Australia Infected
DS VERSES PSP PART 7

The PSP has launched, for $399 regular retail price, with a case and 32 megabyte memory stick. Half a year after Japan, it's finally here. But you know what? It's nothing to worry about.

The DS is currently selling about four times as much as the PSP in Japan. In the United States, I will sadly admit that the PSP is slightly leading the DS in sales. But don't forget, the GBA SP is still selling strongly, and together, Nintendo is still easily dominating the handheld market. So what do you think will happen here in Australia? Lets see.

PSP's screwed. Period.

Though many may not realise, the DS isn't Nintendo's strongest selling console, it's the GameBoy. It was the Gameboy that has dominated the handheld gaming market for over 20 years. It was the Gameboy who kicked Atari, Sega, Bandai and many others out of competition. The PSP's powerful, more powerful than the GBASP. The Sega Gamegear was a LOT more powerful than the chunky Gameboy. The Bandai Wonderswan had better graphics and a slimmer design than the Gameboy Pocket. The Atari console was the first handheld to every have a colour screen.

But you know what? THEY ALL GOT HAMMERED. Nintendo is the king of consoles, formerly both home and handhelds, now currently focusing the majority of their sales on the handhelds. The PSP is simply another obsticle the Nintendo must get past, simply another enemy Nintendo must defeat, like they have done so many times in the past.

In the next few days, I'm sure you'll see many sony fanboys showing off their brand new PSP's. Let them have their fun. Soon they will realise the purchase was a mistake, that Sony should never have dared to take on a market 95% dominated by the Big N. They the PSP will fall under the wrath of the almighty Gameboy and Developers System (DS, not dual screen btw).

Nintendo Needs You
DS VERSES PSP PART 6

One day left until the PSP is released, if you're still planning to get one, now is the time to think it through and decide. Should you stay loyal to Niintendo, or purchase the seemingly more attractive Sony console? Now is the time to remember what each has done for you, and will do for you in the future.

Remember back to the days of the Game and Watch. I'm sure everyone has at least ONE game and Watch system. I have Egg Egg Egg, a game where the objective is to catch the falling eggs with a hat. Very simple, the console only had 4 buttons to control the direction of the hat. That thing gave me hours of fun. I used to play it over and over, attempting to obtain a higher score. That Game and watch is worth about $300 on eBay today, look it up if you don't believe me, though I will be keeping it for a collection.

Remember the days of the NES and SNES. Many gamers (like me) had a UFO or Game Doctor, SNES emulators which allowed you to download and play SNES games through floppy disks. Zelda: Link to the Past, Bomberman 1-5, Street Fighter SNES, Mario All Stars and Super Famicom Wars (later known as Advance Wars) were some of my favourite titles. I used to play on my SNES every day after school. SNES was awesome. It had great graphics for its time, and tonnes of games, and more could be downloaded off the net.

The point I'm trying to make is this. Nintendo have provided each and every one of us with enjoyment in the past, with every console they release. Whether it be the SNES, N64, GBA... heck, even the Virtual boy. Do you guys seroiously think it is appropriate to "dump" Nintendo just because Sony brings out a better marketed console?

I grew up with Nintendo. I've owned their systems and played their games my whole life. I love my Gamecube, often play my DS, am eagerly anticipating the GB Micro, and can't wait for the full unveiling of the Revolution. Nintendo is the only gaming company that cares about its gamers. They are the only company that will refund a whole DS if you find a single dead pixel. They are the only company who's president is a gamer at heart. I hate Sony for stealing Nintendo's ideas, for taking over Nintendo's market, for giving Nintendo a kiddie image. I hate Sony supporters, but I hate Sony supporters who were former Nintendo fans even more. People should realise that Nintendo always releases quality consoles, innovative ideas, and "kick az" game titles. They need to have more trust in Big N, not spring to another company once Nintendo seem to have "lost their edge". People like that do not deserve to be N-gamers (actually, they deserve to be shot :P). A true Nintendo fan should stick with Nintendo all the way, they should always purchase their consoles and enjoy their games, if Nintendo seems kiddie or not, it doesn't matter. You know the kind of gamer I am talking about.

They call us fanboys. People who are "in love with their games", who will "never grow up". And yet it is the fanboys who are the most important to Nintendo. Nintendo has the most loyal fans, gamers who will stick with Nintendo "to the end" (lol). And because of this Nintendo will always be around. They cannot be kicked off the market like Sega, they cannot be beaten by Microsoft OR Sony. Fanboys, this is the reason how Nintendo, being the smallest and poorest company out of the three, still manages to SELL MORE THAN SONY AND MICROSOFT COMBINED.

