If the DS didn't have a head-start in the US ...
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Jan 17th 2007 at 6:30PM }
Here's some food for thought: what if the DS didn't have a four-month head-start ahead of the PSP? Both systems have had at least 22 months of sales in America. Looking at cumulative sales, this chart from VGcharts.org shows that the PSP has sold more than the DS in their first 22 months of sales. Certainly, Japan is a completely different story ... but does that really matter for gamers in the US? Americans love their PSP ... even if the video gaming press doesn't want to admit it.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Max Vest @ Jan 17th 2007 7:32PM
The chart looks compelling, but it might be more reasonably titled "If Nintendo hadn't released the DS Lite".
Compare September 06 through December 06 cumulative sales, again with figures from vgcharts.org:
DS: 3,759,500
PSP: 1,863,000
This includes the all-important holiday season and accounts for roughly 2/3 of the 2,818,500 sales gap between the two consoles' US sales totals. In fact, the figures pretty clearly show the momentum shifting in Nintendo's favor beginning in June 06 with the DS Lite redesign; as of May 06, the PSP was only about 100,000 units behind the DS in total sales, despite the four-month headstart of the DS.
Basically, only the last six months have counted towards sales differences between the systems. Looking at the length of time the consoles have been out is of limited use when the data readily show that (barring a console redesign) console sales tend to track holiday and seasonal spending patterns. Compare October 05 to December 05 for both systems, for example. Charting sales data against number of weeks since release compares apples to oranges.
However, I do commend Sony on taking more handheld market share away from Nintendo than anyone else. Competition is usually good for gamers.
Kspraydad @ Jan 17th 2007 7:35PM
Hey Andrew....
I guess I'm of two minds on your post...
While it is certainly surprising to me to see this comparison based on US sales I don't think we can ignore Japan as if it 'doesn't matter'..
I assume most PSP fanboys are PS fanboys too and PS fanboys are CONSTANTLY throwing Japan's sales over Xbox in XBfanboys' faces.
Overall I think Sony has done a great job selling as many PSPs as they have given the failure of every other company that has tried to sell portable gaming into the Nintendo world.
PSP_Trekster @ Jan 17th 2007 7:42PM
I also think you have to take into account that the name
gameboy has been around since 89 and parents are clueless and just assume gameboy is the only thing going. PSP is fighting that. and the only thing that parents see is little to none advertising, (very poor advertising at that)that does not show off many games that appeal to a larger audience.
My new way to refer to the Nintendoz DS
---> DeeS
PSP_Trekster @ Jan 17th 2007 7:47PM
oops I meant to say
DeeS as that is a 4 letter word to me :)
Jeremy @ Jan 17th 2007 7:50PM
Good article. I think if the PSP had just one or two exclusive games on it that were remarkable, it would start a trend of more good exclusive games coming out. Just imagine if there was a modern-day FF7 that came out exclusively on the PSP. Rox
Sponge @ Jan 17th 2007 7:57PM
@PSP_Trekster
It's not Nintendo Gameboy DS, just DS or Nintendo DS. Your reasoning doesn't really work. And this:
"My new way to refer to the Nintendoz DS
---> DeeS"
what does it mean?
moosey @ Jan 17th 2007 8:07PM
@ #3, exactly, my mom used to call my psp gameboy all the time, now she refers to it as "pcp"..well its still progress
PSP Underrated Should be #1 @ Jan 17th 2007 8:44PM
#6 Sponge
Read my correction it came right after my post.....
and I said Nintendo DS.
DeeS- For letter word same SHIT as the DeeS is a piece of one compared to the PSP
DiRT @ Jan 17th 2007 8:44PM
You can't forget price drops as well. Cheaper hardware = more sales.
Cwapeater @ Jan 19th 2007 8:03AM
I had a teacher that was talking to the class about how they wen to the store to buy a PCP and the retailer said that they only sold PSP's not PCP and that the only place to get PCP was downtown in the hood. I actually believe the guy because his is a real dumbass.
pixelator @ Jan 18th 2007 1:42PM
The chart illustrates a valid point - Other than momentum after the DS Lite and admittedly some pretty strong months since then, the PSP has sold strongly and maintained a very firm presence in the market. You can say what you want about 1.9 million vs. 3.8 million, it's not like the trouncing the PS2 handed the XBOX and Gamecube at their respective 2 year marks, and miles away from the deaths of the GameGear, Lynx, Wonderswan, Neo*Geo, TurboExpress and others.
One of the big things DS fanboys love to emphasize is total sales (and sales of games, since they favor the DS right now). But with 4 months head start, that was a BIG difference, especially considering the DS launched in NOVEMBER of 2004 and nailed the 04 Christmas season with the PSP landing in the gaming dead zone of MARCH the following year... Yet if anyone remembers, the DS fans made a big deal about how the PSP didn't sell out at every single store in every single backwater burg (much like they're talking about PS3's spotted sitting on shelves now). It was bullshit then, and the DS fanboy spin in this particular comment thread is exactly the same type of bullshit.
