Ben-DutkaWe've heard nothing about a possible unveiling of the PSP2 at E3 (that rumor has lost some momentum), but Sony has clarified that the launch of the PSP Go was more of a test than anything.
Essentially, Sony says they were testing the waters for future handheld units. This according to what SCEE president and CEO Andrew House told MCV , where he said that their UMD-less PSP iteration "was introduced in a mature lifecycle to learn more about what the consumer wanted and we've definitely learned a lot." As most everyone knows, the PSP Go wasn't exactly a smash sales success, but House says he doesn't believe such a test is measured in terms of units sold. Rather, it was about gathering research from gamers everywhere, as a litmus test for how they would respond to a portable all-digital system. The executive went on to say:
"One of the reasons we launched PSPgo was to understand where that consumer behavior was going. We were getting signals from consumers that this was the kind of device that they wanted. But we need to recognise that consumers like their packaged media library."
Well, the signals were fairly clear from the majority of gamers, and it'll be interesting to see how Sony incorporates this feedback into the next PSP. The PSP2 has been pseudo-confirmed by a number of sources, although Sony certainly hasn't lifted the veil just yet. In the meantime, it's good to see that consumer reactions to the PSP Go haven't gone unnoticed, although we have to question if Sony considered the unit to be an experiment from the get-go…
lol what the f%^&k???
If so that was a pretty expensive test, and one that if done improperly could've costed Sony a bit of profit. Other than my physical library of games I still have a positive view on digital media, but I found the Go to be quite ugly as a console. In the end for me, I didn't get one because it was ugly, expensive, and didn't use UMDs (because above all else I like my library of games).
A litmus test to see how gamers would react to an all digital system – but the reaction is not measured by the number of units sold.
Maybe If someone could extract every last ounce of common sense out of my head then I too could be an executive.
WHAT!!!
does anyone really believe this?
Want to know how to sell some SKUs SONY? LISTEN TO US!!! any forum will have hundreds of ppl talking about what we want! and its free!!! look at Evil tele!!! he made a list! a list!!! THEY PAY THOUSANDS FOR RESEARCH COMPANIES TO TELL US WHAT WE WANT THEN WHEN WE DON'T BUY IT, THOUSANDS FOR PR TO TELL US LIES!
just put one of us here in a consultant position and we will make what the consumers want!
—-well there is my rant for the day:)
I'm so stoked for the PSP-II. Not too sure about this marketing strategy from Sony. I have mixed feelings about digital distribution. I cherish my physical game collection and all, but on the other hand who gives a F%#& about what form your games come in.
If the PSP went all digital and the mother console stayed physical I'd be ok with that.
If Sony wanted to make a test out of the PSP Go, they shouldn't have sold them & also advertised that they would adapt some kind of way for you to play your older UMD's on it.
Bad move, what they should have done before fully gearing up the sales, is given them to some of us as beta testers, and also have advertised them as being such a test.
Then after it was all done, yeah, sure, go ahead & sell them, but only after Sony had given the Go buyers a FREE UMD to Digital transfer as already promised.
SolidFantasy
Who care's you ask???
Er…..Gaming collectors care, and they care a hell of a lot!
And as one of those gaming collector, I care too.
Yeah that probably would have worked if Sony had played it out that way for us hand held gamers.
And trust me I have a neatly organized pile of games that I hold dear. But if the industry decides to go digital I don't think I'll be leading any riots.
If I could have had a way to play all my disc games on the PSPGo, I would have picked one up for the DS3 compatibility alone.
As it stands this is like the Sony's Virtual Boy (except there are at least good games for the Go, but I can play those on cheaper and less limited devices)
it costs only a little less than a PS3!!!!!!!!!!! disgusting price
I already knew this. I heard it from some where eles a while back.
PSP2 most have No full touch screen it's ok but I don't want to be taping the screen the entire time like the dS. I do not own a dS for a reason.
The PSP doesn't need to be a phone too yea I quese that would be cool but this is a potable game divice and it most have two analog sticks.
3D what?!?!?!
Some of you are asking for to many features and then cry because it cost to much. you are the people to blame for not having BC on our PS3. Thanks. now there are people who are willing to pay sony out of the nose for it.
