PSP Go launch inspires three-fold sales increase for platform
By Tim Stevens 
posted October 8th 2009 7:28AM
posted October 8th 2009 7:28AM
[Via gamesindustry.biz]
posted October 8th 2009 7:28AM
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well adderz your first problem is mp4 is not an actual video codec. it is a container, which takes..oh about a minute to create.
the video codec however, does take awhile. a very long while. e6600@2.4ghz dualcore c2d. it shouldnt take hours, but hey it does. Then again, more than 5minutes to have a video on my player is too long. the h264 codec however i do like. the compression of it vs mpeg is insane. Not worth the time for pspvideos, however.
To those complaining of not being able to loan/lend/etc. This same kind of marketing/DRM is applied to your iTunes purchases and your Kindle/eBook purchases. Steam purchases are an interesting way to manage my media. I can install it in as many places I want, I just have to log in to use it. It does provide me with some freedom of not having to keep up with the media. If you are complaining about Sony's "download only" options because they are restrictive on how you can use it, yet you allow yourself to be chained to your iTunes, then kindly bow OUT of this conversation because you are a hypocrite.
Now, as far as reselling it, well here's where I am of two minds. One, if a game is GOOD I want it to succeed so I get a sequel. Resellers are cutting out the profit for the developers. This is good for you, because money is tight, but bad for them. I generally avoid pre-owned games so that I can support the developers. Granted, I usually wait for a sale, but it is still new media.
The Go is a great piece of hardware and I would be very interested in it, but its price point is too high right now. $200 or less and I would consider it since they will be making greater profit on the games (in general).
Except that the Go -isn't- a great piece of hardware - it's well built, there's a difference.
I've handled one, as I know someone who was crazy enough to get it, within 10 or 15 minutes my hands were cramping because of the form factor it uses, yet my PSP-3000 suffers no such problems, further the idea of making it a slider has backfired IMHO, the DSi's design of having it clamshell protects to screen when you toss it in your pocket, and don't tell me about screen protectors, because it's all wrong to need to spend 8 bucks MORE just to keep your screen from scratching, when that should be designed into the plans in the first place.
I won't get into the digital downloads, I understand that's where it's going, I prefer physical media, but then back in the 60's adults preferred Jazz and hated Rock and Roll, progress is like that. Doesn't mean I'm going to like it, and I'm not even against -all- of it. I use Sony's online store with PS3 and PSP-3000, I just don't think it should be the ONLY WAY you get your media... people like options.
So no, PSP Go! isn't a great piece of hardware, it's a well built, mediocre, poorly designed effort that's only 50 bucks less than a PS3 which is one of the best pieces of hardware conceived of in the last decade - and I say THAT as an avid X360 player.
Don't own a PSP so I am going to comment more on the digital distribution thing here.
I am a PC gamer and I started doing all my purchases through Steam a couple of years ago. Absolutely brilliant platform in my mind, after years of keeping track of games that came on 12 floppy disks, 7 CD's and multiple DVD's, PLUS some odd scrap of paper in the package with a serial number, a sticker on a paper CD jacket you can't peal off and stick somewhere better or worse yet printed in the cover of a useless game manual.
I started out buying a few Steam titles and mostly physical media, but over the last couple of years I have gone to a Steam only rule. If its not out on Steam I pass on it until it does make it there. I've had to wait a few months for maybe two titles so far and it didn't kill me to do so. There are far more advantages to the Steam method than there are disadvantages. I don't have to surf around to publishers sites looking for updates. I don't have to keep a filing cabinet full of game manuals and license papers. I don't have to keep a huge CD/DVD binder full of disks. I can install the files on every computer I own and play on any of them (4 desktops and 1 laptop) I choose. I can gift games to others if I choose to.
I currently have around 125 games on my steam account, my teenage son has around 85 and my wife has around 40. We have repurchased any games we already owned on physical media that we wanted to keep and did away with almost all of our physical media .
Things that are not important to us. Trading games or sharing them. Reselling games as it has never been a big issue on PC games anyway. I don't feel that it is "EVIL" for a company to want to get paid for every copy of a game that gets used.
