As usual, the end of the year comes around, and journalists start writing editorials which gamers misconstrue as news. This results in opinion being stated as fact far more often than at any other time during the year. Therefore, when you read all the doom and gloom surrounding the PSP, it's tough to take it seriously.
Thus far, all we've really seen is a whole lot of op-ed pieces – like that Yahoo one – getting a whole lot of attention. What follows is the inevitable N4G or Digg pick-up, where it makes the rounds amongst mainstream gamers and fanboys who know as much about this industry as I know about gardening. Before you know it, it's "death to the PSP." Now, we will be the first to acknowledge the lack of software in the last half of 2008, despite the excellence of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and God of War: Chains of Olympus earlier in the year. We've also heard plenty regarding the possible screen flaw in the redesigned PSP-3000, and there's no denying that this revamp didn't generate the same kind of sales spike as 2007's structural overhaul. And of course, the Nintendo DS has a very large lead and always has from the start of this new handheld generation.
But in case everyone has forgotten actual facts taken from 2008, the PSP had its best year ever in terms of overall sales…and that was before we even hit December. More than a few times throughout the year, Sony's unit outsold Nintendo's on a monthly sales basis. For the first half of 2008, the PSP was the best-selling game console in Japan, and yes, that includes the DS and Wii. Every time we examined the numbers during the year (and here's another example ), we noticed the PSP closing the gap on the DS and in the end, 2008 was yet another growth year for Sony's sleek portable unit. Granted, it probably hasn't grown as quickly as Sony would've hoped, and it definitely needs more software help, but the PSP is far from dead. It's far from being discontinued. Sony has already said they will be focusing firmly on delivering more PSP software for owners, and there is the very real possibility of a PSP-4000 upgrade in 2009.
These are the facts of the case. Merely numbers. No opinion or interpretation or anything else. The PSP is most certainly behind the DS, it most certainly needs more software, and it most certainly isn't performing as well as Sony initially hoped. But it had its best year ever in 2008, it's catching on in all three major territories, the PSP/DS gap closed significantly over the past year, and Sony has shown no sign whatsoever of saying "goodbye" to the PSP. Take it or leave it, you savvy fact-finding consumer, you.
Whole lot of ignorant reporters around who are too lazy to do actual research I guess, it's the only explanation I can think of for all these Blu-ray/PS3/PSP is dead articles lately.
I still have my psp-1000 which gets daily use from me. The idea of portable playstation was GOLD from the get-go. Sony's continued support of the psp is what these haters cant stand. sign me up for the 4000…
ipod + nindtendo ds + portable dvd player = psp
My buddy showed me how Remote Play works and I want a PSP really bad
Sony aint F*ckin' around, they support their sh*t!
Who's lying on the PSP?!
well i got both psp and ds so im set haha love both systems very well and never leave home without them
i haven't seen may decent games despite sales success. that's why i haven't got one.
Maybe you should open your eyes then:
FF Crisis Core
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Two Syphon Filter Games
Metal Gear
Killzone Liberation
Need for speed
Tomb Raider
Ratchet and Clank
That's only a few big hits
You want games better than those???
You are just making excuses…..
Don't forget my personal favorite: WipeOut Pulse. Awesome for both online and offline play!
I forgot Monster Hunter. I've got like 150 hours into that one.
Thats bS i had a 1000. it was full of fresh ideas. copied by evry else. make a ps3 for your pocket before the ps3 had come out.
I can't tell you how much I'd love to smack those so called reporters' faces. I have a PSP 1000 ok and I ABSOLUTELY FU**ING LOVE IT. It's beautiful. Sure I once dropped it and it sort of cracked and there's a scratch here and there but internally it's absolutely beautiful.
All you need is SPACE. 1gb minimum in my opinion to enjoy it somewhat. With 4gb you're 100ft from heaven. With 8gb, you're there. All you need is SPACE. I mean I downloaded 9 episodes of my favorite anime for a long trip to Las Vegas and wow did I enjoy myself. I had some good music that I listened to, fun demos that I downloaded from PS Store and http://www.pspdemocenter.com, and Metal Gear Solid Portable OPS – WHICH I FINALLY BOUGHT for $18 used at GameStop.
