PSP2 Not Coming Any Time Soon

Gamespot reports on the rumours swirling about a possible second edition of the PSP. The verdict: Bogus. From the article: "The PSM article does cite 'PSP developers who have been briefed on Sony's plans' as saying that the handheld will have 'a high degree of connectivity' with the PlayStation 3--something Sony has stated publicly on numerous occasions. Also, 'sources familiar with its development' confirmed the new PSP would be 'thinner and lighter' than the current model. However, that's all the article said was set in stone, and PSM is upfront about the rest being speculative."

This sucks

[UbuntuDupe]

I had really been looking forward to seeing them implement some innovative ideas that were rumored for it, like including a touch screen w/ stylus, and allowing it to fold out with a "second screen" so it's protected when not in use and the screen(s) don't get all messed up from exposure. If not them, who?

Re:

[Gattman01]

Don't forget the built in WiFi.
And maybe some sort of drawing/chat tool would be nice too?

Re:

[fistfullast33l]

Um, the first one already has built in WiFi. It even has built in Web, RSS, and Flash functionality included with the PSP at this point. Nice try though.

Re:

[legoburner]

Yeah, the motion detection and PSP Live! would have been great too. Ah well.

Re:

[pbailey]

Kinda like a Nintendo DS you mean :) Not sure if you were serious or being sarcastic since DS has all that lol :)

Re:

[wheany]

Did you see any smilies? No. That means he was serious.

mod parent up

[aliquis]

+ 10 super informative

First I thought you where joking, but then I noticed you had no smileys either!

Re:

[Willuknight]

OH REALLY ????!!!! YOU DON'T SAY!!! /sarcasm

seriously dude, you need to google for a sense of humour

Re:

[xero314]

I must be the only one left that thinks the traditional handheld design is superior to something like the DS. Folding out is a pain in the ass, just make the screen more durable. Stylus and touch screen might have its place, but I can't see why you would need a second screen rather than one screen large enough to be split if needed,make the whole thing touch screen but never require touch screen. Honestly your hands should never have to move their location on the device to play a game.

I don't think the P

Re:

[aliquis]

I would guess they went with dual screen because:
1) The screens are protected if you close it (can be done with 1 screen as with the GBA SP to thought.
2) Makes the device smaller for the same screen area.

Re:

[aliquis]

Yeah, touch screen and dual screens would all be nice, but throw in some really innovative features, like real-time weapon change and flipping giant crabs over and hitting them in their weak spot for massive damage. That should do it!

Sure...

[Gattman01]

Why even waste the development on a PSP2?

The first one didn't take off as well as they hoped.

I know I'd rather use a DS then a PSP.

Re:

[Volante3192]

Exactly. What is so wrong with the original PSP design that it needs a reworking? From what I've gathered about it, (all hearsay and wiki, mind you) it's an ok piece of hardware. (maybe needs a better screenguard, but feh)

It's public acceptance and the impression of the catalog that's hurting the device. I don't see at all what a redesign would do except make the Sony fanboys double dip.

Re:

[Gattman01]

I remember hearing, or at least thinking, before the PSP was released that it would be able to play PS1 games. I guess thats kind of true, if you count the ports.

Now, if they could design the PSP2 to accept and play PS1 and PS2 discs, that would be something.

Re:

[Frumply]

As an external CD drive maybe, but why rain on the parade of PS game conversions when that's what's keeping PSP afloat?

Re:

[Gattman01]

Thats what I've heard is big part of the problem. Most developers are using it as a dumping ground to port, or rehash their old games.

Would forcing developers to create new and unique content, in order to stay in that platform be a bad thing?
Or would it cause them to decide to drop that platform?

Re:

[Gattman01]

It would be something that is huge. Think of your lightest weight and slimest portable CD player and imaging warping it to include a screen and some buttons to play games with; no matter how you do it you end up with a device which is either cumbersome to play or way too big to make a good portable device.

Some would argue that the PSP itself is too big and cumbersome already. I, myself, think its kind of awkward.

