13th December 2004, 2:33 PM
Convergence has all the buzz, but has it produced any RESULTS? I haven't seen much. As far as I can see anyway it seems like something that "everyone says is big" but doesn't actually have THAT huge a popular support... at least not in the US... though with stuff like the failure of the PSX in Japan there is some degree of it there as well.
As for how the PSP will do... it will do well as a game console. As a music player or a movie player? I doubt that it'll exactly be competing with the iPod anytime soon. Movies... who knows, it depends if people want to buy films that they can ONLY play in their PSP (yes, I know about GB Video, but that's kids cartoons and only like half an hour, not full movies...)... they try to move into other markets but gaming is the main one and it's where their support will come from. Older age group than past handhelds? Yeah, seems so. But I don't see it destroying the iPod or becoming a major film release platform or anything.
The DS has just as good a chance at some of this too. Nintendo wouldn't do it, but if they wished they could compete with PDAs (the wireless network chat program that comes built into the DS is one thing it does in the realm of 'using touchscreens for things other than games'...)... music? There is already a third party GBA addon that plays music, and for radio, and movies have stuff like GB Video... none are focuses for the system, but it does them and that's all that's really needed (if it's really needed at all).
Sony's influence bleeding over? Somewhat. But Nintendo's hold on the market won't be forgotten, and some people will choose the DS because it's out now and not six months from now or something or because it is truly innovative, which the PSP is most definitely not.
As for how the PSP will do... it will do well as a game console. As a music player or a movie player? I doubt that it'll exactly be competing with the iPod anytime soon. Movies... who knows, it depends if people want to buy films that they can ONLY play in their PSP (yes, I know about GB Video, but that's kids cartoons and only like half an hour, not full movies...)... they try to move into other markets but gaming is the main one and it's where their support will come from. Older age group than past handhelds? Yeah, seems so. But I don't see it destroying the iPod or becoming a major film release platform or anything.
The DS has just as good a chance at some of this too. Nintendo wouldn't do it, but if they wished they could compete with PDAs (the wireless network chat program that comes built into the DS is one thing it does in the realm of 'using touchscreens for things other than games'...)... music? There is already a third party GBA addon that plays music, and for radio, and movies have stuff like GB Video... none are focuses for the system, but it does them and that's all that's really needed (if it's really needed at all).
Sony's influence bleeding over? Somewhat. But Nintendo's hold on the market won't be forgotten, and some people will choose the DS because it's out now and not six months from now or something or because it is truly innovative, which the PSP is most definitely not.