Official PSP Thread!

[norkusa]

Darkstalkers looks and sounds great, but control sucks. Maybe it'll get better if I can get used to it, doubt it though. Tried playing online, no one was there.

Wah??? You can play Darkstalkers online? I thought Twisted Metal was the only PSP game out that you can play online with.

Has anyone here actually played against other people online with the PSP yet? I'm not talking about across the room wi-fi link up, but actual online network play. Is it easy to set up? Is there any lag? Is there a mic on the PSP for voice chat (i thought i remember hearing that there was one on there somewhere).

[buttasuperb]

I dunno, there was some network mode and it logged me on to a server, but everything was blank and I couldn't do anything.

[Dangerboy]

Sales at my store went well, with about an 82% pre-sell pick up ratio, which is unheard of on the first day, especially for something so expensive.

We had the majority of sales before my 2pm shift, and closing the store at 9pm, we had no phone calls or walk-ins concerning dead pixels/other issues.

I had a conversation with a friend who works at another, larger chain store, and mentioned they only had a few calls, so I'm guessing it's just a per-batch shipment issue, rather than a complete fluke.

I'd love to have one, but $250 is way too much for a portable. At least to me.

Besides, you know how many PSX variants that can get me? :)

[Jasoco]

Anyone know the resolution of the screen on the PSP?

[zmweasel]

Darkstalkers looks and sounds great, but control sucks. Maybe it'll get better if I can get used to it, doubt it though. Tried playing online, no one was there.

Wah??? You can play Darkstalkers online? I thought Twisted Metal was the only PSP game out that you can play online with.

Has anyone here actually played against other people online with the PSP yet? I'm not talking about across the room wi-fi link up, but actual online network play. Is it easy to set up? Is there any lag? Is there a mic on the PSP for voice chat (i thought i remember hearing that there was one on there somewhere).

I haven't played online yet, but network setup was breathtakingly easy. The PSP automatically found my wireless LAN and set up all the configuration info in about a minute.

There's no mic built into the PSP, but I wouldn't be shocked to see a headset in the future.

On an unrelated note, I downloaded and registered the $20 Windows version of iPSP (www.kaisakura.com), which totally rocks. PSP Video 9 (www.pspvideo9.com) is free, but iPSP can make screen-filling 16:9 PSP videos out of widescreen-DVD rips, which Video 9 can't. It's also a hell of a lot more user-friendly, such as the way it automatically adjusts the video and audio compression settings to make the most of whatever size Memory Stick Duo is in the PSP. It can also handle just about any video format you throw at it. The only thing it can't do is DVD ripping, for which you need the freeware DVD Decrypter (www.dvddecrypter.com).

EDIT: I played a little more with PSP Video 9, and discovered it can also make 16:9 video clips. I also ran into my first VOB incompatiblity issue with iPSP, whereas PSP Video 9 hasn't failed me yet. Video 9 also has an excellent feature that allows you to boost the audio volume of whatever video clip you're PSP-izing.

-- Z.

[zmweasel]

Anyone know the resolution of the screen on the PSP?

480 pixels wide x 272 pixels high, 16x9/1.78:1, 16+ million colors.

-- Z.

[Jasoco]

Anyone know the resolution of the screen on the PSP?

480 pixels wide x 272 pixels high, 16x9/1.78:1, 16+ million colors.

-- Z.Wow.

So, if someone were to create an NES/SNES emulator, the games would fit perfectly on it?

...

I have this sinking feeling I'm going to break down tomorrow. I'm going to see a box sitting in the case and I'm going to break down. Poof. $300 gone.

Guess there's only one way to find out.

I just watched a video review of Lumines on GameSpot, and aside from learning that it's pronounced Loo-min-ess and not Loo-mines, it really made me want one more than ever.

Edit: Dammit. Now I just watched the video for Mercury... Looks like I won't be waiting for a price drop. @_@

[zmweasel]

So, if someone were to create an NES/SNES emulator, the games would fit perfectly on it?

Yep! I can't *wait* for emulators to hit. I imagine that even PS1 (ISO image) and N64 emus are within the PSP's capabilities, but I would gladly settle and/or kill for Genesis/SNES/NES/TG-16 emus. The PSP can run game code from a MS Duo, so it's gotta be just a matter of time.

-- Z.

[Jasoco]

There has to be some kind of irony in playing Mario 64 on the PSP.

The more emulators they make, the better. I'll settle for just an NES and SNES one! Mmm.. portable Mario RPG on a non-Nintendo system. It boggles the mind!

[arrrggghhh]

I picked mine up this morning was and searched long and hard for any dead pixels. I didn't find any until about an hour ago playing in the dark. I have one little red one in the center. I purchased it from Game Crazy, with the warranty. I wouldn't want to take it back now because I don't know when I'd get another one. How familiar is anyone with the Game Crazy warranty? I really don't want to get rid of my Spiderman UMD when I decide to take it back. If I bring it back in a couple of months, do I need all of the packaging, or do they just need the system itself?

[Iron Draggon]

So, who just got a brand new $300 portable system? Not me! :bawling:

[rbudrick]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56692

In reference to the locked PSP analog stick thread link above (supposedly not digital)


It's not quite digital in the sense that a directional signals are measures in degrees as opposed to just a "yes" or "no". Some old PC games like Wing Commander III measure the analog signal by degrees (if I remember correctly) with something like a positive or negative value between 0 and 255 for the x and y axes. It's that such degrees exist that make it analog.

So yeah, in that sense, analog sticks really aren't analog, as they are measure on a digital level by the machine. It gives the appearance of being analog to us. I suppose it's easier to advetise it as analog rather than, "Sort of analog, but not really because blah blah blah." LOL

And for the record, that thread really did not need to be locked, imo. There's plenty of other PSP threads that weren't locked...dunno why this one got singled out. Maybe Sothy can post about his PSP fund here (kidding, Sothy...obviously a seperate thread is fine by me. :) Sorry to make you an example, heh heh. That thread rocks!).

