NOTE: This editorial is the opinion of Andrew Yoon, and does not represent the opinion of PSP Fanboy, Joystiq or Weblogs, Inc.Every video game convention, there's a "winner" of some sorts. It's pretty safe to say that the Nintendo Wii "won" the last E3, proving that waving around our hands can be fun. Not only did the Wii prove that the control scheme works, there was an amazing list of exclusives, from Nintendo's own Mario to third party efforts, like Red Steel. Nintendo wowed the crowd at E3 because of the amazing quality and potential of the games for its system.
Did Nintendo pull the big win at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany this year? No. Did Microsoft? No. Sony took the win for this year's show, but not because of a great showing of PlayStation 3 goods (there were none at the show), but because of Konami's absolutely excellent lineup of upcoming PSP games. Yes, you heard me right: PSP "won" Leipzig.To understand why PSP "won" Leipzig, I think it'll help to see why the other consoles didn't fare as well.
Why PlayStation 3 didn't win
Was PlayStation 3 even there? Sony didn't enter this round, and they're placing all bets on the Tokyo Game Show. I guess the PS3 has a prettier version of Virtua Tennis, but I don't think that's worth talking about. They DID have Metal Gear Solid 4, but it certainly wasn't anything new over their already-impressive E3 showing.
Why Xbox 360 didn't win
Of the three next-gen consoles, Xbox 360 pulled by far the most impressive showing. Scoring next-gen exclusivity for soccer games (at least this year) is a huge win for Microsoft, considering how there are many people (myself included) that are in a post-World Cup depression. But what else was there? A laughably bad presentation of Rare's next game... and not much else. I'm excited for Settlers of Cataan (seriously) and Lost Planet, but there was nothing really new that grabbed my attention.
Why Nintendo Wii didn't win
After such a huge presence at E3, Leipzig was a disappointment. Why? We still don't have a price or a release date. These are the basics, Nintendo! Stop teasing us like that! Battalion Wars 2 and a new Super Mario Strikers game was announced, but these aren't really high-profile games. Red Steel has gotten a lot worse graphically from its computer-rendered lies.
Why Nintendo DS didn't win
The DS had a lot of games, but none of them are really heavy-hitters. Lunar Knights returned and was (unsurprisingly) good. As this games reel shows, there's a lot of excellent games coming out for the system, including Pokemon: Mysterious Dungeon and Yoshi's Island 2, but these were all shown (and playable) at E3.
So, that leaves us to our inevitable conclusion:
Why Sony PSP won Leipzig
Sony didn't come to support its hardware or its games, but Konami completely represented for our handheld. You had smaller name games, like Death Jr. 2 and Coded Arms, but you also had two of the biggest games at the show: Silent Hill Origins and Metal Gear Solid... and both are PSP exclusive titles. Silent Hill features some stellar graphics, and that game is very early in development. Metal Gear Solid features a more extensive multiplayer component than its console prequel, and features the "best script ever" for a Metal Gear game ever. It was playable and while it's a little shaky, it offered something new for the Convention. Yes, other platforms may have more big-profile games coming for it, but no real new news came from Leipzig. Konami showed there's stil a lot of life left in this system.
I think you should take the "PSP Challenge" (a la Pepsi Challenge) and show your friends footage from these recently revealed games. I know I surprised a lot of people, who have forgotten that the PSP is capable of really beautiful graphics. Remind people that these are new and exclusive offerings of the handheld, and you'll see a lot of people's opinions start to change about the system. It's really easy to bash the PSP, but now's your chance to really educate these people about why it's a great time to get excited for the PSP again. With such an excellent showing at Games Convention (even without the support of Sony!), Tokyo Game Show is going to blow us away... and I can't wait.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-24-2006 @ 10:20PM
Michael Anderson said...
... you actually cited Coded Arms in support of something positive ... desperate delusions abound ... whether or not the PSP had the best showing was completely undermined by that inclusion ...
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8-24-2006 @ 11:01PM
Havok said...
Why does everyone slam Coded Arms all the time? It's actually a fun game, and the multiplayer is good. Just gotta look past the fact that the controls arent HOME console grade. Fun game, and everyone over at the CCP is excited for MGS! W0000!