Well obviously. think of all the people who sold their psp to get a Go, and then found out it was crap and sold it to buy a PSP slim again? Its getting vista and then "downgrading" from vista to xp all over again
The PSP Go is a great device, wouldn't mind one myself.
So yeah, i'd pick one of these over the older generation :)
The pricing isn't bad for what you get, 16GB storage, bluetooth tethering, smaller form factor etc. The Go can be picked up for £200, if i wanted the same storage on a 3000 i'd have to pay an extra £60 for a memory stick (PSP 3000 £130 + £60 Memory Stick = £190)
The criticisms it receives are silly, you get the same drawbacks with any device reliant on digital distribution :) Can i sell on my AppStore downloads? Can i trade them? No, grow some balls people.
I totally agree with you that this is a good device for people who would like to play games on the Go, in fact it is even more portable than the 1000-3000 series of the PSP. Digital distribution is and has been moving forward for a couple of years now.
Great comparison of the AppStore downloads/games on mobile phones. I'd like to add XBLA games as well as PSN store downloads. No refundable, Non transferable, and generally not complained about!
The price on the other hand is a bit tricky. I spoke with a district manager at GameStop yesterday while snagging Operation Flashpoint and he had told me that GameStop as a whole almost didn't carry the PSP Go because it was cutting into their sales on games, and they were essentially helping to hurt themselves in revenue. He told me that a "deal" or sorts was reached with corporate and Sony as an incentive to sell the PSP Go.
My guess is that a higher retail price for a previous generation's technology was created so that the retail locations could make back a large margin on each system sold. This way the hurt of lost game sales wouldn't be as bad, after all they can still sell PSN cards to those kiddies who don't have a credit card. That being said I'm sure that the system is contracted with all major retailers for a minimum amount of time (at least through the holidays) to be sold without a price drop or significant discounts from the manufacturer.
To be honest it is actually a pretty smart way to do it. Sony gets to milk last generation's gaming device for a little longer and doesn't need to produce as much physical media, and retailers enjoy a fat margin on a system that will sell because it is shiny and new. Kudos to Capitalism and the public's desire to replace things that aren't broken for the newest model available.
While you make some very valid points, PSP games do have a significantly higher cost than iPhone games. In general, you do get a fuller experience for the purchase price, but even comparable Minis are more expensive than their iPhone counterparts. When you're basically getting the same game (maybe an extra here or there) why shouldn't consumers expect to do more with their purchase?
Again, good points on your part. No if only Sony could move past wireless b/g and get on to the N bandwagon.
Not sure 100% about the FLAC (I don't use it on the PSP because it takes up too much space on a portable and headphones can't really leverage the lossless...ness well enough to warrant it)
BUT I'm pretty sure if you use any of the M33 firmware, where are a slew of apps that can play FLAC's... I haven't messed with the GENB stuff yet.
I bought a new Lilac 3000 in September when I found out the Go was crap.
....It's a great upgrade from the 2000. I love it! ^^
I wonder how many people who comment here actually use a PSP.
I went out and bought a PSP Go even if I have the original one as well. Here's what I have noticed:
- Screen is better
- Button layout is better (my hands were cramping up with the original)
- The analog is a billion times better than on the original
- The system is very portable (so light it's ridiculous)
- I can buy a game from the comfort of my couch and start playing it right away
- The load times are basically gone along with the UMD garbage.
- I can play on the bus for 2 minutes and pause the game right where it was.
- I can listen to music using my stereo bluetooth headset
- I can go online by teathering it to my phone (never going to happen because I have an iPhone)
In other words, Sony improved the old PSP EXACTLY where it needed improving.
Here's the criticism it's taking from people in general:
- Digital games only (aka I can't go down to gamestop anymore and sell a game for 5% of what I paid for it)
- I have to pay for my games?
- Why are the games for the iPhone cheaper? Because Apple has a completely different business model? Because you can't really play games on the iPhone except for basically minigames? Because the iPhone eats through battery life like there's no tomorrow when playing games? Some games for the iPhone are excellent like Meteor Blitz. Try playing that for about 1 hour and tell me it was a pleasant experience. Your fingers will literally fall off.
