LGC wrap-up: How did the DS do?
by David Hinkle 
{ Aug 25th 2006 at 9:45AM }
Note: This editorial is the opinion of David Hinkle and does not represent the opinion of DS Fanboy, Joystiq, or Weblogs Inc. Leave it to the PSP guys to be immature and bait us into an all-out fanboy war. Especially one they cannot ever hope to win. While we'd like to be the more mature blog, without a response to such a heinous act of defamation would show weakness, and you know we are anything but that. So what made these guys think the PSP had such an excellent show?
First off, we all need to sit back and look at LGC with an objective eye. It wasn't the huge show that all of the recent coverage made it out to be. This coverage, which came after the demise of E3 as we know it, was largely in anticipation that the major companies would look to Leipzig to fill some of the gaping hole left by E3 and a potential price and launch date revelation for Nintendo's Wii.
A strong lineup from Konami, including playable builds of Silent Hill Origins and Metal Gear Solid, gave the PSP a great showing. Sony, however, did little to promote the handheld and instead let the third parties do all the work. Now, we'll say that these games are high-profile and look great, but one third-party publisher with some interesting games is hardly enough to declare the PSP victorious.
Instead, look to the DS. It had several strong titles, including many first-party games such as Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, Starfox Command, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, as well as solid third-party titles from Konami in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Lunar Knights, . If anything, those guys should be recognizing that Konami won the show, not trying to get blood from a stone.
So if you guys need the crucial "win," by all means post preposterous stuff on your blog and call us out, but just remember that today is Friday and pretty soon the numbers will emerge, forcing you Sony lovers to spend yet another weekend cold and alone, sobbing in a dark corner somewhere.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
David Hinkle @ Aug 25th 2006 10:08AM
Before the comments start piling in, keep in mind that we are discussing who had the better showing at LGC, not the merits or features that make one system superior to the other.
Thanks for reading and keeping it civil!
Dave
.ed @ Aug 25th 2006 10:20AM
uh..
I thought the PSP showing was pretty weak...
Just because Metal Gear is on the system doesn't mean the system "wins a show." Using that logic, konami won, not psp...
Metal gear at E3 made NO difference... so just because LGC is a smaller show, and they let people fondle "it's piss poor controls taht make the game more eye candy than 'Solid'", it stood out more... but seriously the whole show was Weak, not just PSP... it's never been a big show anyway.
I could care less who wins LGC (of all things) anyway.. as long as DS games keep selling over a million per release (almost), it's clear who the winner is.
Erick G. @ Aug 25th 2006 10:51AM
Ouch. I think the article over at PSP Fanboy was good, but you do got a point. However, they do have an important point also, saying that most of the games where already playable at E3, and there was practically nothing new. I myself being a Ninty Fanboy, think that PSP Fanboy won the show this time, and your last paragraph was too harsh. Also, however of a fanboy you are, it's not like I will be sobbing in a corner because the other system is outselling my system, unless it's completely crushing it. I think you crossed the fanboy line a little, and are being too prepotent.
Overall, I think Konami won the show. Long live Castlevania!
Paul P. @ Aug 25th 2006 11:58AM
You shouldn't be bragging about the numbers. When they come out you'll see PSP is up and DS is down by over %50. DS is around 7X,000 and PSP is 4X,000.
This is because Nintendo held back shipments to make sure there were enough lites to go around for yesterday's release of FFIII of course, but then umbers are still the numbers. You should have told them to wait for the NEXT week's numbers.
Rewind @ Aug 25th 2006 12:15PM
Paul P, where do you get your number predictions? Out of a cereal box? DS Lite will still be in the hundred-thousands with the PSP trailing behind at thirty to forty-nine thousand units.
Anyway, best showing would go to Konami. Not Nintendo or $ony. Castlevania and Metal Gear are really strong titles. Keep it coming Konami!
Matters @ Aug 25th 2006 12:33PM
Two great games for the PSP... Finally! Too bad my roommate already sold his PSP :
So the PSP might finally have a game that will sell 2 million or more. That's great news, but the PSP still has a LONG WAY to go in order to catch up to all the games the DS has sold.
This weeks software sales charts: http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=6764
DS takes 7 of the top 10 games. GBA gets 1. That's 8 of the top 10 games for Nintendo consoles.
adrian @ Aug 25th 2006 2:06PM
this article was very well said
Fox @ Aug 25th 2006 3:54PM
You are right Paul P. Numbers are still numbers, which means the DS is outselling the PSP by over thirty thousand units WITH shortages. I suggest you do what Mr. Hinkle said and go sob in a corner. :-)
And as people have been saying, Nintend, had a strong showing with many major first-party titles while Sony did little if anything itself.
