Koller stated that in the past the company has seen a 20-25 percent "trade-up factor" among PSP owners. The company is apparently still in the "planning stages," but we contacted Sony to find out if there were any further details or timetable.
Sony considering UMD game trade-in program for PSP Go digital versions
by Alexander Sliwinski 
on Jun 5th 2009 8:45PM
141
Koller stated that in the past the company has seen a 20-25 percent "trade-up factor" among PSP owners. The company is apparently still in the "planning stages," but we contacted Sony to find out if there were any further details or timetable.
Reader Comments (141)
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 11:09PM PN04 said
It's actually a stupid idea, it means they have to task themselfes with collecting the UMD's of 40 million existing PSPs and hoping that people will choose to trade up to a far more expensive PSP with a smaller screen. They may consider it but in the end they'll decide against it.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 11:36PM Enigma777 said
Actually this sold me. I have been looking to retire my launch PSP 1000 and 2000/3000 didn't offer enough change for me to warrant a re-purchase. However the go has pretty much everything I'm looking for and the only thing that stopped me was my collection of UMD games...
Reply
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 4:49AM Draken Stark said
Earlier today I said about the same thing, but I didn't think Sony would go this route. This will be something I'll look forward to even if it'll be for my Old PSP with the 4 gig memory stick I got. Looking at WipeOut Pure via PSN as an example, ~150 or so megs is not that big. I'll look forward to also backing up games on my computer via USB.
Reply
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 5:10AM DrXym said
I think its a terrible idea. Why would I want to swap a tradeable commodity for something locked to me? Why doesn't Sony allow me to register my UMD via PSN on my old PSP and then let me use it on the new PSP Go for a few days? Better, implement a trust model where the more re-registrations you make on a game, the longer you can check it out for, maybe up to a whole week. Better yet, sell a UMD peripheral for the PSP Go which does the same.
There is absolutely no reason for requiring people swap their games. I hope Sony get a clue on this because it could easily turn into a sales disaster.
Reply
There is absolutely no reason for requiring people swap their games. I hope Sony get a clue on this because it could easily turn into a sales disaster.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 8:50PM FernandoRocker said
I kinda like digital distribution just for one reason: being able to have several games stored in one place.
But at the same time, I really to having a physical copy of the game, the box, the instrucion booklet, etc.
The only way I would like DD is to be able to buy the game cases, but instead of a game disc, it comes with a code, kinda like Patapon 2.
Reply
But at the same time, I really to having a physical copy of the game, the box, the instrucion booklet, etc.
The only way I would like DD is to be able to buy the game cases, but instead of a game disc, it comes with a code, kinda like Patapon 2.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:26PM Foetoid said
I'm a Steam fanatic now and have sold almost every retail copy of a game i had for Steam versions. Mainly because it's a LOT cheaper for those in Aus to buy through steam than pay the inflated Retail price. I seriously save something like AUS$30 on a full-priced new release if i buy through steam.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 11:15PM PN04 said
It's an idea filled with fail. they'll over burden every resource in the attempt to collect a bunch of UMDs only to risk sending out codes that may not work of someone punches a wrong number somewhere? how about disks lost in the mail? complaints over several areas of the process are more then likely, they're inevitable with human error. They have enough trouble trying to sell what they have they dont need to put themselves even further in trouble. Besides what would they do with the UMDs they get? recycle them? it's a ridiculous idea not all the stuff in a UMD can be broken down in a vat of hot plastic.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:03PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
What sense would that make? Then people could just give their friends their UMD's and get the games without having ever paid for them. That wouldn't make sense for anyone.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:10PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
I think the point of them doing this is to encourage people with a large UMD collection to upgrade to a PSP Go. It's not really intended to supplement those who already have a PSP and want to get a GO in addition to the UMD based PSP. I guess they could somehow mark the games but then you get into massive infrastructure issues and lots of carrying cost sending them to and from. Undoubtedly people will find a way to circumvent the mark and even so we get into the issue about how to mark the discs and do you have volumes of humans checking or an automated process. Basically, this process you are saying would essentially give one user two copies of the same game.
I just think that would be much to expensive and the goal is to upgrade people to the new PSP more so than digitizing everyones library.
For something you are talking about some type of hardware solution (perhaps a USB device that rips the games to your PS3 or PC) or software solution that allows you to connect your PSP and digitize it would be more appropriate.
Reply
I just think that would be much to expensive and the goal is to upgrade people to the new PSP more so than digitizing everyones library.
For something you are talking about some type of hardware solution (perhaps a USB device that rips the games to your PS3 or PC) or software solution that allows you to connect your PSP and digitize it would be more appropriate.