I'm sorry to say I don't buy in what Sony is saying in the slightest. Like any corporation they thought they could simply "repackage" aging technology into a new case without any significant hardware upgrades, and titillate with the idea that people do not want to have "physical media" anymore… which of course, has turned out to be in-correct. The PSPGo was large sum of cash to extract from people so they can "test" a Sony product. Sony should have given 1000 away in a competition and then got feedback, not try to dupe gamers into buying into something that is going to be replaced… Without a second nub and a laughable price point, it is good that it has failed to some degree. It does teach Sony not to simply do second best products, but to make the best products in the industry. If they do they will be rewarded…
The reality is Apple… (and I have always been saying this… just ask Highlander) gaining a lot of ground and will surpass Sony in the future when it comes to compelling handheld gaming devices… they see that the future of gaming, for the most part, is mobile… Mobile devices will get much more powerful going forward, and games will look more and more spectacular on them… and Apple will lead the charge…
Sony better come out with a compelling PSP2 design, with a state of the art processor and graphics package otherwise I am saving my money for the 2nd generation of iPad and the new iPhone.
At the moment nothing compels me to get a PSP until I see a big hardware upgrade and a more "open" system architecture…
Feel sorry for the people who have been "duped" by the PSPGo train, they will no doubt suffer when the PSP2 is announced and everyone starts to sell of or mothball their PSP1's.
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
*Currently in Phenom Pehn, Kingdom Of Cambodia
Last edited by Qubex on 6/8/2010 8:55:40 PM
Personally, I was surprised they launched that system so late in it's lifecycle and at a massively higher price. In the past, Playstation products would re-launch as a slimmer, lower-cost, update-PsOne, PS2slim. THe PSPgo may have been slimmer with internal memory storage but at a significantly higher cost than their other current PSP-3000 model. Sony has always stated that Playstation owners recognize good value in their line of products, like the PS3. But clearly, the PSPgo didn't appear to be as good of value as a PSP-3000. So the release of the PSPgo was something of an anomaly to me.
All of this really has me curious about the marketing angle Sony will take with the PSP2. It would seem handhelds tend to be far more profitable at a lower cost with cheaply created and distributed software. While I, personally, don't have much interest for the majority of cheap, mind teasing games, it would seem only logical for Sony to tap into that market more aggressively to stay viable.
And while that new MGS:PW looks awesome, I can't help but wonder if Hideo's talents would've been more appreciated by creating the game as a full-fledged PS3 title.
The Go was released at such a high price point in order to appease the retailer as they would have made ZERO profit on games, obviously. Aside from that, it was a great F-U to the consumer, though I'm sure they were trying to sell it. How would it sell if there were no stockists?
It would be folly for Sony to turn towards the apps market as the vast majority of titles for the PSP2. I say this because Sony has built themselves upon a foundation of the hardcore market, even if they have tried to branch out to the casuals, with varying degrees of success. To switch to the App market, which is undeniably cornered by Apple would split the user base in a big way and begin to crumble the foundations. Once that happens, the fall is inevitable, no matter how strongly the fortress is built.
On Peace Walker, sure it may have been better were the Kojimaster to develop it on the PS3, but you can't deny that it will still be Hideous (like it?). Besides, you can't fault the guy for his dedication to the Sony brand as a PSP iteration was the only way to keep it exclusive with Konami's insistence and M$'s money.
Peace.
Lawless,
That may be the case with PSPgo's higher price. The inflated profit margin would placate retailers in having to give up shelf space (albeit what appears to have been a very small amount) for a product that wouldn't promise big returns on software sales.
Regardless, I can't help but think if it should've been marketed that way to begin with. Maybe Sony would've had better luck with a lower cost while allowing some retail chains, like Gamestop, to drop the product in favor of a more aggressive online ordering service, and also, Walmarts and Targets etc. Apple gets away with selling iPods without a massive increase to profit margin through this approach.
And concerning software marketing. I agree that Sony has a segment of more dedicated gamer on the PSP in comparison to something like an iPod/iPad & cell phones. Games like God of War and Metal Gear Solid: PW suggest that. I just wonder if only a handful of really high quality titles that sell around 2-3 million per release is enough to sustain a product line. And moreover, if a segment of PSP owners who do eat up to the lesser quality content are getting syphoned off to other handheld devices can't help the situation either.
I am grateful to have any dedicated effort by Hideo to offer us a Metal Gear. I would still rather have something as large in scope, like PW, to be on PS3. And that's just speaking for my own interests.
In other words, Its $250 b/c we are not taking losses on an experiment.
excuses, excuses, excuses!
sony really stuffed up with this, and there only shooting themselves in the foot with it.
you would think downloadable games would be cheaper no?
WRONG!
assassins creed bloodlines from EB, game, JB HIFI $50.
off the PSN? $60!
little big planet PSP from EB, game, JBHIFI $50
off the PSN? $68!
army of two the 40th day from EB, game, JBHIFI $40
PSN? $46!
and if thats not shooting yourself in the foot enough they always take a few weeks to get new releases onto the PSN.
o, and that 5 game rebate we were suppose to get? STILL WAITING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so let me get this stright.
im paying MORE for the system, MORE for the games AND i have to use up my download usage to get the games?
