Like I said, it's far from a majority, but it's simply bad business practise to take a slice out of your market without growing it at all.
You're assuming that a re-branded and theoretically cheaper UMD-less PSP wouldn't grow Sony's handheld market at all.
Because I have no reason to assume otherwise.
I'm not getting down on Sony here. I'll tell you that the choice to remove the GBA slot from the DSi cut off a portion of the DS marketshare as well, the different is that the new features that they added will open up new areas.
So now you're going to say "But Evander, what about the fact that Sony could add new features to the PSP2 as well?" the answer to which is simple: when they announce those new features, I'll revise my opinions to account for them.
There's simply no accounting for unknowns. All that ANY of us can do is opine based on the "facts" (rumor in this case, but still) and pass judgement there. There are a million different things, internal and external of Sony's choices, that could affect the reception of the next PSP system.
There isn't wifi everywhere in the country yet, just in certain areas.
And iPods DO NOT have a download only system. You can rip your CDs, or put on other mp3s that you've gotten elsewhere. An iPod requires a computer to use, but not a credit card or the internet.
I still think that the number of people who can afford a $170+ handheld and a home PC but don't have any form of internet access is small enough that Sony doesn't need to worry too much about them, especially if they go with a "points card" system.
you're mixing one time fees with reoccuring service fees.
some families save up for occasional big gifts (Christmas, birthday, etc.) but can't afford a lot of things in their regular budgets. Other families are just awful at budgeting entirely, and blow money on large items, leaving nothing left.
Again, the percentage of Americans who want but cannot afford internet access is very small indeed.
I emphasized a key word there.
The more important statistic on that page is the fact that 29% of US HHolds are without net access, for whatever reason. 22% of that group (acccording to your numbers) can't afford either a computer, or a net subscription, but do you really believe that all of the rest are only waiting for the PSP2 to come out before subscribing?
The more important statistic on that page is the fact that 29% of US HHolds are without net access, for whatever reason. 22% of that group (acccording to your numbers) can't afford either a computer, or a net subscription, but do you really believe that all of the rest are only waiting for the PSP2 to come out before subscribing?
No, but I really believe that the overlap between the 29% of US households without internet access and the % of households with a current or likely near-future PSP owner is extremely small.
I'm not getting down on Sony here. I'll tell you that the choice to remove the GBA slot from the DSi cut off a portion of the DS marketshare as well, the different is that the new features that they added will open up new areas.
So now you're going to say "But Evander, what about the fact that Sony could add new features to the PSP2 as well?" the answer to which is simple: when they announce those new features, I'll revise my opinions to account for them.
There's simply no accounting for unknowns. All that ANY of us can do is opine based on the "facts" (rumor in this case, but still) and pass judgement there. There are a million different things, internal and external of Sony's choices, that could affect the reception of the next PSP system.
Agreed, but I think that it's a pretty logical assumption that Sony will follow the same pattern they have with the PS3, if they cut features out then they lower the SRP of the hardware. That alone could net them more of a marketshare increase than a shift to downloadable content only will hurt them.
Sony Executive:
What is X popular electronics company doing these days?
Sony Lackey:
[trendy technology that X popular company was able to market properly and was done in an innovative and effective manner]
Sony Executive:
Sounds good. Let's do that but strip out everything that makes that service attractive, unique, and profitable, botch the execution and post record losses!
/stupid
Seriously, I owned a ps1, own a ps2 and a psp, but man, I really don't understand what happened. I mean, I understand what happened... but jeez... They need to get back to the R&D board here, figure out what people want instead of trying to dictate it, and come up with a unique and marketable way of implementing it.
2 months after I bought the PSP I didn't think, "Well fuck, I'd love this system if I didn't have to deal with these goddamn UMD pieces of shit". I thought, "Well fuck, maybe I'd play this thing more if it had games for it that were unique and suited to the platform they're on".
I'm not saying I wouldn't like a product with direct download service (I think I would), but I think they're attacking the problem from the wrong angle here. Come up with something decent to play for it, then we'll talk. I don't buy games from Steam because it's convenient, I buy them because they're good.
