Gaming UMD-less PSP on the way???

[godsakes]

I don't think it has to do with putting a game on a medium to sell it. I think that they'd drop UMDs for full on d-loadable play. You hop on, you buy your game through the PSN, and that 600meg game goes directly to your PSP (or maybe even computer if they'd so choose, as a backup use... somehow setup for your acct only, as to not have free d-loads for everyone... but someone will hack it.... but i digest digress heh) and not having an actual physical copy.

I mean, that makes a LOT of sense to me. Thats where a lot of companies are going (with digital/direct download services).
I don't disagree, i actually think in 10yrs time most game shops (and music/film stores) would have gone bust. Having their role replaced by cheaper download services i suspect all the major console makers view the future this way also....

But for the time being the retailers are a powerful marketing tool who could probably make or break a system. For that reason i don't antipicate an online game distribution only console anytime soon. i suspect we'll see more than more games having online copies made avilable alongside hard copies at retailers but at some point the online side will become so popular it makes sense to have a console with download only content and cut out the retailers.

QUOTE(WildWon @ Dec 8 2008, 07:47 PM) Also, Memory Sticks sell a LOT more than UMDs do, and then the sales will only spike.

i doubt people buy DS games because they come in cart form, i doubt it's meaningfully different for memory stick nor UMD. Although i personally would prefer a cart/mem stick approach as saves on battery power, but to put it a another way i doubt people choose whether to buy a DS or PSP on basis of cart vs UMD.

on another note... i can't see a UMD-less PSP on it's way. If it was it would have to be hard drive based for downloadable content which for reasons stated already, i don't see happening. the alternative is a the memory stick option which means you're denying new PSP owners the exisiting back caterlog of games which makes no sense.

 

[WildWon]

i doubt people buy DS games because they come in cart form, i doubt it's meaningfully different for memory stick nor UMD. Although i personally would prefer a cart/mem stick approach as saves on battery power, but to put it a another way i doubt people choose whether to buy a DS or PSP on basis of cart vs UMD.

Erm. You can't really compare DS to psp in terms of what sells. I mean, you have one form of media available for the DS (on the legal front) which is DS-Cart. On the PSP front, you have two built in mediums. MemStickPro and UMD. UMD sales have been through the floor while PSPs are still being sold. People are using the PSPs for more than games and movies (for UMD sake). Its a full on PMP from which you can do ALL possible usages of the PSP from the Memory Stick, and people know that.

Nintendo is releasing a DS with a memory card slot and getting rid of the GBA slot (whether you like it or not, its happening

) because they see what people are doing, both legally and illegally, but they're losing money by not capitalizing on the public use.

PSP's on the other hand, people are buying PSPs constantly, and MemStickProDuo is such a highly requested style of card now... because of what it can do. I could completely see Sony running with a UMD-less option, because the majority of people buying PSPs aren't doing it for UMD-based media.

Hope that all made sense. I was trying to sort out a stream-of-consciousness type of post heh.

 

[godsakes]

Erm. You can't really compare DS to psp in terms of what sells. I mean, you have one form of media available for the DS (on the legal front) which is DS-Cart. On the PSP front, you have two built in mediums. MemStickPro and UMD.
remember we're a minority, to most users the memory stick is just something for your game saves and the odd MP3. It the eyes of most it's a UMD medium, to us it's a memory stick medium.

People are using the PSPs for more than games and movies (for UMD sake). Its a full on PMP from which you can do ALL possible usages of the PSP from the Memory Stick, and people know that.i only got my PSP recently i was blown away by what you could do with the homebrew, streaming vids to it was just amazing. With hindsight i suspect Sony would have abondoned the UMD format gone with a high capcity cart/mem stick option for games. Have a built in hard drive and market downloadable films/music for the PSP as well as providing streaming software and stuck on a touch screen. Essentially an Itouch with amazing games.

Nintendo is releasing a DS with a memory card slot and getting rid of the GBA slot (whether you like it or not, its happening

) because they see what people are doing, both legally and illegally, but they're losing money by not capitalizing on the public use.

well the card slot is for storing photos primarly, personally unless nintendo have managed to implement an internet video conferencing feature for the DSi i don't really see a great need for the cameras. They tried a camera add on for the gameboy advance (i think) some 10yrs ago and failed to make any decent games for it. i'm not convinced they'll succeed this time.

