Sony PSP VS Nintendo DS

[Nataku]

I'll agree on the point that the PSP is similar to what the GB was like when first released. I loved the idea of portable gaming, however I've not really used my GBA for that purpose in any great amount, maybe a plane journey is about all it was limited to. There is no real reason to take it out either as the chance you'll meet someone to play against is non-existant or the screen was really lame in most conditions out and about, causing you to constantly move position like you were having a fit.

The DS does seem to want to try and address those problems. We have a good display, we have the ability to send games so others can play regardless of them owning it. We also have NCL promising hot-spots so I can use my DS to play online against others all around the world. All this for free. To me this is a real reason to take out a DS wherever you go because you can mess about with it for a bit solo or join online games as you go. I hope this is done en mass and becomes truly ubiquitous.

As for the points aimed at me, no I wouldn't buy a PS2 that's portable. I have trouble enough trying to justify a purchase of a PS2 let alone one that's portable. I don't find any joy in trying to watching a movie on a screen as small as the PSP has. Whether it be a UMD I have to buy again or whether it be something I have forced onto a memory stick, I'm not happy. If I want to watch a movie, I'd like to enjoy it on a big screen with a good surround system.

The emulation that is currently ongoing is great, that's something I'm genuinely excited by but there is something more to a handheld than being able to play the same games I already own on other consoles.

I'll try to clarify exactly what my thoughts were in my original post. The PSP is doing something similar, keeping gaming the same. The DS is trying to move gaming forward in a few aspects which all relate. You have a "new" interface which doesn't seem as bewildering as a joypad with a bajillion buttons and pressure sensitivities which are rarely utilised. It may seem unorthodox in a gaming sense but using a stylus is more natural than trying to get your head around an analogue stick and pressure sensitive buttons (which seem to serve no real function, analogue triggers being an exception), and as such, it is turning more people into gaming.

As I said before, I know people who looked at Ridge Racer and put it down. Saw Spiderman 2 and put it down commenting it was nice. With the DS and Wario Ware, I've seen people fight to play and later go out and buy on the strength of that alone and then being enamoured by Project Rub et al.

We finally have a handheld that truly is different, one that introduces gaming to a lot more demographics than ever. The PSP looks nice and has nice games but the big shame is that it is probably going to overshadow the DS and all the possibilities the DS brings, due to attitudes about Nintendo that have been shown many a time on here.