Sony delays Skype PSP and microphone launch, indefinitely

Weird. After making such a fuss, Sony Japan just delayed Skype on PSP services in Japan. A move with a definite knock-on effect for the rest of world. The cause of which seems to be Sony's two microphone products -- the single pack PSPJ-15010 and twin pack PSPJ-15011 -- which "did not meet the Skype specifications" and thus failed the certification process. Something you think Sony would have known well before the eve of the scheduled January 24th launch. We'll let you know when a new date is announced.

Update: This just in from Sony, "the SCEJ announcement regarding the delay of the PSP microphone peripheral and Skype service doesn't have any impact on the North American (or European) launches of Skype for PSP, which will coincide with the PSP firmware upgrade slated for the end of January." Straight from the horse, as it were.

[janes @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:03AM]

That sucks.
Y.

[superfresh @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:01AM]

are you really surprised? Sony always does this. They always talk potential, but they never follow through.

I bought a PSP for all the potential they talked about at launch, but it never pans out. UMD was a flop, games stayed cheap for about six minutes, not to mention that developers have shied away from producing games for the single analog setup (why Sony even design a gaming product without two analog sticks in this day and age is beyond me). GPS never materialized, the browser is next to useless, and for the company that created the Walkman, the PSP's DAP functionality leaves much to be desired. Now, they cocktease you with Skype and then bail. Excuse me if I'm not shocked.

[Temple @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:36AM]

Its only been delayed in Japan, and certainly not indefinitely. The US and European release has not been delayed.

Quote.
"! Western users, you're OK, as Sony have told us this "will make no difference to the European and USA launch, which will coincide with the end of January firmware upgrade"."

http://kotaku.com/347868/sony-postpones-japanese-psp-skype-launch

[superted @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:10AM]

No way! I thought this might have been the start of a revived PSP push (granted, away from games but at least it was being presented as a platform again)

My old dusty PSP won't even run the skype app so i can't say i'm reeeeally that bothered but still a surprise...

[Monu @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:13AM]

Sony. Back in the game!

And here I was thinking they changed their policies/workflow after the PS3 launch disaster. It looked good for a few months.

Ah well.

[Paulmichael @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:17AM]

Hmm. That sucks.
*Clears throat*

,
I'm not even angry.
I'm being soo sincere right now.
Because I've got a laptop
and a mic.

Oh, that and I, too, only have the Fat, older, but easily-customizable PSP-1000 model.

[cswallow01 @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:21AM]

What tha fu****???? Dam***t!!!

I was so looking forward to this... No, come on Sony you all are better than that!

No way this can be real! No, way!

Please, say it ain't f'ing so!!!

[radiancobweb @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:52AM]

Go Messenger when its released on the PSP will be far superior and there will be NO headset issues.

[Om @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:01AM]

Look I've said it before but I'll say it again anyway. Sony. Make your god damn PSP camera work with this Skypee feature. It already has a mic, and it has allready been certified as worthy to work with the PSP. I dont want to have to buy a stupid mic/headphone accessory. And while your at it make this PSP version of skype support video.

All problems solved.

Everybody is happy. You get to sell more psp's.

What is going on over there.

Om

[superted @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:58AM]

it's more that Skype specifications were not met, meaning that they pulled the plug not sony

i think!

[Ayrkain @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:08AM]

It's only been delayed in Japan, so we might still get it here at the end of the month.

http://pspupdates.qj.net/Sony-postpones-Japan-s-PSP-Skype-launch-due-to-official-mics/pg/49/aid/112172

[radiancobweb @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:21AM]

Look, GoMessenger when it is released soon will requires no skype hardware and the client also works on the OLD psp, not just the slim lite

[roberto @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:29AM]

well, i was waiting for something like that... never believe sony untill you can see it.

[Hangemby Theirthumbs @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:02AM]

Nonworking microphones, huh?

Uh huh:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20080123/tc_pcworld/141674

[Logster @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:30AM]

I thought that it would be really good if they added this to the PS3 as well. with a big Tv, the Eye camera, you've got yourself a great video conferencing system.. fingers crossed this end.

[m-p{3} @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:22AM]

According to other news website, only Japanese version is affected by this delay du to a problem with Skype hardware certification with the Japan headset.

[nathan @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:46AM]

Dumb Sony? No, dumb Skype! It was their specs that ruined it. Hopefully the delay won't be too long. It's Sony for goodness sakes. Microphones are in it's DNA!

[DustoMan @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:50AM]

Just means I can hold off on getting a PSP slim a little longer.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jan 23rd 2008 11:15AM]

Don’t you see what’s doing here? Bet Mobile Operators the world over “strongly” (and privately) told Sony to “cut the Skype PSP crap” or we won’t bulk buy or support another Sony/Ericsson cell phone period! Corporate Gangsterism at its best, just saying...

[cswallow01 @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:34PM]

I e-mailed a contact at Sony, about the Skype issue, who got me in touch with SCEA PR stating:

I asked:

"Does this effect SCEA territories, as well?"

The response:

"C,
This does not affect SCEA or SCEE territories.
P"

[jntaylor @ Jan 23rd 2008 3:09PM]

No big deal for me. I got the PSP slim to watch movies, listen to mp3's and once in a while play a game.

[Chuck @ Jan 23rd 2008 3:10PM]

hey guys your old psps are not useless there's gps coming at the end of this year...

[Vinn @ Jan 23rd 2008 3:58PM]

Meh, Sony has made so many promises about this handheld that they've failed to deliver. The homebrew community picked up on this a while ago, and has made the PSP more worthwhile and fun than Sony ever has.

Like anyone wanted to pay double for a movie they could only watch on their PSP anyway.

[jikhead @ Jan 24th 2008 11:11AM]

So Skype won't work on the old PSP?

[Kalden @ Feb 4th 2008 9:36AM]

This really sucks... I just recently bought my psp just before the slim/light version came out, $230 later (figures) I can't even run skype on it becuase of the lack of memory required. Grrr! This machine, like others have said, is highly capable of amazing things, but noooo, because big corporations only care about money and don't give a damn about technological evolution, we have to fork over entire paychecks just to keep up with this stuff. North American companies should take a hint from Japan, who are technological gods, I mean, their psp's have so much more functuality than ours, eg. the dvr accessory, that is awesome, but nope, we don't have it here because it's just not available right now... Lame. When are we gonna have a handheld that can do it all? Sure it isn't too big of a deal having to buy extra accessories for it, but if the hardware and the firmware are going to be offered in these slow gradual upgrades, then WTF? Sorry for going off topic but the ps2 was supposed to be able to do alot of the stuff the ps3 can do, it may not have the same speed and graphics capability, but after wasting $150 on a hard drive after hearing rumours of running operating systems on it and being able to upload games/movies/music to it and surf the net and such, I was greatly dissapointed, yet again. So I am now making good use out of my ps2 hdd in my computer, so Ha Sony!

Forgive me for ranting, but I am quite pissed.