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Sony Talks PSP Go, Says Its Targeting The “Early Adopter”

It wasn't exactly a shocker of mammoth proportions when Kaz Hirai unveiled the PSP Go! at Sony's E3 press conference, but we can always use more in the way of commentary and explanation.

Well, Kotaku got a look at SCEA marketing boss Peter Dille's "fully-functional white PSP Go!" and he answered some important questions. He didn't tell us how UMD titles would transfer to the new UMD-less unit (Hirai said the Go! was "fully backwards compatible" at the press conference), but he did say people seem to be "really excited" about the new handheld, despite what some have considered to be a high price. Said Dille:

"It's the same price as when we launched the product, the original PSP. It's targeting an early adopter, a tech enthusiast. We're hearing great things about the product. People are really excited about it. There's not much more to say."

Then he addressed the topic of the impending downloadable PSP titles, and said that such games "will be made available for download at a date and time that matches the games' street dates in retail stores." They're also pursuing the option of allowing retailers to offer vouchers for downloadable games and content, like they did with the download-only Patapon 2 . This is only the start of the PSP Go! information that is bound to come our way over the next few months, so stay tuned for more on this nifty little gadget.

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crump602
crump602
15 years ago

I'm getting one for sure!!! I currently have the psp-2000 but this one is everything it should have been! Should fit real nice in my pocket!

vicious54
vicious54
15 years ago

I wonder if they made it a touchscreen phone how many of these would they have sold. I would have gladly gave up my iphone for something like this.

Bo0mKiiD
Bo0mKiiD
15 years ago

I'll buy this just for the heck of it.

LividFiction
LividFiction
15 years ago

Ah, to be able to spend money just because I can…

crawdaddy
crawdaddy
15 years ago

Ah! The early adopter! Sony's target! The one's that will pay whatever Sony asks for it. So go ahead and pay 249.00 for it, and in a few months after Sony thinks all the early adopters have bought one, then they will drop the price to 199.00. That is the way Sony operates. They have done this same thing over and over with all their systems. Sony's definition of the early adopter is the idiots who have to have one so bad that they will pay whatever we want to get one, so at release lets stick it to them.

JDC80
JDC80
15 years ago

I have one of the older PSP but I might get it next year. With the features it offers and it cost about the same as the original when it first launch that seems like a good deal.

vicious54
vicious54
15 years ago

Yeah really, Bluetooth!

MadKatBebop
MadKatBebop
15 years ago

I like how the screen is about the same size and it slides out to reveal the face buttons, since this one is smaller and I wont need to carry around a UMD case to play games Ill take this on with me more places(I mainly play my psp-2000 at home)I cant wait till it comes out!

Jawknee
Jawknee
15 years ago

Im sold. Ill get one, although i would have liked another analog stick.

Jian2069
Jian2069
15 years ago

if there's a way to transfer UMDs then i might hit up my parents for christmas time

sticklife
sticklife
15 years ago

new card is what makes me sad. i was thinking that maybe this is a tactic like with the 360 arcade. someone goes to get the arcade and then see's how much a better deal the next one up is(even though ps3 is waaaaay better deal). they may go to buy a psp and think for like 80 bucks more i get a big flash drive. eh who knows.

ctd669
ctd669
15 years ago

No camera?!…Come on sony! BTW where's the GPS for my PSP-1000(still runnin strong)?
Hopefully my PSP will make it to the PSP Go's $199.00 price drop point cause I ain't payin $250!

Dingodial
Dingodial
15 years ago

Does it have a touch screen?

Bo0mKiiD
Bo0mKiiD
15 years ago

Doubt it, would have been shweeeet.

Dingodial
Dingodial
15 years ago

I was disappointed when I saw that it doesn't have a 2nd joystick, but now that I know that it also doesn't have a touch screen, I don't think I want one. The only 2 major things that make it better than the current PSP are the 16gb. internal memory & the bluetooth. After that, there's nothing much to say about it.

tlpn99
tlpn99
15 years ago

If its all download content though how many games will you be able to fit on it ?

What do you do once it's full or is there memory cards with it ?

Midris7
Midris7
15 years ago

You can use a memory stick as well.

ctd669
ctd669
15 years ago

It's got 16 GB flash and a new pro duo2 (er somthin)card reader for more memory.
I HEARD that it wasn't using the original mem sticks that we use now.It's a new version.

LividFiction
LividFiction
15 years ago

Yeah, it's a new format: Memory Stick Micro. Presumably in the same vein as microSD. (Not that the PSP supports SD in any capacity. Just drawing a comparison.)


Last edited by LividFiction on 6/4/2009 5:43:07 PM

LightShow
LightShow
15 years ago

Ha, when he says its priced for early adopters that means its priced too high to sell at a sustainable rate.

What can we gather from this? It'll stay at $250 until early 2010 and then they'll cut it by at least $50, maybe $100.

GGCAN
GGCAN
15 years ago

I've seen some people commenting on how a camera can be added to the PSP GO, or that it should have GPS.

