Sony America scraps UMD-to-PSP Go conversion plans

by Griffin McElroy on Sep 25th 2009 12:21PM

Sony director of hardware marketing John Koller mentioned shortly after the E3 "reveal" of the PSP Go that the company was considering a "good will program," which would allow UMD owners to trade in their physical games for digital versions. However, yesterday at the Tokyo Game Show, an SCEA spokesperson told Kotaku, "We were evaluating a UMD conversion program, but due to legal and technical reasons we will not be offering the program at this time."

That's quite a blow to the base of American PSP owners with large libraries of UMD titles looking to upgrade to a PSP Go -- a blow significantly worsened by the European "PSP Go Rewards" initiative, which grants three free games to PSP Go purchasers who register for the promotion using an older PSP model. This same promotion will not be coming to the US. "SCEA region will not offer a UMD rewards program at this time," due to the fact that the company has a "dual-platform strategy," an SCEA spokesperson has explained to IndustryGamers.

Ironically enough, we have a "we'd rather not purchase our PSP games again to play them on a new version of your handheld" strategy going for us. It's working out pretty well so far.

Source

Tags: conversion, handheld, promotion, psp, psp-go, rewards, scea, sony, Sony-Computer-Entertainment-America, umd

Reader Comments (229)

They really cared alot about money when they were losing a few hundred bucks on every PS3 they sold to get it in consumers hands at launch.

Think before you put something that retarded out there.

Besides, what does Nintendo and MS care about stray puppies and kittens, homeless veterans and the environment? ALL corporations care about is money and how they can get some of yours.

Ironically the reason you are seeing a fully digital model that is more expensive to consumers is because of said pirates and their feeling of entitlement. If the PSP was never hacked and exploited you would have never seen the PSP GO.

Sony seems determined to kill the PSP. It's a mess. I read gaming news all day long and even I can't keep up with their different models and schemes. I would buy one if there was a model that just did everything, as it is some models lack somethings and other models lack other things. For shame!

I'm just glad my PSP 1000 still works perfectly fine. I've never seen any reason to upgrade till PSP2.

why do i hate sony so? its it because of the amount of times sony do us over ? as far as i am concerned the the new psp shoud be call GO and frak yourself sony

I can see parallels with the GBA Micro here.

Thus far, the PSP Go isn't winning fans either.

This is why the PSP Go will fail.

Mom: Here, son! Your new PSP!
Kid: OK! Let's buy games!
Mom: Alright, how about these?
Kid: Yeah!
Mom: Great! Alright, sir, we'll take these.
Salesperson: Actually, you can't buy those.
Mom: Huh?

Multiply that by about 10,000. The games say "PSP" on them so why won't they work? Do you give refunds? Is my system defective? Can I return it for a working one?

This could potentially be a PR nightmare.

iPhone and iPod Touch apps say hi!

It's retailers putting a shitload of pressure on them, probably gamestop..

I for one have been waiting for this UMD-less version for quite some time, I knew it was going to happen eventually. I'll be jumping on board now.

Once again, joyfully, wonderfully, happily glad to have PSP 3000. :3 Hear me Sony, I have UMDs, I keep UMDs. Yes indeedy.

PSP Go must fail. This news makes me so angry. I was totally looking forward to the go but there is no way in hell I will buy one now.

Well this pretty much is a big NO for me now. I was looking forward to the PSP-Go, but if I can't use my media, forget it. I'll stick with the DS.

I was on the fence about a PSPGo, but there's absolutely no reason, none at all, to buy one, not when you can get a less expensive, more versatile version. The lack of a second analogue stick also continues to be a sticking point.

The usual suspects (do I need to name names?) aren't puckering up to Sony's ass... that's when you know something is definitely wrong.

With every piece of news on the Go, I become more reluctant to buy one. When I first heard about it, I was excited for a pocket-able and digital PSP. Then they announced a price of 250 and then a smaller battery so the battery will be the same and finally there won't be a UMD conversion plan.