As for the CD drive, bulge the case to the top, bottom, and out the back, there you go.

Th

Re:

[DrXym]

The ability to play PS1 games is coming apparently. As for PS2 games, the PSP is similar but probably not quite as capable graphically. Still, most PS2 ports come out pretty well assuming the controls are worked out properly for the PSP layout. GTA: VCS for example is an excellent, near perfect port of GTA: III but with different content.

Re:

[aliquis]

PS1 games for the PSP are still coming, I have no idea when but I guess for firmware 3.0?

Re:

[Manmademan]

the PSP will be able to play PS1 games via a downloadable service, like the virtual console on the Wii. It's expected to make it's debut later this year around the time of the Ps3 launch.

That's really the only practical way to do backwards compat with Ps1 titles, as the original CDs are FAR too large to be read by that handheld.

Re:

[ZakuSage]

Most people just bitch about it needing a second analog stick, which today many of the more common and better selling games (first person shooters, and third person shooters) make heavy use of. Frankly, I'm glad to have an analog stick at all.

Re:

[MyDixieWrecked]

I've got both systems, and I'd have to say that although the DS has much better games, until the DS lite came out, I was a much bigger fan of the PSP's size/feel.

also, the PSP's got such a nice homebrew scene and you can watch video on it. Before I got my new ipod, with video capabilities, the PSP was really my only option for watching video on the go... and I had an NES emulator on it with over 100 ROMs. Plus I could download PSP games and play them off the memory stick.

Since I bricked my PSP (because I'm

Re:

[aliquis]

Yeah, PSP seem to have a more living homebrew scene than the DS, I have no idea why, maybe it's because you get "cooler"/faster/"better" hardware for your money? Or that it's so cheap to make it run homebrew to begin with.

However regarding video, mp3s, ogg, modules and so on the DS can do it all with a flashcart + passmedevide/flashme installed. You can stream shoutcast music over wifi, use it as a remote for winamp, there are IRC, MSN, AIM, SSL encrypted e-mail client, FTP, PDA and so on for it.

I'm intrest

Re:

[MyDixieWrecked]

the best part about the PSP's homebrew scene is that the only hardware you need to purchase is the large-capacity memory stick. 20 months ago, when I got my memory stick, a 512MB one was 100$. now, you can get a 2GB one for that price. Where with the DS, you need to buy the pass/wifime device + a flashcart, and you can't, necessarily, use standard hardware to read the flashcart (I've got a 8-in-one memorycard reader... and I'm aware that some flashcarts are available with direct USB connections, but I don't

Re:

[KDR_11k]

If you want Bleach make sure to grab the DS version, that game plain out rocks. It's developed by Treasure (Gunstar Heroes, Radiant Silvergun) so that's not really a surprise.

Re:

[aliquis]

"only hardware you need to purchase ... a 512MB one was 100$. now, you can get a 2GB one for that price."

Yeah, with the DS you need to get a flashcart, but if homebrew is all you want you don't need that much space, but more important since the DS flashcarts uses CF/SD/miniSD/microSD you got much cheaper memory cards, you can probably get a 2GB SD for less than $50 and a Supercard for another $50. Divineo sells the G6 lite with 512MB built in memory and passcard 3 bundle for $89. The new DS-link which goes

Re:

[MyDixieWrecked]

I forgot about the memorycard->GBA cart option. that may be what I'll do if I decide to get into it. That still requires lots of purchases, though. I've got a 16MB SD (leftover from my PalmV) that I also use for homebrew apps on my gamecube, but that's not really enough.

Personally, my main motivation for homebrew is actually classic gaming. I love running the emulators and playing oldschool NES games on everything. It's also nice to have access to other functionality. having PDA applications on the DS wo

Re:

[MyDixieWrecked]

btw, I'm completely and utterly jealous of your black DSLite. I think I may have to bite the bullet and sell my white Lite to get a black one.

Re:

[KDR_11k]

but I do miss Lumines.

