Posted Apr 10, 2007 at 10:32PM by Ceasar S. Listed in: Nintendo DS, PSP Tags: Sony, Cnet
Ó

Sony's PSP - who said girls don't like it? - Image 1 


Nintendo DS caters to the good girl - Image 1Apart from the fact that both handhelds come in pretty pink, neither should serve a particular gender. But this particularly interesting topic of debate sneaked into DS and PSP forums when a CNET editor seemed to attribute the DS' success to women favoring the DS over the PSP.

Nintendo DS serves the bad girl, too! - Image 1While Sony may be touting a more masculine image for their latest handheld that is taking male gamers by storm, the DS has tapped to an equal share of men and women.

As a result, the PSP has had trouble catching up. According to David Carnoy, "chicks dig the DS and that's a problem."

The problem is, when men do introduce the handheld to their wives, sisters or girlfriends, most of the time they will find the DS more interesting than the PSP. But that's not to say that the PSP isn't doing anything about it. In fact, with games like hypnotically-alluring Loco Roco suddenly catching female gamers eyes, the PSP does cater to the fairer side.

DS for women and PSP for men? No wai! - Image 1The problem shouldn't be solved with a stereotypical response. It's fair enough that even the most hardcore of MMO players are mostly women, so why should the console be any different? Bring some puppy petting and pony prancing games to the PSP, and see more female gamers flock to the Sony handheld. It's what you can offer that makes women come after you. Ain't that right guys?

So enough of the "PSP for guys and DS for gals", folks: after all, it's all about the love of gaming that keeps us all hooked to our favorite console. DS for women and PSP for men? No wai!


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62 Comments


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   by mjg (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » ds sux

so few m rated games


   Re: Gin (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » So what

A rating does not make a game. You can have as much blood as you want but without good game play you will be going back to E rated games like Super Mario every time.

I think that at a certain point you have to take a step back, stop trying to act "cool" and Just appreciate games for what they are.

   Re: jimtim2000 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » BOTH SYSTEMS ATTRACT BOYS AND GIRLS.

My wife has 2 psp's.She has a pink one and the old school black one. We play socom just about every night and she loves it. There are tons of puzzle games that she loves to get into as well. She feels the same as I when I say that the DS is pretty much focusd towards children. I am not saying that women play children games, but they are more likely to play a game that is a little more simpleto play( like ds games) then a game on the psp which forces you to use up to six buttons at a time.

For me I just dont think the ds fits into the adult male gamer area. I have 4 words.
1. Fighting
2. Racing
3. Sports
4. Shooters.

I love these genres and so do most adult male gamers, not saying that women dont either, but it shows the ds is focused towards children like games.

Fighting - As for fighting games, the ds doesnt offer much, ok it doesnt offer *****, where as the psp offers tekken, the con, wrestling, fight night, mortal kombat, street fighter andthe list goes on. The ds doesnt have this.

Racing - the ds has mario kart...I am not haing on mario kart,but good grief thats pretty much all you get. Everything else looks like ***** compared to the psp, which has an endless list of games for racing. RidgE Racer, The burnouts, Need for Speeds,(which look like ***** on the ds) and the list goes on

Sports - Heck I dont even have to go here, we all know the ds doesnt offer anything. Even so, its just the same games on the psp with very crappy graphics.

Shooters - Now here I must admit that the ds does have a lot of shoots, like splinter cell syphon filter, socom, 007, ....wait these games are all just on the psp.


   Re: a sexy girl (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » are you saying im stupid??

"the psp which forces you to use up to six buttons at a time."

does this mean that women cant use up to six buttons at a time? if it does, i should come over there and kick your scrawny little white punk ass! im huge, im a beast, im a 6 foot 5 woman that weighs 300 pounds, i could probably sit on you and nobody could find you!! take that mr. im on the internet and nobody knows who i am on here! im comin to get you!!

haha, no im just joking, im a guy

   Re: Snarg (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » .

" im a 6 foot 5 woman that weighs 300 pounds, i could probably sit on you and nobody could find you!!"

