[Centraal] Sony's handheld de PSP(tm)

Jaja Sony gaat zich nu ook op de handheld's markt begeven .

Hij zal 't 4de kwart van 2003 uitkomen.

Sony Announce Handheld Gaming

This is absolutely huge. I mean, gargantuan. You might want to sit down and take a few deep breaths before reading on. At the annual SCEA press conference (held today ahead of E3 ), Ken Kutaragi, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, unveiled PSP, a brand new handheld entertainment platform. Pencilled in for release as early as late 2004, PSP (PlayStation Portable ) is based around the Universal Media Disc (UMD ), an entirely new 60mm optical disc housed in a cartridge similar to that of a Mini-Disc. The UMD has been developed by the Sony Group using its latest disc technologies, and will be used across a range of Sony products besides PSP.

While SCE has long been rumoured to be considering entering the handheld market (you may remember speculation about 'PocketStation' a few years back), this is the real deal. A new licence scheme that will allow third party publishers to develop for the platform will be announced as early as this summer, with the first PC-based development tools rolling out in autumn. Several of the major Japanese players are already said to be on board as partners in the project. As a portable device (i.e. not reliant on a TV), the PSP will also be free from region coding, meaning that PSP games from Japan and the US will work out of the box - good news for import fans.

Besides the aforementioned Universal Media Disc (which houses a whopping 1.8Gb - around three times as much data as a PS one disc), PSP is powered by super chipsets that take advantage of the latest 90nm semiconductor technology. Alongside traditional polygons, PSP also utilises NURBS (that's Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline for the technologically minded among you) for graphical quality that far surpasses that of PlayStation. The PSP's 4.5" screen is a 480 x 272 pixel TFT LCD monitor that uses the widescreen aspect ratio of 16: 9. The video CODEC is MPEG4, and it's estimated that the PSP will be capable of around two hours of high resolution full motion video playback at DVD quality.

But that's not all; PSP will include a USB 2.0 port for connectivity with other devices, such as PS2s or other PSPs, and a Memory Stick slot in place of a PS one or PS2 style Memory Card slot. As well as obvious functions such as saving game data, the Memory Stick can also be used for 'networking applications and data transportability in a wireless environment'. Now this sounds deliberately vague to us at the moment, but one thing is clear; the PSP's potential applications extend far beyond conventional handheld gaming. It's a brand new system, entirely separate from PS one or PS2, that is an entertainment device in the broadest imaginable sense of the world. Think games, think music, think video. Longer term, the potential uses are fairly mind boggling; radio, wireless communicator, digital camera, Global Positioning system...

Mind-blowingly exciting as this all is, we currently have no idea what the PSP will look like - it could be up to a year before the public unveiling of the first prototype - but SCE has confirmed that it will feature a similar button layout to the DualShock, albeit modified for the smaller, portable platform. Specifics on pricing are to be confirmed, but SCE is aiming to make the PSP a mass-market device, which suggests that affordability, both for the hardware and software, is likely to be a priority. If you're in any doubt as to just how huge an impact PSP will have, not just on gaming but on portable entertainment in general, we'll leave you with a quote from Kutaragi-san himself: "This is THE 'Walkman' of the 21st century". Enough said. Check back soon for more on PSP and other breaking news from the world's biggest games show.

PSP SPECIFICATIONS
Platform name: PSPTM
Display: Wide screen (16: 9) TFT LCD with backlight (480 x 272 dots)
Disc medium: UMD 60mm optical secured ROM disc with cartridge (1.8GB)
Video CODEC: MPEG4
Graphics: 3D Polygon/NURBS
Sound: PCM (built-in stereo speakers, stereo headphone output)
I/O: USB 2.0, Memory StickTM slot
Battery: Rechargeable (lithium-ion)

Edit:/ Ik zie net dat er een centrale thread "[Centraal] E3-2003 Overige Consoles + PC (info, screenshots, movies) "
maar dit gaat over Hardware, en die centrale thread is meer voor de games. En ik vond dit eigenlijk wel zo goed nieuws dat deze een aparte thread verdient of niet?

