Sony exec says UMD-less PSP was "always the plan"

Well, it's no secret that plenty of folks have been talking about a UMD-less PSP since day one, but it looks like that's been the case behind the scenes at Sony as well, at least according to the company's head of product planning, Naoya Matsui. Speaking with GameBusiness.jp, he said that Sony has "planned to release a PSP model without a UMD drive since the very beginning," but that if "we'd simply released the hardware, there wouldn't have been much for everyone to enjoy," adding that Sony "needed to prepare the right environment for it first - things like the transferal of content with the PS3 and PSN, and PC software to manage content like music and movies such as Media Go." Matsui further went on to explain that Sony also had to wait until the "delivery of digital content was on par with the delivery of physical media," which it obviously thinks has now finally happened.

[Via Joystiq]

[williamaxlrose @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:42PM]

makes sense i guess, digital distribution wasnt as viable back when it first came out.

[Aguiluz @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:44PM]

I just wish they used cartridges instead of UMDs.*looks at my old Phat that suffered a damaged laser*

[Lemmiwinks @ Jul 2nd 2009 6:23PM]

"digital distribution wasnt as viable back when it first came out"

however, thankfully, attractive styling was.

[wrabbit @ Jul 2nd 2009 7:55PM]

Yeah except that Sony should've been "leading the charge". Look at Apple - did they wait for smartphones to become user-friendly and have great UI? No, they went and did it themselves. Nintendo - did they wait for somebody to make the first motion controlled controller? No.

Sony, as a big company with plenty of resources should've been at the forefront of the digital distribution system, not playing catch-up with Microsoft, Valve, and heck, even Nintendo.

Now they're trying to appear as if it was all part of the plan but that's BS. They simply lacked the necessary vision and/or drive to truly innovate.

[loocas @ Jul 2nd 2009 10:25PM]

So THAT's the premium you should be proud to pay for!

[Jono @ Jul 2nd 2009 11:53PM]

I love Sony. They're so cocky and they take no effort in hiding that fact.

Keep in mind Sony is Japanese. Japan is a xenophobic and mostly conservative country.

So why does it surprise everyone when Apple comes out with great new products with inspiring engineering, creative design and functionality? Their design arms are located right here in California, a mostly liberal State.

[Jono @ Jul 3rd 2009 12:01AM]

Another thing: Almost every single post here is stupid.

Sure Apple beat Sony to the punch with Digital Distrution, but have you forgot *how* Sony handles digital distribution?

Rootkits, etc. So do you really think that after dealing with the Rootkit ordeal back then, Sony would've been successful in launching a digital distribution store?

(The answer's No.)

[nintendo fanboy hater @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:45PM]

then why did they waste our time with another useless format

[nukee @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:50PM]

Because digital distribution would've made the system flop when it first came out. They needed an intermediate step.

[MowDownJoe @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:57PM]

Then why didn't they wait to enter the portable arena? Now, the PSPGo is just drawing unsavory comparisons to the current version, since it has less features than the PSP-3000 and costs more.

[nukee @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:03PM]

Why postpone an opportunity to make money? They came out with a first revision and saw down the road where they wanted to take the platform.

[John Stracke @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:32PM]

Because they're Sony. They've somehow got the idea stuck in their collective brains that the way to make big money is to invent a format that everybody wants to license from them. Hence Betamax, MiniDisc, Blu-Ray, MemoryStick, and the 3.5" floppy.

[Flaystus @ Jul 2nd 2009 4:06PM]

This is all of course taking their word for it.

Because companies like to admin when they are just pulling it out of their butt as they go along right?

[conor @ Jul 2nd 2009 4:37PM]

The PSP Go does have bluetooth.

[KC @ Jul 2nd 2009 4:46PM]

I never understand this argument about "another useless format". I've never heard anyone complain about Nintendo's "useless cartridge format". To me, the UMD is just another type of cartridge.

[MowDownJoe @ Jul 2nd 2009 6:56PM]

But they were trying to pawn it off as more than a proprietary format to play games on. If it was JUST games, like with the DS or Game Boy, then you'd be right. But nope... they wanted people to play UMD movies, as well, thus legitimizing it as something else.

[wako @ Jul 2nd 2009 7:53PM]

why with the useless format? because they thought it was a brilliant breakthrough technology that would catch on, and now that they know it was a utter failure they are trying to cover their tracks by syaing "Oh we planned for this from the start!"

