210°

DS Games Outselling PSP 8 To 1 In U.S.

Gamasutra looks at the evolving handheld space as part of its NPD analysis, revealing that Nintendo DS software outsold PSP software by an 8-to-1 ratio in the U.S. in March 2010 -- and muses on Nintendo's motivations for launching a fourth simultaneously held handheld.

Since our last report, Nintendo has announced that it will launch a successor to the Nintendo DS, currently called the Nintendo 3DS, before the end of its current fiscal year (ending March 2011). The new device will incorporate a screen technology that allows 3D effects with the naked eye and will be backward compatible with the existing Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi.

Should that device come to market on time, it seems likely that Nintendo will have four different devices on the market at the same time that all play Nintendo DS software as well as their own specialized software. We find that possibility disconcerting, to say the least, especially from a company which has generally maintained a simple line of hardware models.

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gamasutra.com
Sonyslave35119d ago

PSP have no gamez it only a mp3 player

PoSTedUP5119d ago

i just bought 2 a couple of weeks ago, motorstorm AE and socom fire team bravo 3. great games in my opinion.

rezzah5119d ago (Edited 5119d ago )

And you have no MS handheld gaming device. Don't bash the PSP until you got something to atleast talk about.

Your comment has nothign to do with Nintendo, youre a bot and all you care about is the downfall of Sony.

BloodyCHAMP5119d ago

psp gettin raped 8 to 1 there no bot or droid gonna change that...8 to 1 is 8 to 1

hatchimatchi5119d ago

The psp is not just a mp3 player, it has tons of great games. Since you brought up mp3 players though...how's the Zune doing?....moron.

As for, "8-1 is 8-1"

Just because something is getting outsold doesn't mean it's garbage, look at the neo geo pocket color and the wonderswan. Those are highly regarded handhelds that went under because of low sales, they didn't go under because they were garbage.

Both the DS and the PSP are solid handhelds, me personally, I own both and prefer the DS.

I guess owning two rival systems doesn't make sense to a fanboy dumb@$$ though.

rezzah5119d ago

Exactly, the PSP is getting raped in sales compared to the DS. The numbers (8 to 1) are infront our faces how can anyone disagree? And your right no one can change that, no droid, no bot, no non fanboy too.

Thing is, Slaves comment didnt have anything to do with the DS being better but only to bash the PSP for being a Sony product. Slave is known on here for being a bot, and saying the dumbest shyt about anything Sony.

He doesn't care about what the DS has to do with this article, only thing he sees is that the PSP is failing. So thats why I replied to don't bash Sony product when his beloved MS hasn't brought out a handheld gaming device yet. Its just Sony and MS in his eyes.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5119d ago
PoSTedUP5119d ago

i dont know how many units are sold on the market of each console in the US but i think piracy plays a big part in this. DS has a younger fanbase and thus parents buy most of the games for their children bc they dont know or care about hacking the DS (not to say people dont pirate DS games but it is a lot less). psp has an older fanbase that knows that they can hack it to get free games easily and that is what they do.

i just BOUGHT socom ftb3 and motorstorm for psp, sick games, socom has socom2 ps2 graphics and motorstorm artic edge is nothing short of a great motorstorm experience.

darthv725119d ago

that seems to be the ticket right there. The games are fun and cheap and easy to load up and pack around. When looking at it from a tech point of view then yes the psp wipes the floor with the ds.

If we are talking the regular psp, the games are significantly better but i hate load times. Even with the go you still have some load times but drastically cut down.

DS is all about simplicity and the parents like that for the kids.

raztad5119d ago

The only place where you can play MGS:PW aka MGS5 is on a PSP. Enough said.

Rampant, brutal piracy, and the failure of PSP Go to reignite the interest for the system has been killing the PSP. Sony made a huge mistake with the Go pricing.

captain-obvious5119d ago

the gameboy is making a killing
but you got to give props to the PSP
its THE ONLY gaming handheld that gone against the gameboy and actually did something with out failing

RememberThe3575119d ago

If they lowered the cost of games and were just more consistent about quality the PSP would be a completely different story.

mikeslemonade5119d ago

DS is the only system this generation I don't own.

Christopher5119d ago (Edited 5119d ago )

Don't really think piracy has much to do with PSP vs DS sales. PSP is more expensive, doesn't have something as cool as dual screens or a stylus, and definitely doesn't have the third-party support that the DS has. DS is cheaper to develop for, cheaper for the consumer, offers casual and hardcore gaming options (I love you Atlus), and doesn't use proprietary memory for expansion. I think that last part is one of the biggest issues with the PSP, where it costs me two to three times as much to get the same amount of memory as an SD card while it's heavily advertised as a system that you can carry movies, music, and games around without any UMD device.

