[starman]

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3148983&did=1

Despite the fact that the DS is leading in Japan:

At any rate, it seems as if Nintendo and Sony are in a statistical tie. The most recent numbers that Nintendo has reported are that the DS sold 3.97 million units in the US by the end of 2005, putting them right up against Sony's figure. For the time being, arguments about who's leading in the U.S. are moot, because nobody is.

Chew on that.

[Big Mac]

I think the more important fact is that most every PSP owner I come across spends a significant amount of time playing emus instead of the console's titles.

[Super Mario]

Originally Posted by Big Mac

I think the more important fact is that most every PSP owner I come across spends a significant amount of time playing emus instead of the console's titles.

Free software and piracy is not platform specific.

[Ghoser777]

Starman, is your name from Earthbound?

[starman]

Originally Posted by Ghoser777

Starman, is your name from Earthbound?

It's not from anything. My friend Christine gave me the name in '88.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Super Mario

Free software and piracy is not platform specific.

right, but theyve created a device which made it easy and portable. this is attractive. its not really a "feature", but i would say it certainly made more than a few sales for them.

[Stogieman]

DS Trampling PSP in Japan
U.S. sales also show Nintendo with strong lead in the states.
by Hilary Goldstein

December 8, 2006 - According to a new Famitsu Marketing survey, Sony's PlayStation Portable is getting walloped in Japan by Nintendo's DS. In November alone, the PSP sold a mere 86,000 units compared to nearly 550,000 DS Lites. More shocking are numbers for the first 11 months of the year, which show that Nintendo may have all but closed the door on PSP in Japan. The DS and DS Lite have sold more than 7.5 million units so far this year, with PSP selling just 1.6 million units.

Further troubling for Sony's portable system are its software sales in comparison to Nintendo. PSP has sold 2.8 million games to date this year, while Nintendo has sold 27 million games. This is what is referred to in business as a clobbering.

The battle is a bit closer in the U.S., though Nintendo retains a strong lead month-to-month. In November, likely the busiest sales month of the year, twice as many DS Lites were sold as PSPs.

Publicly, Sony has shown nothing but confidence for the future of the PSP. Despite having weaker sales numbers compared to DS, the PSP had a strong year in terms of quality software. Nine of the twelve PSP games to receive a 9.0 or higher from IGN were released in 2006.


SOURCE: IGN

[ambush]

DS is clearly leading.

I would have KEPT my PSP if H264-on-a-stick would have been possible...
But Sony is **** and sells movies too.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by starman 

It's not from anything. My friend Christine gave me the name in '88.

see, now you ruined it.

every time i see a post of your's i think to myself... "what is kidnappid"? ha! (not sure how you would spell what jeff said to karen)

[itai195]

Originally Posted by starman 

Chew on that.

I think it's the end of 2006 now

[quattrokid73]

i had the option of getting either and i did some research first. i went to two different Gamestops and both clerks said that the PSPs are less popular but also get traded back in much more, at a crazy 10:1ish ratio. I also looked up system reviews and title reviews.

for portable gaming, the DS's titles seemed very appealing and are generally very fun. The system is very capable and where it lacks in in raw power, it makes up for in ease of use, great design, and touch screen play. the wifi is very smooth too. although PSP has some good titles too, it is less portable friendly, much worse on battery life, and things are more expensive. the DS gets excellent battery life, is very good looking, awesome screens, and fun titles.

i dont regret my decision having played both now, and really, the DS is so 'apple' in its design, i had to....

*all 'DS' references are to the DS Lite....

My Black DS Lite looks like its from the same genes as my black Ipod Video 5g.

They make a great team on the road.

[Hawkeye_a]

Originally Posted by itai195 

I think it's the end of 2006 now

We're talking about 2005 !!!!! Nevermind the "NOW"

[Peter]

the DS must be winning. easily.

[- - e r i k - -]

I smell another 15 page thread coming on.

And damn, now it will haunt my User CP forever.

[JoshuaZ]

You can walk into any store in Japan and buy a PSP. You`re stuck on a waiting list to buy a DS.

Oh, why I now LOVE owning a DS more than ever. (I would have included a direct link, but my office blocks youtube. This game greeeeeeaaaaaaatttttt!)