The thing that blows my mind is that people still take NPD sales totals and say 'this is what was sold'. It's not. They don't count ONLINE sales or WAL-MART, among other retailers. The overall _ratio_ presented by NPD may be a valid indicator, but the totals are NOT accurate.
And whether Nintendo calls the DS a Gameboy or not, people do, in general, view it as exactly that. A Gameboy DS. The whole 'third pillar' line was pure corpospeak shite for the industry/fanboys to chew on and minimize dev abandonment of the GBA.
The one DS thing I'll readily point out (since I tend to find myself less on the side of the Nintendo fans these days) is that the system is enjoying exceedingly high software sales, with the PSP really floundering in that department. A most dangerous trend for Sony, since that's the bottom line most publishers will look at, and not just total unit sales. Hopefully, we'll see some killer apps this year, along with a redesign ala the Lite to rekindle software interest as well as hardware (since the latter isn't apparently suffering, per se, anyway).
quicktime @ Jan 17th 2007 9:02PM
If nintendo had released the ds lite in the first place instead of the ds phat
Carl Winslow @ Jan 18th 2007 12:04AM
What in god's name are you talking about?
mietha @ Jan 17th 2007 10:32PM
That statement is a little broad, don't you think? I am an american and I certainly don't "love" my psp. I mainly use it as a web browser to look at gamefaqs while playing my 360. It fails in almost every capacity that it tries. Too big to be a decent mp3 players. Too much load time on most games. No expectional sound options for movie watching. No expectional storage/protection solutions. Internet browser is obscenely slow. It is a decent system, but not great. The DS is a much better gaming system, although I still prefer the GBA. Smaller, more durable, and doesn't require the stupid touch screen. I bought it in week one for metal gear acid. Loved it, beat it, but in all the time since I have only played a single other PSP game to completion (Untold legends 1). The point is, the fact that they bought it, does, by no means, mean they "love" it. In fact, the horrible software and UMD sales would tend to very strongly indicate the oposite.
Hostile @ Jan 17th 2007 10:35PM
Didn't you just make a post about how PSP owners don't buy PSP games? >_
Michael Anderson @ Jan 17th 2007 10:43PM
This is the lamest thing EVAR (sorry ;) )
But seriously, the PSP is being bested soundly in its' strongest territory (the US) by the DS, and pretty much equaled by the 'dead' GBA - and the software sales are lousy. The system is not dead, but it is the equivalent of the GameCube of the last gen consoles.
Jeremy @ Jan 17th 2007 10:57PM
Seriously, why the hell do you people come to this site if all you want to say is "PSP sucks, DS rocks". Go to the damn DSfanboy site and effin stay there. I come on this site to read positive things about the PSP, and I dont want to read your retarded flaming posts. GO TO DSFANBOY AND EFFIN STAY THERE!
Seriously, can we get a "requires approval" on comments? DS-loving flamers really annoy me on this site, and it makes me not want to come to it. I like the PSP and I dont want to read flames about it on a site for positive PSP news/comments.
PSP_Trekster @ Jan 17th 2007 11:23PM
DS is a better gaming machine how??
Lets See
Oh yes it must be the memory yah thats it, all that mamory for a huge great game
now let's see...
DS 1Gigbit (128 Megs)
PSP UMD 1.8 GIGS and soon 8 GIG Memory Cards
well that cant be it
Maybe its the Hardware??
Oh wait the DS cant really do any 3d games to save it's life.. Just look at ANY I mean ANY 3d game that has come out for both and taken advantage of the hardware
DS Piece of Crap fails in every instance
so I guess it cant be the hardware...
Oh I read so much about the Load Times, hmm I have 9 games and the only slow loader is Star Wars Battlefront II, but then againt this game does not load nearly as fast as other games on the PC either, but wait the DS can't do this game can it??? Well I guess if they turned it into a side scrolling and some guy names Mario with a light sabre was in it they would try...
I am trying, really trying to find a good reason why DS user think the DS is better at gaming... Oh wait it must be the MIC and Touchscreen, you know these are just absolute things that you need for a good game. Just look at the consoles they use them extensively.
Oh, I think I know now why. It's the many many clones of
Mario
Pokemon
Yoshi
Nintendogs
and the mindless button mashing pixelated games that dominate this CHEAP little system... Wait maybe I hit on something it's CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP
I think that has to be it.
OK DS fans name me some games that look anywhere nearly as good as the PSP that are more in depth, as the PSP?
If they drop the price of the PSP to that of the DS the PSP would sale more.
If I wanted to play games that look like they was made a decade ago then I would just dust off the n64, which still has BETTER graphics.