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 11:50AM Levi said
There is no way returning the UMD's makes sense for Sony. Think about it. You send in a UMD, and get a download code and a UMD in return. Even if they made it so you can't send in that UMD again for another download, you still have a digital copy and a physical copy. Sell the physical copy on eBay for people with 1000-3000's, and you are now effectively selling your entire game collection while still being able to play all of the games.
People really need to think before they post. Then again, it wouldn't be an Internet without dumb comments.
Reply
People really need to think before they post. Then again, it wouldn't be an Internet without dumb comments.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 8:56PM Solid Jackal said
cut 50 bucks and put this program into affect and u have my money
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:04PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
Why is it people always say the same thing exclusively about a Playstation product? I get what you are saying and an eventual price drop will happen but a $250 launch price seems perfectly fair for what the consumer is actually getting.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:50PM (Unverified) said
Yeah, you're getting a psp with a smaller screen and an ugly design. You're also being forced to spend large sums of money on memory cards and go through the most likely annoying process of transferring your UMD's into digital media. And this all saves you how much on the console? -70 dollars?
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 10:31PM aristokrat said
16GB Memory Stick M2 Micro's are already down to $80, and 8GB are down to $30. That's not that much money, and the prices are only go to continue to fall (I just bought a 16GB Pro Duo for $32). Considering it comes with 16GB, it's going to take a little bit to fill all that up, since a lot of PSP games come in in the hundreds of MB. So nobody's forcing you to spend money on removable media yet.
On top of that, you're paying for a smaller, lighter PSP. Making things smaller and lighter costs money. If you don't prefer it, nobody's forcing you to buy it, but a lot of people think it's a pretty sweet proposition.
Reply
On top of that, you're paying for a smaller, lighter PSP. Making things smaller and lighter costs money. If you don't prefer it, nobody's forcing you to buy it, but a lot of people think it's a pretty sweet proposition.
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 2:08AM (Unverified) said
Forced to buy expanded memory? Doesn't have internal memory?
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 8:58PM (Unverified) said
Wow, good idea. The infastructure to do something like this maybe immense, and thus expensive as hell, but hopefully it still happens. You've got a buyer right here...and this time I won't be trading it in for store credit for a 360.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:01PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
If they are for real and they plan a trade in program for all UMD games then I'll buy a PSP Go on day 1 FOR SURE. I was thinking about getting one anyway though I upgraded this year to a 3000 (before news of the Go ever leaked) and I could care less about a physical copy or disc. I'm all about the 16 GB HDD and I already have an 8 GB memory stick so that would get me 24 GB's of storage which is more than enough for multiple games, movies and some music.
If this thing is as portable as advertised it might replace my iPhone as my go everywhere wonder device because I've soured on AT&T and plan on switching providers once my contract runs out. The only crappy thing is the iTunes stuff doesn't play nice with other hardware and I have a dearth of content due to the two macs, iPod, two iPhones and the Apple TV in the household. Actually now that I think about it I can just use the iPhone as an iPod Touch even without the contract.
I want to hold this PSP Go in my hands and really get an idea about the portability and form factor before I decide it's a no brainer. $250 bones is kind of a lot but I could always sell the 3000 which would soften the blow. Just have to wait and see what the product feels like in my hands.
Reply
If this thing is as portable as advertised it might replace my iPhone as my go everywhere wonder device because I've soured on AT&T and plan on switching providers once my contract runs out. The only crappy thing is the iTunes stuff doesn't play nice with other hardware and I have a dearth of content due to the two macs, iPod, two iPhones and the Apple TV in the household. Actually now that I think about it I can just use the iPhone as an iPod Touch even without the contract.
I want to hold this PSP Go in my hands and really get an idea about the portability and form factor before I decide it's a no brainer. $250 bones is kind of a lot but I could always sell the 3000 which would soften the blow. Just have to wait and see what the product feels like in my hands.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 10:20PM CheesusCrust said
Why was this brave soul downranked?
And yes, this is NOT a phone, no matter WHAT somebody may tell you.
Reply
And yes, this is NOT a phone, no matter WHAT somebody may tell you.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 11:31PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
Maybe people thought from my comments I assumed this was a phone. Now that I read it again it does come off that way. I'll probably go with the android platform if development picks up.
Reply
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 10:02AM Blink182Suck said
Why is this man being voted down? I see nothing wrong with what he said, can someone please explain? Or are we all just feeling like assholes today?
Reply
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 5:57PM (Unverified) said
Of course Johnny you'll buy a Go DAY 1 ON PAPER!!
Just like everything that is carrying a Sony Logo.
Keep pushing the product, that's what they pay you for Shill boy.
Reply
Just like everything that is carrying a Sony Logo.
Keep pushing the product, that's what they pay you for Shill boy.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:05PM (Unverified) said
I just bought a PSP 3000 after they announced the Go and said at E3 there wouldn't be a way to do this, as well as said the PSP Go was more for people who already didn't own one.
