Breaking news: Sony's UMDs aren't selling well

Sony, you think just because you (half) invented the CD you're entitled to foist upon the world format after crappy format, but how long until you listen up? MiniDisc, and Memory Stick (Pro, Duo, Pro Duo, M2, etc.), there's a good reason they didn't stick like you'd hoped and still arouse the ire of consumers everywhere. But please, just don't act all surprised that the UMD isn't taking, and that studio after studio is cutting back UMD releases, according to Variety; Warner's nixing six future UMD titles, stating they're "disappointed with consumer demand [in UMD] at this time." Virgin, UMD's biggest buyer to date, isn't making more room  for new UMDs, either, stating "the overall impact of the format has still been nominal." You guys want to know why though? Here's some free market advice: UMD only plays in one device (the PSP), and the format is so closed consumers can't even buy recordable UMDs (and never will be able to), let alone play them in other devices. Where's the "universal" in this media disc?

P.S. Variety mentioned a couple of time's SCEA's plans to move more UMDs: a Sony TV adapter for the PSP. Sounds like a natural fit (after some especially unnatural hacks), but we have a feeling perhaps Variety might just be confusing this with the PSP's newfound ability to play LocationFree TV streams.

[Dave @ Feb 16th 2006 5:05PM]

yeah. boooo ony!

[Dizz @ Feb 16th 2006 5:09PM]

Well if they allowed UMD players/portable players that play the movies and the music then they would probaly sale more. oh and also if they included more than just the movie on the disk (how bout alil more extras..SONY!)

[Homer J @ Feb 16th 2006 5:12PM]

Don't forget Micro MV and DAT...

When will Sony ever learn...

[JJ @ Feb 16th 2006 5:14PM]

I cant imagine the UMD's are going to look very good on TV's, They are set for the PSP's resolution of 480 x 272, expecialy on HDTV's.

[Torontoguy @ Feb 16th 2006 5:18PM]

I like Sony stuff. I have never had a problem with the quality of it but Sony has a tendency to think that all they have to do is put the Sony name on something and people will flock to adopt it...no promotion...no marketing and then, if it doesn't fly on its own, eventual abandonment and...on to the next thing.

[Blurryvizion @ Feb 16th 2006 5:23PM]

I love my PSP and I regulary enjoy watching my UMD movies. If ony would make a UMD+DVD player for the TV I would certainly buy more UMD movies. In addition to that benefit, I would think think that expansion of the playability of UMDS on different devices would slightly help sales of PSPs. Anyone have 3 quarters, two dimes and three pennies, all I have is a dollar.

[Bob @ Feb 16th 2006 5:26PM]

The reason UMDs aren't taking is because they cost too damn much. I mean, really, who wants to pay $28 for a movie they can get on DVD for $15? Can you say gouge?

[potatoman @ Feb 16th 2006 5:28PM]

Classic Sony. They make great hardware, then shoot themselves in the foot with propriatary formats. I have no clue how Japanese businesses function (or in Sony's case... don't function) but it seems like they need to reactive to the customers' requests. All these expensive formats with huge amounts of copy protection are slowly killing the company. A UMD compatible addon for the PS3 that could play PSP games and movies would surely give the format a much needed boost, and the ability to burn UMD's would be an AMAZING feature for consumers to take advantage of. It seems as if the fear of game pirating has forced Sony to cripple the PSP's capabilities. What they don't understand is that the majority of people won't pirate, and the added features will move many more systems.

P.S. I wonder if the reason Sony won't make UMD-R/RW discs is the fear that it will slow sales of their expensive Memory Stick Duo cards. Imagine paying a few cents for a 1.8 gb UMD-RW instead of the $150 it costs for a 2 gb memory stick. Us PSP owners can only dream...

[willyjsimmons @ Feb 16th 2006 5:36PM]

DAT is still big in the music industry.

As is MiniDisc for those who make tons of tracks and like to keep them archived on something more durable than a CD.

[ScottE @ Feb 16th 2006 5:36PM]

Your comments: Sony does Hardware. They do hardware very, very, reasonably. Their content creation kick has led to many market defeats, ATRAC3,Betamax, and MiniDisc come to mind.
Why cant Sony just stay with hardware? Sony wants to be a megacompany. They've made good money selling hardware for 20 years and their "HARDWARE" is trusted by a good amount of the populace. BUT, when companies that are good in one sector, they get an odd illness where they believe any half assed product they put out will be lapped up. An Example of Megaitits is the Notorius "Google Pack," which have to this day, 14 downloads. Sony has been going downhill in recent months because they are not a content company that is trying to provide content.

