Educate me on PSPgo, Sony gaming, Palm Pre

[DJ Incompetent]

The backstory is I haven't gotten Sony anything after PS2. I've been avoiding iPods and dedicated mp3 players the entire time because Apple tells you how to use your music and everything else has something better coming out every 6 months and I never found a time to just jump into it without feeling ripped off. My ride also only does CDs. So I've been using whatever cell phone I had at the time as my player. Earlier in the decade I was using Palm PDAs for my organizer business. I'd still be using the Palm Lifedrive (it's exactly like an iTouch) if it didn't crash on me every 10 minutes. I'd love to have an organizer as my phone calender isn't cutting it. My phone provider is Sprint and I don't mind them. The company is dumb as hell, but if you don't ask them for anything they do ok on the defaults. I've never had to ask them for anything.

I'm looking into either getting an iPhone or a Palm Pre & PSPgo.
My focus is mass portable music and quality portable gaming.
My secondary focus is an organizer, useful portable applications, and not having a phone from 1994.


I want to know a little more about PSPgo before I decide as the only thing I keep reading is if you buy it at full $250, you're a sucker. But if I never did UMD prior, am I really a sucker? I don't want old PSP 'cause I done with cartridges and the unit is too big for the pocket. I'm aware game DRM is gonna fuck me in the ass later, but gaming is so disposable now especially in portable, I'm not sure how much it'll matter to me in 15 years when everything dies.
Gaming journalism is so bad, if you don't follow every detail from the very beginning, it's difficult to catch up, so that's why I'm asking you for help.

I would like to know:
- Can PSP games handle custom soundtracks?
- What is the music player like? Does it support custom playlists and such? Does it play all reasonable formats (MP3, AAC, WMA)? Does it crossfade between tracks? How deep a player is it compared to Apple's stuff?
- How the fuck can I intuitively tell what PSP games are UMD only or downloadable? Is this the only source I can use?
- Does PSN handle a universal gamertag that allows for real time leaderboard chases on score-based games like 360?
- Does the universal gamertag apply to PSP games?
- Does PSP have trophy support or is that only PS3?
- I kept reading PS3 games like Lair and Everyday Shooter work on PSP, so are these games out there for both systems that you can purchase on either side? Or is it like you gotta have a PS3 first and then it transfers a version to PSP? Are all PS3 games like this? Are all PSN games like this? Can I play Shatter on PSPgo?
- Does anybody know if reports are saying the d-pad sucks again like old PSPs?
- Do PSN funds from say, prepaid cards work interchangeably for PSP or PS3 PSN downloads? Or are there two types of of points to obtain like Nintendo does?
- Anything else I should know?

Bonus Question:
Can Palm Pre do custom ringtones of whatever sample I want to use? Or are they locking that out like how Apple does it?

Thanks for any help.


I ran numbers and concluded:
iPhone Get: $300 32GB
AT&T celli plan (forced everything*least minutes): $100month fuck my life

Palm Pre Get: $200 8GB
PSPgo Get: $250 16GB (+expandable x3)
Total: $450 32GB (+)
My current super-discounts Sprint celli plan (everything*least minutes): $50month

Owning either side for 3 months:
iPhone spent: 300 + $100 + $100 + $100 = $600
PREgo spent: $450 + $50 + $50 + $50 = $600

Owning either side for forced 24 months:
iPhone spent: $FUCK
PREgo spent: $NOT FUCK

[Specineff]

Dude, don't get the PSP go. It feels very full of fail, for all its good features. It's more of an experiment by Sony to see if they can move into digital distribution, but if the PS Store is any indication, it will be full of fail. I know space is important, but I am willing to bet the little slider screen is going to be cause of a lot of trouble for users. It just looks flimsy as hell.

Grab a series 2000 and haxx0r it. CPS1, CPS2, Genesis, NES and GBA emulation on the go.

A few games support custom soundtracks, but it's the rare minority.

It does support MP3 and WMA, not sure about AAC. Custom playlists are supported, provided you make them yourself on your media player on PC, or use SonicStage by Sony. Quality wise, it's decent, but my Minidisc players blow it away.