Seriousgamer007 was right about one thing, Nintendo is nothing without its fans. Look at MS and Sony gamers. So many PS2 owners are going to buy an Xbox 360, and many Xbox owners are getting a PS3. These so called "fans" are worthless (sorry). They will betray their company in a second.

So think about it. What do you treasure more? A company you grew up with, or an attractive looking PSP catalogue? Remember that you (and many others) make up Nintendo. Ninty needs you, and you need Ninty.






PS: Heh heh, sorry for sounding like a serious gamer 007, please note that the above post is intended for the Nintendo fan (boys?) who visit my blog. Thanks.

Numbers Never Lie!
DS VERSES PSP PART 5

Here are the latest hardware sales statistics in Japan, in order for each list:

Platform:
Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, GameBoy Advance SP, GameCube, GameBoy Advance, Xbox

Sales:
80,945
33,292
23,923
16,721
3,960
822
263

There, you can clearly see how the DS is REALLY comparing to the PSP. Actually, it sold more than the PS2, PSP and Xbox combined. The Nintendo Developer's System is amazing, isn't it? Satoru Iwata san is a genious. The DS has brought a gaming revolution to the portable industry (before you argue, look at stats above!). It has the ability to attract non gamers into the gaming world (eg girls :P, with titles like Nintendogs. Or adults, who want to stay in touch with free VOIP, or a cheap alternative to a PDA, Portable DVD player, or GPS system.).

So why did Nintendo create the GB Micro, after harvesting such an innovative system? Simple, to EXPAND THE DEFINITION OF GAMING (quote from Leipzig speech). Nintendo want to attract gamers with different preferences, gamers who prefer the more portable, cheaper, stylish consoles will be appealed by the Micro. Gamers who want innovation and game play will go to the DS. There are rumours on a GB Evolution, for power and graphics/Xbox crazed gamers, this will close the gap on the PSP, but nothing has been confirmed.

Here is an animation I found, someone had managed to "capture the moment".



lol, very funny, but this basically explains the fight between the PSP and the DS. Sony are using "cheapo" tactics, the gain support of the media and retailers, and attack the DS by using excuses such as Nintendo being kiddie, and the DS being a kid's system. The PSP's flaws and cons are hidden from the public eye, the drawbacks (like price and crappy battery life) are hushed, so to give Sony's first Portable at least SOME advantages over the DS. But do some research, check statistics, and the truth can be found. I've done all of the above, and came to a conclusion... PSP SUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... excuse me...

No Chance, Go Home Kenny
DS VERSES PSP PART 4

I guess the title isn't very appropriate, seeing as the DS is selling about 4 times as much as the PSP in Japan. It even tops the Xbox, PS2, PSP and other nintendo sales PUT TOGETHER. So Ken doesn't have much of a home to go to... oh well, you deserve it.



Currently in Australia, there are three Nintendo handhelds selling. The GBA, GBASP, and NDS. The GB Micro will be release in November for $149, so that'll be 4 consoles that can play GBA games. Four consoles selling at the same time. 4 verses 1 (the PSP). Seems like overkill, doesn't it? Well kind of, but each has its own advantage over the others.

GBA: Price, and comfortable grip. I often find the original GBA easier to hold than the SP, it's design gives an easy view of the screen while being played, and you can pick one up for around 50 bucks nowadays.

GB Micro: Portability. The Micro weighs 2/3rds as much as an iPod mini, and is around the same size as one. It has a sleek, portable design, with fully customisable faceplates, and thje clearest and brightest screen Nintendo ever built into a handheld.

NDS: Innovation. Not only being able to play GBA games, the DS can also of course play its own SD card sized cartridges. The console allows for innovative applications such as Wi-Fi and wireless LAN, movies and music, free VOIP, TV tuning, Linux to use as a PDA, and even a GPS system (being developed).

GBASP: An all-rounder. Quite portable, not that much larger than a Micro with its screen closed. Relatively cheap, only around $80 off EB. And also innovative, though not as much as the DS. The GBA Movie Player allows for movies, music, photo viewing and fc games to be run on the SP. It is no wonder that 78 MILLION units have been sold in 2004, just a hair short of PS2 sales.

