Nintendo DS Beats PSP 3-to-1 in 2005

[MelFet Wart]

About.com has an article (http://nintendo.about.com/library/dswins/bldspsp1.htm) up that uses data from the past year - from GameRankings.com - to compare the games of the DS and PSP. Apparently, while the PSP has released more games in the last year (by 7 titles), they've really been taking a beating in terms of quality. In the last six months, only 26% (4 titles) of the PSP's releases have been rated better than 79%, compared to 56% (11 titles) of the Nintendo DS games.

Defining a quality game as one rated better than 79% on GameRankings.com, Nintendo has released more quality games than Sony in the past six months by a ratio of nearly 3-to-1.

[Gitaroomaan]

That title's a bit misleading, as we're talking about the quality of games as opposed to hardware sales or even game sales.

[Groo]

Nintendo fanboys ont his board have some sort of weird anti-PSP complex. I guess that's what happens when you can only afford the cheaper handheld.

[Captain Awesome]

Well duh :p

[zeeeg]

I can afford to buy pretty much whatever I want. I've yet to see a compelling reason to own a PSP. (just got my DS a week ago for Mario Kart & Animal Crossing)

[jacob.armitage]

im actually really dissapointed with the PSP, there really hasnt been a game ive enjoyed since wipeout came out. I use it as a web browser @ work, and to listen to MP3's, and thats it.

and i find i play my DS most days.

[Captain Awesome]

Nintendo fanboys ont his board have some sort of weird anti-PSP complex. I guess that's what happens when you can only afford the cheaper handheld.


Hahaha that's one retarded comment. So poverty is the reason why its game library is better??? :confused:

[Stormwatcher]

That's why I hate that kind of article... It only serves as a surrogate dick for annoying people in system wars threads. I HATE this kind of shit. Several interesting threads degenerated in lol sony is teh rock gaytendo is teh crap jerkfests.

OK, SOME OF YOU GUYS LOVE SONY, OTHERS LOVE MS AND SOME OTHERS LOVE NINTENDO, WE GET IT!

please let us drop the stupid Football team mentality.

[thecrazyd]

Nintendo fanboys ont his board have some sort of weird anti-PSP complex. I guess that's what happens when you can only afford the cheaper handheld.
I can only afford the superior handheld. I will buy a PSP when they give me a compelling reason to. The games are shit, and that is all there is to it.

That is to say, I cannot afford to buy a $250 paper weight. If it was a handheld GAME system, then I surely could.

[BleedTheFreak]

I actually really liked the PSP, when I had it at launch and some titles to go with it, I was over the moon with it. But.... that was months upon months ago, and nothing came out that 1) looked interesting or 2) got any decent reviews so it sat collecting dust until finally I just sold it for some cash to put down on a 360. I do miss it, but there still isn't anything really worth playing on it. Ah well.

On the other hand, my cousin brought his DS over, and I had a blast playing Castelvania and the Under the Knife game, I think it's called, with the operating on folks and such. Cool stuff. Plus, it's got Advance Wards DS, and that looks hawt.

[IndependentGMR]

I own both.

[Heretic Machine]

Nintendo fanboys ont his board have some sort of weird anti-PSP complex. I guess that's what happens when you can only afford the cheaper handheld.

Sorry kid, I already own an iPod, no need for a PSP.

[AspectVoid]

*shrug* Personally, I find that the DS is the weaker system for me. I have more PSP games, have more fun with my PSP games, and get far more use out of my PSP then I do my DS. My PSP gets used everyday in a mix of gaming, music, and video watching, while my DS, unfortunately, only gets used once or twice a month when I need to travel for business.

I think both systems are good systems, mind you, I just have far more use for my PSP.

[Captain Awesome]

From worthplaying:

Nintendo announced today that, so far, it has sold over 2 million Nintendo DS' since it launched earlier this year, selling at a rate of 100,000 units per week. Nintendogs contributes to its hand-held popularity, which has sold over 1 million copies since its European launch on October 7th in Europe. Nintendo hopes to repeat that success through the holidays with Mario Kart DS, its first Nintendo game to offer Wi-Fi gaming through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.


Yay puppies :D

[Groo]

I can only afford the superior handheld. I will buy a PSP when they give me a compelling reason to. The games are shit, and that is all there is to it.

That is to say, I cannot afford to buy a $250 paper weight. If it was a handheld GAME system, then I surely could.

So, I guess I'm right then. I don't see any reason why a gamer wouldn't buy the PSP if they could.

[thecrazyd]

So, I guess I'm right then. I don't see any reason why a gamer wouldn't buy the PSP if they could.
You seem to missunderstand. I can afford it, but I cannot afford to waste money on a shitty system with no games.

[BleedTheFreak]

So, I guess I'm right then. I don't see any reason why a gamer wouldn't buy the PSP if they could.

Name 3 must have titles that have come out since launch. I found 3 or 4 fun titles at launch, those don't count, but even those probably weren't worth the money I dumped into the system, when looking at they were the *only* games I picked up in the systems entire life cycle.

