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[Rumour on]: New PSP without UMD drive to be announced this E3, coming this fall
subedii
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http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3173959
Main problem is that 1up are just citing their "sources" but not giving us anything concrete about where this information is coming from. So it could just be more rumours. The fact that it's supposed to be coming out this fall also makes me a bit sceptical.
We've been hearing rumours on and off for a while now that a new PSP was coming and that it wouldn't be making use of the UMD drive, instead opting for Digital Distribution direct from Sony's store. Personally I've been holding off on getting a PSP largely because the UMD drive sucks up battery power and slows everything down (load times are much slower), it was likely whatever next gen PSP would probably do away with it.
What information (or rumours) we do have indicates that aside from being disc-less it's also going to feature a sliding screen instead of keeping the controls besides the screen as is currently the case. Sony are also making a fairly significant push with their online store, with 100 new / classic titles for launch. Two versions will be announced, an 8 gig and a 16 gig flash memory version. Release is scheduled for Fall / Winter.
It's important to note, this isn't a PSP2. It's still going to be playing the same games and there's no information on any performance increases. This appears to be a re-working similar to the one from the Nintendo Gameboy Advance to the Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP. Only in this case, it would seem that there's no way to use previously purchase games.
So thoughts? Like I said, these rumours have been going around for a while. Certainly devs have been complaining about the UMD drive and how it really hurts the system. It's also evident that apart from occasional mega hits like Monster hunter, the PSP hasn't been doing as well as they had hoped, certainly not a patch on the DS.
If true, I have to wonder what happens to all the UMD's they're selling at the moment, and how this would change their sales strategy. Everything would be coming directly from Sony, no 3rd party retail. This would be a good thing for Sony, but the lack of retail competition tends to keep game prices high, and decreases the likelihood of sales and discounts. You also have to wonder how much exposure PSP titles will be able to get without being stocked in stores for people to see, retail is still the biggest chunk of money isn't it?
Does anyone have experience with the Sony store and buying digitally distributed games for their PSP? What's the service like? Can you back up titles after purchase? What's their policy on re-downloading games that you've bought?
Anyway, discuss.
Main problem is that 1up are just citing their "sources" but not giving us anything concrete about where this information is coming from. So it could just be more rumours. The fact that it's supposed to be coming out this fall also makes me a bit sceptical.
We've been hearing rumours on and off for a while now that a new PSP was coming and that it wouldn't be making use of the UMD drive, instead opting for Digital Distribution direct from Sony's store. Personally I've been holding off on getting a PSP largely because the UMD drive sucks up battery power and slows everything down (load times are much slower), it was likely whatever next gen PSP would probably do away with it.
What information (or rumours) we do have indicates that aside from being disc-less it's also going to feature a sliding screen instead of keeping the controls besides the screen as is currently the case. Sony are also making a fairly significant push with their online store, with 100 new / classic titles for launch. Two versions will be announced, an 8 gig and a 16 gig flash memory version. Release is scheduled for Fall / Winter.
It's important to note, this isn't a PSP2. It's still going to be playing the same games and there's no information on any performance increases. This appears to be a re-working similar to the one from the Nintendo Gameboy Advance to the Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP. Only in this case, it would seem that there's no way to use previously purchase games.
So thoughts? Like I said, these rumours have been going around for a while. Certainly devs have been complaining about the UMD drive and how it really hurts the system. It's also evident that apart from occasional mega hits like Monster hunter, the PSP hasn't been doing as well as they had hoped, certainly not a patch on the DS.
If true, I have to wonder what happens to all the UMD's they're selling at the moment, and how this would change their sales strategy. Everything would be coming directly from Sony, no 3rd party retail. This would be a good thing for Sony, but the lack of retail competition tends to keep game prices high, and decreases the likelihood of sales and discounts. You also have to wonder how much exposure PSP titles will be able to get without being stocked in stores for people to see, retail is still the biggest chunk of money isn't it?
Does anyone have experience with the Sony store and buying digitally distributed games for their PSP? What's the service like? Can you back up titles after purchase? What's their policy on re-downloading games that you've bought?