PSP is an amazing system. When I'm at home, I just love surfing the web through the PSP than my computer sometimes (of course I'm doing this through the computer since I have a lot to say and it would take a while typing all this). INTERNET RADIO???? – I can listen to all these different artists from around the world!!! Photo viewing – yea I have some here and there and set them as my wallpaper sometimes.
PSP is just an amazing system with amazing games like:
1) Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
2) Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
3) God of War: Chains of Olympus (I have the demo and it ROCKS!!)
4) Star Ocean: First Departure
5) Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
6) GTA: Liberty City Stories
7) GTA: Vice City Stories
8) Socom U.S. Navy Seals: FIRETEAM BRAVO
9) Socom U.S. Navy Seals: FIRETEAM BRAVO 2
10) Medal of Honor: Heroes
11) Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
I COULD GO ON
Oh and by the way my PSP is currently damaged. The R button keeps getting stuck function-wise when I press it. I guess I went a bit trigger happy in Medal of Honor. But you know what I'm glad to know I came across this, hell – I'm going to fix it right now by opening up my PSP and trying to make it so the function doesn't get stuck.
PSP rules and there's nothing better than it IMO. There was this bogus article on IGN about iPhone would take over PSP – that's a bunch of BS. PSP is a console. iPhone is a PHONE.
PSP RULES!!!
i accidentally broke my psp a LONG time ago and was wondering if now was the time to buy a new one?(i finally got money to spend)
Avoid the PSP-3000 since it has a screen glitch.
I loved my PSP. I wish MS would inter this market. Tho I dont know how well they would do against the DS..
JoshuaAdam360
havent you realised this is a playstation site. nothing else. now go take your RROD elsewhere.
You make me laugh city96 :)! If sony doesn't get all these bugs fixed then when I grow up there will be a PSP-50000.
ignorant reporters are rampant. there have been a couple articles on C-Net saying that in a couple of years, the "obvious benefits" of digital downloads will cause blu-ray to collapse and Microsoft will win forever.
perfect example.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/goodbye-sony-psp/1276225 Ben I hope it is ok to post a link, if not sorry. These type of articles really hurt Sony. Sometimes I wonder if the media is paid to bash Sony gaming systems, just the other day yahoo had a headline on the PS3 getting killed in the console war.
Nice list shadowpal! Which allows me to point out my crowded PSP gaming list;
1. Jeanne Darc
2. Castlevania Dracula X
3. Breath of Fire 3 (UK import)
4. Crisis Core
5. Guilty Gear Judgement
I also have a Suikoden PSP/PS3 transfer file on my PSP so I can add that to the list technically. Couple that with the fact that I need to get both Star Ocean games and rebuy these:
Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Final Fantasy 1
GTA: Vice City Stories
EDIT: Almost forgot War of the Lions but like BOF3 I played it back in the day on my PSX.
Last edited by ZubraZap on 12/31/2008 3:20:39 PM
Man one week all you get out of America(and people it is only the US these days)is "death of PS3" next it's "Blu-Ray to die soon" then you get "PSP to get dropped MS to introduce hand held goats". Hell, this week they're trying to kill the Wii off again.
IDK if the American media are blindly supporting their boy(MS)against these Jap imports the way they diod in the 70's over Japanese cars. But it's interesting that it never happened when MS were out of the picture-no console ever got the grief the PS3 gets(and really Sony in general) before this gen and it borders on xenophobic from the outside. As I say I doubt it is but comes from a misguided desire to back the local boy(like to see what they'd say if it had been a Sony product with the 30% fail rate)but there is a danger of it looking that way to people living in Europe or elsewhere. I realise that it's only the US where the PS3 trails signifigantly and you have to feel the media bias has definitely got a great deal to do with it esp when you consider the premium us brits and euros pay for a PSP or PS3 over what Americans do yet the Sony brand does better over here.
Whatever the case it's unforgivably weak journalism often by people who should know better and it gives the readers the wrong impression and outsiders the impression that the US media is either unaware of what happens worlwide or doesn't care.