3 Games, then I'll look at it again, because that would mean I had passed up on some classics.

[Furious Wang]

The DS has remade a Nintendo fan out of me. That system has some blazin' hot titles on it with plenty more coming down the pipe. All in just a year's time, which makes it all the more amazing. I just can't see myself purchasing a PSP for a very long time, if ever. I already have a 300 dollar portable music/movie player - its called the ipod. I'd love to play lumines and wipeout, but they aren't worth dropping 400 bucks on. There just aren't any other games on the psp that interest me in the slightest (or that I don't already own for the PS2).

Sony really dropped the ball with the psp.

And who the fuck buys all of those UMD movies?

[AspectVoid]

Name 3 must have titles that have come out since launch. I found 3 or 4 fun titles at launch, those don't count, but even those probably weren't worth the money I dumped into the system, when looking at they were the *only* games I picked up in the systems entire life cycle.

3 Games, then I'll look at it again, because that would mean I had passed up on some classics.


That's pretty much an impossible request, as everyone's tastes are different. Games that I find to be great, you may find to be dull. Same in reverse. Things you think are must haves may be on my "wouldn't spend a penny on" list.

Speaking of a different system, I still have no clue why people worship Halo. Its still just an average FPS series IMO.

[Wraith]

I'm a little confused about their math here.

In their little chart, they show:
Game Rating: Nintendo DS: Sony PSP:
90 - 100%: 3 games 2 games
80 - 89%: 9 games 9 gamesI would think that makes DS 12, PSP 11. But they say "Assuming that B (80%) or better is what we consider a good game, the PSP has 11 good titles, while the Nintendo DS has 13."

[BleedTheFreak]

That's pretty much an impossible request, as everyone's tastes are different. Games that I find to be great, you may find to be dull. Same in reverse. Things you think are must haves may be on my "wouldn't spend a penny on" list.

Speaking of a different system, I still have no clue why people worship Halo. Its still just an average FPS series IMO.

That's true, I guess my point is if you look at the systems titles and hunt for "must have" titles by popular opinion, only 1 or two even scored higher than an 8.0 or so (on average) and most of the ones that are good, are racing games. I do enjoy a good race now and then, Wipeout was one of my 3 games I had picked up at launch (or shortly thereafter), but the high ranking racing games I saw (like Burnout Legend) were also available on other systems, and I'd *rather* play a racing game on a TV, especially since I rarely carried the expensive PSP out of the house, just for paranoia it would get stolen or I'd drop the damn thing or something.

GTA might have been great, but honestly between the last couple of games (which I liked a lot and played a lot) and the Hot Coffee stuff, I'm just GTA burnt out right now. Other than those, I didn't see much of interest. I might enjoy the sequal to the Metal Gear game, I loved the first one and got it at launch, but that's probably about it. Not really worth several hundred dollars, IMHO.

[Achilles]

People need to quit trying to make console games on the PSP and make some handheld games for it. Till they do it’ll be behind the DS. Sony, give me a team and I'll turn it around for you guys by next Christmas :D

[BleedTheFreak]

People need to quit trying to make console games on the PSP and make some handheld games for it. Till they do it’ll be behind the DS. Sony, give me a team and I'll turn it around for you guys by next Christmas :D

I would agree with that. Good point! Focusing on new IPs and games to take advantage of the hand held nature of the PSP is just what the doctor ordered. Too bad Sony will never do it. *sigh*

[BleedTheFreak]

I'm a little confused about their math here.

In their little chart, they show:
Game Rating: Nintendo DS: Sony PSP:
90 - 100%: 3 games 2 games
80 - 89%: 9 games 9 gamesI would think that makes DS 12, PSP 11. But they say "Assuming that B (80%) or better is what we consider a good game, the PSP has 11 good titles, while the Nintendo DS has 13."

The difference is most of those B or higher games for the PSP came out with it's launch, or within it's first month of shelf time. In the last 8 months or so (? whenever it came out, feels like a year has passed) I don't think anything spectacular, or even anything very interesting, has shown up for it? Like I said, I had high hopes for the PSP, and still think it's cool as hell, but I have yet to regret selling mine, nor do I plan to re-purchase it at a later date.

[Blade]

I'm not surprised. PSP has been going through a drought for most of the second half. (exception being GTA)

[MelFet Wart]

Wraith, you were right. I think it was a typo; seems like they've fixed it. Somebody's watching. ;)

[AspectVoid]

The difference is most of those B or higher games for the PSP came out with it's launch, or within it's first month of shelf time. In the last 8 months or so (? whenever it came out, feels like a year has passed) I don't think anything spectacular, or even anything very interesting, has shown up for it? Like I said, I had high hopes for the PSP, and still think it's cool as hell, but I have yet to regret selling mine, nor do I plan to re-purchase it at a later date.


Look at the DS, though. In it's first 9 months of release, it had 4 titles that were rated above an 80% (Super Mario 64 in Nov 04, WarrioWare in Feb 05, Kirby in Jun 05, and Meteos in Jun '05).

Looking at Gamerankings, I'm seeing the PSP as having 13 titles above the 80% mark. To me, that says that the general public thinks the PSP has a stronger line-up then the DS did at this point in its lifetime.