[DaStuph @ Feb 16th 2006 5:40PM]

$18-$30 bucks for a UMD??? You've got to be kidding.

Besides the comments that've been made so far, how bout the fact these things are outrageously priced?? I've not bought a UMD movie and never will at these prices. They're lucky I've bought a few of the over-priced over-rated games on the format. I'd pay $10 maximum for a UMD movie period.

Same old Sony.

[Unreal McCoy @ Feb 16th 2006 5:50PM]

Hey ScottE, #8. What the hell are Megai Tits?

[Tavo @ Feb 16th 2006 5:50PM]

Thats why I rent through Gamefly 20 a month with a better selection movie and game rental cant beat it. i might buy if they were between 5 and 10 bucks.

[Alex @ Feb 16th 2006 5:52PM]

I kind of think you guys are being a little bit harsh on Sony with this one. The PSP, as a gaming system, needs some sort of media on which to distribute games. So there's really nothing inherently wrong with Sony developing the UMD in that respect (as a data format).

And given that the format already exists (for games), it makes sense for Sony to at least attempt to put the format to other uses, such as video. I mean, they're even putting cartoons on Game Boy Advance cartridges!

That being said, it shouldn't come as any surprise to Sony or anyone that UMD, as a video format playable only on one system, will never be too successful. It doesn't help that UMDs cost MORE than their full resolution, special feature packed, DVD counterparts. Why bother with 'em?

[patient demon @ Feb 16th 2006 5:53PM]

my local virgin store has been selling umd's at knockdown prices. something like �7.99 a umd. well i thought to myself, is this format selling? Someone asked how does japanese business work. well i do not know the answer to that but there is one thing that i know and that is that sony's mentality is one of LOYALTY. I think that they believe that as in the old days when people saw working for one company as the be all and end all of work, that you have to stay loyal to the company that you work for, the times have changed and now the consumer is saying 'i have an alternative and if that works for me then so be it." sony have to move away from this belief. look at what apple have achieved.

[Jeff @ Feb 16th 2006 5:56PM]

"Don't forget Micro MV and DAT...

When will Sony ever learn..."

Yeah, because the CD, the DVD, the transistor radio, the Walkman, the SPDIF interface weren't successful at all...

And DAT is still huge in the music industry, just as Beta is still huge in the TV industry. In fact, these are both defacto standards in their respective professional markets.

Sony deserves flak for a lot of things, and the PSP was ill-conceived in a lot of ways, but one thing you *cannot* fault them for is their success in promoting formats and standards that they have either invented or helped invent. Even their supposed "failures" have made them huge amounts of money over the years.

The UMD is probably their first real misstep. And I do think it's pretty funny that they initially touted the success of some of these movies, and now we're seeing how poorly they're really selling. Shock! Nobody wants to pay $25 for a stripped-down, low-res, proprietary version of a movie they can buy for $10 on DVD!

The PSP is looking more and more Atari Lynx-like every day.

But still, give Sony credit where they deserve it.

[Chris Coleman @ Feb 16th 2006 6:06PM]

Amen. This was a terrible idea from the start and it'll always be a terrible idea.

They've basically f'd up the PSP in its entirety. It's obvious that people want an open system. If they'd wise up and give the people what they want (something that can run other software) and not what they think people should want (UMD movies), they'd sell a hell of a lot more PSPs. They should have stuck a hard drive in this thing from the start and offered downloadable movies. They would have beaten Apple to the punch by months, but Sony just *has* to control everything.

[milo @ Feb 16th 2006 6:24PM]

I think the PSP may well be the last Sony thing I ever buy - and that's after years and years of preferring their stuff to others. There are too many interesting and fun things I can do with open devices for me to waste my time trying to get a single closed device to do what I want. (wow, I could finally have TV out for my PSP - I could have had that with any number of cheapie korean media players and I'll bet I could probably find one that runs mame and uses reasonably priced CF cards too.)

I am willing to pay for advances in technology but not when I just end up feeling ripped off and forced to pay extra just because I bought Sony stuff. Also, I think we saw very clearly how they feel about their customers with the whole rootkit DRM thing.

