Garple

PSP

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Does anyone own a PSP? Is it worth it? I kind of want to get one...especially if I can score a used one really cheap.

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That depends. I like my PSP quite a bit when I'm using it. The screen is excellent, and games like Lumines, the GTAs, God of War, Patapon, and Loco Roco are great. On the other hand, the catalogue is anemic at the moment despite Sony's efforts. If you get a decent memory stick, you can download a bunch of PS1 games from the PSN. That makes things very nice. Being able to play Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid on the bus is great. Actually, I've mostly been playing PS1 originals on my PSP lately. It actually has become a portable Playstation.

Anyway, I like it. It's certainly not got the same breadth of titles as the DS, but it's by no means a bad choice. Especially if you can get one cheap as you say, go for it.

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Gran Turismo PSP

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LittleBigPlanet PSP

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Assassins Creed 2

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Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

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Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

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MotorStorm Arctic Edge

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Persona 3 PSP

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Final Fantasy Dissidia

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GTA: Chinatown Wars

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Valkyria Chronicles 2

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Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

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Rock Band Unplugged

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Resistance Retribution

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Beaterator

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*not sure if the tone of that last video is entirely serious or not :D

I've heard of some other games that have been released/announced as well - but I'm looking from the outside in so I don't really know how good most of these are. I'm seriously thinking about getting one though, especially for GTpsp.

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And if you don't care about RPGs or Racing, that list is cut in half. Also, a few of those are ports of games that I've already played (GTA Chinatown) or if I play them, will do so on an actual console (Gran Turismo, Assassin's Creed, LBP [maybe?]). Again, I like my PSP, but that list wouldn't convince me at all if I were on the fence. Thanks for reminding me I should pick up Rock Band though. The demo was great, and I love Frequency and Amplitude.

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If you're nostalgic for some older games, it might be good. As mentioned before, there are all the PS1 Classics on PSN, as well as re-releases of FF Tactics, Disgaia 1&2, & Persona. FF7 Crisis Core is also fun, but nothing like the original FF7 (which is why I could actually stand to finish it).

Like miffy said, the current catalog isn't that impressive; I haven't really touched my PSP in months.

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I defiantly love my psp. There are a lot of cheap old games and the future lineup is looking very promising.

I would recommend you get a PSP 2000 or 3000 (PSP go is overpriced) along with a 8 gig memory stick. Or you might want to look for a bundle that interests you.

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Well far be it from me to lecture you on the purpose of a portable handheld gaming system when I don't even own one, but aren't you sort of missing the point? As a game you can play whenever and wherever, Gran Turismo on the PSP clearly isn't intended to be a replacement for its big brother on the PS3. If anything it's designed to compliment it. Allowing you to transfer your car collection between games is not only a nice feature, but given the availability of something like 800/1000 purchasable vehicles, also bound to be extremely useful for completitionists.

With Assassins Creed 2 we're talking about a game whose storyline will be set in-between that of the original and the upcoming sequel, with the intention being to tie them both together. So it's going to be a unique storyline of interest to AC fans, and will also have stuff for you to unlock and use on the PS3 version of the game. Grand Theft Auto will supposedly have more missions integrated, debatable better graphics, and some other minor improvements. Whether it's enough for someone who has already played the original, I don't know, but for someone who hasn't like myself it's a game which increases the value proposition of the PSP.

Also bear in mind that a lot of the so-called ports, and re-releases mentioned above aren't strictly just that. Whether it's the additional content or changes to gameplay, (to its detriment or benefit), they are probably better described as updates or even in some cases re-makes. That means if you're an existing fan there's still some incentive to go back and re-play them on a portable handheld gaming system (!) and if you're like me and never played the originals it's even better.

I take your point it wasn't a mouth-watering list peppered with titles like Scribblenauts, but it's still a short list of games that has me excited about the prospect of owning a PSP. Although I forgot to mention The Fat Princess, PixelJunk Monsters and a host of naff sports titles like Madden, MLB the Show, Football Manager (etc) :D

I also could be wrong but it feels like the best time to get one too. Sony seem committed to fleshing out its catalogue and more and more games are being announced. Whether it's a flash in the pan to coincide with the PSPgo release, I wouldn't like to guess, but there's definitely a renewed interest in the PSP from both sides of the camp.

