A PSP 2 Without 3D - Is That Good Enough?
Call me a bit spoiled, but is it just me or is it somewhat surprising that Sony skips its own 3D pitch for its next-generation PSP?
Designing a handheld game console, especially if you are Sony, is a tough call. You will have to come up with a device that challenges the dominance of Nintendo's DS and Nintendo's already legendary talent to attract consumers of all ages. True to Sony's approach, the PSP would have to be higher end than the DS. There is also new competition from the side of smartphones, devices that are now selling more than 50 million units every quarter, if we look at Android and the iPhone alone, and have the clear attention of developers.
Then there is Windows Phone 7, which had disappointing sales so far, but is clearly positioned as an extension of the Xbox 360 as well. Sony even plans to release a Playstation phone with the Xperia Play. What kind of device to you design and build in such a competitive scenario? How can a mobile game console be different from phones that are powerful enough to power high-resolution screens and run impressive 3D games?
Personally, I would have made the bet that Sony would extend its ubiquitous 3D story to the PSP 2, for reasons of platform consistency alone. The company recently filed a naked eye 3D patent and I have no doubt that there is enough knowledge and know-how to build a mobile 3D console. Despite all the criticism and claims that 3D is too hard on your eyes, even damaging for younger children, 3D has a certain appeal. It may not be selling in TVs today, but Nintendo is already dominating the best seller lists on Walmart.com and Amazon.com with its $250 3DS, due on March 27 in the U.S. It turns out that Sony had reasons not to go 3D and looked for different ways to push the next PSP to the high end.
It is impressive to see what you can pack into a small handheld today - a quad-core processor, a decent graphics engine to power a 960x544 pixel display, GPS, gyroscope, two cameras, etc. But powerful hardware may not be the technology that is going to play a role in winning or losing the battle. In virtually any type of gaming, we are now questioning the way how we interface with a game, how we control a game. Look at the Wii controller, Kinect, or PSP Move. Even the gyroscope approach in modern smartphones. There is a substantial change going on. Sony is following this trend, but has added a twist - an ingenious twist: The backside touchpad. Where Microsoft has disappointed with a simple me-too product (WP7), Sony has found a way to differentiate itself with a backside touchpad. The company has already filed a patent for the technology and the document is an interesting read, if you want to know how Sony intends to leverage the backside touchpad - and move it to cellphones as well.
In some cases, it may actually be more convenient to control a screen from the back, as this would allow you to naturally cradle a device in your hand. I hope that Sony does not go overboard with this idea, but I am glad to see that there are still companies who can come up with their own ideas and not rely on Apple.
A missing 3D feature could be a gap in Sony's product strategy and the fact that it is not included in this device could even hint to a slight switch in how Sony intends to distribute 3D content. Perhaps it isn't a big deal in the long run and given the hardware horsepower of the PSP 2, a 3D screen should not be impossible to add later on in the lifecycle of the device.
We should also remember that, while the new PSP will have a much crisper display, it will not be the high-resolution screen and the display itself that will lose or win the battle. It will be content, accessibility and the control interface. Sony will still need true killer apps for the PSP 2, but if this new device is priced in the neighborhood of the 3DS and the value of 3D games will get old at some point, Sony has a good shot at making a greater impact than it has with the original PSP.
A high-end game console always tends to attract hardcore gamers and there are fewer of those than casual or general gamers. However, Nintendo is taking a certain risk with the 3DS by taking it upmarket - and cut out quite a bit of its customer base. All my kids have their own DS consoles, but I won't be buying them $250 game consoles. This seems to be a device that caters at least to older teenagers than kids and there could be a chance that Sony is suddenly much more competitive as Nintendo is invading its turf. Even if the PSP's superior graphics did not win any battle in the last generation handheld game console, it may score in the higher-end market.
This is the best product I have seen from Sony since the original Playstation.
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Who invited James Cameron? Is a quad A9 and touchscreen not good enough for you people?
Well if the 3DS does succeed, then for sure the PSP 2 will include 3D.
all your kids have DS consoles, thats so nice for you Wolfgang Gruener, the checks you get from posting blogs that have stealth anti-Sony-Nintendo messages must allow you to do things the average families are not able to do until its christmas time, Microsoft must trully be a kind and generous god for you.
Oh and Apples products don't have real videogames, they are not even worthy maybe a few of being called one, Nintendo and Sony actually know how to make games not sell people consoles that burn in hell with red rings of death or phones or touch devices that break easily.
Its better
I've read very recent articles on hands-on experience with the new Nintendo 3DS and they all mentioned that the 3D effect dissappears when a gamer is not viewing the screen in an ideal way - so with motion-centric games, the 3D effect will most likely just be turned off. So i think Sony made the right decision as it seems like 3D on a handheld, as it is implemented by Nindtendo, is gimmicky at best.
Link: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19 [...] urn-video/
kids will get the 3DS to play rehashed versions of mario and pokemon , fail if you ask me.
I've read very recent articles on hands-on experience with the new Nintendo 3DS and they all mentioned that the 3D effect dissappears when a gamer is not viewing the screen in an ideal way - so with motion-centric games, the 3D effect will most likely just be turned off. So i think Sony made the right decision as it seems like 3D on a handheld, as it is implemented by Nindtendo, is gimmicky at best.Link: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19 [...] urn-video/
they once said that about Wii's motion controller. Look what happened(to the point of a copy cat game, analog stick,ruble pack, those may have been gimiky, now standard). Nintendo knows something we don't.
I personally hope 3d does not go too far, but if it does, get ready to see EVERYONE on board.