Alright, you convinced me Sony. I won't buy your product. You should have said so to begin with.

I've been looking into buying a Ipod Touch. Any opinions?

This model should be the PSP-GOingnowhere.

Or maybe PSP-GOingtoalienatecustomers.

Oh wait PSP-GOnnatakeyourmoney.

Nah I think I got it now... It's the PSP-GOnnafail.

I like model PSP-N1000

If you'd upgrade your handheld to a new handheld with less compatibility in exchange for un-needed new features for a hefty price tag, you deserve for it to flop.

I seemed to be the only person hating on the DSi before it came out for the same reason. I don't hate the GO, because unlike the DSi, it retains the policy that it's a new PSP Model, not a PSP2, there's no exclusive games for it. DSi-Exclusive games will totally ruin Nintendo for me >:

Can someone please explain the appeal of the PSPGo to me? A real PSP can play PSN-downloaded games, just like the PSPGo. Except the Go is crippled and UMD-less.

Who would want this? No game rentals, no used games, no ability to swap games with friends or loan them to or borrow them from friends?

Who wants to worry about juggling space on the built-in storage and running out, deleting games you like just to make space, etc.?

And then the screen is smaller too. And am I wrong or does it seem not as widescreen as the real PSP?

I already own about 20 psp games that I haven't even paid for thanks to game sharing. so you can share with friends.

also the 16gb is expandable so shuffling games around won't be a big deal. any way 16 gigs is a lot

another thing, it is small, very important with handhelds.

I have a feeling most of the people here that complain don't actually travel with their PSP and instead just sit on the couch and play them. have you ever put a psp3000 in your pocket? forget it! It's too big

also I don't own a MP3 player, so once I start traveling again I'm definitely picking one of these up. it's much better than having to carry a bunch of UMDs and a system that doesn't fit in my pocket.

They REALLY don't want the PSP Go to sell, do they?

I completely agree with Christ-Ian, there are more psp games and apps on mininova than on the PS Store, this is a horrible end on Sony's part. I still want the Go because i sold my psp over a year ago anticipating a newer model. Why doesn't sony scrap the go or make it it's next generation handheld system......that simple, i'd rather have a PSP2 than a PSP remake any day

PSPgo away. I don't need you....

Without telling you how I feel about the PSPgo, I have to wonder: Why does anyone who might hint at buying this or dare to support Sony get low rated? I get it, we're all opinionated but jeez...
You know, I still type pspfanboy.com on my address bar to reach this page. Hard to remember why.

Can someone wake me when there is actually something worth playing on the PSP?

I have the Phat PSP and twisted metal that I played online. I am planning on getting the GO only for its portability and the fact that I have quite a few PS1 games on my PS3.....

PSP Go looks good, but not good enough. And way too expensive. Give me one good reason not to buy an itouch, or a smart phone from LG, Nokia, Samsung or HTC

PSP GO = FLOP.....we all know it.....

Sony is aiming this at some elusive unknown market of people who don't already own a PSP.....

By not allowing an upgrade path for current PSP Owners...they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Doing a dual platform strategy only divides the base and dilutes the market for them...

DIdn't they watch what happened when SEGA had the Genesis...Then Sega CD.....Then SEGA CD-X........and then the 32X.........??

It is amazing to me how much this generation of SONY reminds me of all the mistakes SEGA made

I don't understand why this is even an issue. Who cares? If you have a PSP, then this is not even for you! Why are you complaining about something that does not affect you idiots! If Sony was getting rid of the UMD and the PSP-3000 could not download new games, then you would have a valid arguement. Since neither of those are true, This does not affect you in any way. Sony is not forcing you to buy a Go! Jesus Christ.

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Sony America scraps UMD-to-PSP Go conversion plans

Reader Comments (229)

Posted: Sep 25th 2009 2:53PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

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