Cue Tepples posting a link to Luminesweeper in 3... 2... 1...

Re:

[MyDixieWrecked]

Cue Tepples posting a link to Luminesweeper in 3... 2... 1...

luminesweeper [pineight.com] isn't quite as good.

imho, the things that make lumines so damned addicting are the awesome visual effects and the goddamned catchy music. without that, the game doesn't rub the brain the same way and my neurons' stimulation isn't quite as invigorating as it should be. With that said, one could say "maybe lumines isn't that good of a game, then!"

well, my response to that is the ol' meth-amphetamine metaphor; bastards who do too much m

I don't even want a PSP

[soft_guy]

I'd much rather have a GP2X.

If only GP2X had built-in wireless

[poopie]

If gp2x had built-in 802.11g, I'd be all over it. Without wireless, it's just a really cool homebrew toy. With wireless, it'd be a on the living room table and I'd browse the web as I watched TV

Re:

[Marcion]

You can with a bit of fiddling. The GP2X has two ports, a client USB port (unpowered, so you can plug the GP2X in like an IPOD) and an ext port. There is a smalll third party adapter/lead to make the ext port into a powered USB (5V and 100mA).

You can have a USB wireless stick into this.

The problem is that some wireless USB sticks need more current than 100mA, so the most complete solution is this:

GP2X > USB lead > Battery powered USB Hub > USB wireless stick.

You also need to add a kernel module for

Re:

[torpor]

WLAN on the GP2X? Absolutely no sweat, whatsoever. Done. I made my own cables (easy), and have two GP2X's with their own zd1211 USB WLAN sticks, among other things, often hanging on it .. You *will* need a GP2X->USB cable, or a Breakout box, either developer-version (available now) or next months "consumer" docking-station version.

Point is: GP2X does networking as an accessory (like it does many things, such as Powermate, Dance-pad, TV, etc.) In case you don't get it: the GP2X is the *most* accessor

Re:

[wheany]

Say, that is really interesting. Mod points! Mod points! My kingdom for mod points!

What they need to do

[dalmiroy2k]

_ Stop being so restrictive with homebrew projects, just look away like Nintendo does.
_ Release a PC/Mac UMD reader and writer and a Dual DVD-UMD player for the living room.
_ Sell cheap blank media ($2 a writable disc).
_ Sell your current UMD movie stock for $5 each. Include them with Sony DVD releases for free.
_ Larger battery life.
_ Learn from Nintendo. Touchscreen it's the solution.

Anyway I don't expect anything from Sony these days. I will just watch them crash and burn.

Re:

[DaWeaves98]

I agree with everything you have commented on, but in addition to those features include productivity software, amd reduce the size. It's not a portable device per-se. It doesn't seem incredibly durable, and requires bulky cases to protect it from getting damaged in transport. With the network capabilities of the system and the addition of a touch screen and stylus it could be an all-in-one device. It could replace your gameboy, PDA, and with some additional technology even your cell phone. It's only a matt

Re:

[aliquis]

All the DS would need is a GBA cartridge with built in phone.

Re:

[therealking]

I'm sorry but I own a DS and a PSP and adding a touch screen is not the holy grail of portable devices. Honestly it's been a bane for me on the DS. Everything wants to use the touch screen reguardless of the sensibility of it. Because it's "differnt". Differnt isn't always good.

The touch screen is nice and for certain games it's a perfect input device. But when you start applying it to games like star fox for flight control, it's a joke.

PSPs are doing poorly because the game selection is poor. There are onl

Number of GBA games

[aliquis]

There are over 2800 roms out for the GBA, so I would guess the total amount of titles are closer to 1000 or so.

Re:

[DrXym]

Homebrewers should be asking Sony to create / licence a version of Linux that runs on the PSP, because it is totally unrealistic to think Sony is going to risk piracy for them. It could work really well - boot off the UMD, run your homebrew from memory stick.