I might still stick with the headphones though - they really do make some quite nice ones.

[dave @ Feb 16th 2006 6:24PM]

Jeff, thank you for being a voice of reason. It's refreshing to read a sane comment after wading through too many posts along the lines of "oMg 5oNY $uxor5!!!" Sony is far from perfect, but villifying them for the sake of villifying them is so 2005.

[K_G @ Feb 16th 2006 6:32PM]

You forgot to add that the same movies on DVD (which comes with tons of extras unlike most UMDs) usually cost 50% less...although there are some DVD/UMD combo packs on the horizon.

But honestly the thing that did the UMDs in for me was the Neuros MPEG recorder...
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/02/neuros-mpeg-4-recorder-2-reviewed/
and that 1 gig MS pro duo sticks on sale can be found under $50

My 16 hour flight to Japan is going to be alot more pleasant because of Neuros and a couple MS sticks

[Ben G @ Feb 16th 2006 6:37PM]

Pretty sure this article's about the movies on UMD. I've got a PSP and I've looked at buying the movies a lot but never done it. Recently, there's been a lot more of them out there and at the new Wal*Mart near us, they even have them out in the open like regular DVD's instead of locked behind glass like the games. But when I do the buying evaluation in my mind I think, hmm, like the movie, hmm, bit expensive though, hmm, when would I watch it? Can only watch it on the PSP... hmmm, nar, forget it for now, maybe if they were $5 or so I'd get a couple to watch on the plane.

So, my advice make 'em cheap because they're so restricted and I'll consider it.

[Kyran @ Feb 16th 2006 6:38PM]

The whole UMD movie thing is kinda goofy. I don't mind them using a proprietary format for their handheld system, but when they go around touting it the "Universal Media Disk" that's just downright insulting. The fact that they don't plan writable formats means they aren't even trying to make this as MiniDisk Take 2 (or five).

And of course UMD movies can cost twice as much as DVD, have significantly lower quality and no extras. A TV adapter would just be silly for the purpose of movie watching. Seriously, playing a PSP game on a TV would make some degree of sense, but if someone is on a TV anyway they have NOTHING to gain with the extra cost/complexity/crappyness of playing a UMD over a DVD.

That and you could buy a portable DVD players (and even a Nintendo DS on top of that) for less than a PSP.

Of course, I know only a single individual iRL that owns a PSP *and* UMD movies... and he loves it, but he can't get the rest of us to care or even get us to stop making fun of him. :P I indirectly know one other person who got a PSP which he's since shelved in favor for his GBA SP.

[Mikey @ Feb 16th 2006 6:41PM]

Go Microsoft!

[Arthur @ Feb 16th 2006 6:43PM]

I think the marketing had a lot to do with it.
Movies were sold as; "On DVD and on PSP"
Only a handful of commercial said; "On DVD and on UMD"

Selling the playback device is important, but people need to know what the actual name of the medium is as well.

My .02

[feckineejit @ Feb 16th 2006 6:59PM]

I would DEFINITELY buy UMDs if they were cheaper. $20+ is a ridiculous amount for a movie I am only going to be watching briefly on the john or on a bus. Extra features might encourage folks to buy them, but not even at $15.00.

UMDs would be prefect for releasing anime or episodic content - that niche would work.

[doug @ Feb 16th 2006 6:59PM]

Is Sony doing with the PSP what they and other companies do with consoles - sell the player at a loss and make money on licensing content? That would explain (1) why UMD movies are so expensive; and (2) why Sony crippled the PSP as a media player - they don't want you to buy it to play your own media, they want you to buy it AND buy a few games and movies. If so, it would not seem to be working, since game sales are averaging 2 per PSP. If the hardware is not a loss-leader, then the crippled media features make NO sense whatsoever.

which is not to rule it out, since we are talking Sony here ....

the PSP is one heck of a missed opportunity for Sony. drop the UMD and put a HD in and it becomes ... not an iPod killer, but certainly a first-tier portable media player. Or, if they are addicted to selling plastic disks, up the form-factor size just a skosh and make it mini DVD compatable. single-layer, that's still 1.4 gigs, and people could load them with their own video and music.

I know that Sony is doing well with the PSP - 5 million sold, last time I looked, and that's not too shabby - but with a bit more corporate flexibility about proprietary media formats, they could be doing a LOT better.

