell PSPs today. Just thought you'd be interested.

--Matt



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I work for a Best Buy in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest and so far sales haven't been very impressive at all. Our store was allocated 150 units and by the end of the night we still had about 100 units left. Our region, consisting of roughly 10 stores still had 1700 units left, that averages about 170 per store. There are 3 other larger stores in our district that were allocated about 300 units and each of them still had between 200 and 250 units remaining. This couldn't be because of people not knowing because 3/4 of our front page ad this week was on the PSP and launch info.

--Carverts (end of report)

Not only is the PSP not that good of a system, and not good for the industry, it is selling badly enough! Not to mention that the recent demotion of "The Father of Playstatio," Ken Kutaragi, and Sony losing that patent for the Dual Shock controller AND $90.7 million, AND their stocks have gone down over 70% in the past 5 years!

Here are Japanese sales also from IGN:

April 7, 2005 - Last week marked the end of the 2004 fiscal year, and that means one thing for videogame fanatics: system sales. Retail tracker Media Create has provided final hardware totals for the two new systems that reached the Japanese market last year, the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP.


Nintendo, as expected, came out on top, with 1,852,000 NDS units sold throughout Japan. This compares with the PSP's 1,068,000 units. (end of article)

So DS is selling better across the seas also! Plus, DS is available in five other countries helping the DS sell (currently) OVER SIX MILLION UNITS!
Even though it just released in America, it is still FAR behind with only three million units sold.

I am currently writing an article on this matter. Whether I am banned or not, you will be hearing from me again. You see, I have many online connections. I can just so easily get a friend to sign in and post it once it is finished. Here is what it is so far:

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1. Price
___

Price is definitely a big factor in portable gaming. It is a challenge for companies to make great game systems, yet make them cheap enough for the consumer (that's all us gamers). Fortunately, for Nintendo fans at least, Nintendo is really good at this. Just look how Gamecube and DS are both cheaper than ALL of the competitors. Sony on the other hand makes EVERYTHING they make expensive. Just look at the PSP.

The Nintendo DS AKA Dual Screen AKA Developer's System, costs $149.99 for the system itself. It includes with a Silver Nintendo DS, built-in software "PictoChat," Metroid Prime Hunters demo, 2 styluses, and a thumb pad. The games for the Nintendo DS are anywhere from $24.99 to $39.99. Considering I bought an excellent game like Feel the Magic: XY/XX for only $24.99 (at Best Buy), I not only felt the magic of the DS capabilities, but I also felt like I got a good deal at the same time.

The Sony PSP, or Playstation Portable, seems a little expensive to me and many others. The Sony PSP costs $249.99 for the system's "value pack" (there is no ordinary, standard pack available in the states yet) which includes with the following: Black Sony PSP, 32MB Memory Stick, Standard Sony PSP Battery, Carrying Case, Headphones, Spider-man 2 Movie UMD for the first 1,000,000 American PSP owners, and a demo disc showing the quality of the PSP's graphics. This may seem a lot but you really don't need half of that stuff. A small Memory Card (for the MP3 player at least), a battery (shouldn't it be included anyway?), a carrying case isn't necessary, the head-phones are very cheap, Spider-Man 2 is only for the first PSP owners, and the Demo Disc hardly compares to PictoChat and a demo of Metroid Prime Hunters. The memory stick and the battery are the only two good things in that value pack worth getting.

The games for the PSP cost anywhere from $39.99 to $49.99. A PSP and a few games and you'll see a shiny PSP... and your wallet begging for mercy. Movies cost around $19.99 but so far Spider-Man 2 is the only one I can find. I'll have to check EB Games tomorrow. An extra battery (a necessity for car trips, plane rides, etc.) costs $49.99. If you'd like to save more MP3 files (see section 10), you'll literally NEED a better memory card, and the cheapest one is $49.99. Trust me, it all adds up. The PSP will cost you $349.97 for the PSP and one game. In my state, adding tax will cost you $370.97. Want another game? Now you're over $400. Seems a lot more than Sony claims doesn't it? Notice that the DS commercial shows the price of the DS. Does Sony in the PSP commercial? No.

What is great about the DS is that it is backwards compatible with the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. That means it can also play GBA games. What's this got to do with the price? Well, a GBA SP costs $79.99 currently, so when you buy a DS it is like paying $80 for an SP, and only $70 for an entirely new system. Ask ANYONE familiar with the video game industry. That is an excellent deal.