I am still happy about my purchase because I perfer tangible media, also I own a few imported shooters from Japan I know I couldn't ever play on the PSP Go unless they planned on giving me some Japanese unlock codes, which I'd doubt.
Reply
I am still happy about my purchase because I perfer tangible media, also I own a few imported shooters from Japan I know I couldn't ever play on the PSP Go unless they planned on giving me some Japanese unlock codes, which I'd doubt.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:19PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
You bring up a good point. Currently the PSP & PS3 are completely protected from any type of region locking for downloadable titles but it could change with the Go. I don't see a rationale for putting such protections in place if they aren't already doing it with demos and what not but you never know. Basically, it seems very slim because in the end they would be keeping money in your pocket and out of theirs. But, you never know with Sony and some of their questionable decisions.
Reply
Posted: Jun 6th 2009 2:33AM (Unverified) said
Well, in order to purchase from other regions, you would need some form of currency from that region. You could import a PSN card from Japan to fund your Japanese account and then proceed to buy stuff from the Jap store (you could get one of these cards from Play-asia if you search for PSN card, they charge more than they're worth, I'm sure you're familiar with imports...).
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:05PM HydrophobicFish PSN ID Hydrophob said
I won't lie... if this program is true, I might just consider upgrading to a go.
Now if they can do trophy support, and linking those trophies to your PS3 trophies, then I'll definitely be sold.
(Yeah, I'm an achievement whore, I'm sorry! T_T)
Reply
Now if they can do trophy support, and linking those trophies to your PS3 trophies, then I'll definitely be sold.
(Yeah, I'm an achievement whore, I'm sorry! T_T)
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 10:36PM aristokrat said
Hello my name is aristokrat and I'm an achievement junkie...
I'm definitely on the Trophies-on-PSP bangwagon.
Reply
I'm definitely on the Trophies-on-PSP bangwagon.
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:06PM ChiTownRuler23 said
theres no way im buying this if i cant get a hard copy of some sort
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:13PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
Then this product isn't for you. You already have a PSP that can accomidate hard copies. This is just for those that want to upgrade from a PSP 1000, 2000 or 3000. This meant for the 20-24% Koller speaks about when a new iteration is released.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:17PM ChiTownRuler23 said
the older PSP's are to bulky for me i like the concept of the PSP Go only if i can get the game saved on a micro sd card of some sort but i guess i wont be buying any PSP for the time being
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:20PM Mayor West said
You can back up the files on your PS3, PC, or hard drive.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:22PM ChiTownRuler23 said
hmm maybe i will cop one then once the PSP gets more games
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:26PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
I'm just kind of curious as to why you feel that way but here it goes anyway. The system has 16 GB of on board HDD space as well as expandable memory card slots for you to save your content to at all times. If you worry about the game getting corrupted or somehow lost you will have a Playstation Network ID (PSN) that has a download list of all your purchases to re-download an infinite amount of times on up to 5 or 6 different devices. Also, this PSN ID can be accessed on a PS3 or PC for you to manage your data as well as directly from the device itself. In that respect it's similar to the iPhone because all of your purchases are linked to an account or accessible on the device itself. It's basically like the DS except it has built in storage so you don't need a bunch of small memory cards. Is there some other reason or thing that is concerning to you?
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:31PM ChiTownRuler23 said
well when it comes to my video games im a little obsessive but i can see myself in the future with a PSP go or maybe ill just wait and see what E3 2010 has to offer.
Reply
Posted: Jun 5th 2009 9:39PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
I think this business model will be the way forward for all future handheld console iterations. In the not so distant future this type of content delivery will be standard on our home consoles as well but thats a bit of a tougher nut to crack because portability isn't an issue.
It's the easiest way to save money on shipping product for the publishers and the best way to combat the ever present threat of rampant piracy. It's going to happen and with systems already in place like Steam (and very successful) it's certainly the way things are going and I can understand why thats the case.
I'm sure retailers don't like hearing that and they certainly have a lot of pull but at the end of the day it's going to happen eventually. I think adoption on home consoles will be slower or will be offered in two flavors (one with physical media and one without) because some users want to bring a game to a friends house and thats never going to change.
Reply
It's the easiest way to save money on shipping product for the publishers and the best way to combat the ever present threat of rampant piracy. It's going to happen and with systems already in place like Steam (and very successful) it's certainly the way things are going and I can understand why thats the case.
I'm sure retailers don't like hearing that and they certainly have a lot of pull but at the end of the day it's going to happen eventually. I think adoption on home consoles will be slower or will be offered in two flavors (one with physical media and one without) because some users want to bring a game to a friends house and thats never going to change.
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 220 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 153 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 108 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
- Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments
