Microsoft handheld pics and video!!....

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:15 am

http://gear.ign.com/articles/691/691935p1.html

Wow, that looks cool!

ArrogantBastard · Post by **ArrogantBastard** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:18 am

Too big and clunky for my taste...

benj · Post by **benj** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:50 am

Damn, that thing is ugly. Also , the D-Pad and the button placement seems horrible. Nice screen, though.

extrarice · Post by **extrarice** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:53 am

Way to thick. Might as well get a laptop if you're going to be lugging around something that thick.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:03 am

It is a bit on the chunky side, but the thing that concerns me most is the button layout...

In any event, apparently the images there are somewhat old, so the design may change, or already have changed...'course, I'm not a portable gamer anyway, so this hardly matters to me anyway, heh heh.

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:06 am

Why is everyone all over the internet acting like this is a gaming machine? It's a heavily stripped down tablet PC. It's no more built for portable gaming than a laptop is.

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:07 am

...reminds me of my Atari Lynx... except, my Lynx is sexier than that fucking thing....

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:44 am

Your Lynx is also not the same kind of hardware in any possible sense.

People don't try to compare their watches to their gaming systems because it's just stupid and the comparison doesn't even make sense. So why are people (not just here, other forums as well) trying to compare portable gaming systems to a tablet PC?

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:38 am

sethsez wrote:Your Lynx is also not the same kind of hardware in any possible sense.

People don't try to compare their watches to their gaming systems because it's just stupid and the comparison doesn't even make sense. So why are people (not just here, other forums as well) trying to compare portable gaming systems to a tablet PC?

Nice point... Since this will probably flop as a gaming system like the PSP did, they'll probably fall back on marketing it as media-player. XD

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:42 am

Zweihander wrote:Nice point... Since this will probably flop as a gaming system like the PSP did, they'll probably fall back on marketing it as media-player. XD

hmm...

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:47 am

Isn't the Halo game running on the machine making a statement that it can play games on the go? Really complex games at that!

I would say Microsoft are pitching it as a hybrid at the very very least.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:56 pm

Whatever it's for, it's completely goofy looking.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:33 pm

Zweihander wrote:Nice point... Since this will probably flop as a gaming system like the PSP did, they'll probably fall back on marketing it as media-player. XD

The PSP has flopped? What are you basing that on?

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:36 pm

The PSP hasn't flopped. It is doing well, in fact it is ahead of the DS in NA (PSP: 3.63 million, DS: 2.43 million). But in Japan it is getting hammered by the DS by 3 million units and counting. There are conflicting reports though, Next Gen reported that they may be about equal in market share worldwide so who knows.

Anyways, this new MS media/handheld thingy looks wonky. Like holding a keyboard.

sethsez wrote:Your Lynx is also not the same kind of hardware in any possible sense.

People don't try to compare their watches to their gaming systems because it's just stupid and the comparison doesn't even make sense. So why are people (not just here, other forums as well) trying to compare portable gaming systems to a tablet PC?

Well who would compare a portable gaming system to a total non-gaming device as primitive as a watch (unless of course it was an older digital device like the Game and Watch/LCD device or a Texas instr calculator)?

The Lynx is a handheld gaming system, this thing will also play games (and be targeted at gamers also, we assume) so the comparison stands.

He is simply saying it's clunky and ugly even when compared to an older portable device, which it is. So your sarcasm and hyperbole is much more crappy than you ever thought his was. I don't care if it's a tablet PC hybrid thingy, whatever. If it can run a modern video game, gamers are going to take notice and compare. Get over it.

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:39 pm

FRO wrote:
Zweihander wrote:Nice point... Since this will probably flop as a gaming system like the PSP did, they'll probably fall back on marketing it as media-player. XD
The PSP has flopped? What are you basing that on?

The fact that for every PSP game, there's 10 PSP movies. Also, similarly, for every half-decent PSP game, there's 10 quality games for the DS... but that second statement is a matter of personal opinion.

Don't even get me started on the bad games... *shudder* Rengoku...

But I don't want to get off-subject. The fact of the matter is, this new Macrosoft portable is pretty goddamn slick!!! ....if it were released over 10 years ago. XD Look at the Game Gear, Megadrive Nomad, hell, even the bulky Lynx-- even they are more stylish, as a gaming system anyway. Simply put, if this is meant to be a portable gaming system, it is an eyesore. And, as a media player, there are much better. It's like how everyone buys Apple's Ipod, as opposed to higher-quality-yet-moderately-priced mp3 players, since Ipod is mainstream, as well as everyone rushing out to buy a PSP, instead of a quality media player device.

This new handheld, in my eyes, symbolizes the American way. Big, bulky, and a vain attempt to look flashy-- when all it comes off as, in the eyes of those harboring wisdom, is gawdy. Look at the Xbox. Even though Japan has put some great Xbox-only games onto it (PD:Orta, Otogi, Steel Batallion), the fact of the matter is the thing is fucking huge, and inefficient when taking size into account. This thing-- how the fuck is one supposed to fit that into their pocket? Again, it's like Lynx or Nomad all over again. It may fit, but you'll get some goofy looks. But maybe "wow, look at that goon with his huge-ass portable..." is the kind of attention Macrosoft is going for this time around, I wouldn't know.

I could go into the history of how the Famicom was bastardized and doubled in size for its American release, and how the Super Famicom was made clunky and "edgy" as opposed to its original sleek design, but I have to get to work soon and that'd be going too far off topic anyway. In closing: as mentioned, the DS is beating the PSP in Japan, yet in America, the PSP is beating the DS. Why? Because the Japanese recognize gameplay first, graphics second.

The same could have been said for Americans before the polygon era, but ever since the PSX (quoted from an old gaming magazine: "the 3-D king") triumphed over the Saturn (quote same article, "the stuff for side-scrollers"), it has become evident where the NA mainstream is going. The article wasn't meant to bash 2-D gaming; it was making a simple comparison. The Saturn harbored great 2-D games, such as Clockwork Knight (mentioned in said article). But the damage to the spirit of gaming was already done. Why play Darius Gaiden, Clockwork Knight, or Rayforce, when you could play Madden '98, Tony Hawk 2, or Tomb Raider on your PSX?

Simply put, Americans place graphics as a first priority. I'm sure this new portable will do well with the Macrosoft fanboys. Let's just hope, for their sake, it's not running on Windows ME.

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:12 pm

lol r u sirius

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:19 pm

mannerbot wrote:lol r u sirius

y yes, yes eye am, LAWLZ

Should have further specified-- It's obvious $ony is falling back on the "media player" image for their PSP, since it is, without a doubt, failing as a gaming system. IMHO, Tokobot, Gradius Portable, Suikoden 1+2, and the new Valkyrie Profile game are the only games worth raising an eyebrow at. Doesn't matter if it's doing "better" than the DS in the USA, as long as the DS is doing better in Japan, that proves what the intended market is thinking. Gameplay > Graphics. And this new handheld looks like gaming will require a keyboard. Oh, JOY! I can play Halo on a tiny-ass screen with a tiny-ass keyboard!

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:51 pm

Zweihander wrote:
mannerbot wrote:lol r u sirius
y yes, yes eye am, LAWLZ

Should have further specified-- It's obvious $ony is falling back on the "media player" image for their PSP, since it is, without a doubt, failing as a gaming system. IMHO, Tokobot, Gradius Portable, Suikoden 1+2, and the new Valkyrie Profile game are the only games worth raising an eyebrow at. Doesn't matter if it's doing "better" than the DS in the USA, as long as the DS is doing better in Japan, that proves what the intended market is thinking. Gameplay > Graphics. And this new handheld looks like gaming will require a keyboard. Oh, JOY! I can play Halo on a tiny-ass screen with a tiny-ass keyboard!

Exactly, and every bit of information I've seen or heard indicates that the DS is selling far better then the PSP.

It makes sense that the DS would sell better, because it's about games; most people who want to listen to digital music files probably already have an i-Pod, or similar device, and anyone can go down to Radio Shack and get a portable DVD player that costs a lot less then the PSP, and has a larger screen. I know a lot more people who've traded in their PSP's, then their DS's-it doesn't help that the PSP is about as durable as tissue paper-the DAY after I traded mine in for my XBOX, a couple purchased it, and the analog stick broke. Wasn't anything wrong with it when I was using it. Or SCEA's commercials for the PSP, which look and sound like they were done by a 7th grader.

As far as the supposed inappropriateness of comparing this new Microsoft device to other portable gaming devices goes; in NONE of their statements about it, have Microsoft ruled out this device as being used for portable gaming. Handheld gaming is making up an increasingly large portion of industry profits, so why wouldn't Microsoft also position this new device as a handheld gaming system?

I'm not saying I'm gonna buy one of these, but they sure as hell look a lot more durable then the PSP, and they certainly have huge screens.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:34 pm

nah, that isn't what Bill Gates will release to the public.

he's releasing this

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:29 pm

dave4shmups wrote:I'm not saying I'm gonna buy one of these, but they sure as hell look a lot more durable then the PSP, and they certainly have huge screens.

I might buy one, after it flops and the brand-new price is $150 or under. (and only if it can run MAME.) The same goes for the PSP, even though it's already flopped as a gaming machine. I just have to wait til no one cares about UMD movies (shouldn't be too long of a wait), then the system plummets in price, then I might get a PSP for $150 or less. It would serve only to play Gradius Portable and MAME.

FatCobra wrote:nah, that isn't what Bill Gates will release to the public.

he's releasing this

a hardkore winnar is yuo!

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:57 pm

Well if there's one thing I know about Bill Gates, it's that he's pretty good at copying other people's ideas.

jp · Post by jp » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:28 pm

Dylan1CC wrote:The PSP hasn't flopped. It is doing well, in fact it is ahead of the DS in NA (PSP: 3.63 million, DS: 2.43 million). But in Japan it is getting hammered by the DS by 3 million units and counting. There are conflicting reports though, Next Gen reported that they may be about equal in market share worldwide so who knows.

