Christmas question- PSP

This year for Christmas, me, my parents, & grandparents are thinking about getting John a PSP ( http://www.us.playstation.com/PSP/About ). Its always nice when my family goes in on bigger ticket items like this for the holidays

Anyways, I am just wondering if I could get some feedback from any of you that might have one, or have kids/grandkids that have them. I'm wondering about their upkeep, if they are durable & long lasting, and if they are worth the $170.00 that they are asking for them. Granted, I'm sure this price has gone down in the years that they've been out.

Along with the price they are asking - and besides the price of games & movies- are there any accessories needed for them? Like the Memory Stick Duo™ (32MB) that I see is needed, wondering how expensive those are, & how long & how much they actually hold, along with battery life & all that fun stuff

They seem pretty nice, considering you can play games, and have your MP3's on there along with photos & watch movies. Seems pretty nice anyways.

So - input, good or bad, please let me know!

Oh - and if you've seen them advertised for any cheaper price than listed above, let me know! I've been searching the Black Friday ads for awhile now & they are all still listed at about $170.00. Thanks!

I'll get my roommate to write you a good review of hers when she gets out of class!

Does he have a Nintendo DS Lite? That may be a better choice just because of the games that are out for it.

From what I understand the PSP isn't doing well, and the games for it aren't all that fantastic. I've been able to play around with one for a while and it was fun, but I really liked my DS better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS

(It doesn't have to be pink. They also make them in black and silver.)

Originally Posted by capt_jordi

I'll get my roommate to write you a good review of hers when she gets out of class!

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Thanks!
I'd ask a sales associate at a store, but they would probably only tell me the good things & why I should buy it

Originally Posted by lookingglass

Does he have a Nintendo DS Lite? That may be a better choice just because of the games that are out for it.

From what I understand the PSP isn't doing well, and the games for it aren't all that fantastic. I've been able to play around with one for a while and it was fun, but I really liked my DS better.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/prod..._n=4&WT.mc_t=U&cm_ven=COMPARISON SHOPPING&cm_ cat=GOOGLE&cm_pla=DATAFEED->PRODUCTS&cm_ite=1%20PRODUCT&cm_keycode=4

(It doesn't have to be pink. They also make them in black and silver.)

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The only thing we have is a PS2, as far as video game hardware The only thing that caught my eye about the PSP is that it can hold our MP3s, photos & plays videos too, does the DS do that?

Originally Posted by babyharley

Thanks!
I'd ask a sales associate at a store, but they would probably only tell me the good things & why I should buy it

The only thing we have is a PS2, as far as video game hardware

The only thing that caught my eye about the PSP is that it can hold our MP3s, photos & plays videos too, does the DS do that?

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No. It's more of a hand held gaming system. If you want all that an I-Pod may be a good choice for you too!

How old is he? That is a big question. PSP's are an item a lot of older gamers get. Mostly because its a game system that can get messed up or broken easier.
I have a ds and I LOVE it. You can play games wirelessly with your friends, and with some games you only have to have 1 game disk with up to 12 players. Theres nothing else to buy for it, just games. Unless you want headphones and stuff like that. Also they have a lot of personalization stuff with skins and cases and stuff like that. Its pretty nice. Also more younger kids have ds' because there are a lot more games out for them, and in many cases the games are cheaper. If you wanted to go that way 2 of you could get ds and a few games and a starter pack. And then your parents could maybe get an MP3 player. It wouldnt have to be an Ipod but they sell much cheaper ones! Maybe something like this
Or even maybe something nicer like an ipod video or something like that. With the new ipods just being released a month or so ago you can probably find some of the older ones fairly cheap on ebay!

Originally Posted by capt_jordi

How old is he? That is a big question. PSP's are an item a lot of older gamers get. Mostly because its a game system that can get messed up or broken easier.
I have a ds and I LOVE it. You can play games wirelessly with your friends, and with some games you only have to have 1 game disk with up to 12 players. Theres nothing else to buy for it, just games. Unless you want headphones and stuff like that. Also they have a lot of personalization stuff with skins and cases and stuff like that. Its pretty nice. Also more younger kids have ds' because there are a lot more games out for them, and in many cases the games are cheaper. If you wanted to go that way 2 of you could get ds and a few games and a starter pack. And then your parents could maybe get an MP3 player. It wouldnt have to be an Ipod but they sell much cheaper ones! Maybe something like this
Or even maybe something nicer like an ipod video or something like that. With the new ipods just being released a month or so ago you can probably find some of the older ones fairly cheap on ebay!

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John is my boyfriend- he is 25 years old

I'm really trying to get as much information as I can about the PSP, its something he's been looking at for awhile now

then I'd say go for it! My roomie is 21 and loves hers

If it is something he has been looking at I say get it, why pay a lot of money for something else that he doesn't seem all that interested in?

CNET reviews (from the CNET editors and users)
http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/son...-30895581.html

Amazon reviews
http://www.amazon.com/review/product...owViewpoints=1

Hopefully they will help you some

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

If it is something he has been looking at I say get it, why pay a lot of money for something else that he doesn't seem all that interested in?

CNET reviews (from the CNET editors and users)
http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/son...-30895581.html

Amazon reviews
http://www.amazon.com/review/product...owViewpoints=1

Hopefully they will help you some

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Thanks Eithne!
(And congrats on your 10,001 posts! )

I do not know much about the PSP other than a few people I know have them. I know a little more about the nintendo ds. My brother as well as my mother have one. they both love the machine. My mom will take hers everywhere with her and in a moment of down time play the brainage game. My little brother has tons of games for it and plays it pretty frequently from what I understand from his wife.