- It's only 50$ cheaper than a PS3. You can buy a laptop for 500$ and yet many cellphones out there go for 1000+. It's called portability. The devices are not in the same class.
In case you're worried about Sony screwing everyone I would rest easy. It will get hacked/cracked/modded/etc. You will be able to easily play games on it without buying them...it's only a matter of time.
I for one am very happy with it and it's coming with me on my daily commute instead of collecting dust in a drawer somewhere like my old PSP (because of its size, UMD and so on). Also, the phrase "you have to pay to play" still applies. Get used to paying for your content because that's where the future is headed and rightfully so.
Only fools trade stuff into Gamestop for 5% of what they originally paid. If you take advantage of their trade-in offers and Edge bonus you can do a heck of a lot better. I often make a profit. In fact I mostly make a profit with my trade-ins. It's likely that anyone willing to buy a PSP Go and pay full retail price for downloads probably isn't too savvy when it comes to game shopping/trading. Case in point right here.
I take issue with the "iPhone plays only minigames" lie. It's simply not true. Only someone who hasn't gamed on the iPhone or iPod touch would say it.
The fact is that while there are tons of cheap and/or free minigames, there are quite a few full-featured games that match their mainstream console counterparts. Examples include:
* Gangstar- West Coast Hustle: A complete GTA III clone, with better graphics than the PSP GTA games, and a full soundtrack that also allows your own track to play.
* Madden NFL 10: As full-featured as any other portable version of Madden.
* Let's Golf!: A Hot Shots Golf clone that looks and plays just like the original. Several modes, great courses, and fun gameplay.
* Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition: The entire game, with enhanced graphics and sound, just like you'd find on PSN or XBLA.
* Resident Evil 4: While more like a DS game than a PSP game, it's still very popular and plays just as well as any other portable. It also looks damn good.
* Lumines Touch: Just as good as Lumines for the PSP.
* Blades of Fury: An almost perfect Soul Calibur clone. Full story mode and versus mode.
* iShoot: A perfect rendition of Scorched Earth or Worms. Tons of features.
* Earthworm Jim: Spot-on port of the game. Looks better than the SNES/Genesis version.
* I Love Katamari: Just as good as any other Katamari game. Looks great.
* Rock Band: Not out yet, but previews look amazing. Not dumbed down at all. Has the following track list-
30 Seconds To Mars – "Attack"
AFI – "Girls Not Grey"
All American Rejects – "Move Along"
Beastie Boys – "Sabotage"
Blink-182 – "All The Small Things"
Blondie – "Hanging on the Telephone"
Foo Fighters – "Learn To Fly"
Foo Fighters – "Everlong"
George Thorogood & the Destroyers – "Bad to The Bone"
Jethro Tull – "Hymn 43"
Joan Jett – "Hymn 43"
Lynard Skynyrd – "Simple Man"
Motorhead – "Ace of Spades '08"
Pixies – "Debaser"
Presidents of The United States of America – "Ladybug"
Rise Against – "Give It All"
Silversun Pickups – "Lazy Eye"
Smashing Pumpkins – "Cherub Rock"
Steve Miller Band – "Take The Money and Run"
The Go Go's – "We Got The Beat"
So tell me again that the iPod touch and iPhone only play minigames. Go ahead.
I have bought one and i must say it is really pretty , iam not happy that you cant trade your games . Shame that Sony does not try to come up with a PSP HD . I had an old one sold it , now bought the PSPGO just to have it really nice gadget , bought some game bit pricey compared to Play.com , and i have a credit card 5 really lol. In my opinion to end this Sony as done the PSP GO , but if you dont like then you can buy the PSP 3000 , THINK ABOUT IT IF THE PSPGO HAD THE UMD , NO ONE WOULD BUY THE PSP3000 NOT LONG AGO RELEASED . SO IT MAKE SENSE X SONY NOT FOR US .