Say what you want, I think maybe for the most part the public just does not know the real difference between the 2 and they think that the Cheap, Ugly, Inferior DS
is just the same when we all know, (say what you want you DS losers) the PSP can handle and proving this with many many already released games) bigger, better looking and sounding games. I love the PSP, I wish Sony would take there collective head out of there arses and wake up and let the people know about the Mighty PSP.
Who knows, as often as they release a new NINTENDO GAMEBOY DS SP COLOR they might get it right, I mean isn't it time for a new one?? I mean it's been longer than six month's....
alienclay @ Jan 17th 2007 11:38PM
agreed.
but thoughtfull arguments are appreciated.
wish we could get more of them.
actully i know why i'm buying as many psp games right now. i'm at home more playing with my ps3.
if my ship were underway more these last few weeks (i'm in the navy) i would have picked up a psp game or 2 in the last 2 months.
that and i need more varity in my games now. (and a touch screen is a gimmick to me. new control method does not equal better gameplay by default.) with ps1 and ps2 i saw games that came out with the new hardware that made games that were beforehand impossible pretty early on. i wan't original ip that really takes advantage of what the psp and ps3 can really do.
Thomas @ Jan 17th 2007 11:44PM
The psp needs a price drop NOW!!!!! I think that if the psp drops to 149.99 ds owners will drop the DS and never look back. Wait a minute... people say that the psp is dead... how can that be?!
mietha @ Jan 18th 2007 1:30AM
Ok, to clarify. First off, I'm not a DS or nintendo fanboy. I hate the company and the direction it is leading (and sadly now, that statement is true. They are LEADING, god help us all) the industry. The touch screen IS a gimmick that hinders more games than it helps. What I meant was it's a better PORTABLE gaming system. Most of the points made by #17 are valid. However, the DS, and its games, are more durable. The clamshell design protects the screen. The software on the DS is far more varied. Yes, there is a whole lot of crap there, but there is some really good stuff too, same as with the PSP, just not so much for the PSP. The important point is #15 is dead on. I know this site is PSP fanboy, but seriously, face reality. It's not gamecube dead, but it's not that far off either. The PSP needs a redesign and a price drop. An internal hard drive would be an immense help as well. And a second analog stick wouldn't hurt either. It's just not very well designed to do what it is supposed to do. The only true technical problem is the load times, all other problems, IMO, are at the design level. And really, the main reason the DS outsells, and will continue to outsell, no matter what, the PSP is very simple. MANY, MANY parents buy DSs and GBAs for their children. Again: systems are durable, games are durable, can't get porn (at least not yet), etc. Very few parents are going to buy their children, at least not their young children, a PSP. If the sales charts were only for those over 18, the PSP would look a whole lot better. And really, my main point was the generalization by the blogger that all american PSP owners love their systems. That simply is not the case. The video gaming press doesn't want to admit it because it isn't true.
Jackal @ Jan 18th 2007 5:58AM
Nice rant #17, but this coming from a site called PSP fanboy? I take it with a grain of salt.
Have you noticed Nintendo's handheld sales? They managed to beat the turbo graphix, game gear, lynx, as well as any other competator. Oh wait, they had ALL you wanted in your "dream" handheld. They had the power, they had the games, and they had all those nifty gadgets that you'd want in your handheld gaming device.
Funny thing is, a handheld gaming device is exactly what it should be. A GAMING device. See, the fact is, Nintendo dishes out some first party titles that seem to be so addictive to some people, that they play it for hours and seem to go on playing. Which is what a gaming device should accomplish.
Also, handheld gaming is what it's supposed to be. Portable. You want to have a short game session on the go. PSP games defeat this purpose by offering long winded sessions comparable to a console. Although nice to have at home or when your on a long trip, I'd prefer to have a nice quick little level into my DS, save, then go to work.
You mention CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP about Nintendo. Just to let you know, thats the whole point on why it's selling. The thing is inexpensive, the games are fun. It does its purpose.
Your satirical writing is nice, too bad your stupidity and ignorance makes you look like a stereotypical PSP fanboy.
(Disclaimer: If you think I'm a Nintendo fan, please think again. I just hate idiots.)
Elric @ Jan 18th 2007 6:37AM
@ #17
Try FUN, people want FUN, no one gives a rats ass what the games look like if they aren't FUN. DS has TONNES of FUN games that look like ass or "kids" games.
But, you can't dispute the fact that they are FUN. Well you can if you've never played one. Frig, everyone I know with a DS still play Animal Crossing of all things, and play it online. Are there games that stay fun over a year and two months of release date on the PSP? No, I use mine strictly for emulating and web browsing and homebrew. It's cool system, but certainly not as a hand held games machine.
We aren't "DS Fanboys" we just like games.