Um, maybe think about changing your handle then. lol

   Re: Reality (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » A word from me

Yeah right, the DS is for women. DS secretly stands for ***** suckers.

The PSP secretly stands for ***** suckin pimps

   Re: Dodo - 2007-04-14
 » hahaahha

Re: Reality (Unregistered) - 3 days ago

"Yeah right, the DS is for women. DS secretly stands for ***** suckers.

The PSP secretly stands for ***** suckin pimps"


Hahahaha lmfao! best post i've read today.
   by Me (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » Correction

DS for kids PSP for men


   Re: Advertising -


   Re: MasamunesBlade14 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » XD

so true

   Re: spyder52 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-12
 » XD

So true
   by DA BEST (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » VERY TRUE

HOW ABOUT PSP 4 EVERY1 & DS 4 THE DUMP :)


   Re: jimtim2000 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » VERY TRUE

That about says it. The only reason it is out selling everything is that for every one adult who plays games there are 4-5 kids who want a ds, just because their friends have it. Thus multiplying its sale by 4-5.

   Re: Neuromancer (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » DS for kids

The DS is pwning the PSP because ADULTS in Aus, Eng, and asian countries are buying it like hotcakes. I knew that the PSP was better in almost every way than the DS, but I bought a DS because the only games released for PSP are lame ass ports of Playstation One games...and not the good, award-winning ones, but whatever the companies have laying around. That is bogus.

   Re: mohaas05 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » ds is selling good

because nintendo is applying a thin coat of ecstasy on the box to drug people into buying it
   by sexy (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » sexy

whats a sexy game for the psp? with tits and stuff in it?


   Re: - (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » ok,

try psp pool, but why are you posting that here?
   by WoW (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » WOW O RLY OMG ROXXZ0RS Meh SockZZorzz

Its a really slow news day when QJ has to rile up the fanboys for some static...

   by Advertising -
   by Strangler (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » re

so is that why psp owners are making pokemon and mario games for it?

http://pspupdates.qj.net/PSPokemon-Alpha-Release/pg/49/aid/89093#comments


   Re: ... (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Yup...

The people who are creating those games obviously recognize that the PSP is a far superior/more powerful system, giving them more to work with and a wider audience. If you release something for the PSP, people are going to use it...as for the DS, no one probably cares for anything except for a couple old emulators. So what, people are creating the few good game franchises that Nintendo has and are bringing them to PSP...its cool... (Mario, Zelda, Pokemon)...rest is crap...not that Pokemon is good anymore...but it used to be fun...like six years ago..

   Re: me (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » lol

the reason why is because they can?
nuff said
   by Strangler (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » re

I just checked the list here at GFs and never since the xbox1 have I seen such a boring and uninspiring list of upcoming games.

If you check the release dates is seems that the flow of good PSP games has already dried up. There are a few gems on the way, which should make the PSP fans happy, but anyone looking to buy a PSP in the future is making a big mistake.

Lets look at some of the games headed to the PSP in the near future.

Pocket Pool
7 Wonders
Fast and the Furious
Hard Rock Casino
Ultimate Board Games
The Cube
Coded Arms 2 (Contagion) Also headed to the PS2
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (lmao!)
Steel Horizon
Taito Legends 2 (also coming to PS2)
Heat Seeker
Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing
Shrek the 3rd
Brooktown High Senior Year
Diner Dash

Etc...

The future is looking very bleak. We heard rumors on this very site about Devs dropping PSP titles and now it appears that rumor turned out to be a fact. Then we heard rumors of retailers dumping PSP hardware/software. A few weeks later that also turned out to be a fact.

Now we hear rumors stating that something terrible is going to happen to the PSP just at the end of the summer. There are some that say that retailers are using the recent PSP price drop to clear their shelves of PSP items for good.

I wonder if this last "rumor" will turn out to be true? it appears the others have all proven true. I'm betting this one will as well.


   Re: WarLord - 2007-04-11
 » That's not all...

