E3: PSP

[A Black Falcon]

OB1, the problem is that no evidence short of absolute proof from the actual unit will "convince" you -- and even then I have my doubts. For instance, this.

Nice comparison of the PSP and DS. Worth reading.
http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/516/516005p1.html

(from one of the Nintendo IGN guys)

The PSP also has a high capacity disc format for developers to make some massive games. 1.8 gigabyte discs versus 128 megabyte carts means that developers aren't quite as restricted in their game designs. On the flipside, a drive is something that requires a motor, and that's an element that will come into play a lot more than people realize. After talking to developers, it's clear that, since the battery life of the PSP will significantly drop when hitting the drive to load data, game designers will most likely be encouraged to steer away from the "streaming" style of data retrieval. So games like Jak 2, where the seamless worlds and levels are assisted by in-the-background transparent disc streaming, will more than likely be cut back significantly if programmers can't figure a way around the battery life issue.

This part is interesting too, for a different reason... hadn't really thought of this for this case...

My biggest issue with the PSP is that, really, it's just a shrunk down current-generation console. In theory this sounds great, since you can take PS2-quality games on the go. But the problem here is going to be simply one thing: expectations. Budgets for PlayStation 2 game development encroaches and many times exceeds the million-dollar pricetag. And the GBA market has proven that US consumers aren't willing to pay a premium for portable games over console titles. But with the system's capabilities being so darn close to a PlayStation 2, gamers will expect a similar experience. So, Sony will have to set a MSRP at less than what an average PS2 game goes for. And that will cut into the profit structure of the publishers and developers, which means budgets to make these games will have to be sliced as well. It's a sticky situation that's currently a big question mark…will developers and publishers embrace the system even if it's not nearly as profitable to support as the Nintendo DS…or even the Game Boy Advance.

(easiest solution: porting. Unlike the DS, which is a much tougher console to port to.)