I like my PSP, but I love my DS. And the reason for that is primarily games and secondarily because it's better hardware overall. My PSP's battery life sucks compared to my DSLite. My DSLite is more portable than the PSP, even the games are smaller. My DSLite even has better WiFi than my PSP, which I know was done in the way it was to save battery life... but it sucks.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5119d ago
iFLOWLIKEWATER5119d ago

The DS is just better. Any self respecting rpg fan should have one...

booni35119d ago

ds is good but there are ten models. people are still playing classic ds, i have a ds lite, my cousin has a dsi, no one can afford the dsi XL but why buy one when you could just wait till october for the 3DS? yea they sell more games, they have ALOT more units out there....

nycredude5119d ago

Don't forget to put IMO in your comments cause I have a psp and IMO it's better, unless of course you are a kid. Also I am pretty positive that the ds outnumber the psp by a significant amount so it's not a surprise that it sells more software. Also take into account the piracy problem on the psp. Most ds owners are younger so they aren't as adept at piracy as psp owners are.

iFLOWLIKEWATER5119d ago

But this article is about software...

iFLOWLIKEWATER5119d ago

Im a 29 year old kid! And the DS is better!

booni35119d ago

i understand but the "DS" is more than one console. its unfair, its like saying ps1 and ps2 and ps3 put together sell "8 to 1" when compared to THE xbox, see what i mean?

Montrealien5119d ago

The DS is another great example that gameplay is more important then graphics.

Chris3995119d ago (Edited 5119d ago )

And I will be getting ever more soon (Persona 3P, Hexyz Force, Parasite Eve, FF XII: Agito). Both of the hand-helds have been kicking ass this gen for RPGs. Especially when compared to the sparse releases found on home consoles.

I enjoy the DS and PSP library equally. The DS definitely has more shovel-ware though, mostly on account if it just having more releases and a younger audience to cater to. If you can't find an RPG worth your time on the PSP, you're just not looking hard enough.

If we're talking QUANTITY, then sure the DS probably has more RPGs. If we look at QUALITY, they're about even IMO.

Edit: If any of you have an Iphone out there, you should check out MediaVision's/ SE's new JRPG Chaos Rings. VERY impressive. It feels like a high end PSP game. And it's only $12. It's the first Iphone title that I've bought that didn't feel like a SNES port or a flash game.

FragGen5119d ago (Edited 5119d ago )

The DS is a weak piece of tech. It's a mass market device designed primarily as a high volume seller targeted primarily at children. The PSP is a high end piece of hardware aimed at hardcore adult players and as a portable media solution.

They're just not similar. My kids play their DSs but I hardly ever touch mine... it feels completely pointless when I have a PSP sitting there with SOCOM3, Dante's Inferno, Resistance Retribution, FFVII, Syphon Filter, and GTA loaded.

And if you think the PSP RPG selection is weak, you're simply clueless. It's just STUPID how many RPGs are available for it. That's because it oftentimes outsells the DS in Japan (depending on the month) the Japanese are ALL ABOUT the PSP and they loves the RPGs!

XxRoosterxX5119d ago

It's not like the PSP has only one SKU. See the PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000, and the PSP GO.

And like the DS, they all do roughly the same thing, but with just some minor added features in between each iteration.

So the comparison between the PSP and the DS is an extremely reasonable one to make.

The fact is PSP games don't sell as well as DS games.

Redempteur5119d ago

as a rpgfan , i have both ..and i play both.

Each good game get played and both have VERY good and mediocre rpgs .

hatchimatchi5119d ago

while i prefer the ps3 to the wii, the ds is head and shoulders above the psp in terms of software. I absolutely love my ds, i had the original and traded it in for a ds lite, accidentally broke the screen and went out and bought a new one that same day. I take it everywhere with me.

On topic though, the reason the psp suffers so much is because of piracy, it's bad on the ds too but everyone i know with a psp has it modded and they just download games. Developers know this too as well as sony. Hopefully with Sony's next handheld they can get piracy under control.

Another thing, i don't know if NPD data accounts for psn downloads because I know people aren't buying much with their pspgo. Why? Sony doesn't support the friggin thing, sure there are some great games on the psn for the psp but the entire back catalog of what, 3-4 years worth of software has been completely ignored. A word of advice, avoid buying a pspgo at all costs, it's a waste of money.

darthv725119d ago

"i understand but the "DS" is more than one console. its unfair, its like saying ps1 and ps2 and ps3 put together sell "8 to 1" when compared to THE xbox, see what i mean?"