-Rob

[digitalpress]

And for the record, that thread really did not need to be locked, imo. There's plenty of other PSP threads that weren't locked...dunno why this one got singled out.

The only PSP thread that was redirected here was about the Canadian Gretzky package (and Sothy's which is really OT). There will be LOTS of individual threads about PSP in the future but like the DS before it, I'm trying to keep things tidy. It's a classic gaming forum and I don't like to see it overrun with tons of (mostly) duplicate topics on a brand new system. Fear not, this is a temporary thing until the fascination drops to normal levels :)

[buttasuperb]

I personally can't wait for a Neo Geo emu, and other arcade games (especially shooters)

[ianoid]

I got one.

I can't see how anyone wouldn't be peeing themselves about the screen.

Sadly, the QA issues are awful. Dead pixels and sticky buttons. Nasty stuff. The unit is beautiful, although it has some flaws. It's much sexier than the DS. Fingerprints, I have a sticky O button, scratchability,dead pixels. I admit that I am an early adopter, and I'm not going to bitch about stuff that will be fixed in the next iteration and that don't really bother me. Maybe I'm lucky about the pixels. They are pretty small pixels.

I don't quite know why they did this bundle thing. Perhaps it will only be a couple of months until they unbundle it and sell it for $200. The accessories and memory card are definitely a $50 package individually, they way they price stuff. (PS2 memory cards are STILL $25.)

Playing the system, it's f$%@ing awesome. I am SO into it. I have Untold Legends, which is just great hack n' slash not much different from Champions of Norrath and Baldur's Gate.

I got NFS Underground Rivals, which I played very briefly. It looks really really nice, and plays well, but I have yet to determine how compelling the game play will be. I kinda wish I'd waited for Ridge Racers, but that's a short story I won't tell right now.

Tony Hawk UG 2 Remix looks good, but it's a very fast moving game graphically and there is some smudging, which I got used to. The controls are a little different than your PSX controller, and takes a little getting used to.

I hope to play some WAN games next time I see any gaming friends (unlike you kids and college students, I have few or none that I see regularly.)

I don't care. There is no dispute here. I use my DS to play GBA games. FINALLY, I have a next gen handheld console that I actually want to play in liew of console games.

And to one who is upset about prices, but bought a DS. It's $50 more and includes a complete accessory kit. I just don't comprehend the dispute. If you're a Nintendowhore, it's ok. Just stop complaining about the other corporation being so much worse. Big business is big business.

[Cmosfm]

After spending pretty much the ENTIRE day with mine yesterday, I have to say this is one of the damn nicest things I've ever spent 250.00 on. Honestly....it's well worth 250.00 and MORE. Here's some of my observations....

Pro's

The Spider-Man 2 movie looks better than DVD.

The screen is dead sexy.

Analog control is much better than anticipated.

PSP case is pretty nice, as well as the headphones and wrist strap.

Battery life is good. Yes....good.

Clear L & R buttons. Nice touch!

Con's

You need a cleaning cloth with you constantly...FINGERPRINTS! O_O

I have a few dead pixels and dust under the screen, but it's manageable. Hell, it took me 8 hours of playing to even notice them, and it was on a black screen when I did.

Sound is kind of low on some games.

--------

Well worth the wait, Lumines is my favorite game. And no, it doesn't have any periods of silence in the music, but it does get low now and again....part of the game though.

Also, the "flying UMD's" was just a myth. Some guy set it up on his own, it's not true.

BUY A DAMN PSP TODAY!

[NoahsMyBro]

BUY A DAMN PSP TODAY!

No problem, I'll get right on that. I'll be looking for your $300 check in the mail.
:P

[EnemyZero]

Hmmm my psp is on its way in the mail with ape escape...i hope i have no problems with mine >.< quick question, i scrounged up sum money and bought Bleach off of lik-sang - i thougt i heard that not only can u play imports but you can play them in english? is this true? if it is im gonna get tails of eternia with my paycheck

[kainemaxwell]

This sucks. The first PSP I got had several bad pixels on it. I returned it for another one and now the new one is even worse than the first one I had before. Now there is a cluster of 6 or 7 bad pixels in one corner of the screen. Almost looks like a big glob of dust is trapped under the screen but after looking at it closely, it's obviously a problem with the pixels. It's not that noticeable while playing a game, but it sticks out like a sore thumb when I'm watching videos.

I called the store I got it from and they said they are now all out of PSP's. They said I could either get my money back or wait for the next shipment to come in to get an exchange. Not sure what I want to do now. x_x
Get your money back and wait.

[DeputyMoniker]

My FYE sold 4 of the 10 units we had today. No returns. I'm assuming the button layout "problem" and the disc-ejection issue, if that wasn't fixed, will be fixe din the 2nd gen PSPs?

The disc-ejection non-issue only occurs when a retarded PSP owner twists the damn thing like a pretzel. Quoting the PSP manual:

"Do not forcibly twist the PSP system or expose the system to strong physical shock during gameplay, as doing so can damage the system or cause the disc cover to open, ejecting the disc."

In other words, don't be a dumb-ass, and the PSP will be fine.

As for the SQUARE-button blown-out-of-proportion issue, my SQUARE button is working fine, and the issue only affected a small percentage of Japanese PSP units.

The only legitimate reason to wait for a second-gen PSP is if you're fretting over the current hardware's battery life, but it's fine for everything short of cross-country road trips and cross-continental flights, and you can (and should) buy an external battery pack if you're putting in that much travel time.

-- Z.

Sony stated that the square button problem had been fixed and no untis shipped to the US would suffer the problem.
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54050&highlight=square+button

Does anybody know how large a memory card the PSP can handle? Ive seen the 1GB card but can it hendle more? Movies movies movies!

How is Untold Legends? Would you say its more like FFXI or Diablo?

