UMD
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Pondering UMD's value on sale
Legitimate sister site, PSP Fanboy, ponders the whimper-like end status of the UMD format. After finding Stomp the Yard as the last UMD available for pre-order through Sony Style, and Amazon listing a few others with a release date of 2025 (read: they may be canceled), PSP Fanboy takes a moment to mourn these movie discs.But we wonder, having bought a fire-sale Virtual Boy after it was discontinued, is now the time to scoop up UMDs on the cheap? Or should we put our money into Memory Stick and copy our own movies over, DMCA be damned?Update: Dave Karraker of Sony wrote to remind us, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that we are discontinuing the UMD format for PSP." Fair enough. MiniDisc is still around, too.
Last gasps of a dying format [Update 1]
Sony handled movie UMDs terribly, so it comes as no surprise that movie studios and retail stores are becoming reluctant in supporting the format. Recent exceptions, like Borat or Casino Royale, got me thinking: When will the last UMD movie be released? A trip to Sony Style lists "Stomp the Yard" as the last UMD available for pre-order, with a release date of May 15th. Amazon has a few other UMDs listed, but with release dates set in the year 2025, it's very likely that these UMDs have been canceled. In any case, it's painfully obvious this is the last year we'll see new UMD releases. Does anyone still buy new UMD movies, or do you simply buy them when they're on clearance? [Update 1: The ever-lovable Dave Karraker has sent us an e-mail, stating "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that we are discontinuing the UMD format for PSP."]
Koller says UMDs "always been a steady growth"
Senior Marketing Manager John Koller has had a lot to say about PSP in the past few days. The system, which is now two years old, has seen its share of successes and problems. One undeniable truth has been the lackluster sales of Sony's proprietary movie format, the UMD. Although the format is considered dead by most, Koller claims that the format has "always been a steady growth."The problem with UMDs, he notes, is the inappropriate selection of movies in its catalog: "There hasn't been the drop off that's been reported. The movies that have had some selling problems, quite honestly would in any environment, are the ones that weren't targeted against that 16-24 year old demo, or even now as we get a little bit younger the 13-24 year old demo. They're not looking for the older catalog late 70s early 80s kind of movies. A lot of them weren't alive then."Looking at the top UMD movies (pictured, above), it's clear that successful UMD movies target a very specific demographic. However, considering the scarcity of movies in our weekly PSP releases, it's clear that the format is not experiencing the "growth" that Koller is hinting at. There's more to read at Game Informer, but note that the interview reiterates many points that we covered at GDC.
Deal of the Day: Anime UMDs for $5 each at Gamestop
Your UMD collection can grow like a cancerous universe-creating monster at the prices that Gamestop is selling them at. Akira, Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell, and Ninja Scroll UMDs are all available at the low price of $5. (For the non-anime fans out there, Dawn of the Dead should fit the bill quite nicely.) Don't forget to use coupon code SAVER for free shipping.[Via CAG][Update 1: All products are sold out! You see what happens when you price UMDs the right way?]
Deal of the Day: Circuit City's UMD blowout
Circuit City is finally getting rid of those dusty UMDs sitting on its shelves: this week, you can buy 2 selected UMD titles for only $10. The partial list includes titles such as: Bad Boys Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Once Upon a Time in Mexico Black Hawk Down Jerry Meguire Men in Black There are 16 titles to choose from. At this price, the UMD format almost seems quite viable.[Via IGN]
Rush and get a free Ratchet & Clank demo
It's not downloadable, but it's still free. Be one of the first 3,500 people to visit the game's official website, and you'll be able to get a free UMD demo mailed to your home. As you may know, we really love the game here at the Fanboy: once you try it, you might too.