 

.........

hi! Flamingo

psp media pics(psp machine sce no open. sce says... sooner open.. may be E3 BOOTH OPEN?)


¡á PSP Business PSP : Q/A

Q: Is PSP a PS one COMBO with a battery?
A: No, it is a completely different product. It is the third format after PlayStation and PlayStation 2 and is one of the backbones of our business in the 21st century.



Q: How do you position it differently from PS one or PlayStation 2?
A: It is a completely different product from PS one and is the third format after PlayStation and PlayStation 2. It is one of the backbones of our business in the 21st century.
PS one is based on the technologies of PlayStation that was launched 10 years ago. PSP is a newer platform than PlayStation 2 and newer technologies are employed for graphics (MPEG4, 3D rendering using curved surfaces) and sound.



Q: How much is the price?
A: We will let you know of the details at a later date.


Q: Any clues how much it would be? (Which is closer, GBA price or Nokia price?)
A: We do not intend to price it as a digital home appliance or an IT device. We consider that a price should be accessible as a portable entertainment platform.


Q: What are the targeted consumer demographics?
A: Broad demographics are targeted. (Not just for children like existing portable machines target, or adults (generation between high teen and twenties) that PlayStation targeted at its very initial stage.)


Q: Do you intend for a simultaneous worldwide launch?
A: Not on the exact same date, but we intend to launch in the fourth quarter of 2004 worldwide (=Japan, North America and major European/PAL countries).


Q: Where do you manufacture? What is the planned monthly production?
A: TBD


Q: SCE seemed not so interested in a portable game machine business, but what made you change that policy?
A: It is not correct to say that we were not interested. Technology preparations have been completed to push us forward in the launch of a portable entertainment platform.
(development of secure optical disc, mass-production with 90nm semiconductor technology, high performance system with low-power consumption, procurement of high resolution LCD panel, etc.)


Q: Is PSP a rival machine of GBA?
A: PSP is a product with a whole new concept, different from existing handheld game machines. (It is not a rival machine to any of the existing game machines. It aims to create a broad market just like PlayStation has successfully done.)


Q: How many do you target to sell?
A: We do not have a concrete targeted figure, however, we aim to bring it up to a platform that equals or even surpasses PlayStation.



Q: With the launch of PSP, do you intend to terminate sales of PS one?
A: Launch of PSP is scheduled for 2004 and it is positioned differently from PS one.



Q: How much gross profit can be raised from the PSP hardware?
A: We do not disclose cost or profit of each product, but just as we do for PlayStation and PlayStation 2, we will raise profit from the hardware business.



¡á PSP Performance

Q: Tell us the detailed specifications of PSP (i.e. size, weight)
A: Details are to be announced at a later date.

Q: What is the size of the display?
A: About 4.5 inches. However, depending on factors to be decided, such as its design, size is subject to change.


Q: How powerful is PSP (compared to PlayStation and PlayStation 2)?
A: Graphics processing is far more powerful than PlayStation. Some features are even more powerful than PlayStation 2. Far more powerful graphics rendering than PlayStation is realized by the employment of NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline), in addition to polygons, render curved surfaces.


Q: Which CPU do you use? (Is it PlayStation CPU or PlayStation 2 CPU?)
A: 32 bit RISC chip. It is different from PS/PS2 CPUs.


Q: What is CPU¡¯s clock rate?
A: Far more higher performance than PlayStation.


Q: Is CPU ARM-base or MIPS-base?
A: We are not able to reply at this point in time.


Q: Is it compatible with PlayStation and PlayStation 2?
A: Game softwares are not compatible.


Q: How long is the battery¡¯s duration?
A: PSP will be equipped with a battery with necessary duration to be determined through the product development.


Q: What are the controller¡¯s specifications?
A: Entering keys will follow PlayStation and PlayStation 2 specs, however, they will be modified to fit portable platform characteristics.


Q: What is NURBS?
A: Technique based on calculation to render smooth curved surfaces. By the usage of NURBS, it is possible to reduce the amount of data.


Q: Will there be a video output?
A: No.


Q: Will there be region codes for software?
A: Considering portable platform characteristics, we do not intend to set region codes for game softwares.

