PSP sales up by 280 per cent, says SCEA

[Baboon]

... on the saturn, then the n64, and Dreamcast. In my experience, most of the innovative, revolutionary, and cool games were on those three systems. Best 2D fighters, best 3D platformers, highest quality RPGs, native lightgun games, and wacky games (Seaman, Rez, etc). All on those systems.

I’d have to agree with you. There were lots of amazing arcade perfect ports on the Saturn (the Saturn pad was perfect for the fighting games), plus a huge list of shooters that no other machine has really equalled! ...it was way ahead of its time!

I still play my DC now! Its such a shame it was classed as a failure cause it pissed over the playstation. I know it will never happen but I would love it so much if Sega were to produce another consol!

N64? ...hmmmm Mario64 and Goldeneye (surely every Sony owner back then was jealous of these two?)

although...
metal gear solid, FF7, and then Ico an SotC

Admittedly MGS was an amazing game (Gran Turismo also rocked). I never had much luck with Sony machines though, I went through 5 Playstations cause the Lasers kept dieing, and I went through three PS2’s because of the same reason. ..I hope my psp doesnt go the same way? lol

[quzar]

although...
metal gear solid, FF7, and then Ico an SotC

Metal Gear Solid is simply an example of an action game more heavily based on steath than action. There had been stealth games prior to it, and there had been 3d action games before it. There had even been 3d action games with stealth elements before it, it simply put them all together.

FF7 as far as I'm concerned was just a graphically poor 3D rpg. I can't think of anything that it specifically introduced into gaming that had not existed prior and wouldn't exist without it (there were already rpgs to use 3D, although I would cede that it may have been the first 'all 3D'[not really, since it uses pre-rendered(2D) backgrounds] I would never say that without the playstation or FF7 there would not have existed a 3D RPG). In fact without the playstation we probably would have received FF 5 and 6 on SNES in america, then more delicious FF goodness on the N64.

So, with what I'm arguing (inovation) those two are for the most part out. In my examples I leave out everything past the Dreamcast. Now I'm shocked you didn't bring up one of the only games I would say was completely innovative for the PS: Vib Ribbon.

Now at the same time, I'd stress that we're talking mostly about hardware here. The Playstation specifically had very little to it's name other than the fact that sony was able to sell so many of them. It couldn't do 2D well, it couldnt' do 3D well, it only had 2 controller ports, it had no built in memory (seriously, that to me is one huge oversight cut probably for cost/forcing people to buy accessorie), it never had any kind of netplay feature (you can still play Daytona online with your saturn), it wasn't the first CD system, and it wasn't even the first system released within it's 'generation'.

People always overlook that the BIGGEST reason for the success of the Playstation is that sony really wanted to get into the business, had the money to sell it for dirt cheap(and it showed), and had the know-how to produce great hype and advertising for it.

edit: figured I'd add a small thought: The playstation was a good all around machine. It was simple, it just did 3D and at the time it did it fairly well. From everything I've ever seen though, it was not and is not the best in any single category. Given the choice of every console released prior to the Dreamcast, would you name the PS as THE CONSOLE to get for any single genre of game? The only ONLY one I can think of is the music style game, DDR, guitar freak, etc. Everything else, RPG (snes), 3D platformer (n64), 2D fighter (Sat), shump (Sat), arcade ports (sat), extremely fast paced 2d games (genesis), etc etc.

I think that is something that needs to be taken strongly into account when discussing the innovation of a piece of hardware: "what did it do that it did the best?"

[Makaveli777]

The playstation was a good all around machine. It was simple, it just did 3D and at the time it did it fairly well. From everything I've ever seen though, it was not and is not the best in any single category. Given the choice of every console released prior to the Dreamcast, would you name the PS as THE CONSOLE to get for any single genre of game? The only ONLY one I can think of is the music style game, DDR, guitar freak, etc. Everything else, RPG (snes), 3D platformer (n64), 2D fighter (Sat), shump (Sat), arcade ports (sat), extremely fast paced 2d games (genesis), etc etc.

I think that is something that needs to be taken strongly into account when discussing the innovation of a piece of hardware: "what did it do that it did the best?"

Thats the thing though. So far the playstations have done many genres well so it doesnt just specialize in one category. It has something for everybody. RPG: FF7-9 3D Platformer: Spyro, Ape Escape 2D Fighter:Street Fighters, Guilty Gears, King of fighters. Many would agree that those are great games for those genres also. Some would even say FF7 is the best RPG of all time (please dont anyone say "I HATE FF7" because I said some people) Oh yea and how is metal gear solid not innovative. There was nothing like it before it came out. So I would say people get playstations for variety and quality games in genres not just the best because I hope people dont buy systems for one type of game.

[the_eternal_dark]

280%?? I didn't think that was possible for Sony. Besides, what caused this great spike in sales? I doubt it was for the games or the PS3 connectivity. There are simply not very many good games for the PSP, and ones that are good are for download on this site (thats right, Dungeons to be one of many).

And as for more PS3's being available soon, I highly doubt it. They said the same thing with PS2 after the launch and most of us had to wait another month or two before we saw them in stores again.

Quzar is right, Sony craps out expanded numbers to make everything seem better than it really is. I'd have to see real numbers instead of "280% jump in sales". That would mean that PSP system sales would have to have jumped to 100,000 or so right? I strongly doubt it. Seems like 280% more shipments.