Ask PSP Fanboy: Volume 8
Note: This edition was delayed due to New York Comic Con.Every Saturday, PSP Fanboy will answer your burning questions. If you have a question for the team, send an e-mail to andrew @ pspfanboy.com with the subject "Ask PSP Fanboy."Q: The Mega Drive was 16-bit, the PS1 was 32-bit, the N64 as 64-bit, and the PS2 was 128-bit. We don't use the word "bit" with the new genrations of consoles. Why is that? A: Bits simply don't matter anymore. Why? Because most information you'll need will fit into 32 bit packets. Also, what are we measuring bits from? We have multiple CPUs, GPUs (and even PPUs) in modern gaming equipment, all of varying bit qualities. The PSP has a 32-bit CPU with a 128-bit bus and a GPU with a 256-bit bus. However you want to spin that, that either means the PSP is a 32-bit or a 256-bit system. Hopefully, this proves how useless these "bit" numbers are in determining performance.
Bring your PSP to NY Comic Con, get free stuff
Are you going to New York Comic Con? It's happening today, tomorrow and Sunday at the Jacob Javitz Center. While it's unlikely you'll be able to get in without tickets already, those of you lucky to be available for the convention should remember to bring your PSPs. The first 50 consumers to bring their PSP system by the PlayStation booth #411 each day will receive a UMD carrying case (pictured). Not only that, you may see me roaming the show floor, wearing the iconic orange Joystiq shirt. If you can find me and show me your PSP, you may win something from my patented Bag of Swag???.Hope to see you there!
Four magnetic arms in MadCatz's cool UMD case
MadCatz's 4x UMD Magazine is certainly one of the sexier UMD cases I've seen so far. It has a brilliant, compact shape that features four magnetic arms: these arms allow you to easily store your discs, and they're strong enough to resist shaking. PSP GadgetZ went hands-on with the device, and even recorded a very telling YouTube video of the device in action. It's a unique design that can must be seen to understand completely.
PSP2 "Cobalt" to feature dual analog, UMD, 8GB of flash? Don't count on it.
We're pretty sure PSP2 rumors won't die out until the last PSP fanboy utters his final gasp, "UMD rulez!" on his death bead, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun poking fun at them in the in-between time. From the outset, we're kind of liking the look here, and there seems to be plenty of room for that dual analog setup everyone's been clamoring for. Plus the metal and ruggedized rubber build seems likable enough. Unfortunately, the inclusion of UMD, Memory Stick and 8GB of flash seems pretty far fetched -- either Sony loses the UMD and goes for all-downloadable games, or it sticks with its tried and true method of milking consumers on Memory Stick purchases, it's hard to imagine an all-in approach. Other dubious specs include a "200% Brighter Screen," and the more likely a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and visual battery display. We're not banking on this one, and Sony's been pretty down on the topic in general, but hopefully these guys do actually pull something out before too terribly long.[Thanks, Dondy]
Relive Crazy Taxi with PSP rehash
Forget PSone, Sony should have worked out a deal with Sega to emulate Dreamcast on PSP. Instead, we're starting to see some attempts by publishers to revisit some of their Dreamcast titles using the UMD format. First, Capcom did Power Stone Collection, and now, Sega has announced Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, built from Crazy Taxi 1 & 2.While Fare Wares offers a new *Ad Hoc* multiplayer mode, we'd gladly trade the additional content for straight-up ports; if it meant we'd be downloading the games and playing them via emulation. Is this just wishful thinking?[Via press release]
What if the next PSP doesn't support UMD?
Lately there have been rumblings that Sony will release another version of the PSP. Some say it may include a hard drive, an i-Tunes like downloadable games solution or even two analog sticks. These all sound like great additions to Sony's console if they're included, but if they do go all download with their next gen PSP what happens to UMD? I would personally prefer a downloadable solution as opposed to UMD (assuming the PSP gets a hard drive). Being able to download new PSP games from a PS3, computer or in store kiosk would not just add convenience, but would also reduce load times on the system. This would be important since one of the main gripes about the PSP is in fact the load times. Also, a gamer wouldn't have to swap a physical disc should they choose during their train ride to play a different game. The only issue with no UMD on the next PSP would only occur if there wasn't any kind of UMD slot on the system. For even if the PSP2 didn't manufacture new games on a UMD, Sony has a heritage in gaming when it comes to backwards compatibility. This would be even worse if Nintendo's next system played both DS and Gameboy games. It would have the potential to alienate the millions of current PSP owners and that's something Sony can not afford to have happen. Of course what should occur and what will occur can be very different things. Do you want the PSP2 to just use UMD again or would you like it to try either a cartridge or downloadable solution? Would you buy the next PSP if it didn't have a UMD slot at all?