[vincewy]

So, who just got a brand new $300 portable system? Not me! :bawling:

Be glad you didn't waste $300 with some serious defects, I've heard some stores have dead pixel rate as high as 80%, I want this thing too, but until Sony fix the problem (which seems unlikely at this point), I'll not touch any of their systems.

Don't worry about crazy bundles, Best Buy must be stuck with a lot of PSP units and now they're dying to unload them, you can get it online for even less than in store

http://cheapassgamer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55974

[goatdan]

Damn, Dan, you're hard to impress. :) You honestly don't think the PSP's screen is miles above and beyond any previous handheld game system? Or are you comparing the PSP screen to PC monitors?

Heh, yeah... sorry :embarrassed:

I think it stems from my Pocket PC, of all things. I have a Dell Axim, and while the display of the PSP is obviously polygonal while my Pocket PC is not, the Pocket PC screen looks just as crisp to me as the PSP.

I think I was hyped up a little too much for it. I was expecting it to be near the quality of my home Sony LCD monitor ($600.00) and when it wasn't quite _that_ great, I was a little disappointed :( It is pretty slick though...

On an aside, I read in the paper today that Sony had one million units on store shelves yesterday and they expected to completely sell out yesterday. From all accounts that I heard, they sold through about 10-25% of their stock, which is still a pretty amazing launch.


Be glad you didn't waste $300 with some serious defects, I've heard some stores have dead pixel rate as high as 80%, I want this thing too, but until Sony fix the problem (which seems unlikely at this point), I'll not touch any of their systems.

I said this for the DS (and all the Sony lovers said I was trying to cover something up...) and I'll say it again for the PSP (and to all the Nintendo lovers who will say I'm trying to covers something up...) -- LCD screen technology is no where near perfect! If you get a screen with a resolution like the PSP has, you have 130560 pixels on it. Each one is it's own little unit. So if you get a unit with an astronomically high 13 dead pixels, then you have a failure rate of something like 0.0001%. That's pretty good.

That having been said, I HATE dead pixels with a passion. If I bought a unit that had any, I would return it -- while I doubt there is anything to back me up statistically on this, if I get a monitor with 10 dead pixels in it, I would assume that it was more likely to have more die. If I get one that is perfect, if 10 eventually die, I'm right at the same point. Even with just one or two, it seems to me like they are more likely to die if your monitor already has dead pixels. It probably has nothing to do with reality, but I would replace them if I were any of you that have even one or two -- even if you don't notice it during gameplay.

I took back my $600 Sony monitor (twice) for dead pixel problems...

[norkusa]

So, who just got a brand new $300 portable system? Not me! :bawling:

Be glad you didn't waste $300 with some serious defects, I've heard some stores have dead pixel rate as high as 80%, I want this thing too, but until Sony fix the problem (which seems unlikely at this point), I'll not touch any of their systems.

Yeah, really. If I had to do it all over again, I'd wait for a new batch of PSP's to come out that'll hopefully have this problem fixed. Dead pixels on a handheld is totally unacceptable and I can't believe Sony is saying it's a common occurrence and should be expected. Hell, they even have that stated in the PSP manual! Sounds to me they know the screens are shitty but they are trying to cover their asses by telling people some B.S. excuses.

[evilmess]

I picked mine up yesterday and it was flawless out of the box.

The battery only had about 30 or 40 minutes on it which was just enough to show the techno dudes at work what the PSP could do. I was surprised that it fully recharged in about 2 hours or less.

Everybody who has seen it has been impressed and my 13 year old son hates me! heheheee
Not really but he's such a gaming geek, he already owns a DS and a QD and now he wants a PSP.

My first and only game is Ridge Racer and it ROCKS!

I think I'll pick up Wipe Out Pure or Untold Legends tonight, I just can't decide which one. :-P

[kainemaxwell]

Yeah, really. If I had to do it all over again, I'd wait for a new batch of PSP's to come out that'll hopefully have this problem fixed. Dead pixels on a handheld is totally unacceptable and I can't believe Sony is saying it's a common occurrence and should be expected. Hell, they even have that stated in the PSP manual! Sounds to me they know the screens are shitty but they are trying to cover their asses by telling people some B.S. excuses.
Totally. Just wait and save your cash for something that won't break out of the box.

[TonK]

buy one, its worth it, and it will own the ds, as much as i love nintendo

Wanna bet?

[link1110]

Tales of Eternia just came in the mail. That game is great, and I think the intro looks somewhat better than on a TV, but it may just be because of the smaller screen.


buy one, its worth it, and it will own the ds, as much as i love nintendo

I don't think it's going to own the DS, or even that the DS is going to own it. DS has more games coming out for it, but sales of PSP in Japan seem strong which indicates to me that the marketplace is going to have to support 2 portable systems, will Nintendo have to change their portable strategy bevcause of this? Probably, but I think both of the systems are going to hold their own.

[Querjek]

I got my system today... I like most of them games that I got (Ape Escape, Metal Gear, Untold Legends, Lumines), I am iffy about one of them (Wipeout), and I don't like 1 (Twisted Metal) becuase it makes my hand cramp to use the d-pad constantly to drive. I kind of wish now that I had gotten Tony Hawk as it looks like it would be fun.

[samuraiX]

buy one, its worth it, and it will own the ds, as much as i love nintendo

Wanna bet?

YES! $1.25.... that's all I can afford...

[Iron Draggon]

So, who just got a brand new $300 portable system? Not me! :bawling:

Be glad you didn't waste $300 with some serious defects, I've heard some stores have dead pixel rate as high as 80%, I want this thing too, but until Sony fix the problem (which seems unlikely at this point), I'll not touch any of their systems.

Yeah, really. If I had to do it all over again, I'd wait for a new batch of PSP's to come out that'll hopefully have this problem fixed. Dead pixels on a handheld is totally unacceptable and I can't believe Sony is saying it's a common occurrence and should be expected. Hell, they even have that stated in the PSP manual! Sounds to me they know the screens are shitty but they are trying to cover their asses by telling people some B.S. excuses.