Try these upcomming releases for size:

-Disgaea
-FF tactics
-FF 1+2
-FF7 crisis core
-Valhala Knights
-Legend of the dragon (I'll get it anyway...)
-Crazy Taxi
-Alien syndrome
-Riviera: the promise land
-Tales of the world
-Dungeon maker
-Jeanne d'Arc
-Manhunt 2
-Silent Hill origins
-Castlevania: Dracula X cronicles
-Monster hunter freedom 2
-Brave story: new traveler
-Tenchu: Time of the assassins
-God of war
-Grand Turismo 4
-Devil may cry

And as you say, etc. My guess is that you deliberately left these titles out of your pathetic list to make it seem like the psp is a lost cause when in fact it's game library is growing with great upcomming games. (BTW, 90% of the titles listed above should be comming sometime this year.). If you're looking forward to most of those titles, then the future is looking very bright.

   Re: MasamunesBlade14 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » O_o Aaaah diner dash!

lol don't forget oblivion, when that hits.....whenever it is, it'll be cool. Strangler, something tells me your a ladies man.

   Re: Nameless... (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » PSP + Ok

Nice list WarLord, but I think Ill just stick with Final Fantasy, DMC (is this even coming out?), and God of War...and Castlevania + MHF 2. The rest are ok but not killer.
Also it sort of seems like you just added titles on your list to make it seem like there are a bunch of good games that are coming out. Some of those games can be debated about whether they are good or bad. That or you just like all those games...

PS
is it just me or is that list composed of Square games and hack+slash? I dunno all those games so...

   Re: WarLord - 2007-04-12
 » Any game is debatable.

I just picked out the group of games that a large number of people will be looking forward to (Or would at least like to rent). Strangler on the other hand picked out alot of games that people aren't really lookin forward to. I'm not sure whether he was aware of the games I mentioned, or he was just trying to spin things in favor of his argument, but whatever the case I had to intervene somehow. If people think the games I mentioned above aren't good looking, then maybe they should stay on the DS side. I doubt any games on this section will interest them.
   by [Fox] (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » dont forget psp editability and hackability

my girlfriend and my sister really like the more tha all trusty black psp my sister (11) likes locoroco and the sims and tekken and naruto

my girl likes locoroco as well and tekken and call of duty and medal of honour

ds has only got nintendogs
the rest is for kids


   Re: Neuromancer (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » DS editability and hackability

It's called a flash cart jackass... People have been stealing software for the DS and PSP since a month or two after their release...neither is special in this regard

   Re: Advertising -


   Re: MasamunesBlade14 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » I like the ds, but the psp is better

I'm misinformed on how much the ds can do when it comes to hacking, something tells me that you're to hardcore ds to accept that the psp has more to offer when it comes to hacks and homebrew.
   by Jake (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Haha

Haha DS is for women. Burn!

Oh and the whole "developers don't like the PSP because people pirate their games blah blah" thing is a complete lie. Developers are in fact amazed of how powerful the PSP is and not only are more games being made for the PSP but also sequels to ones that are already out e.g. Tekken, Loco Roco, Coded Arms etc. Oh and downloading DS games and running them on a DS is a hell of a lot easier then doing it on the PSP. All of my friends that have a DS don't even buy games, they just download 100 of them from a bittorrent and are set for life. Although most people who buy DSs are of the younger generation and so don't quite know how to do that whereas the more mature generation of the PSP do. Either way I doubt the PSP is gonna "die" just 'cause you can play pirate games on there, it's happened to every single console out there.

   by ha (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » yeah right

"DS for women and PSP for men?"
doesn't matter, what matter is,
who's number 1, baby

   by bystander (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » yeah, sure

one thing is sure - the world will never run short of idiotic website editors (the author of the original article) and gnarly f@nboys (the mass here).


   Re: MasamunesBlade14 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » It's nice to know that

Everyone has something, we have games, perhaps one day you'll go back to your best sellers book club and realize that you too have that fanboy inside XD.

