PSPGo will die if games don't get cheaper

And wasn't even me who said that.

Traveller’s Tales’s Jon Burton: Sony will make downloadable games cheaper, ‘or the PSPgo will die’

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PSP/PSPgo/news.asp?c=17092

Jon Burton, founder of Lego Star Wars developer Traveller's Tales, believes that something has to give with Sony's downloadable games service.

Burton was speaking at the Developer Jury Service, which puts a series of tough questions to a group of influential games industry types. He questioned the ongoing viability of Sony's download-only PSPgo device when their UMD games are still selling for far less money.

"I own a PSPgo but don't want to buy LittleBigPlanet, for instance, as I can get it 20 per cent cheaper on UMD from Amazon and could resell it once I'm finished with it" said Burton. "But if I download it, I get no discount, and no chance to resell - how annoying is that?"

Very, Jon. Very.

He went on to make a bold prediction concerning the handheld's future:

"I'm betting on Sony making PSPgo games much cheaper than the UMD versions, or the PSPgo will die."

What do you think? Is the PSPgo really doomed to failure? Would a price cut even be enough to save the system? Comments below.

 

I dunno. Digital download is really just a new format, and Sony has a less-than-stellar track record with new proprietary formats. In the past they've pushed Beta tape, Minidisc, Memory Stick, UMD and a lot more, and never seem to learn their lessons. Most of the above were more expensive than their alternatives. They seem to have an "our way or the highway" approach.

They seem to have won one with Blu-ray, but so far their record is worse than a very drunk dart player. You've gotta hit the target sometimes, even if only by accident.

 

Sony sees Apple with the apps store being almost pure profit and think its a great idea! So they partner the apps store concept with the "People will buy any crap we sell because we are Sony!" bullcrap and come up with PSPGo!.

 

Nice to see people in the industry agree with me

 

I'll buy a PSPgo! if they release a UMD addon for it. xD

 

Nail on the head! Sony have been trying desperately to come up with a format for years that the public took to their bosom and could generate huge profits. So, as per usual, rather than making devices that created accessibility to a wide range of easily available formats, Sony as per usual demand that everyone goes directly to them for an over priced solution that is uniquely Sony. Net result people tend to find a cheaper solution and Sony gets kicked in the face, gets a bloody nose, some teeth knocked out and maintain the same old "What happened just now?" expression. They clearly want to control things so tightly that they are missing a trick.

 

Actually the MiniDisc was a fantastic format for music lovers who wanted quality but without the size of CD. Don't forget that MD was released way before MP3 ever became popular. The only other options you had was Tape or DAT. DAT was basically just like tape in the search for tracks and editing department however it had fantastic sound quality. MD on the other hand isn't quite up there with CD redbook but still very impressive to the point that most people can't tell the difference. Still, everything else they came up with is crap with their Memory Stick topping the bill. Cost more than other formats, had less space at first and only worked in Sony products. SD on the other had was basically universal apart from on Sony Products :lol:

Yakumo

 

dont forget DCC

 

I finally got to hold one in store today and i cant believe how they screwed up the controls so badly. It deserves to die.

 

Blu-Ray's grip on 'success' is pretty loose at best, the average punter on the average tele can hardly tell the difference from DVD from 6ft away. I suspect even that one will not go the distance either as broadband gets faster.

 

If someone can't see the difference between Blu-Ray and DVD (on an HDTV) they need to get their eyes checked.

 

It's more a matter of ''they just don't care'' though.

 

Exactly, is it enough to shell out for a new player and a good chunk of cash on every disc over a DVD...? For aficionados sure, but I'm talking average punter and that's what really counts after all when it comes to longevity.

If it wasn't for homebrew on the PSP I wonder how different things would be. I bought my PSP 6 months before the UK release. I've bought 5 UMD games (2 of those at launch) that were worth having the system for. If it wasn't for handheld emus etc, I wouldn't have used it for anymore than that average 1-2 games a year which I not sure equates to value for money, but factor in homebrew and it's a whole different planet.

 

The PSPgo never had a chance because of the ridiculous price and weak software support. Even the smaller downloadable games are expensive: Fieldrunners costs about twice as much as it does on the iTunes App Store. Plus, you can't even play your old UMD games without rebuying them?

Not surprised about PSP games being more expensive to download. Microsoft did the same thing with the On Demand service, it seems that companies are seeing DL games as a great way to make a relatively sizable profit by selling old games that are lying around the used games bins at Gamestops everywhere at an inflated price.

 

I'm not sure how the drm for psp store titles goes, but if it's like ps3 and you can play the games on 5 consoles at the same time I don't see it dying anytime too soon.

And with the hype of an upcomming psp emu for ps3 i think that can only serve to bring more, and better psp games to the table.
The fact that their is no "physical" media to resell after you have played the game out and no longer want to keep it is a bummer.. but if you and 4 friends are all sharing psn accounts.. well for every 1 game you buy you'd have 5. (again not 100% on psp terms and conditions)

So how i see it digital distributed content has it's up's and down's.... but i can't see it being the downfall of the pspgo, plus it's not like obtaining a 100x, 200x, or 300x is impossible... add in the rumors about a umd drive addon for it and to me the pspgo just seems full of WIN!

but +1 to their shitty failed formats... M2 is one that really pissed me off.

 

The Bluray can't fail for many reasons, none of them having to do with what consumers want.

Although many people are making the move to HD, most blu-ray owners are PS3 owners. How does that spell success for a video format when most of your target audience only got to have BD because its on a console?

Videophiles aside, BD does not or ever will have the wide-reaching success of DVD.

BD's "victory" stems from the fact that there's no competition any more. Nevertheless, I don't see many people giving a shit for BD at these prices when they can get DVDs and their players at a much cheaper price point.

BD's benefit is a gloss, it's not substantial or important. Even BD owners can usually only enjoy their movies on their biggest TV set, hooked to all that surround equipment. It's not something that even your kid would need like a DVD player was. The DVDs superior quality compared to VHS and VCD was clearly apparent even on low-end tubes. BD is just trying to create a market for something that people never gave two shits about until the retail move to HD started forcing HD this and HD that down our throats.. I'll give you HD gaming, but HD movies aren't anything special.


PS: case in point...mobile phones that have the HD suffix. It's all a matter of marketing.

 

Well put Barc0de any success Blu-Ray can claim is fairly hollow.

Blu-Ray does not have the advantages over DVD that DVD had over VHS and for me that's its biggest problem. Same goes for the PSPGo over it's predecessor, where is the advantage?

 

DCC was from Philips

 

In stores here in holland,games are E60 tops,that is,with case and such
why pay E60 for a game THAT YOU DONT EVEN PHISICALLY GET?