Michael Anderson @ Jan 18th 2007 9:15AM
Some interesting stuff indeed - but, what if we compare the PSP sales since launch with the GBA sales *over the same period*? I pulled the same data from VGCharts and graphed it up -
http://txa1265.spymac.com/pictures/PSP_vs_GBA.jpg
So, during its first *two years* the 'most advanced and multi-functional' portable gaming device ever is being outsold by ~1 million units by a 'dead' system?
Thomas @ Jan 18th 2007 10:25AM
#20
If the psp drops to 149.99, it will start to out sell the DS...
Alien @ Jan 21st 2007 11:22AM
Uhm , and yet again , some people came and ruined this discussion , this probably proves that only kids own a DS , whatever , the PSP doesnt have a bad selling ( and neither game sellings , because it outbeats the Xbox , what was a sitem producers did make games on ) , but its true , a pricedrop and a redesign could help a lot ... and dont ever compare it to Nintendos crap Gamecube , because it allready outsoled it in two years ... thats sad .
Dewy! @ Jan 18th 2007 10:18AM
YES CUZ MORE POWER=BETTER GAMING MACHINE!
WOW YOU PSP FANS SURE LOVE USING LOGIC HUH?
Kspraydad @ Jan 18th 2007 10:43AM
@Thomas....
The PSP is $169 USD in Canada (normal price at Walmart and RCSS)...The normal price of a DS is $147
With only a $22 price difference can anyone scare up the Canadian sales stats?
Kspraydad @ Jan 18th 2007 11:10AM
Sorry...forget my comment about the DS price...I forgot to convert to US funds....
How about just commenting on Canadian sales based on the price only being $169 USD.....
Michael Anderson @ Jan 18th 2007 12:16PM
Regarding Canadian Sales:
Top Hardware for 2006
1.) Nintendo DS - 374,000
2.) PlayStation 2 - 327,000
3.) Xbox 360 - 252,000
4.) Game Boy Advance - 237,000
5.) PlayStation Portable - 176,500
6.) GameCube - 89,000
7.) Wii - 84,000
8.) PlayStation 3 - 45,000
9.) Xbox - 32,000
So you can see that the price *REALLY MATTERS* (not)
Phil @ Jan 18th 2007 12:26PM
I really don't care what the DS is doing right now, as far as I am concerned, the only thing the DS has over the PSP is the recent release of a Final Fantasy game, namely "FF3 DS" I think once a few more "Good" games come out on the PSP, it will push it into more of the mainstream. FF Crisis Core for example. 2007 is going to be a great year for RPG fans on the PSP. Furthermore, I think one of the most important things in gaming systems is the graphics, DS holds nothing over thr PSP in that area. I mean they're not bad, but they're not "PSP" graphics. -PSP4EVER- 07' will b a good PSP year.
PSP Underrated Should be #1 @ Jan 18th 2007 12:51PM
DS users wine on, you can stick to your it's supposed to be portable and the games are supposed to be quick easy and simple. This is a MOOT point on the PSP, no matter what game, no matter how in depth or how long it takes to complete the game the PSP has a built in power save pause mode that will pause the game no matter where you are at, and you can instantly get back into the action. PSP developers see this when they make games for the PSP, not only do they look 20 times better, sound better they are much larger, they realize that the PSP is more then a button mashing toy as the DS is. Yes the DS is CHEAP and that's the point that's the main reason that the DS is outselling the PSP, you mention Canada only being a 20 dollar price difference its more like 50 dollars or more most anywhere you get one. If the PSP was the same price then it would outsell your childlike DS toy. I asked if you DS users could name games that was on par with PSP, all you can say the DS have fun quick games thats what portable means, thats bullshit, portable gaming means wherever and whenever the hell you want to game, THIS does not mean quick,simple,basic game that appeals to children (that's the definition of DS)
Hey If you want basic games that are a little better than most mobile phones then stick with your DS but if you want console quality games then get a PSP.
Might I suggest a few titles on the PSP, (they could do these on the DS if they wanted to make them side scrollers or really DUMB THEM DOWN)
MGSPO, Socomm, Syphon Filter,Burnout Legends(this looks awesome on the PSP, looks like CRAPOLA on the DS), Medal of Honor Heroes, Daxter, Loco Roco, Outrun 2006 (this looks like the consoles almost perfectly) Ace Combat X and if you are into RPG there are what about 10X the amount of RPGS coming out for the PSP, how many for the DS...
I only wish Sony had the Marketing team that Nintedoze has because it's marketing an inferior product that's also key, just look at almost the ENTIRE history of the gameboy. There was always something better. So its not games that makes the simpleton DS outsell its a cheaper price and a better marketing strategy. That I will give to Nintendoz but nothing else.
