PlayStation Go digital, but not all to follow
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 07:09 PM
Sony's latest addition to the PlayStation Portable (PSP) family requires users to download their games via the Internet, which the company says meets growing demand for digital content. However, this does not signal a move toward a pure digital platform for games distribution.
Based on Sony's consumer research the company believes there is strong demand among PSP owners for downloading digital content, said James Hong, deputy general manager for Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong. The company's new PSP Go does not include a universal media disc (UMD) drive so users need to download their games online.
However, Sony will not shift its business exclusively to digital downloads, said Hong in an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia. "We will continue to sell software titles in UMD and with the support from third-party developers and publishers, Sony will make effort to bring downloadable version of the UMD software titles to PlayStation Store, to be sold along with the UMD version," he noted.
Sony's move toward digital downloads is seen as a move to combat piracy, where the company's director of hardware marketing John Koller, said in a previous report that the PSP Go "is going to make things tougher on the pirates". Users of previous PSP models can run "ripped" or hacked versions of UMD games on their consoles.
Microsoft also offers an online service with its game console, according to a spokesperson from Xbox Singapore. But while Xbox Live is able to lock out users of illegitimate software, the key focus of the online service is to build a strong Web community and robust marketplace for entertainment content, he told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail.
"Consumers who decide to use pirated software will not be able to access the premium online services that we provide on Xbox Live, and their products will not be covered by warranty," he added.
He noted that the games industry is moving toward digital distribution, but "not at the expense of traditional retail".
"Digital distribution offers convenience for the consumer, but retail offers a personalized face-to-face experience and both complement each other very well," said the Microsoft spokesperson. "As broadband speeds and penetration improve worldwide, you can expect to see digital distribution of content increase across the entertainment industry and traditional retail will evolve as well."
Mark Lim, director and head of intellectual property, media and entertainment at Singapore law firm Tan Peng Chin, said intellectual property content creators have been "struggling" with to combat piracy over the Internet for several years.
"There is no clear-cut solution to the problem as there's a paradigm shift to how business is conducted [with the Internet]," said Lim. "Businesses are exploring new business models and it is difficult to predict which models will eventually prevail. It is a good idea to try out different possible solutions. However, companies should also be mindful of whether the public relations implication is positive or negative."
According to a recent Gamespot article, users who own UMD games that run on previous PSPs will not be able to convert their games into digital downloads for the PSP Go, due to "legal and technical reasons".
When PSP Go went on sale in Japan on Nov. 1, sales figure were lower compared to Nintendo's DSi opening sales last year. According to Japanese video game site AndriaSang, PSP Go's first-day sale figure clocked 28,275 units, while 170,770 DSi units were sold in its first two days around the same period last year in the country.
The PSP Go launched in North America, European territories and some Asia markets including Singapore, in October. The price tag for PSP Go is US$250, compared to the PSP-3000's price tag of US$179.
PlayStation Go digital, but not all to follow
I for one am not at all excited about the shift of entertainment tech towards digital...call me old school...but I LIKE OWNING something..that is mine to have and care for...I do not at all enjoy the "DOWNLOAD" experience that I pay to sit there at my computer and wait for and then when it's over..sure I get a game or flick or what have you..but it sure does not smell as good as opening up a new package and knowing that I HAVE THIS..IT IS MINE FOREVER!! Digital media is short selling the customer in my opinoun...it does not cost the company selling the "item" anything once the initial set up and R and D issues are handled!! Overall...I am looking into getting a new PSP...not the GO version...however I am sceptical of SONY and other media outlets...although the PSP is not $169 for the base unit...that is still alot to ask if the UMD version games and films and so forth are going to the grave or become even more "limited" edition and more expensive!! I don't care how freaking DIGITIZED the world becomes...I want the satisfaction of going to a store and holding the item in my hands..seeing the reflection of the light off the neatly packaged game or movie or unit I am BUYING to take home and relish for years to come!! It would be like downloading a collectible or something...so you can view it on your PC or GO gaget any time you like on the GO.....screw that...I want to touch it and polish it and light it just the way I like in my own house!!!
Posted by MATT MINDASYLUM on Wednesday, November 04 2009 12:43 AM