True, I would be totally peeved about dead pixels, even if it only cost $50! My Game Gear never had that problem, and neither did my Nomad, which I did pay something like $200 for. My Game Gear did have alot of dust and crap under the screen, but the screen was easily pried off and cleaned, then put back in place without even having to buy a new screen or use additional glue. So I would hope that the screens on the PSP are as easily replaced as those on the Game Gear and the Nomad. You can get replacement screens on ebay anytime for a reasonable price, and instantly have a new screen. So even if your screen gets scratched to heck, it's easily fixed by yourself. The PSP will need to be handled in the same way, or there will be alot of really crappy looking used PSP's on ebay soon. Not to mention alot of returns. I can't believe so many people are so complacent about so many dead pixels!

As for the DS, I may get one of those before I get a PSP. It's actually $100 less than the PSP. I don't know about the rest of the country, but they sell for $150 here in Houston, although that's probably a bare bones package. And since it plays GBA games, there may be no point in me getting a GBA, unless they lower the price of those to only $50, like I'm hoping they will soon. If they do that, I'm all over a GBA and will just wait on the new stuff.

However, everything that I just said will go completely out the window as soon as I hear that the DS or the PSP is getting a really good pinball game! Whichever one gets a decent pinball first will be the one that I get first. That's the only reason why I want a GBA anyway, for the pinballs it has.

So, please don't tell me that there's any DS or PSP pinballs coming out before this Christmas, because I really don't see myself being able to get either one before Christmas. I still have a very long wishlist of games for all the systems that I currently own to whittle down before I can seriously think about adding any new systems to my collection. I will definitely go with a new portable long before I ever go for a new console though. I have plenty of room for new portables, but really no room for any new consoles without storing an old one away, and I don't want to store any old ones away. I'd much rather just collect for a new portable or two, because I'd only buy a few games for portables, but a new console would own me and my wallet!

[98PaceCar]

I picked up my system about 2 hours ago. I was pretty worried about dead pixels after reading all the threads about them, but I haven't noticed a single one. *knocks on wood*

Haven't had a whole lot of time to play with it, but initial reaction is this is by far the best portable I've seen. It has a lot of wow factor and is very sexy to look at and hold. I played a bit of Wipeout and was very impressed with the entire package.

The UMD movie format might actually work out for me. I travel a lot, so that would give me a way to kill some time if I don't feel like playing a game. Going the memory stick route will probably prove to be more cost effective, but I think the estimated prices on the movies will drop quick.

My only complaint is that I can't seem to find just the disk protectors. I don't want to buy yet another case and cleaning cloth to get them, but that's the only way I've seen them

Bottom line, this thing is incredible! I like all my portables, but I know this will be the one that gets used the most. The DS is cool and has some real potential with a stronger library, but the PSP already oozes sex and power and it's just 1 day after launch!

[blissfulnoise]

My PSP chimed in with 2 dead pixels, but I'm going to live with it. Could be worse.

But yes, it is quite s e x x y

It was brilliant to include the Spiderman 2 UMD. It's going to sell that platform. After you see how good it looks you'll be a true believer.

[Jasoco]

Damn. I have low will power.. So last night I made a deal. If my store was out of them, I would be in the clear...

Bad news is we weren't out of them... D'OH!

http://jasocohms.no-ip.com/~jasoco/pictures/mypsp.jpg

Yeah, yeah. I know. :embarrassed:

Lumines was calling.

I'm not going to make any bets about who's gonna win. I don't care who wins. At least we get some cool games out of it. Lumines kicks ass. Mercury will rock. Namco Museum will own me for a short while. There'll be more. I can't wait for all the emulators.

Looking back in retrospect. I can't believe I just spent $300 on a video game system.

Best part is no dead pixels at all. It's perfect.

[Drexel923]

Damn. I have low will power.. So last night I made a deal. If my store was out of them, I would be in the clear...

Bad news is we weren't out of them... D'OH!

http://jasocohms.no-ip.com/~jasoco/pictures/mypsp.jpg

Yeah, yeah. I know. :embarrassed:

Lumines was calling.

I'm not going to make any bets about who's gonna win. I don't care who wins. At least we get some cool games out of it. Lumines kicks ass. Mercury will rock. Namco Museum will own me for a short while. There'll be more. I can't wait for all the emulators.

Looking back in retrospect. I can't believe I just spent $300 on a video game system.

Best part is no dead pixels at all. It's perfect.

Great...now I'm gonna be the next one to break. I'll probably have it in my hands tomorrow LOL

[Jasoco]

Joooiinn ussss.. Joooiiiiinnnnn uuussssss.....

I still wish it came with a free copy of The Incredibles instead. I know. I know. Disney, not Sony.. Blah blah blah.. I want my portable Incredibles!

[omnedon]

I'm out.

*slaps cash on the table a la Kramer*

[buttasuperb]

Excanged mine for another today, this one seems to have no dead pixels. So far so good.

[portnoyd]

Great...now I'm gonna be the next one to break. I'll probably have it in my hands tomorrow LOL

No, I was the next one to break. Well, it didn't help that Achika was right next to me and when I asked 'Talk me out of buying this', she just looked at me, laughed, and said 'Gimme'.

The thing is sexy. Dead sexy. I got mine at TRU, and the guy said he had 40 of them in the back. Wow, guess no one shops at TRU anymore unless it's a clearance sale (heh). I got Darkstalkers, Lumines, and Ape Escape, and got this cheesy intec accessories pack which I probably won't open for free.

The screen is a thing of beauty. I gave each game a spin, along with Spiderman 2. Not bad, not bad at all. Looks like I have no dead pixels, but then again, I didn't look much for them. The smartest thing they did was include that smudgy cloth... the finish on the system sucks fingerprints on it. The neverending stream of extra crap pouring out of the box was a nice tough... my extra $50 feels justified.

But the system is smooth. The games play like silk too. But I have to admit, if the PSP gets some more decent software, the DS is kinda screwed. But it was funny to watch Meston jump to the rescue when someone pointed out some of the negative stigma issues with the PSP. Hi Zach! See you at E3. Heh.

I would have liked to have waited on it, just because of money, but it seems worth it for now.

dave

[Eric Dude]

Seriously, how the hell do you walk into a store and plop down $300 on something that has a good chance of being defective? What's going on, people? Did Sony drug your Pepsi or something?

[Cmosfm]

Seriously, how the hell do you walk into a store and plop down $300 on something that has a good chance of being defective? What's going on, people? Did Sony drug your Pepsi or something?

wow, a couple dead pixels, boo hoo. I bought a 1500.00 laptop from Dell that has a couple dead pixels. I'm sorry but a few TEENY TINY dots on your screen that you can't even NOTICE without a black screen in near complete darkness is nothing to deter you from buying a system. And it doesn't make it defective, it makes it a normal LCD based product.

:roll: and double :roll:

[buttasuperb]

Excanged mine for another today, this one seems to have no dead pixels. So far so good.

FUCK

Booted it up at home, noticed 3 or 4 burnt pixels much smaller than the one I had on the previous PSP. How the hell didn't I notice this when I tested it at Best Buy. Must be something with the lighting there. @_@

I understand the risk with LCD technology, but when I'm spending $250 on something with a screen that small, I want it perfect. Looks like I'm going back again tomorrow. I wish gas was cheaper...

[Jasoco]

wow, a couple dead pixels, boo hoo. I bought a 1500.00 laptop from Dell that has a couple dead pixels. I'm sorry but a few TEENY TINY dots on your screen that you can't even NOTICE without a black screen in near complete darkness is nothing to deter you from buying a system. And it doesn't make it defective, it makes it a normal LCD based product.

:roll: and double :roll:Sing it, Barry. Sing it.

I went in fully knowing there was a chance of dead pixels. But I also knew that if I really wanted to, I could get my money back if I wanted to.

Fortunately for me, I didn't have to. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to. LOL

[petewhitley]

Sony responds accordingly to the pixel problem, for those who consider it a problem at least. Here. (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/25/news_6121092.html)

[djb1986]

Seriously, how the hell do you walk into a store and plop down $300 on something that has a good chance of being defective? What's going on, people? Did Sony drug your Pepsi or something?
No they drugged my Coke.

[Jasoco]

And my Mt. Dew.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, I ended up doing something today I was'nt quite sure I was going to do. :)

A friend came over and she wanted to go out shopping for a PSP. Her name is Mandy and I've known her for over 10 years now. Anyway, she was surprised when her husband dropped hints yesterday that he wanted one. But she did'nt know anything about it, just knew she had called a couple stores in her area (northern RI) and nothing. So she called me in the early afternoon to see if she could come down and if I could take her out. I said sure. :)

We know we were'nt going to have any luck at some stores, so we headed for Best Buy, where they indeed had some in stock. I really was interested in one but I knew at the price I could'nt afford to get one and all the stuff that came with it. Once I had one in my hands, though, I was hooked. The unit is so damn sexy! Nice large LCD screen, lightweight, backlit, and really impressive how it handles. The guy was showing us the sampler disc with the unit and talking about his own personal experiences with one since he bought one last night.

At that point my friend pulled me to one side and said she knew about all the crap that was going on for me right now and that since she had extra tax return money Mandy offered me a deal. She told me she would buy me a PSP along with the Best Buy 2 year warrenty -- $40 for that -- if I agreed to repay her in the course of the next year. Plus, since I wanted to do many more things with the PSP, a 512 MB stick for $70 for a VERY early Christmas gift.

So at that point I decided I could sell some more stuff on Amazon and pinch the belt by canceling some pre-orders I had planned and go ahead and get it. I picked up a Accesory Kit -- $30 that came with a carrying case, a cleaning cloth, a strap on, a screen protector, a car adapater, and another pair of headphones. Plus I got a USB cable and transfer disc for the PSP for $10 to transfer movies and music over.

Which just left me with two games I was interested in -- Metal Gear Acid (a card based version of the famous game series) and Untold Legends (a hack and slash game like Diablo) to buy myself.

Plus, the way I saw it, it's a investment. I don't have a music player yet and with a memory card that size I can download hundreds of songs on to it. PLus movies! I can transfer programs and anything else from my PC onto it as well. So the PSP can do three different things, and even more in the future. The only other thing I'll need to get is a battery pack -- none was sold seperatly -- as the one drawback of the PSP is that it only has about a 5-6 hour battery charge.

I've only had a little bit of time to check it out, but I'm really impressied. No dead pixels that I can see on my unit. Spider-Man 2 looks REALLY sharp -- even better then a DVD. The Sampler Disc looks good as well. I have'nt tried my two games or transfering anything over yet. My only complaint is the volume is kind of soft -- even with headphones and turned all the way up. But it's lightweight, quiet, and only needed about 90 minutes to fully charge the battery.

If anyone needs a extra headphone and strap, I'm not using the ones that came with the Sony PSP. ;)

[Cmosfm]

That's excellent Soulblazer!

I'm glad to see that Mandy came and she gave without taking.

:D

[Jasoco]

I have a question-a-rino about video-izing my PSP.

I am using iPSP and, aside from a lot of quirks, it seemed to work fine as long as the video I was converting was MPEG-4 already. But I converted a file that was widescreen, and it forced it into a 4:3 format.

Why couldn't it keep it the ratio it was? Any tips on video importing? It's too bad it's not as easy as music and pictures in that you just drag and drop them into a "VIDEO" folder.

[Griking]

So, if someone were to create an NES/SNES emulator, the games would fit perfectly on it?

Yep! I can't *wait* for emulators to hit. I imagine that even PS1 (ISO image) and N64 emus are within the PSP's capabilities, but I would gladly settle and/or kill for Genesis/SNES/NES/TG-16 emus. The PSP can run game code from a MS Duo, so it's gotta be just a matter of time.

-- Z.

I wouldn't be in the least surprised if Nintendo made a very strong effort to shut down each and every website that they can find that hosts an emulator that can play Nintendo game on the PSP.

[Griking]

Seriously, how the hell do you walk into a store and plop down $300 on something that has a good chance of being defective? What's going on, people? Did Sony drug your Pepsi or something?

wow, a couple dead pixels, boo hoo. I bought a 1500.00 laptop from Dell that has a couple dead pixels. I'm sorry but a few TEENY TINY dots on your screen that you can't even NOTICE without a black screen in near complete darkness is nothing to deter you from buying a system. And it doesn't make it defective, it makes it a normal LCD based product.

:roll: and double :roll:

What concerns me is the amount of people in this thread who are reporting dead pixels. Dead pixels do happen from time to time w/ laptops and LCD monitors but not at a nearly 50% ratio. To me thats just unacceptable.

[norkusa]

I am using iPSP and, aside from a lot of quirks, it seemed to work fine as long as the video I was converting was MPEG-4 already. But I converted a file that was widescreen, and it forced it into a 4:3 format.

Why couldn't it keep it the ratio it was? Any tips on video importing? It's too bad it's not as easy as music and pictures in that you just drag and drop them into a "VIDEO" folder.

Are you using the demo version or the full version of iPSP? I think the demo only allows you to import it at 4:3. With the full version, I think you can do it widescreen, I think.

[evilmess]

Jasoco, give PSP Video 9 a try instread of iPSP.

http://www.pspvideo9.com/

Good luck, let us know if it works. I don't have a large enough memory stick but I've already run 3 full length Movies I ripped from my DVD's thru PSPV9 for when I get a 512 pro duo card.

(edit: I assume you are on a PC, yes?)

[James]

This thread is disorganized. Why isn't there a seperate forum for the PSP Launch? A dozen or so good PSP posts have been unfortunately locked because of this and there isn't nearly as many replys to this thread as there would have been overall if there were several seperate PSP posts. Digital Press when the Xbox Next is released later this year I hope you give its release its own forum as there will be much more variety then. And the same for any other systems released in the near future.

[SoulBlazer]

I'm experimenting with PSP Video 9 right now. I also have Max Media that I bought at Best Buy with the USB cable. PSP Video 9 seems to work fine in converting and moving movie files to my PSP. Now I'm glad I talked my friend into the 512 MB memory card. ;) Max Media, however, is what I'm using to copy my music files over.

I'm trying to convert one right now by boosting the volume to 200 percent. The first time I tried it was so soft I could hardly hear the video clip.

Anyone else have any suggestions to get the best prefomance out of PSP Video 9? I want to try to balance space on the memory card (it looks like it can only hold a few video clips, much less a complete DVD movie!) and preformance of the movie clip.

I'll try ripping a DVD movie over to my PSP later.

On the plus side, it was SO EASY for the PSP to find and connect to my wireless network! I just don't have a game I can play online.

[portnoyd]

This thread is disorganized. Why isn't there a seperate forum for the PSP Launch? A dozen or so good PSP posts have been unfortunately locked because of this and there isn't nearly as many replys to this thread as there would have been overall if there were several seperate PSP posts. Digital Press when the Xbox Next is released later this year I hope you give its release its own forum as there will be much more variety then. And the same for any other systems released in the near future.

Been there, done that for the DS (And the PSP, for counterpoints for PSP discussion at DS launch).

There would be more posts, yes - duplicate ones. I would put money on at least 4 dead pixel threads. This one thread keeps things sane, and the +1ing to a minimum. You get first impressions of system and games, troubleshooting and problems, and technical advice all in one. 6 pages of replies versus 12 topics (half of which are duped and locked) over 3 pages of forum topics. It's cleaner this way and does not stunt discussion at all.

dave

[portnoyd]

Oh, and I can't put down Lumines. God, my eyes are falling out of my skull and I'm still addicted.

dave

[chrisbid]

ive played one, and the PSP is the phantom menace of handhelds. its all sizzle and no steak.

- luminese is the only truly original game worth picking up
- load times are awful
- battery life is terrible
- infamous shoddy sony hardware
- too expensive

the 00's (or whatever decade you want to call this) idea of convergence is a joke. we all know that UMD movies will be about as popular as original minidiscs and beta. the mp3 and movie playback features have some potential, but will cost you an additional 100 bucks for enough storage to do anything worthwhile. In this day of 30+GB ipods, a $350 PSP setup is hardly going to put a dent in Apple's sales.

this is a portable system, features like battery life and durability while not as sexy as screen size and color are essential. if you put your PSP in your pocket, and bump into a wall, you shouldnt have to worry about killing pixels, scratching the screen, or damaging the UMD slot. in 2005, a notebook computer can run for 8+ hours, there is no reason a handheld should have less.

people will disagree, but optical media was a poor choice this time around. the prime advantage of optical media over solid state has always been cost, but UMD's are just a proprietary as a cartridge, so costs will stay rather high even on budget titles. There wont be many games that utilize the extra space for gameplay. instead youll just see a lot of battery wasting FMVs and redbook audio.

i have always set my price limit of consoles at $200, there is no way ill pay more than that for a flawless handheld, the PSP is nowhere near that. The saving grace of the PSP will be the homebrew and emulation scene that is bound to develop. It could become a portable xbox, and the prospect of MAME on the go is very tempting. but that prospect is not yet reality, and its refreshing to see that sony's hype machine didnt drown reason this time around.

[Querjek]

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention earlier, I have 3 dead pixels, but, unlike the ones in my DS, these are barely noticable, unless you're looking to find them.