The PSN store is haphazardly made, IMHO, and works only because magic unicorn spit and a bunch of SCEA elves keep it together.

No universal Gamertag, AFAIK.

Trophies only on PS3.

It's one PSN store for all systems. Not all PS3 games let you transfer to PSP. Most PSN games can be played on either system, particularly PS1 games.

Don't get the Go unless you feel like being used as a guinea pig and be ripped off while at it. 250 bucks is 50 short of a brand new PS3.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Got to agree. I know you've said that you're not interested in a UMD-playing PSP, but if you opt for the Go there's a very good chance that you're going to be left with a system that has even fewer games to offer.

A gamertag on PS3 - or whatever name Sony use for it - is consistent across all PS3 games, so I can't see why Sony wouldn't do the same for the Go.

I've been seriously considering picking up an iPod Touch over the last couple of months, purely for gaming. Edge just featured a big rundown this month of the machine's best games and there look to be some corkers in there, all for insanely low prices.

[Cthulhu]

If you don't have a PSP now then the PSPGo is slightly more attractive, but I really don't like it myself. 1) It looks like the analog stick is still played really poorly 2) who knows what games will make it to the download service and which won't 3) you can't import games for it 4) it seems way overpriced for the technology you're getting.

The iPhone has a few decent games and LOTS of junk. I still don't consider it much of a gaming platform (and yes, I do have one ). No Palm for me right now, not sure how much game development is being done for it.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Yeah, that was the other thing I meant to say - PSN accounts on regular PSPs lock the system to that region for all future downloads. So, if you set up a European account on your PSP, you can only ever access the European store on that PSP in future. It'll still play UMDs from all regions, though.

I've not heard if this is still true of the PSP Go or not, but I'd have thought so.

[Elixir]

PSP Go sounds like garbage, and probably is. First up, no UMD support. This cuts out the entire PSP's library, assumes you have wireless internet access, and you can only purchase UMD based games that are available on the future PSN store. All the mainstream titles like Locoroco, Lumines, God of War and Patapon will be there, but the rest probably won't be. I find it very unlikely that they'll go to the trouble of making every single PSP game available to download. They're trying really hard to stop people from pirating PSP games by doing this, but it isn't gonna work.

Then there's another issue, the design. It makes Monster Hunter impossible to play on, because of the analog and dpad layout. If you get a PSP, you're gonna want to check out Monster Hunter at some point. The battery life, just like the 3000, is shorter. Last year the 3000 came out and it was actually inferior to the 2000 because it had interlacing issues, as well as a shorter battery life for a "brighter screen". Sony's response to this was that the interlacing issues "are a new feature" (this is such bullshit) and that they aren't going to do anything about them.

The 3000 wasn't worth it. It was, just like Nintendo's DSi, a stall so that they could keep the console at full price for another year and evade a price drop. I don't blame them for doing this, I mean, it's a marketing tactic. But it's still something you can avoid buying into.

2000's are very hard to find brand new (I couldn't find any online without having to pay ABOVE the price of a 3000) but they're still the best model out there. I can't recommend the PSP Go at all. As for the other stuff, I doubt they'll hold your interest for very long. The whole process of purchasing something, waiting for it to arrive, and messing with it is probably the most enjoyment you'll get out of owning an iPhone. Maybe try a DS Lite or DSi instead.

Been thinking of buying a Japanese DSi myself lately, mostly for aa mujou setsuna. I dunno though, I would probably need to get a compatible flash cart as well. Either route you take, the hacking scenes are alive. PSP's hacking scene is really strong and has always been that way.

[t0yrobo]

I don't know much about the psp or pre, but I give a hearty vote against an iphone. My girlfriend used to have a touch and while it was fairly neat, playing music was easily one of it's weakest features, and of however many thousands of games that are on it there's maybe 10 that are any good.

[Matsunaga]

If you care more about music, go with the iPod or iPhone. The PSP's music capabilities aren't even close. I have both, and my PSP has a total of 0 songs on it. If you want games, it's the exact opposite. Some iPhone games are ok for an hour or two, but there's nothing to compare with the PSP. A touch screen is never going to be better than real controls, and the overall quality is light years behind on the iPhone. You should probably just get both, but not a PSP Go, get a 2000.

