Sony exec says UMD-less PSP was "always the plan"
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 2nd 2009 2:39PM
posted July 2nd 2009 2:39PM
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]
[Via Joystiq]
You know that is not far away, with OS 3.0 and the release of the new Bluetooth API. We'll see more BT controllers and keyboards for both the itouch and iphone, which means we might see a BT game controller for that platform!!!
KC:
Forget BT... someone can just make a snap-on controller (perhaps with a battery pack built in) that will barely make the phone larger but will please hardcore gamers. Sony is nuts.
Yeah, tech that looks good on paper! That wins a gaming platform war, every single time!
(See: Jaguar, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, etc.)
Also, are you guys really arguing that your platform will win because...it might have buttons in the future?
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I mean, look....I hate sony as much as anyone else, but let's be fair, an iphone actually costs like $600, not $249 like the PSPGo.
iPhone 3GS costs $1999.
It better have those features for that price.
The soon-to-be-released refreshed iPod Touch will easily be on par with the new iPhone 3GS in power and most of the capabilities (sans camera and cell radio) therefore be a perfect gaming platform to launch from with those accessories at an affordable price point.
@ t
How many kids can afford an iPhone 3G S?
How many kids can pay the monthly contract for an iPhone 3G S?
Man, I only used to get 50p a week pocket money! :(
Also: they planned an UMD PS3 with lots of disk swapping action for the users.
"We've always been at war with Eastasia."
Who's the head of Sony PR? Winston Smith?
Have chocolate rations been increased as well?
Sure it was, just like UMD's failure as a proprietary movie format (Sony's only, of course) was planned from the beginning as well.
Suuuuure Sony, just like their over priced and proprietary memstickpro crap ... 8gb of that is like 70 bucks...8gigs of anything else...15-20 bucks. Sony seems to have this "well do whatever we want, not what our customers ACTUALLY want" attitude ... I won't be buying one...
Stupid UMD's, 'Syntax Error' has it bang on..if UMD took off, EVERYTHING they do would be UMD...right down to a UMD slot on the PS3 probably...
Sony should have waited for the PSP2 to roll out digital distribution instead of removing UMD from a system that even now ONLY has UMD games. They should have kept the UMD and added digital distribution.
The reason they did it was b/c they wanted to have a UMD-less system BEFORE the PSP2. That way, when the PSP2 comes out, they can say "Look, our system is backwards compatible too!" If they waited to remove it, they wouldn't have any previous generation games to play on the new system.
Backwards compatibility is a big issue for a lot of consumers. No doubt, you'll be able to play DS games on the DS2. Sony just wanted to make sure you could play "some" PSP games on the PSP2.
But, I have no clue how you can remove hardware from a system, make the screen smaller, and charge $80 more. They must not want to sell that many for some reason.
They're doing exactly what you're talking about. Did you not hear that they will be releasing the Go along side with the 3000? Or that ALL the models are capable of downloading the games? They already did a test run with Patapon 2. This is an extended test run for a complete digital distribution for the PSP2, that's all.
Like I said, the fact that Sony included an ISO loader in their firmware as far back as the PSP-1000 is a clear indicator that a UMD-less distribution or at least a digital download system would come into play at some point. This extended run is probably a way for them to come up with an anti-piracy measure before opening the door for a new system.
because it would have been soo difficult to put games on 1 or 2gb memory stick cards .....
I don't belevie a word they're saying. It's not their first attempt to try to take the 'leading formart', remember how Minidisc failed?
and then, umd was supposed to be a new standard until that too failed. So how could it be that it was always the plan? when then released 3 differents pspmodel with all of them with umd drives? UMD failed in soo many way, just admit it and move on Sony.
You don't believe it as a statement of truth. Let them save some face.
Sony just keeps digging themselves deeper and deeper.
ssssuuuurrreee it was, just like Minidisc was always planned to be phased out...this is BS Sony, UMD failed and you know it. Proprietary crap for the lose.
Considering that Sony had it's own ISO loader in the firmware since the PSP-1000, the answer is nos**t.
Frankly this is why Sony loses so badly to competition from companies like Apple and Nintendo. It takes a slow, safe route and "waits for the environment," while Apple decides to CREATE environments with its products, and Nintendo isn't afraid to field a flop now and again, as long as they keep learning from their mistakes.
Sony has certainly made its share of attempts into creating markets and marketing flops, but it never seems to learn from its mistakes, or becomes so gun-shy that its afraid to take the important risks when it needs to.
Also: PSP-Go costs too damned much. My son is getting a DS for his birthday.
Sony also can't handle software. Nor are they visionaries like Jobs and Ives.
Anything that comes from the Sony's camp is bullshit covered with more bullshit.
Yeah, I'm so sick of loading digital discs into the iPhone.
If you don't smile and thumbs up in the office three times a day you get sent to the basement and have do write 'Sony never makes mistakes' 1000 times on a mylo.
I'm calling BS on them. You don't launch a new platform then launch a new video delivery system if you had no intent on supporting it. Just like I'm calling BS that the price is set because "you can" or that it's because stores are marking the device up because they won't see any money from software sales. Just admit that you're greedy, because anything else is BULL SHIT!
I love my PSPs but I wont buy this until I see a 1 after the $. They better make up for all the UMDs I bought.
There's a plan? Who knew...
I don't buy it.....they did not have that idea from day one......
Pirates were some of the first to put a UMD-less PSP in the works......I think Sony pirated the idea from pirates......
Sony saw that so many people pirated games and it was MORE CONVENIENT than actually purchasing the games. Now they have the idea.....
Proprietary - (per English Oxford Dictionary) "Belonging to owner; made by firm with exclusive rights of manufacture"
So what? It's just a way for the manufacturer to have control over the entire system.
Why does it bother anyone?
I use iTunes for my iPod but it dos'nt bother me.
I had to fork out for a bigger hard drive for my 360 but it dos'nt bother me.
Look, I play games on PS3 which uses Blu-ray disks. However, can they be used on anything else? No.
I play games on my 360 which uses DVD's. However, can they be used on anything else? No.
People are getting confused here.
A cable such as mini-usb is considered as being the 'standard' for transferring data between a device and pc for example. So, I understand when people get a bit miffed when they have to use various different cables for different devices which are 'proprietary'.
However, the fact of the matter is, even back in the days of the Xbox and PS2, you would still need to buy a DVD for each system, even if it were the same game!
Basically, being for or against proprietary media when it comes to games consoles is pointless.
With regards to the PSP, you would still have had to buy some other media format if it had'nt been UMD...........so what's the difference?
THANKYOU!
I honestly dont get how the UMD is any different to the weird mini discs the Gamecube took, or the cartridges the DS takes or the DVD movies the Wii doesnt read. The PSP's proprietry format is no different from any other console in history except they offered movies as well as games. If you didnt want a movie on UMD then dont buy the freaking disc. At least they gave you the option
so what will happen 2 the UMD u already have? like i dont have a psp yet i was gonna get the 3000 but i want the psp go now...so should i get the 3000 wit games or do i just wait 4 psp go ....or both? lol even if its i waste so like if i buy the games ill just have 2 sell them when i get the pspgo
so do u have 2 buy the if u have them on UMD?
so do gotta buy the games agian u already have on UMD?