Analyst Michael Pachter doesn't see a bright future for the PSP. In fact, he believes that we're nearing the end of the syste's run, due to the paltry release lineup for the remainder of the year. The introduction of the PSP Brite is seen as a sign of weakness, suggesting the redesign will confuse and anger more than excite. "Constant tech tweaks and upgrades might work for telephones, but they're not what gamers want ... it creates confusion, and leaves many users with older models feeling inadequate," Pachter told Das Gamer.Because everyone needs someone to blame, Pachter offers this advice: "Blame Japan," he says. He believes that Sony is being much too ambitious, handling the PS2, PSP and PS3 simultaneously. "[Japan]'s instructing the US to play catch-up with Microsoft on Xbox Live, step up its online game with Home, offer movie downloads and push the Blu-ray home theater initiative just to begin with. Something had to give. The company has been spreading itself too thin."
Ironically, PSP's strongest territory is Japan, where new releases continue to be announced on a regular basis. While we'd disagree that PSP is on a deathbed, it's obvious that drastic work needs to be done to change the current state of the PSP.
[Thanks, Ronnie D.!]
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
8-28-2008 @ 4:32AM
smi04 said...
Serious game development of Gundam and Mahjong games more like..
8-28-2008 @ 8:09AM
Jurgen said...
It's all the damn games they keep releasing exclusively to Japan. Damn it, we want our share because we bought a PSP just like them.
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8-28-2008 @ 8:29AM
Dr Haisook said...
The average American gamer will not accept nor enjoy an average Japanese game which on average is sophisticated, complicated, and long. In other words, the average Japanese gamer would play more hardcore games than an American counterpart. That's why a lot of Japanese games are not released in the US, and that's also why the PSP is doing better in Japan. People there ARE WILLING to sit down and play very complicated games until the end, while here people would get frustrated quickly.
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8-28-2008 @ 3:13PM
pixelator said...
"The average American gamer will not accept nor enjoy an average Japanese game which on average is sophisticated, complicated, and long."
Have you seen many Japanese DS games?
Look at big US released titles: God of War, GTA, Ratchet and Clank, Daxter, etc. The problem isn't that US games are too simple, or that Japanese games are too complex. It's that if you look at all the big titles on Metacritic, they're mostly from 2005-2007! In the top 30 critically ranked PSP games they list, FIVE are from 2008 and most are either sequels of popular franchises or straight ports from consoles like the PS2.
THAT is what's wrong with the PSP right now. And what's wrong with the US games isn't a lack of complexity but the fact that so many of them just plain SUCK or are mildly warmed over rehashes of older games - like the mountain of junkware licensed cartoon crap on the DS. It's almost all from the USA. There's exceedingly few truly original game ideas on this side of the Pacific these days.
8-28-2008 @ 9:10AM
strike said...
Nice picture. Blame's a great anime =P
Back to the point...... I don't think the psp is dead yet, there are still many games to come, such as dissidia, birth by sleep, resistance, super stardust portable......
Anyway, I've just sold my psp for a ps3, but I am definitely planning on buying the psp-3000. I hope the dissidia psp is a brite....
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8-28-2008 @ 9:22AM
thisguyrighthere said...
PSP has been in it's death throes for a while now. The 2000 should have been a chance for everyone on the fence about the PSP to adopt but there aren't any must have games for the thing outside of the world of Sony fanboys. What little surge there was has long since faded. The release of the 3000 is just embarrassing.
Maybe if the few decent titles the PSP had were actually playable (dual analog, hello?) I wouldn't had hated the thing as much as I did and currently do. SOCOM, Syphon Filter, MoH, all should have been amazing. Instead, they were frustrating and playing them made one feel handicapped and half-retarded.
The PSP was doomed the moment some board decided the UMD was great and one analog stick was enough. It's like those who approved it were secretly working for Microsoft and trying to make Sony look like a bunch of clowns.
Look at all the great colors their clown machine comes in!
I hate you PSP.