[DJ Incompetent]

I would like to thank you guys for the contributions. Good new things to think about.
The cheap slide-screen durability is definitely something to hold back on as every slider cell phone I've encountered has a habit of crashing or rebooting after too many slides. Fuck, Pre has that too.
I'll wait a week for a gaming blog shitstorm after release.

Don't get the Go unless you feel like being used as a guinea pig and be ripped off while at it. 250 bucks is 50 short of a brand new PS3.

This is where I debate the whole thing. Yes, you're right if this was only for gaming, $250 is a ripoff. But the big change is tiny pocket size and 16GB instead of 64MB. That's huge. This puts it right in the iPod competition range. 16GB iPod nano is $160. I don't have one so to me, this PSPgo thing is probably going to be 70% mp3 player and 30% quality gaming. So if I examine the market, this is like buying a $150 iPod and $100 state of the art gaming hotness that I maybe, just maybe could watch my mixes on. Yeah I'm disappointed in the UMD debate, but I searched the downloadable list and easily found 10 games I'm going to get. I put in the 20-50 hours mastering each one, so that's plenty of me to do especially if I can boot the entire collection at will. I don't care about the 3D gaming much, so I probably won't need to fret about the analog nub. All my portable gaming is done at work or in a line somewhere.
I have a DS phat, but Nintendo is all against the technological convergence thing, so I've recently decided against the DSi. If I can get a quality music player, gaming machine, and smartphone that I can keep on me all at once, fuck yes. But if AT&T is being a gouge and iPhone mehs out in a few catagories, why not keep it at two "always on me" devices. At least it gives me double the battery life when I inadvertently disappear from my house a few days and am at crashing somewhere random.

Going by what Matsunaga says, I have a lotta nonstop mixes, so I can fill the Go up with 80min songs an hit shuffle. That's good enough I suppose.

Anyway, I got plans to look at and more research to do. Tis a good day to consult the internet.

[Ed Oscuro]

I has a Blackberry, lol (a used one that I just use as a clock until I get it on the network)

Microsoft might get something going with the Zune - it's the perfect device for gaming really - but Apple has the lead with applications, including Enviro-Bear 2010

[Specineff]

. But the big change is tiny pocket size and 16GB instead of 64MB. That's huge. This puts it right in the iPod competition range. 16GB iPod nano is $160.

Whoa, chief, slow down. 64MB is the RAM available to both systems. 16GB is the storage on the Go, which cannot be increased, AFAIK. You can give a slim the same storage by using two memory sticks of 8 GB each, for less than the total price of the Go. Also, as delicate as it seems, the last place you want to put a PSPGo is your pants pocket. Given how the first editions of Sony's consoles have fared so far, I would suggest holding off on the Go purchase. Sony is just testing the waters and seeing if they can jump into digital distribution with this. Just like the DSI hasn't set the world on fire, I doubt the PSP Go will.

If you're not going to use it for gaming, then don't buy an overpriced handheld. A dedicated music/media player will serve you better.

That's my take, and thanks for listening.

[DJ Incompetent]

Whoa, chief, slow down. 64MB is the RAM available to both systems. 16GB is the storage on the Go, which cannot be increased, AFAIK.

See? Gaming journalism. Rubbish. Can't even get a internal storage spec outta shit. But anyway, Go is expandable but with some different other micro pro stick duo format something or other. Somethin' different from the old PSPs. Apparently expandable up to 32GB extra tho. Super expensive proprietary format, much like how 8mb for PS2 is still $25 I imagine.

But no I don't want to go back to swapping sticks, cartridges, little cards the size of my frikkin' fingernail, any of that shit. I lost so many DS games and SD cards, man. I just want my shit in one place for once. Keeping track of those fuckin' chargers is bad enough.

If you're not going to use it for gaming, then don't buy an overpriced handheld. A dedicated music/media player will serve you better.

That's my take, and thanks for listening.

fiiiine, I'll be a smart consuuumer. Thaaanks Specineff

I want a working L button!

Waiting through 10 different hardware revisions of PSP DS iPhone Zunes; It was hard! I want to buy something *wah*!