When we first saw the supposed PSP Go leaked images, we were quick to discount them as a fabrications, saying that there's no way that Sony would have released something that looks like that. And then we saw the alleged leaked Qore video, which forced us to realize that perhaps the images were real. Before we could fully express our feelings, we decided to make it the next topic for our Destructoid Discusses feature.
Nick Chester, Colette Bennett, Jim Sterling and I take a break from our pre-E3 planning day to sit down and talk about this "leak." We address our feelings on the design of the device, as well as the lack of a second analog nub; I think a lot of us were hoping that the new PSP would look more like some of the slick fan concepts going around. We also touched on the possibilities of downloadable content and how the device launch might affect the currently available PSP and its market.
I'm being nice. Seriously, the thing looks like they raped a Sony Mylo with an ugly gun.
What do you think of the new design? Do you think our minds might change once we get a our hands on this device? Actually, do you need another PSP? Hit the jump for moving picture goodness!
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Your better off sticking to the PSP 3000.
The PSP 3000 can still play UMD Games and you can still download full PSP Games on PSN so why should we upgrade to the PSP Go when the PSP 3000 can already do these things already.
Just upgrade your PSP memory stick or save your games you download on PSN to your hard drive then download them that way.
What is Sony, i mean, i don't even know how to take this. Sony, makes so much stuff, they now wanna stuff all this stuff in to on thing, and then go about changing its priorities. I am confused, it feels like ps3 all over again.
I'm waiting for a complete list of features. I want to know if the bluetooth capabilities will give it specific PS3 usability features. I also want to know what the thing will feel like when playing with it. It looks like the DPad will have the same DPad problems the PSP1000 did. Trying to play Clash at Demondhead with that DPad was *IMPOSSIBLE*... Trying to crouch/crawl was a pain in the ass.
I love these videos, hope there will be more for e3. I don't think I'll be getting a psp go, and I don't see this as being able to renergize the psp market as much as sony wants it to.
See the way I see it if your expecting a new PSP, the PSP2 this is not it and you will have complaints. Thing is this is not a PSP2 this is just another PSP with some new options. If you already hae one I see no need in getting a new model. If you dont own one and want to pick something up maybe this is for you. Also I agree its not the prettiest thing I have seen, would much rather some of those slick fan concepts.
If they intend for this PSP to eventually replace the UMD-format PSP, they need to make all (or most) of the currently available titles up for download via the PSN. Almost everything about the current (non-Go) PSP is better when you don't use the UMD drive. A lot of PSP games are good, but if my current PSP-1000 (with custom firmware of course) gives up the ghost and I get a PSP Go, I want to be able to play the games I bought for it (and subsequently ripped to memory stick).
What Analoge said. Plus, cutting away to non-synchronous b-roll of people talking is also always pretty jarring for me at least. You all look great though.
E309 gah! My stupid brain keeps reading ED209, please just write E3. I'm sure we all know what year it is.
As for the ergonomic issues of the new iteration PSP, call me crazy but I'd like them to try something like this.
Hopefully the pic isn't too big.
This video is like watching TNA - a million quick cuts a second! ;)
As for the topic at hand, I really like the idea of a download-only PSP. The appeal of having everything with you at all times is attractive. However, comfort and software support (both from past games and future ones) are two critical issues that should be answered on Tuesday.
What I am wondering is how are people who already own PSP UMD games going to get those games onto the PSP GO? Is Sony going to offer some sort of coupon for those who already own specific games? Or are they going to make you re-purchase a game you already have. I assume the later.
Besides, I have qualms with the ugly design and what seems to me like odd placement for buttons.
@wandering pixel i agree with you ths psp go its a stupid idea and a uncomftorable gaming device.
i love my psp its my favorite console (i love my xbox but the psp its better since i can bring it with me everywhere all the time) but this psp go its a f*cking piece of crap it has no second analog stick wich the psp desperate needs and also the analog sitk its place in a very strange place, i think it wont be easy to play with that thing, also the screen 3.8 inches? man we need bigger screens, in my opinion heres what psp needs a better graphic hardware, a bigger screen with bigger resolution something like htc touch hd , two analog sitcks, a better music player (like the sonyercisson walkman 3.0 software)bluetooth and mega bass thats all it needs not a shitty \"redesing\" with smaller screen, this psp go it a mess
I like the new download only psp. Its not like its replacing the psp-3000, it is an alternative. A lack of 2nd analog stick makes sense for the simple reason is that it is still the original PSP. People can whine or cheer when sony announces the PSP2 but this isn't it. Developers are not going to their back catalogs to implement a 2nd analog stick. PSP-PSPgo is similar to DS-DSi. Its not the next gen psp, its an alternative.
I'd get it as my portable PSP when I travel out of the country. I hate bringing UMDs with me when I travel. Bluetooth support is great but I think it could use more than 16 gigs. We're talking about a system where you can put music movies and games. My current psp-3000 is alread filled with 10 gigs of music. I'd be using up a lot more space if I downloaded PSN games and converted movies into my psp.
I'm fine with the quick cuts, since it's become quite standard these days, but if you're going to do them, please get a second camera going at the same time. It's funny to see those crazy hand motions from a distance, but it's annoying when the lips quite obviously don't sync up with the person who is talking.
I think they should get some positive feedback on how the
controller feels. Then we might look past appearance. If
not, then what Colette said about the PSP, "see it" and
"not touch it". - Me LIKeIE the videos! =D
I don't get how people can't understand. It's one console two concepts. You like UMD and current design - buy/keep your PSP1000/2000/3000, you want smaller console, bult in memory and digital distribution - buy Go. Is it so hard to understand?
