PSP no one-trick pony

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its insistence on proprietary formats, but the market for portable video players is still largely untapped. The PSP could jump-start the category, Goodman said, by shifting the initial focus to a function consumers already have embraced--gaming on the go.

"To date, the portable media player market hasn't really taken off," Goodman said. "Video is a very difficult thing to do as a lead product in a portable device...The PSP gets into those multimedia categories, but it has a very different lead application, and it has a tremendously strong brand."

Even game publishers are supporting the push to highlight non-game functions in the PSP. Most PSP titles from leading publisher Electronic Arts will include "Pocket Trax," a music feature that lets players customize game sound tracks and view music videos. James McDermott, worldwide product manager for EA's PSP business, said such functions take advantage of the growing connections between the game, music and film industries.

Achilles' heels
"We've seen from our research that people want multimedia functions from our games," McDermott said. "We're thinking more and more in terms of providing entertainment packages."

Likely weak spots in Sony's efforts to establish the PSP as a multimedia gadget include storage. The only recordable media the device will accept are flash memory cards in Sony's Memory Stick format, which currently top out at 1GB. That's enough to haul around a few albums' worth of music, but not enough to compete with hard drive-based audio and video players.

"I think storage is the weak link in the ecosystem," Yankee Group's Goodman said. "For a lot of these things they may be considering, storage becomes the limitation."

Sony's reliance on yet another proprietary media format is also likely to mute enthusiasm. For now, the only way to get commercial video content on the PSP is to buy a $20 UMD version of a movie you may already have on DVD, a prospect unlikely to appeal to consumers.

"The biggest inhibitor for portable video is access to legal content," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Jupiter Research. "PSP is going to have that, but it's going to be in a proprietary format that can't be played on any other device."

Cai agreed that UMD movies may be a tough sell. "Persuading people to spend another $20 for a UMD disc is going to be tough," Cai said. "The DVD format is so easy to play anywhere--home, car, traveling with a laptop or portable DVD player. I think it's going to be a big challenge for Sony to convince people they need something in addition to that."

Acceptance of the PSP as a portable video player may have to wait until Netflix or Blockbuster start renting movies on UMD or until Sony introduces ways of getting other types of programming on the device. Starting next month, consumers in Japan will be able to buy a new version of the PSX, Sony's PlayStation 2/video recorder hybrid, which can record TV shows in the MPEG-4 format used by the PSP and load them onto a Memory Stick.

Similar features could show up in the PlayStation 3, Cole said. "I'd expect to see a lot of features in the PS3 to cooperate with PSP," he said. "That's where it gets a lot more exciting to have these capabilities in the PSP."

Wireless connections could also offer new ways to get content onto the PSP, Cai said. "Real-time TV could be distributed pretty easily that way, and that would be pretty compelling," he said.

For now, though, the PSP is mainly a game machine, which is what Sony needs to emphasize as it gets the first few million units in consumers' hands, Gartenberg said.

"What we're seeing here is the first iteration of a mobile entertainment strategy that's going to be focused on games for now," he said. "This is the first move in a very long game."

[Lite Rocker]

Not too convergent with new media format!!

UMD=the next beta.

what a joke.

[Andrew J Glina]

Easy to criticize

What removeable media format would you reccomend for a pocket sized machine? Click? MiniDisc? CD Singles?

[Jonathan]

No worse then...

cartages...or Nintendo's proprietary format for their Gamecube. Who cares what format its in? Seriously. What you want them to use full sized DVD's so the system would be twice as large and eat batteries twice as fast?

Again who cares. Most gaming consoles have always been proprietary. Unless you are ******** about it because you can't pirate games it shouldn't be a big deal.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

What Makes You Say That?

Baseless comments and assumptions are jokes to me as well :)

[John Kuzak]

the next beta

http://www.analogstereo.com/nissan_frontier_owners_manual.htm

[Jonathan]

Dear Sony...Are you insane?

I mean seriously. For $250 I can get a PS2 or an XBox and a couple of games. Drop this bundle crap that is a thinly veiled attempt to get user to pony up $50 more for accessories that aren?t worth $50. I honestly hope that after the initial adopters nab one of these suckers it tanks big time. I will get one when you complete the following:

1. Drop the bundle crap.
2. Drop the price to $199
3. Bundle one game in with the system.

Until then screw you.

