On message board video game sites, one can no doubt find users engaged in hot arguments. But what are they arguing about? For the last five months, these people have been debating over whether Nintendo’s monopoly on the handheld console business will continue to strive or come to an abrupt end. But what is posing the new threat to Nintendo? The answer is the PlayStation Portable; in addition to the previous topic, gamers have also been arguing to what system will win the newly arisen console war: the Nintendo Dual Screen (DS) or the PlayStation Portable (PSP). Topics of conversation have ranged from what technologies are available on each console to what games will be available and will they be the reason to buy a DS or PSP to radical fan boys (gamers dedicated to one company) mindlessly attacking one console. Honestly, I myself have taken part in these debates and believe the Nintendo DS will end up topping the PlayStation Portable.
The success in the eyes of the gamer of the DS over the PSP starts with the outside companies supporting the system and the franchise titles from the consoles’ respective companies. A number of gamers believe that the DS will quickly go downhill in sales due to Nintendo’s tradition of lack of third party games, or games from outside companies and they think the DS will follow suit. However, these gamers will need to re-evaluate their thinking. The reporters from Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine have reported that many big name companies once for the most part Sony-exclusive, such as Square Enix (the makers of Final Fantasy) have made pacts with Nintendo and have already started to produce games for the DS. Ironically, the same two companies have not made any public announcements in concerns to the PSP. In addition to third party software, the mascot characters of Nintendo will be making appearances on the DS; over the years, gamers of all allegiance have been influenced by the vast adventures of the mustachioed-plumber Mario and the sword-toting Link, each appearing only on a Nintendo console to this very day. I myself have been inspired by these games, and if I were to buy a PSP, the possibility of me ever being able to experience the new adventures of Mario would be reduced to zero. Therefore, one chief component for success will be the games.
Games aside, another reason the DS will outperform the PSP is in the internal technology aspect; the DS introduces features appearing for the first time on a portable console, such as two screens for game play, using a stylus as a controller, wireless network game play, an instant messaging service, and a microphone jack. Each of these will present a new experience in gaming that cannot be given by the PSP. True, the PSP does have similar features (namely wireless gaming) and its other features are those most likely already to have been met by the owner. The PSP uses ultra mini discs to play music, games, and movies and most gamers already own a CD or MP3 player and a DVD player, so why would they need to throw away their money on media they already own? One final technological advantage the DS holds is battery life; the DS has a ten hour rechargeable-battery life for pure gaming, while the PSP has a four to eight hour rechargeable-battery life based on whether movies are watched, music is listened to, or games are played. All in all, technology will play a role in keeping the gamer satisfied and content with the DS.
But the Dual Screen’s strategic release date is what the DS will use to perform the finishing touch on the PSP’s demise. Since the days of the original PlayStation, Sony was always able to release its consoles before Nintendo was able to. In a change of key, Nintendo will be taking the initiative with the DS with its recent release on November 21, 2004, with a price tag of $150. This date is four months before the PSP’s release date and a predicted fifty dollars less. Another advantage of this early release date is the fact it is before Christmas; gamers with empty wallets can request and receive it from the mythical figure named Santa Clause on the twenty-fifth of December without having to shell out $150! But for those who desire a PlayStation Portable, they will need to wait and pay the full manufacturer’s suggested retail price, unless it is coincidentally their birthday at the time of its release. The launch date is a crucial factor in the DS triumphing.
But if none of the earlier factors ever existed, the fan boys will lead the Dual Screen to victory. The Game Boy (predecessor to the DS) has been around in the portable business longer than Sony has been in the gaming business, while yielding positive responses from the public. This led to the fan boy attitude that the DS will be another extension to the chain of successful portable attitudes, thus coercing the person to buy a DS and contributing to its success.
All video gamers on the world-wide-web desire for their console to be number one, and I am rooting for the Nintendo DS to win the console war. According to previews, outside companies are leaning toward the DS, but games alone will not fuel the success of a system; uniqueness and releasing the system at the right time is also vital to success. In the end, the battle may fizzle down to the each of the respective company’s army of fan boys to decide which console will come out on top. To make the DS the more successful system, each person must buy a Dual Screen or not purchase a PlayStation Portable while possibly attempting to convince others to boycott the PSP.