They are a nice system and things are getting cheaper for it now. (We have ALMOST every game system that is out, you don't want to know how much money we've spent ) They are also fun because you can watch movies on them and they are geting cheaper on eBay! The games are high quality compaired to any other hand system.

About the durability....lets just say, if I've had it and it still works, then it ranks 5 stars durability wise.

I dropped my iPod in the kitchen sink when I was washing dishes, and I found out the Razor is not as durable as they tell you. It was broke within 2 months......my horse stepped on it

Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

I dropped my iPod in the kitchen sink when I was washing dishes, and I found out the Razor is not as durable as they tell you. It was broke within 2 months......my horse stepped on it

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LOL My last phone got ranover by a car... in the rain... it still worked, just didnt have a screen!

Originally Posted by lookingglass

Does he have a Nintendo DS Lite? That may be a better choice just because of the games that are out for it.

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I have to agree, i have both, I use the psp sometimes, and have used it to carry files to the office But movies? hmm its a pain in the butt sometimes, Also you have to be able to update the software on the PSP sometimes.

Graphic wise, PSP, but there are not lot of games for it.
GAme choice wise and size, i would have to give it to the DS.

But i would still not complain if someone got me a psp. they do break very easy. SO i could pick up a hardshell case for it. the first one i had got knocked off the edge of the bed, and it broke.
The screen for them also gets scratched up very fast.

Originally Posted by theimp98

I have to agree, i have both, I use the psp sometimes, and have used it to carry files to the office

But movies? hmm its a pain in the butt sometimes, Also you have to be able to update the software on the PSP sometimes.

Graphic wise, PSP, but there are not lot of games for it.
GAme choice wise and size, i would have to give it to the DS.

But i would still not complain if someone got me a psp. they do break very easy. SO i could pick up a hardshell case for it. the first one i had got knocked off the edge of the bed, and it broke.
The screen for them also gets scratched up very fast.

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Thank you very much Bruce!

My husband has one, and I know he really likes it. At first I was skeptical (even though getting him one was my idea) because he has an old GameBoy Advanced that he barely touches, so I was worried it would be a fairly expensive little system that wouldn't be used at all.

Oddly enough, I find my husband in the house, sitting where he could be playing a game on XBox 360 or PS2 and he's playing with the PSP. He doesn't just use it when we're out somewhere waiting for something or another.

We also found a program out there that was fairly inexpensive that you can take a DVD you already own, rip a copy to your PC and make an mp4 file (I believe) out of it. Then he can transfer it over onto his PSP and watch it on there. (I really believe the UMD movies are such a waste of money... you can only watch them on the PSP - ergh.) Anyway. And I find him sitting on the couch, in front of the TV (with the TV turned off), watching a movie on his PSP sometimes. He says it's just to see how it looks on the system, but I've found him that way more than once. The screen is really clear, and every movie I've peeked at on it looks really good for the size of the screen - games too.

And being that he's an adult, I don't have to worry too much about him being rough with it. We do have a hard case for it, which he uses while he's playing a game/watching a movie on it. And we have a thin cover that goes over the screen to prevent scratching. Oh, and we bought a set of Sure headphones for him. They block out all surrounding noise (even his wife calling for him... ), which he loves for when he's watching a movie.

Oh, and the game Puzzle Quest rocks.

Hope that's helpful!

It all depends on the individual and things like age factor into it a lot. I have a PSP and I absolutely love it. But it's no children's toy. It is fragile as hell compared to Nintendo's kid friendly handhelds. And yes, memory sticks are expensive....provided that you want to get one with enough room for game saves, music, photos, and videos. I just got a 4GB stick for $69.99 at BestBuy ...And that was the sale price.

In terms of games, the most popular myth about the PSP is that there are not very many good games for it. This is completely untrue...If you go to GameSpot (the biggest video game website in North America where I am a member of the forums) you'll find that the PSP actually has more AA titles there are more than 60) than the DS. I'm not saying that the DS is a bad handheld...It's great actually....It just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not a fan of using a touch screen when gaming, and I like games with more depth than Pokemon and Super Mario.

Originally Posted by megagene

It all depends on the individual and things like age factor into it a lot. I have a PSP and I absolutely love it. But it's no children's toy. It is fragile as hell compared to Nintendo's kid friendly handhelds. And yes, memory sticks are expensive....provided that you want to get one with enough room for game saves, music, photos, and videos. I just got a 4GB stick for $69.99 at BestBuy ...And that was the sale price.

In terms of games, the most popular myth about the PSP is that there are not very many good games for it. This is completely untrue...If you go to GameSpot (the biggest video game website in North America where I am a member of the forums) you'll find that the PSP actually has more AA titles there are more than 60) than the DS. I'm not saying that the DS is a bad handheld...It's great actually....It just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not a fan of using a touch screen when gaming, and I like games with more depth than Pokemon and Super Mario.

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they have alot of RPG style games for the DS.
how there have only been about 5 games for the psp that came out that i thought where good
hotshots golf,
lord of the rings tatics,
FF tatics is out , but have not gotten that,
for some reason i liked the boxing game.
field commander was great, and i think the best game.

for her husband, it does depend on his game play style, and if he is willing to do the stuff to watch the movies etc, and to spend the money on the larger memory cards..

lol but once, again it does break very easy