Posted Jun 06, 2009 at 06:55PM by Glenn M. Listed in: E3, Nintendo DS, PSP Tags: Sony, Nintendo, John Koller
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DS vs. PSP - Image 1We saw Shigeru Miyamoto checking out the PSP Go back in E3, but apparently, he's not the only bigwig checking out the competition. John Koller also went DS-watching at the expo, but instead of quietly doing so like Miyamoto did, the director of hardware marketing from Sony takes a little shot at the competing handheld, saying that "Mature games are cratering on the DS."

Citing the usual casual vs. core market difference between the Nintendo DS and the PSP, Koller went on to talk about their portable's advantages over Nintendo's. "The difference is striking," he noted. The M-Rated Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars' lackluster performance on the DS may be perceived as a sign of this difference. The DS may have outsold the PSP in terms of install base, but the PSP is the handheld to buy when it comes to playing M-raters.

But for the DS' younger market, Koller has an answer. "The way we see it," Koller said, "you start with DS and grow up to PSP." And as for the gamers who they perceive to be the young, casual gaming sort, Koller pointed out that Sony has aligned the PSP's marketing to accommodate them. "Ever since the launch of PSP in 2005, we started with young men and started trending downward to teens and now pre-teens."



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35 Comments


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   by m3rox - 2009-06-06
 » how lame.

Just because he's with Nintendo, doesn't mean you can't get his name correct.

It's Shigeru (did you get the spelling on that?) Miyamoto


   Re: Glenn M. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2009-06-06
 » how judgmental

it's called a typo, no anti-nintendo sentiment whatsoever.

you can check all the other articles i wrote with miyamoto in it, and they're all SHIGERU.

corrected now, you could've just pointed it out.. sheesh

   Re: dragon92 - 2009-06-06
 » m3rox...

Let me tell you an opinion..."dood".I,as a user of this site,am TIRED of seeing your retarded comments!You're neither original,nor "grown-up".You are just IRRITATING and plain STUPID to waste your time in posting,or,probably the better word:SPAMMING.Not to mention "how lame" it is to criticize the people that SUPPLY THE WHOLE WORLD WITH INFORMATION!And first learn to write and spell correctly YOURSELF,then go and voice your useless opinion...failure.

   Re: TheLastGuitarHero - 2009-06-07
 » ...

Most of the time M3rox just trolls. I never read the name first of the post, but instead just read the comment, and whenever I find myself asking, "Who the Hell said this stupid statement?" It's usually M3rox.

   Re: shadows_flames - 2009-06-08
 » dont judge him

for typo lamee
   by splontot - 2009-06-06
 » a bit selfcontradictory

correct me if im wrong (i dont know much about sony and i didnt pay too close attention to the conference) but isnt this the same guy that announced the lilac PSP with a hannah montana game and other games coming out from disney?

and besides out of the m-rated games on the PSP the only two i would buy would be god of war and resistance, and the second ones a maybe, so once again its quality of the games, not the rating and graphics that people have to look at.


   Re: astaroth001 - 2009-06-07
 » ok...

Dude...it seems hat you have no idead what the PSP has to offer, it has mouch more quality games than the DS...al the good (if they're any good) games are the Marios, Zeldas and the Metroids and Pokemons...and some RPGs but other than that is one of the consoles with his big brother the Wii that has some of the worst,lame, and quality deficient games...let me give you at least 20 quality games for the PSP:
MHF 2nd G, Jeanne D Arc, Crisis Core, Chains Of Olympus, Metal Gear Portable Ops, Ace Combat X, Syphon FIlter Series (2 games), Resistance, GTA (both games), Disgaea, Spectral Souls, Generation Of Chaos, Dead head Fred, Rock Band U, Metal Gear Acid (both), No gravity, Hot Shots Golf Open Tee (2 games), Purauit Force (2 games), Castlevania Dracula X Cronicles, popolocrois, Brave Story, Crimson Gem Saga, Monster Kingdom, Medal Of Honor Heroes (2 games), Killzone Liberation, Loco Roco (2 games), Patapon (2 games), Phantasy star portable, Prinny, Hammerin Hero, Me + My Katamari, Daxter, R+C Size Matters, Secret agent Clank, Chilli Con Carnage...I said more than 20 and lots more in the library...PSP is not only God Of War and/or Resistance

   Re: astaroth001 - 2009-06-07
 » sry

sorry for typos..is late and I'm sleepyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....good nighttttttt lol

   Re: NathanDrake - 2009-06-07
 » ...

Yup, plenty of PSP games are excellent and some of those are M rated (or 18 if you're in the UK like me). Some of my favorite 'mature' games being God of War, Dead Head Fred and The Warriors.

I think Koller's got a point. The main reason I don't own a DS (apart from the fact it's just too small for my hands and lacking in a decent sized screen) is it has next to nothing to offer me as a 'mature gamer' and seems to be aimed mainly at little kids who don't find all that cutesy crap too sickening.
Although at christmas, my niece (who had begged for a DS and got one the previous year) was playing Ratchet + Clank and Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX on my PSP and seemed to enjoy the heck out of them. The Street Fighter one surprising me the most. A 7 year old girl hooked on a classic 2d fighting game? There is some hope for her generation after all :P

   Re: raggedjimmi - 2009-06-07
 » -

Wow, I've never seen such a list of games that I'd never want to play again. I like the PSP and play it more than my DS but Astaroth001 - most of them games are laughable.

   Re: astaroth001 - 2009-06-07
 » LMAO

Than what do you play in your PSP? I bet you havent played most of the games I said...go play Legos or with your Hot-Wheels kiddo

   Re: TheLastGuitarHero - 2009-06-07
 » ...

Astaroth, awesome you mentioned Dead Head Fred. It's amazing how many people leave that game out of the list when talking about what's good in the PSP's library.

Also, raggedjimmi and m3rox might be twins, I swear 90% of what they say can't be true.

   Re: astaroth001 - 2009-06-07
 » @ TheLastGuitarHero

Yeah, that game has one of unique gameplay and it was very underrated by some magazones and websites...IMO is a PSP GEM, great gameplay, great dark humor, great graphics-sound-voice acting...one of my favorite games

   Re: kupomogli - 2009-06-07
 » I'd agree

Other than the terrible NIS released titles and Metal of Honor games, most of those games are worth the purchase depending on your favored genre.

Let me add some more incase they need some more reassurance about how many great games the PSP has.

Mega Man Powered Up, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, Gundam Battle series(Tactics, Royale, Chronicles, and Universe,) Wild ARMs XF, Dungeon Maker series, Wipeout series(Pure and Pulse,) Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron, Tales of the World, Driver 76, Star Ocean First Departure, Field Commander, Macross Ace Frontier, and Ultimate Ghosts n Goblins.

Every title that I listed is an exclusive solely for the PSP. I stayed away from ports, but if I added ports, just add AAA titles like Star Ocean Second Evolution, Gurumin, Power Stone Collection, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max, Riviera, Yggdra Union, Valkyrie Profile, and a ton of others that are worth getting.

I only added to the list that astaroth001 made and didn't include any titles that he's already previously mentioned.

   Re: astaroth001 - 2009-06-07
 » ...

I didn't add some of those to the list cause some are ports or remakes...but it has lots of great games...and some great imports also
   by Impuls3 - 2009-06-06
 » hmm...

I think Nintendo wouldn't allow alot of mature games now or anytime soon in the future because of the fact that most of their products have a reputation of being "family friendly" and it probably wouldn't be taken too well by alot of "anti-video game violence" advocates.


   Re: fearlubu - 2009-06-06
 » also

remember what happened to Chinatown Wars


   Re: WiiRolled - 2009-06-07
 » true

true
   by Shazman1984 - 2009-06-07
 » lol

comparing the ds to the psp... does that still happen??? I was pretty sure the ds is in an entirely different league.

I think what Sony has failed to see, is with handhelds, its not about mature titles, kid titles etc.... its about games you want to play on a handheld. God of War psp, good, but much better off just bringing it to a console. Brain Age. Terrible console game, excellent handheld game.


   Re: NathanDrake - 2009-06-07
 » ...

Actually pretty much any game I play at home I'd like to play on the go as well which is exactly why I like the PSP. I want to be able to play God of War on a train journey thanks.
   by Silver-Tiger - 2009-06-07
 » ...

Of course the DS will always sell better.

An 8-year-old kid is just better in begging their parents for a handheld.
And besides, who do you think has more freetime to play with a handheld:
An 8-year-old kid who "just" goes to school or a 19-year-old man who goes to the college, does some jobs, homework etc. ?


   Re: Techni - 2009-06-07
 » ...

sales do not equal fun

   Re: ToasterGuy - 2009-06-07
 » Re: Techni

I totally agree with you man.
   by raggedjimmi - 2009-06-07
 » -

I find this news post the most hilarious one ever.

Sony exec: PSP has more mature games
Sony fans: OMG Yes! *insert immature ramblings about their own perception of what counts as a mature game*.