PS- If you think the American public is going to purchase movies that ONLY play in a PSP you all are on crack.

they always cost more than what they are worth

gaming systems always come out costing more than what they are. the xbox cost when i got mine $300. wait a while and the price will drop.

gba has some cartoon shows on theres, and i've seen people buy them, so why not movies?

You are nuts

There are about a million people (at least) that disagree.

I mean, this thing costs as much as an iPod! Are you on crack?

If you have a problem with the price - you probably have a problem with anything that costs $250. In other words you don't have $250.

250.00

I think 250 is a fair market price for it if you consider its competition. The Nintendo DS is 149.99, same price as the PS2 or Xbox, does less and is less graphically advanced. To me, $250 seems fair for everything it comes with.

Just.. too expensive for this gamer at the moment. I'm going to hedge my bets for a short bit anyway because the Japanese PSP was riddled with tech problems after it's release - from faulty analog sticks to square button problems and the UMD randomly being ejected. According to Nikkei Business, through Feb. 05, 6% of all of the Japanese PSPs have been returned for defects - that's 48,000 of the 800,000 sold thru Feb. (Sources: OPM Issue 91, Nikkei Business)

I remember the original PS2 fiasco... When Sony misjudged demand and people stood in line for hours hoping to get their PS2. Then a few weeks went by and all of the sudden their PS2 wouldn't play blue-backed (CD-ROM) disks. Flash forward to the PStwo redesign and Sony had the same problems - they misjudged demand and a manufacturing problem in the first run caused them to halt production temporarily to fix it, making their console all but unavailable for the 2004 holiday season.

Given their track record, even though I love my PS2, I am going to wait this one out for a while to make sure the problems have been ironed out (at least mostly, nothing will ever be 'flawless') and for a better library of games (not many launch title games appeal to me, most of the games that are being drooled over aren't coming until mid-April anyway).

But no, I don't plan on watching UMD movies, nor do I plan on converting movies to files on a memory stick like OPM suggested. While Sony may think it's there, I, personally, don't see much practical "convergence" in this digital device.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

Are YOU Insane?

You are comparing a mobile game device with a console? Please go back to elementary school and ask the teacher to teach you YET ONCE AGAIN that you cannot compare apples to oranges :)

(BTW, since you make such a funny comment, you are more screwed than we are :D)

[John Kuzak]

initial adopters

http://www.analogstereo.com/nakamichi_user_manuals.htm

[cirland]

Todays PDAs are a more versatile option.

With the next generation of PDAs having the ability to do what the PSP can (gaming, movies, music, photos) and more, why aren't there more
vendors seeking to push this format. Sony isn't making any money on the PSP, like most console makers, it is the games where they make all their money. Sony got out of the PDA market knowing that the PSP would be it's "answer". It is a shame that there isn't more game development from the big game makers (EA, Ubisoft, etc.)in the PDA market.

As of today my PDA can do the following:Wireless internet, Office apps (word, excel, PP, access,etc.),VOIP, PIM, GPS, Games, photos, movies, music, take photos(1.3mp), ebooks and a whole lot more given the abount of software available.

And final case in point. A PSP emulator will be out soon. So that I can play all those PSP games as well.LOL

[Christopher Hall]

re: Emulator

>>And final case in point. A PSP emulator will be out soon. So that I can play all those PSP games as well.LOL<<

Not legally, you can't. And if you think piracy is funny, you have a lot of growing up to do.

[Jonathan]

Umm not really

This coming from someone who owns a iPaq 4700 with a 4" VGA screen. First off the PSP can and does wipe the floor when it comes to 3D graphics. Secondly the various GPU filters and whatnot can only be done via the CPU. The accelerators on most PDAs are good for 2D acceleration and some 3D gaming the fact is that putting a dedicated 3D accelerator in a PDA will prob never happen simply because of the price and battery life. Most people who aren't uber geeks and do not visit places like pocketpcthoughts use their PDA's for PIMing, maybe some video and audio but frankly gaming on a PDA sucks simply because first and foremost it was designed as a PDA not a gaming platform. The best gaming PDA's when it comes to button layouts were made by Casio. Unfortunately they got out of the business and no one has picked up the ball to run with it. PSP and GBA/DS systems are gaming systems first and foremost and will always be able to wipe the floor with PDA's. You speak of upcoming systems that will thrash the PSP. You do realize that Sony will prob update the PSP next year with a better GPU a better CPU more features etc. We already KNOW that Nintendo is already working on a new system for next year. We aren't talking a system that is going to stay static for 5 years. As the PDA gets updated so two will the mobile gaming platforms.