[Heretic Machine]

Look at the DS, though. In it's first 9 months of release, it had 4 titles that were rated above an 80% (Super Mario 64 in Nov 04, WarrioWare in Feb 05, Kirby in Jun 05, and Meteos in Jun '05).

Looking at Gamerankings, I'm seeing the PSP as having 13 titles above the 80% mark. To me, that says that the general public thinks the PSP has a stronger line-up then the DS did at this point in its lifetime.

You completly missed his point. The PSP isn't getting new titles that are good, the DS is. Though the DS had a slightly weaker launch line-up, it's games are improving, while the PSP is in a back-slide.

Which do you think is the better situation to be in?

[Kelegacy]

The DS has remade a Nintendo fan out of me. That system has some blazin' hot titles on it with plenty more coming down the pipe. All in just a year's time, which makes it all the more amazing. I just can't see myself purchasing a PSP for a very long time, if ever. I already have a 300 dollar portable music/movie player - its called the ipod. I'd love to play lumines and wipeout, but they aren't worth dropping 400 bucks on. There just aren't any other games on the psp that interest me in the slightest (or that I don't already own for the PS2).

Sony really dropped the ball with the psp.

And who the fuck buys all of those UMD movies?

Hey, long time no see! Welcome back, Wang. Hope you stick around this time.

[Kelegacy]

You completly missed his point. The PSP isn't getting new titles that are good, the DS is. Though the DS had a slightly weaker launch line-up, it's games are improving, while the PSP is in a back-slide.

Which do you think is the better situation to be in?
Actually, the PSP has a pretty good lineup in the coming months/year. I don't have the link handy, but our friend bobbler showed me a list yesterday that was pretty decent. Still, it's unfortunate that the machine has become to be viewed at as a portable movie player. It still has such great potential as a gaming/media device.

Oh, and PoPoLoCrois is coming out in Japan pretty soon for the PSP. We've never gotten a PoPoLoCrois game that I know of here in the States, but I've been wanting to play one since I was an early teenager. 2D RPGs really intrigue me. Hopefully it gets the bump to America and Europe.

But I'll agree, the DS has turned out to be a sweet machine. This is why I avoid launches--the DS was a turd in terms of games for the first 4 or 5 months (whereas the PSP launched with a large, decent library but slid into new release obscurity) and suddenly it starts actually releasing high quality games, gets a price drop, and now I can pick one up and enjoy all of the benefits of a launch purchaser, but without having to starve for months for decent games to be released. I was going to pick up an Advance SP this past month, but I just might get a DS now. I'm not a portable player historically, but I might get into it now. Plus the goddamn thing is backwards compatible.

The new handhelds are entirely different machiens...I for one don't think of them as competing against one another.

[AspectVoid]

You completly missed his point. The PSP isn't getting new titles that are good, the DS is. Though the DS had a slightly weaker launch line-up, it's games are improving, while the PSP is in a back-slide.

Which do you think is the better situation to be in?


And you missed my point. At this point in the DS life cycle, it was in the EXACT SAME SITUATION! You are all ragging on the PSP without stopping to realize that it is going through the EXACT SAME THING the DS did. In another 4 or 5 months, the PSP will begin to have a steady stream of good titles being released as well.

Its the life cycle of a game system. The PS2 did the same thing. The Xbox did the same thing. The Gamecube did the same thing. The DS did the same thing. The PSP is doing it now. In 9 months when all of the originally schedueled launch titles for the XB360 will have been released, it'll be in the same place. It's pretty much common that it takes a year for a console to hit its groove in games due to development time.

Now, if come next spring we're seeing nothing new or good from the PSP, then it'll be time to slam it. For now, though, its just going through what's become the natural console progression.

[Groo]

Name 3 must have titles that have come out since launch. I found 3 or 4 fun titles at launch, those don't count, but even those probably weren't worth the money I dumped into the system, when looking at they were the *only* games I picked up in the systems entire life cycle.

3 Games, then I'll look at it again, because that would mean I had passed up on some classics.

It depends on what you consider a "must have" title to be. But I suppose that to a lot of people, these titles would be "must have:"

GTA Liberty City Stories
Burnout Legends
Virtua Tennis World Tour
X-Men Legends II

Personally, I don't plan to buy any of those games. However, Loco Roco and Tokobot are looking fantastic. And although I'm enjoying the hell out of Phoenix Wright, I can't really think of any future DS titles that are all that interesting.

[thecrazyd]

And you missed my point. At this point in the DS life cycle, it was in the EXACT SAME SITUATION! You are all ragging on the PSP without stopping to realize that it is going through the EXACT SAME THING the DS did. In another 4 or 5 months, the PSP will begin to have a steady stream of good titles being released as well.

Its the life cycle of a game system. The PS2 did the same thing. The Xbox did the same thing. The Gamecube did the same thing. The DS did the same thing. The PSP is doing it now. In 9 months when all of the originally schedueled launch titles for the XB360 will have been released, it'll be in the same place. It's pretty much common that it takes a year for a console to hit its groove in games due to development time.