QUOTE(WildWon @ Dec 8 2008, 08:36 PM)

PSP's on the other hand, people are buying PSPs constantly, and MemStickProDuo is such a highly requested style of card now... because of what it can do. I could completely see Sony running with a UMD-less option, because the majority of people buying PSPs aren't doing it for UMD-based media.

as i say, i suspect if sony could do it all again they would make the PSP far more like an Itouch. But i think they've made their bed with the current PSP, if they wanted to go down that route it'll have to be the next gen.

 

[monopoman]

To reiterate UMD did not fail.

UMD as a movie format failed.

I find UMD to be the ultimate game format for handheld games. It allows about 2-3 times more storage then the DS and little sacrifice for that.

I swear when people think PSP or UMD failed they have no grasp of the market. Nintendo has a stranglehold on the hand held market and they always will.

PSP has made more headway into that market then any other hand held before it not made by Nintendo.

So basically for handhelds it works like this Nintendo Handhelds > PSP > EVERYTHING ELSE.

PSP also brought interesting things to the hand held platform that Nintendo eventually copied with its DSI, but of course Nintendo fanboys only care when Sony copies something.

Also those saying that the memory card is the only useful medium on it have no grasp of the average consumer at all. About 85% of the consumer base for the PS2 does not know it plays PS1 games or DVD's I swear to god.

 

[Phynx]

...but of course Nintendo fanboys only care when Sony copies something.

This.

 

[The Teej]

Uhh, a new PSP in 2009? This would make a new PSP revision for every year except 2006 at this rate!

I dunno, I sincerely doubt they'll release a UMD-less PSP in 2009. I don't get why everyone wants one of those anyway, I mean, I like to be able to play the games I've got on UMD, it's why I got the system! I think they'd ditch the UMD when the PSP 2 comes out, not before.

The games aren't selling loads, but they ARE still selling.

 

[Jiggah]

To reiterate UMD did not fail.

UMD as a movie format failed.

I find UMD to be the ultimate game format for handheld games. It allows about 2-3 times more storage then the DS and little sacrifice for that.

I swear when people think PSP or UMD failed they have no grasp of the market. Nintendo has a stranglehold on the hand held market and they always will.

PSP has made more headway into that market then any other hand held before it not made by Nintendo.

So basically for handhelds it works like this Nintendo Handhelds > PSP > EVERYTHING ELSE.

PSP also brought interesting things to the hand held platform that Nintendo eventually copied with its DSI, but of course Nintendo fanboys only care when Sony copies something.

Also those saying that the memory card is the only useful medium on it have no grasp of the average consumer at all. About 85% of the consumer base for the PS2 does not know it plays PS1 games or DVD's I swear to god.

When you talk about "market" you forget the company's bottom line. Sony's PS3 venture is killing profits. This means cutting cost, again by eliminating or at least reducing the amount of physical format produced for the PSP would help in curtailing the cost to the company's bottom line. Is this going to piss off some manufacturers? Probably. Will they still continue manufacturing? Most likely.

You've got to be honest here. If Sony offered a download service for all PSP games, would you not jump on that? I know I would, and at that point why would they keep mass producing UMDs?

If the new PSP does not offer any means of playing a UMD at all and all older models also can download games then where is the confusion?

QUOTE(The Teej @ Dec 9 2008, 01:39 AM) Uhh, a new PSP in 2009? This would make a new PSP revision for every year except 2006 at this rate!

I dunno, I sincerely doubt they'll release a UMD-less PSP in 2009. I don't get why everyone wants one of those anyway, I mean, I like to be able to play the games I've got on UMD, it's why I got the system! I think they'd ditch the UMD when the PSP 2 comes out, not before.

The games aren't selling loads, but they ARE still selling.

I would not be surprised if they did release another SKU (UMD-less or not). The 3000 has that interlacing problem. A new SKU could simply phase that model out just as the 3000 is slowly phasing out the 2000/1000. People are going to stay clear of the 3000.

If you want to play your UMDs, you can keep your old model, there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, probably better for you as the UMDs will go on a fire sale ala HD-DVDs and UMD movies. I've said it before and will say it again, if Sony offers a download solution, none of the older models are left out. Sony put an official ISO loader into their firmware, so it's very obvious that they have been planning to offer a download solution down the life of the PSP.

 

[monopoman]

Plenty of people refuse to by digital content only. I think a UMD-less PSP would have a hard time convincing people to get it.

I know a lot of people that only think they own something when they can hold it in their hand. That is still why people go buy DVD movies when you can get them in pure digital format cheaper.

Yes a lot of people are moving to digital purchases but it still is nowhere near the level of people that enjoy owning the item in psychical form.