Anyway, discuss.
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That would be my guess as well. The thing is, current PSP users get shafted if they want the new system, since they won't be able to play all the games they've already bought. Unless Sony has some way of transferring.
It's possible that they could make a firmware update that would allow transferring of UMD titles from old PSP to the new PSP vis a memory stick, although I'm not sure how that would work.
They'll make you go to a game store and have your physical copies transferred to your Go! and then they'll go into a trash compactor so you can't do anything unscrupulous with them.
Just a guess.
I don't get it. It's a newer version of the system missing a feature? Wouldn't the same goal be achieved by letting developers make games and sell them on memory sticks or something?
Well the larger memory and new control design would probably be a significant factor too. I'd be willing to bet that either it's going to be smaller across (probably fatter though) or the screen's expanded to take up the space that used to be occupied by the buttons. Without needing the drive they're going to have a fair amount more room in it now. It'll be interesting to see what price point this goes to.
I mean, people are buying the DSi and that's not even a major change.
Blu-Ray actually has life outside of the PS3. UMD, not so much.
If they gave me a way to 'trade in' my UMD collection for PSN titles, if it has the PSP 3000 screen, if it does in fact have up to 16gb on board storage, if it has an SD duo slot, I'd definitely trade my 2000 in for one. The biggest factors are the on board storage and the ability to turn in my UMD's for PSN downloads, but I'm very interested in one. I have 4 UMD movies, but I'd get rid of those. Not needed with PSP movie maker.
It better NOT.
What's wrong with it, other than the scan lines you need a microscope to see?
What are they going to do to advertise their games? The PSP barely gets any attention as it is, and with games not on store shelves you would think it would only hurt their sales more.
What are they doing for memory? With steam and other digital distribution programs your have your entire computers memory or at least a hefty PS3 / 360 hard drive. I doubt a portable system will be able to hold more than a few retail games which would seemingly be a step back from being able to carry around your entire library.
What are they going to to about past games? Is Sony going to offer downloads for games that have already seen a UMD launch? Will people who already purchased these games be able to get them for free or at least reduced price?
Overall I the idea, but I think if Sonys going to launch a system with digital distribution as the only means for games, they should probably start from scratch than release a new version of an already existing console.
Rumor has it they've been in talks with retailers about it. They'll probably have boxed download coupons like Lost and the Damned for GTA 4.
Rumor has it 2 models will be available. One with on board 8gb storage, one with 16gb. Hopefully there would be a SD Duo slot as well. When you consider Resistance Retribution takes 1.4gb, and it's a really, really hefty game size wise, you should be able to store a few games on it. If you have a PS3 you can keep games backed up on it, or keep the file backed up on your PC.
Rumor has it yes. 100 new and old titles will be available for download at launch (one of the premiere new download only titles will be Gran Turismo Portable). No news on what will happen to people who own UMD's already.
Capcom to rerelease between 20 to 40 PSP and PS1 titles.
I'm actually really excited for the PSP right now. If the PSP Go! wasn't releasing in the fall (most likely) I would be picking up a Rockband bundle next month.
Why? You think they're remotely interested in ever cutting you a deal, even on games that have been out for a while? You think they'll ever have Steam-esque $10 blowout sales (which is the most I've paid for any of my PSP games)?
Let's face it: love them or hate them, they're a company of arrogance and blinding self-love, and without retail clearances and used game sales you can look forward to permanent MSRP from Sony. Maybe it could turn out okay, but I'll believe it when I see it.
The same could be said about any of the console makers. Sony love their high prices, and beleive their customers will stick with them even when paying ridiculous amounts, true to some extent. Microsoft thinks that selling customers faulty products and admitting they would repeat it will garner the love of their fanbase, true to some extent. Nintendo think that churning out piles of casual games and shovelware will keep the guys who stuck with them through the Gamecube era happy, true to some extent.