Exactly how do I unlock more skins in Lumines? I Have 4 so far, from the single-player mode.

[kainemaxwell]

Ok, sold 2 more PSPs today to make 6 out of our 10 units in stock at my store.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

This thread is disorganized. Why isn't there a seperate forum for the PSP Launch? A dozen or so good PSP posts have been unfortunately locked because of this and there isn't nearly as many replys to this thread as there would have been overall if there were several seperate PSP posts. Digital Press when the Xbox Next is released later this year I hope you give its release its own forum as there will be much more variety then. And the same for any other systems released in the near future.
For what it's worth, we did have a forum du jour dedicated to both the PSP and the DS for several months. As that's not a permanent thing, the threads were moved in here to the video gaming area and the forum was reassigned. Also, while it was there, the PSP/DS forum was the home to an awful lot of fanboyish system-vs.-system crap, which was not the purpose anyone had in mind for that forum.

It'll do just fine out here, but this seemed like the best way to keep the entire first page of the VG forum from being flooded with PSP-related topics.

[vincewy]

I went to other towns nearby and check a K-mart store, as of Fri, they've sold ONE! There's no doubt that Sony has the marketing power, hype, zombified fanboys, $$$, but in the end the sales speak for itself, Sony is stil fantasizing on "anything will sell" mentality.

Had all the units they put out yesterday function properly, they would've sold more units down the road over the next few weeks, but instead expect to see avalanche of returns at all retail chains over next few days, I've even asked my buddy (who owns 2 stores in MPLS) not to bother with PSP at this point as soon as I heard about the hardware problems. Wait a few months and see if Sony will piss off all retailers, I'm sure Best Buy, EB, and Gamestop which offers extended warranties will have to take in all those defective units as writeoffs.

In fact you can probably get it for even less on eBay than local stores, some auctions were going for even less than $250 with sellers charging $15 on shipping. OMG, there're like 3000+ units listed on eBay, one guy even bought 7 units and current bid prices aren't even close to retail

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62054&item=8180740153

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62054&item=8178415653

Even more outrageous are the blatant lies by sellers, presold out everywhere, out til Xmas. If you take those sellers out of equations, the sales would've been a lot worse, I expect to see a lot of returns over the next few days from either 1: defective units (mentioned above) 2: eBay resellers getting stuck with so many units. Don't people ever learn!

[pacmanhat]

My g/f and I caved and got one today...along w/ Wipeout Pure, Untold Legends (which is really underrated) and Lumines (which is just plain amazing). I think my g/f got a glitch when playing Lumines the first time, though...she tried it without really knowing what was going on, and lost almost instantly, but still somehow managed to get over 10,000 points. @_@

[Jasoco]

(edit: I assume you are on a PC, yes?)Hi, you must be new. Jasoco, Mac user. How ya doin'?

According to the manual, I should be able to just put the MPEG-4's on the card. But it doesn't go into any details or tell of any software or tools. I can convert the things myself. I just need to know where to put them! I like to avoid tools whenever possible.


I am peeved about one thing, though. The damn sample disc didn't have any game demos. Just videos. I'd like to at least try some of the other games to see how I like controlling them. Anyone think they might start putting out PSP Jampack's eventually? I hope so.

[spoon]

I am gonna break next. I will have one by the end of the day. Played one today. We have come a long, long, long way since gameboy. Wow!

[mosesshirai]

So after reading six pages of posts here is my PSP story:

I went launch night here in Hawaii and there were at least 75 people in line at the stpre. It was crazy. They were only letting a few people in at atime so I got mine around 1:10am. I went home plugged it in and went to sleep. Next day(Thursday, Launch Day) I watched part of Spiderman and played Metal Gear Acid. Both were very impressive. Later that night I start playing Metal Gear and notice the Dead Pixels. At least 5-10 of them all over my screen. Nuts. So I call the manager at the store(Friday) and he says come in and we will take care of you. So I go in get the next PSP, and what do you know TWO more Dead Pixels. I checked it over in the store and couldn't see them in the harsh lighting, but when I played in a semi-dark room tonight....BOOYAAA there they are. Double Nuts. This just ruins the experience for me. I have never done the whole launch day, wait in line thing before. I have never had the opportunity. This just kills it for me. I don't want to take my PSP back again and look like a fool, but $250 is just too high to have this type of problem. So Tomorrow(Saturday) I will be going back again for number three. I am just so torqued. Some of you may have seen my topic about considering selling my DS for a PSP. Now I am so glad I kept the DS. $200 bucks for a Bejeweled Clone(Zookeeper) and a system is well worth it. At least the DS is burly and scratch resistant(it folds shut). And a Pixel Problem with my DS? Nada. DRRRGGGGHHHH :angry: :angry:
Heres to you Sony, for making me really work to get a nice product out of you. I love driving to the store three times for the same thing. I love that your quality control is so high that you put a disclaimer in your manual. And I especially love that you made the PSP so I can have stress and not fun with my videogame system. Rant over. Vented. Thanks. :eek 2:

[kainemaxwell]

Found some dead pixel articles at IGN:
http://psp.ign.com/articles/599/599236p1.html?fromint=1
http://psp.ign.com/articles/599/599185p1.html

And some sales reports:
http://psp.ign.com/articles/599/599156p1.html

[jonjandran]

ive played one, and the PSP is the phantom menace of handhelds. its all sizzle and no steak.

