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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]
PSP Go lacks mini USB, compatibility with existing accessories, common sense
Confession time: we weren't exactly charmed by Sony's PSP Go when Sony made the thing official. It's not that we're particularly fond of UMD (quite the contrary as a matter of fact), rather we found it a little hard to stomach a slimmer device that offers nearly the same hardware as its predecessor, swapping an optical drive for more storage, yet will cost nearly twice as much. Factor in the cost of all new accessories and things get even less appealing, with confirmation that the Go lacks a standard mini USB port on top, meaning things like PSP keyboards and Sony's GPS accessory are on a fast-track to obsolescence. Even current A/V cables and chargers won't work thanks to a new multifunction port on the base -- but Sony will be quite happy to sell you new ones. Is this the price of progress, or an attempt to boost profit margins? It's not good news for gamers, regardless.
Video: White PSPgo hands-on
Sure, speaking with Sony's John Koller was great and all, but one of the real treats with the interview was some quiet hands-on time with a white PSP Go, unfortunately not turned on but with the same build quality and weight as its functional black model (also found tagging along to the Q&A). Our impression of the device is largely unchanged from the initial experience -- a sturdy build that's surprisingly light, although with this go around we didn't find the shoulder buttons to be more comfortable this time. Still, our interest wanes pretty dramatically when we're reminded of its $249 price tag, but enough with our chatter, hit up the break for an up-close video of all its nooks and crannies, and while you're there, stick around for more tidbits from our interview.
Sony working on "good will" program to give digital copies of your UMD collection
We just sat down for an interview with Sony's John Koller, who among many other interesting tidbits and factoids (more on those later) assuaged fears that our giant UMD library would be entirely forsaken. While light on details -- they're still figuring it out, he said -- there will be a "good will" program by which owners of current disc-based titles will be able to obtain digital copies for use on the PSP Go -- "a set number of titles for a set period of time," to be exact. He couldn't confirm all games, or at least all your personal collection, would be transferrable -- that might have to do with the number of digitized games they'll have at launch, which will be at least 300 but not the whole back catalog -- but despite calling it a short-term program he did say, should you receive a new UMD game later down the line, you should still be able to make the digital transfer. As for price, we're still looking to confirm something there, but they wouldn't be putting so much effort into the program if it wasn't at least for a discount, if not free. If you happen to like your discs, Koller said UMDs aren't going by the wayside so long as the PSP is still around, but he expects digital to start taking an increasing share. Looking to the future, he confirmed all first-party titles and most third-party titles (by the developers' own volition, not a mandate) will be available as digital downloads day and date with the UMD hard copies, and yeah, despite the reduced shipping and manufacturing costs, it'll be for the same price, too.
PSP Go first hands-on! (updated)
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/PSP_Go_first_hands_on'; Well we battled the mob to get our first hands on with Sony's latest PSP -- the Go! It was actually fairly light in hand, but not un-solid feeling. We thought there could be a little more depth between your thumbs and palm of your hand, and it felt a bit hard to locate the shoulder buttons, but that may be because we're used to the older model. Look -- we know what you really want, so hit the gallery below!Update 3: New galleries are in -- more pics, and some detail shots. Enjoy!