No matter how much of a hard-core Sony fanboy you are (I doubt anyone who reads this is one anyway), you have to agree that the DS is superior in price. You may whine saying that it is not Sony's fault. It is easily their fault. Use cheaper hardware! The price is DEMOLISHING the PSP right now. IGN (www.ign.com) gave around 15 interviews with retailers around the world. Only Indianapolis, Indiana seems to have sold a decent amount of PSPs. If Sony used less powerful, cheaper hardware then they could have released the PSP without Nintendo having a 6-million unit head-start and would be at least $50 cheaper evening out the playing field tons.
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2. Reliability
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What's reliability? In simple terms, everything Sony is not. In real terms, how sturdy the product is. When you buy something, you wouldn't want it to break in a couple of months. I've already mentioned that Sony doesn't have the cleanest record of this, and I doubt PSP will be much different. I'm sure we've all seen the PSP discs called UMDs (Universal Media Discs) shoot out of the PSP, and if you haven't, Merry Christmas:

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=4010

Let's start off this section with warranty dates. A warranty date is a number of days the company will guarantee it won’t break. If it does break in those number of days, they’ll send you a free one in less than a week (for Nintendo it is around two days). Sony’s is a mere 90-day warranty date compared to Nintendo’s 360-day. Nintendo is VERY confident their product won’t break, and they really don’t.

As I’ve already mentioned twice now, Sony doesn’t have a good record for reliable systems. In tests, Sony’s Playstation 2 console, or PS2, breaks way more easier than Microsoft’s Xbox or Nintendo’s Gamecube. Footage of a PS2 breaking with EASE compared to Xbox and Gamecube (Gamecube ending up not breaking at all) is later in this thread.

Why does Sony have such a bad record for all of this stuff? Well, the outside deisgn may look cool, but the design for the inside is absolutely horrible! In fact, a little too horrible (bum bum bum!) I think Sony is up to something. As another DS VS PSP thread states, the kind of act is called “Planned Obscelence” or designing the product to break easily so the consumer must pay to buy another one.

If this is such a big issue, why is no one complaining? This is the part that I don’t get. Your PS2 broke for no apparent reason. Complain! Write letters! Right articles like this one! Show them that you don’t like what they are doing. Many people, myself included, are victims to Sony’s act. My guess is that people are “hypnotized” by peer pressure of Sony’s great lead that they may not complain because no one else is. Well, I could care less about my rep, and so does Shinji Mikami, producer of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. I think we’re getting the word out.

“I think Sony purposely designs their video game consoles, walkmen, PCs, etc. to break easily. The Playstation 2 large sales are helped by the fact that many people, like myself, had to go out and buy a replacement. Why is nobody complaining about this? It’s like cheating or committing a crime.” Very interesting radio interview of Shinji Mikami. The DJ got bored and tried to change the subject by asking “So you think Sony fans are foolish?” Mikami simply replied, “Yes.” That is why Resident Evil is on Gamecube. Mikami realizes Nintendo is the one who is doing things right.

You may now be wondering, “If Sony products break so easily, why does mine work perfectly?” My theory is that you don’t even realize it doesn’t work properly. I know someone who bought The Sims on the PS2 which scans differently from other PS2 games. When he tried to play it, it made violent clicking noises and even didn’t respond for a few seconds. We tried every method to try and get it working, including the classic “Water on disc” method, but it wouldn’t happen. A normal game like Madden NFL 2003 works perfectly on his PS2.

Although none of these Sony products are PSPs, I’m positive they will be just as shoddy. If you own a PS2, you are more than likely familiar than DREs, or Disc Read Errors, which happens when the PS2 can’t read the disc, or THE SYSTEM IS SHAKING. Now, when you play your Gameboy, do you slightly shake it, even though not on purpose? I know as a fact we all do.

I just can’t help but think just how flimsy and cheap the plastic looks on the PSP. I also can’t believe how it feels. Very thin and easy to crack open just by merely dropping it. Compare that to the plastic on the DS which is much more thick and strong. The open-faced design on the PSP leaves its large screen wide open for scratches and cracks. I’m almost certain you’ve seen the picture of that Japanese guy who dropped his PSP.

In Japan, there are reports that .6% (rumors are that it climbed to .8% now) PSPs, or 4800 PSP units were returned just due to the fact that the right button on the D-Pad and the Square Buttons get stuck. In a later interview with Sony President, he just commented how great the PSP looks, which has nothing to do with anything. So it id pretty risky to buy a PSP.

Does the DS break? If you try to, maybe. The DS is made in such a way that it is impossible for the screen to get damaged when dropped, especially when folded up like a Gameboy Advance SP. There were reports of Dead Pixels on the DS screens, but PSP had almost twice as much in the Japanese and American launches. Sony fanboys just can’t argue. DS wins…(to be continued)

Not as good as the first article, but it gets the point out. Plus, I haven't edited it yet. Hey, if I've posted this much so far, you can guaruntee two things:
- I don't like PSP
- I can back it up with factsw
- I am a huge fanboy you think is stupid

I'm sure you've all heard the PSP reports of 4800 returned. Here is yet another article of what Kutaragi had to say (not knowing he will soon have a near demotion):

About 4,800 Japanese PSPs have been returned to Sony due to problems with the handheld's square button, according to a recent interview with Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi in Nikkei Business magazine.

