PAX: Not A PSP To Be Found

[wraggster]

via wired (http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/08/pax-not-a-psp-t.html)

When you're waiting for a panel to begin at PAX, or hanging around the beanbag chairs that litter the hallways, you notice something: practically everyone here has a handheld video game system. This is impressive enough, to turn on your DS and notice that every Pictochat room is full. But soon you notice something else: there's not a single PSP here. Eventually, after looking really really hard and finally asking somebody, I saw one solitary PSP at PAX.

What on earth happened? How did Sony manage to not even convert the hardest of the hardcore gamers? I imagine many of these people actually own a PSP. I just don't think they actually sit around and play it. It's really stunning to see.

[robman84]

Interesting indeed. Could it be something like, and obvisouly I'm guessing, many PSP games are more suited to long sit-down type of play, rather like full-sized console games? It's pure speculation! I find my sessions with the DS are usually very short. It is so easy to pick up and dip into something for a few minutes, especially much of the homebrew. Even at home I usually opt for a quick DS fix rather than investing the few hours needed for most of the console games I have. Each to their own, of course.

Could it be related to PSP boot times? I imagine if you're killing a few minutes, waiting for the thing to load would seem hardly worth it.

Or, shock horror, is it actually "cooler" to be seen playing a DS, even as an adult, than a PSP? I nthe UK at least, Nintendo have done a great job marketing the DS to adults, whereas I'm not sure I've even seen a PSP advert.

BTW in no way bashing the PSP. I'm sure one day I'll get one for a few of the killer titles.

Anyway, off to enjoy this rare sunny weather in the UK.