   Re: bystander (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » no prob

good point. of all the things inside, a gadgetry fanboy should be eveybody's first choice back at our bestsellers fanclubs. it makes you.. erm, cool, i guess. but worry not, i play games just as well (after all this is a gamers site), i just guess i'm not pubescent enough to get giddy about them. cheers.
   by lawl (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » n00b

ds is for little girls

   by hush404 - 2007-04-11
 » it's simple

DS is for retards
PSP is for gamers.

   by Uhn (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » haha

sweet now we have proof that DS=***** and PSP= macho


   Re: - (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » no,

no, the ds + ***********************************************************************
   by Zak1392 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Lol its offical

QJ does post alot of dumb *****.

   by DtotheK (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » ...

what if you have both... like me... :P


   Re: Dodo - 2007-04-14
 » ...

Then you're a girly pants nancy boy.
   by Danny (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » they both are unique

and you lot didn't make them, but you wish You did, so It's good to use your imagination,,,, if you havn't used it -then your just attemping to hurt somebody by abusiveness.

   by Strangler (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » re

the gamecube or the wii dont get every single one of their handheld games ported to it like the sp2 does with psp titles liek gta, emrcury, lumanites, tokobots, etc. Whats the point of owning a psp when u can play better evrsions of its games on a ps2 that costs liek half as much to buy and on a much bigger screen with better control?


   Re: ??? (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Lmao

Ok you obviously have no idea what a portable system is supposed to do. It's great that the psp has so many awsome ports that you can bring with yourself. And why nintendo port any gamecube game? They all suck.
   by psphackman - 2007-04-11
 » True

my 13 year old sister wants a ds but i told her they were *****
cause
1.grafx sucks ass
2.who cares about touch screen THERE TWO SMALL SCREENS!
3.no music
4.no video
5.i don't think expanable memory
6.peice of ***** games
7.jap crap

So that's way they suck anyone want to add anything?
o btw maybe girls don't know how to use a psp what with the usb and hacking and everything?


   Re: erfasdh (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » jkafhdkj

holy *****

isn't a game system for games? i didn't know game systems were meant to play videos and music.

also, the DAC inside the psp sucks a lot.

When you say the DS is "jap crap", isn't the PSP "jap crap" too?

Games and how fun they are is subjective.

   Re: psphackman - 2007-04-11
 » no

the ds is more japenese and i meant it's really cheap

So i'm guessing you like ds more?

   Re: Nameless (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » I got it!

So the DS is for ppl who want games and the PSP is for people who want computers! It all maeks sense now...JK. I cant believe how much people hate the DS around here. Was this only posted on PSP News? And saying "Jap Crap" seems a little racist, dont you think? Its not like the PSP wasnt made by the Japanese or anything...
   by doodad (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Ooooh!

i wouldn't mind meeting The Bad Girl! The things i'd do to her....

   by ... (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Bah

People only buy the DS because Nintendo owns it.

   by Susie (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » uhhhh

rofl..im a girl..i have a psp...ds is for kiddies =p

   by Tyler Durden (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » DS is a compact

The DS is shaped like, and folds together and apart, just like a makeup compact. OF COURSE the women like it!

They don't understand the cool hard black steel that is the mighty PSP!

   by anonymous (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » ds sux so throw it to the garbage

ds sucks really and nintendo sucks.sony rucks just look at ther publishing history does gamecube can stand the coolness of ps2 even ps1.psp rucks my fellas.yah gaming system is for games but is psp only a gaming system?the answer is no!!that thing makes psp a hell cooler than ds.and cmon we are in the 2007 do you still want to play mario wario and too many games for kids when your just grown up?and ds only have few games and all their games are like other like mario,mario cart,mario tennis,metroid,metriod fusion,pokemon dash,pokemon puzzle,wario,wario master of disguise!there all the same doesnt it make sense?

   by p0stal_sean (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » yeeaaah

i dotn know what 2 say i know alot of mmo female fans so thats true but i dont think i know a single girl that owns a ds or psp aside from the girl i bought my new psp from ummm well my wife could play any system she wnats as long as she looks like the women above so i plead that let wemon play whatever system they want i chose variety and mutliple gadgets 2 play with but most wemon dont take time 2 figure why stuff works (most not all just havent meet any of the good ones) so the ds is prbly right up there alley expecially with all the mushy games for it. oh well though it dont matter what sex u are as long as u can play so i say if psp wants 2 take on a femimane touch then have fun i plead dont give a f*ck

   by Strangler (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » re

great psp games for a girl:

poccrolois
exit
gurumin
every extent extra
lumanites 2
mercury meltdown

   by Um (Unregistered) - 2007-04-12
 » Sharing Views

As a person living in East Asia(Asia Pacific), I share some views regarding genre with the handhelds.