Kinda conflicted about this. Honestly I love having boxed copies of games, but I also like the ease that digital distribution brings. It also tends to really speed up load times and sometimes increase performance, so that's a plus as well.
Now, what I would love is the ability to buy digital games at a fair price, and perhaps spend a little more to get a box copy sent to me. That's a bit unfeasible, but I can dream, aye?
There's also the fact that prices become a tad bit more...annoying. Steam offers great deals on games and often sells them at very reduced prices at times, but I can't see the same going for sony. I'd hope they would reduce the price of a game over time, but eh.
Overall it is a very enticing thing, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with it.
And iPods DO NOT have a download only system. You can rip your CDs, or put on other mp3s that you've gotten elsewhere. An iPod requires a computer to use, but not a credit card or the internet.
You DO know that ipod's dont come with Itunes disc's, right? that you HAVE to download itunes from the internet before you can use the ipod?
Anyway, my guess is that this 'PSP2' isn't actually a real PSP but more of a PSP Phone, to compete with the iPhone and that they'll continue to sell the regular PSP alongside it. It'd explain why they wouldn't let Sony Ericsson make their own PSPhone.
Way, way, WAY too soon to go all digital. It'll never happen. I know this is every publisher's wet dream, but it's not going to fucking happen (yet).
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The_SpaniardIt's never lupinesIrvine, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
I have a HUGE library of PSP games, but if they a find to allow me to transfer them to a stick or register them so I can download without buying again I will happily buy a PSP2 day one.
And iPods DO NOT have a download only system. You can rip your CDs, or put on other mp3s that you've gotten elsewhere. An iPod requires a computer to use, but not a credit card or the internet.
You DO know that ipod's dont come with Itunes disc's, right? that you HAVE to download itunes from the internet before you can use the ipod?
really?
my ipod I had a couple of years back came with a disc,
And iPods DO NOT have a download only system. You can rip your CDs, or put on other mp3s that you've gotten elsewhere. An iPod requires a computer to use, but not a credit card or the internet.
You DO know that ipod's dont come with Itunes disc's, right? that you HAVE to download itunes from the internet before you can use the ipod?
really?
my ipod I had a couple of years back came with a disc,
yea, they stopped that a few years ago.
My old Mini did too, but they stopped that at least a year and a half ago.
Now it comes with a slip of paper that says: "go to apple.com/itunes and download the newest Itunes now!"
Why are people comparing this to the fucking iPod? Buying a few £1 mp3s (and lets face it, tons of people just pirate it) or even a few iPhone apps is a long way from spending £30 on a game. A game that you used to be able to sell or trade, but which is now locked forever to you and you only. They'd have to be at most half that price, and the 3D PS2 style games they put on the PSP just don't come out at that RRP.
What they're saying is that in order to actually get songs on your iPod you have to get on the internet and download iTunes to start putting mp3's on there. If you don't have the internet you're pretty much shit out of luck (unless you don't have to use iTunes anymore, I'm not sure).
What they're saying is that in order to actually get songs on your iPod you have to get on the internet and download iTunes to start putting mp3's on there. If you don't have the internet you're pretty much shit out of luck (unless you don't have to use iTunes anymore, I'm not sure).
you do have to use itunes, unless your a bit techsavvy and know how to get it to work with other programs.
But if your tech savvy, you have the internet :P
What they're saying is that in order to actually get songs on your iPod you have to get on the internet and download iTunes to start putting mp3's on there. If you don't have the internet you're pretty much shit out of luck (unless you don't have to use iTunes anymore, I'm not sure).
if that is the case now, it STILL technically only requires a one time use of the internet.
Some one mentioned earlier that folks without internet could just go out to a hotspot every time they want to download a game. At that point, how is digital distribution ANY better for them than a B&M store.
DigiDistro has the possibility to do great things, but it needs to come about on terms agreed upon by all parties within the market, not just be forced on the consumers by the supply-side. Sony has shown that they think it is perfectly okay to charge the exact same ammount of money for a digital copy of a game or movie as one would pay for a physical one (or sometimes even more. Loco Roco on PSN costs $23, even though the physical game REALEASED at $20) so there is no reason to assume that Sony will ehave differently.
This is a consumer-negative move on Sony's part, if it proves to be true. The folks cheering for this may not care about how it will impact their bottom line, but maybe they shou8ld think about other people who DO care.
The issue isn't the internet though. The issue is giving a single retailer total control over all game sales for a platform, and removing any way to make any money back. Every game will be RRP, why would they need to discount anything if there's nowhere else to buy? Even GT5P has been more online than offline, along with all the PSP games they've released so far. At least with most Steam games there's a retail alternative.
The issue isn't the internet though. The issue is giving a single retailer total control over all game sales for a platform, and removing any way to make any money back. Every game will be RRP, why would they need to discount anything if there's nowhere else to buy? Even GT5P has been more online than offline, along with all the PSP games they've released so far. At least with most Steam games there's a retail alternative.
absolutely.
it destroys the equity of the market. consumers are left with very little leverage, as Sony milks every last cent from those willing to pay higher prices before dropping prices to more affordable levels, rather than seeking out equilibrium levels from the start.
HOWEVER, I would pay excellent money for a flash memory based PSP that sold me games on memory sticks, or some memory stick esque format, and had multiple slots for flash memory. Bonus points if they were to concede and include an SD card slot.
I wonder how big the PSP2 games will be and how the storage system will be. I also wonder if Sony will require you to have a PS3/4 for it to work.
It could work, but it seems a little unlikely at this point. We're not talking iPodsized files at iTunes prices, I imagine it would be like steam were you're paying the same amount for essentially less (no manual, no CD, etc.) and the files would be considerably larger than what we see on PSN/XboxLive/Wii right now.
I'd be happy if they moved away from the UMD/Disc format and went for something without moving parts though.
I know the developers have been bitching about the used game market a lot more lately, and that downloaded games are doing better
the sad part is that when sales drop because of the lack of salvage value, and the fact that folks can no longer use the money that they make from selling an old game to buy a new one, it is all going to be blamed on the economic state we're in, meaning that no one will learn the lesson.
I don't like losing any potential resale in a product I own. I hold on to most of my video games, like an idiot even if they don't get played. In a couple generations I'll be thankfaull for it, but alot of them are mediocre titles. Thats my only problem with Digital distribution only, I want to be able to sell it to someone, or give it to someone if I no longer want to use it.
I won't trade in at gamestop, but theres a market on ebay. I understand that developers get no money from this, but I just feel you have a right to resell something you bought. Think of the things you buy as a consumer, that you buy because you know you can always sell if you don't like it, tire of it, even if you don't.
I guess, then again, music is pretty much accepted this way then. They need to come up with a way to transfer owndership of digitally bought merchandice, while protecting from piracy. you can even get 75 cents back on a book at a garage sale!
I understand that developers get no money from this, but I just feel you have a right to resell something you bought.
That's exactly it, though.
People talk a lot about things hurting developers, but completely ignore that consumers need to be treated fairly as well. Preventing piracy by taking privileges away from ALL consumers is not a good move for the market.
[As for backwards compatibility, it stands to reason, Perry says, that all current PSP titles would show up on Playstation's online store.[
Ahem.
FUCK YOU!!!
"Yeah, our device is backwards compatible! All you have to do is buy your games all over again!"
Seems to be going pretty well for Nintendo.
Nintendo's not doing it with their last generation of games.
This is apt. You can't justifiably blame nintendo for not building a handful of different temperamental cartridge slots into their purposefully streamlined current-gen unit. At least the only games that share a remotely similar storage medium run as they should by default.
I had heard rumors that Sony wants every PSP game released from 2009 onwards to be distributed digitally, even if there is a physical copy. This is certainly doable, is it not?
One of the things I fucking hate about retail copies (and the reason I am in full favor of digital distribution) is that there ceases to be rare games. I will not have to pay $80 for a used copy of Klonoa or whatever. If I have the disc, fine, but if not I can just log into the store and buy it for the actual MSRP.
I had heard rumors that Sony wants every PSP game released from 2009 onwards to be distributed digitally, even if there is a physical copy. This is certainly doable, is it not?
One of the things I fucking hate about retail copies (and the reason I am in full favor of digital distribution) is that there ceases to be rare games. I will not have to pay $80 for a used copy of Klonoa or whatever. If I have the disc, fine, but if not I can just log into the store and buy it for the actual MSRP.