The War Has Begun
DS VERSES PSP PART 3

That's right, the DS verses PSP war has begun in Australia. Pre-orders have been taken for a while, but it was only in the last few days that advertisements were printed and PSP boxes were stacked in Electronics stores. It almost seems like Sony are rallying their troops, ready to take on a market 95% dominated by Nintendo for the past 25 years.

If you've been reading the catalogues like me, you'd probably have noticed the large, shiny PSP pictures on the front page (with the little "$399" price adjacent to it :D). If you've been tempted to purchase one, I advise you to read the catalogue carefully. Well at least I did, and here's what I've noticed. $400 for a handheld, twice the price of a DS. Games that go up to $80 each. UMD movies for $35, more than double the price of the same movie on a DVD. And absolutely no mention of the PSP's flaws, crappy battery life, or the at-least-5-dead-pixels-or-no-refund "warranty".

That's it for now, I guess if you're rich, buying a PSP, 1gb memory stick, a case and UMD movies are fine. But if not, and you want movie portability... get a portable DVD player for $99 from Dick Smith!!

Let The Baby Have His Bottle
DS VERSES PSP PART 2

VP Phil Harrison from Sony recently threw a few (new) insults at the Nintendo DS, they are quoted below in another colour:

“The idea of a handheld rivalry with Nintendo is an irrelevance,” he says. “Those formats don’t appear in our planning. It’s not a fair comparison; not fair on them, I should stress. That sounds arrogant, maybe, but it’s the truth”
“With the DS, it’s fair to say that Nintendo stepped out of the technical race and went for a feature differentiation with the touch screen,” Harrison says. “But I fear that it won’t have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick - so the long-lasting appeal of the platform is at peril as a direct result of that.”

“Nintendo knows its target audience, because it has really narrowed that down; and it’s pretty much defined by a boy or girl’s ability to admire Pokemon”

If you're a Sony fanboy, you'd be agreeing with his views, right? Lol, this really shows how absolutely CLUELESS Sony is. But I'll let this pass, let the baby have his bottle, let the fanboys feel comforted by their handheld piece of... Sony. Actually... no, I think I'll have to cut him down (this IS a DS verses PSP topic! They attack with insults, now it's Ninty's turn to strike).

Quote 1: If anything is unfair comparison, it's the superiority of Nintendo's handhelds to the PSP. Nintendo have been designing quality handheld consoles over two and a half decades. They are experienced. They know what the public want. They are well known for exclusive 1st party games and unique gaming experiences. Sony on the other hand have little experience in gaming. Their first home console was a beefed up version of the SNES designed by Nintendo, which they "shoved" a CD drive into. What noobs. The size of an average PS1 game is 30mb, a CD originally held 600mb, now 700. Waste of a CD, and a waste of money. Their controller design held many of Nintendo's ideas. The rumble pak, the control stick etc, all first appeared on a Nintendo console.

Sony's experience at handheld gaming is even worse. The PSP is their first attempt at a handheld. They produce an expensive console with useless features. They implement a hard-to-control "control" stick that sticks out of the corner. They use UMDs which have been known to eject without warning. They create a single large screen so the square button becomes faulty. NOOBS. TOTAL NOOBS.

Quote 2. The Nintendo DS sold 4 times more than the PSP in Japan last week, check sales statistics if you don't believe me, or ask me for a link. The DS broke all current records for the fastest selling console back in February, it sold faster than the PS2 did when it was released in Australia. Again, ask me for a link. By the end of March, over 6 million DS units have been shipped to Australia alone, due to shortage of stock (ask for link). Furthermore, the touch screen allows for most of the DS's innovation. People have been creating homebrew applications, such as Linux and a GPS system for use with the touch screen. Official apps, such as DSpeak (DS's voip service), Wi-Fi and wireless LAN, movie and music capabilities etc, also add to the innovation.

Quote 3. The guy knows nothing about Pokemon, or the games currently available for the DS. For you interest, Pokemon is the fastest selling franchise owned by Nintendo (after Mario). Over a hundred million Pokemon games have been sold worldwide. Now I know the anime is corny, but personally I think the games rock. Pokemon Blue was, and is still one of the best RPG's I've ever played.
Currently there are no Pokemon games for the DS. Two new versions, Diamond and Peral, will be released in the near future, but nothing has been confirmed.

I guess Phil just couldn't take it that his $400 handheld was getting whipped in sales by a $200 console, which was supposedly a "kids toy".