Now, if come next spring we're seeing nothing new or good from the PSP, then it'll be time to slam it. For now, though, its just going through what's become the natural console progression.
Except, nothing announced is interesting either.

[Groo]

Except, nothing announced is interesting either.

You must not follow PSP news at all.

[thecrazyd]

You must not follow PSP news at all.
Give me some names then, cause everything (http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/psp/releases.html) looks like crap.

[AspectVoid]

Except, nothing announced is interesting either.

And THAT goes back to my original post that it all depends on taste. To me, there's a lot on the PSP that's interesting. Suikoden 1 & 2 are coming in a single package (which is great as I can't find Suikoden 2 anywhere). You've got Persona (a side-story series to the Shin Megami Tensei saga), Shin Megami Tensei itself, and Makai Wars. Legend of Heroes just came out (which is great). You've got Harvest Moon and Breath of Fire 3. Guilty Gear, Ys, and Viewtiful Joe are all coming as well.

Those are a lot of series and a few ports that are of games I love. Frankly, I see the future of the PSP being quite bright for my tastes. Is it good for everyone? No. Is it good for me? Hell yes.

[thecrazyd]

Are any of those games system sellers to you? They look to me like, at best, mediocre filler, and ports of games I already played. This is not flaming, I honestly want to know if you see them as real system movers.

[Kelegacy]

And THAT goes back to my original post that it all depends on taste. To me, there's a lot on the PSP that's interesting. Suikoden 1 & 2 are coming in a single package (which is great as I can't find Suikoden 2 anywhere). You've got Persona (a side-story series to the Shin Megami Tensei saga), Shin Megami Tensei itself, and Makai Wars. Legend of Heroes just came out (which is great). You've got Harvest Moon and Breath of Fire 3. Guilty Gear, Ys, and Viewtiful Joe are all coming as well.

Those are a lot of series and a few ports that are of games I love. Frankly, I see the future of the PSP being quite bright for my tastes. Is it good for everyone? No. Is it good for me? Hell yes.

Suikoden 1 and 2 in one shiny package is a temptation I haven't experienced since 5 minutes ago when I masturbated with a handful of mushy grapes.

The rest of that stuff is top notch yummies, too.

[AspectVoid]

Are any of those games system sellers to you? They look to me like, at best, mediocre filler, and ports of games I already played. This is not flaming, I honestly want to know if you see them as real system movers.

For me, yeah. I got into consoles seriously with the PS1. My father had bought an Atari setup when I was about two, but my parents never got me an NES or SNES or Genesis or any other console while I was growing up. I'd played them at friends houses, but I never really had a console before.

It was emulators in the mid to late 90s that got me to consoles. I'd remembered Final Fantasy from a friend's house when I was a kid, hunted them down on the 19.9 modem I salvaged from my father's old computer. FF4 and FF6 pulled me to console RPGs. I started playing every SNES RPG I could find on the net. When I got a job when I was a junior in High School, I started going over console RPGs and looking for what system could sell me. It was the PS1.

At one point, I had over 30 RPGs for my PS1. In fact, the only games I owned for the PS1 were RPGs, TRPGs, or Action RPGs. I played everything from Alundra to Lunar to Xenogears. This Generation, the PS2 is my system of choice, as once more RPGs dominate my library. From Arc the Lad to Xenosaga, if it's an RPG then I'll at least rent it, and a lot of the time buy it.

So, for me, this is a great line-up. Oh, I know they won't move systems, but that's what crap like GTA is for (I have no idea why people like that series, either). The big name stuff will sell systems (last I heard, the PSP was at the top of the list as what console to get for xmas in Japan), and I'll be completely happy with my RPGs.

[Babbster]

Suikoden 1 and 2 in one shiny package is a temptation I haven't experienced since 5 minutes ago when I masturbated with a handful of mushy grapes.

The rest of that stuff is top notch yummies, too.

Delicious metaphor, but are you really that excited about a list that consists almost entirely of ports, and recent ones at that?

That being said, this might be exactly the reason for someone without a PS2 to be interested in choosing a PSP instead, especially with the advantages of portability, multimedia and on-the-go Internet. Me, I'll probably hold out for at least another $50 price drop or a game that I just can't say no to, and which I can't buy and play on the PS2. In the meantime, the DS works out just fine.

[Kelegacy]

Delicious metaphor, but are you really that excited about a list that consists almost entirely of ports, and recent ones at that?

That being said, this might be exactly the reason for someone without a PS2 to be interested in choosing a PSP instead, especially with the advantages of portability, multimedia and on-the-go Internet. Me, I'll probably hold out for at least another $50 price drop or a game that I just can't say no to, and which I can't buy and play on the PS2. In the meantime, the DS works out just fine.

No, not too excited, but those are great games. If any of them are original entries to their respective IPs, I'll be game. Right now I don't own a PSP and probably won't for a long time, but that's some good gaming on the go, even if they are ports.

[AspectVoid]

Delicious metaphor, but are you really that excited about a list that consists almost entirely of ports, and recent ones at that?