It goes both ways, though. A concrete (if extreme) example: I purchased Elite Beat Agents on clearance from Sears for $1.97. Nintendo still has the MSRP set at $30, and that is what Amazon charges if you buy it from them (i.e. not from an Amazon 3rd-party seller). If Sony was selling EBA in its online store, do you think they'd be dropping the price from $30? What if you didn't have the option to buy it from Sears for $1.97?
Well that's why I think Sony's (rumored) approach to having both is probably the best choice.
Though if you really honestly want to know, I would definitely pay the MSRP anyways just so that I could have it anywhere with me all on a memory stick or what-have-you with all my other games.
One of the things I fucking hate about retail copies (and the reason I am in full favor of digital distribution) is that there ceases to be rare games. I will not have to pay $80 for a used copy of Klonoa or whatever. If I have the disc, fine, but if not I can just log into the store and buy it for the actual MSRP.
So you would advocate for everyone being forced to pay higher prices during the period when the game would still be available, in order to prevent you from having to pay a higher price once or twice on a game that you've missed?
Also, XBLA has announced that they are going to delist some games that sell poorly. You realize that with Digital Distribution of this sort when a game is delisted, it is ENTIRELY gone. Talk about rare games, you won't even have the OPTION of buying a delisted game for a high price, because people can't sell you their copies when they are done with them at all.
edit: n/m, I see what you were saying about having both. I'm leaving my post intact, though, for other people who would support digi only to read it.
Everyone singled out that paragraph and missed the one above it where I basically said "both retail and digital distro of every title is a good idea."
I said I'm in full favor of digital distro, not in full favor of full digital distribution. I think both options should be there, just saying I would take the digital option every time regardless of price.
Well that's why I think Sony's (rumored) approach to having both is probably the best choice.
Though if you really honestly want to know, I would definitely pay the MSRP anyways just so that I could have it anywhere with me all on a memory stick or what-have-you with all my other games.
Sony may have a problem with it, but the current system works great for me. It costs less than $15 in materials to install CFW on a PSP, and then you can purchase your games from whatever source you want (keyword: purchase) and rip them to memory stick. You have all the benefits of physical copies, along with the benefits of being able to store your games digitally. Yes, the piracy issue exists, but I would be happiest if Sony can find some way to build off this model without changing it a whole lot.
[edit] Aaaand I somehow missed all that stuff that happened the bottom of the last page. The fact remains that I don't want to have to choose between a MSRP downloadable copy and a cheap UMD copy when under the current system I get the benefits of both with the lower cost of the latter.
The next iteration of Sony's PSP handheld will feature a sliding screen, will no longer carry a UMD drive and will allow shoulder button-only games to be played when the screen is in its 'closed' position.
That's according to a development source close to Sony, speaking to Eurogamer on condition of anonymity. We first broke the news of a new update to the system late last year, revealing that PSP-4000, the third incremental hardware revision of the console, is planned for release later this year.
While Sony has refused to comment so far, further rumours have emerged in the past week claiming that 4000 will represent the first major overhaul of the system, with a sliding screen added and the UMD drive removed.
Our development source today confirmed these reports, adding: "The screen is basically the same as the one in the 3000 - except it slides." When 'closed', we were told, the screen won't cover the entire face of the console, but the unit will be "significantly smaller in width" as a result.
With the console in its 'closed' state, most controls will be inaccessible. However, our source claims that games which use the shoulder buttons exclusively - such as LocoRoco - will be playable, as these inputs will still be accessible. It's expected that the unit can also be used for media playback in this configuration.
Eurogamer further understands Sony is approaching developers for ideas for games that only require the shoulder buttons.
Sony said this afternoon it does not comment on rumour or speculation.
So they're talking about removing the disk drive... on the current PSP. And I thought removing the drive on the PSP2 was a risky idea.
The next iteration of Sony's PSP handheld will feature a sliding screen, will no longer carry a UMD drive and will allow shoulder button-only games to be played when the screen is in its 'closed' position.
