NINTENDO DS vrs. SCE PSP ??? The winner is...

[Skankster]

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I think Nintendo is stronger in the portable market but...
Japanese tend to like Sony. So whos gonna win??

[Caustic Saint]

Who wins?



ME!

Next question....

[kotatsuneko]

emulation on both systems is likely to be strong! thats what really interests me anyhow.

[Caustic Saint]

I think the PSP is going to be ripe for (legit) downloadable goodies from game companies.

In the system menus, if you go to "Game" and then select "Memory Stick" it says, "There are no games." To me, that shows that code can be executed from the MS, and not solely from the UMD. I'm looking forward to seeing what companies do with this option.

My 512MB MS needs something to fill it up besides MP3s and videos.

[Video-Link Japan]

I think the PSP is going to be ripe for (legit) downloadable goodies from game companies.

In the system menus, if you go to "Game" and then select "Memory Stick" it says, "There are no games." To me, that shows that code can be executed from the MS, and not solely from the UMD. I'm looking forward to seeing what companies do with this option.

My 512MB MS needs something to fill it up besides MP3s and videos.

The PSP LCD screen looked unreal when I saw it at the Tokyo Game Show in Oct.

Sony's New PSP Debut on Video
http://www.wirelesswatch.jp/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=924

Does anyone know when/where the next PSP batch will finally hit Tokyo Stores..?!?
I got a buddy over-seas who wants me to pick one up for him.

thx.

Lars.

[Pizzicatoblue]

I mean c'mon guys...they're both selling high and everyone likes both of them. I think the stakes are going to be even this year....or so we think? Microsoft is planning on making a portable (I don't know the title of the portable though) which is coming out the 3rd quarter of 2005 so it pretty much won't matter.

[Daremo]

I kinda like both of them. While the PSP seems to be the leader in specs, the DS touch screen is going to bring some new innovations to games. I'm just going to need a bigger bag to carry both around with me

[tatsujin]

Based on people actually playing them both, which seems to be the better at this stage?

I personally think the PSP has more appeal, both in terms of functionality and the fact that it looks just so damn good. I don't like the two screen interface of the DS either

[Caustic Saint]

Based on people actually playing them both, which seems to be the better at this stage?

There is no "better" system, which is something a lot of gamers are having a hard time coming to terms with. Yes, both systems are portable and play games, but that's about all they have in common. The market is plenty big enough to support both systems.

If you can only afford one, find out which one has the games that suit your tastes better. That's the one for you. If you can afford both, get both.

I don't get the insistence on the part of rabid fans that one has to be "better" than the other. They're both quite good - why is that so hard for some people to accept?

[Ketou]

I must agree with Caustic Saint. Each platform is a good as the other.

I bought my nine year old son a DS for Chrissy and was extremely suprised by the quality of the graphics. My wife now wants one too!

[nanikore]

I've played with both for a couple of hours each, and as many have pointed out, they're both great, but for wildly different reasons.

The PSP has a great screen, and is virtually a portable PS2, it's only drawback being a weak battery, but it's swappable, so that's not too bad.
Video playback on my friend's PSP he downloaded to MS looked good (Terry Tate).

The DS, despite it's wrong-headed Game and Watch design has 2 screens, one being the touch screen, which is gagging for RPGs and some dodgy mahjong games. Also, an oft overlooked feature of the DS is that it can hold a GBA and a DS game at one, so effectively having 2 games in there to play at any time.

Personally, I judge a console by games, not spec, and so far there's nothing I want right now - Ridge Racers bored me in handheld format after about 10 minutes just like every other version. Same goes on the DS...Mario 64, great. I finished that on the 64 and learned hiragana in the process.

As for Microsoft, the X-Pod will be out next week, dual Pentium 4 with er...40gb hard drive built in, ATI X800XT graphics and er...a gig of RAM but if you buy another mobile console before then you can't buy an X-Pod. They'll be designing this to look like a novelty VCR too.

[tatsujin]

I think you infered my question incorrectly, I'm just wondering which seems to be the winner at this early stage. As stated I would think the PSP is - based on the games I've seen out for it anyway.

I think history has shown us that games, not the hardware make a system successful (anyone remember the 3DO ), so you have a valid point there Caustic.

Have you accepted which is your favourite as yet, just as a matter of interest?

[Caustic Saint]

Have you accepted which is your favourite as yet, just as a matter of interest?

When you put it that way, the PSP is the king in my home right now.

The games I have for the PSP, I can sit and play for hours. Not so with my DS ones (aside from Sawaru) - they just don't grab me as much. Lumines is a phenomenally addictive music/puzzler (as it should be, coming from the same guy who made Rez). I also picked up Piposaru Academia last week. That one can be a bit frustrating at times due to the amount of Japanese in the minigame instructions, but it's still a lot of fun. Highly recommended for anybody who's a fan of the Ape Escape series, or monkeys or minigames.

