So who is pre-ordering a PSP?

[Akito]

I have one on pre-order.. really looking forward to this handheld. I didn't buy a DS because of this (and yes, I realize that YOU CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE HANDHELD LALA but some of us can't afford to own them all). Apparently the US version will have some of the bugs ironed out (some users in japan are reporting UDMA discs popping out and the square button not working).

[Strongbad]

I'm not going to preorder one but i may try to pick one up. I want to see how good they are and what games it will have further down the road. If i get one i will get it sometime in August.

[Borman]

Imma preorder a US version, just in case lol.

[shwnboy]

Going to wait on this one. Curious to see the reviews on the games and the graphics. Still waiting for in store demos

[Borman]

The reviews should be good, and the graphics will blow you away for the little thing it is

[Akito]

There have been several videos of japanese PSP's, and I have to say, I'm very, VERY impressed. I'll see if I can dig any up.

[Ragnar]

IMO pre-ordering consoles (any consoles, not just the PSP) is silly. As was already mentioned there were bugs in the Japanese release, and it's very likely there still are some bugs. There aren't really that many games at release time, if you buy a couple chances are you'll get some crap.

If you wait a bit the price of the console will have dropped (as well as the cost of the release games ). I work and all, but $50-100 is still worth something to me. Also in the case of the PSP, there's a good chance they'll do the GBA thing and release a million different colors and limited editions (or at least I'd hope ).

Just my 2 cents.

[Akito]

I don't really think it's silly. We get the advantage of hearing what people in japan are saying before we pre-order

[GundamGuy]

I don't really think it's silly. We get the advantage of hearing what people in japan are saying before we pre-order

Their still won't be many games to play for it, as Ragnar said.

It's your money waste it in what ever way you want.

[velvet]

Well, I was considering getting a PSP but after what Ken Kutaragi said, I will take a wait-and-see approach. Now, don't get me wrong. A less responsive button, I can deal with (plus it is only plaguing about .6% of the 800,000 units shipped) but Kutaragi came off as very arrogant in the Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01...s_6116985.html) interview:

<i>Kutaragi acknowledged that the button is less responsive than the others, in part because it's so close to the PSP's 480x272 screen. Because there isn't enough room to put the square button's detection switch directly underneath, it's off to the right, making it less responsive--and sometimes causing it to stick.

"This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's <b>something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to</b>. I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger."

"The button's location is [architectured] on purpose," Kutaragi added. "It's according to specifications. This is something that we've created, and this is our specification. There was a clear purpose to it, and it wasn't a mistake."

Offering additional testimony praising the handheld, Kutaragi said, "I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It's the same as that."
</i>
So in essence, because he refused to alter the PSP slightly, we have faulty buttons.

[Cyberxion]

IMO pre-ordering consoles (any consoles, not just the PSP) is silly. As was already mentioned there were bugs in the Japanese release, and it's very likely there still are some bugs. There aren't really that many games at release time, if you buy a couple chances are you'll get some crap.

If you wait a bit the price of the console will have dropped (as well as the cost of the release games ). I work and all, but $50-100 is still worth something to me. Also in the case of the PSP, there's a good chance they'll do the GBA thing and release a million different colors and limited editions (or at least I'd hope ).

Just my 2 cents.

Ugh. Yeah, it's silly. We all know how silly it was to pre-order a PS2, cause everyone who wanted one was able to get it right away! It's also silly, because it's not as easy to put a bit of money down here and there when you can afford to, then it is to pay for it all at once when you go to pick it up. Right. It's silly. If you're interested in the PSP, then there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't pre-order one.

As for waiting for the price to drop before getting one, you'll be waiting a couple years before that happens with the PSP. I wouldn't hold off on buying it, just cause you're anticipating a price-drop. If you're interested in the system, then buy it when it comes out, or shortly after....

Their still won't be many games to play for it, as Ragnar said.

It's your money waste it in what ever way you want.