3D s still gimmicky and hasn't proven it can move consumer products and Sony, more than most, is painfully aware of this. Sounds like Sony was already going for broke loading this up with every margin breaking add-on they could think of. I know, I know they make it up later in software but they have to slap a price tag on this sometime that at least looks competitive.
The lack of 3D is a definite plus for me. I'm really getting kind of tired of the "oooh! it's 3D" talk going on with all the TV's, BD Players, game consoles and now I've been hearing the next thing in smartphones will be glasses free 3D displays. It's a frickin' phone for gods sake. This over hyped fad is worse than the motion control fad that the Wii started. Everyone that I know that has a Wii stopped even playing them within the first six months.
I'm personally glad it won't have 3D. I'm not buying into this 3D craze and won't until there's a glasses free option that has a great implementation that won't cause eye strain or degrade picture quality. I'll keep the 3D to the movie theater and with my own gadgets and TVs all I'm looking at is picture quality and viewing angle (OLED can't come fast enough!)
Kudos to Sony for the back touchpad! It's a nice little, but powerful feature IMO.
Cheers!
IMO, yes. In fact its better off without 3D. It would cost alot more to implement, and lots of early reviewers have said they turned it off on the 3DS after a few minutes.
Oh, and yes. I agree with the tough call on the 3D for the NGP. 3D is not bad in itself, is just another "eye candy" that can be welcome'd if done right (let me say that again: DONE RIGHT). Let's see if Nintendo does it right or keeps being a boring and non-giver feature.
Cheers!
Yea? I'll take high end graphics dual thumb sticks over half ass 3d that is spotty.
I don't think lack of 3D is any big deal. I personally don't have or want 3D for PC or console games, so it's even less of something that I'm interested in a handheld device supporting. Besides 3D will just reduce the amount of processing power that could be used for better 2D visuals, physics, etc. and will drive up costs.
The PSP2/NGP not having a 3D screen seems like an open and shut case to me: Sony saw what Nintendo was bringing to the table in terms of glasses-free 3D, deemed it not worthy to integrate into its NGP, and moved to a high-res OLED screen. Personally I'd rather have an OLED touchscreen anyways.
-Devin
Among many others it seems, I also am not greatly interested in 3D for certain applications. I haven't owned a handheld since the gameboy advance, so I don't really have a preference as far as DS and PSP goes. If I had to chose 3DS or PSP2 though, I would go with the PSP2; then again, I haven't used either of them. I think both will succeed though.
They should have implemented the NGP with their current 'with glasses 3d' as an option. so that people who can't afford a new 3d TV can experience 3d movies and games, provided that they get a pair of 3d glasses, this type of 3d is not affected by viewing angle like Nintendo's 'glasses free 3d' solution.
Hmm, wonder if Sony's patent and Apples patent are conflicting?
Apple's patent:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/np [...] 0070103454
Sony's Patent:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/np [...] 0110021251
Sounds like sony doesnt want me to get a headache from 3d...
3D is so overrated these days. Developers focus on effects and making it look good for 3D but many games lack a good story and nice gameplay.
This may be the last portable console that will be 2D
don't care for 3D. It's a silly gimmick.
Nintendo as usual goes for the quirky features, Sony caters to the traditional gamer. Nintendo may sell millions of these to "non-hardcore" crowd, but Sony still knows that there is still a market for the traditional gamers.
kids will get the 3DS to play rehashed versions of mario and pokemon , fail if you ask me.
Guess I'm a 25 year-old kid who has always wanted to play games like pilot wings and fucking star fox in 3-D.
I really am interested in this piece of tech, but the 3DS seems to be a bit more fun for me. I simply don't look at a handheld as an extension of a console. Sony does. If it works for them, fine. The problem is that, in the past, it hasn't. I'm not ready to drop a butt load of cash on a device that's based on a failed philosophy.
I have to hand it to them, though. I really didn't think we were this close to seeing true quad-core cpu's in a handheld.
im happy it doesn't have 3d!
Hook it up to a 60 inch Sony NX810 Bravia with 3D kit and press the "3D" button.... DS aint got shit on that!
I happen to like 3D as long as it's done right. Glasses-free 3D simply isn't there yet for televisions, and the jury is still out on the 3DS. Active shutter glasses was always, and always will be, a bad idea. Passive 3D, which was pushed at CES by LG, Vizio and Toshiba, is he best bet for 3D in the home until glasses-free is truly ready for consumers.
LOL @ the people saying Apple doesn't do real video games. WHO CARES, they are making squillions of dollars from, guess what? VIDEO GAMES!!!! and some of them are fun, isn't that what gaming is all about? having fun? not to mention all the stupid apps. That's why Sony is hooking up with Goolge Android to bring all that cheap content over, plus you will have good quality content from the PSN store, it's win win.
If you saw the PSP2 demo Monster Hunter and know that M.H just recently sold like 2 million in i'ts first week in Japan, then the PSP2 should sell at least a million units in its first week in Japan alone. The 3DS will be huge no matter what, Ninty have very clever marketing campaigns too boot as well.
Yes. It's good enough.
Looking at the new PSP... heck yes it is good enough. I AM going to get one. That thing is everything I could want in a handheld. I never bought a DS or a PSP. I played quite a few, but I am glad I never bought one. This though, the PSP 2, I will buy it and love it.
3D is kind of gimmicky to me. I don't like it, and I am not all that impressed thus far.
I
DON'T
GIVE
A
SINGLE
SHIT
ABOUT
3D
The fact that I have to pay $250 for a Nintendo handheld is horrible.