Thomas @ Jan 18th 2007 1:07PM
#30
If the price doesn't matter.. .then let the psp have a price drop just to see how it affects the market. How long has the price been that way in Canada... When you losing.. you have to do something.. so far psp has really done nothing to force itself into number one... this year is promising due to some great titles coming out... but other than that.. the system has been expensive.. whereas the DS has seen a tremendous price drop and redesigned model. Apple and Sony should work on a psp redesign together.. that would outsell the DS hands down...
Thomas @ Jan 18th 2007 1:08PM
#32
The Gameboy has been running since about 1986, a product with that type of longevity doesn't lose it's number one spot easily. The gameboy has been overrun with games.. battery life... that's the feature that killed gamegear by itself.
-------------------------------------
where are the other psp(s)... the blue, the white, the red, pink... where are they... where's the camera, the gps, where's the fight... the psp is basically the smae as it was on launch day... with just more games.
pixelator @ Jan 18th 2007 1:43PM
"The software on the DS is far more varied. Yes, there is a whole lot of crap there, but there is some really good stuff too, same as with the PSP, just not so much for the PSP."
What's 'good' is wholly subjective. You might like Pokemon or Nintendogs. I don't. In terms of RATINGS, however, your statement is false. The PSP has more highly rated (70 or 80+) than the DS, although Gamerankings and Metacritic attribute the DS with more widely-reviewed AAA level games. Metacritic lists 39 80+ PSP games, and 32 for the DS - with four versions of the same game (Nintendogs) listed separately (the PSP list includes Advent Children, which isn't a game).
As far as variety goes, the DS has more non-games like Brain Age, Nintendogs and Cooking Mama with fewer titles that fall into the sports or racing venue, but the PSP has a better assortment of certain genres other than sports/racing like RPG's (not all of them great), action/FPS and fighters.
Again, it ALL depends on your own personal preferences. People who prefer simpler, quicker, cuter, character-based games like Mario, 'Dogs, etc. will prefer the DS... Which is not to say the DS is _limited_ to simple, cute, quick games (take Mario & Luigi for example - a combat system so complex I sold the game out of frustration, and there's Trauma Center, etc). Meanwhile, people who love the PSP games I described above will, naturally, prefer the PSP.
"YES CUZ MORE POWER=BETTER GAMING MACHINE!
WOW YOU PSP FANS SURE LOVE USING LOGIC HUH?"
This is the favorite 'project your logic' argument Nintendo fanboys use against Sony and PSP owners. That those who own something with better graphics must ONLY be interested in that, and not so much in gameplay. I think a quick check of the list of AAA games on the PS2 vs. XBOX or Gamecube tends to deflate that theory.
Fact is, the PSP has good games, regardless of whether it's more powerful than the DS. Which is not to say that a wide screen with higher resolution, 10X more storage on the media and much more powerful graphics hardware don't allow for advantages. Take Age of Empires on DS. It's a fun game to play, but the graphics are so bad and jumbled together on the tiny screen(s) that it's occasionally hard to make out which unit is what. That's a gameplay issue. That game would be, simply put, made better by having more screen detail and real estate to work with. Period. So while graphics, display and power don't solely dictate game quality, they do provide greater potential for the better games to exploit.
"So, during its first *two years* the 'most advanced and multi-functional' portable gaming device ever is being outsold by ~1 million units by a 'dead' system?"
Your anti-Sony bias is becoming more and more apparent with every post you make. Firstly, whoever said the GBA was 'dead'? There's over 75 million of the damned things out there! Even if they stopped making them right now, the games would sell (well) for years to come.
You can sarcastically deride the multifunctionality and and architecture of the PSP if it makes you feel better about your (obvious) platform preferences, but do you honestly think the DS Lite would even exist right now if it weren't for Sony bringing the PSP to market? I don't. For the same reason we didn't get an actual backlit color handheld from Nintendo until 2003: Nintendo goes the cheapest possible route and spins the end result as 'new' and 'innovative'. Only when BACKED INTO A CORNER do they evolve their products. They only provided us with the SP grudgingly after they their claims of 'protecting' battery life and cost were shot down by the Afterburner kit. I worked for a company making GB and SNES games in the early 90's and can tell you, they're no angels, even compared to Sony.
"hey managed to beat the turbo graphix, game gear, lynx, as well as any other competator."
So? Should we be worshiping Nintendo (as some folks seem to) because they've ruled the handheld market? In case you hadn't noticed, the PSP has sold better than all those competitors combined (worldwide, lifetime). Hell, it's already matched GAMECUBE lifetime worldwide sales.
Nintendo fanboy vitriol and proselytizing. Priceless.
Michael Anderson @ Jan 18th 2007 1:57PM
I actually own more PSP games than DS games, and my 'bias' swings more to PC gaming than anything else. Indeed, much of my enthusiasm for the PSP comes from trying to recreate some of my PC gaming experiences on a handheld (e.g. Medal of Honor Heroes).