Other than that, I think UMD is fine for games, but they should dump it for movies and just sell movies on the web. I'm sure Sony could pull their thumbs out of their backsides and produce a decent, non-evil platform for purchasing / renting download

Re:What they need to do

[puppetman]

Regarding homebrew - that issue with the NCAA 2007 football game, where a critical bug was released, EA had two solutions (this from a friend who works at EA) - replace all the UMDs, or allow it to be patched. The second would have opened a hole in the BIOS for all time (allowing code to be run from a memory stick), as future BIOSs would need to be backwards compatible. Unfort, they decided to replace UMDs (via snail-mail).

I don't think a UMD reader/writer would have done much - a reusable 1 gig memory stick is pretty cheap now.

UMD movies for $5 would be cool, but that doesn't screw consumers out of enough money.

The battery works ok for me, and there are better batteries after-market.

I thought the touchscreen on the DS was stupid when I first saw it. I've revised that opinion to the point where I wish I had a DS, not a PSP.

I think what they really need to do is get a decent developer kit out to the game companies early (both large and small companies - not just the EAs of the world); this is biting them in the ass for the PS3 as well, I've heard. Hopefully this will result in some good games. Right now, there are a handful of good games, and most of them are racing games (and most of those are ports of PS2 games). Kind of limits playability if that's not what you're interested in.

Re:

[grumbel]

The second would have opened a hole in the BIOS for all time (allowing code to be run from a memory stick),

I don't see how that would be a hole. The PSP currently does allow you to run code from memory sticks, code however has to be signed, which makes it a no-go for homebrew, but it allows Sony to make game demos available online which you can than run from the memory stick. Patching games could work equally as the demos already do.

Re:What they need to do

[RyoShin]

_ Learn from Nintendo. Touchscreen it's the solution.

This is a big misconception.

It's not really that Nintendo included a touchscreen on the handheld that made it a hit, it's that they included something more. Instead of just creating a more powerful Gameboy, they went above your general controller scheme to add in new functionality.

That's why it does so well. It gives the consumer more than the 'standard', while the PSP gives just gives the 'standard' (except with better graphics). If Sony added a light sensor, a motion sensor, some sort of camera with pattern recognization, anything like that into the PSP (or PSP2), then it would catch on better. As it is, the PSP is basically a much more powerful better Game Boy Advance, which is why it lacks sales.

Re:

[Kamineko]

Nintendo doesn't look away. They made it more difficult to run homebrew code on the iQue DS and the DS Lite. (And more difficult to flash the DS Lite's firmware without causing some hard-to-reverse damage)

Exactly

[ZakuSage]

The only reason Nintendo (and Microsoft before them with Xbox) aren't releasing firmware upgrades for their consoles is because they don't have the infrastructure in place to do so.

While I don't really sympathize with any multi-national billion dollar corporations, I can understand why they do this: the ISO loaders. From a business standpoint, allowing your userbase to completely stop buying their games and yet still have them for free, stop supporting your developers, and to stop funnelling you money vi

DS: What you see is what you need

[tepples]

They made it more difficult to run homebrew code on the iQue DS and the DS Lite. (And more difficult to flash the DS Lite's firmware without causing some hard-to-reverse damage)

Yesterday I installed FlashMe on a DS Lite using a Datel MAX Media Launcher (a NoPass card [pineight.com]) and a GBA Movie Player. It's actually easier than PassMe used to be, as NoPass is NoBigger than a standard DS Game Card. A couple paperclips plus some Scotch cellopane tape make a handy tool for shorting SL1. What you see is what you need [jk0.org].

Re:

[Kamineko]

Indeed, tepples.

Wotcher, btw. ^_^ I'm 'MrD' on gbadev.

Re:

[Kamineko]

Here's a couple more: * Support SD and CF media. (without adapters) * Make a port of SDL.

