Is the PSP teh D00med?

[Dogg Thang]

The PSP game sections of most game shops near me are getting smaller and smaller and squeezed into corners. Game seems to have a 2 for 1 offer on just about every PSP game that isn't God of War.

That's usually a sign that it won't be long before it gets booted out altogether. Is the PSP on its last legs? What do you reckon?

[BeyondJumpFish]

I've had a psp for over a 2 years now and its just thown in a draw. I never buy games for it. I bought it when it first came out in japan with Lumines and Ridge Racer, both kicked ass, then wipeout came and kicked some more ass...but it just seems too thin on the ground. I think it should go under now so sony can concentrate on the PS3.

[arcnas]

Its still going strong in the states , i hope it dosent , when it can do games of God of war quality, i cant see why it wont still be around for years to come yet.

[merf]

i still buy odd games for it but its such a flawed bit of kit, rubbish buttons, rubbish d-pad, horrible ergonomics and awful load times.

everything a handheld shouldn't be

even the games i like are ruined by hand cramp and the crap buttons.

i'd like to play patapon and pro evo more on the go but it takes 2 stops on the train to load pro evo from a cold start, and the square button you have to hit repeatedly in patapon often gets stuck in he casing.

shame as its quite powerful and has a nice screen.

[usman]

That's interesting...here (in Canadaland) the PSP is doing very well, strength to strength and all that. The same is the case in the US I understand, and also, from what the charts look like, Japan as well. Europe may be the weaker market for the PSP, I'm assuming.

It's nowhere near on its way out, not with success it has not had previous in two major territories, even if ti may be limping in the UK and even Europe at large.

To the poster above - the d-pad is very much improved over the PSP-1000; as EG and others have noted, SF Alpha is finally truly playable now. To most perhaps? Sounds like you have a bad unit perhaps, what with your square button also sticking and whatnot, certainly not something symptomatic of all PSPs.

Most important to note is that the quality of the games is on the up-and-up, has been for some time, and continues to be so. I really do think the claim that the PSP is weak in the games library department is very old-hat, especially - no offense intended - ones that mention the old yarn of Lumines and Ridge Racer wowing at first with nothing since. Rubbish! The PSP has much to offer; one really only needs browse these very forums. Perhaps it won't suit some, but that doesn't detract from its being a lovely console on all fronts/genres regardless.

[Dogg Thang]

Well I personally have no doubts about the PSP's game catalogue. I'm just going on local store visibility and nothing more.

[Fuddle]

i bought one psp game last year (the awful audition portable) and i cant think of anything coming up that i want.

still glad i got it though. its worth it for ridge racers and initial d.

[usman]

Well I personally have no doubts about the PSP's game catalogue. I'm just going on local store visibility and nothing more.

yeah absolutely mate - I was referring to the pther poster, but no offense intended ot him/her/it all the same

[boxhead]

I love my psp. I have about 35 games for it and really don't understand why people dislike it. sure the pad is crap, but you can buy stick on dpads for £3.50 and thats that problem solved. And what about all the homebrew stuff? thats great.

[capcom_suicide]

I still buy games for mine. Mostly retro collections. I also use homebrew for emulating my old games and it works a treat.

The best thing I ever did was to buy the JAP Ghouls n Ghosts that came with a D-Pad replacement. After I added that the machine improved 10 fold.

What Sony should do now, is give users the option to install games to the memory brick, just like Homebrew folk have been doing for years, and just like the PS3 allows officially.

If I can install games (Legally) on my PS3, then why not on PSP? You can make it so the UMD needs to be inserted for a quick anti-piracy check, and then play of the Memory card. Less battery, quicker loading.

[Darwock]

I have used my PSP *daily* for the last 18 months - it provides all my portable music and video (in fact when I left the UK I transferred my entire DVD collection onto PSP format files)... for me it's the most useful bit of kit I've ever owned! The games are really a secondary matter for me, but I haven't needed more than a handful - been playing Parodius Portable on it for the last 10 months or so, recently I've been diverted from that by Um Jammer Lammy (d/led from the PSN),

It's also been an invaluable asset for living in Japan, as with the GPS add-on and a copy of "Everybody's Map 2" I have never, ever gotten lost - and I've had to test it a good few times when I've had an impossible schedule and no way of reaching a train station. I can't speak for Europe but in Japan the PSP sections are a very healthy size. Nothing compared to DS mind you.

[112]

Im not sure about on its way out, but out of all tehcurrent gen consoles it is the least appealing to me. Its mainly due to the low batt life, the thought of having to recharge every couple of days (depending on use) is a pain..........

112

[MikeRox]

Well I personally have no doubts about the PSP's game catalogue. I'm just going on local store visibility and nothing more.

Doesn't have touchable dogs or Pokemon = screwed

I've noticed the PSP is rather "quiet" outside of your main game shops here, kinda reminds me of what it was like for the GameCube. It's outpacing the DS at times in Japan now though and tied for Japanes best selling console (current sales not cumulative). The PS3, PS2 and Xbox 360 are like a completely different league saleswise to the DS, Wii and PSP in Japan.

[saif]

I use mine a lot now, if you remote play and linkup with the PS3 it is a stunning piece of kit. PSN games are cheap and very good fun, UMD games are well made and there is a lot you can do with it. I was under the impression it was doing well enough in the UK.

[toythatkills]

Seems to be going OK in Japan, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sold over a million copies in under a week.