My point here is that the article comes off as 'fishing for data to support the answer I want' rather than touting the positive features of the platform. And many of the anti-DS folks here have started making ad hominem attacks that sound desperate and apologist.
I have reviewed *many* PSP games for GamerDad ... more than DS or GBA games, certainly (this is my name, you can search my reviews at the site and see that there are quite a few PSP games I love). I consider myself fairly 'platform agnostic' (again, except for my PC bias, I'd admit to being somewhat 'anti-console') - but I recall reading EGM / GamePro / etc articles proclaiming that the PSP was going to squish the DS. I was waiting for the doors to open to buy my PSP on day of release, whereas my wife bought me my DS for Christmas when it was released - my expectation was that I would never use the DS. I love both, but there are some significant issues with the system and games.
PSP_Trekster @ Jan 18th 2007 2:25PM
#35 pixelator
Brilliant Post, my hat's off to you sir.
I am eagerly awaiting yet another ingorant rant by a
user that is still blinded to there DS. If they would give the PSP a try and not worship there beloved
DS Lite they might be open to the possibilities of what the PSP can and does offer to them. You make a great point as I have tried to do in other forums on how many versions of the same product Nintendo releases to get it right. I wonder how many DS fans bought the first DS, and then in the short span of time when the DS lite came out bought the DS lite. Gee, if you do the math and purchse both of these products isnt that like twice the amount you would spend to get the far superior PSP?
Jeremy @ Jan 18th 2007 5:12PM
Well, here are some FACTS about the DS and GBA and PSP in my area.(Louisiana)
My little cousin (age 6) has had a GBA SP for a year now, and became obsessed with it after I introduced him to pokemon. A year later (christmas), he gets another one just so he can link two Pokemon games together. He knows NOTHING about the PSP and has never even heard of it. When I asked him about why he got a second GBA he said "So me and u can play pokemon." I next asked him "why didnt you get a DS lite so you could play the new pokemon coming out" and he IMMEDIATELY ran to his mom and dad begging them to get the DS.
The only people I have EVER seen looking at the DS stuff at the local EBGames was children with their parents, or parents looking for games for their kids. The only actual adult i know that has a DS is my friend who bought one 8 months ago. His first game was Nintendogs. 8 months later he still plays his DS and loves it. Know what he plays? Thats right, Nintendogs.
I work on campus at my local university, and every 3-4 days I see someone with a PSP, and sometimes I see a group of them playing Ad Hoc or on the local Wi-Fi connection. I have never once seen anyone at school, EVER, playing a DS.
If you want to look at something factual for a chart, how bout someone looks up "%of DS owners over 18" vs "%of PSP owners over 18". Most likely, the DS sales are because its kids and kids parents buying them the DS and has a very low % of people owning one over the age of 18. Nintendo's products have ALWAYS been more for the younger audience.
Also, note, that 80% of the top 30 games on the DS are rated E for Everyone, and has ZERO M-rated games in their top 30, whereas, only 40% of the top 30 games on the PSP are rated E for Everyone, and has 20% of their top 30 games rated as M for Mature.
Is the DS outselling the PSP? yup, it sure is. Does this in any way mean its a better system? hell no it dosnt. The DS is simple because its designed for kids, if you dont believe me, see how many of the DS's top rated games are Mature. Oh wait, thats right, NONE OF THEM ARE. ITS FOR KIDS!
PSP Underappreciated @ Jan 18th 2007 7:35PM
You make a great point, too bad there arent more Ads out there for the PSP. The thing is, the PSP does not target the younger crowd, but there are many games that would be enjoyed by the younger crowd. Maybe if they did something like Nintendogs or something that appeals specifially to the younger age group it might grab there attention, and once there kids have a PSP there parents might get interested in some of the stuff available for older people.
pixelator @ Jan 19th 2007 10:22AM
"And many of the anti-DS folks here have started making ad hominem attacks that sound desperate and apologist."
Maybe it's not diplomatic to say so, but I think it's about damned time. The anti-PSP contingent has been doing this very thing (plus trolling) for months on this site... You want to talk ad hominem, I'm talking ad NAUSEUM.
Maybe you're mostly plat-agnostic as I consider myself to be for the most part, but if you've been browsing the forums and blogs for more than the last few minutes, you see a strong anti-Sony, anti-PSP bias on many so-called 'news' items and a disproportionate volume to the Nintendo fanboys. Some of us are pretty sick of that.