Kutaragi acknowledged that the button is less responsive than the others, in part because it's so close to the PSP's 480x272 screen. Because there isn't enough room to put the square button's detection switch directly underneath, it's off to the right, making it less responsive--and sometimes causing it to stick.

Nikkei Business reported that, to date, .6 percent of the 800,000 shipped units have been returned to Sony for repair. Kutaragi was unapologetic about the issue: "This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to. I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger.

"The button's location is [architectured] on purpose," Kutaragi added. "It's according to specifications. This is something that we've created, and this is our specification. There was a clear purpose to it, and it wasn't a mistake."

Offering additional testimony praising the handheld, Kutaragi said, "I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It's the same as that." (end article)

No offense, but Nintendo would just have easily apologized instead of looking like an asshole like Kutaragi. I'm sure hardly any of you are even old enough to remember that Nintendo returned plenty of NES consoles just because Nintendo thought it froze too often. Trust me, A LOT of people owned an NES. Now the NES owners are well over 40 million.

Here is a movie clearly showing how easily Sony products break:

http://movies.collegehumor.com/media...stconsolas.wmv

While Sony is going down, Nintendo is going up. Here is another article from IGN:

April 6, 2005 - Nintendo has raised its net profit estimate by 17 percent on foreign exchange gains, according to Reuters. The company also said it would double its 2004 dividend and pay 270 yen per share due to the new estimate, which should post at 82 billion yen, or 757. 4 million dollar. However, Nintendo may end up with a 72.4 billion yen net profit, if a poll on Reuter's Estimates is to be believed. To get this figure, Reuters polled some 16 analysts.



After the original dividend report, which the Nihon Keizai newspaper published earlier today, Nintendo's shares received a jolt and closed with an increase of 3.6 percent at 12,250 yen on the Osaka Stock Exchange. The stock beat out the Nikkei average, which closed up 0.5 percent. The latest news puts Nintendo's dividend yield of 2.2 percent higher than Sony's and Microsoft's, at 0.6 percent and 1.3 percent respectively.

Nintendo has sold an impressive number of Nintendo DS units, its latest handheld gaming device that launched on November 21, 2004. Currently, it's on target to ship 6 million DS systems worldwide by the end of March. However, slow sales of DS software and of the Nintendo GameCube system forced the company to cut its operating profit forecast in January.
(end)

Nintendo is doing pretty well even though they recently lost that land battle from Microsoft, but who didn't see that coming?

Let's talk about DS support. Somewhat recently, Katamari Demacy was released on the PS2 and was an innovative hit. You all liked it whether you played it or not. Well, its goin' to DS. Zoo Tycoon? DS. Crash Bandicoot? DS. Sonic? DS. There are even plently of rumors of a Halo DS. Now that would just CRUSH the PSP like a bug. ElectroPlankton looks amazing and expands games into an interactive experience. Not a bunch of racing and sports games. Especially racing and sports games I can pick up on the PS2 for a cheaper price.

Here is a review I found wile surfing the Web:

The PSP has been widely discussed hyped now for a very long time. When the concept picture hit the WWW, gamers everywhere fell in love with the Wide Screen and Dualshock button layout. As the time passed, new features for the PSP were announced, and the hype grew and grew. By the time of it's release, the PSP was more sought after than any handheld on it's launch.

When I walked into a gaming store that I choose not to promote to pick up my PSP value pack, it was truly a bittersweet moment. I had not pre-ordered, so I wasn't expecting to get my PSP... and the price just ate at me. I went ahead, because Sony had been very good to me over the years and picked up my PSP, since they had not sold all of their order in pre-orders.

When I got home, I was very impressed. I picked up Tiger Woods and Wipeout XL (For $40 each... another thing that irked me). I was very impressed by the graphics of the games. I thought this was supposed to be competition for the Nintendo DS, but it really blows the DS out of the water graphically. Tiger Woods looks very close to the PS2 counterpart that I also play, and Wipeout XL is great, nearly rivaling F-Zero GX for GCN. The games play well, and despite some early discomfort with the placement of the buttons, I didn't experience any [] Button glitch or anything like I had heard I would. The overall comfort of the PSP is kinda odd... since it is so wide... but I am sure some getting use to will knock that irk out for good.

The sound on the PSP is great, also pretty much beating the Nintendo DS. Especially when watching Spiderman 2. I couldn't get over how awesome the movie looked and sounded on such a small screen! It was great. I can't wait until a larger movie selection is available in UMD format. I won't be starting another collection of movies, but it would be nice to have them available for road trips and other times when you need some portable entertainment... like in school.

