Third Parties Are Ditching the PSP

[Ironman273]

Third Parties Are Ditching the PSP

The sad thing about the PSP is that it's a solid piece of hardware that people, mostly in Japan, are buying, but in humorless irony, third parties are refusing to support the platform. In this graph by famed gaming magazine EDGE, you see in hard numbers that there are almost no more PSP games coming out this year than the year of its launch. In fact, game releases peaked for the system way back in 2006. And if the downward trend continues, 2009 could be plain sad.

Edge argues that developers may be afraid of the platform due to bad precedents. They cite Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the most successful PSP title of all time, as selling 1.7 million copies. Not bad, not amazing. But the follow-up, GTA: Vice City Stories sold only 700,000 copies. That's a drop of 60%.

I see a lot of reasons why this drop could have happened beyond the PSP itself, chief among them being that gamers had already gotten a lot of GTA on the PS2 (including alternate versions of both these PSP titles). But without many US developers making original titles for the PSP, we'll probably never know the system's potential in terms of its sales or its hardware.

Source: Gizmodo

[Ricardo Gil]

Although 2008 isn't over yet, this is the sad truth.

I'm actually selling one of my PSP's, I find my iPod to be much more convenient each and every day for some casual gaming.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Shame really, some really good games have been made.

Sony may have to/should start putting more games directly through the PSN store like Echrochrome.

Saves developers on physical costs, and may inspire them to continuing developing - It is harder to steal digital distributed games (PSP does have a piracy issue).

On the flip-side Square Enix have taken to the PSP after no doubt seeing Monster Hunter sales in Japan - There must be about 6/7 PSP titles in development from FF to KH.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

No surprise really.

[rajputwarrior]

well yeah, its because its stupid easy to mod a psp, and just download .iso's and .cso's. Hardware sales are doing awesome, and software sales are declining, its not hard to figure out that piracy is a big reason for that.

[Rudy]

yea it's a shame, i dont remember the last good psp game :(

[Ricardo Gil]

well yeah, its because its stupid easy to mod a psp, and just download .iso's and .cso's. Hardware sales are doing awesome, and software sales are declining, its not hard to figure out that piracy is a big reason for that.

Personally I find it a bit different. I'm not gonna lie, I've modded my first PSP a long time ago and played CSOs many times. Most games were deleted right after (sucked), others I bought to support the developer (loved).

The problem is, even with that option (getting games for free) I haven't played anything in recent times. Nothing exciting has come out :(

[Soldiers33]

imo psp has always sucked

[Fourjays Veteran]

I've never quite understood portable game consoles. If you use it while you walk, you'll end up walking into a lamppost. Which means you have to sit down to play it, at which point you might as well just play a proper console. Places where you'd actually sit and play it, because there is no other means of gaming, are minimal, IMO.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I've never quite understood portable game consoles. If you use it while you walk, you'll end up walking into a lamppost. Which means you have to sit down to play it, at which point you might as well just play a proper console. Places where you'd actually sit and play it, because there is no other means of gaming, are minimal, IMO.

Um a 3 hour wait in an airport, then boarding on to a 8-9 hour plane journey? :p

Or being the passenger on a bus/train or a car journey.

I travel quite a bit, and the ol' extension cord to power my TV and 360/Wii/PS3 doesn't tend to reach far outside my house :rofl:

[rajputwarrior]

I've never quite understood portable game consoles. If you use it while you walk, you'll end up walking into a lamppost. Which means you have to sit down to play it, at which point you might as well just play a proper console. Places where you'd actually sit and play it, because there is no other means of gaming, are minimal, IMO.

i live on an island, so whenever i go to the mainland i take it with me (bus' and ferries). When you are going to be somwhere for a while i'll take it with me (like 12 hour studying sessions in the library). And when i am just chillin in my bed before i pass out i'll play it. Honestly, i am shocked at how much i use mine. I love it.

[Fourjays Veteran]

Yea, but I'd imagine those are rare cases which is sort of what I'm getting at - your average Joe's only "PSP Friendly" location is a 20 minute bus ride... :p

It's not that I think it is useless, just that I can't understand the appeal of them when put in context of their sale figures. So many people buy them, yet very few fall into a category where they'd actually use it on a regular basis (like you two). Now if the PSP was a mobile phone as well, it'd make sense.

I'm thinking back to the figure on the LBP video at E3, if you remember it. I was amazed at how high the PSP sales were compared to the PS2/PS3.

[vincent]

yea it's a shame, i dont remember the last good psp game :(

Faulty logic, There isn't any absolute good game. Simply because everyone has there own favorite game,

[soniqstylz]

To note on GTA, LCS was ported to PS2, so people held off on VCS knowing that was getting a port as well.

