Can Sony really breathe fresh life into the PSP?

A bullish interview in MCV has seen Sony declaring a fresh push for the PSP in 2009. But how much trouble is it in, and can Sony really wake up its software sales?

[Chris399]

say an emphatic "yes".

It was never dead in the first place, it just had piracy issues. The latest mobo seems to have fixed this.

I've been playing excellent software on the system for over 2 years now. It's shipped/ sold 50 million units world-wide; it's the ONLY competitor that has ever proven it's mettle against Nintendo's domination of the hand-held sector.. We shouldn't be questioning it's success anymore.

[Doppy]

The PSP is a great system, and I hope they can. The problem with the PSP is that it doesn't have an expansive library of games, and that could easily be fixed by adding PSN support to the PSP, and letting you play games like Flower, Calling all Cars, and all the other PSN games on your PSP. That's the first step Sony needs to take. A Price drop would help, and more original titles would help. I'm sure it's easier to develop from the PSP rather than the PS3 so why not try very creative and imaginative games on the PSP, and later make a PS3 version since the PSP is more affordable and has a larger install base than the PS3, and hopefully more people will buy a PS3 down the road once a couple of their favorite PSP games get PS3 counterparts.

[Cajun Chicken]

WITH GAAAAAAAAMMMMMEEEEEESSSS!!!! More than one decent title a year!!!

(Not RPGs!!!)

/Rant over/

[Chris399]

- Resistance PSP
- Patapon 2
- Tenchu PSP
- New Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce game (actually looks good and I hate the series).
- MLB: The Show
- Samurai Showdown Anthology (getting this for sure)

Prinny and Ghosts and Goblins (PSN Store) are really excellent platformers if you're into the genre, as well. Quite a variety, as you can see. All are non-JRPGs and are being released within the next couple of months or are out presently.

If none of those titles take your fancy, I don't know what to say :)

[Cajun Chicken]

R:R is on my list, depends how Tenchu works out, that series went downhill fast.

Call me impatient but I'm just personally expecting more like Daxter, R&C:SM and Medievil Reserrection and GoW:CoO, GTA Stories series, games that really excersise the PSP. Call me spoilt, but those games were ammmmmazing for handheld games, I want me more of that.

Seems a bit of a waste that theres a lack of full 3D games being made the last few years and focusing on RPGs, it makes you wonder why Sony even bothered with the hardware in the PSP if thats what was going to happen.

I own quite a lot of PSP games, I think I pretty much bought all the good ones over the years.
I could do with more classic anthologies though, Sega Mega Drive Collection and Metal Slug Anthology is great, as are the Capcom anthologies.

I really want more PSone games up on PSN, having Wild 9 on PSP would be awesome.

EDIT: I did not know about Samurai Showdown Anthology...hmm, deeply consider that.

[ThanatosDMC]

Give us monster hunters... then we're good... i bought all of them and even imported MHP2G.

[JsonHenry]

The PSP is the one console platform I can see that does not seem outdated graphically right now. Even though it took a while for some decent games to ship for it I think that Sony really hit the nail on the head with the PSP in terms of what a handheld should look like and the features it has.

Just like the PS3 - the only thing it needs are top rated games more often.

[Gue1]

After playing a couple of games on the iPhone now I'm convinced that the PsP's dead. The PsP needs some fancy feature to keep competing... It needs something like touch screen.

[lokiroo420]

Your so wrong its funny, iphone games are mediocre to say the least.

[cryymoar]

i enjoy the PSP as a media hub. Some games are good, Socom, syphon filter, lumines.

[likedamaster]

I disagree wiimaniac. What the psp needs is more 1st party titles and more "relevant" 3rd parties. the PSP is a very capable handheld, sony just needs to stop revising it and start dropping the price on it.

[sniper-squeak]

..an accelerometer?

[KrazyFace]

I do like my PSP but it unfortunatly isn't getting the attention it deserves from me in the games department. I like the connectivity between it and my PS3 though, because of that, I use my PSP as a TV nite-lite every night.

Come on Sony, get some life blood into it!

[lelo]

My PSP's linup for 2009 is very sad :(

I was expecting Resistance, but after trying out the demo... no thanks.

I think Sony is abandoning the PSP, because they are probably going to anounce the PSP2 this year.

[Jdoki]

The PSP should be an awesome little console. But for some reason it's just not lived up to my expectations.

Intially everything felt like a watered down PS2 game, which was kinda to be expeted in the first year.

By now it should have carved out a fantastic niche. Delivering rich graphical content where the DS can not. Taking advantage of the increased processing capabilities and larger storage. Creating unique interactions and synergy with the PS3. But no.

I haven't played on my PSP since Crisis Core. There are some great games, but they are few and far between - and nothing really appeals so far in 2009.

[PS360WII]

The success is there but it does still need saving. The game releases are slow and the must own games are 50x more sparse then on the Wii. It still gets them but if they want to put up a good fight with the other handheld they do need a strong push of decent software.

Just got the Prinny game yesterday and that's a fun platformer but this was the last PSP game since waaaaay back middle of last year -.-

There are some good upcomings but they are also far away from being released :(

[cliffbo]

i'm getting really sick of this type of article!

PSP = 50 million sold in 4 years...

stop these stupid articles

[jhani]

Is the next thing Sony should go for.
I mean just imagine if psp2 could play ps2 games along with new psp2 games! Just add r2 and L2 with another analog stick. They can release these games on cartridge.
The developers will only have to convert the games. That would be huge!

[Cajun Chicken]

I just downloaded Crash Bandicoot 3 from PSN the other day and been happily playing it on my PSP, when all of a sudden, I beat N.Gin and get the Wumpa Bazooka, and guess what?

I can't use it. The set 4 different control schemes for the PSone emulator on PSP all make it impossible to move the Bazooka recticle around and keep the Bazooka button held down, if you think thats bad, I can't figure out a way to run through to complete the time trials, so I have to keep on switching control method to control method whilst pressing Home and changing the controls throughout the levels.

Really, its becoming more and more evident that we need L2 and R2 on the PSP2.

At least its perfectly playable on PS3, but thats not why I bought it, I already own my PSone disc of Crash 3.

[shqype]

I think the PSP will do well in 2009 with the slew of good games that are coming out (Patapon 2, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, Resistance Retribution, Final Fantasy Dissidia, etc).

I just bought mine the other day, and I fell in love with it. It's such a slick machine, and I'm happy that I got it.

I bought three games with my system: LocoRoco 2, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, and Jeanne D'Arc. Now I just need God of War: Chains of Olympus and Killzone Liberation, plus the Star Ocean games, and I should be set!

[cryymoar]

with a PSP2 xD