What I would like to know... How do you remove almost all the buttons surrounding the screen yet the screen gets smaller?
They reduced the screen size a bit but kept the resolution the same which ups the pixel density making it a better looking display overall.
This is the same thing nokia did with the n900, a slight shrinking of the screen makes it look much better if you maintain the resolution.
It's kinda funny that Nintendo did the opposite with DSi giving people a shittier/larger display a they never get flack for it.
The DSi does have slightly larger pixels, but for the games you get on the DS it looks good. You're not going to see photorealistic images on any DS, but cartoon style graphics look good on it. Given that, the (slightly) larger screen on the DSi, which makes text a little easier to read and touch-screen heavy games a little easier to play, is nice and certainly no reason for flak, and thus why there hasn't been much/any. I wouldn't want Pinball Hall of Fame on the DS/DSi, but New Super Mario Bros for example? It looks great on the DSi.
The WHOLE DEVICE got smaller. That's how the screen got smaller.
And it's a good thing. The PSP 3000 is just a little too big for my pocket. This is the sweet spot of size. The problem is that it has only one stick, and that stick is in the wrong place.
If I were to buy one, I'd get the Go, because the original PSP is just way too big. However, I'm not going to buy one because it's overpriced as are the downloads. Pass.
It'll get cheaper. You're right that $250 is a lot for this kind of thing. Just wait it out.
I do not think the games are too expensive. If you think that, maybe you just aren't the target market. FFVII for ten bucks? Um, that's a steal. Gran Turismo launching at $40? Very reasonable. Sony isn't stupid... they will continue to have bargains for cheap impulse purchases. Games on the PSN go on sale all the time.
I remember the PSP had this same spert give it 2 months we will see
Betamax, Virtual Boy, Sega Master System, Neo Geo, Sega Saturn, HD-DVD, Sega CD, Zune, Nintendo 64...and now you can add the PSP-Go. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that a big company just do not get it right.. There will always be fans that will buy into the "...look i got money and i am one of the first guys to have this piece of..%$^^& "...Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."...Remember that this is the same company who said that the rumble feature was a " last generation feature that the consumer did not want " btw the guy that said that, representing Sony- is no longer at that same position. We have three PSPs in our house and the ability to borrow a game to play it , loan it or try it is critical in this economy-sensitive era. If Sony is saving ALL the costs of having to distribute a Grand Turismo UMD- Shouldn't the cost of downloading a new game of $40 be ....around 10 bucks ?
I traded in a bunch of PS3 games, sold my DSi and its games to buy a PSP Go along with an online copy of Gran Turismo. I have to give Sony props for making an awesome portable. All the buttons are better and while the analog stick takes a little getting used to, it is also improved. The slider is solid and frankly 16GB is plenty to pack on a bunch if photos, a couple dozen albums, download a bunch of demos and of course Gran Turismo. A full web browser is nice but I wish it had YouTube support. Also it plays all the videos I have prepared for my iPhone flawlessly and dare I say it, the screen looks better than my 3GS. I had a PSP-1000 a long time ago, and sold it because the screen drive me NUTS, the trailing was terrible. I also skipped the 2000 and 3000 for similar reasons. I got a DSi because I thought it would be the online store connected portable with all the cool stuff. But I had been very disappointed by the content, also the DSi was just too "kiddy" for me.
My only complaints about the PSP Go are most of the same complaints I had about the original. Mainly the shoulder buttons. You have to be extra careful handling it while listening to music and such as they are super easy to press. Extra annoying if in the middle of a long movie. Also a dozen or so little nice touches added to the Go. Like the game "pause" feature. It does a sort of save state like an emulator does. Bluetooth (A2DP??), and slide the display close to sleep it (option is off by default).
Am really hopeful for the PSP going forward. Hoping to see some more "apps" as well as waaaay more UMD based games coming online.
Anyway just my opinion in the sea of other opinions here on the big E.
"I traded in a bunch of PS3 games, sold my DSi and its games"
You do realize that with the PSP Go! this will no longer be possible? And yet you still support it? You support a console that doesn't allow for trading/selling games, the same console you bought by trading/selling games?
