What Japan thinks of the PSP and DS battle

[wraggster]

via pspfanboy (http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/21/what-japan-thinks-of-the-psp-and-ds-battle/)

Not even a Sony fanboy can avoid admitting that the Nintendo DS is selling at a much brisker pace than the PSP. Regardless of our second place position, I still find it interesting to see what Japan thinks of our favorite handheld machine. "What Japan Thinks" has a report from over 7000 Japanese individuals on their gaming habits. Here are some of the highlights:

Only 10.7% of people surveyed have a PSP, compared to Nintendo DS's 32.3%.
14.7% of PSP owners use it every day. (Do you?)
Although both the PSP and DS are portable, the number one place the system is played is at home: 94.2%. Personally, the subway is where I get most of my PSP playing done.
Brain training games are easily the most popular kinds of handheld games, coming in at 54.6%
A shocking number of people have not used any of PSP's non-gaming features: 43.1%
25.2% of surveyed individuals want a PSP in the future, versus the DS's 59.4%.
Only 20.3% of people want a PS3. Only 15% want a Wii. (But 17% want both.)

Make with these numbers what you will. While it may be easy to say that "PSP is t3h d00m3d!!1" I think that a 25% desirability rate is still very high. It's certainly higher than the number of people that wanted Gamecubes or Xboxes, both of which have lived fairly great console lives. Can Sony increase the PSP's desirability by focusing solely on games? Are you like the Japanese: do you not find value in PSP's non-gaming functionality?

[comicgeek]

I for one bought the PSP mainly for the gaming and the Tekken Title. But having those extra features packed in made me even more interested on the product as I can have more (although a true built-in camera would have perfected it). The PSP for me is truly a mobile multimedia device. I think Sony can get even more from the market if it finds a way to decrease the SRP of the PSP which for is the major factor affecting sales.

[mikebeaver]

The PSP does come in at a rather large price point, but it does have a lot of functionality out of the box.
I personnally think it is time to drop the price, but hey its not up to me so come on sony, stand up for your console.

[samidgley]

I use it as an Mp3 player more than anything else really... and I've yet to even consider watching a video on it

[the_eternal_dark]

Homebrew and Socom 1 and 2 (online) are my main uses for my PSP right now.

[wolfrainxd]

I feel ashamed I am the 14.7% of PSP owners use it every day

[the_eternal_dark]

I feel ashamed I am the 14.7% of PSP owners use it every day

We all have jobs and school. :thumbup:

[holden77]

i think one of the problems sony has here in Japan is that nintendo have succesfully aroused interest in the adult market with their "educational" titles, of most adult japanese i know, a surprisingly large number either own or are talking about DS,and are more likely to buy it for their kids. these are people who didnt give 2 hoots for the GBA.
so the old divison of nintendo being for kids and sony being for young adults has shifted dramatically, certainly on the osaka subway DS is a much more common sight than PSP

and with the huge interest in Wii the ball really is back in the nintendo court these days.

its sonys fault, they really failed to make the most of the PSP`s potential multifunctionality, as well as trying to stamp out the homebrew scene,
if they took a different approach like fostering and managing home developement, they could really have distinguished the psp as a true multi purpose machine in a way that DS never could be.

[lordnibbla]

tbh I use my psp solely for
-mp3
-pimpstreamer
-wifi controller

I also like to play tetris on nes and a few snes games here and there but really day to day, just those 3 things.

o yeah, and I put some music vids on it too.

[belialone]

i think ds is for simple people who want easy use and easy games
psp instead is a multifunctional hyper complicated earthshattering device
have you tried to install the new devhook
try to explain this to a ds user
and all you would see is:confused: or :( or :mad: or :eek: not :D or ;)

it makes me wonder does paris hilton own a ds:rolleyes:

[PSPFR3AK]

i think ds is for simple people who want easy use and easy games
psp instead is a multifunctional hyper complicated earthshattering device
have you tried to install the new devhook
try to explain this to a ds user
and all you would see is:confused: or :( or :mad: or :eek: not :D or ;)

it makes me wonder does paris hilton own a ds:rolleyes:
she owns a PSP
http://wirelessdigest.typepad.com/shinyshiny/images/paris_psp.jpg

[belialone]

i bet she got a modchipped one
damn she is so rich
and so hot
and so rich
and so...
...

i just have to go somewhere :D

[Makaveli777]

Im surprised paris dont have a pink one lol. Anyway I use my psp everyday for many things too.
I play commercial games
Homebrew
Web browser (yea I actually use it)
MP3s
a little bit for videos but thats a lot of space.

[the_eternal_dark]

she owns a PSP
http://wirelessdigest.typepad.com/shinyshiny/images/paris_psp.jpg

She probably has no idea what it really is though...

[irongiant]

via pspfanboy (http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/21/what-japan-thinks-of-the-psp-and-ds-battle/)

Not even a Sony fanboy can avoid admitting that the Nintendo DS is selling at a much brisker pace than the PSP.

Well you can't argue with facts. I think so far considering the issues they've had and the retail price of the PSP it's doing remarkably well. In the US PSP sales aren't too far off DS sales which is impressive.


Only 10.7% of people surveyed have a PSP, compared to Nintendo DS's 32.3%.
14.7% of PSP owners use it every day. (Do you?)

10% is still a helluva lot of people if that is representative of Japanese gamers as a whole.


Although both the PSP and DS are portable, the number one place the system is played is at home: 94.2%. Personally, the subway is where I get most of my PSP playing done.

Makes sense, i know people who's kids have the DS and they play them at home while the parents are watching Coronation Street!


A shocking number of people have not used any of PSP's non-gaming features: 43.1%

What's shocking about that? The PSP gives people a choice but obviously being a Portable Playstation gaming is at the heart of it so no surprise to see buying it mainly as a gaming device.


25.2% of surveyed individuals want a PSP in the future, versus the DS's 59.4%. Only 20.3% of people want a PS3. Only 15% want a Wii. (But 17% want both.)

Interesting figures there, both the PSP and PS3 are more desirable that the Wii. Though the actual sales figures appear to say the reality is different.


Can Sony increase the PSP's desirability by focusing solely on games? Are you like the Japanese: do you not find value in PSP's non-gaming functionality?

They're in the good position that it's still selling well at a relatively high price point, if and when it gets a decent price cut, sales will go way up. I listen to music, play games and watch vids so yes.

[Cap'n 1time]

What's shocking about that? The PSP gives people a choice but obviously being a Portable Playstation gaming is at the heart of it so no surprise to see buying it mainly as a gaming device.

I think what is shocking about was the fact that so many people seem to claim "The DS is just a game device! the PSP is an entire media center!". That is true to an extent as not alot of people dl the apps that give the DS that sort of functionality or buy the software to play mp3's and watch videos. and the psp offers these options out of the box.

anyway i think the surprise was that a lot of people do not take advantage of its options and seem to treat it only as a game device. whats wrong with that? nothing. it is just sort of surprising as sony sort of makes a big fuss over its other abilities.

[PSPFR3AK]

She probably has no idea what it really is though...
:confused:

[the_eternal_dark]

I think what is shocking about was the fact that so many people seem to claim "The DS is just a game device! the PSP is an entire media center!". That is true to an extent as not alot of people dl the apps that give the DS that sort of functionality or buy the software to play mp3's and watch videos. and the psp offers these options out of the box.

anyway i think the surprise was that a lot of people do not take advantage of its options and seem to treat it only as a game device. whats wrong with that? nothing. it is just sort of surprising as sony sort of makes a big fuss over its other abilities.

When I try to tell everyone that, they look at me as if I were a moron...


:confused:

You've seen her show...