Nintendo DS
Clubhouse Games
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Elite Beat Agents
Final Fantasy III
Yoshi's Island DS
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Diddy Kong Racing
Sony PSP
Mercury Meltdown
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
Killzone: Liberation
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
Gun Showdown
WTF: Work Time Fun
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2
Lumines II
Every Extend Extra
Gitaroo Man Lives!
LUXOR: The Wrath of Set
Sonic Rivals
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Both systems have major releases for this holiday, but the PSP has a quantity this time around.
Who knows, this may never happen again. But this is a very good time to be a PSP owner.
Unfortunately, this is not going to mean a lot for Sony, as the install base of PSP systems is nowhere near that of the DS - quite sad, yet very true.
Final holiday sales will show this, DS hardware and software sales for this quarter will trounce that of Sony’s handheld underdog.
So be it; that is a loss to those who do not own a PSP.
Now, before you raise your pitchforks and label me a PSP fanboy, allow me to interject this: I own more DS software than you could imagine, and actually prefer that platform.
But you see, I am not a fan of hardware, but of software. Furthermore, it is crystal clear that Sony has brought a royal flush to the table, while Nintendo is left holding only a high pair.
Conspiracy theorists could say that Nintendo has the launch of the Wii to worry about, and that they do not want sales diverted away from their next-gen system.
Nice theory, but it holds no water, as Sony is in the same boat - and most certainly wants people to purchase the PS3 this holiday.
If you do not own a PSP, you may want to think of buying one - for you or as a gift. And if you do not own a DS by now, what in the hell is wrong with you?
This will be a great holiday for gamers, more so than in quite some time. It will be especially prosperous for PSP owners. Happy shopping!
Article comments
1 - Matt Paprocki
Wow. I only want two of the games on the DS, Castlevania and Yoshi's Island. Last year it the exact opposite, and now I see the PSP finally coming into its own without a mass of ports. Metal Gear alone makes it a worthwhile piece of hardware.
2 - Gonzo
I'm the same way: big fan of software, not usually a big fan of hardware and I'm happy to see sony finally stepping up to the plate. I'm also glad I got another psp (I traded in my original for an oz of.... a story for another blog) in time to get loco roco (and it's many demos), Every Extend Extra, and Mercury Madness... I mean Marble Meltdown...I mean Mercury Meltdown.
I'm still waiting for the DSs sleeper hit for the season. I thought it was going to be Cooking Mama which doesn't seem to amuse everyone else as much as I thought it would. Although I could've gotten the DS just for Trauma Center and I would've been happy with that. Others like Phoenix Wright, Cooking Mama, and Metroid Hunters are like bonus features for me.
3 - Gonzo
The biggest problem Sony has is they have to stop letting their dumb ass executives do PR work. They're horrible at it. Every time Phil Harrison or Ken Kuteragi opens a pie hole I just want to jam my psp into it. And if their job IS PR, they should be fired immediately. They make Sony seem more apathetic towards their customers than everyone already perceives them. After beating LikSang into the ground, I wanted to crap in my ps2 and send it back to them.
But all that really has nothing to do with the games when you get down to it. I may eventually get a PS3 even; but they have to get an exclusive that's even better than Katamari. I'm picturing Katamari meets Burnout meets GTA.