That being said, this might be exactly the reason for someone without a PS2 to be interested in choosing a PSP instead, especially with the advantages of portability, multimedia and on-the-go Internet. Me, I'll probably hold out for at least another $50 price drop or a game that I just can't say no to, and which I can't buy and play on the PS2. In the meantime, the DS works out just fine.

If the PSP had been just a gaming system, I never would have gotten it. The reason the PSP was the perfect choice for me was because I was looking at a job where I'd have an hour commute. A PSP with its versitility seemed a far better deal then an iPod did at the time, and its turned out great for me.

I would NOT recomend it to anyone looking for just a portable gaming system. If you're in the boat I was in though, where you have nothing for portable music, gaming, or movies, then it makes perfect sense to go with the PSP. Oh, that and comics. I've put like 40 Penny Arcade strips on my PSP.

[divinechaos]

It depends on what you consider a "must have" title to be. But I suppose that to a lot of people, these titles would be "must have:"

GTA Liberty City Stories
Burnout Legends
Virtua Tennis World Tour
X-Men Legends II

Personally, I don't plan to buy any of those games. However, Loco Roco and Tokobot are looking fantastic. And although I'm enjoying the hell out of Phoenix Wright, I can't really think of any future DS titles that are all that interesting.

Damn, really? Mario Bros DS, Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime Hunters, Mario & Luigi dont tickle ur funny bone?
As far as the PSP list of "must haves" goes, i agree that those are really great games for the PSP. The only fact that Burnout is there makes me wanna get one.

[mister_slim]

And you missed my point. At this point in the DS life cycle, it was in the EXACT SAME SITUATION! You are all ragging on the PSP without stopping to realize that it is going through the EXACT SAME THING the DS did. In another 4 or 5 months, the PSP will begin to have a steady stream of good titles being released as well.

But they launched with two weeks of each other. Sure, the US PSP release was delayed until spring, giving them a better launch library, but the life cycle argument doesn't hold water. The DS advantage is that the machine leads to cheaper games with shorter development times and the PSP advantage is that PS2 games can be ported without too much work.

[rein]

Delicious metaphor, but are you really that excited about a list that consists almost entirely of ports

Please tell me this is not your argument to get a DS instead of PSP. :confused:

You guys and your dick flapping.... ..sheesh get whatever you want to play. I like both systems. I get me some Animal Crossing love next month and I am enjoying the hell out of Socom Fireteam at the moment.

[AspectVoid]

But they launched with two weeks of each other. Sure, the US PSP release was delayed until spring, giving them a better launch library, but the life cycle argument doesn't hold water. The DS advantage is that the machine leads to cheaper games with shorter development times and the PSP advantage is that PS2 games can be ported without too much work.

Funny enough, the Japanese PSP library is larger then the US Library. Mostly because the Japanese developers had a good 6 month+ head start in developing for the Japanese PSP. And given the Life Cycle has been accurate for 4 systems so far and is currently looking good for its fifth, it seems damn well accurate to me.

[Groo]

It depends on what you consider a "must have" title to be. But I suppose that to a lot of people, these titles would be "must have:"

GTA Liberty City Stories
Burnout Legends
Virtua Tennis World Tour
X-Men Legends II

Personally, I don't plan to buy any of those games. However, Loco Roco and Tokobot are looking fantastic. And although I'm enjoying the hell out of Phoenix Wright, I can't really think of any future DS titles that are all that interesting.

Damn, really? Mario Bros DS, Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime Hunters, Mario & Luigi dont tickle ur funny bone?
As far as the PSP list of "must haves" goes, i agree that those are really great games for the PSP. The only fact that Burnout is there makes me wanna get one.

Sequels to Nintendo games I don't like/am tired of don't really excite me. I'm more interested in original content, and newer franchises. I'll puke if I have to play another game with Mario and/or Luigi in it. Electroplankton looks cool, but it's not really a game.

Oh, and even though I don't give a shit about it, you can add Socom to the list of "must have" PSP titles. And on top of that, there's a bunch of PSP RPGs I don't care about (and haven't bothered to learn the names of) that I'm sure will be must haves for many people.

[thecrazyd]

Sequels to Nintendo games I don't like/am tired of don't really excite me. I'm more interested in original content, and newer franchises. I'll puke if I have to play another game with Mario and/or Luigi in it. Electroplankton looks cool, but it's not really a game.
You must be exploding with excitement about all the original content on the PSP. Oh... wait...

[Royal Fool]

Here's what I consider interesting PSP games that are out now...

Lumines, Ridge Racer, Mercury, Wipeout Pure, Grand Theft Auto. The rest of the lineup has been rather disappointing.


And the interesting DS games?

Lost in Blue, Phoenix Wright, Under the Knife, Bomberman DS, Metroid Pinball, Sonic Rush, Yoshi Touch & Go, Meteos, Mario Kart, Castlevania, Polarium, Mario 64, Kirby Canvas Curse...

I just find the DS selection much more interesting. Sorry.

[Babbster]

Please tell me this is not your argument to get a DS instead of PSP. :confused:

You guys and your dick flapping.... ..sheesh get whatever you want to play. I like both systems. I get me some Animal Crossing love next month and I am enjoying the hell out of Socom Fireteam at the moment.