That's according to a development source close to Sony, speaking to Eurogamer on condition of anonymity. We first broke the news of a new update to the system late last year, revealing that PSP-4000, the third incremental hardware revision of the console, is planned for release later this year.
While Sony has refused to comment so far, further rumours have emerged in the past week claiming that 4000 will represent the first major overhaul of the system, with a sliding screen added and the UMD drive removed.
Our development source today confirmed these reports, adding: "The screen is basically the same as the one in the 3000 - except it slides." When 'closed', we were told, the screen won't cover the entire face of the console, but the unit will be "significantly smaller in width" as a result.
With the console in its 'closed' state, most controls will be inaccessible. However, our source claims that games which use the shoulder buttons exclusively - such as LocoRoco - will be playable, as these inputs will still be accessible. It's expected that the unit can also be used for media playback in this configuration.
Eurogamer further understands Sony is approaching developers for ideas for games that only require the shoulder buttons.
Sony said this afternoon it does not comment on rumour or speculation.
So they're talking about removing the disk drive... on the current PSP. And I thought removing the drive on the PSP2 was a risky idea.
Sony has a serious problem with its internal structure.
They have a variety of internal departments, like any company of their size, but they have serious issues with getting those departments to work together (I don't know why) and instead, when developing a product that overlaps departments, they end up with a device that does "this AND this", instead of a device that does "both of these, by doing THIS", if that makes any sense.
My guess is that there is poor internal communication, combined with the heads of different departments feeling too much ownership of their areas, and not being willing to compromise some of that ownership in order to build a better product.
The next iteration of Sony's PSP handheld will feature a sliding screen, will no longer carry a UMD drive and will allow shoulder button-only games to be played when the screen is in its 'closed' position.
That's according to a development source close to Sony, speaking to Eurogamer on condition of anonymity. We first broke the news of a new update to the system late last year, revealing that PSP-4000, the third incremental hardware revision of the console, is planned for release later this year.
While Sony has refused to comment so far, further rumours have emerged in the past week claiming that 4000 will represent the first major overhaul of the system, with a sliding screen added and the UMD drive removed.
Our development source today confirmed these reports, adding: "The screen is basically the same as the one in the 3000 - except it slides." When 'closed', we were told, the screen won't cover the entire face of the console, but the unit will be "significantly smaller in width" as a result.
With the console in its 'closed' state, most controls will be inaccessible. However, our source claims that games which use the shoulder buttons exclusively - such as LocoRoco - will be playable, as these inputs will still be accessible. It's expected that the unit can also be used for media playback in this configuration.
Eurogamer further understands Sony is approaching developers for ideas for games that only require the shoulder buttons.
Sony said this afternoon it does not comment on rumour or speculation.
So they're talking about removing the disk drive... on the current PSP. And I thought removing the drive on the PSP2 was a risky idea.
Sony has a serious problem with its internal structure.
They have a variety of internal departments, like any company of their size, but they have serious issues with getting those departments to work together (I don't know why) and instead, when developing a product that overlaps departments, they end up with a device that does "this AND this", instead of a device that does "both of these, by doing THIS", if that makes any sense.
My guess is that there is poor internal communication, combined with the heads of different departments feeling too much ownership of their areas, and not being willing to compromise some of that ownership in order to build a better product.
It sounds like they're really, really trying to emphasize the PSN network with this one. Problem is, the systems that use their networks well also, y'know, play disk games. Like Joe Consumer expects. They're trying to boost connectivity by removing the number one feature, which sounds dumb dumb dumb.
why would David Perry from Acclaim, the guy who now makes shitty free to play Korean games and slaps his name on them, know anything about the PSP 2 or even be allowed to talk about it if he did know.
Posts
Because I have no reason to assume otherwise.
I'm not getting down on Sony here. I'll tell you that the choice to remove the GBA slot from the DSi cut off a portion of the DS marketshare as well, the different is that the new features that they added will open up new areas.
So now you're going to say "But Evander, what about the fact that Sony could add new features to the PSP2 as well?" the answer to which is simple: when they announce those new features, I'll revise my opinions to account for them.
There's simply no accounting for unknowns. All that ANY of us can do is opine based on the "facts" (rumor in this case, but still) and pass judgement there. There are a million different things, internal and external of Sony's choices, that could affect the reception of the next PSP system.