Joshua Zimmerman - Jump Ultimate Stars

[PowerPc = Pwnage]

The Psp has a stunning design, but it has two great flaws, there are hardly any good games for those under the age of 17 (New York) (GTA) , and in the games, the graphics suck! You can have a full HD movie in there, but you cannot make a game with decent graphics?

[goMac]

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ 

You can walk into any store in Japan and buy a PSP. You`re stuck on a waiting list to buy a DS.

Oh, why I now LOVE owning a DS more than ever. (I would have included a direct link, but my office blocks youtube. This game greeeeeeaaaaaaatttttt!)

Joshua Zimmerman - Jump Ultimate Stars

Oh man. My sister would be all over that game.

Shame it's too late probably to import it for Christmas.

[JoshuaZ]

Originally Posted by goMac 

Oh man. My sister would be all over that game.

Shame it's too late probably to import it for Christmas.

Its never too late. You can always give her a card thats says `Hold may redeme this card for one copy of Jump Ultimate Stars on X date.` Plus it would really throw her off as it was just a card.

The game is great. Online fighting, endless unlocking and custom team building. Get her the game.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ 

Its never too late. You can always give her a card thats says `Hold may redeme this card for one copy of Jump Ultimate Stars on X date.` Plus it would really throw her off as it was just a card.

The game is great. Online fighting, endless unlocking and custom team building. Get her the game.

Yeah. The only problem is she doesn't know Japanese. She reads the English version of Shonen Jump. I think the Japanese might confuse her a bit.

She loves Smash though.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ 

You can walk into any store in Japan and buy a PSP. You`re stuck on a waiting list to buy a DS.

Oh, why I now LOVE owning a DS more than ever. (I would have included a direct link, but my office blocks youtube. This game greeeeeeaaaaaaatttttt!)

Joshua Zimmerman - Jump Ultimate Stars

Use manual focus with your camera man

[brokenjago]

I own both a PSP and a DS Lite, and I own 36 games (and rapidly coutning) for the DS, and 3 for the PSP. I'm looking to sell my PSP.

[quattrokid73]

LOL broken...

i feel like id love to own 36 as opposed to my two...so many look good!

also....

Debris: designer ipod cases, designer handbags and designer clothing makes nice DS lite cases...same with SFBags - WaterField Designs - Page Redirection

[JoshuaZ]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Use manual focus with your camera man

I'm only an English teacher. I can't afford such things as "manual" cameras! Do I look like I'm made of Cameras?

You can find nice online translations of everything in the game. Plus maybe it will motivate her to learn japanese. (I guess it all depends on your sister's age. I mean if we're talking 13, maybe not. But if she's 16 or 17 she could always try and pick up hiragana and katakana.)

Anyhoo. Fun game. DS is a fun time in Japan. Its a fun time anywhere.

[Hawkeye_a]

I really like my DS. the next game im planning on getting is Zelda Phantom Hourglass (which has been delayed). i havent gotten through NSMB or Metroid Prime Hunters yet.

[itai195]

Originally Posted by quattrokid73 

same with SFBags - WaterField Designs - Page Redirection

Cool, I asked them to make one a few months ago. Obviously they listened

[quattrokid73]

now id like some more manufactureres to do it...maybe some that are stylish but have more function like the waterfield.

[Hawkeye_a]

iPhone, so what of the PSP now ? we got a widescreen movie player that can hold at least 2 movies out of the box without having to pay extra for a memory stick. not to mention..... music, widgets, web, phone.... and lo-and-behold a touch screen (that gimmick the DS had). is this the final nail in the PSP's coffin ?

[starman]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a 

iPhone, so what of the PSP now ? we got a widescreen movie player that can hold at least 2 movies out of the box without having to pay extra for a memory stick. not to mention..... music, widgets, web, phone.... and lo-and-behold a touch screen (that gimmick the DS had). is this the final nail in the PSP's coffin ?

Give me a break.

[Brien]

Just here to say JoshuaZ is right and JUS rocks.

[Jawbone54]

The PSP was dying before the iPhone was announced today.

[starman]

iPhone, so what of the DS now ? we got a widescreen movie player that can hold at least 2 movies out of the box without having to pay extra for a memory stick. not to mention..... music, widgets, web, phone.... and lo-and-behold a touch screen (that gimmick the DS had). is this the final nail in the DS's coffin ?