"How do you play a UMD disc?"
I laughed out loud when I first saw this. And I'm in the library! Whoops. While security escorts me out, enjoy this message board post. You'll feel a lot smarter afterwards.[Via PlayStation]
Two UMD cases, one winner
A reader at the PlayStation forums took the time and money to buy two different UMD cases, one from Sony and another from a third party called Score. The Sony one retails for $12, while the third party alternative saves you $3. Both cases hold 8 UMDs. After some thorough use, it appears that the Sony case is the winner. "The Sony case is worth the extra $3 by its design and is much more durable then the Score."You can read the surprisingly thorough review at the PlayStation forums.
The fanciest way to store your UMDs
This is one of the more interesting peripherals I've seen for the PSP. It's a UMD tower that stores 15 of your PSP's discs. Sure, that might sound a little uninteresting, but I didn't mention its one key feature: it lights up, illuminating your discs. It reminds me of that nice blue glow that the Nintendo Wii has when you insert a disc into it. While I'll just keep my games in their cases, this might be nice for someone that wants to have a really fancy way of showing off their PSP pride. This unit retails for only $10.[Via PSP World]
Peter Dille calls DS for kids in Engadget interview
Dave Karraker isn't the only Sony executive to face the mic in the past day. Our sister site, Engadget, went face to face against Peter Dille, about PLAYSTATION 3 and PSP. Just like Karraker, Dille says that the PSP does not compete directly with the DS:We're not focused on competing with the DS head to head against the consumer they're going after. If we were, you'd see a very different top-down strategy. You'd see a very different technology that would deliver to games geared towards kids. Which is for the most part what they're doing. And so when people talk about how we're doing vis-a-vis the Nintendo DS, again, it's not the whole story. We're selling a device to guys our age, who are using it to play games, to play movies, to access video on the net, music, etc. And it's a very different product than Nintendo DS... You can look at the software that they sell. All their licensed kid stuff. So, what we're doing with the PlayStation Portable is really establishing a new marketplace, and establishing, frankly, a new beachhead. And that takes time. Having said that, it's the fastest selling platform we've launched to date. We're up to 20 million units worldwide, and that's off to a great start. So, we just need to sort of set people's expectations based on what we're trying to do, not compete against a kid machine.Ouch. Calling the Nintendo DS exclusively a kid's machine sounds like something a fanboy would do. Didn't Mr. Dille get the memo? The DS is for old people too! Regardless, he makes a very good point about how the DS and PSP are targetting different consumers: they are different devices, and there's no need to directly compare the two. It's similar to how Nintendo keeps saying the Wii doesn't compete with PLAYSTATION 3: they focus on different markets, and do very different things.Other highlights of the interview include Dille apologizing about how they didn't focus the UMD's library correctly (but they still plan on trying to expand the UMD market. Uh...). Check out the rest of the interview at Engadget to see Dille avoid some crucial PS3 info, and fail to apologize for Kutargai's insanity.
