Sony: PSP Go 'experiment' revealed consumers' love of physical media

by JC Fletcher on Jun 8th 2010 3:29PM

Speaking to MCV, SCEE CEO Andrew House categorized the digital-only PSP Go as an experiment of sorts. "One of the reasons we launched PSP Go was to understand where that consumer behavior was going," House said. "We were getting signals from consumers that this was the kind of device that they wanted. But we need to recognize that consumers like their packaged media library."

Of course, House is omitting most of the reasons that the PSP Go isn't the best value proposition. Sure, people like to collect and display game cases and other retail bonuses. But they also like buying games on their release dates, rather than several weeks later -- or not at all -- as is the case with many digital versions of PSP games. They also like having the choice between digital and packaged versions of games, as is possible with every version of the PSP hardware but the Go. What they don't like is paying an $80 premium for the privilege of being limited only to digital releases.

We admit, we haven't commissioned as much research into consumer behavior as Sony has -- but we think we have a handle on this particular phenomenon.

Source

Tags: Andrew-House, Digital-Distribution, playstation, psp, PSP-Go, SCEE, Sony-Computer-Entertainment-Europe

Reader Comments (142)

Just confirming what we all expected really.

Any predictions on a new PSP being unveiled this E3?

When I still can't play Peace Walker because PSN only updates once a week at 8 PM, why wouldn't I regret buying a go?

I doubt a new PSP will be revealed at E3 this year. It would have been leaked by now.

actually, i would argue that it's less about "love of physical media" and more about "hate of digital media that costs more than physical."

What that they pushed full into the Go with everything they had and now that its obvious that it was a failure (what people tried to tell them well before it launched) that its suddenly an experiment ?

Way to backpedal Sony way to backpedal.

Next time your customer base is either shouting at you that your idea is horrible or laughing at you because your idea is so daft ..... try listening

This is sony. they don't listen to anyone.

Killa, Peacewalker is in PSN Store now.. definately worth the download!

I dislike physical media now (apart from when I lack harddrive space), the only reason I didn't buy Go is because of the fact that I dislike even more buying physical media and realising it won't work on a new device because it has no UMD drive and I'm not being reimbursed for the games I've spent on ¬_¬

Yet another failed experiment in digital distribution. Or should I say, "Repeat-Distribution" the ultimate goal getting you to buy the same game again and again.

We like our phsyical media?

Say what of the 15 million active Steam users?

Couldn't have been related to the fact that it was released with a high price point? No? Yeah, I thought that was unrelated too.

Nice to know the PSP Go was just a consumer experiment.

It was an experiment developed during a week long beer and weed binge.

"Let's see how many we can sell before people get pissed off"

Damn. I want to work for Sony now!

This reminds me of tmacairjordan87.

He also did something really dumb for a year, and when everybody called him on it, he suddenly announced that he had just been "conducting an experiment".

Is this the first "official" backpedal on the Go? i.e. are the finally starting to admit they had a crap idea and then let it warm in the sun?

I also smell the first inklings of "see blu-ray is totally the way to go, digital download is stupid, just look at our own product!" never minding the fact they they themselves killed it before birth with the price and then starved what came out...

Sorry for the imagery, it just sort of happened...

Anywho, back to playing flower, the best game I have yet met for my PS3, which has never seen a blu-ray movie...

content people, content!

Nice to see that Sony still has it's spin-team workin' hard.

Hmf, an I thought they might actually be still trying to find a way to get UMD's people already owned onto the go, like originally proposed by Sony. Guess not.

I doubt it was ever an "experiment" that's pure corporate backpedaling for "we dun screwed up, but we ain'ts gonna admit it"

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/It_was_a_social_experiment

Man, I wish they'd just drop the damn price on the Go.

It's such a sexy little machine.

My 7 year old loves his. He didn't have a regular PSP so there was no issue about having prior UMD's. I like the fact that it's download only being a parent who constantly find PS3, Wii, and 360 disks laying around on the floor and out of the cases.

A sexy machine with many title delays or not availables.

@ Urza
I see that point being brought up a lot.. Who cares if the whole PSP library isn't available to the Go? All the good (the BEST) PSP games can be bought on PSN so nobody cares if some shit game is not available there.