And Basil Zero, check out Nintendo's numbers starting at the PSP launch. Big difference, meaning that Sony's handheld isn't doing well in what it was targeted to do: compete.

[quzar]

Thats the thing though. So far the playstations have done many genres well so it doesnt just specialize in one category. It has something for everybody. RPG: FF7-9 3D Platformer: Spyro, Ape Escape 2D Fighter:Street Fighters, Guilty Gears, King of fighters. Many would agree that those are great games for those genres also. Some would even say FF7 is the best RPG of all time (please dont anyone say "I HATE FF7" because I said some people) Oh yea and how is metal gear solid not innovative. There was nothing like it before it came out. So I would say people get playstations for variety and quality games in genres not just the best because I hope people dont buy systems for one type of game.

AFAIK any game that is on multiple platforms will have it's worst version on a playstation.

[Baboon]

Thats the thing though. So far the playstations have done many genres well so it doesnt just specialize in one category. 2D Fighter:Street Fighters, Guilty Gears, King of fighters. Many would agree that those are great games for those genres also.

The 2D fighting games were truly awful conversions, each one being chopped down big-time in the conversion just to be able to play them on the Playstation - and dont even get me statred on the ridiculous amount of time for loading em! lol

AFAIK any game that is on multiple platforms will have it's worst version on a playstation.

Agreed! ...Jack of all trades, master of none! lol

[irongiant]

280%?? I didn't think that was possible for Sony. Besides, what caused this great spike in sales? I doubt it was for the games or the PS3 connectivity. There are simply not very many good games for the PSP, and ones that are good are for download on this site (thats right, Dungeons to be one of many).

There are many great games for the PSP, only a blinkered fanboi would say otherwise. The spike in sales tends to happen around the launch of a new machine, im sure the DS has also seen an increase in sales. PSP was selling around 20k a month in the US i think so 50k isn't unreasonable especially in the run up to christmas.

And as for more PS3's being available soon, I highly doubt it. They said the same thing with PS2 after the launch and most of us had to wait another month or two before we saw them in stores again..)

Shows what you know, stores have already rec'd new stocks. Try reading the gaming news.

Quzar is right, Sony craps out expanded numbers to make everything seem better than it really is. I'd have to see real numbers instead of "280% jump in sales". That would mean that PSP system sales would have to have jumped to 100,000 or so right? I strongly doubt it. Seems like 280% more shipments.

Yeah whatever, sales figures are reported every month by the NPD so if Sony massage the figures then it will be for all to see. Just the same as MS banging on about 10m 360s sold.. shipped maybe.

And Basil Zero, check out Nintendo's numbers starting at the PSP launch. Big difference, meaning that Sony's handheld isn't doing well in what it was targeted to do: compete.

Wrong again. The PSP is not a direct competitor to the DS, apart from the fact they both play games they're completely different. Sony and Nintendo have both stated they're targetting different consumers. Both machines are successful.

[the_eternal_dark]

Irongiant, to answer all of your fanboy responses please read below:

1.There are hardly any good games for PSP outside of Killzone, Socom 1 and 2, Loco Roco, and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (maybe a few others, but I can't remember anymore at the moment). Since when was my post anything fanboyish? Maybe you like "most" of PSP's games, I don't, and many others agree.

2. Ok, so stores are receiving new stocks. Overstocking for the holiday season is normal at this time of year. Most of the stores in my area have not been able to move hardly any PSP's, and considering Nintendo's sales are still thrashing Sony.

3. I didn't say Sony was the only one to inflate, all companies do it, even Nintendo (omg, he said Nintendo does it).

4. Since when is the PSP not a direct compettitor (not since they said they weren't, thats crap). It is the only other major company in the handheld market. Sony has tried bashing Nintendo for putting out a system for "kids". Sony would not have put out the system if it didn't want to try to compete with the biggest handheld leader in the business, Nintendo. Don't say it's a multimedia device and is only competing in that market, because we already know that's BS. I suppose you'd say Microsoft isn't trying to directly compete with Apple either, bah.

So what if I am partial to Nintendo, they have yet to let me down. I own both a PSP and a DSLite, and the DSLite gets more play in commercial games because they are better, not only because I'm a fan of Nintendo. The only reason to have a PSP is for maybe 5 or 6 commercial games and the mass amounts of homebrew, which most homebrew games blow, btw.

Irongiant, you are a fanboy, maybe even more than I.

*edit* btw, on the second response, Nintendo has jumps in sales when new games come out (look at the newer Pokemon games in Japan), regardless of a new system launch.

[nhlhockey]

I don't understand why XBOX fanboys all troll the PS2, PSP, PS3 boards. My friend is the same as you guys. He is the ultimate XBOX fanboy and trolls all the Playstation forums looking for bad press and emails it to me and when he can't find anything bad he starts whining like a little girl. Just go out and buy a Playstation already.

[quzar]

I don't understand why XBOX fanboys all troll the PS2, PSP, PS3 boards. My friend is the same as you guys. He is the ultimate XBOX fanboy and trolls all the Playstation forums looking for bad press and emails it to me and when he can't find anything bad he starts whining like a little girl. Just go out and buy a Playstation already.

... Who the hell here is an Xbox fanboy? I havn't seen one around in ages.