No, actually, it isn't. I have a very live-and-let-play philosophy. I like Xbox and DS (and currently have all the majors apart from the PSP) and other people prefer Gamecube and PC - and I think that's great for both the videogame market as a whole and the people who love games. If someone wants to buy PSP so that they can go Suikoden on-the-road crazy, there are definitely worse reasons. That particular list of games just isn't one that gets my "dick flapping."

Buying a PSP is definitely an option for me at some point because it's [unquestionably] a very cool device. It's just that, like the Xbox 360, the PSP hasn't passed my test of price versus games I can't live without. I expect that will change in January or February for both. DS, by the way, made my grade with the last price drop and my desperate need to play Meteos. :)

[Cyotik]

I for one don't really see any good reason to buy a PSP as things stand right now. There are really no great games you can't already play a better version of on console except Wipeout. With that said, I am also an easily tempted fool so I've got my PSP sitting right next to me. All I really do with it is play Wipeout occasionally or rip a dvd to my memory stick to watch at work. The DS is by far a superior gaming system, every other title they release for the thing is gold and I'm not much of a Nintendo fan. Suikoden would be interesting if I didn't already own Suikoden 2. Maybe I'll get it just to try number 1. I'm really just waiting for Front Mission now.

[Deadend]

The DS seems to be outselling the PSP quite well from where I stood today, even though the GBA SP outsold both of them.

Right now, the PSP is just not worth it for me, or many others on here. It seems to be a 'little bitch' system, in that almost every game is a watered down port.

[baz]

I played some lumines on my team leaders PSP, and I was pretty impressed with the system. I'm not going to go and and get one yet though, as I have a DS and thats doing me more than fine, plus I'm splashing out on an xbox360, so that is taking a chunk out of my gaming budget.

However, in a years time I think I will for sure pick one up, hopefully they have a PSP SP by then, or something along those lines. Both are kick arse systems, the DS games library is more to my liking at the moment, which is why I bought it first.

[Groo]

Let me just tell you this: if you don't own a PSP, you're missing out. Plain and simple. Anyone who says otherwise is a fanboy, plain and simple. The DS has some fun games (I know, I've own it, and I've played them), but the PSP is a generation ahead.

[Cyotik]

Yay, more flash, less gameplay. You're right, everyone should have a PSP so they can play watered down ports of games they bought once already a year ago. The DS may be behind graphically but more than makes up for it by virtue of the fact that there are actually fun games for the system.

[Player 1]

You completly missed his point. The PSP isn't getting new titles that are good, the DS is. Though the DS had a slightly weaker launch line-up, it's games are improving, while the PSP is in a back-slide.

And this is why stats are utterly worthless.

You can take overall stats and get one result. You can then filter those stats to cover X months so you get a different result. You could then go and filter futher by removing, say, all first party games and get yet another result.

The stats are presented in a way as to suggest the story was borne from them but stats are only ever really used to back up an existing point of view.

Same with sales figures (fans quoting a specific month/period when it reflects favourably on them and ignoring all else) and hardware specs. They mean nothing on their own, only when you add context - and if the context is to tell a specific story then the numbers can be moulded to show whatever you want.

I'm not getting involved in the saying one system's games or one system is better than the other. I have neither and have saved myself over $200 in the process. Not only that, I've saved countless $$$ on not buying games for them. Woo!

[Groo]

Yay, more flash, less gameplay. You're right, everyone should have a PSP so they can play watered down ports of games they bought once already a year ago. The DS may be behind graphically but more than makes up for it by virtue of the fact that there are actually fun games for the system.

And I suppose Mario 64 DS is not a watered down port...

[Cyotik]

Yes but with the DS, watered down ports are the exception and not the rule. Let's talk about games like Kirby, Advance Wars, Phoenix Wright, Trauma Centre, Castlevania, Mario Kart, Meteos, Sonic Rush and about a half dozen unique and original titles coming in the next few months. So far PSP has maybe two or three worthwhile games that aren't available elsewhere in a superior form. Sure I love Wipeout and Lumines but there's only so much I can take not really being a fan of racing or puzzle games. I'm not saying I don't love my PSP because I do, its great and I use it quite often but as a gaming system it still pales in comparison to the DS. The PSP is just lucky it can do so much beyond that or it would have nothing.

[fushi]

So... as a kind-of Nintendo fan I can still find some really interesting upcoming titles on the PSP list:
PoPoLoCrois
Tokobot
Monster Hunter Portable
Metal Gear Acid 2
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (haven't played the PS2 version)

But I just can't stand playing 3D games with the nub of the PSP :( It's so horribly uncomfortable to me. And the DS has more 2D games thanks to it's lower specs. I love 2D games more than anything and I really dislike the PSP for actively forcing 2D's last bastion to fall. There need to be more 2D games, 'tis all I'm asking for.