As for the delays, yeah, that's unfortunate (even though I never got the "buy game on day one" thing). That, and the downloadable games costing as much as (or a little more than) their physical counterparts.

Still, Sony has done something no other company has, and I commend them for that. They still failed, but at least they tried. They'll get it next time.

@Ezio: And if the price were a lot cheaper, cheaper than the fat, I doubt their "experiment" conclusions would be the same.

People want to be able to sell back their games? MADNESS!!!!

people want a cheaper price on something they can't sell back? SPARTA!

Did somebody say MADNESS?

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk19/Threddd/Sparta.gif

People want to be able to borrow/loan/trade them with friends? CRAZY!!

HOLLA!!

Add a UMD drive to the GO, and I WILL buy one. Guaranteed.

You can buy one now, for even lesser price than that of a Go, its called a PSP (PSP-3000) to be exact :P

Yea, but the 3000 doesn't have 16GB of built in memory AND it doesn't have Bluetooth (I'm not really sure about that last part, but I'm too lazy to look it up, plus who uses Bluetooth anyways???)

For the cost difference you can add a 16 GB card. Why can't Sony or someone add Bluetooth to the device via the bottom or top ports?

Also the PSP Go has a brighter screen and has far better and louder audio.
Not saying it's a masterpiece and that it hasn't been marketed absolutely horribly, but it still is worth pointing out that the PSP Go does have at least a couple of good things going for it.

I got a PSP-3000, and I'd rather have the GO.. cause its sexy as hell. ;P

Yeah, but do you think any company would ever admit that it was like pricing, media being controlled by only one outlet that lags behind that alternative in terms of pricing and availability, or the the removal of features that caused a gigantic lack of disinterest in a product?

Never.

Wow, you had to launch an entire platform just to figure that out Sony? Why not conduct some limited tests?

Yeah, not being able to sell or borrow games is a bummer, especially when the game is the same price as the digital.

I meant same price as retail, sorry.

Thats the main issue with digital games, period - not just with Sony. Steam does it too.

I'm a physical media person, myself. Even with the movie studios being stupid with pointless DRM on Blu-Rays. Netlfix streaming is good as a supplement but I never want that delivery system to replace physical media as long as I pay $60 for crappy broadband with high but below average speeds.

I also won't support digital only mediums from any of the video game companies. Nintendo (Their track record on redownloading purchases to new consoles is dubious at best), Sony (Their DRM and corporate attitude on digital rights is horrendous and they themselves aren't taking it seriously enough), or Microsoft (I doubt they need much explanation although they are leading the pack for the industry)

That said, I do enjoy Steam. I haven't bought one thing from them that was full retail. Their sales are amazing, and you can redownload any time. Their DRM is usually unobtrusive and sometimes they are able to eliminate it altogether. I would never pay full price there though.

It's not like they are losing money by doin the test....so nonharm no foul....the few million people that have them can hang onto them as collectors items...

Steam doesn't "do it too" steam is constantly having games for pennies on the dollar, you can regularly get games for over half price off, and they have the bundle packs that aren't offered at retail.

PSP Doh!

My big issue is the lack of available games. Crisis Core: FF7, FF Tactics: War of the Lions are two immediate issues I have with the PSPGo. Why aren't they available?

Other than that and the price, it's a very sexy device. They just needed to work on the details a bit.

Clueless idiots. No one prefers one media over the other. If the service is compelling people will use it. Take Steam and its huge success for Valve. Its quiet popular and almost all PC gamers have used it at some point. If they had brought forth a similar service online then we would have seen more wider acceptance of their product.
Again Clueless idiotic executives.

I know Steam is about as good as digital distribution gets, but the main reason it's so popular is you're forced to run it if you want to play Valve games, even when you buy the retail discs. I'd like to see someone come up with a distribution system compelling enough that people would choose to use it even if hit games weren't arbitrarily tied to it.

Theres a couple out there, impulse, directtodrive, greenhouse (I think that's the name) Amazon has their own game download service as does gamestop. The issue on PC is that each company wants to have their own service, rather than give control to one central service.

Good thing i didn't buy it then i would have felt like a lab mouse in a test lab. I LOVE my God of War PSP i would never trade it in or Betray it because well you know how Kratos gets.

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Sony: PSP Go 'experiment' revealed consumers' love of physical media

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