Whee! PSP-3000 announced for October release!

[japester]

I finally took the plunge into portable gaming last December with a silver PSP-2000, and I've been enjoying it way more than I have a right to. LOL. While I'm in no hurry to throw my trusty unit away in favor of the hot new thing, I'm definitely stoked about an improved model coming out so quickly.

If you haven't read the news, it's basically the same unit--smart move since changing the size, shape, computing power, or media would alienate the entire current user base--but with some nice little improvements. The main two are a built-in mic (great for Skype) and a screen that is supposed to have a higher contrast and reduced glare. Maybe now you can play games outdoors?

My only real beef with my unit is extremely low volume when playing UMD movies. I have good hearing, but I have to crank the main volume to max and use the UMD volume adjusted to +2, and I can barely hear some movies, even when using headphones. A lot of people have the same complaint, but not everybody. So either there is a large number of defective units, or some people have bionic hearing. Heh.

Bottom line: If you were planning on getting a slim, sexy PSP, wait 2 months. For the same price you can get an improved model with an even better bundle than the current Daxter pack.

[BioSoldier]

OMG NO SECOND ANALOGUE STICK!? Seriously, that's what a new model PSP needs. A second analogue stick. I've had my PSP since its release and it's fine. Just when playing FPS games such as Medal of Honour: Heroes, it sometimes gets annoying when aiming using triangle, circle, square and x.

Seriously if Sony wants more shooters for the PSP, they need the second damn analogue stick.. I won't be getting a new PSP until either a PSP2 comes out or mine breaks. So I'll pass on this.

[bioshock_fan]

I bought the original PSP-1000 a few years ago and am still happy with what I have...

[esipode]

I don't get the big attraction of the PSP. What does that PSP have that NOTHING else has? (Not including that insane Japanese technology)

[japester]

OMG NO SECOND ANALOGUE STICK!? Seriously, that's what a new model PSP needs.

Heh, I've heard that stated a lot on the PSP forums.

I think they held off on that because of what I said up above about alienating the current user base. If a game is designed to use two analog sticks, only the tiny percentage of user with the newest PSP could play. On the other hand, I suppose they could offer an alternate control scheme option that would ignore the second stick (so PSP-1000 and 2000 owners could play).

Another reason, though, would be form-factor. Changing the shape (would a second stick would do) would mean yet another change for carrying cases. Look how long its taken for PSP-2000 cases to come out. If the 3000 had an extra stick, they'd have to change it yet again. That would be bad.

[japester]

I don't get the big attraction of the PSP. What does that PSP have that NOTHING else has? (Not including that insane Japanese technology)

I don't really understand the question. I mean, do you have a cellphone? What does that have that nothing else has? I have a phone at home, I have a computer for texts and videogames, and I have a digital camera. The receptions is better on my home phone, my computer plays infinitely better games, and my digitcal camera takes higher quality pics. The trick is that the cellphone combines all of these into a small, portable unit.

The PSP is a portable PS2. That's enough right there to interest me. No other handheld has this kind of power. The NintendoDS (which is also fun) doesn't even come close in computing muscle. So I can play games--on the road, on a plane, during a trip--that are complex and have fantastic graphics.

I also watch movies on mine, which is great when you're on the go. I always have a Family Guy disc in there so I can catch a few minutes while I'm eating lunch or when waiting for my old lady to find just the right purse or pair of jeans.

Then there's all the features that I don't use as much, like wifi, internet browsing, media player, Skype, etc.

[Demitasse]

I don't really care about a second analogue stick which is really only used for camera angling. I'm much more concerned about Sixaxis, rumble, and HDUMD for the PSP2.