What system is better?

[Arcangel]

edit:  Well, happy new year 2005.

Question:

What system is better for you : Nintendo DS or Sony PSP? Why?

[Moox]

My bro got a ds, its pretty nice but I would rather the psp.

[DragonRose]

That is a question that has NOTHING to do with the new year, and I am therefore confused.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a goodnight.

[Squinky]

Yes, strange New Year question.....

[Arcangel]

OK, now only a question no more happy new year 2005. I like PSP $ 199.00 ? 

[BOYD1981]

better is down to personal preference.
technically speaking the Xbox is better than the PS2, yet the PS2 is more popular, it's all about choice, so it's stupid asking which is better because the sony fans will say the PSP, and the nintendo fans will say the DS, and people like me will tell you to make your own decision or get both.

[SpacePirateCaine]

[Long and tangental speech follows, mostly as a rationalization of BOYD1981's post regarding X-box vs. PS2 -- my thoughts regarding the DS vs. PSP issue follow]

Speaking specification-wise, the X-box is superior to the PS2, indeed, though most people prefer the PS2 because of the software that is being released for it. Sony has exclusive rights to a good number of highly anticipated games, and has been using that to their advantage for a long time, though I remember a period of time where people were so indignant about Sony's PS2 release policy, at least in the USA, that many refused to buy them. Popularity-wise, if the X-box had been released at the same time, the results may have been different. However, one could easily argue that the selling points of the two systems lie primarily in the games available - X-Box has Fable, for example, whereas Final Fantasy XII will be released exclusively for the PS2. The entire paradigm of game development is different between the two.

X-box offers a large library of highly graphically intensive games that only, ultimately, they can handle, as the pure brute force of the X-box's processing power outpreforms the Playstation series and the Gamecube both. So Sony is fighting a name dropping battle, maintaining its customer base not because of superior product, but a loyal fanbase. Microsoft also has a problem, in that many people are rabidly against anything that they release. My friend Dave is a mac person, and has downtalked HALO without ever even playing it, on the basis of it being only available on X-box, and what he read on sites like Penny Arcade. Nintendo holds the rights to the Mario Bros., Zelda and Metroid serieses, but their fanbase is dwindling, and the people who've been Nintendo fans since the Genesis was it's biggest competitor have, for most intents and purposes, grown to prefer games that are unable to be published in their intended form, due to their commendable, if slightly (current game market business-wise) crippling, focus on 'family' entertainment.

However, Nintendo has managed to, despite their dwindling fanbase on the console market proper (Not a whole lot of reaally solid games on the Gamecube, ultimately), they have still dominated the handheld market, even maintaining strength in the face of Sega's Game Gear, and even Sony's Wonderswan (which was never released outside Japan, if I am correct).

Now, to the question at hand

In my opinion, Nintendo is definitely the master when it comes to innovation. One has no choice but to applaud the sheer guts that it must take to release half of the things that they have made, as there is a lot of money to be lost. Projects like the Virtual boy come to mind, and the DS 'stylus' concept rings in my mind as following down that same, unfortunate road. Nevertheless, it would seem that the public is more accepting of it overall - I've been in Japan for a while, so I'm subjected to incessant advertisements for the Nintendo DS featuring Utada Hikaru (Known overseas simply as Utada, because she thought her first name, which is actually unisex, sounded too girly in English) and what looks like an overwhelming landfill of gimmick games. That sort of seems to be Nintendo's M.O. these days, all things considered, with the release of Mawaru - Made in Wario for the Game Boy Advanced. By that right, I can say that it seems like the quality of game on the DS is lacking, though I could be mistaken. I have yet to see what is available, so my opinion is colored by the media.

On the other hand, we have the Playstation Pocket system. It is an interesting idea, to re-release their older playstation and its software in a more compact format - this may or may not be a good thing. They apparently jumped on the 'earphones as a peripheral accessory' bandwagon, which is a bit distressing - I like to listen to a game's music and/or sound effects with earphones, but am denied that while recharging my SP... But I digress. The biggest fault I see with this strategy is that there are going to be a large number of people put out by the idea that they are going to be forced to buy again software that they already own for roughly the same price in order to play it on their new handheld. Ultimately, it sounds to me like a system for people who either are only now climbing on the Sony bandwagon, or have the disposable income to justify re-buying all their favorite games.

There is the benefit, mind you, of having games that people already know and love - and Sony doesn't need to lift a finger, in the cosmic sense, as the games are already released and only need to be ported to a new format. They also, of course, are attempting to replace every other piece of pocket-sized equipment they can concieve of, though honestly, I already have a camera, an MP3 player and a kitchen sink, so unless they all spontaneously combust, I intend to curb my bondlike instincts and keep them seperate.

If I were rich enough and wanted a new handheld (which is unlikely, as the GBA-SP is the first handheld I've bought since my old Game Gear), I'd have to say that after weighing the pros and cons, I'd probably still go for the DS, assuming that in the future there were more tempting games to be had in its lineup, but that could easily be swayed depending on the potential for new games on the PSP. I know that if I had a PSP, I'd only be buying games I already liked, because it looks as though Sony isn't adding much to the roster aside from rehashes of their existing products, at least for a while. If I were to get either, I'd probably wait about a year, until there was plenty to play.

Ultimately, after all of the novelty of the different gimmicks have worn off, I want something I can be immersed in, and enjoy in the long run, on my tedious 9-hour international flights, and the subsequent 2-hour train ride, but my Gameboy Advance SP already has that covered. Like their hulking, sweaty grunting big brothers, the consoles, the handhelds boil down to what games are available to them, and I haven't seen much yet on either roster that has piqued my interest. Call me anachronistic, but I don't pay much attention to extra features that are already handled by something I've owned much longer.

[Gilbert]

Well I didn't read all but you have your point there.
Just a small correction, WonderSwan and WonderSwan Colour were not released by Sony, they're released by Bandai (just like the consoles Pippin and Playdia which were equally as dead, if not more), well, similar fate went to SNK's Neo Geo Pocket and Neo geo Pocket Colour of course.

[auhsor]

For me, I would go for a DS. The idea of playing games on 2 screens and with a stylus is intriguing. At the moment though, there arn't really many great games for it except the port of Mario 64 (which has alot of extra stuff, so it isn't a straight port)

I've heard good things about the PSP too. It's nice, but it doesn't doo much things different. If you have a Playstation/2 then you will probably be very familiar with the games that will be available for the PSP. Sure this will happen with the DS, but the DS will allow for greater flexibility in adding new unique things to old ports of games.

I dunno, they both have their strong points, but personally I would be going with a DS first.