PSP Euro Launch Today

[bapenguin]

Today, the PSP launches in the European (http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/646/646990p1.html) territories. The launch price of the Value Pack is €249. There's over 30 games available at launch.

How many of our readers across the pond are picking one up today?

[Morratut]

I don't actually know of anyone who is intrested in it to be honest. I would do get one if it had some games that i would play.

It's a shame because the PSP is a damn fine sexy bit of kit :)

[baz]

I'm leaving my monies for the xbox360... my DS is getting a couple of new games to keep my commute interesting and I really don't need 2 portable systems.

I would really like a psp though... maybe later :(

[Vandenh]

Nope... the PSP has long vanished from my radar. I am shocked to say I will be picking up a DS end of the year. (and I was really excited when PSP was announced). After playing around with the PSP in Japan for couple of months, my opinion now is that it is a sexy piece of hardware but deeply flawed and it misses that special magic.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I still haven't seen anyone here with one. =/

[Pnikosis]

I don't think I'll buy one... maybe a DS at the end of the year (mmhhh... age of empires).
Anyway, Sony is making a huge campaign promoting the PSP here in Spain, and last night some stores opened at midnight to sell the PSP. ¿What about the other euro-countries?

[Morratut]

Lol at the moment us British and Europeans don't seem to excited about it at the moment.

I'm also saving the pounds for the 360 baz.

I actually went into a Game store and had a quick play. I was impressed and the man in the store knew i was. He asked if I wanted to pre order one and i said no. He was gobsmacked :D

[AlmostSente]

Lot of PSP hate here. Best handheld I've ever had... If nothing else, the homebrew stuff makes it worth every penny.
Too bad Sony is killing it by releasing new versions with better protection all the time...

[TRiLoGY]

Well, I will be picking one up soon.. I've already saved up for A PS3 and X360 :D

[Lon Lon Rabbit]

I laughed at a friend today for wasting the money on one here (he gave into the hype and bought one today at release) when he could have got one months ago and for a cheaper price by importing like everyone else in our circle that wanted one did. I'm quite surprised at the number of uni friends that have got one (imported), I know about 6 people that got one a few months ago. I'm happy with my DS atm though (yet again, only thanks to importing games) and dont personally have a use for a PSP until I see some better games.
I live in Sydney, Australia for refference.

[feeble]

Too bad Sony is killing it by releasing new versions with better protection all the time...

They will be releaseing it with the latest firmware, if anything.
but people will just put on 1.5, but that also kills your warranty and sony may have changed the hardware slightly due to PAL etc, and that could end up screwing your psp.

[Xaerin]

Having imported mine ages ago it'll be nice now to purchase games without the fear of a hefty import tax bill when the post man turns up at the door. But it was still worth the gamble to get them early and cheaper.
I am SO close to reaching the top score in Lumines, it's driving me nuts.

Just found this on PSPUpdates (http://www.pspupdates.com/2005/08/psp-european-launch.html#comments) which says UK PSPs will come with 1.52 firmware installed and a message on the box telling you to insert a demo disk to upgrade to 2.0. But they also report that a coder is working on a way to downgrade the 1.52 to 1.5 and has already successfully done so on a japanese PSP.

So all is not lost.

[bKangy]

I was originally planning on getting one, but then I realised that there wasn't a fantastic volume of games coming out for it. Plus, I sorta get pissed off when companies release their crap here about 7 months later. It kinda makes me feel like a sucker who's just being taken for granted. Me and a friend are both getting a DS and Advance Wars when it comes out, now.

[Lind]

Almost went with PSP but ended up with a DS instead due the fact it had more games (current and on the horizon) that im interested in.

[Stiffler]

and sony may have changed the hardware slightly due to PAL etc

I wasn't aware that the PSP had a video out.

[Noiz]

I've had mine for months. Haven't played it much lately apart from a bit of Mercury and Lumines every so often, but I did wander down to Game to pick up Virtua Tennis earlier. I think that'll be sweet over the ol' wireless. Confused the guy at the counter a bit when I bought the game but no PSP though. ;)

And as someone said earlier, it's nice to be able to get games locally now rather than being stung for import tax all the time.

[Azrikam]

I won't be buying one, as I only need a "portable" gaming system. As far as I can tell, the PSP is anything but.

[lost]

My MP3 players headphone jack has buckled within the 12 month warranty so I'm thinking it might be worth chucking £50 on top of the return value to pick one up. Although, if they offer a cash refund I might let it sit around for a 360...but I don't know if I want to be an early adopter on any of these machines. Never before, well since the last gen, have I been faced with such a tricky decision.

