Googleshng: Sony has announced they are developing a disc-based handheld, with 3D graphics as their main selling point. Thoughts?

Michael: Honestly though, I'm glad Sony is pushing Nintendo in the portable market. Nintendo might actually want to create the perfect handheld the FIRST time around instead of leaving flaws to be fixed later.

Wesley: Competition in any market is definitely a good thing, and I think even if the PSP fails, it will help motivate Nintendo to think more upon what the gaming community really wants.

Zack: Given that there is no currently existing model of the PSP, even by Sony's admission, I think we can assume that it has rather a long time left to spend in the development warehouse.

Googleshng: This is true.

Tomm: If I'm not misinformed, the PSP will use "CD cartridges," which still includes the cartridge word--which still includes pricey development.

Xerox: Eh, I don't know. I'm not really fond of monopolies, but it's also not so bad that there's only one viable portable now. It makes buying things easier.

Wesley: I didn't say that we needed to get rid of the monopoly.

Wesley: Competition tends to be good, and even better if a company can maintain control while fighting competition.

Googleshng: While competition is always nice, I actually like my game systems small in number.

Googleshng: The competition between developers is of course, always a good thing...

Zack: Cheaper for the game collectors, like you and I, Goog.

Tomm: Until the GBA "portable gaming" wasn't really looked on as real gaming--I don't think getting a zillion hardware companies involved in making portables is necessarily a smart idea at this point. Imagine if we had the Nintendo/Sega/Sony war back in 1986, when Nintendo finally made video games "real" again.

Michael: If the price is affordable, we could see PSPs flying off the shelves, because 3D graphics (along with a sleek casing) would mean young adults would be buying them, instead of children.

Googleshng: But you can get that even with everyone developing for one system.

Wesley: Case in point, really, is Microsoft. As far as operating systems goes, Windows has become a much better product since Windows 2000, but that development wouldn't have occurred if they weren't feeling the heat.

Xerox: And it's not like Nintendo is abusing their power. GBA games still remain very cheap.

Wesley: I think the same could happen with the portable gaming market.

Wesley: Sony, in some ways, is aiming for a market I think few people realize exists, that being the adult game market.

Googleshng: But Tad, the issue there is that Windows had serious problems to solve.

Michael: I do believe most of the GBA sales come from kids buying them, whereas I would think Sony would target the older demographic who've associated Nintendo and handheld systems with children's games and Pokémon.

Wesley: A company releases two versions of the same portables, both with irritating flaws. I would say that Nintendo has serious issues to resolve, too.

Zack: Those people are fools.

Tomm: Not to break down stereotypes, but there are plenty of adult GBA users. The original model GB actually depended on the adult consumers who bought one to play Tetris on long plane flights.

Michael: I know they're fools, but that's the way they think, Zack. :/

Googleshng: The GBA is a solid, durable little box, with a reasonable price, and we've all been chatting on how the GBA's power is perfect for the sort of games we like.

Wesley: There are adult GBA users, but there are also adults who wouldn't touch a GBA and want something more adult-like.

Googleshng: And adults who never play games.

Michael: The GBASP is a first step in that direction though,

Googleshng: In any case though, the real issue is this:

Tomm: Adults who never play games!?

Xerox: And that's another point, I'm not even sure if the PSP will be better. I have a dread fear that all it's going to do is have a slick, "mature" advertising campaign, 3D graphics, and other things to lure the young adult market, but in reality it's just going to release more shovelware than people fear the GBA might do.

Wesley: The Sony PSP will undoubtedly debut at a high price, and if Sony is smart there will also be business software available for it as well.

Googleshng: Is there really a market for a portable with the sort of graphics we find on recent consoles?

Zack: I agree that Nintendo has done very little to demystify people from their 'kiddy' image through first-party software, but I'll take a kid-friendly Mario and Link over the proverbial 'Mario killing hookers' any day, thank you.

Tomm: I'm a little worried about Sony repeating the PSX launch with the PSP. High price, lackluster games, and "smart" marketing--except the GBA is not a SNES circa 1996 or a Saturn.

Googleshng: People with Game Boys don't care one bit about graphics.

Michael: Hey, I'd like a portable version of Grand Theft Auto, myself.

Googleshng: Look at Pokémon.

Zack: True.

Googleshng: Most popular RPG of all time, and even by the standards of the original Game Boy, it looked terrible.

Wesley: I'm fairly sure Sony will repeat exactly what they did with the PSX, because the formula worked for them.

Zack: Pokémon is about as ugly as a mega-hit game gets these days.

Googleshng: Tad: There was a lot of luck there though, and again, it's a very different market.

Wesley: Not necessarily

Tomm: Tad - the formula worked because Sega was screwing up and Nintendo was still on their aging SNES. It won't work under these conditions.

Michael: I'm not a big follower of kids fads, but hasn't Pokémon lost most of its luster amongst them?