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8-24-2006 @ 11:15PM
Maxwell said...
Yes Nintendo was a real letdown. Glad Sony more than made up for it.
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8-25-2006 @ 12:09AM
John Kimble said...
STFU, the PSP sucks, it's an overpriced media center.
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8-25-2006 @ 1:01AM
Shane said...
#4. You are saying this on the PSP Fanboy site. I may be jumping to conclusions here but I would say you are a nintendo fanboy. The psp is a media center with great games. You can have fun and then do other things.
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8-25-2006 @ 1:36AM
Louis said...
i didn't mind coded arms too much either, i might look into that game, death jr was pretty cool too, i'm still reluctant to agree that the PSP had the best showing but i wasn't there but i like what i've heard from this event especially with MGS portable ops and silent hill orgins, making me excited to pick up my psp again
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8-25-2006 @ 2:20AM
pixelator said...
I liked Coded Arms just fine, a solid FPS that I like to play a hell of a lot better than the stylus-sweeping-tapping, system-juggling act required for Metroid on the DS. I don't know about Nintendo freaks, but I don't like to have to work my ass off to play a game - and that's likely to go double for the tiny, cheap looking, ridiculously named Wii.
I don't think Konami's titles are the only thing showing there's "life left" in the PSP, but it's nice to see one facet from one developer was shining brightly. Even if Summa at Nintystiq ragged on the MGS analog control.
Nice to hear you're not throwing in your lot with the 'stiq writers, Andrew.
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8-25-2006 @ 3:22AM
kingplayer said...
I'm also a psp fanboy andi took psp photographs with the gps ;)
see my website !
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8-25-2006 @ 4:24AM
daniel-kun said...
Hey, finally some REAL fanboyism here.
Much appreciated. :D
And I find it great that the GPS can take photos, too. :-P
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8-25-2006 @ 8:42AM
CitizenGeek said...
Aren't you really trying to say that Konami "won" Leipzig? And anyway, Death Jr and Coded Arms were both awful games (and in the case of Coded Arms, Soul-deadingly awful), also just because a game carries the name of a good franchise (Silent Hill, MGS) dosn't make it a good game. Mario Party, anyone?
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8-25-2006 @ 9:04AM
You dont need to know said...
@ 7
Look it doesnt matter how much you bash Metroid on DS (I will try and say this as politely as possible considering the fact that this is a PSP Fanboy site) but, DS, even though it isnt perfect, does a whole of a lot better job, bringing FPS to a handheld than PSP will ever do. Have you even played Metroid on Ds. I can move, aim anywhere on the screen with an extreame precision that even rivals that of a mouse and shoot ALL at the same time, thats somethn that's very hard to accomplish with Psp. And i know those of you who have actually played Metroid hunters will agree with me. Yes it can be a pain on your thump sometimes, but its still better. And yes i am a Nintendo fan, but that doesnt mean i dont love PSP. Its an awesome handheld that should be apreciated by all. No offence anyone, its just that give each handheld their kudos when they excel in something.
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8-25-2006 @ 9:16AM
Tiago said...
OK, silent hill and MGS are here, when do we get news about crisis core? :F
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8-25-2006 @ 9:53AM
uchiha5 said...
Seriously pixelater, whats up with your denile in the fact the DS is way better for FPS then PSP. Maybe your sayng this because either a)you don't own the game, b)your to lazy to get through the learning curve or c) your a total and complete fanboy. I don't really care which one of those is you but for you to say that coded arms have better controls the MPH is ridiculous. Oh and as for your comment with the Wii. Its already known they haven't got the FPS controls for Wii down yet but it is known to be more fun the analog controls. As for it being cheap looking. Is that why its constantly be complimented for being beautiful while PS3 is being criticized for resemblying a grill.
As for the PSP winning Leipeg, I guess it did pretty well although I think no one won being that the show was pretty much a bore. If this guy thought PSP won this imagine TGS. But I don't really care about this guys oppinion anyway. For one thing the comment about Red Steel just showed that anything he says is not close to valid. Everyone knows the firs video shown was computer rendered and then we got to see the real game which looked nothing like that. At GC we got to see the improved Red Steel and compared to the E3 build its a MASSIVE improvement. So I don't get wow has it gotten worse for something that wasn't even real-time in the first place. Oh and Coded Arms? Nuff said.