BJX @ Jan 18th 2007 10:42PM
To add to mietha's rant...one of my own:
I'm really tired of these "what if" psp vs. ds postings. Guess what? The ds IS outselling the psp. Period. Sony dropped the ball when it came to the system launch and now they're playing catch up. Lack of blood and fps do not make a kiddie system alone and if you ever used the touch screen it does make SOME gaming better and easier. Am I a DS fanboy...no. I own a psp and a ds. I got my psp on launch day. I even talked a friend who was a casual game guy into getting one. His has become nothing but a paperweight and he owns more games than I do. I still use mine but when it comes to quick gaming on the go, the ds wins out. Sony should have spent more time pushing the envelope the right way and marketing the psp than wasting resources fighting a loosing battle with the 'brewers (and they are loosing it). Look back at all the things sony said that were coming at launch for the psp...remember how excited you were when 2.0 launched...are you still just as excited for the future of the psp or has the magic worn off? When you pull out your psp does your girlfriend/boyfriend/mom/dad/whoever want to play with it and then buy one of their own like the ds. There's a reason why the ds is out selling the psp. While the gamers,fanboys, and sony sit back and argue about the givens of why the psp is better, the ds is making fans of people that couldn't give a crap about pixel count and analog nubs. As a psp fan I want sony to step it up and make me LOVE my psp again. Crappy camera and gps (and they are crap...look at the reviews) add ons are not going to cut it. How about a real online gaming infrastructure? How about some variety in games? How about easier text imputing for when I do surf the web...say like a keyboard and a mini-office like spreadsheet, word, and organizer apps? I'd be willing to pay for it so I didn't have to lug around a laptop for simple tasks. Make me want to integrate the psp into my life on a daily basis. Convergent devices are becoming more popular...look at the iPhone's press. Stop being half-assed about it. Push for the future and do it right. Stop thinking that just because you're SONY that people are going to love you forever. Cause after this round you might not get a second chance.
sUCKS @ Jan 18th 2007 10:49PM
FORGOT TO MENTION THAT PSP SUCKS BALLS
PSP Underappreciated @ Jan 18th 2007 11:24PM
Yet another in a long line of users who has not done there homework, I guess he likes simpleton games as well, I mean he says how the DS is better on the go but does not explain how??? He is right in the fact Sony needs to get with the program but I think only in 2 areas
Pricedrop
Marketing
There are plenty of great games now and more each month, anyone who claims different must only be looking for Mario clones and only claim to love there PSP.
Michael Anderson @ Jan 19th 2007 2:37PM
Re: pixelator
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I certainly see the point of frustration, and think it is entirely inappropriate to go to one fansite or another strictly to troll.
But as I tell my kids - you cannot raise yourself up by pushing others down. In other words, I also disapprove of the characterizations by some in this thread indicating that anyone who plays/likes/owns a DS is:
- A little kid who doesn't know better.
- A slightly older kid with parents who don't know better.
- An idiot.
This type of thing doesn't help. I know that the site is called 'fanboy', and is a PSP site, but I also know that Andrew tends to be pretty fair and even with what he says. I would say that in general it would be better called 'PSP Advocate' because while generally being pre-PSP, they call Sony on their crap on a regular basis.
So what about the DS trolls? If you are one of them and are reading, make yourself look good by going away. PSP Lovers, ignore them - didn't your mother ever tell you not to feed the trolls?
Elric @ Jan 19th 2007 2:03PM
@ 43, you see the same no matter where you go, if it's a Nintendo story, you get the Sony guys, and vice versa. If it's an Apple story, behold all the MS boys come out and vice versa.
I come here in hopes to see a game I want to play, sure I love my DS more and play it more, but I WANT to play my PSP (other than emulation and homebrew). I HATE to waste money. I also HATE to waste time, which is why I bought a Mac, but that doesn't mean I don't WANT to use my PC, it's just usually a very large headache when I need to sit down at it.
BJX @ Jan 19th 2007 7:36PM
Actually I don't own any mario clones, nintendogs, or such. How is the DS better on the go? Quicker faster bursts for gaming overall (and not gonna get into load times...that's a technical given). Yes, the variety in games for the psp is coming (believe me I do my homework), but like I said before...sony is playing catch up. Nintendo has at least made an effort to really bring online gaming to it's handheld. Walk into any McD's and you get free wi-fi for your ds. What has sony done? Next to nothing. If there are other ds users nearby, I at least have the chance to chat with them and maybe go at it in metroid. How would I know if there was another psp user nearby? So now my psp is basically locked down to my house if I want some infrastucture multiplayer action or know someone's around for random adhocs. So give me my simpleton ds games like metroid prime or the up-coming Hotel Dusk: Room 215. I'm not here to play ds fanboy and bash the psp. I just want sony to step it up...the games are coming but in this fanboy's eyes it should have happened yesterday.
Phoenix @ Jan 20th 2007 2:55AM
After reading quite a few of the arguments, I must say, they all have made me loose focus as to what you're all arguing about. Or the reason behind the bickering.
