News Sony working on UMD porting for PlayStation Go

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/06/05/sony-working-on-umd-porting-for-playstation/1

Sony is working on a way for PSP owners to turn their UMD games into digital versions for the PSP Go.

 

"We're going purely digital distribution! Huzzah!!! ...but er... you need to go to a bricks and mortar store for your OLD games, duuuh!!"

come on Sony!!!! use your braaaain. i'm turning into the inquirer with my Sony slurring.

 

Use your brain, they aint going to give you software to rip it then let you pass the umd to a friend for another copy. I imagine that you will have to hand over your umb and get a digital version. Only way to do that is brick and mortar store or my post.

If they let me swap my umd's for digital version at no cost then im for it so I can have all my games with me on the go

There are two types of peopel, those that dont care about physical disc and those that do. Sony are providing for both types of people.

 

what happens if your psp go dies/gets lost or stolen....would you have to buy all your games again?
what happens when the 16gb's is full, can u delete a game but have the option to download it again for free in the future ale steam?
just wondering as there is no way i'm payin 200quid for that psp go

 

Thats how it works on PS3, you can redownload them, or archive it off to other media.

 

I would imagine that whatever method they use will involve you losing your cartridge. They will almost certainly not allow you to just download a program that converts it to a digital format. At least not unless they managed to create an incredibly hard to abuse system, but I doubt that is going to happen. Hackers will always win, at least eventually. And we all have the time.

At the end of the day, this is the company that blessed us with SecuROM.

 

same name, different opinion! i just think a kiosk situation isn't the best solution... perhaps if they incorporated it into GAME and Gamestation etc... but that's unlikely. it would be better if you could enter the game's serial number online and get an a key to retrieve ur games on the PSGo. As long as they dont end up with a Valve situation where you have to send off proof of purchase etc, too long winded.
They are stuck between a rock and a hard place with this, especially hard to appeal to people who like physical media when the whole platform is geared towards ditching it...

 

+1 to this. I have no idea what solution they will come up with, but it will probably be cumbersome and will definitely have it's flaws.

Regarding the Go itself, I saw no reason to get the PSP3000 over the Slim & Lite (what screen ghosting? Not a problem for me and I don't want scanlines, thanks...), and I see no reason to get the Go over either of the previous models - from what I've seen, nothing is "new". Aside from the Slim & Lite, the biggest/best changes to the PSP have come with newer firmware versions - and subsequently the customised versions (who needs a PS3 to access the PSN now, huh? ). Might be good if you're new to the platform, but don't bother if you already have a Slim & Lite (if you have a Phat PSP, then get a Slim & Lite, dammit! )

Eventually the firmware of the Go will be modded and hackers/modders will come up with better ways to transfer UMDs to the new Go. I already do this; with CFW (custom firmware) on my Slim & Lite, I have been able to convert all my UMD games to compressed ISOs (never seen a performance hit yet) and I use a large capacity Memory Stick. The battery life is so much better without using the UMD drive so I'm already enjoying that benefit. CFW wins every time.

Let's not forget that Sony also gave us XCP (through SonyBMG), as well as SecuROM.

 

A kiosk wouldn't work unless it took your cartridge, and they will never allow you to keep a digital and physical copy. Not a chance in hell. That would basically be them saying "Here, have a free copy of our game". Sure, What are you going to do with a cartridge when you get a PSGo? Not much, but I'm sure everyone has a friend with an original PSP...

The only method that would work would involve handing over your cartridge. Whether it be a kiosk swallowing it up, or you having to send it off to Sony for a serial key or some other form or unique identification that would allow you to retrieve a digital copy.

 

Think I'd rather just bung a 16gb memory stick into my existing PSP2000 and have the best of both worlds. It's not as if the store is reserved to new PSP's only, unlike the DS/DSi situation.

 

If I were designing this system, I would provide a cable that connected the PSP to the PlayStation Go. You could link them together, run a little program with the relevant UMD in the drive and it would install on the PlayStation Go. This would then register it as yours online and you would then be free to do what you liked, including installing it again if you were to delete it.

If you then sell your UMD then people would be able to play it on a PSP but not the PlayStation Go as it would be registerd to you, not them

 

That's a damn good idea - so that's probably *not* what Sony will do!

 

problem with that is you will have the free download sell the UMD on to someone else loosing a sale for the publisher so that is very unlikely to happen, chances are you'd send them off for a download code on PSN.

 

Again, you are basically getting another copy of the game for free. No company in their right mind would do that.

It might sound like a good idea to you BLC, but let's be honest, Sony are quite likely to not do anything like that. And in all fairness, I wouldn't do it either.

 

you still need a reason for B&M stores to carry your product. They won't just carry a console that is purely digital distribution and some accessories.

While they are keeping some games on UMD they should also be making it so that there is a special code or jsut a code in a box to physically purchase so B&M will actually sell your device.

Next gen consoles will have to do this.

 

No, You can re download all your games again and again. The games are not locked to the PSP unlike xbox live games which are locked to the console.

I have 2 bought games for PSP and downloaded them several times by PS3, PSP and PC.

I was seeing family overseas and filled my card with films for the flight. When I arrived I used their PC to redownload my games and moved them onto my memory stick after deleting the films and off I was playing again.

If you use your PC to download the game then you have a copy on your PC as a back up. Same if you download on the PS3. Or if you downloaded it onto the PSP, you can plug it into your PC via USB or stick your memory card into a PC and back it up. Still, you can just redownload it again from PSN for free.