PlayStation Meet 2011 aka PSP2 Reveal Event - January 27th

[Firestorm]

In North America, I believe this event will be happening on the 26th due to the time difference. So far we have learned this about the PSP2:

- OLED touchscreen
- 3G built-in
- WiFi built-in (duh)
- Released this year
- In Japan, the 3G service will be through NTT DoCoMo
- Download games / movies / maybe apps through 3G
- No phone calls

Source: Nikkei via AndriaSang
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/01/24/psp2_details/

 

[Veedrock]

First I'd just like to say that I really wish articles wouldn't put up fake images of the device, because regardless of whether I know or not, I'm going to expect it to look like that -.- The picture in this article is the most popular one floating around and when they unveil the PSP2 with some lame design I'm going to be disappointed.

Using the 3G connection, gamers will be able to play online games and download software and movies. The service will not allow for phone calls.

It's kind of hard to make a judgement on this without knowing the details of the data plan(s), but most data connections have a usage cap to them which will make this undesirable. I can't imagine online play through a 3G connection either.

 

[vonFiedler]

That sliding design is really shitty. I can really see it getting in the way of playing games.

I dunno about PSP2. The first one never really lived up to any sort of potential, but it might be a worth a new system if they fix the fucking vestigial nub.

 

[Arch]

PSP was awesome. What you talkin' bout'. It just sold like rancid hotcakes, sadly. Nintendo is just better at marketing handhelds (and just about everything else...).

If the PSP2 is as "powerful" as the Mortal Kombat devs claim it is, then I'm definitely gonna get my hands on it.

 

[vonFiedler]

Ape Escape for the PSP is pretty much a great example of the system's primary failing. It just can't control well enough. And I don't know a good way to make a handheld playstation without dual analog, but true analog sticks wouldn't mesh too well with the portability of it. That nub was no substitute.

 

[Bad Ass]

looking forward to this reveal event. i was originally planning on buying a 3DS, but if this is within reasonable price range of that (i'm not paying 300 for a fucking handheld), i will have to do some more research. i like the idea of dl'ing movies and shit on the go, my phone doesn't do that. i'm also expecting it to be as powerful / more powerful than the 3DS going solely on the fact that ps3 > wii, psp > ds, ps2 > gc.

all in all i'm really excited for this, and depending on how strong the lineup looks compared to the 3ds i may be picking one up!

 

[Firestorm]

I don't see any way the PSP2 will be less than $300 considering the specs. I think $350 is more likely. The original PSP launched at $250 USD / $300 CAD / 250 EUR / 179 GBP / 19800 JPY.

Also, GCN > PS2. It was XBX > GCN > PS2 in terms of performance. I definitely see it as being more powerful though (albeit not 3D) just because that's where Sony seems to put their priorities. I don't think they've learned their lesson yet.

 

[Arch]

Ehhhh let Sony invest in their "technology." Makes things more interesting personally.

 

[Firestorm]

Most interesting news for me so far is PlayStation Suite going to Android. I'm still calling $399.99 for price on the PSP2 - oh I'm sorry, NGP because they're afraid of calling it the PSP2 vs the 3DS / PSP has a terrible brand name outside Japan now / they really really like the Neo Geo Pocket.

 

[Arch]

Ahhhh I forgot you had this topic! Feel free to delete my other one, I'll just post the current info here.

If any of you are still awake, you can check out the stream here.
http://www.kotaku.jp/2011/01/psm2011_live.html

The PSP2 features a high-resolution, touch-sensitive OLED screen that's larger than the original PSP screen, tilt-sensitive SIXAXIS controls, dual analog sticks, front and back-facing cameras, and a touch sensitive back panel.

The device features built-in WiFi and 3G wireless connectivity. Sony boasts that the new PlayStation Portable is as powerful as a PlayStation 3.

For now, Sony is officially calling the new PlayStation Portable by its codename, Next Generation Portable or NGP. It will be out this holiday.

The Specs:

CPU: ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU: SGX543MP4+
RAM: TBD
Storage: Unidentified "new media" for games, on-board Flash storage
Display: 5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED
Wireless: 3G, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP), WiFi IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Inputs: Multi-touch screen and multi-touch-sensitive back panel, D-pad, L/R shoulder buttons, standard PlayStation buttons


The Games:
Sony showcased a handful of games alongside the reveal of the new PSP, including new titles Little Deviants and Gravity Daze, plus games based on the following PlayStation franchises.

Uncharted
Killzone
WipeOut
Resistance
LittleBigPlanet
Hustle Kings
Hot Shots Golf
Metal Gear Solid 4

Sony will be implementing a service alongside the new handheld called LiveArea, which in conjunction with an "app" called Near is able to detect at all times other PSP2 (or NGP) owners in your area. It'll show what people around you are playing, chat with NGP owners in the area, display rankings for games based on who's around, etc.

