14
Jul
2009
Upset about PSP: Go Pricing? Don’t Blame Sony!
Disclaimer: This is an editorial based on opinions that may or may not be rooted in fact.
The announcement of the PSP: Go (worst kept secret of E3) was met with mixed reception by consumers. The main deterring factor was that despite the exclusion of a UMD drive, this new PSP model is set to retail for $80 more than the core PSP-3000 SKU is selling for currently. Granted, this new system is lighter, slimmer, and altogether sexier, but when the only added feature is Bluetooth connectivity, how can that pricetag be justified. The answer is simple: Sony’s not making the money on it. Because there isn’t a major difference in the actual innards of the system from its predecessor, the manufacturing cost cannot be that much higher.
With a console that is strictly dependant on digital distribution, retailers would be reluctant to stock such an item unless they were actually making a good deal of profit on it. Remember the articles about European retailers refusing to carry the PSP: Go? Well, despite Sony refusing to admit that there was ground to theses claims, it leads me to think that retailers are getting compensated with their cut from the console sales since these purchases won’t lead to further game sales from their retail location. Essentially, gamers and their wallets are being punished because Sony is trying to make portable gaming more accessible to everyone, since they are trying to bypass the middleman in the process.
So, keep this in mind on October 1st when you’re staring at a $249 price tag on a PSP: Go! Your hard earned money isn’t going to end up in the hands of Sony, but the retailers that are getting a bigger cut of the profits just so that won’t be tempted to refuse to carry the stock.
Please leave your comments and thoughts below!
18
May
2009
Will Guest Stars in another Podcast
Your TPR Admin, Will teams up with the guys over at The Gamer Access again to bring you what’s going on in video games right now. Here are the main topics of this show (be warned, it’s about 3 hours long):
- April 2009 NPD Numbers
- Uncharted 2 Gameplay Impressions
- PS3 Firmware (v2.76) Update
- inFAMOUS Only Possible on the PS3 According To Sucker Punch Employee
- 1 vs. 100 Beta Impressions
- More GTA IV DLC Rumored To Be Announced At E3
- MGS4 Coming To 360?
- What Is More Important? Graphics, Gameplay, or Online
- Which Will Sell Better: Fight Night Round 4 or UFC?
- E3 Predictions
- Community Questions
- Uncharted 2 Beta Contest
- MUCH MUCH More
Click Here to Listen: Accelerated Gaming Ep. 14
***NOTE*** For instant hilarity, go to the 1h 05min mark of the podcast.
Once again, they refer to me as Cyrus in the podcast. And that’s based off all of my handles:
PSN – UNCyrus
Twitter – http://twitter.com/uncyrus
Skype – UNCyrus
Please leave your feedback and tell me what you think!
28
Apr
2009
State of the PSP: April 2009
Now in the fifth year of the portable console’s lifecycle, the PSP has made huge strides over the years. From humble beginnings, Sony has become the first console to successfully survive against the reigning portable industry juggernaut, Nintendo. With each iteration of the PSP, Sony has improved its functionality: internet interface, VOIP calling, PSP Plus (Resistance Retribution) just to name a few. But just as people are starting to doubt whether this console really has the legs to make it, Sony has turned their lineup into high gear.
Let’s just review quickly. These are the games that have been announced to come out for the PSP in the near future:
o Final Fantasy Dissidia
o LittleBigPlanet Portable
o Gran Turismo Portable
o Assassin’s Creed Portable
o Dante’s Inferno
o MotorStorm: Arctic Edge
o FFXIII : Agito
o Square Enix titles: Parasite Eve, Kingdom Hearts
o Rockband Unplugged
There have already been a couple of blockbusters released this year: Patapon 2 (which just got a 9.5 from IGN) and Resistance Retribution. Despite the console’s age, these are still two of the most important titles that have been released for it, and here’s why.
Resistance Retribution is an incredibly demanding singleplayer and multiplayer experience on a portable console. Sony Bend managed to create this shooter on a console that only has one joystick, yet the multiplayer is still amazingly fun and balanced. Not only that, but with this title they released the concept of PSP Plus, where gamers can actually use a Duelshock 3 controller with their PSP to play the shooter with a controller that might feel a little more natural to them.
Patapon 2 was innovative in an entirely different sense. This game not only is one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in years, but it also shows Sony’s roadmap for the future of the PSP. Everyone has talked about digital distribution being the future of gaming in the next generation. Well the fact is that it’s already here, this generation, and it is going to become more and more prevalent in the portable consoles. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see the majority of the titles listed above to be available as both digital downloads and retail games on UMD.
Lastly, let me touch on the rumors of the PSP2/PSP4000 that is supposedly coming out before the year’s end. There is a distinct possibility that it may come out, and I fully expect Sony to release it without a UMD drive. The only way for this to work and still have the ability to play all of the existing games in the PSP library would be to have the entirety available via the PSN. Wouldn’t that be an amazing E3 announcement? No more battery sucking UMD drive, and the entire game library would be available for download. Don’t expect this to happen, but it definitely is something that Sony should be working towards.
Please leave your comments after the post to let me know what you think!
**** EDIT*****
Also, after I published this article, Tekken 6 was announced to be on the PSP as well. Thanks for the tip… Also, thanks for IGN for breaking this story!
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny is also part of the list… thanks to Dustin for leaving a comment on this one!