Well, if you go to the Sony site…click on PSP, then under Key features there's an item called PSP is Going.

It mentions how a camera can be connected as well as about a GPS system.

Here's what I saw there:

Go!Cam
Using the Camera, which attaches via the High Speed USB connector, Go!Cam turns your PSP into a video and stills camera. With a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo inserted in your PSP, you can record over two hours of video footage, instantly being able to play back the action on the PSP system's screen.

Go!Explore
Go!Explore incorporates a GPS receiver attachment for PSP and a software UMD featuring your chosen maps. A collaboration with market leaders TeleAtlas and NavNGo, Go!Explore offers the very latest in map data and navigation software, including 3D Maps of major cities.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
15 years ago

Unless they snuck them out in the last week, I can definitely say – not in the US you can't. The Go Camera and Go! Explore have yet to be released here, despite being available for years now. The legendary agility of SCEA strikes again…


Last edited by TheHighlander on 6/4/2009 10:24:30 PM

GGCAN
GGCAN
15 years ago

Apparently, the GoCam and the GoExplore are also available for the 2000 and 3000 models.

ArnoldK PSXE
ArnoldK PSXE
15 years ago

If they've designed this with the idea of making a slight profit per unit sold, on top of minimizing a production scale to reflect largely what the market demands…they'll be fine. Just as long as they don't flood the market with a piece of hardware that is losing them money and is too abundant on shelves.

Basically, do the very opposite of what American car companies have been doing for the past 20 years. =)

YesterdysRising
YesterdysRising
15 years ago

I was planning on getting a PSP soon and I'm gonna have to go with a PSP 3000. Amazon is having a trade in deal right now so I will be doing that. The PSP Go seems really nice but not for the price tag. Plus, I don't want to have to worry about running out of space. The Gran Turismo PSP game will be about 1GB in size according to the article so that could be about 16 games or so but if I want to put anything else on there, like movies or music, it's gonna fill pretty quickly. I'm not too sure I like the design of the controls sliding out either. The whole sliding design, just like with cell phones, never really appealed to me.

JohnnyGold
JohnnyGold
15 years ago

how is this not a phone? seriously though? if i could make calls on that, and text? i would pay, no lie, over 500$. probably close to a grand for that. texting and getting trophies on one machine? are you kidding me? on second thought, yes, i would pay 1000 up front for that.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
15 years ago

Dude,

What would you like to bet that 6 months after PSP Go! hits the streets, Sony drops the price below $200 and also let's slip a $249.00 PSP Go!Phone.

Robochic
Robochic
15 years ago

I'm sold. I'm defently getting it when its released, i need a new PSP anywase my as well wait for this one.

LightShow
LightShow
15 years ago

i wont be buying this right off, i'll wait for the "early adopters" price to go down to a palattable level.

ThugNificent101
ThugNificent101
15 years ago

I think Sony should really have at least added a camera to this thing. Its pretty ridiculous that the camera for the psp is out everywhere else, and has been out for the longest…. but not in good ol NA.

They could have made it with the camera built in and had the application that went along with it available for download via PSN.
A touch screen for simple XMB navigation while the system is closed would have been a nice feature as well, but at least a camera!

GGCAN
GGCAN
15 years ago

@TheHighlander….yep after I posted this, I realized I was viewing the UK Playstation store and not the US store…

Sure hope the camera and GPS system come to North America as I'm sure they'd both do really well here (so many people said they wanted both camera and GPS on the new GO)

That new game Invizimals that they showed where the camera is attached to the top of the PSP uses the camera, so I'm hoping this game isn't only intended for the UK but can also be brought to the North American market.

Andysw
Andysw
15 years ago

"For early adopters"

That's like buying a second playstation portable.


Last edited by Andysw on 6/5/2009 10:15:53 AM

GHill4Life
GHill4Life
15 years ago

I was going to buy this until I heard the price tag. Sony just keeps shooting themselves in the foot with pricing. I'll await the sub $150 price tag before picking it up.

THEVERDIN
THEVERDIN
15 years ago

I was an early adopter for the 1st PSP and I won't do that again cause all the nifty little stuff they brought out doesn't work with this model.

Dingodial
Dingodial
15 years ago

Me too. I think Sony will eventually make an even better version of the PSP Go! in the future (PSP Go! 2000?). When that happens, the original PSP Go! will become outdated like the original PSP 1000 (mine still works)

Prevent
Prevent
15 years ago

i have 2 psp-1000 and they still do the job and i really dont know if i should get the psp go

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
15 years ago

Well, I won't be buying it at an "early adapter" price,

but what I will do is, buy it when it hits it's "late adapter" price!


Last edited by BikerSaint on 6/6/2009 1:46:45 AM

crawdaddy
crawdaddy
15 years ago

Looks like Sony is cutting their own throats again. It seems like from most of the posts that people are either not giving up the psp model they already have or are going to wait for the price to come down. These are wise people. Mabey one of these days Sony will wake up in the real world. I hope so!!!!!