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The PSP Go is released today but I wonder, will anyone buy it? It has had an interesting amount of press coverage, spanning from the original leak about the device all the way up to the week before release. Looking at the chronology of coverage about the next PSP, it seems the bad press is outweighing the good.
With the original leak reported by 1UP, there were many complaints about the design of the device, most notably the lack of the second analog stick, but there were also some positive comments. With the device being slimmer and digital only, it thus becomes far more portable friendly—no longer needing to carry rather large discs around to change out. But this also can be an issue as PSP Go can’t play the old, UMD, format of games; it can only play digitally distributed games. Sony is changing the format, rendering the old games incompatible with the new device, even though they are the same games. There is no technical advantage to buying a PSP Go as it is the same device in a new form. The games won’t look better, won’t control better and will only have marginally shorter load times.
The original 1UP report was later confirmed in the June edition of Qore, by way of the Gaming Console Network, and included new details. One of the more interesting ones was that the current model, PSP-3000, will be sold along side of the PSP Go. The PSP-3000 can read both UMD and digital copies from a memory stick, while the PSP Go can only read digital copies. But buying a game on UMD is questionable if you want to play it in the future, as the PSP Go seems to signify the move towards digital distribution only—it is a mixed message.
Something Qore also failed to mention was the price, which was announced at E3 for $249.99. The initial reaction of the price was hugely negative, with even video games industry analyst Michael Pachter saying this about the PSP Go on the Bound Round via Game Politics:
“$249 is too much. Period… The [current] $169 PSP-3000 is a profitable device – the disc assembly, for a UMD, costs more than 16 gigs of flash does. So this new device doesn’t cost them as much to make as the PSP-3000 and they jack the price up $80… I’m sorry to say it. I don’t want to get bad fan mail from the Sony fanboys, but… They’re ripping off the consumer until they sell a couple million and if consumers don’t buy it then the price is going to come down…they’re making a lot more money on the PSP Go than the PSP-3000. And the PSP Go helps them because there’s no piracy…”
He later retracted the statement of it ripping off consumers but I don’t believe he was incorrect. The PSP-3000 is priced at $169.99 and, at retail, a 16 gigabyte Memory Stick Duo, the same amount of memory included within the PSP Go, can be found for $70. If these prices can be had at retail then it is far cheaper at wholesale—meaning the profit margin on these devices is much higher than before.
In the week leading up to the PSP Go’s launch, more details were revealed about the nuances of the digital distribution future for the device. It was stated that the Playstation Store would have pricing parity with retail in a Destructoid interview with Eric Lempel, Director of Playstation Operations and Strategic Planning. Pricing Parity means that digital downloads will be at the same price of a retail release and, again, an example of not passing savings to the consumer. Digital distribution is far cheaper than retail—if you factor in shipping and manufacturing versus bandwidth hosting. Also, consumers generally perceive a digitally distributed product to have lesser value than a physical copy. But, ultimately, there is a closed market for games on the PSP Go and there is little competition or shelf space limitations to drive down prices like there is in retail sales.
Any of these physical copies of PSP games that a consumer currently owns will not be transferable at launch and there is no timeframe of when it will or if it even could happen in the future, according to a report from Kotaku. While there are many legal issues dealing with licensing for physical media verses digital downloads, it is surprising that there could not be anything worked out at launch, even with games that are Sony published and/or owned.
Current PSP owners who still have UMD-based games to play are unlikely to upgrade to a PSP Go anytime soon and may never consider upgrading unless a new platform, instead of a revision, is released. PSP sales have been stagnant lately and with all the drawbacks of the PSP Go, I can’t see it making a large impact.
Comments
15 years, 1 month ago
I wont be picking up a PSP Go myself, my PSP 2000 works just fine and can actually play UMD's :P
Honestly, the Go actually feels like a downgrade to me simply because of the lack of UMD support. Since being able to download games on PSP is nothing new, the Go actually seems to have taken features away rather than adding them.
15 years, 1 month ago
My god man, All that for something we've all pretty much decided to pass on.
15 years, 1 month ago
I, never having owned a PSP, makes the GO more attractive to me. I don't lose on my games because of the UMD to download transfer, The longer battery life (no umd to spin) And the larger screen. Its a winner to me. In fact, I will go buy one, As soon as the price is near the $180 mark. $250? for a portable? No way.
Its odd, the PSP-go is actually helping to sell PSP-3000s because of all the announcements along with the Go release (minis, downloadable titles). I'm betting PSP sales will go up, but Go sales will be quite low.
15 years, 1 month ago
Sticking with my CFW PSP-1000.
15 years, 1 month ago
is it cool if i just get it for MGS Peace Walker? :P
15 years, 1 month ago
Pan1c, a couple things:
- Aside from your estimation, have you seen anything quoting battery life, much less in the Go's favor?
