Does the PSP really need all those accessories?

[Fraser]

We have had the Go! Cam, the GPS add on, a Go! Messenger service has just been added and the PSP Skype headset is also about to release.

Not only that but Sony has now announced that a PSP Cradle is coming out too.

Are all of these accessories necessary? Do any of you own or use any of them? Are PSP classic users getting short changed by the lack of support for their consoles?

Over to you...

[HiddenAway]

I'd actually like to be able to find them first :p.

I've struggled to find either the PSP headset/microphone and Go!Cam on sale for use with Go!Messenger.. I personally have a speaker/docking station and the PSP video out cables, but nothing more.

[ConraDargo]

I for one have no interest in any of those accessories. The camera seem shitty, GPS is too expensive (and I already know my town well enough to find my ways), and I have no interest what so ever in using Skype.

If I ever feel the urge to snap a picture, have a (video) conversation with someone, or just wanna know where the h*ll I currently am, then I just whip out my cell-phone which can do all of that and a lot better mind you.

[Karbono]

Aside from the practicality factor of having to carry all that stuff with you, I think it's more of a marketing issue than anything else. It's the possibility of saying "Look at all the things you can do it!" or "You can do everything with it". The main disadvantage is of course not being able to do any of it well, but it was the same with cell phones. Only recently have we been seeing cell phones that are good at browsing the internet or listening to music, but even each one of those has a main purpose... I mean, there's the "music series", "gps navigation series", "internet access series"... it's hard to do everything well, but It's also a way to keep the market active. What if Nokia or SE started to sell a device that did it all really well? Maybe they could do it, but would anybody buy anything else? It's the same with the PSP... maybe they could have released all of this before, or maybe even add a built-in camera on the PSP from the start, but what would they have now to add to the hype? Or to keep it?

I think all the stuff they're releasing (gps, camera, headset) had some way to be integrated into the PSP from the start, or into one single device. The reason that doesn't happen is mainly marketing... I mean, a 1.3 MP camera? How lame is that? Those have been around for years, now. How about a flash built into it? It's not that they can't do it, or it's too expensive... I can get a new cell phone with a 1.3 MP camera that costs the same as the PSP camera alone! ...but those things are left to be implemented in future versions... A drop at a time.


A more direct answer to the topic at hand: I'm not sure I'm willing to spend so much money on the camera. I'm trying the headset with Skype, but there isn't a lot of people I can call with it... I have a more flexible GPS system on my PDA... As for the PSP cradle, I'm sure that I wouldn't use it. When I'm travelling I don't have the oportunity to use such an elaborate set-up. When I'm at home, well... I have a TV, a computer, a nice sound system.... well, you know what I'm talking about
I would like to try all those things but it comes down to a question of cost. The geek factor alone isn't worth that much.

[SetsFireToPoshHammer]

Regular posters are probably getting sick of hearing me say this but all I want for the PSP is more downloadable titles and content!

Why is this relevant? Because I don't think I am alone whereas I am willing to bet that PSP owners who want Skype, GPS, a camera are few and far between. Why is Sony wasting all this time and energy on this? Surely these things could have waited for the PSP2 as inbuilt features.

So I suppose the short answer is, no, the PSP doesn't need all of those accessories. It's already feature packed, why doesn't Sony concentrate on making better use of the features that are available out of the box, i.e. the aforementioned downloadable titles?

[Mandark]

I agree with the other guys that these accessories are unnecessary. I only know a few PSP owners but none of us have more than a case and a memory stick.

It's great that the PSP can do a lot but just because it can do certain things doesn't mean it's a great idea. I wonder if even the guys at PSP Fanboy play with all this stuff?

[Accelorata Jengold]

What has a camera, the potential to make VoIP calls, phone calls, Google maps (it ain't GPS but it's close enough), messaging capabilities, an MP3 player, video player, internet browser and big name 3D games?

Give up...?

The iPhone does, that's what, and I am willing to bet that if the gaming side of that device takes off (and I sincerely hope that it does) the PSP2 will end up looking an awful lot like it in the specs department. Not sure if that would be a good direction for Sony to take (especially based on the posts in this thread) but perhaps that's what all these accessories are point towards.

Just for the record, I think most of the PSP's accessories are largely unnecessary and I reckon the sales of each will reflect that.

[Mivo]

I also believe that it is mostly about marketing and "reputation" rather than expecting to actually sell many of the gadgets. I did like the addition of Skype, but that's because I mostly use Linux at home, and Skype doesn't really work all that well on a 64-bit Linux system (it just broke again on me a few weeks ago, and I haven't yet bothered to fix it again). So, that was a neat addition. But a camera? GPS? GoMessenger? Eh, no, just too much "stuff" that I have to carry around or that will clutter the desk.

I'm not really clear on where Sony would like to go. They don't appear to be advertising actual games in Europe (so software sales are low -- got to tell people about your stuff if you want to sell it) , and only rarely the actual handheld (and then it is obscure and overly artsy commercials that don't even show any gameplay). It's a shame, because as a portable gaming device it is the most powerful system currently available. As "everything else", it is just second or third rate.