Maturity isn't locking yourself into a game with blood and guts, nor is it something with depth and scope. There is no such thing as a mature game, except maybe the complex games that a child couldn't comprehend like Mass Effect or Bioshock. But mature gamers are people who see merit in all games, be they FFVII or Rock Band 2. A mature gamer isn't someone who comes into a thread and talks about the DS is only a kids console (I'm 23, a university graduate and game developer and have been a DS gamer since they were introduced with a library of 15 or so DS games that I consider "the best").

As I said. Hilarious. Now please, continue to prove that the PSP is the most mature console with further nonsensical, illogical and poorly constructed posts about TEH KIDDIE GAEMS.


   Re: Foolmonkey - 2009-06-07
 » PSP is better

Therefore your argument is invalid. Have fun wasting your "life" on a lost cause.

   Re: Teivin - 2009-06-07
 » Huh

'Game developer'? really? REALLY?
Man, that just validified your /entire argument/.

Really, it did. I mean, claiming something like that on the internet truly adds weight and depth to your statement.

In the end, his statement is correct. PSP caters to an older demographic. There really is nothing false about his comment.

Bioshock nor Mass Effect are mature games. They are shooters with a decent story. Anyone can play and enjoy them, and the themes involved aren't that terribly complex, even for a 13 year old to grasp.

A mature game, then, would be something that not just an action junky could pick up and enjoy, and with a story that someone wouldn't understand without a lot of effort. That pretty much eliminates a vast majority of every game ever made.

That leaves, what... Rule of Rose?

   Re: raggedjimmi - 2009-06-07
 » -

If the PSP is better why does it have 1 90%+ rated game, whilst the DS has a few? Why does the DS outsell the PSP in both hardware and software?

And thanks for continuing the request I made in the last paragraph xD

Oh and Teivin, the point I was trying to make was that, unlike some, I'm educated and have a career. I wasn't aiming to validate my argument as the argument prior was merit enough. But feel free to cut it apart, it seems for as long as the DS has games to suit all markets and will continue to outsell the PSP that I will continue to be proved right.

   Re: mr.x256 - 2009-06-08
 » I think Silver-Tiger allready explained it

"An 8-year-old kid is just better in begging their parents for a handheld.
And besides, who do you think has more freetime to play with a handheld:
An 8-year-old kid who "just" goes to school or a 19-year-old man who goes to the college, does some jobs, homework etc. ?"
   by Atvaark - 2009-06-07
 » haha

players move from the ds to the psp as they grow up, huh?

because Gurumin was such a manly game to play.


   Re: TheLastGuitarHero - 2009-06-07
 » ...

...So you pick one game from the PSP's library? For every 1 game like that on the PSP that is childish, there's 10 more on the DS at least.

   Re: kupomogli - 2009-06-07
 » Gurumin owns.

That's all I wanted to say. Gurumin is the *****.
   by Specht - 2009-06-07
 » Older doesn't mean more mature

Just by reading the comments on any DS vs. PSP related article enforces the idea that PSP fans are in fact less mature than their DS counterparts. How often do you see a horribly written post bashing the PSP for no reason whatsoever?

Then again, a truly "mature" person wouldn't care at all and just enjoy what they have, be it a DS, PSP, or both.


   Re: kupomogli - 2009-06-07
 » You have a valid point

Yet it's backwards. From the looks of it, I see a couple fanboys bashing the PSP at the start article(how about you look at the very first post.) Obviously you're going to see people defending the PSP.

I own the DS and the PSP and both systems are great, but the PSP has better games overall. With the DS you have to wade through the pile of crap that's released to actually find the gems the system actually has.

Less games than the DS and the PSP remarkably has more good games. I'd say I own 24 "good" DS games. Hell. Even without making a dent in the software library of the DS, the PSP probably has more games that are actually playable and atleast somewhat decent.
   by ov3rkill - 2009-06-07
 » both are awesome

Both handheld consoles are great. They've got their own exclusive games that rock each console. Now, I wonder why people would be just one-sided. Perhaps it's just fanboyism or they haven't played the games on both consoles. Heck you don't even need to play if you don't own one, just looking at gameplay videos and reviews would enlightened some of these fanboys. Again, all these consoles are great in their own rights and IMHO.

Anyway, what really matters is that people enjoy their consoles and not brag about it and being a douchebag.


   Re: Roopa132 - 2009-06-17
 » I agree

I have both consoles and I love both. They are totally different I kinda agree that the DS has almost no maure games but so what? It's not that the fun increases together with the minimum age...


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