Sony announces GBA killer: "PSP" (PlayStation Portable)

[AntiGEN2]

Move over GameBoy, There's a New Game In Town

Enhancing its strong platform strategies, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today plans to expand its in-home entertainment to outside the home with a new, all-in-one portable entertainment platform, "PSP(TM)." Scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2004, the company's goal is to extend the reach of PlayStation(R) to a broader audience, allowing consumers to enjoy gaming and other entertainment content anytime, anywhere. Specific details on release plans and pricing will be disclosed at a later date.

The introduction of "PSP" highlights the company's long-awaited foray into the portable entertainment market. With unmatched advantages of the Sony Group, such as global brand awareness, superior technologies in the most advanced semiconductor processes, "PSP" further broadens entertainment experiences into the portable arena.


The foundation of this new platform is Universal Media Disc (UMD), which comprises of a 60mm optical disc (1.8 GB) in a cartridge, developed by the Sony Group, utilizing its latest disc technologies. Compared to the out-dated mask ROM cartridge, optical disc has huge advantages such as shorter turn around time for manufacturing, larger data capacity and lower media costs. The latest copy-protection technology will be applied to offer content developers and publishers a safe and copy-protected environment.


"PSP" will be equipped with a wide screen 480 x 272 pixel (16 by 9) TFT LCD monitor with a backlight, and powered by super chipsets utilizing the latest 90 nm semiconductor technology. For graphics, 3D rendering will be enhanced by the employment of curved surfaces (NURBS) along with conventional polygons. Video quality will also be enhanced with MPEG4, which delivers quality equivalent to DVD video at a low data rate.


"PSP" will have an USB 2.0 port for further expandability and connectivity to other devices, such as "PSP," PlayStation 2 and many other systems, along with a Memory Stick(TM) slot for network applications and data transportability in a wireless environment.


SCEI will offer PC-based development tools starting from fall 2003 for the preparation of a new range of computer entertainment content. A new license scheme for "PSP" software development will be announced in summer 2003. Pursuing the founding principles of the PlayStation business, Sony Computer Entertainment will expand its efforts to support content developers to create new forms of computer entertainment.


Together with its business partners, SCEI aims to aggressively promote this new platform to further broaden the arena of entertainment.


"Just as PlayStation and PlayStation 2 revolutionized in-home computer entertainment, we aim to become a new driving force in the portable entertainment platform arena," said Ken Kutaragi, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "The world of PlayStation encompasses hundreds of millions of users worldwide, most of whom view computer entertainment as part of their everyday lives. We look forward to extending the experience through a portable entertainment platform, and are excited about the possibilities and impact 'PSP' will have on the market. Along with game applications, 'PSP' will have a huge potential for delivering other forms of entertainment as well as live entertainment through the network, anywhere, anytime. This is the 'Walkman' of the 21st century."

"PSP" Specifications
Platform name: PSP(TM)
Display: Wide screen (16:9) TFT LCD with backlight
(480 x 272 dots)
Disc medium: "UMD" 60mm optical secured ROM disc with cartridge (1.8GB)
Video CODEC: MPEG4
Graphics: 3D Polygon/NURBS
Sound: PCM (built-in stereo speakers, stereo headphone output)
I/O: USB 2.0, Memory Stick(TM) slot
Battery: Rechargeable (lithium-ion)

http://www.gamesarefun.com/cgi-bin/n...2847679,93181,

[Gel]

All very interesting stuff, it'll be nice to see the pics when released. Optical disc.......... bet the game production cost are stupidly expensive with that in place, not to mention higher battery usage and fragiltiy of the format.

I bet they stick with rom carts

[ABCMan]

this system (when finaly released in 18 months time) uses a custom sealed cart like a dvd ram cart storage is 1.8gb on its 2 1/2 inch disc, memory saves are to a sony memory stick (i wonder which colour, white, blue or red or will the bring out another?).

the actual unit is far too big to be a portable more like transportable.


another challenge for the hackers

[Goldberg]

ABCman I think you will agree with me here,

Nintendo rule the handheld market and have done for many years, just like Microsoft with the OS systems.

Now, remember the VHS and BetaMax battle, david won!!

Sony are trying to be Golieth (I dont care how it is spelt) here and it simply will not work!!!

FACT

[severian]

It sounds great but I can't see it competing with the GBA on price.

Severian

[Gel]

GBA Killer my arse - Let's see now, a user base almost 20 years in the making destroyed by a single product, doubtfull.

[{{909}}]

the 4 colour grayscale gameboy managed to beat the 16 bit lynx and the gamegear, both were way more powerfull, good games are what people want at the end of the day and theres loads already available for the GBA

[phlix]

The lynx failed because of slow production, and bad marketing. Like all Atari products at the time, really good, but terribly marketed. I sometimes wonder what the console market would be like if the Lynx and the Jaguar had be marketed well and actually took. Atari's r&d department came up with some class stuff. Its just a shame Atari exist in name only now.

As for the Sony handheld. It'll probably be either really good and v expensive, or cheap and a bit poo.

[Gel]

Originally posted by phlix
The lynx failed because of slow production, and bad marketing.

Erm, no. How about crap design and poor software support?

The thing weighs a kilo before the 6 AA Batteries which gave it around 2 - 3 hours use, it was a portable that wasn't truly portable without many games. That's the primary cause of its downfall, marketing of the machine is important but wasn't in this case.

It was however, a factor with the Jaguar.

Anything bigger than a Gameboy/GP32 is unpracticle and is really a wannabe games console.