I mean maybe from your perspective there are few enticing games, but from mine, as someone who doesn't have a PSP I see it the exact opposite.

Edited by Cigol

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Well far be it from me to lecture you on the purpose of a portable handheld gaming system when I don't even own one, but aren't you sort of missing the point?

In response, I'd have to say that missing the point of having a portable system is entirely what the PSP is about. The most critically acclaimed games on it are all versions of games that seek to rival their counterparts on PS2. God of War, Grand Theft Auto (Liberty and Vice) City Stories, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, Ratchet and Clank, and others are not portable games. The are all good games, sure, but they are simply whole console games which have been made to run on hardware which happens to have a screen built into its controller. The fact that so many of the PSP's best games have been ported over to the PS2 speaks to this. GTA Chinatown Wars actually is a portable game, but I suspect that this is only due to the fact that it was on the DS first. If the PSP was the lead platform, we wouldn't see this happening.

While the library is growing, I see very few games that are coming up which actually embrace what distinguishes portable gaming from console gaming and allows the inferior hardware to be a non-issue. Instead we are getting versions of Assassin's Creed, Gran Turismo, (another) Metal Gear Solid, and Little Big Planet that will attempt to look and play as good as their siblings on PS3 and will fail to. Accuse me of missing the point of a portable if you must, but when we're talking about the PSP, I'd say it's the only thing you can do.

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That's an odd way of looking at it isn't it? Whilst a sizeable portion of the games available on the PSP look to be rather uninspired ports of their bigger brothers, is that necessarily a bad thing? Does it prevent you from enjoying them wherever, whenever? I don't understand why it also can't be considered a positive - as sometimes you want to play trashy games, and the PSP at least has the processing capabilities for that where other handhelds would be forced to compensate.

Looking at it optimistically, Sony have been pretty pro-active of late. I could just be falling into a carefully constructed trap of hype but it looks to me like they've turned a corner of sorts and it's not inconceivable they have more titles lined up to help push their hardware. They've also announced something called PSP Minis which could potentially fill that gap of creativity and encourage developers to take more risks. Or it could just be a flash in the pan, and amount to nothing... either way I'm looking at the titles already released, the titles coming out in the near future, the renewed focus and attention and I personally find it very appealing.

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I'm not saying I don't enjoy all those games I mentioned. On the contrary, they were all fantastic and great examples of what can be done on the hardware. I was simply saying that none of them feel "portable" to me. They're great games and the hardware to play them is portable, they don't feel like games you can pick up and put down whenever you want. They require a more dedicated gaming time, so the occasions where I play my PSP are when I know that I'm stuck somewhere for a number of hours and don't have access to a console. It was not a knock at the games, but rather a defense of why I don't consider the PSP to be a portable gaming system (and a reason for why you thought I was "missing the point" of portable gaming. Simply put, so does Sony.) so much as a miniature console. The DS' strengths, on the other hand, is that while there are a few games which require a lot of attention (the Dragon Quest ports, for example) the majority of the games are really well suited to pick up and play, making it a much better system for a bus ride or the like. That's neither a negative nor a positive for either system, but it should be a consideration based on what you're buying the system for.

I do agree that Sony's recent marketing barrage with regards to the PSP is encouraging, especially for someone like me who's owned one since 2005 and only finds one or two games a year worth playing on it. I bought the PSP and the DS about 6 months apart, and my games library for the former is about a third the size of the latter. If Sony is going to go crazy with support for the system, I'm very happy. It's something that's needed to happen for a long time now. You'll notice I did recommend picking up the system, as by now the catalog of worthwhile games is at least big enough to keep you busy until their currently hyped games come out, but if you've been following the system all along it hasn't really been the case. It's taken them 4 years to build up a catalog that's easy to recommend a purchase for. Nintendo took about 9 months with the DS. If Sony weren't the giant they are, they would have had to give up on the system as financially unsound long ago.