I think that it's almost expected that some of the good games will eventually get a PS2 port or even a download on PSN.

Even still, there are good games: Chains of Olympus, Size Matters, Portable Ops, Patapon, Echochrome, quite a few more.

That said, I don't have one.. :p

[Cormier6083]

No surprise really.

+1

[theyarecomingforyou]

Faulty logic, There isn't any absolute good game. Simply because everyone has there own favorite game,

Why is it faulty logic? They said they couldn't remember the last time they played a good game. The subjective nature of that statement is a given, so their point is valid even if others disagree. Also, people's favourite game has nothing to do with this at all.

[Matrix XII]

No surprise really.

Yeah no kidding.

I've had a PSP twice since it came out and sold it both times. I always thought the graphics had ghosting and it made me dizzy, plus I didn't really like many of the games it had.

The DS on the other hand is genius.

[Ironman273]

Yeah no kidding.

I've had a PSP twice since it came out and sold it both times. I always thought the graphics had ghosting and it made me dizzy, plus I didn't really like many of the games it had.

The DS on the other hand is genius.

I only had it once then sold it but I still have my DS.

[The Teej]

To note on GTA, LCS was ported to PS2, so people held off on VCS knowing that was getting a port as well.

I think that it's almost expected that some of the good games will eventually get a PS2 port or even a download on PSN.

Even still, there are good games: Chains of Olympus, Size Matters, Portable Ops, Patapon, Echochrome, quite a few more.

That said, I don't have one.. :p

This. I was actually considering holding off a Chains of Olympus puchase because I was wondering if it would eventually come out on PSP. Luckily, I got it as a present and ended up having the decision made for me :p All of those PSP game ports IMO are a big reason why game development for PSP is declining. People wait for the PS2 version, sales go down, devs feel PSP games aren't selling enough, so they only do ports... vicious cycle.

It's a shame because PSP has such huge potential as a gaming device. I mean, we've all seen God of War and FFXIII Agito and they look seriously amazing.

Then again, they're up against the king of the handhelds, Nintendo. To last this long (and at one point virtually dethrone Nintendo) is a feat in itself. Every other handheld at this point is dead.

[Ironman273]

This. I was actually considering holding off a Chains of Olympus puchase because I was wondering if it would eventually come out on PSP. Luckily, I got it as a present and ended up having the decision made for me :p All of those PSP game ports IMO are a big reason why game development for PSP is declining. People wait for the PS2 version, sales go down, devs feel PSP games aren't selling enough, so they only do ports... vicious cycle.

It's a shame because PSP has such huge potential as a gaming device. I mean, we've all seen God of War and FFXIII Agito and they look seriously amazing.

Then again, they're up against the king of the handhelds, Nintendo. To last this long (and at one point virtually dethrone Nintendo) is a feat in itself. Every other handheld at this point is dead.

LIAR! How can you forsake these?

[Ricardo Gil]

This. I was actually considering holding off a Chains of Olympus puchase because I was wondering if it would eventually come out on PSP. Luckily, I got it as a present and ended up having the decision made for me :p All of those PSP game ports IMO are a big reason why game development for PSP is declining. People wait for the PS2 version, sales go down, devs feel PSP games aren't selling enough, so they only do ports... vicious cycle.

It's a shame because PSP has such huge potential as a gaming device. I mean, we've all seen God of War and FFXIII Agito and they look seriously amazing.

Then again, they're up against the king of the handhelds, Nintendo. To last this long (and at one point virtually dethrone Nintendo) is a feat in itself. Every other handheld at this point is dead.

The problem is that they're pushing PS2 ports instead of making portable games.

They need to create games optimized for this kind of experience.

[Cormier6083]

I don't see what's the appeal of the DS. I mean, I played one before, but it wasn't anything that amazing.

Plus, it's made for right handed people, those racists! :angry:

[Ricardo Gil]

I don't see what's the appeal of the DS. I mean, I played one before, but it wasn't anything that amazing.

Plus, it's made for right handed people, those racists! :angry:

:blink: You didn't play the DS, you played a game and the game wasn't amazing.

And most games let you chose which hand to hold the stylus with.

[Coldgunner]

I find the DS incredibly uncomfortable to play. First you need to have a decent hold of the console for your other hand to use the stylus. not very easy in the car or on a bus. Also, most of the games are shovelware.

[Ironman273]

I find the DS incredibly uncomfortable to play. First you need to have a decent hold of the console for your other hand to use the stylus. not very easy in the car or on a bus. Also, most of the games are shovelware.

I don't have that problem with the DS, although I don't use it on the move too much. As for the games, it is the same issue the PS2 has. Most games are shovelware but the sheer quantity allows for some great gems.