Infection Of Handheld Market
DS VERSES PSP PART 1



As you are probably aware, the Sony PSP will be launched in Australia on the 1st of September. Pre-orders have been taken for a while now, and the system's regular retail price is $399au.

Hopefully most of you here have enough brains no to purchase the console, but in case you dn't, I'll give you guys a last minute run through on why you shouldn't purchase a PSP.

Firstly, it's heck expensive. How long have you been saving for a $400 console? Want to watch movies? SORRY! The 32mb that comes with the console is USELESS for video storage, which means you'll need to buy at least a 1gb memory stick, in other words more money-spending. How much is a 1gb memory stick? Here, at least $250au, totaling $650. You can't afford this much? Neither can I. Why not buy a UMD movie instead? Only about $30 each - oh wait, I forgot, there are hardly any available! I guess you can wait a couple of months for the movie you want to come out, of course.

Secondly. So, you've finally been able to get a movie running. If it's a UMD, remember to hold the PSP carefully so it doesn't pop out! How long is the movie you're playing? 2 hours? Good choice on choosing a short movie to watch, you can actually finish it without having to recharge halfway through! Want to watch LOTR, or Titanic? Remember to bring your charger, and probably an incar adaptor :). Oh, if only you bought a DS instead, then you could have used the GBA Movie Player to:
- Watch 9 hours of movies non-stop
- Run FC games, play music and ebooks
- Save a tonne of cash

Thirdly. You bought the PSP for the games too? They're $80 each by the way.....
Lol, ok I'll drop the criticism thing ;)...
The PSP will hardly have any games, compared to the DS. The DS has backwards compatibility with the GBA, so that's a 750 game boost already. Plus, the DS has many "kik as" titles like Nintendogs, Meteos, Jump Superstars, Mario and Luigi SS 2, Metroid Hunters, Animal Crossing, Advance Wars DS, Mario Kart etc. Many of these games are Wi-Fi enabled, so you can take it out wirelessly with other gamers across the globe.

To finish off.The Nintendo DS now has movie/music capabilities,Wi-Fi, voice over ip, Linux, a TV tuner, and now an outcoming GPS SYSTEM! Imagine a PDA that can do all that, and play N64 quality games, all for $200 (even less if you look around).

In simple terms, the PSP will not sell. Sure it'll grab about 15-25% of the market, but it'll never gain dominance. With the GBASP still receiving about 30% of the handheld market sales, and the upcoming GB Micro in November, the PSP cannot take over Nintendo's portable territory.

Here is a chart for last weeks console sales, notice the differences in sales of the DS and the PSP.



Now I don't want to sound like a fanboy myself, but the points I stated above are all fact. So here goes... TAKE THAT YOU SONY FANBOYS! PSP SUCKS! GO HOME KEN, AND GET WHIPPED BY NINTENDO THERE INSTEAD!

Meetro Coming for DS... And PSP
Source: Nintendo Insider

A Chicago based Meetroduction, LLC has created the ultimate “breaking the ice” instant messenger program. This new instant messaging application is called Meetro (www.meetro.com) and is created by the team of CEO Paul Bragiel (current CEO of Paragon 5) and President Wendell Davis III (ex-producer of Cave Barn Studios). What makes Meetro a unique instant messenger is that it shows the proximity in miles how far away each user is from your location. Paul Bragiel explains, “Meetro is the new dynamic way to meet people local to you.” Wendell Davis III states, "Meetro makes finding people within walking distance a breeze -- perhaps even a summer breeze." It will cater to people wanting to make friends in their new town and especially targeting college students who are dying to meet new friends (also a great way to procrastinate on that English paper). It allows users to have their picture and taglines, and also allows users to message people on AOL AIM and ICQ (MSN, Yahoo and Jabber are coming soon).

Features of Meetro include:
- Instant Messenger program telling how far users are away from each other in miles.
- Includes taglines, user pictures and an extensive customizable user profile.
- The program has AIM, ICQ support. Yahoo support will come out later this month and MSN will be around the corner. Jabber support coming later.