First, we do mention that DS is for kids, PSP is for men. I completely agree with that. Kids usually don't buy the handhelds themselves, their parents buy it for them. All it might seem, other than the obvious price issues, DS games are more simple, and some importantly, less violent. While an adult might choose the PSP, because of the more challenging games available in the PSP platform, not to mention other features of the console.

As for genre issues, among the east asian girls holding a handheld console, most of them are a NDSL. Yes, there are many PSP female owners, but far more of them own a NDSL. Reletively simple and easy gameplay, cute characters of some games, and the compact size of the console itself contribute to the success. Colors, on the other hand, doesn't seem to matter too much, pink isn't a big deal, many girls have black NDSLs and black PSPs. The release of title Monster Hunter P2, Gundam Seed VS Portable and maybe DJMax Portable 2(I think DJMAX2 can attract girls)do help a lot in the PSP, seems like a sudden revival of the PSP, but again, other than DJMAX2, the other two games don't quite attract girls, unless they want to play with their boyfriend. Again there are simple games in the PSP for girls, but they weren't quite successful. Gurumin is released here for a long time, yet it couldn't make a big success, characters might look cute, yet it is a PSP game and not a DS gamem it is already a fact here telling girls should get the DS because asian girls loves the DS a lot.

Whether it is, it is everyone's right to choose which console suits them the best. Men and women, after all, both fit into a category called "Human". Numbers doesn't really matter, who cares if many girls wants a DS, if I am a girl, I would still choose to buy a PSP over a DS, because PSP suits me more.

   by DT (Unregistered) - 2007-04-12
 » Poney games ?

Trust me, only 20% of the girls (90% of the 13 years old) like that pony games, or that DDR clone that is Bratz dance on GBA.

Don't think Girls -> Love pony games by definition.
I have multiple examples :
- My girlfriend likes Loco Roco (me too by the way), Splinter Cell (I don't), Serious Sam II (love that one) but dislikes howeverit'scalled that stupid pony ranch game
- My cussin plays FPS on the pc, then plays some motorbike game or Tony Hawk

   by your momma (Unregistered) - 2007-04-12
 » ds sucks psp rocks

ds sucks my **** psp licks my **** i love psp it rocks

   by Aisha (Unregistered) - 2007-04-12
 » I have both and...

I have both portables, the NDS and PSP... To be very honest? I like my NDS better, somehow... its easy to use and more "intuitive"... I know you might be laughing, but... At least for me, i find NDS more cute, and it fits better in my hands...

I dont know if its the appeal or the colour, or whatever, but most of my friends (also females) have NDS and not PSP, maybe Im just being influenced by that...

People say (including my brother) that PSP is far superior, but I dont see many titles that catch my attention, when I got the PSP (as a gift) it came with a racing game, that for me (and please its my opinion) was useless... Till now I havent found a game that would catch my attention. Im not a big fan of fighting, racing and those "be a thief and a killer" type of game

NDS was different, very different... I study in a girls only school, and one day Nintendo had a booth inside of our school, and they where distributing ads about NDS, and they had several units for us to try. And it was like love at 1st sight... I saw nintendogs, a new version of tetris and Mario and other games that really interested me...

Next day... I asked my Dad for an NDS, he complained that I already had PSP.. But after days trying to convince him.. He finally brought home a pink NDS (I didnt ask for pink tho, i just asked for NDS), and for my surprise he also got Nintendogs and Tetris...

I like both consoles, but i take NDS in my purse everyday to everywhere i go!





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