PSP Concept shots

[Rico]

http://www.1up.com/article2/0,4364,1372129,00.asp

SCEE President Ken Kutaragi unveils a single screenshot, but it's a nice one. If the PSP looks anything like this when it comes out, I will be impressed.
(except the screen borders, or lack of)

Also, although official, there's no analog stick. Finally, you can get more PSP info by watching a slideshow released not long ago.

Any thoughts on the design?

 

[kokonik]

thanks for the link.

well, I think it looks very small and unhandy... but anyway, i am not going to buy this for 400 euro :/

 

[phoda]

I do like the direction they are taking but it looks just way too early to tell. I just wonder how controls would work with those buttons. And what's the deal with that wrist strap?

 

[thebluenewt]

thanks for the link.

well, I think it looks very small and unhandy... but anyway, i am not going to buy this for 400 euro :/

I'll be amazed if it's more than 250.

 

[Thyphoid]

Those conceptional control buttons may look smooth but I can't imagine to play well with them. The wrist-strap should be a joke, who's gonna carry his unit with it? Those useless wrist-straps are typical for Sony, I remember my Sony Z5 handy had one also.

 

[extremegamer]

Reminds me of a giant screened Lynx1.

 

[ralp99]

neat, very space-age

 

[bringoutthegimp]

veeeeery slick.

 

[tom-T3[AUT]]

i also think that they can kick the wristband but i read that there´ll be different versions of the psp, zodiac like.
i dont like such different power versions :angry: ...

but if its just the mobile addition im not angry at sony

 

[empee]

i think by diffrend version they mean that some versions have all those wifi&dolby digital(or whatever it was) things and cost a little fortune and then there will be those "stripped down" versions that dont have anything but the basic features

that would make alot of sense.. as they could make lowend model that sells for 100-200e and highend that sells for 300-500e and has more features..
but still they would be compatible with the games as the games could detect if you have wifi or not..

 

[Tobriand]

However much I'd like to bash it, it does look cool... very much so in fact. If they go for than and manage not to balls it up, I'll be impressed.

BTW: if anyone's interested, I've got a friend who's a tester for Sony - says he's been told the battery-life for the PSP is set at 3 and a half hours. Which is, methinks, just about within the "its worth getting and isn't going to be another gamegear" range. Although barely...

 

[skysnapper]

3 1/2 hours ouch!

Does it use batteries or does it have a built in lithium battery?

If its the latter hope theres the option for a spare like a laptop!

Won't last long when travelling. Which is what i for one mainly would use a handheld for. <_<

 

[Tobriand]

I *think* it's a built in rechargeable lithium one a la GBA SP. However, that said, iirc he said somethig about an add-on for normal batteries (kind of like some of the things mini-discs have) although I'd have to check that one out...

 

[seth]

h34r:

 

[Daz_Genetic]

It won't look like that. I would be very suprized if it isn't a clamshell design as any prototypes we have seen here at work have always been clamshell.

 

[empee]

even 3½hours with those specs is good .. but i bet that aint measured with everything running at fastest clockspeed

and i for one hope that it's not clamshell .. clamshell for phones is ok but not game console .. but that's me again

what protos have you seen as this is the only picture of any psp machine (other's have been faked) that there is
and where do you work.. i want to have a job where you have hardware that's not finished and wont be released in year or so ;P

 

[Daz_Genetic]

I work for a game developer with close ties to Sony (they are our publisher). I can't go into details about it due to NDAs etc., but development kits have already been recieved by us, and many other compainies. These aren't the actual hardware, rather a software/hardware emulation system that matches the proposed specs. Later in the year ('04) development companies like ours will recieve real full-speed Dev-Kits and knowing Sony, they will have a Debug version of the device itself, that will look exactly like the end product.

 

[empee]

can you tell which game developer?

 

[Rico]

Daz_Genetic, cool info. The article mentions that most previous concepts have been clamshell, and personally I'd prefer a regular handheld. Never really liked the GBA SP

 

[jot2b]

I'm with ralp on the design, "space age and cool", although the wrist-strap should be dropped of course.

Is anyone else a little concerned about the recent trend in releasing multiple versions of the same console, like the 32mb vs 128mb Zodiacs? What will game developers do, take advantage of the power of the better system, upsetting the owners of the cheaper version? Or vice-versa?

If there were several different "speed" versions of the NES, think of all the crap systems no one could rid themselves of today. Granted, due to backwards compatibility, there are two Playstation consoles, but each had their day and PSX and PS1 owners could be guaranteed games released before the PS2 would run well on their systems.

This reminds me of the FastPass system now available at several theme parks which allows guests who pay more a magical front-of-the-line ticket (is it worth the dirty looks?). Consoles and theme parks are both domains which should remain equal-opportunity and not short-change fans on a lower budget.