Googleshng: Still going strong last I checked.

Wesley: There's an odd trend I've been able to observe in the business world, and it's that businessmen like games, but they won't buy something child like.

Googleshng: Here's the real point I have against the PSP however.

Tomm: Pokémon has far too much leveling up and menus--I wish they took THAT to Action/RPG land.

Wesley: I think there's a large market there for them to tap, but unfortunately, I don't think it's an RPG market, either.

Zack: I think we can safely assume that Sega wasn't hurting Nintendo that badly at the end of the SNES era. And between the Saturn and the PSX, the winner is plainly clear even to a blind man.

Googleshng: Who here has played a good deal of four-player games on their N64?

Zack: Me.

Xerox: I have.

Michael: I played too much Goldeneye.

Tomm: Me

Wesley: I didn't buy a N64.

Wesley: However, I play many 4 player games on my Xbox.

Tomm: Tad - isn't the SP less "kiddy"?

Googleshng: How much does it suck to have polygonal graphics with four-way split screens?

Xerox: I used to have lots and lots of Smash Bros tournaments.

Wesley: In a way, Tomm, but at the same time it's still very child-like.

Wesley: I see the PSP coming out as something similar to the Clie - that sort of style portable, something very modern and business looking.

Tomm: Most split screen games end up hurting my eyes. I think I'm the only human who doesn't enjoy Halo.

Wesley: Because they're planning on people with money who want the coolest gadgets on buying it.

Zack: Well, from what I saw at E3, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! appears to solve a lot of those issues, Goog.

Michael: I don't enjoy Halo either, but for reasons other than that.

Xerox: Suck? It seems rather okay to me, just as long as the TV isn't incredibly small.

Googleshng: You tend to end up staring at a mass of very small polygons with little detail visible.

Wesley: Yes.

Wesley: But have you ever played the PSone, Goog?

Zack: Granted, they were using huge Aquos screens, but still.

Wesley: Screen size does not equal screen resolution, and screen resolution is very important.

Googleshng: With separate monitor? No.

Googleshng: Resolution is important yes...

Wesley: Even a small screen looks detailed in high resolution.

Wesley: Given that the announced specs of the PSP give a screen roughly the same resolution of the PSOne's screen, I would say that the screen will not be a problem to look at.

Googleshng: But when you're talking about a screen the size of the GBA's, high res or not, too much visual complexity is a bad thing.

Wesley: It's not the size of the GBA, though. ;)

Tomm: I think Sony is wasting its time advertising "3D", because when people think 3D nowadays, they think of PS2 and XBox--the PSP will NOT deliver this level of 3D graphics.

Googleshng: I think GameCube, myself.

Wesley: According to Sony, the PSP will deliver approximately PS 1.5 level graphics.

Googleshng: But yes, there again is an issue.

Tomm: As do I, Goog, but we're not most people.

Zack: We aren't?

Zack: :)

Tomm: PS 1.5 is, what? Orphen? No thanks.

Xerox: That's the main appeal of the GBA, I thought. It delivers an experience for the nostalgic crowd. And let's face it, even the young kids like to fake nostalgia these days. It's the cool thing.

Michael: They like to fake nostalgia to appear cool to us older folks. :)

Zack: The PSP is looking to be a land of mass game porting from the PSX. That's what I see, personally.

Wesley: Again, Tomm, resolution and size. PSX games look MUCH better on the PSOne than they do on the PSX, because the screen is different.

Tomm: I don't think it's always faking nostalgia--some people enjoy learning about the roots of their hobby.

Wesley: So, given PSX style graphics with anti-aliasing thrown in, they have the possibility to look quite decent. I don't know if they're going to throw in anti-aliasing for sure, but one would assume that's one of the major parts of the ".5" part.

Xerox: When most people think of the GBA, 2D gameplay is what they think of. Just as they associate 3D with the other systems. So really, the PSP wouldn't be competing on the same level.

Tomm: People who don't insist on spelling it "Aerith," for example.

Xerox: People would just be buying them as alternate PlayStations, I think.

Wesley: In a way, but you have to remember something - from the way I see it, Sony isn't marketing to us.

Michael: A lot of hype I've seen from people has surrounded the possibility of just being able to play their PSX favorites on the go.

Tomm: I think a lot of developers will stick to GBA, just because that's where they've always had business. The PSP will be a lot of PSX ports, and enhanced versions of popular GBA games.

Googleshng: Tad: This is true...

Googleshng: but it's rather stupid of them

Zack: Why anyone would want to play FF7 in the car is quite beyond me, but, oh well.

Googleshng: The GBA has quiet the attractive clientele.

Wesley: They're marketing to people with money, Goog. It's not all that stupid.

Michael: I'm not really excited at the possibility of ports though, I'd like some original games myself.

Wesley: My bosses have gone through four PDAs this year.