[HyperHacker @ Jul 2nd 2009 8:51PM]

The problem is they even called it "Universal Media Disc." This claim, if (big if) it has any truth at all, is just saying they planned right from the beginning for this so-called "Universal" to only ever be used in early models of a single device, and be obsoleted within a few years. Yep, sounds like Sony alright.

Going UMD-less has been the plan ever since UMD failed and everyone hacked their PSPs to run off memory cards, and not a moment before.

As for the Nintendo comment, Nintendo never called their cartridges universal or gave any suggestion that they'd work in future devices.

[the4thheat @ Jul 3rd 2009 9:30AM]

What are you talking about? Sony's plan was ALWAYS to eventually support MP3's, and use SD cards. Don't you see the genius of this plan?

[JayVe @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:49PM]

What a load of complete bullshit.

[Mark Anderson II @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:59PM]

Ding! Ding!

Winner!

[adrian @ Jul 2nd 2009 4:17PM]

You've got to give Sony credit for having the front to come out with a two bit story to explain the failure of UMD.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 2nd 2009 5:19PM]

It's just why New Coke came out- to make you appreciate Old Coke.

[West @ Jul 2nd 2009 8:04PM]

Gee...this isn't the first time Sony's done this type of thing this generation is it? Remember those psp boys? and the creepy ps3 ads? .......hrm........

[Peter J @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:52PM]

transferal? Like with cats?

[bignosepimpin @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:53PM]

so basically they don't want to admit that their plans for the UMD's to be the media of the future never went according to plan....

[Joseph @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:57PM]

we have a winner!

[Jonathan @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:57PM]

This is such nonsense and anyone believing this is foolish.

They didn't invest so much money in developing UMD to step to digital distribution, their plan was a proprietary format for big $$$. The problem was that it flopped, and that so many PSP pirates claim they do it for convenience, so Sony is responding.

[Ineed911 @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:34PM]

I could not agree more. Knowing how hooked the AsiaPac folk are about minidisc, I am sure that Sony thought that they would get them just as hooked on UMD.

It is really crazy to see how far off Sony is lately - PSP sans-UMD is _more_ expensive than previous model - which is substantially more than the DS which is just kicking their butts. PS3 has been embarrassed by the 360 and Wii. They are one of the few that came forth with a portable notebook (not a netbook, they would say) that is actually slower than a _regular_ netbook and ~3x the cost.

Oh, and did I mention that failure of a smartphone, the X1? Really Sony - what could be next?

[youngstunna @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:57PM]

has a second joystick been in the plans from the start too?

dont hold out on us sony, or we'll get sick of your overpriced crap

[htd @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:58PM]

so make people want their product has never been in the plan?

[lens42 @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:15PM]

Unfortunately, since Sony became a content company, this is true. They are far more interested in protecting their content with obscure formats, root kits, and lawyers than they are in making devices that people want. Having a CEO from the movie side doesn't help.

[Adam @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:05PM]

I just wish they'd designed a portable which looked vaguely pleasant!

Perhaps I'm iSpoilt...

[Skullivan @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:19PM]

I just don't understand why they are releasing this thing as a PSP1 instead of it being the PSP2. The system is 5 years old come December and is due for an upgrade. The same system in new clothing for the same price as the PSP was at launch in 2005 is just plain nuts. It'd be like if they had released the slim PS1 or PS2 at $300. When you do a system redesign at the end of a console's life you lower the price, or at least offer more for the same price. You don't raise it. The thing is going to sell like crap and is only going to piss off those diehards who can't keep themselves from buying one when the actual PSP2 comes out in 2010.

[Mark @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:05PM]

What i bullcrap is the Edge translation, they have translated it to suit their agenda, conviently it also suits Joystiq network agenda too (and keeps their biggest advertiser happy too).

The sad part is there are too many dumb Americans that can't see how the online media is manipulating them.

If you know someone that speaks Japanese, get them to translate the original quote for you, (without showing them the Edge translation), and you will see how desperate and pathetic the gaming press are.