- The screen on the Go is actually 11% smaller than the standard PSP's screen.
Personally, I'm in favor of the Go largely due to its smaller size, but, aside from that, I haven't seen much in the way of purchasing incentive over the previous models. Sony's not doing the consumer any favors here outside of the physical size of the machine, and that's a shame: the Go, if priced correctly (including digital games downloads), could have given the DS a run for its money.
15 years, 1 month ago
Surely not for $250.
Secondly, the games that Sony is marketing for this are not the type of games that I want to play on the Go. Do I really want to play a Metal Gear Solid game in 20 minute intervals while I ride the bus?
15 years, 1 month ago
I'm not much of a PSP gamer. I have about 6-7 games and a movie. I actually like larger devices. Anything too small and my hands begin to cramp. That is my biggest concern with Go, and the buttons are once again small and difficult to press like the 1000 (which I am using).
If UMD's suddenly became extinct, only then I might find myself buying a Go.
15 years, 1 month ago
If they had a UMD to download transfer system and the PSP go costed $100+ less then maybe I would consider getting it. Guess I'll just repair the screen on my 1000 for about $20.
15 years, 1 month ago
Not interested. I don't like the new design and my slim works just fine. :)
15 years, 1 month ago
Yes it has been stated that it has a longer battery life.
And as for the screen, I misspoke. It is not a larger screen, but a better screen then you'd see on the 3000.
15 years, 1 month ago
Honestly, it's a waste if you already have a PSP. The fact that it doesnt even play UMD's, even though they suck, is totally stupid. I wouldn't want to rebuy all the games I have for it because Sony decided to just say, "Ah, screw it." And honestly, I don't mind the size of the PSP's, I don't really want it smaller.
15 years, 1 month ago
not me, its far too expensive, has a smaller screen, doesn't seem to have much space for games and things and besides, i don't even play handhelds all that often
15 years, 1 month ago
a psp that doesnt play UMD's and is more expensive than any of the three consoles right now?
no thank you, my crisis core jobby will suit me just fine.
15 years, 1 month ago
The hugest problem is the lack of a conversion program by Sony to convert people's UMD games to digital media you can store on the PSP Go.
I've got a CFW PSP, but I don't use homebrew, I put CFW on so I didn't have to carry all my UMDs and run all my games off the memstick.
The concept of the PSP Go (smaller form factor, internal memory) is great, Sony's execution just fails. Forcing current PSP owners to switch from Memory Stick PRO DUO to Memory Stick Micro M2 is a nuisance. Not giving us a conversion program is killing previous PSP owners from making the switch.
That said. PSN has been updated with maybe 100 PSP games for digital download to your PSP.
15 years, 1 month ago
My friend bought the Go! today. I played with it for an hour (GranTurismo) and my anwser is "No. I will not buy this crapy toy". It's very delicate and not good enough for me. I have the 3004 and it's very solid. Second thing is the price $250 is 1100zł and for that money you can buy an XBox 360 Elite in Poland. Poland is a stupic country and let me tell you. PS3 in US costs $300 and that's 870zł but the price in Poland is 1250zł... Now you know why did I buy my new PS3 Slim in the US and imported it.
15 years, 1 month ago
I'll pick it up in a couple of weeks. I've never had a psp, so im looking forward to downloading some of the old games like Loco Roco, and some of the new "minis".
15 years, 1 month ago
ew...im not buying it..no point...i like my cfw...
15 years, 1 month ago
i look forward to getting a psp go because i mostly just play ps1 games, and i hate have to change umds every time i want to play a different game.
15 years, 1 month ago
I actually bought the psp go today, and I'm definately happy I did. It's well worth the purchase to me, seeing i've never owned or really played a psp before. It fits very comfortably in my pocket and even though the screen size is smaller, the quality is so much better.
15 years, 1 month ago
im gonna have to pass simpily because im happy with my 3000 and i only my psp as a mp3 right now. when i get a bigger memory card ill download gt psp, rb unplugged, and persona. but yeah like i and everyone elsed said im gonna have to pass
15 years, 1 month ago
I'm still saving up for the the original psp, this one just doesn't seem as worth it at all compared to the 3000.
15 years, 1 month ago
I just don't get it...
I was talking to our Sony Rep. today asking why they thought it was a good choice of removing UMD's from the new PSP. He claimed they did surverys and public interviews with people, and most of them said they wanted to keep the UMD drive and add a second analog stick. But for whatever reason, they did the exact opposite.
15 years, 1 month ago
I have some UMD games, I don't desire purchasing this little system especially at its price point....plus tax....
15 years, 1 month ago
Screen is 11% smaller on the diagonal, but that is not the proper measure to use. The actual SIZE of the screen is its area. By that measure, the screen is a hefty 22% smaller.
15 years ago
im all for the go.i have a 1000 but the volume does not work and i gave away all my UMDs.so the UMD drive is just making it hevier