PSP Go
I've heard that the next generation of PSP will be doing away with the UMDs (little disks that fit somewhere between 1 and 2 GB of data which seem unique to the PSP... Well, I haven't seen them anywhere else). Instead they'll have a 16Gb disk capacity and games can can be downloaded through WiFi, through the PS3 (if you have one) or transferred via disk. (Feel free to correct me on any of that).
Now, I wouldn't go as far as to suggest that a PSP would be as good a format for the genre as either the Wii or NDS but I can't help but think it would be more accessible to developers (if not consumers) than any previous console.
As we all know; TTG (along with an increasingly large number of competing adventure game devs) uses online distribution as it's primary method of delivery, hard copies being a secondary priority.
I have in the past said that I'd like to see some TellTale games ported to the DS but I'm considering getting a PSP Go (I had a standard one, but I don't know what became of it) and I wouldn't mind seeing them on either device (though I might possible prefer PSP for sound quality; it's nice to hear what characters are saying rather depend on subtitles constantly).
Thoughts?
Now, I wouldn't go as far as to suggest that a PSP would be as good a format for the genre as either the Wii or NDS but I can't help but think it would be more accessible to developers (if not consumers) than any previous console.
As we all know; TTG (along with an increasingly large number of competing adventure game devs) uses online distribution as it's primary method of delivery, hard copies being a secondary priority.
I have in the past said that I'd like to see some TellTale games ported to the DS but I'm considering getting a PSP Go (I had a standard one, but I don't know what became of it) and I wouldn't mind seeing them on either device (though I might possible prefer PSP for sound quality; it's nice to hear what characters are saying rather depend on subtitles constantly).
Thoughts?
Sign in to comment in this discussion.
Comments
Granted, digital distribution if done correctly will save cost for production team, but that really depend on publisher on how big a share of the pie they are willing to give. Having moved from UMD to digital will not likely reduce the licensing cost of the PSP platform.
If anything, TTG should look at iPhone platform. It's cheap as free!
PSP would certainly be a decent format for Telltale because it has better specs than the DS, but I think the latter is more suited to the genre and the games would sell better on that console. If Nintendo start dealing with downloads for the DS I think it could be a viable option for TT.
Plainly, the PSP Go is a scam.
It is not a scam. It's a business decision to change direction from optical drive to digital distribution; and an economic decision to gamble to make Sony the behemoth in the gaming world again. It cost more due to the projected demand (which will probably be low) and the initial research and production cost for the unit. It may cost less to make in future (on the subsequent production), but the initial ones would probably be pretty high.
Is it a rip-off? I don't know. I always thought that Nintendo have been ripping off people all the while, earning good profit from Wii and DS (Phat, Lite, i), but millions have been proving me wrong.
I find this deal is going to be hard to swallow for everyone not already attached to Sony's hip. I don't see how this *more* expensive device will not expand their audience.
Or it's Sony overcharging for their hardware again because they're Sony and the Playstation brand is so great. We all will get second jobs to buy the Sony Playstation brand, Riiiiidge Racer!
Resarch: "Hey,. can we cut this piece out and stop the sales of used games? Let's do that!" I know it's more complex than that, sure, but seriously. This thing is a PSP with a slide-out control panel and no UMD drive. The whole thing actually does cost less to produce because of this, it's all flash memory, but they're so certain that people are stupid enough to buy something if they charge too much for it and say it's the newest, coolest thing. It's the snake oil school of marketing, and it sucks.
Note that I don't "hate Sony", any more than I do any company of that size. I'm not some partisan clinging to the ideology of Nintendo or Microsoft. I have no home platform. I was interested in picking up this "Go" depending on what ended up on the digital download service, but at its current price the thing is an insult and a scam. I *want* the Go, I think it's a fairly good idea, but it's a good idea that SHOULD come with an accessible price point.
Isn't that what Sony is already doing with their PSP? They charge the amount they wanted for their UMD and they charge their digitally distributed software off Playstation Network on their own price-point (some of which are reasonable though).
Go or not, it is the same strategy. You can choose whether or not to be willingly scammed for their softwares, at their mercy. Or you could use it as *yet another* multimedia portable device, and use your own software on it. No one is stopping you from the latter.
That I am not sure. If Monster Hunter can push the sales of PSP in Japan, I bet a good title exclusive to the Go can also push the product sales. It's the game that make or break a console, not technological advancements. Aesthetics help only for the non-gamer looking for christmas/ birthday/ anniversary gifts.
Imagine how much you will cherish every moment playing games on a Playstation brand, after toiling through the second job. Not even Telltale games can replicate that kind of gaming experience!
I think you are underestimating the cost of research. Sony is known for pricier stuff not because of the parts, but because of their ingenuity to minitiaturise components, setting standards for the industry. Vaio for instance is still one of the pricier and attractive laptop everywhere.
Parts savings make sense only with mass-production. And just imagining the projected demand of the Go, I really doubt that the flash drive is any cheaper (in relation to replicating whatever production they have in place for the UMD drive) in the initial stages. It's more a "you know in future, this will give us big savings" reason in their planning, but it definitely does not add up to a big reason at this point.
The main reason, as far as I could see, is a move to try and get people hook up on digital distribution. And in markets where PC isn't that big, people have an additional reason to get a PS3.
Telltale and Steam will love your money.
Not the biggest mistake Sony have made in recent years, mind. I'm beginning to feel sorry for them
I do agree that this may turn out to be the biggest mistake PSP made since Betamax. DD is great, but the mere size of some of the games downloadable off PSN is downright turn-off. Not everyone in the world have access to internet, let alone high speed download. So, the lack of options other than digital distro is a downright gamble, and may be premature to this age.