Though a select few actually give well placed factual arguments, then there's some who put a whole lotta spin on everything and should pursue a career as a lobbyist, then there's the ones who rant on like they just got hot coffee spilt on their crotches, and finally you have the people who sound like you had your brain ripped out smashed against pavement and stuck back in your head.
munjey86 @ Jan 20th 2007 5:31AM
I don't see why PSP and DS fanboys get so angry at each other and try to convince one another that their system is better. I myself own both systems, and I've played some great games on both. I usually consider myself a Nintendo Fanboy, mainly because I enjoy more of Nintendo's games, but honestly I probably spent more time on Lumines and Lumines II alone than any of my 9 DS games put together. Don't get me wrong, the DS has some of my favorite games, and you have to keep in mind that the DS is essentially a GBA as well, and I don't think any system can compete with the great titles on the GBA. Super Nintendo was arguably one of the greatest consoles ever made; it was a revolutionary system. GBA had a lot of great stuff from that system. If you wanna complain about Nintendo remaking games, look at the PSP, it's got remakes and spinoffs from Playstation 1 and 2 as well. Grand Theft Auto? How many are there now? And if you're going to bitch that graphics are everything nowadays, go play a full-blown console or PC. PSP and DS both look like shit compared to the stuff that's out there now. In my opinion, handhelds are for old school gamers that want to relive the great memories they had on their old consoles, possibly with a few new twists, which is where the remakes come in. It's not about graphics, for God's sake, it's a handheld with a tiny screen, even the PSP's screen is still limited to show off anything fancy. Speaking of remakes though, I know, I just bashed remakes kinda, but really, I love them.
What I'm getting at is that I love my PSP, with all its capabilities and media functions, despite a few things that could've been done different.
I also love my DS, it's got fun games and the touch screen is something new and different. Most of the games that I enjoy barely even use it. Mariokart? Yes please. Not to mention the GBA slot, which is what I use my DS for mainly anyway. The touch screen is cool, but I kinda think it's best if we left it out from now on. It was fun while it lasted, but like people say, it does seem a little gimmicky.
Both systems have just about as many pros and cons as the other, but what it all boils down to is whether or not you're having fun. No one really gives a shit that you love your system more than someone else's or that you think everyone should conform and go trade in your handheld for the same one they have. That's BORING. Honestly, I would probably die if I didn't have both systems. I think right now is a great era of handheld gaming, and I probably spend more time playing handhelds at home than I do on my consoles. Yeah, the name of the site ends with fanboy, but jeez, it's a joke; no one really likes a true fanboy. Let's just hope there are always games out there for everyone.
Kade Storm @ Jan 20th 2007 10:19AM
Bahahahahaha! Oh, look at all the angst and animosity. If I was ignorant of the era and the site logo, I'd say this was a Nazi vs. Progressive debate over the authenticity of the holocaust. So. Much. Anger.
Yeah, yeah, I'm one to talk. But seriously, you people do fight way too much. Touting around words that really don't belong in video game debates: "gimmicks" - LAWL! That word always makes me laugh these days, thanks to these blogs.
Oh, and 'trolling'; another pearl of literary execution that can perplex a genius when watching a flaming ego attack another for trolling, simply because the comments of the latter don't confer with the superifical bias of the given site's title. Sure, this is a PSP site, and that's an NDS site, and then there's the Neo Nazi sites, but what excuses the homecrowd of those very forums from being deemed trolls, when they are essentially attacking and flaming their opponents? Until and unless Andrew Yoon is trying to revive the National Sony Socialist Movement--which I damn well know he's not--I think such a practice would be unsolicited fascism.
Oh, wait, are we debating real-world fascism, OR VIDEO GAMES?
Eeeesh.
Later,
- Your proud PSP owner, and SONY-hater. (Yes, because you can like a product while disliking the general ethics and/or character of a corporation.)
pixelator @ Jan 20th 2007 3:06PM
Kade, you've locked some horns here yourself, and your ego's at least as 'flaming' as anyone else's around here, including me. Watch that the kettle doesn't point the spout of hypocrisy at ye, bud.
It's one thing to, as you say, like the PSP and hate Sony (I myself have been cursing them since the CLIE NX70V days when they locked the audio API from developers). It's yet another thing to go to a forum or blog of a thing you openly dislike or resent to bash. Those are trolls.
One more time: The DS stylus and touchscreen ARE gimmicks. The dual screens are a gimmick. We've argued this before, that a gimmick doesn't have to be entirely without merit or function to be deemed as such. You can disagree with that opinion, but it (and referring to PSP haters as trolls) is more viable and FAR less offensive a term for the DS than equating Andrew and PSP owners here to fascists.
There's just no call for that, whatsoever. I don't always agree with him, but Yoon works hard on this site, and we all obviously enjoy his efforts enough to hang out here and bitch, so you and others here could at least show a modicum of restraint, if not respect.