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8-28-2008 @ 9:23AM
Hilarioustragedy said...
It is pricing that is the doom of psp. I bought three psps at random from ebay last week. two of these were on ofw 2.71 and one was on cfw 3.52OE-A. I know this is a very tiny cross section but it leads to the deduction that those with ofw are only playing older games and the only ones that can afford newer games are those running cfw, i.e. getting them for free. I know a lot of people who would like a psp but I know no one besides myself who actually owns one because they represent a massive outlay that is beyond the pocket of the average consumer. A survey was done recently which showed that the average consumer owned 3-4 games. As I own 11 I must assume that many people own 1 or 2. This is making almost no use of the system. Is it any wonder people are losing interest, they spend hundreds of pounds and only get a handful of games. In this scenario you want every game to be worth it but I am afraid many are simply not worth the prices.
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8-29-2008 @ 12:26AM
andwhyisit said...
I own somewhere near 15 UMD titles and CFW, do I win?
Oh and I needed to upgrade in order to play crisis core. Others might upgrade for new pops versions. And a sample of 3 psps will not give you any conclusive evidence, buy 50,000 at least. lol.
8-28-2008 @ 9:27AM
Wazzim said...
the only thing SONY can do now is put some money in the psp (they never really invest in the handheld) world wide marketing, get more games for it, more colours and more marketing (again). Present the psp as something new and fresh, entertainment, file browsing (powerpoint etc.) , many WIFI functions. The PSP2 is not needed and would not help, people must get used to have a PSP with them for anything (blackberry but than with more entertainment) slogan:
THE PSP IS NEW AND FRESH AND FAR BETTER THAN THE DS!
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8-28-2008 @ 10:54AM
Edge said...
Actually, I tend to agree that PSP still has a solid life ahead of it... and that such a life has nothing to do with the UMD format. The approach needs some tweaking though.
The UMD games for the PSP should die off and digital distro should be the primary distribution method... for EVERY game.
But the most unfortunate truth is that the PSP has a hard time standing on it's own without a PS3 to support it.
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8-28-2008 @ 11:14AM
will said...
i just bought a psp, mostly because i have been travelling a lot. there are a bunch of great games in the back catalog for me to play (at least 20 or so titles worth buying) but for people who have had these for a long time, I have to admit the future doesn't look great.
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8-28-2008 @ 12:06PM
Kratos said...
I don't see it dying off. Sales in the US are getting better and we are getting better "Western" games. As long as they keep making shooter/military games for the psp, they will sell in the U.S. and to some degree in Europe.
I also agree that just because there is a new version, it doesn't mean I feel like I have to get it. Mine slim work fine. When it breaks, I'll get a new one.
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8-28-2008 @ 12:42PM
j.howlett said...
i just wish they'd make it easier to get stuff through the ps3. i shouldn't need a PC if the ps3 is online.
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8-28-2008 @ 1:06PM
Maurice said...
Resistence Retribution, Patapon 2, Loco Roco 2, FF Dissidia, Kingdom Hearts, 3rd Birthday, FF XIII Agito, and new games from Capcom... I don't think that this is a poor line-up
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8-28-2008 @ 1:57PM
GoBob said...
This is the place where we discount an analyst's opinion and scream, "B-B-B-BUT PIRACY!!!111" without understanding that correlation does not imply causation, right?
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8-28-2008 @ 5:27PM
biffpow said...
Go Bob indeed.
Nicely put.
8-29-2008 @ 12:11AM
andwhyisit said...
rofl.
8-28-2008 @ 10:12PM
Don said...
I hate Sony. But I truly love the PSP.
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8-28-2008 @ 10:59PM
Tyler said...
Want to know why the real reason why the PSP is not doing well? Well, because you are insane if you think you can beat nintendo at the handheld market, a market that they have had over 90% control of in the last 20 years. SIF SONY!
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8-29-2008 @ 12:10AM
andwhyisit said...
Well the PSP had no trouble beating the DS over in Japan. I call BS.