Random troll scouting Wii and DS Fanboy @ Aug 25th 2006 4:07PM
Sales don't mean everything. What really counts is the software, and that's where the PSP fails gloriously. (Alright, Lumines and Loco Roco are still fun.)
Paul P. @ Aug 25th 2006 4:32PM
OK fine, but tomorrow when you post the numbers and see I'm right, I demand a star. I have a reliable source. You picked the wrong week to brag about numbers. Almost any other week would have been fine, but this week is not a good week.
CitizenGeek @ Aug 26th 2006 8:20AM
Yeah Lumines and LocoRoco are fun but you could play those games just as easily on DS. PSP Fanboy basically thinks that a game with Metal Gear Solid stamped across for PSP means that PSP "wins" LGC........
Fox @ Aug 25th 2006 5:10PM
I've already seen the numbers Pual--checked Cubed3. Even though the DS took a tumble due to shortages, it still sold MORE THAN 30,000 units more than the PSP.
It really doesn't matter which week David brags about numbers, because every week Nintendo consistently dominates.
"but this week is not a good week."
How is over 70,000 units sold even with shortages not a good week? If that's a bad week than no other console besides the lite has had a good week in a VERY LONG time.
Fox
Paul P. @ Aug 25th 2006 5:21PM
It's not a good week to brag, when you have a %50 drop-off and the competition goes up a little. It's still a good week, but not a good week to say "Those Sony guys will be crying when they see the sales."
Next week, that's the week when you want to make such claims, when a singl DS game sells 330,000 in its first day, and DS sales are through the roof. That's when you brag, not the week when your sales drop %50.
Hak Foo @ Aug 25th 2006 5:53PM
Paul, I disagree. To me the time to brag is when your sales drop 50%, the comptetition has an increase (albeit marginal), and you still dominate!
Matters @ Aug 25th 2006 5:54PM
A 50% drop last week yet still selling OVER 50% more units than the PSP? Sounds pretty great to me. The only reason for the drop is because Nintendo held back consoles for the release of FFIII which completely sold out this week BTW and did anybody bother to check the game sales for last week? 80% of the top 10 belongs to Nintendo consoles. THAT is what matters most. The number of consoles sold means nothing if nobody is buying games for that console.
But this is a stupid argument anyway. We all know the DS is selling out every week and the numbers could easily be much higher than they are.
Personally I'm GLAD the PSP is finally getting some good games but it still has a long way to go if it wants to catch up with the DS. Especially in the game sales dept which is where it really counts.
Matters @ Aug 25th 2006 6:49PM
correction ds didn't sell twice as much as psp but still quite a bit better my percentages are all fucked up.
Benjamin @ Aug 26th 2006 8:53PM
OK ok - the PSP gets games such as Silent Hill, Burnout, GTA, Metal Gear Solid, Wipeout, GT4, Fifa, NFS - and the DS gets "Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis," "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon" and "Starfox" Command. Wow. I'm sure Pokemon Mystery Dungeon will appeal to you guys. (lol)
Derky @ Aug 27th 2006 2:09AM
*QUOTE*17. OK ok - the PSP gets games such as Silent Hill, Burnout, GTA, Metal Gear Solid, Wipeout, GT4, Fifa, NFS - and the DS gets "Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis," "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon" and "Starfox" Command. Wow. I'm sure Pokemon Mystery Dungeon will appeal to you guys. (lol)*QUOTE*
no offence but as far as i can see most of those are boring car games that are well... i'll just say overated. the problem is that DS just knows how to make portable games better. You can play GTA on about any console with way better graphics, theres no need to be portable. DS acually concentraites on making crazy fun games that are exculsively porable. and as for pokemon,its the most popular game in history. people obviously like it (lol)
Jeff @ Aug 28th 2006 12:38PM
Ouch on both sides.
I'm a proud owner of both systems and do not regret buying either. I play both of them about equally and often. Nobody should have a problem that somebody else bought a different system than them. It's capitalism. Glorious capitalism. People are different, so let them choose what appeals to THEIR personal likes and dislikes rather than yours. Let the companies advertise why you should buy their console, whether it's a two-screened top seller or a graphically-superior console. We have to give the PSP credit that it actually made competition for once! Nintendo finally had a challenge from a contender in the portable market, so they had to bring their best to the table (which they did with the DS and their games). I applaud both companies for letting people have a choice of what they personally want to play.
Alien @ Aug 28th 2006 4:43AM
Well , yes , the PSP won this round , and thats because of the support of Konami . They love the PSP , and they know the potential of it . This is just like at E3 , the Wii won , because it was promoted by Ubi , if not , thye Wii would have been a big pile of c**p . So the PSP won this round , think about it , what will happen when the PS3 will come out , just pray N fanboys , just pray ( yes Im a Sony fan ) .