Game Informer agrees: PSP failure is a myth
by Steven Bailey 
{ May 25th 2007 at 2:30PM }
The June issue of Game Informer has a feature about gaming's big questions. One of these is whether or not the PSP is a failure. Unsurprisingly, these claims are reduced to nothing more than simple falsities, spouted by Sony haters. As the Game Informer article smartly states: "How does selling 10 million units equate to failure?" Amongst many reasons listed is the undeniable fact that the PSP is the first serious portable competitor of Nintendo to find success. Before the DS Lite came out, PSP was actually beating DS in sales (according to NPD). To sum it up, no rational, unbiased gamer can list the PSP as a failure.
We all know the PSP is a success, it's just nice to see the often PSP hating press finally agree with us.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hector Martinez @ May 25th 2007 3:02PM
They've moved on to hating PS3 now.
Kspraydad @ May 25th 2007 3:05PM
30% market share and a BIGGER dollar share (latest NPD data) does not a market failure make.
However, PSP owners have seen (for the past 2 years) the potential that is just now starting to show up (Remote Play, RSS, full screen movies, phone, camera and GPS) and I think that is where some of the 'failure' attitude arises.
I just bought my PSP and am blown away by the value of the machine, I can't imaging why you would go for a DS for so little savings (unless you have a huge fan of Mario or Pokemon)...but those who bought in early may have abandoned the machine given how much was unfulfilled for 2 years.
Oz @ May 25th 2007 3:15PM
lol @ 1
Yeah its about time psp got some love from somewhere outside of this website. I have had it since launch while I was disappointed at first I always knew this little machine was going to be great. It is a shame though it has taken a while.
jesus torres @ May 25th 2007 3:17PM
I abandoned my PSP pretty soon after launch and only came back because of the homebrew (*wink* *wink*) scene. It just took a few years for the system to get anywhere...
shanedude333 @ May 25th 2007 3:30PM
While the PSP is obviously not a failure, it pains me to see that you guys read that rag :(
txa1265 @ May 25th 2007 3:33PM
I think that the issue has been one of mass-market perception. The PSP got labeled as an overpriced toy with no games, and the games that are any good are cut-down console ports with terrible controls and load times. Now there are certainly games that fit that description, but if they were *all* like that none of us would be here! I love my PSP and have more games for it than time to play them!
But it is the perception - those image things are hard to kill. Hopefully as more and more solid games come out people will cut the crap and realize that this isn't a horse race, not a zero-sum game. There are so many multi-console homes, why not multi-handheld?
Nice article to see!
Jerses @ May 25th 2007 5:32PM
wow... a post free of PSP haters.. why?
theboi @ May 25th 2007 6:29PM
psp had have alot of bad game but we have more hits than ds i found ds to have more even quilty or games where as the psp has a hit or miss about its game but at the end of the day i dont really touch my ds and move for my psp more so than not
ajthedj @ May 25th 2007 7:35PM
PSP Rocks
kingofwale @ May 25th 2007 8:19PM
>i found ds to have more even quilty or games where as the psp has a hit or miss about its game but at the end of the day i dont really touch my ds and move for my psp more so than not
Just read the paragraph, *sighs*, really, no comeback is needed. I'm sorry, but I hope no PSP owner is illiterate. ;)
tenmohican @ May 25th 2007 8:44PM
I might pickup a 2nd psp since its only $170 and comes with ratchet and clank: size matters free.. (a game I was planning on purchasing anyway).
Now My wife can hog the psp I already have... and i get my own shiney new one.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b147/ChrisMcGTO04/cry.gif
(safe for work, its a SNL gif)
kingofwale @ May 25th 2007 9:15PM
>Now My wife can hog the psp I already have
lol, my girlfriend's doing the same thing to my PSP and playing my games.
I want to get her a PSP, but I'm waiting for Crisis Core or God of War Bundle. I'm just a sucker for those kind of things. Hopefully it will come with cool skin on it (or white colour, we need those.
jou @ May 26th 2007 6:50AM
"I just bought my PSP and am blown away by the value of the machine, I can't imaging why you would go for a DS for so little savings (unless you have a huge fan of Mario or Pokemon)..."
Same here. I was able to pick a new one for 99 EUR and it's really incredible value for money. Oh, don't forget to buy Daxter and R&C: Size Matters. Stuff like that blows anything on DS out of the water.
I also have a fat DS, switched it on yesterday for the first time in a year or so and couldn't believe how cheap and plasticky it really felt. The screen is really craptacular, but apparently it's better in Lite. Anyway, what a piece of cheap (not as in price) garbage. And I really hate Mario, Pokemon and all that Brain Puzzle Training shit which has infested DS sales charts everywhere.
Still can't believe how I was suckered into buying one. Touch screen controls were fun for like five minutes. Interestingly, all the best "real" games rely on traditional controls except for using the menus or occasional minigame!
When it comes to unit sales, DS is selling like crazy in Japan (lord knows why), but in Europe and US PSP isn't really that far behind.