They said they were working on it in January. It takes a while to sort out the licenses, publishing rights for different regions (hopefully they're planning on releasing them worldwide) and QA for both the PS3 and PSP.
DMC PSP was cancelled like 2 years ago and I really doubt it'd work on the system anyway. It's a bit too frantic to work well on the PSP, which is one of the reasons cited why they cancelled it. If anything, I think a classic style RE would work really well on the PSP.
Vegan: They've had quite a few specials on the PS3 but hey, don't let that stop you.
Look at how Sony has priced Loco Roco on PSN, and try to argue that they are "the same" as everyone else.
Sony has some serious internal communications issues, which we get a brief glimpse of every once in a while. It often honestly seems like the folks making decisions simply ignore input that they don't like.
Nintendo doesn't need to keep gamecube owners happy, because there is a huge market that would love to buy a Wii and Wii Fit. They're a business, afterall, and they are doing great.
Sony, on the otherhand, has made decisions this generation which have hurt it's marketshare and its mindshare, and most of these decisions seem to come from a place of arrogance. Remember when Sony was LOUDLY proclaiming that the PS3 was the only true backwards compatible console (that the 360 barely had BC, and, they insisted, that the Wii had no BC whatsoever) only to turn around and remove BC from their systems? Remember when they refused to find a way to get Rumble in to their controllers (until Kojima insisted) or how they were certain that folks liked the Playstation brand-name enough that they would take out a second job to afford a $600 PS3?
It may not matter to you, but this kind of arrogance gets noticed by the public. The removal of UMD drives seems like just another classic piece of arrogant Sony.
Lately, I've found the PSP looking more and more appealing. I'm still on the fence, but this rumor (if true) will make the system look less appealing.
I mean, if I get the new PSP "Go!" is there any way of knowing if all the games I want will be available for download?
But if I buy a classic PSP, and all the new titles are download-only, won't I eventually need to buy a bunch of new storage devices in order to hold my games? And I'm guessing the used game market will become basically nonexistent, which, combined with the cost of new memory sticks, seems like quite an unappealing prospect.
Are you serious? Kojima has a lot of influence in the Japanese industry but enough to tell Sony to change their controller? That's laughable. Sony actually couldn't include rumble because they were in an ongoing lawsuit with Immersion, so they were pretty much forced to take it out. As soon as it was over, the Dual Shock 3 was already in the pipelines.
The PS3 has certainly had a lot of problems, some caused by arrogance (price) and others caused by Sony Corps calling the shots (BC). But how exactly is the new rumoured PSP a sign of arrogance? The PSP is clearly in need of a boost and a new, iPod-esque PSP may give it that boost. Would you prefer the PSP continue the way it is and slowly die?
Rex Dart: You'll only need a bunch of new storage devices if you want to have all of your games available at all times. Otherwise, when you don't want to play a game, you can back it up to a PC or PS3. Memory stick prices are pretty cheap these days too (though for all we know, they could support SD cards, like the PS3).
I'd advise you to just wait. Hopefully when Sony announce it, they'll announce a way to transfer UMD's to Memory Stick.
I really don't think the PSP Go! is meant to replace the psp-3000. I think Sony intends to sell them side by side. I also don't think they will have a UMD to PSN solution so that if you do buy the Go! you will be stuck with digital downloads only. (though I wish they did, I'd love a kiosk solution)
So consumers have to decide if they want a psp with UMD compatibility or a "sexier" (sliding) psp that will probably either be smaller or have a larger screen and have built in storage.
Given these options I'd pick the psp-3000 + 16GB MS, but the PSP Go might have something else that makes it appealing. (I'm hoping it is more scratch resistant, either with glass screen or that film you find on blu-rays)
Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
And the Kojima line is because he insisted that he wanted rumble for MGS4.
Do you know WHY the PSP is "slowly dying"? It is BECAUSE it attempted to be both a gameboy and an iPod from the get go. Sony has an issue with spreading their devices too thin. A recommitment to forced synergy is just going to hurt the device, not help it.
