Gizmondo?

[Typhoon]

Has anyone tried this one out? It looks like it might have better hardware than the DS & PSP? Anyone think this is true?

[Fishie]

Has anyone tried this one out? It looks like it might have better hardware than the DS & PSP? Anyone think this is true?

As a games journalist yah I tried it out.
Its got decent specs(not as high as the PSP but definitly higher then the DS) but as the DS is proviong right now by absolutely trouncing worldwidePSP sales, in a mass market handheld those are not THAT important.

[Darius Wey]

Has anyone tried this one out? It looks like it might have better hardware than the DS & PSP? Anyone think this is true?

I'd love to think it'll succeed, but as far as the foreseeable future is concerned, it may turn out to be a flop. Sony are heavily marketing the PSP as the all-round handheld gaming device, and Nintendo aren't doing a bad job either with the DS.

If you walk down the road and pull any kid off the road, chances are they will have heard of the PSP and the DS, but not the Gizmondo. Without heavy marketing and a wide support base, the outlook seems bleak, and it may just turn out to be another Zodiac.

[kaitanium]

yea, the psp has the market

[Fishie]

yea, the psp has the market

No they dont.
Seriously people THEY DONT.
They are losing against an incumbent running on archaic hardware.

[kaitanium]

well, ask people what a psp is and they will tell you straight up, ask people what a gizmondo is and theyll be like giz who? gizmodo.com? what?

[Janak Parekh]

No they dont.
Seriously people THEY DONT.
I'm not sure. I have few numbers, and of course you monitor the market much more closely than me, but I have to say, my informal "subway observations" shows PSPs seriously trouncing DS adoption in the NY area. I see, on average, one PSP in almost every subway ride I take in the midday, and today I saw two. There also was the recent headline about how UMDs are selling very well in the US (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050829-5252.html) (which, of course, could be because of the lack of games). As for DSes, I see maybe one a week. Of my friends, several have PSPs, and none have DSes.

Perhaps it's different in different regions or different countries?

--janak

[guinness]

No they dont.
Seriously people THEY DONT.
I'm not sure. I have few numbers, and of course you monitor the market much more closely than me, but I have to say, my informal "subway observations" shows PSPs seriously trouncing DS adoption in the NY area. I see, on average, one PSP in almost every subway ride I take in the midday, and today I saw two. There also was the recent headline about how UMDs are selling very well in the US (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050829-5252.html) (which, of course, could be because of the lack of games). As for DSes, I see maybe one a week. Of my friends, several have PSPs, and none have DSes.

Perhaps it's different in different regions or different countries?

--janak

Well I've never seen anyone else with a PSP (although a few have asked me about it), let alone with a DS, however considering that Nintendogs supposedly sold 250,000 copies in the US (based on Nintendo's numbers, mind you), that's probably more than all of Sony's games put together in the US. I can't figure out Nintendogs however; looks like a great technology demo, but where's the game? Reminds me of a more interactive Tamagotchi-type app. I like the animation on the dogs however.

There hasn't been any PSP games worth merit since April, but it usually takes a year before it seems like a system really takes off. Around me (metro Detroit), it could be that both systems are slow sellers, and that most people are gearing up for the X360/PS3/Revolution.

The Gizmodo reminds me too much of the N-Gage; it's trying to be a beefed-up phone, but with an ugly design and not a lot of backing.

[Fishie]

well, ask people what a psp is and they will tell you straight up, ask people what a gizmondo is and theyll be like giz who? gizmodo.com? what?

Then look at what is actually selling and has sold in the largest numbers and between the PSP and the DS the DS remains champion.

[Fishie]

[quote="Janak ParekhI'm not sure. I have few numbers, and of course you monitor the market much more closely than me, but I have to say, my informal "subway observations" shows PSPs seriously trouncing DS adoption in the NY area. I see, on average, one PSP in almost every subway ride I take in the midday, and today I saw two. There also was the recent headline about how UMDs are selling very well in the US (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050829-5252.html) (which, of course, could be because of the lack of games). As for DSes, I see maybe one a week. Of my friends, several have PSPs, and none have DSes.

Perhaps it's different in different regions or different countries?

--janak[/quote]

The UMD figures are as Sony always does shipped numbers and not actually sold numbers, furthermore the 19 million figure is worldwide.

And yes you will see more people in the subway becouse of demographics, the PSP is sold more to adults.
Purely marketsize wise though they are clearly number two for now and the foreseeable future.

[Fishie]

Guinnes and witouth the phone part since you cant actually make calls with it.
Its got GPRS yes but thats data, the Gizmondo is not a cellphone.

We had a big thread about the PSP and DS a while ago and fact remains that Sony lowered their orders for parts from 16 million to 12 million PSP units while Nintendo increased theirs from 12 million to 18 million units.
These figures are for first 18 months on the market.

Platform adoption is far higher on the DS and it has more games in development and unlike the PSP with regards to games can actually offer new experiences and it seems like for now at lest it is winning on that.
That and the fact that Nintendo while losing the console market has remained a trusted name in the handheld videogame space.

[guinness]

Guinnes and witouth the phone part since you cant actually make calls with it.
Its got GPRS yes but thats data, the Gizmondo is not a cellphone.

We had a big thread about the PSP and DS a while ago and fact remains that Sony lowered their orders for parts from 16 million to 12 million PSP units while Nintendo increased theirs from 12 million to 18 million units.
These figures are for first 18 months on the market.

Platform adoption is far higher on the DS and it has more games in development and unlike the PSP with regards to games can actually offer new experiences and it seems like for now at lest it is winning on that.
That and the fact that Nintendo while losing the console market has remained a trusted name in the handheld videogame space.

http://www.gizmondo.com/unit/specifications.asp

Well, according to Gizmondo's spec sheet, it does have GSM, as well as a SIM slot. Add a Bluetooth mic, it doesn't sound like it would be all that hard to make it a phone. Too bad that it didn't have a touch screen, and a better looking case, for it would almost make for a nice PDA.

As for the DS/PSP debate, Sony will have to do something big at Christmas, since the PS3 is aways off (and Kuteragi may be falling down that same path that Trip Hawkins had with the 3DO), but they've got time to push the PSP hard, drop the value pack (~$200 unit), a few RPG's, a couple action titles, etc. It'll probably get better for the PSP. But in the meantime, both the DS and PSP have really weak game libraries, I'm the type of gamer that doesn't want a ton of Japanese-cutesy games or rehashed Nintendo titles (unless it was F-Zero), Nintendo's failing is still their lack of quality 3rd party titles. They still might make money, but that's hurt them in terms of units sold with the N64 and GC - people want more variety.

[Fishie]

I dont know what you are talking about since the variety is there and the DS definitly isnt lacking third party support.
From the 15 to 20 titles that will be released for DS in the US in September only 1 is a Nintendo release(Another Code/US title Trace Memory), and that one isnt even a Nintendo game but rater a third party one that Nintendo decided to publish themselves in the US since the developer didnt have a publisher for the States.

The little DS is getting a lot of mature Japanese content(Phoenix Wright Ace attorney, viewtifull Joe, Sonic, Lunar, Trauma center: Under the knife, Finalo Fantasy, Zelda etcetera) and for the first time for a Nintendo portable it is also getting quality mature western content and that is thanks to its features like a Microphone and touchscreen.

From US companies will come games like Zoo tycoon, Black and White Creatures to even Microsofts Age of Empires games.

I have first followed the games industry and then be actively involved with it for almost 3 decades now and I can honestly say that while the PSP´s gameslist is par for the course for new hardware that the Nintendo DS has the best lineup I have ever witnessed for something that new.