"Nintendo Dismisses DS Redesign Rumors"

[dividedsky319]

::cough cough::

January 16th, 2006: Nintendo Dismisses DS Redesign Rumors [slashdot.org]

January 26th, 2006: Nintendo Announces DS Lite [slashdot.org]

Re:

[J-Doggqx]

January 20th: I purchase DS Phat.

January 26th: I cried a little.

January 27th: started working on getting wife addicted to DS.

June 11th: purchased DS Lite for myself and gave the DS Phat to my wife :)

August 25: wife regularly beats me in Mario :(

Typical /. editing.

[MMaestro]

Nintendo of Europe has told GamesIndustry.biz that there are no plans to unveil a redesigned version of the multi-million selling Nintendo DS handheld this week, despite rumours to the contrary.

From the first report you cited.

Once again, in Nintendo's clever use of words, we were all simply misled. (The announcement came 10 days afterwards, technically not 'this week'.)

Tiny

[daeg]

Stop making things so fucking tiny. Not all of us have tiny hands... Smaller != Better.

Re:

[sqlrob]

That's tiny? I have big hands and don't have a problem with the DS Lite, which is even smaller. I expected my hands to cramp, but they don't.

Re:

[daeg]

No, the PSP and DS Lite aren't tiny per se, but the article mentions that PSP2 would be smaller and lighter.

Oh come on!

[Lave]

According to both sites, the October issue of PSM contained an article announcing that a new PSP will ship in March 2007, have eight gigs of built-in flash memory, sport a slimmer form factor, include a built-in camera, and have two--count 'em--two thumbsticks!

I know Sony has been making bad decisions lately, but you can tell it's bullshit from a mile off. Are you telling me that after "shipping" millions of units with one thumbstick they will splinter their market and release a new PSP Lite with two? That would never happen.

It's obvious that they will at some point release a slimmer, brighter, better version of the original tech to fight back against the dominating DS Lite - but they can't change it fundamentally as games must work on both versions. Saying otherwise is as retarded as all the "news stories" saying the remake of the original DS would have a new thumbstick.

Oh and Sony will lie about the existance of a prettier model till just before release. Hell there is an interview on Eurogamer with the head of Nintendo UK - the day before - the announcement of the DS Lite saying it wasn't gona happen.

Then again...

[ravyne]

Then again, this is Sony we're talking about after all. Its not their fault your old PSP doesn't have that second thumbstick, its your fault.

Re:

[2008]

The PS1 went from no thumbsticks to 2 during its lifespan, so introducing another on the PSP isn't impossible. It doesn't splinter the market, it just means developers have to mess about supporting two different control configurations with their games.

They could perhaps even add a Wii-style nunchuck attached via the USB port, though I'm not sure how comfortable holding the PSP one-handed is.

Re:

[Abcd1234]

The PS1 went from no thumbsticks to 2 during its lifespan,

Yes, but the difference (which seems so obvious I don't know why I need to point it out) is that you can buy a new controller for your Playstation if you want to play a newer game. The same is clearly not true for the PSP.

Re:

[2008]

Yes. I know. That's why I said that developers would have to do two controller setups, make every game support 1 and 2 analog stick play so people with the old PSP can still play the games, using the same controller setups as they already have been.

And adding it as a nunchuck peripheral obviously wouldn't have this problem.

Re:

[Lave]

Whilst these would technically work - I really can't articulate how stupid these idea are, even for Sony.

They would piss off everyone who already owns a PSP. It would never happen.

Re:

[Lave]

I din't mean to come accross harsh in the last comment - but something you plug into your living room console is a different world to an attachment you have to carry around with you for your PSP. It wouldn't work.

Hmmm, no bias in this topic

[DrXym]

Gamespot article - "PSM unveils two-thumbstick, 8GB PSP?". Zonk - "PSP2 Not Coming Any Time Soon".

Re:

[powerlord]

Exactly. ... both articles seem to agree that a "PSP Lite" is probably coming in March-ish, but beyond that is lots of speculation (although the 8GB internal drive would make it a nice competitor to the Nano instead of the Shuffle ... if Sony can get movie content and better Music/Movie Browsing).