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8-25-2006 @ 10:16AM
.ed said...
uh.. I thought the PSP showing was pretty weak...
Just because Metal Gear is on the system doesn't mean the system wins a show.
The same shit was shown at E3 and made no difference... so just because LGC is a smaller show, it stood out more... but seriously the whole show was Weak, not just PSP... it's never been a big show anyway
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8-25-2006 @ 10:16AM
Player1 said...
"DS, even though it isnt perfect, does a whole of a lot better job, bringing FPS to a handheld than PSP will ever do."
My response to that: Syphon Filter. No it's not first person (it's third), but it uses first person controls successfully. It's seriously like playing on a console once you get the hang of it. As far as Metroid goes, I find tapping on things with the stylus to shoot kind of like playing duck hunt with the gun one inch from the screen.
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8-25-2006 @ 10:30AM
pixelator said...
@13, Why must a person be in 'DENIAL' because they prefer analog input for an FPS? I don't like the stylus control. I don't think it's conducive to strafing/circling (can you say scribbling frantically in one direction?) or other FPS movement. The touchscreen just isn't big enough. If you want to hear about how good a single-analog FPS can be, you Nintendo fanboys might want to look up a couple of little-known AAA games called Goldeneye and Perfect Dark on the single-analog-equipped N64. As for your other comments, I think you might be referring to yourself when you say "c) your a total and complete fanboy."
"Its already known they haven't got the FPS controls for Wii down yet but it is known to be more fun the analog controls."
Go look up 'oxymoron'. I'll wait.
"Is that why its constantly be complimented for being beautiful while PS3 is being criticized for resemblying a grill."
You mean by your fellow Nintendo fans? Because nobody I know (several 20 and 30 something gamers from hardcore to casual) thinks the Wii looks like anything more than a box, or that the PS3 looks bad.
And yes, I own Metroid. No, it's not comparable to a mouse and keyboard. Shame on you for even making that comparison! Metroid may have more levels and be better designed and balanced, but I just can't abide that control scheme. Tap to jump? So you can't maneuver when jumping. You can't even use your right hand for buttons, relegating your left hand to the job of holding the DS plus tapping one shoulder button and d-pad. Sorry, Metroid control just doesn't cut it. Neither platform is what I'd call optimal for FPS, but even with the analog PSP nub limited as it is, it's more intuitive and flexible than devoting your right hand to a cramped little plastic stylus on a cramped little touchscreen.
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8-25-2006 @ 10:47AM
You dont need to know said...
@ 15 "As far as Metroid goes, I find tapping on things with the stylus to shoot kind of like playing duck hunt with the gun one inch from the screen."
I dont know if thats good or bad, but by that statement, it seems that you my friend have not really played that game. The default controls for the game doesnt include you tapping the screen to shoot down enemies, that was only in the Demo. And you shoot with with "L". Enough said, we are not here to talk about Metroid Hunters.
In the preview of the New MGS game, i saw a few pictures that had a graphics-novel style to it, is this how the cut-scenes are going to be represented?
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8-25-2006 @ 11:18AM
Player1 said...
Who cares. It's still no Syphon Filter.
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8-25-2006 @ 12:14PM
pixelator said...
One final note on this: While graphics don't always make the game, presentation is key with an FPS. On the DS, you're squinting at the one small, low resolution screen to see the two pixels off in the distance that MIGHT be an enemy, or might just be a crate of dildos.
On the PSP, everything else being equal, you can see more and in better detail - that means objects farther away are presented in higher definition and easier to identify. That's one instance of graphics affecting gameplay. This also applies to RTS or turn-based strategy games, where the number of units you can fit on a screen is quite dependent on the resolution and display size you're working with.
I'm not saying Metroid outright sucks, or that the DS can't ever do a decent RTS (or turn-based, as Advance Wars shows clearly), either. People with smaller hands or who don't mind working with the MGH control scheme and the DS display will have variable mileage.
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8-25-2006 @ 1:31PM
JacKal said...
Wow. Who let the fanboys out?
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