Sony's Marketing SVP Peter Dille gets grille-d
Engadget has posted an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment's SVP of Marketing, Peter Dille. He's only been back with Sony for the past six months, coming aboard right at the start of E3, the equivalent of being dropped behind enemy lines without a map.They don't pull any punches with the questions, asking him about the declining PS3 launch numbers (Dille fails to nail down a figure), the UMD format, and the never-ending saga of "true HD." While a lot of his answers are standard PR responses (hey, he's a PR guy -- he probably talks like that at home), he's also honest about the things he knows about, and what he's unsure of. Of particular note is that the PS3 will upscale DVDs to 1080p, something that Microsoft had announced the HD-DVD player would do for non-native HD DVDs. He also addresses the lack of rumble in the SIXAXIS controller, saying "I was talking to Phil Harrison about recently is the weight of the controller is now so much lighter that you almost forget that you have it. And again, it's bringing you one step closer to the game." What, by making you forget you're holding a controller? While the PS3 controller is definitely light, it's not like a feather resting in your hands.On the issue of not including an HD cable with the PS3, he claims that's to give "flexibility and choice, based on how they want to use the system in their home." Not to make us have to buy one more thing from Sony? Color us suspect. As much as they push 1080p, Blu-Ray, and "true HD," you think they'd be handing the cables out like candy. We want to be able to go HD right out of the box. As far as having a VGA cable with the PS3? "I have to get back with you on that one. Not sure."We applaud his honest answers (although we would have liked more info about the Lik-Sang litigation) and feel for the guy. They're trying to get this lumbering beast off the ground and not get stuck with a Spruce Goose.
Pink leads trio of new PSP colors in Japan
Sony's pulling a Nintendo. Hoping to boost holiday sales, the company will parade around three new PSP colors in Japan.On November 22, Sony will release a pink PSP, along with matching PlayStation 2 -- also released in Europe. Pink will be followed by silver on December 14, and then by metallic blue a week later. All three colors will retail for ¥20,790 ($178) and come packaged with an AC adaptor and battery pack (no extras included).The pink PSP will be accompanied by a series of accessories designed by popular Japanese fashion brand Samantha Thavasa, including a leather handbag with UMD and memory stick pockets (¥15,750; $135), rabbit fur strap (¥8,925;$76), heart charm strap (¥8,925; $76) and tote bag with detachable pouch (¥26,250; $224). $224?! Well fellas, we just pray that your lady isn't a fashion-forward gamer...
UMDs have a future, says Sony rep in denial
Have you bought a UMD recently? Most likely not. The format has been declared dead by many, but it appears that Sony UK ND Ray Maguire still believes there's a future for the failing movie format. "We're pretty pleased with UMD," he told MCV. "UMD is not the problem – it's getting the right content that's the challenge. When we put shorts on UMD they sell really well, and that's related to PSP usage. It's about getting the offer right, and we will do that." Should Sony bother with resurrecting the format? I don't think so--it'll most likely prove to be a waste of time. Even with lower prices and better content, it may simply be too late. If Sony ever opens a digital movie download service, that's when we will see the option for commerical movies on the PSP as a viable one. [Thanks, steve!]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XV - Europeans "don't mind" waiting for Sony products
Alright Sony, this is just getting ridiculous. It's not like you guys haven't been a featured guest in this series before, but we had no idea it was such an honor. The third "CE-Oh no" moment for Sony this week came out of the mouth of SCE World Europe VP, Jamie MacDonald, who was asked: "What would you say to consumers who like Sony and want to buy your products, but perhaps feel that because they're in Europe they're always last in line?" Apparently Jamie feels little love for his whiny constituency, since his clueless response was thus: "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind that, because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan. In Europe, it doesn't seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan - in the long run - affects how consumers feel." We're not even sure how to respond to that, so we'll continue with more "CE-Oh no" sound bite gold from our pal Jamie. In response to a query about Sony's UMD failure, he stated: "I think you'll find in general the market for movies on discs of any type is not particularly great at the moment." Again, we really have nothing to add, so we'll just hit up one more sound bite for good time's sake. When asked about the Wii60 concept, where prospective next-gen buyers compare the price of purchasing an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii to the cost of the PS3 alone, Jamie further demonstrated his ignorance: "To be honest, I haven't heard that." Not a banner day for Sony PR by a long shot, but at least they're not trying to hide their seeming disdain for consumers and plain logic.[Thanks, Xavier G.]
