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These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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Small Wonder
Friday, December 24, 2004

With the Nintendo DS still fresh in everyone's minds, several stores have already started taking preorders for the March/April release of Sony's first entry into the portable market, the Playstation Portable, or PSP. Many have went up against the Gameboy and failed, but Sony has been working on this thing for a very long time and seem to have the best shot yet at making a serious impact in the market. So what should you know about it, and what should you expect from it? Well, some of this is just my decently educated opinion since not many concrete facts about it's future and U.S. launch have been released, but hopefully it will help you decide if you want to get in line early or not.

Firstly, know that this is a very different type of device than any iteration of the Gameboy seen yet, including the DS. The PSP will not fit in your pocket, and can't be idly tossed into your backpack before school; it's certainly small and made of high-quality materials, but it's more of a high-tech gadget than a pure gaming machine. It has a disc-based software format (UMD), a USB port, memory stick support, 802.11b WiFi connectivity, an infrared port, and a handful of buttons and an analog "nub". Thusly, lots of moving parts. This does present a number of new problems (such as battery life, which I'll touch on in a bit), but it also makes for one hell of a powerful, adaptable system. It certainly remains to be seen just how extensively Sony takes advantage of the myriad capabilities presented, but the potential is there.

I won't bore you with the techinical specifications and details, but on paper it has the capabilities to eclipse the PS2 in terms of power. You likely won't ever see a game that looks better than the best-looking PS2 games since hardware is never really pushed to it's limits, but as it stands the games definitely look as good as the first generation of PS2 titles did. It fact, looks are what this system does best. Say what you will about graphics being a distant second in importance to gameplay - it's true, but great graphics never hurt. The PSP's awe-inspiring 480x272 screen trumps the DS handily, and pretty much any portable device seen yet. It also occupies the majority of the real estate that is the system (and it's widescreen), so know that you'll get to see the games in their full glory.

And what of those games, easily the most important factor of all for anyone seriously entertaining the idea of purchasing a PSP? Well, as glorious as the system looks and as powerful as it is, the games don't currently appear to be a strong suit. Not that the competition can rub this in their face by any means, as they seem to be having the same problem, but it is a concern. Sony themselves and EA, the system's two biggest publishers so far, are taking the approach of literally selling this as a portable Playstation, and seem content on releasing rehashed and retooled versions of their most popular franchises. Versions of Gran Turismo, Hot Shots Golf, Ape Escape, Armored Core, Dynasty Warriors, Need For Speed, NBA & NFL Street, Tiger Woods, etc. will all see release within several months of the launch, as will tons of other newly revived franchises dating back to the early days of the PS1. They'll also be versions of everything else you'd expect, from Spider-Man 2 to Tony Hawk Underground. Boring, right? Well, not entirely. Thankfully, there are also a handful of great-looking exclusive games being developed alongside them, most of which SHOULD see release in the U.S., if all goes according to plan. Metal Gear Ac!d is an interesting card-based strategy take on the series, Makai Wars should give strategy-RPG gamers their fix, Coded Arms should be great as long as they can get a good FPS control scheme down with only one analog stick, and the crown jewel of originality and exclusivity, Lumines (from Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the mind behind the brilliant Rez and Space Channel 5), is looking like the best puzzle game since Tetris, with a suitably engaging musical twist.

While lack of great software seems to be the first major hurdle for the system, I definitely see it getting better down the road (if the system can last for a bit without it). The PS2's greatest strength is it's variety of games, and with a TON of developers and publishers signed on and hard at work on their own PSP projects, it shouldn't be too long before variety is again the spice of life. However, the main reason for skepticism since they announced the PSP at E3 last year has been it's battery life. Sure, it can play music and movies as well (though I don't think that will be used much, which is why I'm not talking about it), but we want this thing to be able to play games, and do just that for long periods of time. Well, the battery life isn't great, but at least we now have a fairly definite lifespan to consider. IGN.com recently ran some very thorough tests of the unit, and found that it lasted about three and a half hours when pushed to it's limits, and closer to five and a half for less demanding games. It certainly can't rival the GBA (10+ hours), but as I said, it's a new type of gadget. If you're investing the money for one, you'd better get used to the idea of recharging it every night or two next to your cell phone. This shouldn't be as much of an issues down the line when third-party companies release extra, longer-lifespan battery packs, but it's definitely something to consider for the time being.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the price. It was initially speculated that the system could run you between $250-$400, but thankfully that was way off. If it's anything like Japan's recent release (and it will be), it will be released here for between $180-$200, with a value pack available for an extra $50 or so (including a memory stick, case, etc.). It's definitely a reasonable price, especially when compared to the technologically inferior DS. Again, it's for a different crowd; you're less likely to see truly innovate game design on the PSP, and definitely won't see touch-screen technology (or Mario). You will get an incredibly sexy, top-of-the-line portable gaming system though, and that's more than enough for some people. It looks like Sony has a very real shot at making this thing a success, as long as they have the software to support it from launch onwards. And though the Gameboy's decade-and-a-half reign was glorious while it lasted, a little serious competition can only work out well for everyone.

- Nick


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