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This gives me a lot to think about, guys, thanks. I guess instead of starting a new thread I'll pose this question here too. What about PS3...do the exclusives make it worthwhile if I own a 360 and Wii (not to mention a nice blu ray player)? I'm sure plenty of you own two or three consoles with one of them being the PS3. That being the case, are you satisfied with the PS3? Do you think it'd be a worthwhile addition for someone who's really on the fence, or should I pass on that? Before I create the impression that I can't make decisions on my own, I want to say that I'm asking because you guys are the types of gamers whose thoughts about gaming match mine more than any other website I've come across and I value your feedback. What is it like to own a PS3?

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I've had a Wii and a 360 for a while now, and got a PS3 earlier this year. It's been worthwhile for me so far. Uncharted and inFamous are both great games, and while the single-player in Killzone 2 isn't that good, I found multiplayer quite fun. LittleBigPlanet is short, but if you like to make levels, I guess there's that. There's also Uncharted 2, the God of War 1 & 2 re-release, and a new Ratchet & Clank to look forward to. And if you're into hardcore Japanese RPG's, Cross Edge and Disgaia 3 exist.

PSN also has some great games. Fat Princess, Shatter, Trash Panic, The Last Guy, Echochrome, Flower, and the PixelJunk games are all good. If you're feeling nostalgic, the PS1 Classics feature such titles as Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

My only regret is that the Slim didn't come earlier. That price cut definitely sweetens the deal.

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Okay, that makes a lot more sense now Miffy, my bad. Don't forget that I'm not familiar with the systems in question so the whole portability thing to me is just the ability to take it outside. I hadn't considered setting aside time and stuff like that, so I can now see where you are coming from with that argument. I think it's best I actually use a PSP before I start making assumptions though so I'm going to stop there...

What is it like to own a PS3?

It's like owning a Range Rover.

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I think I'm going to wait a while on PS3 and see what happens. Maybe wait for a few more exclusives, see if the average prices on ebay start dropping. See if I can get a read on how long it's going to be relevant (I know, Sony will guard that info with its life, but the rumor-mill often isn't that far off on these things).

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I got a ps3 a couple weeks ago and it's been a frustrating experience. I upgraded the firmware as soon as I bought it, and due to incompatibility(?) between the latest firmware and some games I can't play Uncharted without it crashing every 20 min or so. I wish I could downgrade or exchange it for a new system, but I already bought some downloadable games and I don't want to lose my activations. Bah.

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I haven't used my PSP for a while, I think the last thing I actually played on it was LocoRoco2 (which was great btw). GTA: Chinatown Wars will probably have me glued to the thing, though. I'm happy they've decided to port it to PSP. :yep:

I got a ps3 a couple weeks ago and it's been a frustrating experience. I upgraded the firmware as soon as I bought it, and due to incompatibility(?) between the latest firmware and some games I can't play Uncharted without it crashing every 20 min or so. I wish I could downgrade or exchange it for a new system, but I already bought some downloadable games and I don't want to lose my activations. Bah.

They just released Firmware 3.01 this morning, which should fix those issues. :mock:

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To cut right to it: I think the PSP is probably the worst console I've ever owned.

If you're thinking of getting a portable, get a DS. The PSP's catalogue of games is, in my opinion, risible at best--cheaply farted-out PS2 knock offs at worst. And banal, one-dimensional Convert-o-Matic shovelware is basically all the PSP is reliable for. Oh and hobbled control systems, too.

Just look at any well-known reviews site and browse their PSP section; even IGN isn't desperate enough to review games for PSP more than once every 6 weeks or more.

It sounds stupid, but I genuinely hate it as a platform; it's such a limp-wristed "I suppose we should make a portable, kinda" device that it has no idea what it wants to be. And now they've pointlessly, mindlessly, unthinkingly glued a touch screen onto the front of it.

That still doesn't address the fact that the PSP is one of the most cripplingly uncomfortable handheld devices I've ever used, regardless of whether it was a portable console or a badly damaged power drill. Who thought trying to grip a wide, narrow brick by scalping your hands into claws and pinching onto the very corners was a good idea?

If it was cheap enough to post it to you, you could have mine for nothing. The only time it gets any attention is if I want to take a particularly lazy dump--and it's almost certainly run itself flat - again - by then anyway.

