The PSP - key to mass market PDF RPG gaming?

[trancejeremy]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/28/news_6121153.html

Basically, the Korean version of the PSP will have some extras, including apparently an e-book reader.

"Other networked services scheduled for PSP consumers in Korea include on-demand streaming music, on-demand streaming videos (including TV shows), e-learning options, and electronic books. SCEK and KT expect that they will be the first companies to provide a full online experience for the PSP user in any market."


Part of the trouble with PDFs is that you can't use them at a gaming table unless you print it out (which is expensive), have a laptop (also expensive) or a PDA somesuch (also fairly expensive).

Now, if you could use PDFs (or something similar) on a PSP, now that's something. Granted, a PSP won't be cheap (the Koreans have it even worse than in the US, they will be $320 there), but the price will likely come down. Same with the memory sticks.

 

[WingOver]

A buddy of mine at work bought a play station portable. He was playing the spiderman 2 movie on it. I was surprised at how many pixels are packed onto that little screen. It looks great.

But I don't think the PSP will be the device that does anything significant to PDF RPG gaming, not with more suitable devices like PDAs and tablets out there. The latest Dell Axim is awesome and not much more expensive than the PSP.

I think once tablet slates come down in price in the next few years, we'll see a lot more PDFs at the table. It can be held in portrait mode like a real book, it's easier on the eyes and is a full-featured, pen-enabled computer to boot.

But maybe I'm biased because I use a tablet now.

 

[CarlZog]

I have enough trouble reading pdfs on a decent monitor. I like to see the whole page at once when I'm reading, and in order to do that with a pdf, you have to shrink it down too small to read the print.

I can't imagine trying to read one on a PSP.

 

[Ranger REG]

Wow. PSP is muscling in the PDA market, including the often-forgotten Tapwave media PDA.

 

[nakia]

I had not heard about the PDF's on the PSP, although the possibilty of an "iTunes" for movies is pretty cool.

PLUG ALERT!

My brother has started a website dealing with the PSP and relevant news:

www.umdplanet.com

I think it's a pretty good site, but I am biased.

 

[Ranger REG]

So, your brother is worshipping UMD now?

It's another generation of Betamax. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Remind me again why the market went with mediocre VHS instead of high-quality BETA?