PSP World

PSP: Predicting the Hits (and Flops) of Holiday 2009

For the first time ever, there will be literally too many games to play on the PSP this holiday season. Sony is peppering the launch of its new premium PSP Go device with a tempting array of handheld versions of top-quality franchises. Interestingly, Sony and third-party publishers have attempted to take risk out of the equation by relying only on longstanding, tested properties. But just because a game is based on a successful series, doesn't mean it will be a surefire hit. With so many games coming out at once and each vying for our limited attention, there are sure to be some that underperform at retail, as gamers reserve their scant time and money for those games that provide the most fun and value. Here are the biggest PSP games of holiday 2009, along with our thoughts on which could succeed and which might disappoint.

Gran Turismo PSP (Almost Certain Hit)

The most popular automobile racing game in history is finally coming to the PSP. What's more, Polyphony appear to have included just about everything fans could have asked for: hundreds of cars, realistic tracks, and incredible graphics that run at 60 frames-per-second. Check out this list of cars in GT PSP to get a sense of just how massive this handheld game is going to be. Gran Turismo PSP will be a day one purchase for many, many fans, and we predict that it will rapidly exceed 1 million units in sales. The only thing that could potentially hold this game back is handling. What we've seen of races so far, particularly on the PSP Go, is that cars can be slightly floaty on the track, and not easy to control with the analog nub. The fact that Polyphony has included an option to control steering with the d-pad has us slightly worried.
Release Date: 1 October

Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Almost Certain Hit)

This game is going to be huge. An action brawler featuring all of the major heroes and villains from more than 20 years of Square Enix role-playing lore, we can't think of anything that could please fans more than this game (short of a Final Fantasy VII remake, that is). Square Enix is confidently proclaiming that Dissidia will outperform even Crisis Core on the PSP, and we think they might be right. Combining special moves, dynamic environments, more than 25 unique fighters, and amazing graphics, Dissidia: Final Fantasy will set a new standard for action games on the PSP. There also won't be much to compete with it when it lands on our portable systems in less than a month. The only question is whether it can maintain high sales right through the holidays, and we definitely think it can.
Release Date: 24 August

Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker (Almost Certain Hit)

The other huge game on the horizon, Metal Gear: Peacewalker is not only shaping up to be an excellent portable game, but an overall great entry in the Metal Gear Solid saga. Even though the title might not show up in time for the 2009 holidays, it is one that we are definitely keeping a close eye on. Set in the jungles of Central America during the Cold War, Peacewalker will feature a storyline penned by Kojima himself. Expect the game - as always - to be convoluted, bizarre, imaginative, and great fun. We just hope that Kojima pulls back a little on the cutscenes and concentrates on providing a solid gameplay experience first and foremost.
Release Date: "Early 2010"

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars (Potential Hit)

After anemic sales on the Nintendo DS, Rockstar finally smartened up and announced this 2D overhead GTA title for the PSP, where it has many more potential fans. The problem is that Chinatown Wars was developed with the Nintendo DS in mind, so it might not translate so smoothly to the wider screen. Graphically, we are sure the game will look great, as Rockstar can simply apply a coat of high-res varnish to what they've already done. But gameplay might not captivate PSP owners the way that the true 3D "Stories" games did. No matter the outcome, we're sure that PSP sales of Chinatown wars will trounce whatever the company has achieved on the DS.
Release Date: 30 October

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge (Potential Underperformer)

Sony has garnered a core audience for its off-road racing series on the PS3, and that could help sales of this handheld (and PS2) release when it lands in September. There are two potential problems standing in the way of Motorstorm's success, however. Firstly, the PSP is already a platform crowded with racers, and developers will have to work extra hard to make their title stand out and capture attention. With Colin MacRae's DiRT 2 coming out on PSP around the same time, there could be some real competition in the portable racing space. Secondly, the PSP is a challenging prospect for developers, because many of the things that made Motorstorm so compelling on the PS3 are technically impossible on the weaker platform. From what we've seen of Arctic Edge, the game will still feature crazy big air and ragdoll physics on the driver, but the destructive insanity enabled by the PS3's Cell processor is sadly absent in the PSP version. We hope that Motorstorm PSP doesn't disappoint, but it could.
Release Date: 29 September

Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier (Potential Underperformer)

We are probably going to take some heat for suggesting that the latest 3D Platformer from High Impact Games could be anything less than a total success. Based on what we've already seen, the game features fairly solid 3D platforming action along the lines of previously successful handheld entry, Daxter. The game also features colorful cartoon characters and a lighthearted story about Eco Pirates, sure to please younger gamers. While we would have preferred that Naughty Dog take the reins on development of this title, they have said they are through with PSP development, and High Impact (already successful with the PSP) has been given the responsibility for this title. The biggest potential problem for this game, is that it appears the developer might be rushing to get it out the door in time for the holidays. Never a good sign for platformers, where careful testing and optimization is necessary to ensure things like the camera and controls work perfectly.
Release Date: "Holiday 2009"

LittleBigPlanet PSP (Potential Underperformer)

Another game that looks almost as good as its console counterpart, LittleBigPlanet PSP astonished us by being nearly as pretty and feature-rich as the PS3 game. The problem is that "nearly" might not be good enough, and if LittleBigPlanet PSP offers pretty much the same concept as the PS3 version but with lower-res graphics, less physics and a smaller tool set, core fans will have no reason to set aside the better console game. We thought that Sony might go a different route with LittleBigPlanet PSP, adding some creative new gameplay twists to shake things up a little, and that might have been a better idea.
Release Date: 30 October

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (Potential Underperformer)

We know people are excited about the prospect of an Assassin's Creed title on the PSP handheld, but so far, that's all we know. Ubisoft have been extremely cagey about details on the game, which apparently will feature more of Altair's exploits from the first entry on consoles. The company was confident enough to boast that the PSP release will boost overall sales by %15, but without a clear demonstration of gameplay, we remain cautious. The biggest risk? Development has been farmed out to Griptonite, a studio not involved with production of the original console games.
Release Date: 20 November

We hope that all of these games are successful and bring in new fans to Sony's handheld system (we are a PSP fan site, after all!). However, if we were only able to put two PSP games on our list for Santa this year, they would definitely be Dissidia and Gran Turismo. Other contenders will have to impress us a lot in order to dethrone either of those games from the top of our "must have" holiday 2009 list.