Outcoming DS Games List
Source: Nintendo Insider

Aug. 22: Advance Wars: Dual Strike from Nintendo
Aug. 22: Nintendogs from Nintendo
Aug. 23: Pac n' Roll from Namco
August: Yu-Gi-Oh! Nightmare Troubadour from Konami
Sept. 19: Tak: The Great Juju Challenge from THQ
Sept. 26: Trace Memory from Nintendo
September: Lunar Dragon Song from Ubisoft
September: Ultimate Spider-Man from Activision
Oct. 17: Scooby-Doo! Unmasked from THQ
Oct. 24: Metroid Prime Pinball from Nintendo
Oct. 24: Real Time Conflict: Shogun Empires from Namco
October: Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects from Electronic Arts
October: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney from Capcom
October: Texas Hold 'Em from Majesco
October: Trauma Center: Under the Knife from Atlus
Nov. 1: SeaWorld: Shamu's Big Adventure from Activision
Nov. 1: The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer from THQ
Nov. 7: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger from THQ
Nov. 9: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from Electronic Arts
Nov. 14: Mario Kart DS from Nintendo
Nov. 28: Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time from Nintendo
November: Disney's Kim Possible: Kimmunicator from Buena Vista Games
November: Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 from Atari
November: King Kong from Ubisoft
November: Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team from Capcom
November: Need for Speed: Most Wanted from Electronic Arts
November: Pac-Man World 3 from Namco
November: SBK: Snowboard Kids DS from Atlus
November: Sonic Rush from Sega
November: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe from Buena Vista Games
November: Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble from Capcom
Dec. 5: Animal Crossing from Nintendo
December: Golden Nugget Casino from Majesco
December: Ultimate Card Games from Telegames
Fall: ATV: Quad Frenzy from Majesco
Fall: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow from Konami
Fall: Dig Dug Digging Strike from Namco
Fall: Dragon Booster from Konami
Fall: Frogger: Helmet Chaos from Konami
Fall: Shrek SuperSlam from Activision
Fall: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare from Konami
Fall: The Sims 2 from Electronic Arts
Fall: Tony Hawk (working title) from Activision
Fall: Zoo Tycoon from THQ
Q4: Blades of Thunder 2 from Summitsoft
Q4: Mini RC Rally from Summitsoft
Q4: Texas Hold 'Em Poker Pack from Summitsoft
January: Age of Empires: The Age of Kings from Majesco
January: Bust-A-Move from Majesco
January: Guilty Gear Dust Strikers from Majesco
Q1 2006: Dynasty Warriors (working title) from Koei
Q1 2006: Metroid Prime Hunters from Nintendo
Q1 2006: Ultimate Brain Games from Telegames
Early 2006: Nicktoons Unite! from THQ

A list for GBA/GB Micro and Gamecube's outcoming games are available at Nintendo Insider.

Tonnes of Information On DS Wi-Fi
Source: portables.p-nintendo.com/articles/I-89-2.html

Puissance Nintendo had the chance to interview Jim Merrick, here is the summarised version of the interview, for the full interview, click on the link in the source above.

-As Nintendo has stated before, you won't have to pay to play their 1st party DS games online.-Nintendo's WCS will be free for 3rd party publishers to use. They have the option of charging if they desire. They will own their own network-infrastructure. Use of the matchmaking service will be free.-Everyone will have a kind of buddy list. You'll be able to add people you know in the "real world," of course, as well as people you only know online.
-There are a few parameters you can set to fine-tune who you play against online. You could choose to only play against people you know (on your friends list), or you could choose to only play with people in a certain area (European players only, for instance), or you could choose to only play against players of a certain skill level. Basically, Nintendo wants you to be able to choose however you want to compete online.
-Each DS user is uniquely identified in the system. Adding people to your buddy list will be kind of like giving someone your cell phone number. Everyone will get a unique "password" of sorts each time they want to send someone a friend invite.
-You can have a separate name or "tag" for each game you play online. Also, you'll be able to pick names that people have used already (if you want to use "Bob," you can, even if someone else used it already). This works because each DS will have a unique userID (which you will never see).-You'll be able to connect your account to nintendo.com (or nintendo-europe.com). Your stats, friends, etc. can be viewed online.
-The Wi-Fi Connection Service will be launching worldwide (a specific date still hasn't been mentioned; though we know it has to be before Mario Kart DS comes out in November).
-Nintendo took way too long to release Animal Crossing (GameCube) in Europe. Even though Animal Crossing DS will be released in Japan and North America before Europe; the release delay won't be as huge as the original's.
-Mario Kart DS will be the first game to use WFC, probably followed by Tony Hawk's American Wasteland and then Animal Crossing DS. There are a number of other games that you will use WFC that haven't been announced yet.