Is the gamecube good?

[OB1]

If they want to they can easily make a better handheld then the PSP, hardware-wise. But like I said, it all depends on how much they're willing to sell it for.

[Great Rumbler]

Developers would have to spend a lot of time and money to improve the graphics of their PS1 games to make them stand up to the system's original content

Developers like money and if they see that the PSP is going to offer them a chance to make some quick money with little effort they're going to start bringing in the ports.

[OB1]

Publishers are indeed greedy, but it would be like releasing straight NES ports for the GBA.

[Weltall]

And don't be surprised if Sony cuts the price and sells the PSP at a hefty loss. If that $99 PS2 rumor comes to pass, it's the same strategy, and it's quite effective. The big money comes from software.

For perspective, a PS2 Greatest Hits title gets Sony about 150% of the profit a PS2 console sale does. With normal titles it's nearly 400%. It's the same with all companies. Console sales alone are worth nothing financially, it's what you sell with them that makes the cashola flow. If Sony can put together a great lineup, they might very well be able to afford to eat some PSP losses.

[Great Rumbler]

Originally posted by OB1
Publishers are indeed greedy, but it would be like releasing straight NES ports for the GBA.

If they thought that doing so would make them a huge chunk of cash they'd do it.

[OB1]

Then why don't they do it for the GBA? Unless of course it's a compilation game, in which case it's alright.

[A Black Falcon]

Huh? What do you mean? PSX games on a sub-PS2 won't be like NES games on a GBA... its not quite SNES on GBA either, of course, though. But the companies don't care. They are cheap... especially on handheld games. I fully expect to see LOTS of PSX ports... maybe with small enhancements, but not huge remakes of the games. And PS2 games? Probably... downgraded some, maybe/probably. But it'll be full of ports. Expecting any less is delusional.

[OB1]

Actually the difference between PS1-quality graphics and DC-quality graphics is far great than the NES and SNES. I expect to see enhanced PS1 ports, but definitely not straight ports like we're getting with the GBA. And having to make an enhanced port of the PS1 game is much more difficult than just doing a straight SNES-to-GBA port, so there's a good chance that porting will be less frequent than it is with the GBA.

[A Black Falcon]

Nah, companies are just too cheap in regards to handheld games to make that much of an effort.

[OB1]

That's how it is now because there's no competition in the market, so of course they're lazy. Do you think that Nintendo is going to continue letting Intelligent Systems be the only original GBA developer now that Sony is entering the market? Oh hell no. Nintendo is going to try everything they can to stay on top in the handheld industry, and I'm 100% positive that they're already putting many many resources into Gameboy 4 developement.

[A Black Falcon]

True, more resources will be expended with two systems... but so much as to break the port/not as good version of a multiconsole title cycle the portable market has been in since its inception? I doubt it very much.

[OB1]

Well if Nintendo's next system is at least as powerful as the PSP then N64 ports will be a no-no and GC ports will be impossible. Enhanced N64 ports, certainly.

[A Black Falcon]

We'll see... but I bet you'll be dissapointed. :)

[Great Rumbler]

Nintendo needs to make a handheld that can, at the very least, play mid-range N64 games, such as Mario 64 and Zelda:OoT and release the handheld with ports of both of those games.

[A Black Falcon]

I think they will have to compete graphically with whatever the PSP actually ends up able to do...

[OB1]

If it's only as powerful as an N64 then the PSP will have an enormous technological advantage over the next Gameboy.

[A Black Falcon]

Isn't that what I just said?

[OB1]

We posted at the same time. I was replying to GR.

[A Black Falcon]

Ah. :)