Q: Will it support PlayStation memory card?
A: It support Memory Stick and PS/PS2 memory cards cannot be used.


Q: Why did you adopt Memory Stick?
A: Considering expandability.


Q: Will it support accessories that use Memory Stick?
A: It is being considered. (tuner, camera, GPS, wireless, censor, etc.)



Q: What do you use as OS?
A: Just as PlayStation and PlayStation 2, it will be comprised of the original kernel and libraries.
.

Q: Can it be used as PDA by replacing OS?
A: It is not being considered at this point in time, however, depending on how popular it will become, we may think about it.


Q: Will it become possible to enjoy PSP by connecting it to other PSPs or to PlayStation 2s?
A: Yes, but how to will depend on softwares.


Q: Can PSP become an USB host?
A: The fact that more than one PSP can be connected together means it can become a host.



¡á Software Development

Q: What is the estimated software price?
A: TBD

Q: How much is a royalty per software (disc)?
A: We do not discuss details of the business model at this point in time.


Q: Can PS/PS2 softwares be converted to run on PSP?
A: Software itself is not compatible, however, we will make it possible so that PS architecture and libraries can be utilized to reduce developers¡¯ excessive works. We expect that softwares that match portable platform characteristics will be created.


Q: How much is the development tool?
A: Development tool will be a PC-based emulation tool. Price is to be determined, however, it would be less expensive than our other development tools.


¡á UMD

Q: What is UMD?
A: Universal Media Disc. It is a 60 mm optical disc newly developed by the Sony Group.


Q: What are the disc specifications?
A: We will announce details at a later date.

Q: Is it single or double layer?
A: With a capacity of 1.8GB, double layer is planned.


Q: What about specifications of disc pick-up, laser, wavelength, etc.
A: We will use red light emission. Other details will be announced at a later date.


Q: Is UMD recordable?
A: For the time being, we intend ROM.


Q: Will it compatible with existing other discs?
A: No, it will not be compatible with existing other discs.


Q: UMD supports MPEG4, but how long can a full motion video be recorded?
A: About 2 hours of high resolution full motion video with a quality equivalent to DVD video, by using MPEG4.


Q: What other video CODEC than MPEG4 does it support?
A: We are currently discussing.


Q: What is a reason for employing new disc format as a recording medium?
A: 20 years have passed since the development of CD and 10 years from DVD, and now we have become ready to manufacture a small size, large capacity optical disc by using the latest technologies. We intend to apply various advantages of an optical disc medium that we proved through the PlayStation business, such as cheap cost, high productivity for both small and mass production, to this new portable entertainment platform and to refurbish the out-dated mask ROM-base business.


Q: Where do you manufacture UMDs?
A: For the time being, discs will be manufactured using Sony Group¡¯s manufacturing infrastructure.


Q: Is there a possibility of using UMD for products other than PSP?
A: We plan for a wide application within the Sony Group.



¡á Impact on Financial Performance

Q: How much is the R&D cost of PSP?
A: We do not disclose R&D cost of each product.


Q: Is the R&D cost already considered for in the financial performance forecast for the FY03?
A: Yes.


Q: Wasn¡¯t 90 nm process intended for manufacturing EE+GS?
A: The same process will be used.


Q: How do you differentiate PSP¡¯s positioning from Sony¡¯s CLIE?
A: CLIE is a PDA for business use and PSP is an entertainment player.


Q: How do you separate PSP business from Sony¡¯s mobile phone business?
A: Mobile phone is a communication terminal and PSP is a disc-based entertainment player (and display size, medium, memory capacity, CPU performance, etc. are different).

 

damn, this is f*cking nice!!!!!!

 

nep ding

 

1.8GB

 

Spannend!

Leuk, eindelijk echte concurrentie voor de Gameboy. Na de consoles 'oorlog' nu de handhelds 'oorlog'?
Ook nu dat ding van Nokia er bijna aankomt....

 

very samll umd media

 

Echt koel dingskie . Ik denk alleen dat hij wel wat duurder wordt dan de GBA(SP)... Jammer genoeg .

 

en zij patsen met de grootte van het schijfje!
die van de gamecube is even groot.