Anyways, this new MS media/handheld thingy looks wonky. Like holding a keyboard.

Uh... no. The DS is beating the PSP in EVERY region. It has sold 4 million in the US.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_i ... story=7668

nexus6 · Post by **nexus6** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:36 pm

for a few days i was daydreaming about building a "handheld" for running arcade- and console-emulation on it. and whats now? i see this build by m$. i hope for them that this is only a hardwaretest. from such a big company i can expect a little smaller and more stylish design than this.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:39 pm

nexus6 wrote:for a few days i was daydreaming about building a "handheld" for running arcade- and console-emulation on it. and whats now? i see this build by m$. i hope for them that this is only a hardwaretest. from such a big company i can expect a little smaller and more stylish design than this.

It's the GP2X.

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:33 am

GPX2 for the win.

Also-- "Origami"-- is the most Wapanese fucking name I've ever heard of, for a handheld not even concieved in Japan. Unless it was concieved by them with the American way in mind. Sorta like how the Chinese made us Sweet'n'Sour Chicken, or the Italians made us Pizza... only Sweet'n'Sour Chicken and Pizza are made of God and Win, while the "Origami" is made of AIDS and Fail.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:44 am

FatCobra wrote:nah, that isn't what Bill Gates will release to the public.

he's releasing this

Ha..

Oh god here we go again.

Zweihander wrote:
dave4shmups wrote:I'm not saying I'm gonna buy one of these, but they sure as hell look a lot more durable then the PSP, and they certainly have huge screens.
I might buy one, after it flops and the brand-new price is $150 or under. (and only if it can run MAME.) The same goes for the PSP, even though it's already flopped as a gaming machine. I just have to wait til no one cares about UMD movies (shouldn't be too long of a wait), then the system plummets in price, then I might get a PSP for $150 or less. It would serve only to play Gradius Portable and MAME.

That's why I'm getting a DS, I want games, not graphics.

The sad thing is that in high school: "OOOOOOOHHHHHHH THIS GAME GRAPHICS IS THE SHIT, IT'S BETTER THAN YOUR 2D CRAP!"

I get that all the time when I play shoot 'em ups in school, but those are the guys who are buying the games from the devil known as EA all the time.

Most of my games now are either old or comming from Japan.

VNAF Ace · Post by **VNAF Ace** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:05 am

I wouldn't classify a tablet PC as a portable gaming device. If MS is really serious about entering the portable market, then they seriously need to slim it down. They should get the people who designed the X360 console and controllers to work on it.

Zweihander · Post by **Zweihander** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:11 am

Fighter17-- ALL of my games now are either old or coming from Japan. *laughs*

You're not alone...

The n00b · Post by **The n00b** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:18 am

Damn you guys are fuckin monsters when it comes to tearing apart a system. I'd just love for some of you guys to tear into my computer at work.

"OMG it's too slow to run a shmup." "There's no japanese stuff on this thing!" "It's too loud."

Geez not everything is meant to be a pure gaming system. Just look at the psp. It plays UMDS!...and sometimes games....when it feels like it...

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:30 am

Dylan1CC wrote:Well who would compare a portable gaming system to a total non-gaming device as primitive as a watch (unless of course it was an older digital device like the Game and Watch/LCD device or a Texas instr calculator)? The Lynx is a handheld gaming system, this thing will also play games (and be targeted at gamers also, we assume) so the comparison stands.

He is simply saying it's clunky and ugly even when compared to an older portable device, which it is. So your sarcasm and hyperbole is much more crappy than you ever thought his was. I don't care if it's a tablet PC hybrid thingy, whatever. If it can run a modern video game, gamers are going to take notice and compare. Get over it.

In that case, Dell is getting into the portable gaming business!

Saying "it'll flop because it's too clunky for portable gaming" is like saying cell phones must be selling bad because their games suck, or that laptops aren't as good as the DS because they're not as portable. Just because a piece of hardware can play games doesn't mean it's a gaming machine and judging its success or failure on that is ridiculous.

This looks like an ideal product for people who need a basic portable computer but can't always lug around a laptop. Halo is a nifty bonus, not the main reason anyone would buy it.

Zweihander wrote:Simply put, Americans place graphics as a first priority.

This old chestnut again?

Take a long, hard look at Grand Theft Auto. I mean, really look at it.

Not too long though, or else your eyes will start to burn.

Consider that Halo and Halo 2 both sold extremely well, despite there being plenty of better looking FPS. I don't even think I need to mention Counter-Strike.

I'd also mention how the PS2 is by far the most-owned system, and PS2 versions of games are almost always the best sellers despite being the ugliest.

America hasn't cared about graphics in a long time. Most of the games that become huge sellers look merely passable, and in the case of GTA, only barely so.