They took a really interesting route for games as well. Apparently they're going with a "flash drive" idea of storage for your games. In other words, no more UMD. More along the lines of memory cards!

Not gonna lie, this thing is an extremely impressive piece of technology. Also not gonna lie, I don't see how a thing with these kind of specs is gonna be less than $350. We'll just have to see how the conference turns out.

 

[vonFiedler]

Also, GCN > PS2. It was XBX > GCN > PS2 in terms of performance.

Gamecube also had inferior controllers, no disk space (for absolutely no reason), and a smaller (though still respectable) library of good games. Looking back on the PS2's run, the combination of perfect controller and massive library makes it a pretty good candidate for best game console of all time. I never took issue with its hardware performance.

The PSP on the other hand had a poor controller and a mediocre library.

 

[Arch]

The conference just ended. And I gotta say, the fact all the rumors were actually true, and THEN some just makes this thing that much more impressive. Very interested to see how this will turn out.

My main worry is battery life. Obviously this thing is a fucking monster, and it will obviously take a hefty chunk of energy to run. I mean, God damn, this thing has a Quad Core CPU AND GPU. That's freaking mind boggling. The battery would need to be gigantic to support them. I'm interested to see how Sony will address it.

EDIT: Hmmmm, According to Eurogamer, they've been told battery life is 4-6 hours and Sony plans to take a loss on each NGP sold. Perhaps the $300 mark is still in reach?

 

[Polis4rule]

I can see where being the most powerful system in the mobile space can be a boon for Sony. Unlike in the console scene where Microsoft's development tools cause developers to make a game for the 360 first and then port it over to the PS3, developers will most likely make a game for either the PSP2 or the 3DS. Depending on how well the PSP catches on outside of Japan (especially in the US and Europe), I can see it doing very well compared to the 3DS. Especially in the US, where Sony can push our like for good graphics and more mature games (okay, just shooters).

I'm definitely leaning towards the PSP2 rather than the 3DS, even though I'm kind of a Nintendo handheld fanboy (never thought about getting the PSP this gen).

 

[Veedrock]

My biggest concern/curiousity is in the security of the device. I mean not only was the PSP infamous for its homebrew and pirating scene, but the recent crack of the PS3 has put some real pressure on Sony; to top it off, the "new media" format for NGP games is supposedly drive based? They're just begging for this to go wrong, I really don't understand Sony's ambitions atm. Why take a loss on each device sold if it's going to be a medium for pirated software..

As far as features go I'm most interested in how the device will interact with the PS3. They were definitely onto something with the PSP/PS3 relations (file sharing, game streaming), I hope this can expand on that even further. I'd love if there was actually some shared gameplay elements between the systems (ala GCN+GBA), but I'm not holding my breath.

Misc. thoughts dump: This thing has cameras but does it have a mic anywhere? While this isn't intended to be a phone, a skype-esque app would be pretty cool. The Near app sounds like a nice idea but is largely useless. The app will require 3G, a feature with very limited use and better foregone imo. Oh and concerning the name; I can't imagine NGP being the official name, the PlayStation brand is way too valuable to take it off the system entirely. Frankly I can't imagine what they'd call it besides PlayStation Portable (2), other than maybe PlayStation Mobile? Then it just sounds like a phone. I'm blank as far as an official name goes. Fuckin' battery life -.\\

 

[Arch]

Actually, Sony claimed the battery life will be similar to the PSP. 5-6 hour battery life. With a quad core processor, and all the other stuff, my mouth is watering on how they acheived that.

As far as piracy goes, the drives are supposed to be an effective way to combat piracy. There are storages in these drives that are there for game updates, add-ons, etc. They are supposed to be drive "based," but they haven't commented on exactly what the new media storage will be.

Also, I'm sure it will feature a mic somewhere. This thing is begging for one.

 

[Polis4rule]

The processor and screen are much more efficient than in the previous gen.

 

[Veedrock]

As far as features go I'm most interested in how the device will interact with the PS3. They were definitely onto something with the PSP/PS3 relations (file sharing, game streaming), I hope this can expand on that even further. I'd love if there was actually some shared gameplay elements between the systems (ala GCN+GBA), but I'm not holding my breath.

Ahaha YES. Such a fantastic start.

Gamestop is doing preorders for NGP, currently priced at 299 USD. That's not an official price, but we do know it won't launch above 349 USD. It appears Amazon's created a page for it, but ordering is not available yet. However it seems indicative of NGP being the official name :/ So lame.

Also it does have a mic, so here's to hoping for a video chat app.

 

[Arch]

NGP is a "codename" as far as we know. They may rename it, they may not. I don't mind too much.

 

[Firestorm]

Next Generation Portable is not going to be the name of the device. It's a code name. It will definitely carry the PlayStation name in some way and I highly doubt they'll use the same acronym as for Neo Geo Pocket.