Still, since all the big game makers are prolly only concerned with Japan market, I think Sony hope to pull this off to give the PSP the uniqueness to take on the other handheld mammoth - Nintendo DS.
For me, I'm just happy to be rid of UMD. They are a sore in the backside to store in my collection of games. Whatever happened to standardised package size?
The differences are:
- with UMD you can buy a used copy of the same game instead of a new one.
- with UMD you can sell your used game if you want to
- with UMD there is competition between retailers who try to beat the prices of the competition, meaning the actual sales price will be cheaper than the ones Sony (or the other publishers) suggest. On PSN, Sony is the sole retailer, so no competition
- with UMD retailers will sell off surplus stock of older games at cheap prices to make room for new games. On PSN, there is no limit to the number of titles they can offer/display. No need for huge reductions there...
Fact is, with a physical product you have more choices on where and how you want to buy the product and what you can do with it. While the download product may be a bit cheaper initially, in the long run it will always be more expensive than a physical product.
This was true back when the PSP was first released, but more lately it's been getting a lot of original titles.. There's definitely enough to interest me now. And I do like the idea of the PSP Go, going completely digital is definitely the way forward, and I see the next Xbox and Playstation going the same way.
My only problem with the thing is the price.. £230 is almost double what the current one costs.. It's more expensive than both the Wii and the Xbox 360, and it's £30 than what I paid for my PS3! (even if that was a sale)
It's a totally unreasonable price point, especially as it was confirmed the Go doesn't cost as much for Sony to manufacture, and the fact the digital games are more expensive than what most stores sell them for.
If it had a longer battery life due to the lack of a UMD drive then I would understand ist, but that isn't the case...
I have a Nokia N97, with 32GB internal storage, and support for up to 16GB by SD card. I have a good 2000 mp3 tracks on there, and all the James Bond movies. If the PSP shipped with something to convert DVDs to a smaller mp4 file or something, officially, it would have been a huge hit.
The way I see it is as follows:
1970s - Sony invent the Betamax, and support it 100%. When VHS ends up being the market's preference, Sony goes from 100% market share to approximately 25%.
Early 1990s - Minidisk, invented by Sony, meant to be a digital upgrade to the classic cassette. Flopped.
Late 90s - Memory Stick, not to be confused with SD cards or USB flash drives. Lost out to the said above although they're still used in PSPs.
Sony did a very smart move in releasing the original Playstation. Hundreds of exclusives, and they snuck into the market filling the rapidly growing holes left by Nintendo and Sega.
When Sony released the PS2 they banked on their customers from the Playstation moving over following the trend, and others wanting to get it as a cheap DVD player (sony tech) - or both! Some people got a PS2 and moved onto DVDs as a result.. Result for Sony!
The PSP and the UMD... UMDs are okay as a gaming platform! Large capacity compared to the GBASP or the NDS, decent screen, etc.. but the price was very offputting, not just for the console itself. I don't know about USA or anywhere else, but in the UK a new DVD would come out, 5.1 surround sound, special features, widescreen, etc, for roughly £10. And the UMD would come out at the same time, but instead of being able to use it in a computer, laptop, portable DVD player, DVD player, Xbox, PS2, etc.. it was just for the PSP. And there were no special features, and generally they were about £16-£20.
All the big retailers have pulled UMD films from their shelves, I don't know if they still make them.
Now Sony have sussed out UMDs aren't exactly great. So they're going for DLC over PSN, fair enough.
But crucially they are only appealing to the PS3 gamers. No other gamer is going to want one of these. And most PS3 owners I reckon already have a PSP Slim.
It's a pity. Sony make really decent stuff, I've got a 12 year old vaio that runs as well as it ever did, and it's been dropped twice now! And their TVs are generally regarded as the dog's bollocks! With their media unfortunately it's hit or miss, and more often than not, it's a miss. But when it's a hit, it really is a hit!
I just can't see the PSP Go being a hit. I can't really see iteven breaking into the market in the UK. I think we're going to have a new Virtual Boy
And compared to using 3.5" floppy disk on a digital cam, MS was a much better alternative.
Minidisk may have been a flop in most places in the world. But it was quite big in Japan for a while. And frankly, recording made on a minidisk player have never been sweeter.
A reduction in weight and size is always good for portable gaming, especially for PSP games, which would require you to hold onto it for hours.
Support of PS3 controller is a huge plus for console gaming as well, especially when you are playing it at home.
But then again, unless I am rolling in money, I will definitely not be purchasing this. My Sony PSP have served me well, and I just splurged quite recently on some japanese UMD games.
as in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_card... a flop, really.
as in http://www.smart-card.com/category/smart-card-memory/ actually.
To be fair I think Memory Sticks are only ever used in Sony products, much the same with UMDs
Once a medium crosses over onto other companys' products that's when it's doing well.
Don't get me wrong, Sony have come up with all sorts of great storage platforms! 3.5" Floppy Disks, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray.. all huge successes!
However, for each of these Sony has a Umatic, Betamax, Betacam, Video8, DAT, Hi8, Minidisc, Digital Betacam, miniDV, Digital8, HDV... You get my point. Either major losses, or instantly forgotten
Sony need to stick to what they come up with! DVDs are now well established and are a nice little earner for Sony.. but they go and have a format war don't they! I remember when they were shaking because they thought they weren't going to win
They won. But blu-ray still doesn't matter for at least another three years. Who know who will engage another format war during that period.
I thought they already did? online streaming of "HD"* movies over their somewhat well known console where HD DVD failed.
Damn you-know-who and their inability to bow to another company's technology!!
*I say HD loosely I'm fairly certain they're not 1080p but I've never done it so I don't know