It's a pity Sony can't get more units into stores, because they'd have no problem selling them. Right now the DS has something like 4x the sales of the PSP in Japan, but I really don't think that's going to have any long-term effect on the PSP. It's a solid product, and demand isn't waning even with the supply problems. The short supply also has people being more curious about the PSP than the DS. Whenever I play my PSP on the train or bus it always gets looks. The DS did the first week or so it was out, but people seem to react to it the same as they do the GBA now.

It is going to be an uphill battle for Sony, but I think they'll do okay. They want to PSP to succeed as much as MS wanted the Xbox to, so they're going to spend whatever it takes to get the system out there in large numbers. They just need to pick up the pace of production.

[fatslug]

when i first saw the nintendo DS i was shocked shcked shocked !!! the parts are so fucken cheap and weak it just put me off buying it !!!!! how fucken stingey r nintendo to use cheap ass plastic....fuckem ..

[Daremo]

Actually it uses the same hard plasitc type case as found in a GBA SP. The only part that feels kinda weak is the hinge where the unit flips open. I think the unit could take a fall with the shell closed and be ok, but if it fell just right with the case flipped open the hinge would be doomed.

[kotatsuneko]

thats a shame, the plastic used in the sp's dont feel anywhere near as stong as the stuff used for gb/gbc is it the same as used in gba? as my original sure feels more sturdy than my sp

[kotatsuneko]

partial recall for wario ds:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/azwj/oshirase/index.html

[Naniwan Kid]

For what it's worth, bith systems will be region-code free. The Nintendo GB's have always been that way, but Sony has followed suit making the GAMES on the PSP region-free, too, which is unique for a disc system. (Game Cube is region coded, right?). I did read that the music and movie soft released WILL be region-coded, so you won't be able to watch Japanese movies on an American PSP...but I am not sure how big a deal that will be.

I think I will take the plunge for the PSP. I like the Minna no Golf series, and the graphics are great, and you gotta love the screen size...

[kotatsuneko]

the monthly screen colour on the psp is a nice touch..

[goldenboy_ge]

I'm for the PSP. I got a PS2 at home and I love those toys from Sony.

[Naniwan Kid]

Monthly screen color? You mean the screen changes color depending on the month? That sounds very Sony...

I may need to go take the plunge today.

[kotatsuneko]

yeh, run a search to find the colours, personallyi`ll hold out till mame / msx stuff is playable on it tho.. and any bugs are ironed out...

[Naniwan Kid]

But there are downloadable software updates, correct? I read about it way too long online last night....

[kotatsuneko]

well, as with any hardware, imho its always better to wait for the second major production run.

[tatsujin]

Slightly off topic (sorry!)

Kots, I couldn't help but notice your a SNES9x fan, have you ever checked out an RPG named Shadowrun - its absolutely brilliant. A futuristic cyberpunk game with a cool spiritual slant to it.

Anyone else play this? Damn I miss the days of SNES, some fantastic RPGs...

[puargs]

Tatsu, played that, it's a really good game.

I honestly wonder why everyone always has to have a "favorite" company or "winner"... Besides what's already been said, isn't it clear that neither company will "lose"? Do you really see Nintendo or Sony crashing and burning anytime soon? That's insane.

For that matter, isn't it better that both exist? Competition is without a doubt one of top factors driving innovation. Without someone else to set a standard to keep up with, why bother making something new? If Sony and Nintendo didn't have competition with each other, would either company really be as good as it is now? I submit *not*.

Imagine if you will, a single console, shining a brilliant red, with "games" approved by the state, each with its own specific brand of education for the ignorant Citizen. If you choose Sony or Nintendo as your favorite, you're a communist, and we already had two wars to declare who's the loser THERE.





HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Naniwan Kid]

well, as with any hardware, imho its always better to wait for the second major production run.

Sometime you lose good features, as well. The second run of the PS2 added the feature of making it harder to dub DVD's. The first run forgot to add that....

[kotatsuneko]

thats true, i made a killing holding back some first run jpn ps2s (with the multi region boot disc) when i heard about the "recall"

despite being good for shooters, i despise sonys gaming products with avengence, and would rather get hold of a pcb than have one of them in the house..

anyhow, onto the (possibly soon to be eclipsed by gba2) ds..

heres an interesting jeff minter esque title soon to be released..

http://electroplankton.com

something to chill to after pac man red shells your ass @ mario kart arcade perhaps?

[Caustic Saint]

despite being good for shooters, i despise sonys gaming products with avengence, and would rather get hold of a pcb than have one of them in the house..

heres an interesting jeff minter esque title soon to be released..

http://electroplankton.com

something to chill to after pac man red shells your ass @ mario kart arcade perhaps?

I have no idea what that game's supposed to be, but it looks really cool. I'll have to pick it up.

I wouldn't write off everything Sony though. You won't be able to get Mario Kart DS until November, whereas you can play Wipeout Pure on the PSP this month.

Oh, and if you like weird little musical puzzlers, check out this pair from Tetsuya Mizuguchi (creator of Rez):

Lumines on PSP - already out and a fantastic game.

Meteos on DS - due out in a few weeks.

[Big Booger]

Do you think Xbox will enter the portable market? Or not? If so, what impact do you forsee if they do enter the market?