[Muu @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:32PM]

松井：「ネットワークセントリックモデル」が社内キーワードでした。E3で社長の平井からも話がありましたが、実際の企画・開発は2年ほど前からです。もともとUMDドライブを外すという案はPSP誕生時からありましたが、単にそうしたハードウェアだけを出すのでは、ユーザーの皆様にPSPの楽しさを感じていただけません。PlayStation NetworkやPS3とのコンテンツの互換、「Media Go」のようなPC向けのコンテンツ管理用ソフトウェアなど、さまざまな環境準備を整える必要があります。

Mastui: the keyword was "Network-centric model." Though Company pres Hirai talked about it at E3, development started about 2years ago. There were plans of removing the UMD drive from PSP's birth, but simply releasing the hardware, the users would not be able to enjoy the PSP. Content from PSN and PS3 games, PC-oriented content management software like "Media Go..." There were many things that had to be readied before its release.

The translation isn't off, unless you pretend to know the language better than a native speaker such as myself. And it's a load of bullshit coming from marketing in whatever language you choose.

[Case @ Jul 2nd 2009 6:36PM]

Muu, that's what we call completely and totally pwning someone. Well played.

[Ryan @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:06PM]

Full of shit Sony exec says UMD-less PSP was "always the plan", also denies kicking puppies

*Fixed

[Jack_Barron @ Jul 2nd 2009 5:19PM]

Or how about, "Sony exec opens mouth, turd falls out."

[all things considered @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:06PM]

I think there's truth to both sides of this story. I definitely agree that digital delivery was not viable when the original PSP came out, but to say that the UMD concept (read crisis) was the 'most' logical intermediary step is ridiculous. Ultimately, the gaming industry, much like the tech industry at large, is about profit margins, and after enough focus group questionnaires with enough people in the target sales demographic, Sony decided that even a proprietary formatted portable gaming system would yield $$$, and it has.

[Syntax Error @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:22PM]

I'm sure they'd be saying this if UMD actually took off.

[Roland @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:12PM]

Well Sony this was not a good Idea....

[iKurt 7 @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:25PM]

And you know what's my plan? Not buying one. HAHA.

Get the iPod Touch instead.

[HyperHacker @ Jul 2nd 2009 8:57PM]

Not buying one has been my plan from the beginning. Imagine.

[Webber @ Jul 2nd 2009 10:11PM]

Yeah, just get an iPod touch if you prefer crappy $1 remakes of crappy flash games, facebook quizzes and fart apps; get a PSP (or DS) if you'd rather have real, thought out games.
Don't get me wrong, I love my iPod touch, but to pretend it's a replacement for a dedicated gaming console is just trollish. Fanboys make everyone who uses a certain product look bad.

[Puggs @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:15PM]

Paul has gotta turn all news articles into an Apple topic.

[joon @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:39PM]

sony is the biggest lying company ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ashwin Jadhav @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:45PM]

Man, why can't Sony just admit they made a mistake with UMD?

[Jeff @ Jul 2nd 2009 8:26PM]

Should Nintendo admit they made a mistake with DS cartridges? Both are proprietary formats used for no other device.

The fact is all that separates UMD from being a brilliant idea or a mistake is the relative success of the PSP. And the PSP has always had much bigger problems than UMD, suffering as it does from many of the exact same things that doomed previous competitors to Nintendo handhelds (namely, poor battery life, large form factor, and, well, Nintendo).

Going UMD-less is not going to help, quite honestly. The vast majority of people will continue to buy and use physical media in handheld devices. Two years from now, we're going to have threads here wondering why the hell everybody is continuing to buy DS's instead of PSPGo's... and this will be one reason. People *like* cartridges.

[t @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:59PM]

Lets recap:

The iphone 3GS is a phone
*Has a chip with a speed of over 600 mghz(about twice as fast as the psp)
*has 256 megs of ram
*has up to 32 gigs of flash memory
*has a high quality camera with video ability
*A USABLE BROWSER
*has an entertainment ecosystem consisting of music, movies, games and apps for all sorts of shit that work flawlessly!!!!!!!!!!!

The killing stoke for Apple is to only put tactile game controllers(dual analog sticks for a real six pack of whup ass!) onto their phone and the psp would be relegated to the tech trash heap! Apple would sell well over 100 million unit and destroy nintendo in the process. Hell, I foresee 200 million units sold.
All this chaos with just a simple tweek and hell would come home for the holidays for you know who.
BOOOHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!