Wait, I get it, sarcasm? Is this some clever trap? I must say you got me!
Saddam Hussein: Hey man, of course I realize I can't trade games. But it is funny I had not actually thought about the irony of trading in a bunch of games to buy something I can't trade games with. I could have gotten a lot more than what Game Stop gave me for all that stuff, but it paid for 90 percent of the PSP Go with none of the hassle of selling the stuff to individuals. Sold the DSi to a friend for cheap, but still more that what Game Stop would have given me for it.
Sadly I think the PSP Go is a sign if the times. In 10 years, maybe even 5 years, I don't think you will be able to buy a new console that uses physical media. But I am fine with this for games. I have been doing it with Steam on my Windows PC for years (also have a mac) and love Steam.
I much prefer physical media when it comes to movies though.
I'd like to know, when you say "original", you mean PSP1000?
And NO, Sony didn't improve the PSP where it needed to. Yes, it's smaller, and that's about it. BT is nice, so is the pause thingy, but seriously...
The screen is smaller, the new layout is anoying to some, and don't let me get started on the whole "only digital" thing.
Here's when you can righteously say Sony has improved the PSP where it needed to:
When they add a 2nd nub
When they implement a touchscreen
When they add phone capabilities
THAT's when you can say it has been improved where it needed to. Me, myself and I, along with a whole lot of other people agree that this new PSP needs to Go! down.
And yes, I can very well sit on my couch and play a downloaded game on a PSP3000, so if you were waiting for the Go! just to do that then you waited for nothing.
I paid for every game I played, so have a whole lot of other people. We have the UMD's here with us, but Sony scews us over and tells us to go buy them AGAIN?
Pay for your games TWICE? Is that where we are headed? I don't think I can "get used to it".
About reselling your games: you buy them at full price, play them and sell them. With that money you go and but more. If you can't sell them, then you'll buy less. You can't lend, give, trade, nothing. Nothing. We have a choice with the 3k. With the Go! you have but one single option. And most people don't like it when others decide what's best for them.
Also, laptops and phones both have that thing... what's it called... "portability", right? And even if you had given a proper example, the Go! costs less to make then a PSP3k, yet it costs way more. And portable or no portable, the PS3 is superior to the PSP in almost everything. A 50$ difference is plain stupid. Only someone already with a PS3 or without a TV should even consider that. The Go!'s price is WRONG. Whether you want to admit it or not is another thing.
@ "Me"
Damn reply system.
When they add a 2nd nub - Not going to happen in that size. You can barely handle 1 analog, imagine 2. Your fingers would hate you.
When they implement a touchscreen - For what? The iphone has a touchscreen and it's useless for gaming. The PSP's browser is garbage so a touchscreen wouldn't help here either. Maybe for text input?
When they add phone capabilities - This is a good one. Why do you need phone capabilities in a PSP? Are you 12 or something? Who in their normal mind would pull out a gameboy phone and start talking on it? Get real. Also, you can kiss battery life good bye with phone capabilities. This one is not happening anytime soon.
What's the big deal with the existing UMD games? You already have an older PSP so use that to play them. Give FOX a call and let them know you want digital copies of all the movies you own on DVD. Let me know what they say. Even better, try playing all your old PS2 games on the PS3. Point is, the Go is a new system and Sony isn't obligated to support anything outdated.
You don't seem to get the point of different device classes. If you haven't noticed, the smaller things get, the more expensive they are. They generally also lose features over "larger" devices. You're comparing apples to oranges. The PSP cannot be compared to the PS3 in terms of anything. You want to compare it to something? Try the gameboy, iphone etc.
Also, nobody is forcing you to go buy a PSP Go so the hostile attitude towards it is ridiculous. You seem to be perfectly happy with your current PSP so I suggest you stick to that. If you want Sony to produce something more to your liking in the future simply vote with your money and stay away from products you don't like. Products are generally based on lots of market research and so on. If a small community of modders or a specific forum online is crying for a touchscreen on a small gaming device, it doesn't mean it's the opinion of the rest of the market.