I emphasized a key word there.
The more important statistic on that page is the fact that 29% of US HHolds are without net access, for whatever reason. 22% of that group (acccording to your numbers) can't afford either a computer, or a net subscription, but do you really believe that all of the rest are only waiting for the PSP2 to come out before subscribing?
No, but I really believe that the overlap between the 29% of US households without internet access and the % of households with a current or likely near-future PSP owner is extremely small.
Agreed, but I think that it's a pretty logical assumption that Sony will follow the same pattern they have with the PS3, if they cut features out then they lower the SRP of the hardware. That alone could net them more of a marketshare increase than a shift to downloadable content only will hurt them.
What is X popular electronics company doing these days?
Sony Lackey:
[trendy technology that X popular company was able to market properly and was done in an innovative and effective manner]
Sony Executive:
Sounds good. Let's do that but strip out everything that makes that service attractive, unique, and profitable, botch the execution and post record losses!
/stupid
Seriously, I owned a ps1, own a ps2 and a psp, but man, I really don't understand what happened. I mean, I understand what happened... but jeez... They need to get back to the R&D board here, figure out what people want instead of trying to dictate it, and come up with a unique and marketable way of implementing it.
2 months after I bought the PSP I didn't think, "Well fuck, I'd love this system if I didn't have to deal with these goddamn UMD pieces of shit". I thought, "Well fuck, maybe I'd play this thing more if it had games for it that were unique and suited to the platform they're on".
I'm not saying I wouldn't like a product with direct download service (I think I would), but I think they're attacking the problem from the wrong angle here. Come up with something decent to play for it, then we'll talk. I don't buy games from Steam because it's convenient, I buy them because they're good.
Ahem.
FUCK YOU!!!
"Yeah, our device is backwards compatible! All you have to do is buy your games all over again!"
Now, what I would love is the ability to buy digital games at a fair price, and perhaps spend a little more to get a box copy sent to me. That's a bit unfeasible, but I can dream, aye?
There's also the fact that prices become a tad bit more...annoying. Steam offers great deals on games and often sells them at very reduced prices at times, but I can't see the same going for sony. I'd hope they would reduce the price of a game over time, but eh.
Overall it is a very enticing thing, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with it.
Seems to be going pretty well for Nintendo.
You DO know that ipod's dont come with Itunes disc's, right? that you HAVE to download itunes from the internet before you can use the ipod?
Anyway, my guess is that this 'PSP2' isn't actually a real PSP but more of a PSP Phone, to compete with the iPhone and that they'll continue to sell the regular PSP alongside it. It'd explain why they wouldn't let Sony Ericsson make their own PSPhone.
Nintendo's not doing it with their last generation of games.
really?
my ipod I had a couple of years back came with a disc,
yea, they stopped that a few years ago.
My old Mini did too, but they stopped that at least a year and a half ago.
Now it comes with a slip of paper that says: "go to apple.com/itunes and download the newest Itunes now!"
you do have to use itunes, unless your a bit techsavvy and know how to get it to work with other programs.
But if your tech savvy, you have the internet :P
if that is the case now, it STILL technically only requires a one time use of the internet.
Some one mentioned earlier that folks without internet could just go out to a hotspot every time they want to download a game. At that point, how is digital distribution ANY better for them than a B&M store.
DigiDistro has the possibility to do great things, but it needs to come about on terms agreed upon by all parties within the market, not just be forced on the consumers by the supply-side. Sony has shown that they think it is perfectly okay to charge the exact same ammount of money for a digital copy of a game or movie as one would pay for a physical one (or sometimes even more. Loco Roco on PSN costs $23, even though the physical game REALEASED at $20) so there is no reason to assume that Sony will ehave differently.
This is a consumer-negative move on Sony's part, if it proves to be true. The folks cheering for this may not care about how it will impact their bottom line, but maybe they shou8ld think about other people who DO care.
absolutely.
it destroys the equity of the market. consumers are left with very little leverage, as Sony milks every last cent from those willing to pay higher prices before dropping prices to more affordable levels, rather than seeking out equilibrium levels from the start.