And FFS there is NO, and WONT BE second nub. It was discussed so many timnes, they would diss 50.000.000 people who bought first threee series of PSPs.So STOP WHINING ABOUT THAT.
Well, I'm sure all this feedback is going to get back to Sony's ears, before they make their E3 sideshow. Makes me wonder whether they will change on some things at last minute.
One more thing, it would be smart of Sony to take the iPod road and make this PSP more open source. If hacking is what they are worried about, they should let creators make what they want and submit it like Apple do, and offer a similar kind of freedom their Net Yaroze PS1 used too.
"Well, I'm sure all this feedback is going to get back to Sony's ears, before they make their E3 sideshow. Makes me wonder whether they will change on some things at last minute."
What could they possible change about it, in the next two days? We're at the 11th hour here! So its either go ahead as planned, or just delay the thing, and change it over the next few month, then re-announce it at TGS in September.
Which I highly doubt that Sony would do that. But its either that, or go ahead as planned with the ugly thing, and just put out another new PSP redesign again next year, for the 4 year in a row. They really don't have any other options at this point!
You know what? After looking at the PSP Go a bit more, I think the design is okay... The joystick won't be as crampy over there, and the sliding design is good. But the lack of a UMD drive is an absolute deal-breaker. You can already download everything you want to download on the current PSPs, and you don't hae to sacrifice the retail library to do so.
I'm definally getting a DSi if the choice is most likely between it and that. I was most likely getting one anyways but now I can get one with absolutely no regrets.
A second analog nub would be rather silly, PSP can barely get any game support as is, do you really think it's going to get a ton of support for games that would only work with its latest model?
The real design failure here is the lack of a fucking clamshell design on one of the most scratch and smudge prone devices ever created. Why the fuck they could not have designed the thing to be able to protect itself is beyond me. That and it looks like the most uncomfortable thing to hold ever.
Just so I'm understanding it correctly, when they added the 2nd analogue stick to the original Playstation controller, it didn't make the PS1 into a totally new system did it? it was still a PS1?
Cause I'm pretty sure if they had added the second analogue nub the PSP, it wouldn't be a whole new system. It would still be a PSP with two nubs instead of one.
Also, they really dropped the ball by not adding L2 and R2 shoulder buttons.
they added two analog sticks to the playstation one controllers, and everyone had to throw out their old playstation one controllers because of it. now imagine if the controllers had been connected to the console.
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Contest:
12:00 PM on 05.31.2009
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The PSP 3000 can still play UMD Games and you can still download full PSP Games on PSN so why should we upgrade to the PSP Go when the PSP 3000 can already do these things already.
Just upgrade your PSP memory stick or save your games you download on PSN to your hard drive then download them that way.
The only criticism I would add is that the background music takes away from the discussion and is quite distracting.
Why are you not wearing it? WHYYYYY?!
As for the ergonomic issues of the new iteration PSP, call me crazy but I'd like them to try something like this.
Hopefully the pic isn't too big.
Copy/pasta http://www.pugo.org/media/collection/console/game_watch_vs_dk3.jpg
As for the topic at hand, I really like the idea of a download-only PSP. The appeal of having everything with you at all times is attractive. However, comfort and software support (both from past games and future ones) are two critical issues that should be answered on Tuesday.
Besides, I have qualms with the ugly design and what seems to me like odd placement for buttons.
i love my psp its my favorite console (i love my xbox but the psp its better since i can bring it with me everywhere all the time) but this psp go its a f*cking piece of crap it has no second analog stick wich the psp desperate needs and also the analog sitk its place in a very strange place, i think it wont be easy to play with that thing, also the screen 3.8 inches? man we need bigger screens, in my opinion heres what psp needs a better graphic hardware, a bigger screen with bigger resolution something like htc touch hd , two analog sitcks, a better music player (like the sonyercisson walkman 3.0 software)bluetooth and mega bass thats all it needs not a shitty \"redesing\" with smaller screen, this psp go it a mess
I'd get it as my portable PSP when I travel out of the country. I hate bringing UMDs with me when I travel. Bluetooth support is great but I think it could use more than 16 gigs. We're talking about a system where you can put music movies and games. My current psp-3000 is alread filled with 10 gigs of music. I'd be using up a lot more space if I downloaded PSN games and converted movies into my psp.
And what's all this about the music being distracting. It was the icing on the cake.
controller feels. Then we might look past appearance. If
not, then what Colette said about the PSP, "see it" and
"not touch it". - Me LIKeIE the videos! =D
And FFS there is NO, and WONT BE second nub. It was discussed so many timnes, they would diss 50.000.000 people who bought first threee series of PSPs.So STOP WHINING ABOUT THAT.
One more thing, it would be smart of Sony to take the iPod road and make this PSP more open source. If hacking is what they are worried about, they should let creators make what they want and submit it like Apple do, and offer a similar kind of freedom their Net Yaroze PS1 used too.
I'm all for digital distribution. Especially since UMDs are shit.
Am I the only one excited for the PSP Go?
What could they possible change about it, in the next two days? We're at the 11th hour here! So its either go ahead as planned, or just delay the thing, and change it over the next few month, then re-announce it at TGS in September.
Which I highly doubt that Sony would do that. But its either that, or go ahead as planned with the ugly thing, and just put out another new PSP redesign again next year, for the 4 year in a row. They really don't have any other options at this point!
The real design failure here is the lack of a fucking clamshell design on one of the most scratch and smudge prone devices ever created. Why the fuck they could not have designed the thing to be able to protect itself is beyond me. That and it looks like the most uncomfortable thing to hold ever.
Cause I'm pretty sure if they had added the second analogue nub the PSP, it wouldn't be a whole new system. It would still be a PSP with two nubs instead of one.
Also, they really dropped the ball by not adding L2 and R2 shoulder buttons.