- luminese is the only truly original game worth picking up
- load times are awful
- battery life is terrible
- infamous shoddy sony hardware
- too expensive

the 00's (or whatever decade you want to call this) idea of convergence is a joke. we all know that UMD movies will be about as popular as original minidiscs and beta. the mp3 and movie playback features have some potential, but will cost you an additional 100 bucks for enough storage to do anything worthwhile. In this day of 30+GB ipods, a $350 PSP setup is hardly going to put a dent in Apple's sales.

this is a portable system, features like battery life and durability while not as sexy as screen size and color are essential. if you put your PSP in your pocket, and bump into a wall, you shouldnt have to worry about killing pixels, scratching the screen, or damaging the UMD slot. in 2005, a notebook computer can run for 8+ hours, there is no reason a handheld should have less.

people will disagree, but optical media was a poor choice this time around. the prime advantage of optical media over solid state has always been cost, but UMD's are just a proprietary as a cartridge, so costs will stay rather high even on budget titles. There wont be many games that utilize the extra space for gameplay. instead youll just see a lot of battery wasting FMVs and redbook audio.

i have always set my price limit of consoles at $200, there is no way ill pay more than that for a flawless handheld, the PSP is nowhere near that. The saving grace of the PSP will be the homebrew and emulation scene that is bound to develop. It could become a portable xbox, and the prospect of MAME on the go is very tempting. but that prospect is not yet reality, and its refreshing to see that sony's hype machine didnt drown reason this time around.

So you don't even own one and yet you are an expert now. :hmm:

Ok thanks for your "OPINION". Next.......

[omnedon]

FYI to one and all, early on, I will pay top dollar (up to $100CDN) for busted PSP's, condition depending. If it's been flattened by a car, expect less than the top. If it has a broken analog stick or something, but works otherwise, expect the top dollar offer.

Spread the word. OSG wants parts.

BTW, I am enjoying mine quite a bit, and I'm no SONY Fanboy. I still don't have a DS, but I had to snag a PSP.

I also foresee booming repair business on these, so now is the time to learn all about it.

[vincewy]

And I especially love that you made the PSP so I can have stress and not fun with my videogame system. Rant over. Vented. Thanks. :eek 2:

I'd just return the system to get my money back, there's no point going through the hassles when you put down $300 with a game, for christ sake, we're consumers who feed the gaming companies. It seems like gaming communities aren't using common sense when it comes to buying games/systems. I enjoy gaming/collection as a hobby, but it's something I can live without, let alone portables which I hardly ever play.

[FurinkanianFrood]

So you don't even own one and yet you are an expert now.


It doesn't take an expert to balk at the cost, or to see that games are uninteresting to one's own self. Or to cite genuine facts about battery life. The UMD to Beta comparison isn't all that strange. Convergence concepts were a casualty of the '90's I thought. At least the idea that they were viable in a broad sense as being discussed here.

PC's taking over other functions is viable, portable game machines doing the same seems rather not. But I don't set trends.

He doesn't like the thing, I don't like the thing.

Some people here like the thing, but It's too early to tell how many people will like the thing in the general public.

DP forums is not the general public, that's for sure.

It may be liked more or less. I don't understand consumers, no one does. I make educated guesses, but those aren't necessarily reliable.

Who freakin' knows?

[chrisbid]

So you don't even own one and yet you are an expert now. :hmm:

Ok thanks for your "OPINION". Next.......


the beginning of the thread specifically said no flaming, i took care to keep my comments on the system and not fanboys and owners. this is a gaming discussion board, not a sony commercial. Pointing out obvious flaws in a system and explaining criteria to change my views adds to the discussion. if you dont agree with my "OPINION", fine, but i have the right to say what i said without your pompous remarks

to elaborate, i played a friend's import psp (darkstalkers and wipeout) last week extensively, and i got a brief chance to play lumines after the US launch. i like lumines, but im not going to sink 300 bucks just to play one game

[goatdan]

The pixel thing isn't a big problem like I've said... the fact that according to those IGN articles, Sony is going to charge you to replace it is. Nintendo's policy was much better at that...

I'd suggest making sure to find a store that will take it back if there are any problems. While the manual says it is normal, a dead pixel means the pixel is constantly misfiring, which is a problem. And I have never, ever heard of dead pixels that rise from the grave after a week of use.

But seriously -- other than the return policy, dead pixels are natural. Otherwise, we should all be paying $1000 for this thing.

[chrisbid]

i dont know any retailer that will refuse to take back defective hardware. im sure there are stores that will not give refunds, but to not offer a replacement or store credit would probably be illegal in most states.

[SoulBlazer]

And according to the Gamespot articles, Sony WILL replace any PSP's that have dead pixels free of charge.

The fact of the matter is that dead pixels are going to happen now and then on LCD screens -- it's one reason I kept using a 'older' CRT monitor for my PC.

I played some Untold Legends last night after I got tired of copying over music, movies, and pics to my unit. Fun game. I have'nt even tried Metal Gear Acid yet. I just wish there were more games out I could buy. Lummines sounds fun but I suck at puzzle games, and everything else seems to be a rehash of something else allready released.

The 'analog' button works well but kind of hurts my thumb after a bit. But it's a small complaint for a system that I really enjoy. It's amazing how many of us who had'nt planned to buy one broke down and did, myself included. ;)

[geelw]

i've had my psp since 3/17 along with 5 first party titles (wipeout, twisted metal, nba, world tour soccer, and nhl) and three more games showed up this week (lumines, thug 2, spider-man 2). so far, i'm pleased with the system and the selection of launch titles available (more stuff is on the way next week). i'd have to say i wish there were two analog sticks and the ability to use regular batteries with the thing- i've only taken it outside twice,and both times i was worrying about the battery running out (it didn't).

as for the movies, i don't think sony wants to have hundreds of umd flicks available. based on the demo disc and a few rumblings i've heard here and there, it seems we'll more than likely be mostly seeing "summer blockbusters" over actual "good" movies, but it would be nice to see a few classics on the format. that widescreen is practically screaming for 2001: a space odyssey and a few other films i can name off the top o' my pointy lil' head.

as for the ds, i don't have a clue as to why it's not doing better than it is. i was doing some research for an article recently and with one exception, every store i went to had plenty of unsold DS systems and games. oh well- each system has its strong point and weak ones, and i don't really consider this some sort of "system war" since both do things a bit differently. i will say that ridge racer on the psp smokes the ds version across the board, though...

g.