I HAD to write about this. Someone sent me a link to IGN that reports that Sony just announced a Portable Playstation. All I can say is, IT’S ABOUT TIME!
They did exactly what they should. A 1.8 gig 3″ diameter disc, much like a Gamecube. They can fit an entire PSOne game on a disc, even a 2-disc game. Awesome. They can repackage PS1 games for an instant library of titles, then make new ones. All on familiar technology – I bet the PSp will have the same, or near same, dev kit as the PSOne. A backlit screen! Right off the bat – no waiting a year to make you buy the unit twice (yes I did just type that) Interacts with other things, such as cell phones. USB2 support. The list goes on…
And the end result?
I love Nintendo. I played my NES to death. I was still playing Perfect Dark on the N64 when Timesplitters came out. I wanted the Gamecube to succeed because I thought it was cool. Having said all that, I do believe this is the death toll for the Big N. At least for them being a hardware company.
Slowly they are being beaten on all fronts. The Genesis gave them a run for their money. Then the Playstation outsold them. They had big hits like Goldeneye, then Rare left them. Now they’re squeaking by on units, a mere fraction of what Sony sells. Their big games are lucky to sell a million copies these days.
They are becoming the next Atari.
Resting too much on their laurels, the Gameboy is to Nintendo what the Atari 800/2600 was to Atari. (I consider the Gamecube a non-factor) Atari tweaked the 800 computer to build the 5200 game system. The 7800 had the same processor as the 800 computer, the same sound processor as the 2600 (2 stinking channels!?) and its fabled “Maria” chip is just a slightly upgraded ANTIC chip, also found on the 800. (I may be a little off in my tech but it’s close enough to make a point). Then, in 1987, Atari tweaked the 800 again to build the XE Game System.
Old tech, new box. Older tech, newer box. Is that so much different than the Gameboy? A Gameboy Advance is no more “advanced” than maybe a 1991-era game system. Ok, it’s got as faster processor but where’s the polygon support? By not ‘advancing’ the Gameboy Advance enough because they didn’t need to (since they had, as the Afterburner guys put it, a “portable monopoly”) they have retro-actively shot themselves in the foot.
Funny how things turned out…
You do realise Nintendo is superior when it comes to portables, and psp is faling?”
just so you know the last I heard the wii had ousold both the 360 and ps3
i don’t know if the previous posters know but this article was posted in 2003…but it is nice that Nintendo has finaly come full circle and is now back on the top.
thats hilarius, i really thought the psp would rock too, but,, only reason i got it was for megaman maverick hunter x, and now that i beat that, theres no more use of the psp so i sold it got a ds lite, wich i play alot.
Well 4 years later Nintendo is having the best years of its life. The psp has failed (altho it has some truly excellent games) and the Nintendo DS lite is the best thing since it was discovered phone sex gave you hearing AIDS. But meh, everyone’s entitled to bens oppinion…. except little timmy, hes a b**ch.
I have to agree with some of the more moderate comments here. It´s all fair and well to look at an old article like this one with hindsight and laugh at how wrong those predictions were… but in all honesty most people thought exactly the same back then. The Gamecube failed to make an impact and then Sony announced the PSP… back then, everyone thought that Nintendo´s days were numbered, as a hardware manufacturer at least. So all I can say is: I respect Ben for leaving this article online. Most people don´t want to admit to it, but that´s how most of us felt at the time.