[mdc]

Speaking of the DS. I bought Cooking Mama yesterday, it's awesome. It's such a crap idea but it's so much fun. You peel potatoes, cut up stuff, mix soup, etc, but it's just really fun.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by starman 

iPhone, so what of the DS now ? we got a widescreen movie player that can hold at least 2 movies out of the box without having to pay extra for a memory stick. not to mention..... music, widgets, web, phone.... and lo-and-behold a touch screen (that gimmick the DS had). is this the final nail in the DS's coffin ?

I don't think a phone will replace a portable gaming device. Although one might do the same things, the price points and what it was really designed for set them apart.

[Hawkeye_a]

Originally Posted by starman 

Give me a break.

PSP was supposed to be an awesome portable game console, right ?...except for the games and the battery life.

So a couple of technophiles said its awesome for movies and music, except you have to buy those expensive memory cards, and the videos have to be recompressed for the PSP. BUT BUT..it has a huge widescreen....

Well, now you have the iPhone taking over that functionality with a widescreen touchscreen, 4GB of memory, a "real" OS, a phone and a camera. Suffice to say, people have chosen the NDS/Lite for gaming.....so for all the media stuff...why would anyone choose the PSP over the iPhone.

What's the PSP's competitive advantage now ..... price ? no...battery life ? no. features ? no...software ? heck no.

The NDS is a dedicated gaming console, different market to the iPhone. the iPhone and PSP cross over as media players.... and in that space, the iPhone is a much better media player with better value than the PSP.

How's that for a "break".

[starman]

You're such a fanboy. OWN a PSP and then come back.

[brokenjago]

I own a PSP and I agree with most of what Hawkeye said. I rarely (if ever,) play it, and when I do, battery life drains so quickly I can hardly enjoy it. With my DS lite, when I'm done playing, I just close it and put it to sleep. It's been in this state for WEEKS and I have been able to simply open the lid and continue from where I left off. The PSP? 6 or so hours in sleep mode, then dead.

Lame.

Also, the PSP doesn't have any good games. Sure, there's Mega Man X (which is a remake, but a good one, I'll admit) but nothing that's going to keep me tied to the system. I have 40 or so games for my DS.

[Jawbone54]

40 games, but you've left it asleep for weeks at a time? Give it to me.

[Hawkeye_a]

Originally Posted by starman 

You're such a fanboy. OWN a PSP and then come back.

haha sneaky, veryyyy sneaky...nice try tho... im not stupid to waste my money on one.

[Stogieman]

PSP Shipments Decline 72%, Hurt Sony Q3 Earnings
By Scott M. Fulton, III, BetaNews
January 30, 2007, 12:06 PM

The sharp rise in demand for high-definition televisions and steady uptick in digital cameras more than offset what would otherwise have been bad news for Sony Corp. yesterday, precipitated by its computer gaming division: Over the holiday quarter, the company shipped 71.7% fewer PlayStation Portable units and 23.3% fewer PlayStation 2 consoles worldwide than during the 2005 holiday season, while at the same time it was ramping up PlayStation 3 shipments to North America, Japan, and Asia.

Sony's PS3 shipment goals may have been adjusted once or twice, but the company finally did manage to ship 1.84 million units before the end of the year.

But those aren't sales, and as anyone in the book publishing business will tell you, you can't monetize based on what leaves your warehouse - especially when some of it could come right back. Sony's fiscal third quarter earnings report, released yesterday, shows clear signs of the same trend Microsoft warned about last week: a possible softening in global demand, specifically for video games.

While it was an accepted fact that Sony would lose money on its initial PS3 sales, due to the high manufacturing cost relative to its suggested retail prices, the company had expected to offset some of that decline by moving the PS2 into the value market, reducing its price and turning up the promotional volume through mass retailers. But the PS2 campaign apparently fizzled; meanwhile, demand for the PSP appears to be collapsing, at a time when demand for the competing Nintendo DS portable appears strong and steady.

Booming consumer electronics sales in nearly all other categories indicates that the economy isn't the reason. One very real possibility is that the value proposition for PSP as an all-around consumer hi-tech gadget, rather than just a wireless joystick with a screen on it, may be deteriorating at the onset of prospects for newer and more enticing devices, such as the Apple iPhone.