Did I mention this is all coming from someone who got given their PSP for nothing in the first place..? I didn't even part with cash for it, and I still begrudge how shit it is.

Awful, awful contraption.

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I don't want to get too deeply into this whole 'PSP tries too hard to be a home console' thing, but for fucks sake I wish that new Metal Gear Solid game was coming out on the PS3 instead. :violin:

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And now they've pointlessly, mindlessly, unthinkingly glued a touch screen onto the front of it.

No they haven't......

edit: Also would it be so terrible if they did? It makes perfect sense at this point for them to add touch to the PSP brand, that way developers who make anything for the DS or iPhone can easily spread to the PSP.

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It makes perfect sense at this point for them to add touch to the PSP brand, that way developers who make anything for the DS or iPhone can easily spread to the PSP.

Yes, for primarily monetary reasons.

I appreciate this makes developer's lives simpler, but it dilutes the platform yet further. Especially as you can now easily port all the iPhone shovelware to it as well!

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Would you say the same for d-pads and analogue sticks for consoles?

I know that's being a bit facetious, but I think touch has proven itself a great fit for portable gaming and excluding it from a future handheld would only seem to be stubborn self-sabotage.

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I find rabid hatred for the platform a little peculiar, but my PSP was certainly a tremendous waste of money. Currently all it does is allow me to watch stuff I've recorded on my PS3 in bed over Remote Play. Apparently this says something unfavourable about my character, MR VANIA, but I assure you, I'm just trying to squeeze some use out of an otherwise inactive lump of plastic.

I have a friend who reckons the PSP had a really good run of games that nobody paid attention to for a while, though. Well, a run of games that he played a load, anyway.

It's worth noting that although it's had a lot more use in total, I barely play my DS at all, either. I'm not particularly receptive to handheld gaming, I think.

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Would you say the same for d-pads and analogue sticks for consoles?

I know that's being a bit facetious, but I think touch has proven itself a great fit for portable gaming and excluding it from a future handheld would only seem to be stubborn self-sabotage.

So, given how generally miserable and disregarded the PSP's library is already, what is there now in PSPgo to draw me to the platform over iPhone (buzz, desirability, usefulness) or DS (buzz, library, ubiquity)?

My point is that by adding More, it's my opinion that Sony are detracting from the platform still further. PlayStation Portable - as a brand idea - was brilliant, but it has not had the support from Sony to drive the library, or the interest in development from third-parties. By adding a touchscreen and a downloadable games portal, Sony can expend even less effort on the machine, but also make it easier still to quickly and cheaply port titles designed for other platforms and get them on there too.

It's an - admittedly clever - illusion of support and rejuvenation for the platform, but all I can see it resulting in is the PSP becoming even more irrelevant in the face of overwhelming competition from iPhone / iPod Touch, now billed explicitly as a portable games machine by Apple, let's not forget, and Nintendo's superb DS, with it's mammoth platform-specific library and fantastic third-party support.

Either make it a PlayStation - and everything that implies (twin sticks, dedicated development, tremendous third-party support) - or just kill it.

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My point is that by adding More, it's my opinion that Sony are detracting from the platform still further.

It seems you still missed the first part of my original response, which is that they HAVEN'T added more. They removed the UMD drive and changed the shape, that's all. PSPGo is an iteration akin to DSLite. There's nothing additional to draw you there from iPhone or DS because nothing has changed :P

I would suggest the PlayStation Portable as a brand idea was not great really, for the reasons miffy suggests. In theory if you ask someone, would you like to play games on the move that are like the ones you play at home, they will most likely say "Hell yes!". In practice it doesn't really work out so well.

I wasn't meaning to imply they should have added touch to their existing machine. However not having touch in future generations of the platform would seem foolish to me, it's not as though it would overextend or overcomplicate it as a device. (likewise a second analog nubbin wouldn't go amiss)

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marioPee.jpg

As someone completely new to the PSP I'm looking at this supposedly barren catalogue and seeing quite a lot of titles I'd like to play now, and in the future. Is that my imagination? Are they all forgettable pap?

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