Your example doesnt really fit the topic. A DS game is a DS game. It doesnt work on the gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advance. It works on a DS. The fact there is a DS, DSlite, DSi and DSiXL is pointless. The game is made with the basic principle of working with a DS and nothing else.

PSP games can't be looked at the same way except for those available for download only. That is the only format that would be considered interchangeable between the UMD based models and the GO. DS games arent restricted to any one model of DS.

Maybe the exception would be the DSiware games but those are in a class by themselves. Same will hold true for the 3DS games as they will only be available for the 3DS model.

Tony P5119d ago

Is it so hard to accept that Nintendo DS is just a stronger brand?

That Nintendo handhelds have consistently dominated that market? Why does everyone have to make up excuses? Sony has simply not been as successful with their *first* handheld as Nintendo has since friggin' Game & Watch.

This whole excuse fest for the PSP reminds me of people trying to justify why 360 isn't big in Japan. It's not that complex. People just don't want either as much as the competition.

hetz155119d ago

and personally I love my psp more. DS is a great handheld, but PSP, in my opinion, can do and should do more in terms of software.

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 5119d ago
sinclaircrown5119d ago

Mostly because their handhelds have always been aimed at kids. I'm not saying adults can't have fun with a DS or whatever, but this is where kids start playing video games.

PSP is awesome for adults who like portable gaming, but way too complex for kids. I'm sure the piracy plays some part, but I think the age demographic is key in the handheld sales.

Montrealien5119d ago

Nintendo has always targeted everyone, not just kids. It just turns out there are more everyones then there are kids and adults.

FragGen5119d ago (Edited 5119d ago )

This. The PSP sells mainly to grown ups. The DS cost about half what the PSP did at launch, it's titles are cheaper and it's what the parents buy for their kids. Most American kids over ten are already on their second DS series device.

Some American adults (like me will also get the DS because they know Mario and the gang) so the DS has some cross over appeal but the PSP is more like an iPhone, you wouldn't give one to a small child and say have at it.

hatchimatchi5119d ago

I'm 25 and I bought a psp and DS both at launch and I sold the psp a few months later to my friends kid. I recently bought a pspgo and while I enjoy both handhelds the DS is the better of the two, plain and simple.

I know people have differing tastes & whatnot but the DS has one of the best gaming libraries ever.

Both are a must have though if you are a jrpg fan. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride on the DS is easily one of the best games I've ever played and Lunar: Silver Star Harmony & Crimson Gem Saga are brilliant, plus the psp has Valkyria Chronicles 2 coming & the DS has Dragon Quest IX. I CAN'T WAIT!!

frankymv5119d ago

PSP2 hits in the fall along with the 3dx

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240°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

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theverge.com
darthv7220h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle7h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic18814h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio4h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Cacabunga6h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

shinoff21835h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga4h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan41m ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

purple1019h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos9h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

XBManiac8h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple1017h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic5h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

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140°

Why Monopolies In Gaming Must Not Be Allowed

As of right now, there are no monopolies in the games industry, and for the sake of the medium as a whole, they never should either.

thorstein18h ago

Shouldn't be allowed in any field.

Inverno15h ago

And yet the biggest tech companies in America are essentially that. They buy up all the small comps only to kill them off and steal what they have, and if they can't buy em they bleed them to death.

jwillj2k413h ago

Eventually they’ll realize the value is with the employee not the company. Buying an IP means nothing if the people who contributed are let go. They’ll get it one day.

MrCrimson13h ago

tech is different because they buy threats and then kill them. Twitter bought Vine and did nothing with it. Despite people seemingly liking it. Could've had tiktok a decade before bytedance. go figure.

Zenzuu14h ago

Monopolies shouldn't be allowed regardless. Not just for gaming.

MrCrimson13h ago

They buy IPs not talent. That's why these buyouts never work and the IPs die. Right now it's too expensive to develop games - but I expect that to shift maybe as AI tools can make it easier. The best games have been indie games for awhile as big developers fuck their ips to death with "games as a service" -

70°

Infinite Space: The Story Of A Forgotten Space Opera And Sega's Negligence

Space opera fans deserve a chance to experience the vastness of Infinite Space, and Sega needs to make up for its mistake.

ZeekQuattro1d 21h ago

I still go back to Infinite Space from time to time. Probably the most underrated game I ever played.

CDbiggen1d 17h ago

Felt like I was the only person who bought and played this lol