The downsides to the PSP are the price of the hardware and software and the battery life. The battery life is sort of short, compared to that of the DS and GBASP, but I don't find myself sitting and playing PSP for hours and hours like I could on a console. I think that is the norm for most handhelds... because I don't play my GBA or DS for too long either. The DS and GBASP both have a better battery life than the PSP, but a new battery with longer life can fix that problem. It will cost extra sure, but for those hardcore handheld gamers who will sit up all night playing in bed, it is great. The PSP is a movie player, yes... and a handheld video game player with top notch format games, but I do think that $250 is a lot to pay for the system. It would have definitely been better if Sony had released a Base unit for maybe $200 with just a PSP, and then the Value Pack with the Movie and Memory Stick also. I could have done without Spiderman 2 and a case really. They are nice, but $250 is kinda pricey for someone in school like myself.

The price and battery life is why I gave the PSP a 6/10. I took 3 points off for the Price, and then 1 away for the battery life, since as I said, not a lot of people would be playing for 8 hours straight. The system is amazing, but I feel kind of robbed having paid almost as much for this as I paid for my PS2 on it's launch. Especially now that all consoles and other handhelds are $150 and under. I am excited to see what Sony and the 3rd parties have in-store for PSP owners, since PS2 is the dominant system... I'm sure PSP will win the handheld war in the end.

Seems he knows what gamers want. Not a pretty system with pretty graphics. Here is a DS review:

Let's see where to start? Well, for a while I was looking for a game to play. Thankfully, the DS was right around the corner. So, I played this and that until the DS came....and when I bought mine November 21, 2004....I was VERY happy!

The system has 2 screens; the bottom one being a touch screen. Not all games require that you use the touch screen at all times, but when a game uses it, it can be great fun! It also helps in a sense. We all know handheld systems don't have the biggest of screens. And sometimes a menu or text or whatever shows up and there goes some of the screen. Not the DS. In most cases the bottom screen will take this menu or text, allowing you full screen of what's originally showing. Remember, I said MOST CASES. And one game in particular "Feel the Magic" uses the touch screen for something else: blowing! Some of the minigames require you to blow on the touch screen. Genius, indeed.

Wanting to play multiplayer? For most games, you only need one cart! With a range of about 100 feet *I guess it depends on where you're at* you or a friend or complete stranger can pop in a game without the other people requiring one and play a game. Pretty nifty. Some games, though, require everyone have a cart, but we all can't have everything!

The games come on little cards, not CD's. And let me tell you, for a handheld non-CD based....these games look great! I'm not one much into graphics, but I am impressed by the power it can push out.

Game lineup at launch? Well, it's pretty good. Of course, not every system has just a power house of launch games. But with this bad boy being region free, if you want to import a game, go ahead! There is no need to stick with what we just got here in the U.S.

Pictochat is cool. Don't feel like talking or lost your voice? Go to pictochat and chat with some friends/family/some stranger. Heck, doodle if you want to.

Now alot of people will say "Touch screen isn't inovative! Look at PDA's!" Yeah, true, but we're talking about a GAME SYSTEM! Yes, it IS inovative for a game system. And it works just fine to.

Sure, some launch systems came with a dead pixel or two, but then again, like every other system, they're not all perfect.

I wouldn't recommend getting one if you like to keep your carts loose. You'll probably lose these games rather quickly.

So, like other systems, there are a few bugs at launch, and not everyone is going to like it's launch library. But if you haven't got one, GET ONE....unless you hate Nintendo, then that's you're own thing. But if you're thinking of getting one, go for it. The library is only going to get better, and with who knows what right around the corner for it, now's a perfect time to get one.

Yeah, you can play GBA games on it...just not GB or GBC. But then again, if you have those systems or an SP....aw, forget it. Play your DS!

Looks like this guy knows what gamers want. New games anyone can play. Strong battery life to keep playing. More User-Friendly so you know what to do!

DS has bad release titles? The fans don't think so:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/review/920758.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/review/920757.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/review/924307.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/review/924890.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/review/921973.html

With the exclusion of the Sony fanboy in the Yoshi Touch and Go review who mispelled Nintendo, these reviews are fine. Sure four games, but do any of you have more than four games within the first month your precious PSP released? No. And if you did, you just blew off practically $600.

I doubt any of you read the whole thing. You are cursing me out. Again, I could care less. You think Nintendo releases kiddy games? Cursing and yelling in an arguement is very immature and five year old like. Now you may delete my account, but I have many ways of getting words out whether you delete my account or not. Say I'm insecure of my system, I don't care. In fact, I'm playing Warioware: Touched! right now. Fun game.
See y'all later. I eventually will.
__________________
PSP SUCKS! DS PWNS! THESE FORUMS SUCK!
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