Tomm: Zack--you can play the motorcycle scene while in a sea-green SUV. Total immersion.

Googleshng: True...

Wesley: The PSP is exactly the kind of thing they'll buy.

Wesley: Businessmen like games. My dad bought an Xbox and 15 games all at once, and every single one of my bosses owns an Xbox.

Googleshng: But developers tend to be moved by the size of the market.

Zack: Another thing we need to address is that with Sony's terribly poor track record in hardware reliability, will their portable last?

Michael: Most corporations market to people with money in the first place, so I don't see why this would be any different.

Wesley: The crowd might be smaller, but they spend a LOT of money.

Tomm: Tad - this depresses me greatly. Every time someone complains about the industry being less about "games" these days--that's why

Xerox: The GBA also has a VERY large client base right now. Lots of people own them. It would take a lot of work to break that.

Wesley: A completely different client base than what Sony is aiming for, Xerox.

Wesley: That's the whole point

Tomm: That depends on whether or not you drop it, Zack

Wesley: The PSP isn't for you. It's not for 12-year-old kids who want to fake nostalgia.

Googleshng: I'm actually optimistic there Zack.

Wesley: It's not for RPGamers, either.

Wesley: Because of the group they're catering to, the PSP will have LOTS of action games.

Wesley: Square-Enix will probably make their token attempt and port something of theirs.

Michael: I would like to see the demographics of the GBA user base though. I'm thinking that a disproportionate number of young kids own the GBA, while adults would probably jump with glee at the PSP.

Wesley: But I doubt any other RPG developers will flock to it.

Tomm: Tad - as a developer who wants to create an immersive portable game, though, the PSP SHOULD be marketed towards me. I see no draw to it, however. Perhaps it's just the audience I'm going for, but...meh.

Wesley: Action games, though, are not nearly as hard nor as expensive to develop.

Googleshng: With the PS2, they can get away with stipulations like "don't look at your system while in use, don't play for more than an hour at a time, wrap console in bubble wrap between sessions..."

Xerox: So then it would appeal a lot more to the extremely casual gamers, and in turn, have a lot of really crappy and rushed games.

Wesley: Which is why, I think, if Sony is smart they will also develop business applications for it, so that it has more use than just games.

Zack: Action games were rather aptly described to me on one occasion as 'idiot proof gaming.'

Googleshng: With a portable though, they'll have to make some effort at making it last.

Xerox: I don't really see that as achieving market dominance, even if a good advertising campaign and a reminder of "We made your PS2!" might trick a few people into getting one.

Zack: Should I really mess this conversation up and mention the nGage?

Tomm: The Sony PSP: "Bad for gamers. Great for you. Put down your beer, straighten your tie, and rush to the store."

Googleshng: Zack: Nah, covered that last year.

Michael: Go for it, Zack! We talked about that last week though. :P

Wesley: The nGage will die

Wesley: End of story!

Googleshng: In any case though...

Wesley: Shoddy control... so shoddy.

Tomm: I already have a cell phone, Zack

Michael: I have a cell phone and a GBA, I don't need the nGage.

Googleshng: We seem to be on the same page, that regardless of how well it works out for Sony, the PSP likely won't have much effect on the GBA's success.

Wesley: Yeah... I don't think they're marketing to the same crowd.

Tomm: True nuff

Michael: But I do think Nintendo might put out a new handheld, just in case.

Tomm: Though Sony could get crafty and get connective with the PSP and PS3.

Zack: Which is smart for them. If they recall the sad tales of the Nomad and the GameGear, they'd best not try to attack the GBA.

Wesley: Nintendo didn't say handheld, they just said a new device that would "change the world" :P

Googleshng: Well, I believe that just about wraps things up for this week... does anyone have any closing thoughts for us?

Zack: How 'bout them Knicks? :)

Xerox: That would be interesting. Then again, the GameCube and GBA already hook up, and nothing spectacular has come from that so far.

Tomm: Buy Mythri! Oops, there I go again.

Zack: Unless you interpret the Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles sales figures in Japan, anyhow :)

Tomm: Xerox--PacMan is fantastic. Believe it. I'm not being sarcastic, but I'm the only one.

Zack: PacMan did indeed rock.

Michael: Madden 2004 is a decent game, and amongst the RPG community I'm in a minority in playing this game. But give it a try; you may realize you've been a closet sports game fan. Anyway, I'll be back next week, along with Goog to bring you another thrilling Roundtable.

Xerox: Closing thoughts? Hmm. Don't go to GameWorks. It's a ripoff.

Michael: Oh yeah, Dolphins in the Super Bowl this season, just you all see. :)

Xerox: And Arnold for governor!

Tomm: Arnold!

Michael: No, Larry Flynt!

Googleshng: I'd like to thank all our guests tonight for being here. Join us again next week, when we might get around to debating just when RPGs got so plot driven.