[Joe @ Feb 16th 2006 7:04PM]

#10 - Blu-Ray has the support of almost every major manufacturer except Toshiba so it's not a Sony proprietary format even if they are the driving force behind it. It costs more for good reason. At least get your money's worth. So no need for ill will towards that format. It's probably the only good thing Sony has done lately. UMD on the other hand gives you less quality and features than DVD yet costs more.

[Tyler M. @ Feb 16th 2006 7:05PM]

Thank god! They were terrible, terrible things, created by companies to make people buy things they already had, just so they could watch it on their PSP.
I hate the little bugger. Hopefully this means they will be on their way out the door, and Sony will start embracing the idea of letting customers put what they want on their PSPs, like, their own movies.

[Richard Soto @ Feb 16th 2006 7:20PM]

I've had the PSP since launch and havent bouhgt one UMD movie yet.

Sure I've checked out the selection and have often pondered about picking up a few but for what they are, they are outrageously priced. If UMD movies were $10 or under I wouldnt just buy one or two every blue moon, I'd probably buy 2 every week!

Sony needs to think in bulk profit maing and not charging so much for each title.

[gman @ Feb 16th 2006 7:23PM]

I think PSP needs UMD...
There is no way sony can provide 1.8g for games/movies other than UMD...
Flash memory? U know how expensive 2g MS duo is
Mini disks? it's only 1g
internal hard drive? it will kill battery
mini dvd? bigger than umd...
i hope sony to reduce the price of umd movies or sell dvd w/ it...

[pcchris @ Feb 16th 2006 7:23PM]

Who do they think they are Steve Jobs and apple only they can pull this kind of crap off and barely

[upsguy555--------- OMG @ Feb 16th 2006 7:25PM]

OMG OMG OMG ... lol. SONY your retarded... lol ... only if you would make a UMD Writer... .and came out with "UNIVERSAL" umd's just like the article said... were's the "universal" in a umd... sony would have to make the UMD Writer's cheap enough to get a bunch of people to buy them.. and they will pwn with the whole UMD thing if that happens.. only if only if.. but whatever... this is the end for umd's ...

[Kevin Tee @ Feb 16th 2006 7:26PM]

Sony stuff that dies, is disliked, doesnt sell:

1. UMD
2. Jelly bean walkman
3. SonicStage Software
4. PSP vs DS sales (consider media options and power)
5. Walkman
6. MiniDisc
7. Memory stick pro,duo,produo,produo2,duo2,duoduo,etc
8. I REALLY dont want to add ps3bluray

Im thinking that is this PS3 thing doesnt go well for sony, theyre not gonne be a very healthy corporation economically. Theyre into everything, and are losing it all. Their tv's sales to Samsung and Panasonic, their console to Microsoft and possibly Ninetndo in the future, their mp3/minidiscs to Apple, and their hi-def dvd's possibly to Toshiba and friends....

[iband @ Feb 16th 2006 7:37PM]

I have a PSP and enjoy it. I have no problem with the UMD for use as a gaming media. Movies? No thanks. I can rip movies to a memory stick and watch them, but really don't need to do that. I don't get Sony -- they need to give up on the proprietary media and focus on the inventive gadgets that use standard media. They are a very innovative company and make excellent products. Someone sold them on the idea of proprietary media and they bought it. If they drop it, they will sell more units.

[RazorElite @ Feb 16th 2006 7:53PM]

I use to consider Sony a good high quality company back in the day, as I'm sure many people did. But then more and more brands came on the market, offering just as good devices at lower prices. Then there's the Sony hype. And then there's the Sony formats. When will they learn? Instead of providing features consumers want, they provide more of what the big name companies would want (Bluray). After reading this article, it makes me realise, there's a pretty good chance Bluray will fail. One of the strongest failing points possibly being its anti-consumer features. Plus, it's a Sony format. And as this article reminds us, there is a very notable trend in just about every Sony format. Will it continue? They'd sure be screwed if it does, considering their biggest money maker, Playstation, would also be screwed, and they're already not a very profitable company. So could we see the fall of Sony in another 5-10 years? PS3 fail, Bluray fail, then what?

[KC @ Feb 16th 2006 8:06PM]

This is just a thought....

But you know if Sony actually does this then I want a little kickback...