HOWEVER, I would pay excellent money for a flash memory based PSP that sold me games on memory sticks, or some memory stick esque format, and had multiple slots for flash memory. Bonus points if they were to concede and include an SD card slot.
It could work, but it seems a little unlikely at this point. We're not talking iPodsized files at iTunes prices, I imagine it would be like steam were you're paying the same amount for essentially less (no manual, no CD, etc.) and the files would be considerably larger than what we see on PSN/XboxLive/Wii right now.
I'd be happy if they moved away from the UMD/Disc format and went for something without moving parts though.
I never asked for this!
I won't trade in at gamestop, but theres a market on ebay. I understand that developers get no money from this, but I just feel you have a right to resell something you bought. Think of the things you buy as a consumer, that you buy because you know you can always sell if you don't like it, tire of it, even if you don't.
I guess, then again, music is pretty much accepted this way then. They need to come up with a way to transfer owndership of digitally bought merchandice, while protecting from piracy. you can even get 75 cents back on a book at a garage sale!
That's exactly it, though.
People talk a lot about things hurting developers, but completely ignore that consumers need to be treated fairly as well. Preventing piracy by taking privileges away from ALL consumers is not a good move for the market.
One of the things I fucking hate about retail copies (and the reason I am in full favor of digital distribution) is that there ceases to be rare games. I will not have to pay $80 for a used copy of Klonoa or whatever. If I have the disc, fine, but if not I can just log into the store and buy it for the actual MSRP.
It goes both ways, though. A concrete (if extreme) example: I purchased Elite Beat Agents on clearance from Sears for $1.97. Nintendo still has the MSRP set at $30, and that is what Amazon charges if you buy it from them (i.e. not from an Amazon 3rd-party seller). If Sony was selling EBA in its online store, do you think they'd be dropping the price from $30? What if you didn't have the option to buy it from Sears for $1.97?
Though if you really honestly want to know, I would definitely pay the MSRP anyways just so that I could have it anywhere with me all on a memory stick or what-have-you with all my other games.
So you would advocate for everyone being forced to pay higher prices during the period when the game would still be available, in order to prevent you from having to pay a higher price once or twice on a game that you've missed?
Also, XBLA has announced that they are going to delist some games that sell poorly. You realize that with Digital Distribution of this sort when a game is delisted, it is ENTIRELY gone. Talk about rare games, you won't even have the OPTION of buying a delisted game for a high price, because people can't sell you their copies when they are done with them at all.
edit: n/m, I see what you were saying about having both. I'm leaving my post intact, though, for other people who would support digi only to read it.
I said I'm in full favor of digital distro, not in full favor of full digital distribution. I think both options should be there, just saying I would take the digital option every time regardless of price.
Sony may have a problem with it, but the current system works great for me. It costs less than $15 in materials to install CFW on a PSP, and then you can purchase your games from whatever source you want (keyword: purchase) and rip them to memory stick. You have all the benefits of physical copies, along with the benefits of being able to store your games digitally. Yes, the piracy issue exists, but I would be happiest if Sony can find some way to build off this model without changing it a whole lot.
[edit] Aaaand I somehow missed all that stuff that happened the bottom of the last page. The fact remains that I don't want to have to choose between a MSRP downloadable copy and a cheap UMD copy when under the current system I get the benefits of both with the lower cost of the latter.
read my edit
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/developer-backs-up-psp-4000-chatter
So they're talking about removing the disk drive... on the current PSP. And I thought removing the drive on the PSP2 was a risky idea.
Sony has a serious problem with its internal structure.
They have a variety of internal departments, like any company of their size, but they have serious issues with getting those departments to work together (I don't know why) and instead, when developing a product that overlaps departments, they end up with a device that does "this AND this", instead of a device that does "both of these, by doing THIS", if that makes any sense.
My guess is that there is poor internal communication, combined with the heads of different departments feeling too much ownership of their areas, and not being willing to compromise some of that ownership in order to build a better product.
It sounds like they're really, really trying to emphasize the PSN network with this one. Problem is, the systems that use their networks well also, y'know, play disk games. Like Joe Consumer expects. They're trying to boost connectivity by removing the number one feature, which sounds dumb dumb dumb.