There is no handheld wars

[OrR]

Well, Nintendo's handhelds have been VERY conservative up until the DS and the desaster of the Virtual boy didn't much to encourage them to do anything different again. The SNES and Gamecube also were very conservative though I have to admit that the N64 was neat (if you forget the cartridges for a moment).
Sony was in a good position to conquer the handheld gaming masket but they messed up. Yes, they are the ones holding on to the traditional gaming experience but back then when the PSP wasn't yet finalized, I didn't think they'd be that stupid.

 

[The Teej]

The problem with the PSP is that it didn't have one set direction. It was a jack of all trades and a master of none. It played games, but then they tried to market it as a media player. When it started to dwindle as a media player, they went back to marketing games. Only problem is, the games were dwindling already.

It was trying to do everything and Sony didn't know how to market it properly. If Sony isn't careful, the PS3 will end up the same way. Jack of all trades, but master of none.

 

[Trune]

In my opinion it's the fact that the PSP was more expensive that is evidence to it 'losing'. Though Sony didn't set out to buy all the 13 year olds.

Still I love my DS because I'm a cheap ass

 

[Scorpin200]

Well hopefully sony won't be destroyed for good, because for a company to acel at what it does it has to have some competition at least. The way i see it microsoft isn't a opponent since they failed in japan, so however you look at it sony has to stay around for nintendo to have someone to beat up on

. I can't see them beating nintendo this time around anyway i look at it since nintendo is back in the zone, and all they need now are games to make them #1 again.

 

[Hadrian]

I think we're repeating ourselves with topics like these.

What actually is the whole PSP hardware, software, peripheral etc sales anyway? Are Sony making much profit out of the PSP? I keep seeing weekly sales but how about all time sales?

I'm sure Sony are far from dead, PS2 is still selling strong plus there are still quite few people who want one that should keep them going for a couple more years (like PS1 did).

 

[Ragone]

I enjoy the PSP for the fact I can try out and enjoy the small percentage of good games it has in the same way I play my DS games.

PSP has good games, but the thing I like best about it is that it doesn't have all these stupid kids games that the DS has, but that it's a more mature themed audience.

If only Nintendo would make more of those T and M rated games it could start to draw the older demographic in.

 

[berlinka]

Off course Sony is far from dead! But that's not the point here. There's one very important issue that the gaming world is concerned about. Who is going to be the leader of the handheld market!! I have always loved Nintendo for being so good in the handheld gaming segment (except the VB off course) and I was very afraid that Sony would take it all over. But after all, how could we have been so blind!! Handheld gaming is so much different than "normal" gaming. It's all about filling short moments of time (Hours upon hours of handheld gaming is VERY bad for your health, I can tell that from experiencing it), and Sony is all about SERIOUS GAMING! So like it has to LOOK good, SOUND good, it has to play like any other COOL console, THAT'S what they think are the only selling criteria. And now when it's almost too late they put out things like Loco Roco, retro-things like Ghouls 'n Ghosts, etc. They're finally agreeing that handheld gamers are more into short bursts of FUN!

And Sony was convinced (Nintendo too by the way) that both PSP and the DS could go well on their own. Two audiences with different gaming needs. Well, I get the feeling that that's not the deal here. There's just one Audience for Handheld Gaming. And the rest buy a PS(1/2/3), Xbox(360) or Gamecube/Wii. And also I don't believe as a result of this that audiences are all going to buy both an Xbox360 and a Wii or a PS3 and a Wii. Come on, Most people just buy a game console that fits their needs best.

 

[Blebleman]

What actually is the whole PSP hardware, software, peripheral etc sales anyway? Are Sony making much profit out of the PSP? I keep seeing weekly sales but how about all time sales?

I can give you the console sales for Japan.

Source: The Magicbox

 

[OrR]

Looks like the PSP outsold the Nintendo DS (Phat).

And the PS2 selling strong? Where?

It's logical that console sales are slow before the impending change of generations but THAT slow?

 

[ds6220]

If only Nintendo would make more of those T and M rated games it could start to draw the older demographic in.

I do wish there were more T or M rated games on the DS. RES is one of the few that come to mind. I guess the format of the touch screen and the mic and the two screens seems to lend itself better to more platformers and crazy touch type games that tend to be more of an E rating then M.

 

[OrR]

I think it's still the Nintendo name that scares adult game makers away. Come on, you could do sooo many brutal and pornographic things with a touchscreen...

 

[blizeH]

Are those figures from the original post JPN or US?

 

[OrR]

Most probably JPN.

 

[The Teej]

Japan, between the dates of Sept. 25th and Oct 1st.