 

Ben benieuwd naar de prijs. Minimum 250 € zeker?

 

Ik denk wel erg duur, ze rekenen natuurlijk op de PS2 fanbase.

 

maar de gamecube is geen handheld

 

Ehm...wat moet je met 3D sound uit je handheld??? (of is dat heel dom )

 

ditzelfde gezeik kregen we bij de gba.. graphics net zo goed als die van de psx, hoge resolutie CG graphics blabla.. en wat hebben we? een opgetiefte supernes.. niet dat ik er niet blij mee ben.. maar er wordt altijd gehyped, en dan nog vooral door de keuken van Sony.. ik zie hier (helaas) wel toekomst voor.. maar wat moet zo'n ding met 1.8 GB opslagcapaciteit?? hij staat geplant voor Q4 2004, dus hij komt op z'n vroegs midden in 2005 uit .. en hier nog later.. de gamecube werd ook voor eind 2001 in japan aangekondigt maar arriveerde meer dan een half jaar later.. het vertraagd altijd.. ik kijk er wel naar uit, maar het ding lijkt me erg duur worden als je het zo ziet..

 

Concurrentie op de handheldmarkt...hmmm...nice, ik zie nu een beetje hetzelfde gebeuren als zoveel jaar geleden. Nintendo staat lang op een koppositie (lees monopolie) en uit het niets is daar Sony. We zullen zien.

Ik heb het evenmin op Sony, als op de handhelds van Nintendo. Ik bedoel, de eerste Gameboy ging jááááren mee, toen kregen we....(trommelgeroffel).....de Game Boy Pocket, jawel een maatje kleiner, vervolgens na een jaartje de Game Boy Color (eindelijk een noemenswaardige verbetering) en sindsdien is die elke anderhalf/twee jaar opgevolgt door weer een nieuwe handheld, en dat terwijl Sega al in de tijd van de originele Game Boy al met een handheld kwam die zich min of meer met de GBA kon meten.

De SP mag dan wel een prima apparaat geworden zijn, maar dat hadden ze naar mijns inziens ook anderhalf jaar gelden kunnen bedenken, desnoods hadden ze de GBC nog een jaartje extra laten draaien om vervolgens gelijk met de uiteindelijke versie van de GBA te komen.

Ook zijn de games die Nintendo uitbrengt vrijwel allemaal poorts van de SNES, met hier en daar wat aanpassingen die voor de oude Nintendo fan niet noemenswaardig zijn

Nee ik vind dat Nintendo een beetje misbruik maakt van haar machtspositie op handheld gebied, dus een beetje concurrentie zal niet mis zijn.

 

en dat ding is nog steeds een 32 bit, als ie waarschijnlijk pas in 2005 uitkomt? als ze echt de gameboy willen verslaan zouden ze zich daar toch iets meer op moeten focussen, of ligt dat aan mij

(wel weer een orginele naam hoor, de PSP.. zal vast niet voor playstation pocket staan )

 

Dit melde Ilse.nl:

Draagbare Playstation in 2004 op de markt

Uitgegeven: 14 mei 2003 06:20

LOS ANGELES - Het Japanse elektronicabedrijf Sony komt in het vierde kwartaal van 2004 met een draagbare spelcomputer. Sony maakte het nieuwe product met de naam PSP dinsdag bekend op een computerspellenbeurs in Los Angeles, meldde het Japanse persbureau Kyodo.

Met de draagbare spelcomputer wil Sony de aanval inzetten op de Gameboy van Nintendo. De Gameboy domineert momenteel de markt voor draagbare spelcomputers.

De PSP van Sony wordt een draagbare variant van Playstation 2, de populaire spelcomputer van het Japanse bedrijf. Sony heeft nog niets gezegd over de prijs van het nieuwe apparaat.

 

.......



quiter site upload... (quiter site master says.. i think fake.. may be sooner open e3 booth)


Flamingo found PSP!

THIS?????

hmm

 

Mmmmm it's round.

I don't know, what do you think?

Thnx that you help me to find pictures.

Edit:

There are no pic's of it, maybe wait a few months..