[AspectVoid]

Yes but with the DS, watered down ports are the exception and not the rule. Let's talk about games like Kirby, Advance Wars, Phoenix Wright, Trauma Centre, Castlevania, Mario Kart, Meteos, Sonic Rush and about a half dozen unique and original titles coming in the next few months. So far PSP has maybe two or three worthwhile games that aren't available elsewhere in a superior form. Sure I love Wipeout and Lumines but there's only so much I can take not really being a fan of racing or puzzle games. I'm not saying I don't love my PSP because I do, its great and I use it quite often but as a gaming system it still pales in comparison to the DS. The PSP is just lucky it can do so much beyond that or it would have nothing.

Umm...original? Castlevania, Mario Kart, Sonic, Advance Wars, and Kirby can ALL be found on other systems. I do not consider the use of the stylus to play the same game I've been playing for years upon years to make the game original (or that unique). Trauma Center is a video game version of the board game Operation with more difficulty to it, and Phoenix Wright is an adventure game like I've played since the 80s.

Oh, and I hate puzzle games.

[Groo]

Yes but with the DS, watered down ports are the exception and not the rule. Let's talk about games like Kirby, Advance Wars, Phoenix Wright, Trauma Centre, Castlevania, Mario Kart, Meteos, Sonic Rush and about a half dozen unique and original titles coming in the next few months. So far PSP has maybe two or three worthwhile games that aren't available elsewhere in a superior form. Sure I love Wipeout and Lumines but there's only so much I can take not really being a fan of racing or puzzle games. I'm not saying I don't love my PSP because I do, its great and I use it quite often but as a gaming system it still pales in comparison to the DS. The PSP is just lucky it can do so much beyond that or it would have nothing.

Ah yes, Advance Wars, Castlevania, Mario Kart, and Sonic Rush are absolutely nothing like the previous games in the series...

You say the PSP pales in comparison to the DS as a gaming system? I disagree. Both have their flaws, and NEITHER ONE has a clear lead over the other one. It has mostly been give and take. But for some reason, this board is infested with Nintendo fanboys that insist the DS is the superior system. Why? I'm not totally sure. But I'm guessing it's because most people can only afford one handheld, so they picks sides to make themselves feel better about their purcahse. I thought gamers played games, not consoles?

[Vandenh]

>But I'm guessing it's because most people can only afford one handheld

Oh god... the "you have no money so you suck" argument again.

Seems to me DS is doing better on a worldwide basis. Maybe the PSP doesn't offer what people want from a portable gaming system. Certainly the "multimedia" capabilities are a big joke and it seems Sony is touting that a bit too much right now. Better games might do the trick... but I have my doubts.

[51|RandoM]

PSP doesn't have a game I want to play, it is that simple.

I think it is a nifty piece of hardware, but I'm trying to get out of the habit of buying nifty hardware that has no purpose. If I had bought a PSP, I'd have played around with it for a week, then it would've ended up gathering dust in the closet.

I've been playing mario kart ds vs. friends over the thanksgiving holiday, it just never tires.

[Groo]

>But I'm guessing it's because most people can only afford one handheld

Oh god... the "you have no money so you suck" argument again.

Simple fact of life. When I didn't have a job, there was no way I could have bought something like the PSP.

Seems to me DS is doing better on a worldwide basis. Maybe the PSP doesn't offer what people want from a portable gaming system. Certainly the "multimedia" capabilities are a big joke and it seems Sony is touting that a bit too much right now. Better games might do the trick... but I have my doubts.

It sounds like you are horribly misinformed, and inexperience when it comes to the PSP.

[frederec]

And THAT goes back to my original post that it all depends on taste. To me, there's a lot on the PSP that's interesting. Suikoden 1 & 2 are coming in a single package (which is great as I can't find Suikoden 2 anywhere). You've got Persona (a side-story series to the Shin Megami Tensei saga), Shin Megami Tensei itself, and Makai Wars. Legend of Heroes just came out (which is great). You've got Harvest Moon and Breath of Fire 3. Guilty Gear, Ys, and Viewtiful Joe are all coming as well.

Whoa, whoa, whoa there! If all these games were coming out on PSP, I'd be going nuts for it too. But first of all, Makai Wars doesn't exist. Last I heard, Nippon Ichi can only afford to work on one game at a time, and they never got PSP dev kits, so the teaser stuff they showed a while ago never went anywhere. They're working on Disgaea 2 right now, and I don't think they've said what they're going to do next. It may happen, but the last news was it was tabled indefinitely.

As for the SMT stuff, I think those have been announced for Japan, but nothing's been announced for US yet. I'm hoping it will, especially with the good support SMT and its spinoffs have been getting lately, but nothing's been announced, much less has a release date. In fact, it seems the Breat of Fire and Suikoden ports suffer the same fate. Coming out in Japan, nothing for the US announced yet. So it sounds like you're all excited about stuff that may or may not ever get out of Japan.

So as long as you're doing that, I'll add to the list. They're making an Atelier Iris game for the PSP. If that bastard came over, and if this other nice list of games came over, then I would get the PSP in a heartbeat. But these things need to at least get ANNOUNCED for US release before it really matters.

