Game fans clamor for PSP

(continued from previous page)

outside Metreon playing his DS, the sophisticated new Nintendo gadget that will be the PSP's main competition.

Bodharamik said he has several different types of game consoles in his living room, and he expects to be equally impartial with portable gaming now. "I don't think one system is necessarily better than the other," he said. "It's about the games you want to play, and both the PSP and the DS are going to have good ones."

Sony isn't expecting folks to give up their DS players, either. The company is pitching the PSP as a new type of device that combines sophisticated video games with other entertainment experiences, especially movies, which have become an increasingly important aspect of Sony's marketing.

While the PSP wouldn't seem to need any advertising now, it will be hard to escape for the next few months, thanks to Sony promotions on billboards, TV and other media. Hirai said the ad strategy is more focused on the PSP's long-term health.

"The concept is...not to tell people to go out there and buy, buy, buy," he said. "It's to build awareness of the fact it's coming out and really try to position the product from the beginning. We're trying to enter into a new portable entertainment space, and we want to signal our intentions there...We want to get the message across that were not just trying to get into the handheld gaming space."

While the initial entertainment offerings for the PSP are slim, Hirai said choices will grow steadily as content providers and distributors see the PSP as a compelling medium.

"The most important thing is we need to get the installed base of the PSP as high as possible and create that market," Hirai said.

That doesn't look like it'll be a problem, judging from the rapturous reception for the PSP on Wednesday night. There's no doubt it's the hottest gadget around--this week.

"Oh man," Roth said, "when the PlayStation 3 comes out, I'll probably be in line for three days before that goes on sale."

[Bill Dautrive]

Lemmings

Shameful how so many people grab up anything that is hyped and act like they did something heroic.

15 min of fame by buying something? Pathetic and sad.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

Really?

For those gamers, maybe they think YOU ARE PATHETIC because you can't even get one :)

[bobby_brady]

what's so popular about a portable?

So what. Second, why the big deal about being able to carry around a game console?

Either these people waiting to buy it are morons, or CNET is confused.

[Christopher Hall]

You're half right

Yes, waiting in line to buy a game console is pretty idiotic. Especially with preorders available to everyone and anyone these days. But to each his own, right?

I'm afraid I don't understand your "why would you want to carry around a game system" point. Handheld gaming is a wonderful technology, and more than 120 million GameBoy sales over the past decade and a half bolster that point. The PSP is just another way to game on the go. When I'm out on business trips, I make sure I've always got at least one handheld system, especially if a protracted hotel stay is in order.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

I see

So SI is "confused" because there are people who always want to grab the Swim Suit Edition. and those Auto Magazines are "confused" too because you don't understand why there are people spending big $$ for luxury cars......

And speaking of morons, I believe lots of people around the world are morons in your opinion, because they all carry some sort of handheld games (Nintendo Gameboy, GB Advance, GameBoy SP, DS, SONY PSP, and so on :))

[Earl Benser]

Leave the Gamers alone....

They are lost in their own little worlds. The rest of us have to
make reality work.