4th Semester: Finals
It's finals weeks! Good thing the PSP studied!
The PSP took some time over the holidays to reflect on what it had learned in the first three semesters. It was concerned that it had spent too much time working on ports of brand new PlayStation 2 games; it wondered if this was time that could have been spent creating new characters, adventures, and worlds. The PSP was at a crossroads; it had seen the error of its way and knew that something had to change. People weren't going to stand any more ports, it was time for the PSP to do its own work and come up with something original.
Tragedy struck right before the PSP could get its original products out. Sony announced that they were going to cut the production of the UMD movies, dealing a major blow to a format they had hoped to popularize. But this
So they are going to make less crappy moives on UMD? What's the problem with that??
wasn't going to affect the PSP, because it knew that for too long it had stood on the media functions, it was time to show the world what kind of games could be made when you put your mind to it.
One after another the hits came, with Exit, Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX, Maverick Hunter X, MLB '06: The Show, Pursuit Force, Mega Man Powered Up, Daxter, and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. Over the course of three months the PSP managed to turn their slump around and prove to the world that it still had a lot of fight in it. The PSP managed to end out the year by offering high-quality games in just about every genre, titles that take advantage of all of the things the PSP learned in the past 12 months.
But with all of this success comes responsibility, the PSP will need to pay attention so that some of the problems of the past don't return. Family friends -- Capcom, Activision, Electronic Arts -- have announced a number of exciting projects that should help the PSP, and Sony has gone as far as to announce a GPS attachment, a camera and many more unspecified functions. The PSP is looking good going into its second year, confident and ready to tackle whatever is thrown in its way. At the end of the day, the PSP may not have the girl ... but it does have another one of those Grand Theft Auto games coming out this year!
Evaluation: The PSP has learned a lot in the last twelve months, and while it has sometimes been a struggle teaching it, we feel that Sony's portable is prepared for whatever barriers lay in the path to success. We are still worried that some of his past activities will return, but there seems to be a solid support system in place. We look forward to seeing what year two brings; hopefully we have seen the last of the F's.
Conclusion:
The Power Stone Collection is just one of the games Capcom is working on!
If there's one thing we've learned from this exercise it's that it's kind of hard to make the whole video game system/school analogy. Oh sure there are some similarities, but at best it's kind of forced. But that didn't stop us from going all the way with it so you don't have to. That's the kind of reporting you expect from Defunct Games. We're proud to serve.
As for the PSP, who knows what the future holds. Capcom has quickly become one of the biggest supporters of the system, announcing a number of strong new titles, as well as a few worthwhile collections. Namco, who failed to win over any fans with their year 1
As much as I hate cosplay, she does remind me that we need a Final Fantasy game for the PSP!
offerings, finally announced Tekken V, giving fans of 3D fighters something to get excited about. But where is Final Fantasy? Where is God of War? Where is the traditional Metal Gear Solid? Where are all the great RPGs the PlayStation is known for?
There's no question that this first year was tough, they failed to release enough original software and that summer drought gave the system a reputation that they have still not shaken (See: GamePro's Letter Writing Campaign). But the future looks bright; the price of the PSP has been reduced to $200 and Sony has announced a few titles worth watching (such as Loco Roco and Killzone). Will Sony be full of surprises at this year's E3? Or will the PSP be upstaged by the PlayStation 3?
Either way, we look forward to seeing what Sony and their third parties have in store for the rest of 2006. As a site that devotes much of its time to looking at those portable systems that Nintendo has left in its wake, I feel like we've finally found a portable that can go toe to toe with Nintendo. And that's a good thing for the entire industry ... even Nintendo.
