There are a few things that I don't approve of when it comes down to the progression of the gaming industry, and digital distribution is one of them. I don't mind it with smaller downloadable games for consoles, but I'd rather not see it for handhelds. According to an insider source whose spilled the beans to Ars Technica, the PSP's next Patapon game will not be arriving with a UMD disc, but instead with a coupon code for a download, as well as arriving on the PSP's PlayStation Store.
AT's source states that if you go to the store, inside the PSP case will be a coupon (and most likely a booklet), which will set you back $20. But if you feel like you don't need any of that stuff and just want to download and play from PSN, that'll cost you $15. Because Patapon is a very small game in size, it doesn't make much sense to place it on a UMD, so I understand why Sony would do this. But at the same time, I'd still gladly pay an extra $10 for a proper copy of the game, one I can slide into my library. Additionally, I also don't feel like carrying around a bunch of memory sticks with me if this takes off, especially since they're so easy to lose.
Remember, this is all just a rumor and nothing has been confirmed. But Ars Technica has reiterated that their source is credible and has been right time and time again, so we're inclined to believe this rumor. Still, it's just a rumor, so stay posted until we get a confirmation.
Related Game(s): Patapon 2
I also would rather have an actual disc on hand.
Last edited by yak4life85 on 4/13/2009 3:03:28 PM
Me too!
I doubt this is true because GameStop is not in the habit of selling download-only games in its brick-and-mortar stores, and they are currently preselling Patapon 2.
With 8Gb and 16GB sticks becoming both affordable (8GB < $40) and more common, this really doesn't sound like a bad idea. I can download it to my PS3, install from there and play, play, play. Having no disc is a little concern, but then again, I'll get better performance and battery life from my memory stick games than I will from UMD games.
yay the future of DLC. i like this alot.
So I'm guessing those without a 2gb memory stick or more are screwed am I right or am I right?
I mean sure as TheHighlander said…they are becoming affordable. I got two 2gb memory sticks for $20. I haven't used them yet, well on one of them I have 7 episodes of a certain anime I watch but that's pretty much it.
In my 1gb memory stick I have a couple of pictures, music, and game demos. The game demos take up at least…200mb of the space. But if Sony starts turning toward downloading games…and has a PSP2 which will be UMD less, we all have to start adapting for the digital age. There will be no other choice. Well…we could get another handheld console…but…c'mon…get real.
Oh boy guys…Sony has just confirmed that Patapon 2…the game…will be for download only and that they will give away download codes at retailers. Wow…what a move. Seriously this is history for the gaming industry here isn't it? Going all out digital for a game that was predicted to be on UMD/disk.
@shadowpal2
Nah, don't worry, most games don't use anything like the 1.8GB available on a UMD. HotShots Golf on PSP for example uses just a little less than 512MB (half a gigabyte) if I remember correctly, and the majority of titles are well under half a gig.
A lot of the games are far smaller than you think.
What I was getting at was that the price of a new memory stick isn't quite the barrier it used to be. 2 or 4 should be plenty depending on how you use your PSP. If you hook up to a PS3 or PC regularly, then you can move content back and forth so the memory stick limit only applies to what you can carry with you.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 4/13/2009 4:11:52 PM
Damn,
I'm a 56 year old collector with 11 systems, so I definitely that hope all disc games don't going this same route during the rest of my lifetime.
Right now, it's both, a feeling of complete pride, and of utter joy every time I am still able to look over at my always-growing gaming library, & be able to gaze across the titles of every single game.
But I'd rather gang-rape myself with 12 dozen rusty corkscrews at once, right in the ole hemorrhoids, than see my blood, sweat, & tears on the shelves, relegated to some G.DAMNED row of a 138 flash drives, just sitting there like a bunch of mange-carrying fugly ducklings.
And not to mention, that all my game titles will never again display such very subtle titles such these I already have: "Ball Breakers, Big Mutha' Truckers, Eggs of Steel, Lemmings & oh no…more lemmings, Irritating Stick, Nobody can stop Mr. Domino, Parappa the Rapper, Plumbers Don't Wear Ties, and Rosco McQueen: Firefighter Extreme.
But instead…..all my new flash drive titles just shelf-sitting, will begin to read like this from a Bill Gates 2000 Tech Lab: Datacom 256, Geek Squad 512MB, Kingston 2GB, and Data Traveler 4GB.
Although I don't possess quite the same caliber of mystical powers as the great "Karnack the Magnificent" did, I "CAN" predict a secondary problem for this old non-tech dummy too.
It's been well over 15 years since our US government originally gave us 10 years to change over to the metric system, and I'm no closer now than I was then trying to figure any damned conversions.
So…..other than me knowing there's 12 oz to a can of Budweiser, 7 oz to a Rolling Rock pony bottle, & and 16 oz to a pint of Fosters Ale(Cheers on ya, Mate's), if it has any other math in it, then may I quote as elegantly as Spock does…."It's quite illogical to me"
I don't know any of the definitions, conversions, or what amount of content equals the next highest amount, relating to these newfangled KB, MB, Tflop,(NBA, AA, PBS, CIA, PHD, and all those other 2 to 18,000 lettered words….whatever!)codes etc, etc, etc.
Anyways, It's a 100% purest of miracles at all that this "Saint" even got through all my math classes math in the old days, especially with all that fuzzy(minded)logic they were trying to shoe-horn into my unwrinkled grey matter.
you can buy the hard copy in the shops already in the UK… 🙂
The UMD is too loud, so digital distribution is the way to go. Don't be so stubborn, Arnold; several games on one or two sticks is waaay more portable than several UMD's!
If the next PSP is UMD-less, Sony would do well to include a reliable memory stick storage compartment.
It's been confirmed.
http://kotaku.com/5210700/sony-patapon-2-going-digital-as-a-test-case