I was thinking that another place Sony might want to consider using UMD's is in their X-PLODE car decks

They could make some car decks that have screen ratio's the same as the PSP and add some WiFi for some PSP interaction oith the car's audio/video system....

Could boost some sales of UMD movies I think...

It would be a start anyway. Plus, car audio screens are not that much bigger then PSP's screen so UMD movies could make the transition easily..... and hey... you can create a whole new crossover market with some car audio enthusiasts buying PSP and some PSP owners updating their cars busted old system to a new one that plays nice with their PSP and it's weird little disks

[Alan Erickson @ Feb 16th 2006 8:16PM]

Sony's problem is that they don't know if they want to be a movie company or a consumer electronics company.

[Kamalot @ Feb 16th 2006 8:33PM]

Here's what Sony SHOULD do!

http://kamalot.blogspot.com/2006/02/portable-movie-sales-dry-up.html

Here's a snippet:
"If people could buy a DVD and use the PS3 to watch it on their TV as well as use it to copy the DVD to the PSP, people would see a greater value in both the PSP and the PS3. It would solve the problem consumers have with buying two copies of the same movie, an understandable complaint."

[hemmy @ Feb 16th 2006 8:37PM]

"I cant imagine the UMD's are going to look very good on TV's, They are set for the PSP's resolution of 480 x 272, expecialy on HDTV's."

UMD movies are encoded to the same resolution as DVD: 720x480. The hardware downsamples that to the native psp resolution.

[strider_mt2k @ Feb 16th 2006 8:49PM]

Sony = ORPHANWARE

How many really cool Sony gadgets have YOU seen sitting alone, unwanted and unsupported at flea markets and second-hand shops?

Personally I've seen quite a few, and have owned a couple as well. (Still do)

I took my PSP back a few months ago. (whew)

[Jason @ Feb 16th 2006 8:56PM]

#7, DAT is NOT big in the music industry. In fact, several years ago, Guitar Player Magazine ran an article about its death. Sure some studios still use it because they built their studios to use it when the technology showed a little promise, but DAT is steadily disappearing.

My opinion for ANY proprietary format is... DIE!!!

[Zubon @ Feb 16th 2006 8:58PM]

Recognising that UMDs are not going to replace DVDs, pricing them at IMPULSE price levels is the only way I see this format for films surviving. 2000 yen for a DVD to watch on the plasma at home -> fine. 600 yen (about the same as a top end magazine/$5) for something to watch on the bullet train -> fine. Stick them between the magazine rack and the softdrinks, that is the market for UMD films

[Griffin @ Feb 16th 2006 9:44PM]

I guess I should add the contrarian view: I like the UMD. The PSP features the most beautiful industrial design--it practically begs to be held. Although I routinely rip DVDs to the device, I prefer the quality of the UMD and have bought several.

Different strokes I guess.

[mike @ Feb 16th 2006 10:07PM]

re 38:

People have been warning of the death of COBOL but you'd fall on your face if you knew just how much code there is still running AND running things which you use every day (i.e. credit card processing, account processing and so on)

[streetstealth @ Feb 16th 2006 10:19PM]

Wasn't it just a few months ago that we were hearing about how well UMDs were selling?

I recall thinking to myself, "Well, there's one I never woulda seen. People are actually paying twice for a DVD."

What happened to the "...really taking off!" sales?

[Erik @ Feb 16th 2006 11:33PM]

I hate to point this out but...
The japanese are not as organized or efficient as we have been led to believe. Having just done some business with a few japanese companies, I was downright shocked at the inefficiency I witnessed at every stage of the game. I really hope they were just an exception to my original perception of Japanese business practices.

Just my opinion but, I still have great respect for the Japanese.

[DirtHerder @ Feb 16th 2006 11:38PM]

Geez, not this again.

Yawn.

[Rudy @ Feb 16th 2006 11:46PM]

At least you can record on MDs and DATs.

[Matt E. @ Feb 17th 2006 12:00AM]

I'm divesting myself of SONY gear.

I just sold my PSP on ebay for $200.

[Matt E. @ Feb 17th 2006 12:05AM]

"If people could buy a DVD and use the PS3 to watch it on their TV as well as use it to copy the DVD to the PSP, people would see a greater value in both the PSP and the PS3."

That's makes too much sense. That's why SONY will never go for it. If they wanted to, they could have pulled that off with PS2 + PSP.