PS- Also I have yet to see ANY PDA with a screen as nice as the PSP. There simply isn?t anything out there that compares.

I also must disagree.

Sorry, but modern PDAs are more of a competitive threat for the Nintendo DS than they are for the PSP. Just look at the two.. Nintendo DS is almost built as a PDA from the ground up: Touch screen, calendar, pictochat, et cetera.. and it uses proprietary MMC style cards. It just happens to play games.

As others have posted, in terms of gaming and battery life, the PSP smokes every PDA.

The DS is closer to a PDA.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

PDA?

Hey, ever heard of smartphones? Why carry a PDA when you have a hybrid of phone and PDA?

[katamari]

PSP hardware flaws/bugs.

I won't be purchasing one of these until all of the bugs are worked out. What bugs? There's been complaints of the following flaws:

1. Pressing on the Right pad button, or the Square button, results in you actually putting pressure on the TFT screen itself. If Sony had increased the size of the unit by a couple centimetres, this wouldn't be a problem.

2. UMD discs ejecting in the middle of play for no reason. This has been admitted by Sony to be a problem which they "would fix", but I have seen no mentions of a fix anywhere.

3. Occasional lock-ups. My guess is heat-related, since the UMDs actually spin much like a CDROM, generating heat and general chaos inside of such a small unit.

Pretty sad bugs for such an expensive device. Am I telling you to go get a GBA DS? Hardly -- the DS is an amazing gimmick device (nice to see Nintendo focusing on such DOT-COM-like garbage...).

Anyways, my advice to potential buyers of the PSP is to wait. The price is bound to go down, the "bundle" package will sooner or later be thwarted, quantities will become available, and -- hopefully -- Sony will release a 2nd-generation version or updated model which will address the hardware flaws in question.

Once again, proof that there isn't enough QA -- or possibly, DECENT QA -- in today's technologically-savvy society.

Exactly.

I mentioned the flaws in a separate post and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Sony's track record in the past is merely "good" - not exceptional or excellent. Hearing of the problems of the Japanese units only confirmed my suspecions so I'm not going to spend a lot of money until I'm certain those glaring flaws have been mostly ironed out.

There was an interview with some head honcho from SCEA - I can't remember if it's in OPM 91 or if I saw it on IGN - who already said they are going to be bringing out the less-expensive basic bundle out a few months after the original "value bundle" debut.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

Did all of those flaws happen on YOUR PSP?

Or you are just here bashing PSP because you feel like it? :)

[c2wmaster]

Uhh (Partly) WRONG!!!

2 of these bugs are only in japan. I just got a PSP and I have checked it out. if the TFT took any pressure from the > or [] buttons, it would cause some form of color warping(Touch your monitor or the screen hard enough and it warps(DO NOT PRESS TOO HARD OR IT WILL CRACK!!!). As for the rendomly opening/ejecting door, the unit would have to be damaged to cause this. The lockups caused by heat are feasible, so I agree with you there and it could be fixed by slping a small cooling fan in there(Such as the one in the PStwo or PS2slimline models) and there would be no problems.

[punterjoe]

next big thing or future footnote?

The PSP form factor is handy. Too bad Sony insists on it's own peculiar peripheral formats. Still, I can see Sony Camcorders with recordable UMDsinstead of DVD-R, Vaios with UMD-R drives & MS slots, not to mention screenblast software with templates for saving to PSP format MS/UMD.
Since they already committed to these odd formats, the more devices they show up in, the less odd they will be.
Will PSP be the next big platform, or just an isolated technological curiosity?
It will be interesting to see how Sony handles this, and if they can grow the platform.

thank you

5ft