WTF?
since when do you have to pay more, for less?
soon will be paying 1000 dollars for the games, and 50 bucks for the systems!!!!!!!
No name, rein in that flip out. In terms of the physical media vs digital. Retailers set the price of physical media, which means if it is not selling, or they do not expect it to sell, they drop the price. Developers and Sony set the price of digital, wwhich means whatever they want for it, is what they will get for it, regardless of what it is selling for in stores.
Shooting yourself in the foot? Try putting that aforementioned foot down your throat. For goodness sake, if you can't wait for a game for a few weeks, then mate, go to America, they usually get them first. What five game rebate is that I must ask?
Anyway, it was your choice to purchase the system at the price point that was being asked, knowing full well of the price of the games (those being advertised even before release), and of course your download usage. How else would you expect to get the games you want? As for your last comment, I am not going to lower myself by commenting on the stupidity I feel flows from your fingertips at writing that.
Really, I don't go off very often, but you just annoy me. I'm sorry for any insults, but honestly, someone had to say it.
Peace.
yes so thats the solution?
they release a platform and screw over everyone that buys it than wonder why its selling like sh*t.
hmmm, i wonder why i got fired after banging my bosses wife, than destroying his car.
Sony were idiots with the psp and with a different creator the psp would have been a major success, considering it has sold 60 million units against the gatekeeper of the handheld market for the last ten years at least i'd say the psp did pretty damn good and was also a year late to the scene as well.
and peace walker was due to cost of development and potential market. roughly 34 million ps3's or 60 million psp's and hugely minimized cost of production makes the psp a better choice.
and I don't think this was a test as if sony were going to release a test project I think they still would've wanted to make some money out of it, and release an official ripping software and both parties would be happy and no consumers complaining – hard copies with the option of faster loading times and longer batt life, but of course, this is sony or as I like to call them, ass backwards
Seriously, after the garbage i've dealt with with Sony saying "Dump Linux, or GTFO", I'll never trust a Sony "License" to anything I don't have a physical hard copy of. I want my UMD games. I want to have a physical object that Sony CAN'T take from me.
That said, a future iteration of the PSP could be a BEAUTIFUL machine. Dual analog, a modern >250-300 DPI lenticular or parallax based autostereoscopic high resolution LCD with multitouch, A modern mobile processor, UMD backwards compatibility, and a Blu-Ray iteration of the UMD format. If current UMD is 1.5GB to DVD's 8.5, then equipping UMD with a Blu-Ray laser, a Blu-Ray UMD would be about 8GB to a full size Blu-Ray's 50GB. This would allow full PS2 and Xbox 360 sized media content on the device…
Imagine 8 GB downloads…
Some people might not sweat it, but there are still, and will still be many people with slower connections than modern multi-megabit broadband. Are you OK with painfully long downloads, massive amounts of expensive flash storage, just to hold a couple games, vs cheap, easily pressed BD-UMDs, all the BD-UMDs you can carry. The other option is limiting game data size to preserve fast downloads and make room for a multitude of games.
I'm not ready to give up physical media. It still has advantages. What's it feel like waiting to download a full 1.5 GB DL version of a large PSP game of the PSN. It's still slow. How many of those large games can you fit on your 16GB flash, or your 2, 4, 8, or 16GB Memory Stick?
And one more thing… I DON'T want it to be a cell phone. This should be a game console first, and still be affordable. Let people buy cell phones if they want to make calls. Don't force this thing into another unreasonable price tier, or turn it into a by subscriber contract device.
Last thing supporting the UMD… What happens when you spent $250 for a system, and $500 for 10 games. If those games are UMD, you have the option of reselling them, if you choose to do so. Say you sell when depreciation reaches 2/3 the original value. Selling the system and UMD games nets you about $255. If the games are DLC, then you can't transfer the games without giving up your PSN and violating Sony EUL. DLC can not be resold. The system, at the same depreciation would only net you about $85, and the games are a loss, a $170 loss (using the 2/3 depreciation as an example).
I like to own what I buy. While the logistics of game ownership is debatable by game companies and their arcane license agreements, at least, a PHYSICAL disc can be owned. I have no intention of buying the next PSP, if it's digital only. I will abandon the PSP product line. The next PSP MUST have some form of UMD for me to consider buying it. It must also be backwards compatible.
I hoped they learned that we don't want an all digital game system.
"all-download" (or, better, "download-only")
They're ALL all-digital. Ones and Zeros, man.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 6/12/2010 5:35:32 PM