A few weeks ago, Info-Tech Research senior analyst Carmi Levy told us the Apple iPhone and the PSP could be going head-to-head in the battle for consumers' mindshare, and that the Apple device may already have won.

"Feature-for-feature, clearly you can see that the iPhone is a very strong match-up to the PSP," Levy told BetaNews, "and certainly competes very well against the PSP, but I think the truth of the matter is that the PSP is already yesterday's news and is fading from the scene, whereas the iPhone is clearly tomorrow's news, and is very much a growth opportunity for the market going forward."

While it might not make sense that a communications device could be considered competitive against a gaming device, consider the fact that CE suppliers in all market categories are going after the same consumer, who has just one budget and one disposable income. Although the Apple iPhone isn't even available anywhere, its $500 price tag gives consumers something to want to save for.

"Considering how badly the PSP has stumbled in the market over the last 12 months, I would say the war is already won," Levy continued. "Unless Sony completely reinvents the platform and re-engages developers to once again support the platform -- because they have, for all intents and purposes, abandoned it -- Apple's going to steamroll them quite effectively."

As a Web surfing device, for example, the Apple iPhone provides what Levy calls a "less compromising experience" than the PSP.

"It's a full Web experience; the pages are not dumbed down, the iPhone does not force the end user to go through a convoluted browsing process. It's browsing the way we have all come to know browsing. So you can easily call up a Web site and interact with it; whereas the PSP is not quite as fully featured; a lot more advanced Web functions will not run on a PSP. You can't stream stuff onto a PSP as you can onto an iPhone. But the PSP is clearly an earlier generation device that defined the market then failed to exploit it; the iPhone is likely going to have a better time of it."

While revenue in Sony's games division actually rose 5.6% over the prior quarter, to USD$3.7 billion, the high cost of PS3 drove resulted in a net loss of USD$455 million for that quarter. That put a drag on Sony's overall numbers: With total corporate revenue up nearly 10% to $21.9 billion on the quarter, income decreased by an annual rate of nearly 15% to $1.5 billion. This while the Electronics division -- responsible for the Bravia upper-end brand -- reaped $1.5 billion, an increase of 102.8% over the prior year.


SOURCE: BetaNews

[goMac]

They might as well have called it the Sony Game Gear.

[Jawbone54]

I had a Game Gear. That thing was HUUUGE, but I remember liking it, especially the MLB game.

[Jim Paradise]

Originally Posted by goMac 

They might as well have called it the Sony Game Gear.

Woah woah woah! No one badmouths Game Gear. It was great.

[King Bob On The Cob]

I still can't find a DS lite at Best Buy. I haven't since Christmas. They literally stock PSPs right next to the DS games (And right next to where the DS Lite should be) because they don't seem to be able to move them at all.

[pyrite]

i really want to like both products, but neither have really impressed me (which is why i own neither)..
funnily enough i still play GBA games when i want to play something portable (on a GB Micro) as IMHO the PSP is not impressive enough for the money as a games machine (graphics arent as good as they should be, shortage of excellent games), and neither is the DS. only my opinion, but if i want to play nice, current games i'll play them on my Xbox360 on a HDTV instead of on an expensive handheld. handhelds will never even come close to consoles in terms of power, so why pay extra for a mega-powerful handheld when you can just get something with great games for cheaper (like a GBA) instead?

[quattrokid73]

i game on my DS for a different experience. the touchscreen works great, and i generally play lighter games like the mario series, which dont rely on raw graphics.

whats absurd about the game gear is it killed SIX!!! double A batteries every 6 hours.

i just got mario hoops for DS and its amazing.

Adam

[angelmb]

Then you would love Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (for DS), is really nice.

[Jawbone54]

I've heard nothing but good things about Hotel Dusk. I'd love to give it a go. It's sort of like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel, except on DS with highly stylized graphics.

[OwlBoy]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Then you would love Hotel Dust: Room 215 (for DS), is really nice.

Hotel Dusk

-Owl

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Jim Paradise 

Woah woah woah! No one badmouths Game Gear. It was great.

I had a Game Gear, and it was pretty bad.

Always wanted a Nomad though...

[Dakar²]

I liked the Game Gear. A bit a head of its time, though.