[kickmybum]

I only know one person who's even touched one.

[lost]

I only know one person who's even touched one.

Well every shop I went into today had every single unit they had pre-ordered. Maybe they are all just in dark rooms playing lumines?

[Phades]

I've had mine since it launched here in the US. I'll agree that it doesn't have that single "must have it" game but it's got a number of good to great ones. With all that it can do, that's been enough for me. In my opinion it's got enough games coming that I want that I'm happy. With all the games out there for all the system I have, I don't need it to have several must play games coming out every month or two. For now, I'm happy with the games I have. They keep me plenty busy when I'm on the go. At home I just play on a regular console or PC (thus the purpose of a portable):

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (I know it's the same as the console version but I don't care. I love TH games so playing it whenever is great)
Wipeout Pure
Metal Gear Acid (I love strategy games and have really enjoyed this one)
Lumines
Hot Shots Golf
Ridge Racer
Twisted Metal

Plus, I'm looking forward to the new Ghouls and Ghosts, GTA, Burnout, Generation of Chaos (I CANNOT wait for this one), Pursuit Force, Infected (so I can kill fitbabits a few times), LOTR Tactics, and the big one for me, Metal Gear Acid 2.

[DeviousMiscreant]

There was a time I'd have killed for one but since they started stamping down on the emulators there's really no drive for me to fork out £200 that I don't have. There's just not that many PSP only games that I'm interested in.

Had a breif play on Wipeout Pure on a Japanese import owned by a guy from college and was pretty impressed (not as impressed as I was when I learned he had a Megadrive emulator on there and Sonic 2) but I just don't see that it's worth it right now.

I know one, maybe two guys that will buy it within the next couple of months and everyone else just isn't bothered, mainly because of the emulator thing. I only know one or two guys that actually forked out for a DS.

[Royal Fool]

I already have a Japanese PSP so I just bought some games, cheaper than importing.

Too bad that Wipeout Pure EU demands a 1.52 firmware update, so I can't really play it now (Mine is 1.00). Ridge Racer works with no hassle though.

[01010]

Maybe if the new GTA for it is any good. Not until then though.

[zyzyx]

Every single person bar one that I know with an interest in the PSP either got a US one or is now saving for the 360 instead.

I did go into town this morning to buy Mercury but it told me I had to upgrade from the v1.5 firmware I'm running so I took it back. It'll take several of the greatest games of all time in quick succession to make me upgrade to v2.0.

[Xaerin]

I already have a Japanese PSP so I just bought some games, cheaper than importing.

Too bad that Wipeout Pure EU demands a 1.52 firmware update, so I can't really play it now (Mine is 1.00). Ridge Racer works with no hassle though.

There's software out there to prevent games updating, you have to have the power supply plugged in to update anyway so it's not like they can "trick" you into updating.

[lost]

Nobody think that Sony stomping down on the emulators was just because they have something up their sleave for homebrewers?

Just with the recent talks of PS3 being a more "open" platform it's crossed my mind more than once that Sony was just stepping in before whatever they have planned became irrelevant.

[Pnikosis]

For portable homebrew love, I'll wait for the next Gamepark console

[Bumbuliuz]

I picked up my copy today with Wipeout Pure, Lumines, Everybodys Golf (called Hot shots I think in the US) and a copy of Ghostbusters. Overall I love the machine and it will be even better tomorow when I get a 1gb memory card to use with the psp. Will also be picking up Tony Hawks Underground2. It is a hard game to find on launch day :)

[Pornstar_NL]

ehrm... with a 460€ Xbox360 on the horizon...

don't think so

I want one, that's for sure, but I want the 360 way more (I didn't get a 42"plasma for nothing you know)

and withe 249€ price, I think I'll just wait till next year, there are no real killer apps for it anyway (yeah I know wipeout pure rocks)

[KeeBaud]

I must say that I am not disappointed with my PSP. Not a dodgy pixel in sight and it performed as well, if not better than I expected.

Although I have thought about the homebrew aspect I decided to upgrade the PSP to 2.0 anyway. The web browser is not too disappointing, working reasonably well on 50% of the websites I wanted to visit, and is reasonably easy to use.

Sony have got to be releasing SOMETHING in the way of Memory Stick applications though - why else is there a GAME folder on a freshly formatted MS Duo stick and a memory stick icon under the game tab in the menu?

Personally, after having played with the PSP I could never lower my standards and get a DS. FLAME ON!