Small community? You have no idea whatsoever about the number of "12yo kids" who want it to have phone capability and a touchscreen for browsing. If web browsing sucks then why be there at all? Why not remove it? With a touchscreen it'd get better, and that's that. Try to compare a touchscreen phone's browsing with another "touchscreenless" phone. And about the phone part, having a phone and a console when you can have both in 1 and less clutter (iPhone) is better. It would need a better battery, but then again, neither of those is going to happen.
Regarding the 2nd nub, if it's not there, it will be ME (and plenty of other people as well) who will hate (already do) FPS and other "good camera control necessary" games.
Also, smaller and portable as it may get, THE PSP GO IS OVERPRICED.
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
OVERPRICED
It costs less to make than the PSP3000, yet it's 70$ more expensive? With no support for UMDs? Which is the media in which all PSP games are in? Why call it PSP at all? Sony themselves said it, they only made it cost this much because "there is a certain premium with the latest console, and we took that into consideration". Meaning they made it cost more just because.
And me and everyone else with an older model has the right to hate, if it means this is what it's gonna be from now on. You might try and feel "cool" about going against the majority, but that's the thing right there, the majority of PSP users dislikes the Go!. And no silly example/justification of yours is gonna do anything against it.
Maybe when it's cheaper, but still, unless you really really really need the smaller size, the Go! isn't even worth mentioning.
i like to be able to buy used games for less money. if you dont need the game right away and can wait a couple of months you can buy some good games that you otherwise would not have tried. I mean for forty to sixty dollars and you cant return it if it stinks that is good money to throw away if the game stinks. Where if you only pay twenty bucks or so then the game stinks not that big of a loss but if the game is great then the next time they make a sequal I would not hesitate to pay full price for a game that i know will be worth it. At this point of digital downloads you cant even rent it to see if it is good.Most demo's are a joke so you cannot tell if the game is going to be worth it. Physical media is the way to go unless the games are small and don't cost more than like ten bucks. I have no problem paying for xbox live arcade games because they don't cost alot. If they turn out to stink then not a big loss but I see game sales diving without a used game market.
Let's see:
1. NOT allowed to trade your games,
2. NOT allowed to lend your games,
3. NOT allowed to sell your games,
4. NOT even allowed to give your games away for free.
1. Never done this
2. Maybe 4 times my whole life
3. Never done this
4. Never done this.
However, I still don't like the Go because:
- It's expensive
- PSN Store games are sometimes more expensive then their in store UMD counterparts (older games mostly)
- Proprietary power plug
- Smaller screen
- Different memory card format (not that I own any memory stick duo's)
However I did go out and buy one of the rare (or at least it seems to be up here in Canada) silver Ratchet & Clank PSP bundles. Now I have all the same features, a bigger screen, and can use UMD's if I want, for $50 less :)
Sony might make silly decisions a lot of the times, but I still enjoy the titles on the PSP and PS3. Microsoft is the same the way, their decisions just aren't as asinine.
And there's no technical reason why they couldn't setup a trading program inside the PSN, you send it to your friend, they accept and the virtual license gets transferred and the game uninstalled from your system.
- D
Agreed about the "It's boosting sales period" vibe, totally there.
And people seem to shocked about the PSP Go. Let me remind you of a little thing called "Blu-ray" that is now pretty popular. Well three years ago Sony introduced a console with said technology and asked you to bend over a table and give them $600 for it.
Some people did, some waited a few years and bought it cheaper. Now the slim came out at $299 and people are buying them like hot cakes.
The Go is just like the PS3, its testing the waters, a few years from now they'll have improved it, maybe have some trading system inplace so I can digitally give you my game. Or even better let me gift it to you as a christmas gift.
Can you imagine:
December 24th: "Oh Shit, I forgot to get my friends Jim and Steve gifts" *Grabs PSP and signs into PSN* "alright let's see...I'll get Gran Turismo for Jim and Resistance 2 for Steve...and done!"
December 26th: *ring ring* "Hello?". "Hey man, thanks for the game!"
Shopping done and you didn't have to get off your butt :)