I'm not saying that the PSP should continue on the way it is. I'm saying that if the hardware has stagnated, then make a PSP2. Don't take the current model, REMOVE FEATURES, and then call it "new and improved."
Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
it was the split focus in design and development.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=83935
Actually, I'd say the PSP's problems are a little bit of both of what Evander and Greeble said. The fact that Sony didn't develop/encourage many games that took advantage of the console's portable nature made it hard for the games to get traction, and the fact that it's easy to use other media and pirated stuff on there made matters worse.
Removing the UMD doesn't address this issue, and neither does most of the new PSP games Sony's encouraging the devs to make.
And if you doubt this may be happening, the digital/box with a code in it release of Patapon 2 is reportedly Sony's "test" case to see if this will take off.
I've said it before, but I don't see this working too well, since it's too soon for most of the market. Even we tech nerds are iffy on the idea, and we're supposed to be open to wave of the future stuff. Joe Average, who expects to be able to buy games he can stick into a game machine, won't be happy with this one bit. Now, if there was a generation where you could have physical AND digital games for easy download, then they might have been able to train people to download games. But I figure the market will just balk at this.
And then there's the issue of what Sony will do with the UMDs already out there. If they were smart, they'd get on the ball and find some way to let people add them to their digital collection. But it's clear that Sony's upper management is making the big decisions nowadays instead of the game division, and it's the upper execs who are to blame for the PS3 STILL costing an arm and a leg when it's blatantly obvious that's what's dragging the system down. So the launch could easily be botched through exec micromanagement.
I really like my PSP. It has been all over the world with me. I really like the idea of an internal hard drive as long as it keeps a removable disk option. I think Evander's point is so true. If it is going to be iterative from the PSP-3000 it can not remove features.
Also, I said this in the PSP game thread but I would totally get behind a kiosk. It makes perfect sense which probably means that Sony will not do it.
If the goal is to make the PSP more competitive with the iPod again, then yes, it's the top execs pulling the strings, and it will not end well.
Which is way I am saying that the PSP Go! WILL come, and it will also sell below expectations.
I'm still working out what will be blamed. Piracy is a possibility, but I'm actually expecting accusations of media and/or retailer bias to be a more likely scapegoat.
First, rebrand the PSP with small upgrades without giving up the "dual track" vision of gaming and media. Second, switch to an all DLC model to prevent piracy (which Sony believes to be at 50%) and increase incentives to developers because they don't have to deal with brick and mortar stores.
Sony, I think really believes that the PSP just needs games to sell to be successful. Otherwise, why would they be unhappy with a 26 million unit install base?
After the initial launch buzz, hardware sales will be low, because folks will not like the whole having to download all fo their games thing.
Software sales will be low because A) hardware sales will be low, and
No, you can bet EBstop has nightmares about an all-digital distribution game world. In fact, I'll bet my left ass cheek they just don't sleep at all when thinking about it.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
Is that a bet you're ready to have collected on?
Gamestop has a serious taskforce making sure that they remain relevant when DigiDistro hits. They aren't Sony; they've been able to expand by reflecting the times, ratehr than insisting that things will go the way they planned.
I'm intrigued. How do you think Gamestop will try to wedge themselves into the digital distribution equation? I'm not mocking, I'm certain they are planning exactly that. But how will it work?
Will they find some reason to demand a percentage of all digital sales? Will they convince Sony to let them sell these digital items on Gamestop's website, introducing a middleman into a system where it makes no sense for one to exist? Actually, that sounds about right to me. A year ago I would never have believed that I'd have to wait in a digital line to play online arcade games, but Sony found a way.
........My god. I just saw the future. And it involves waiting for half an hour in line to buy a game in a digital Gamestop.
So, it'll probably happen. "Sorry, in order to relieve stress on our servers you have been placed in a cue. You are <26,000th> in line in the world. Please wait patiently while the other customers are served."
*Old man slowly looks around the site, wondering what the hell a PS4 or Xbox 720 are and where his Atari has gone*
....You know, just so I can see this come to fruition, I hope technology goes this way. :P