Does this really surprise anyone?

[grapeape]

Handhelds usually have a longer life than consoles, the PSP has just really started to gain momentum with a recent flood of games at much higher quality than the early stuff. UMD may have failed as a movie format (I still argue it could survive if standalone recorders and players were made available) but its sufficient for game distribution, switching to an all memory stick format would do nothing but make Sony's already mostly wasted battle for control over piracy that much more difficult. UMD adds at least a rudimentary level of security, yes its hackable for the most part but doing so is extremely difficult without knowing where to look and how to do it. Lots of people on here talk about homebrew and PSP hacks but outside the geek community there are very very few that even know its possible.

What I think is odd is that Nintendo never seems to do anything about piracy other than sue websites blatently selling pirate devices, yet the still have GBA and DS games in the top 10 almost every month and outsell Sony in most countries. If Sony put half the money in game development that they do in hardware redesigns which add nothing they could probably have a more competative library of games to increase the sales of their hardware.

It really seems sometimes like Sony has a Kamakazi view of marketing...protect the "idea" at the cost of self sacrifice. It happened with Betamax, it happened with MiniDisk (they finally opened that one up but it was too late), it happened with Memory sticks (sony is mostly the only company that uses them), it happened with UMD and I would bet the next victim of their own arrogance is going to be BlueRay. Its like they just never learn. Sony seems to obsess over the idea of owning a "standard" so much so that they pretty much destroy any chance of the new product becoming a standard before it has a chance.

Re:

[fistfullast33l]

I agree Sony definitely has a slight obsession with dominating the market with some kind of proprietary hardware storage solution. It's quite annoying.

I do think that they really screwed up the UMD movies. Yes, there's no way to view the movies on an external source (TV or PC or whatever) but the image ratio is so small that I doubt it would translate well to the larger devices. What they really need to do is drop the price. I still see them selling for $14. Someone above suggested selling them for $5.

Re:

[grapeape]

UMD's are admittedly lower in resolution than DVD'd but they are just about on par with VHS which was sufficient for most for a long time. At 480 x 272 a umd would look fine on smaller tv's and especially mobile screens like I have in my van. It just seems to me that a portable standalone player kind of like the Video Now and Mini Dvd players they have for kids and maybe in dash players for vehicles would really give the UMD an advantage if I didnt fear it was already too late.

Another idea that I have act

Re:

[Abcd1234]

but its sufficient for game distribution,

No, it's not. It's fragile, drains battery life, and introduces load times that pretty well defeat the purpose of having a portable: so you can easily open it up and play for 10 or 20 minutes. It's only advantage is cost, and given the price of PSP games versus the DS, those savings aren't being passed on to the consumer, so who cares?

Re:

[grapeape]

Fragile? They each come in their own case as well as a caddy. I love my DS but the sheer data size of a UMD allows for much more complex games, cinematics, vocals, music, etc. As prices come down it might get more efficient but when a a gig of SD memory for example costs on average the price of 2 DS games, games requiring large amounts of static memory is not very practical. Both have their advantages, the DS does have a ton of games like Tetris, New Super Mario, etc that can be played and put back down

Re:

[CokoBWare]

I own both consoles. I agree that the UMD has the ability to offer more immersive content, but based on history and playing LOTS of games for PSP, the DS is by far better at delivering immersive games. Instant or near instant access to content through a cart is highly desireable compared to a disc load. Since I bought my DS lite, I haven't picked up my PSP to do anything other than watch a movie. I wish it Sony had come up with something better than a disc format, because in reality, the games that you

It'll be a hot item!

[r_jensen11]

Check it out! With the new batteries they're using, even your PSP will catch on fire!

If you want something done right, DIY!

[Bushido Hacks]

I propose that someone create a hackable handheld gaming console.

Why should the big companies with the machinery have the ability to create the hardware?

If we can make software, we should also make the hardware.

If I pay for a $200 item, I DEMAND to do whatever the hell I want with it!