[Groo]

As for the SMT stuff, I think those have been announced for Japan, but nothing's been announced for US yet. I'm hoping it will, especially with the good support SMT and its spinoffs have been getting lately, but nothing's been announced, much less has a release date. In fact, it seems the Breat of Fire and Suikoden ports suffer the same fate. Coming out in Japan, nothing for the US announced yet. So it sounds like you're all excited about stuff that may or may not ever get out of Japan.

So as long as you're doing that, I'll add to the list. They're making an Atelier Iris game for the PSP. If that bastard came over, and if this other nice list of games came over, then I would get the PSP in a heartbeat. But these things need to at least get ANNOUNCED for US release before it really matters.

Although you have a point, I'd like to mention that it's not 1996 anymore. RPGs are just as popular here as they are in Japan, and I find it hard to believe that the games you mentioned wouldn't get picked up for US release. It seems that RPGs not coming to the US is more of an exception than a rule.

[Pumped'Up]

Nintendo DS Beats PSP 3-to-1 in 2005
Title says it all. A purely juvenile topic...and obviously no surprise coming from a hardcore Nintendo fanboi, attempting to make one's self feel better when owning inferior products, one after another i.e. N64, GC, uncountable versions of GBA, and perhaps the subjective DS.

Sad, quite sad. Why can't we all just get along and enjoy the games made for each system? (I'm not suggesting Nintendogs is cool).

[frederec]

Although you have a point, I'd like to mention that it's not 1996 anymore. RPGs are just as popular here as they are in Japan, and I find it hard to believe that the games you mentioned wouldn't get picked up for US release. It seems that RPGs not coming to the US is more of an exception than a rule.

You're right. I guess there's a part of me that will always think like it's '96 and be paranoid about what RPGs come out. I am hoping that all these games come to the US. But even still, I won't consider them as reasons to get a PSP until they are confirmed to be coming (except for Suikoden and BoF, already have those on PS1). Waiting for these also gives me a little bit of hope that the price on a PSP will drop before these games hit. I'll admit it, unlike a lot of "I own everything!" people here, a big part of the reason I don't have a PSP is the price.

[Cubfan]

I have a DS and not a PSP therfore I win.

/takes a bow

[Pumped'Up]

I'll admit it, unlike a lot of "I own everything!" people here, a big part of the reason I don't have a PSP is the price.
dude, I paid $300CAN for the bundle that came with crap-ass Greztky hockey and Spiderman 2 UMD plus another $100 for the 1G memory stick. I thought that was a decent deal back 5 months ago. The new Gigapack for $350CAN is reasonable. Considering the PSP is *the* ulitmate multimedia portable, you won't reget spending a dime. There is sooo much to do with this little amazing unit, it is an absolute must have. Yes, not the best mp3 player or the best for PDA usage. But it does all of this plus so much more, all so f'n fantastic.

[jacktion]

You say the PSP pales in comparison to the DS as a gaming system? I disagree. Both have their flaws, and NEITHER ONE has a clear lead over the other one. It has mostly been give and take. But for some reason, this board is infested with Nintendo fanboys that insist the DS is the superior system. Why? I'm not totally sure.

Dude, wake up! Every PSP owner agrees that there are no games to play on it! It has had like two good games in the past year! Meanwhile, the DS is having an insane fall. It is getting games that are consistently rating in the 90s and people are unanimously saying they rule! Mario Kart is a storied franchise. Everyone agrees it is a classic game series. But the new one is supposedly the best version ever! And the same with the Sonic game! And some might say the same for the Castlevania game(although that original PS one it really the best). And the same for Advance Wars, and it looks like Animal Crossing will also be a new high. Plus it has new hotness that is good like Nintendogs and Brain Training. How can people that own PSPs and still tout the praises of nintendo be Nintendo fanbois?

[frederec]

dude, I paid $300CAN for the bundle that came with crap-ass Greztky hockey and Spiderman 2 UMD plus another $100 for the 1G memory stick. I thought that was a decent deal back 5 months ago. The new Gigapack for $350CAN is reasonable. Considering the PSP is *the* ulitmate multimedia portable, you won't reget spending a dime. There is sooo much to do with this little amazing unit, it is an absolute must have. Yes, not the best mp3 player or the best for PDA usage. But it does all of this plus so much more, all so f'n fantastic.

Eh, maybe for you it's a must have. For me, it all comes down to the same thing. People would wonder why I have almost a thousand cds but just a crappy stereo I got as a gift. Or why I have all these games but not that great of a TV setup. I just have enough of this other stuff to get and enjoy that it's harder to justify a $300 purchase. I don't need a multimedia portable. So it doesn't justify itself until it's got enough games on it I want. The hardware takes a distant second to the software that goes on it.

[mister_slim]

Funny enough, the Japanese PSP library is larger then the US Library. Mostly because the Japanese developers had a good 6 month+ head start in developing for the Japanese PSP. And given the Life Cycle has been accurate for 4 systems so far and is currently looking good for its fifth, it seems damn well accurate to me.
Same is true of the DS though. Maybe the US devs will start supporting the DS at some point too, though very few US devs seem comfortable experimenting with interface. What systems are following your 'life cycle' system so well?