I don't think there's ever been a system that's launched with an uber-impressive line-up of games. Even so, if everything that's being promised for the PSP's launch actually hits then, you won't have a dearth of games to play for it. You and Ragnar should do a little research before you make such comments.

EDIT: I'm not pre-ordering a PSP, mainly because it's going to cost fifty bucks for the pre-order, and they're only taking pre-orders on a four-hundred dollar bundle right now. You have to buy the system along with three games and a currently unnamed accessory, and I won't be in a position to afford that anytime soon. I'll wait until someone starts taking pre-orders on just the system, and then go with that....

[Cherios]

Putting a deposit on it may be sufficient but I don't know if I'd do a full blown pre-order. Right now the device is listed for $450 (canadian) but from what I hear from my manager, that will NOT be the starting price and it is *apparently* going to go down. Gaming stores occassionally do this so people pre-order at high prices then forget to check how much the device actually is when they come pick it up. I guess it's so if people don't complain then they don't need to know anything. All I'm going to say is if you are going to pre-order...hold on to your receipt and not rely on a gaming store's computer. Then you will remember exactly how much you paid for it and can haggle your money back if the price did indeed drop on the launch date. That's retail for ya...

[Cyberxion]

Gaming stores occassionally do this so people pre-order at high prices then forget to check how much the device actually is when they come pick it up. I guess it's so if people don't complain then they don't need to know anything. All I'm going to say is if you are going to pre-order...hold on to your receipt and not rely on a gaming store's computer. Then you will remember exactly how much you paid for it and can haggle your money back if the price did indeed drop on the launch date. That's retail for ya...

Eh, I worked at EB awhile back, and before the launch of the PS2, we took pre-orders based around an anticipated launch price of $400, the difference of which was re-fundable on the chance the system came out cheaper, which it indeed did. When the lower price was made official, customers were able to get the difference back in cash, or transfer it to something else. Bottom line; if a customer pays more then the final retail amount for any given item based on a projected retail price, they get the difference back. It's as simple as that.

Being that your average videogame store keeps records of every pre-order transaction made, and give customers records for thier own reference, there is absolutely no way the company could screw anybody even if they wanted to. Now, unless the retailers you're speaking of use an archaic system to track pre-orders, and the customers are too dense to keep track of the money they put down on them, there's no way you're scenario is going to happen. Noone need worry about this...

[Cherios]

oh no doubt that you are correct. And there's no way I or anyone I work with would pull such a stunt. I was just explaining the way *some* events unfold. They only do that to protect their own numbers. For example, I've seen someone pre-order a game in full that was listed as $40 (canadian) 3 monthes before a release date then when the game is actually released the price is closer to 60 or 70. To that fact we're obliged to sell the game for 40 and thus the "higher-ups" aren't balancing their numbers properly. Now imagine a 400 dollar console being listed as 200, 3 months before release. This is why they have high prices for pre-sale. Maybe I didn't make my earlier post clear, I'm more over just warning people that those prices do change and if a retailer is training new staff or simply wants to be a prick, check the difference because more often than not when it comes to pre-sale the difference is in your favor.

[Borman]

Well, I was considering getting a PSP but after what Ken Kutaragi said, I will take a wait-and-see approach. Now, don't get me wrong. A less responsive button, I can deal with (plus it is only plaguing about .6% of the 800,000 units shipped) but Kutaragi came off as very arrogant in the Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01...s_6116985.html) interview:

<i>
"This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's <b>something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to</b>. I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger."

</i>
So in essence, because he refused to alter the PSP slightly, we have faulty buttons.

So what? We have slightly faulty touch screens on some DSs too. We have slightly faulty video ports on the back of the xbox ports.

The point Kenny boy was trying to make is that if there is no major problem, why the hell would we rework the entire problem. There were manufacturing difficulties, so what. Send your PSP back and get a working one (on US release, had to do it when its a JP system).

My button works 100% fine, and thats one thing i can confirm with Vampire Chronicles.