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Sony Introduces PSPgo Upgrade Program, 3 Free Games For Current PSP Owners
by Leigh Alexander [PC, Console/PC]
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September 24, 2009
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In a move geared at encouraging PSP owners to trade up for the upcoming PSPgo, Sony will offer three free games from a list of 17 popular titles to users who upgrade.
The PSPgo eliminates the disc-based UMD model in favor of a download-only solution, although Sony has stated plans to support both disc and digital formats for all its PSP games going forward.
However, the issue of how to address current PSP owners who want to buy a PSPgo but have already invested in a library of discs has remained a question mark ahead of the handheld's October launch.
PSPgo purchasers who log into PlayStation Network with their old model can receive an email voucher for the free games, to be used with their new PSPgo. The promotion period will last from October 1 through March 2010, and any user who owns a prior-gen PSP and at leas one UMD disc can participate, so long as they register their PSPgo within the alloted period.
The voucher program has only been announced thus far for the UK, but it's likely Sony will implement a similar initiative for other regions. According to UK news site Eurogamer, the full list of titles from which users can choose three free downloads is as follows:
Buzz!: Brain Bender
Buzz!: Master Quiz
Daxter
Echochrome
Everybody's Golf PSP
Killzone: Liberation
Lemmings PSP
LocoRoco
MediEvil
Patapon
Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Resistance: Retribution
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
WipEout
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I just bought a used PSP
You, me and my granny all know the value of a physical product and we all know that someone, somewhere, will want to own that product on the cheap. With this deal from Sony, we loose any value we have already accumulated and so the upgrade path becomes counter productive. It's why HDTV isn't the majority but, the minority. People don't want to throw away a working set unless they can sell it on to someone else. Digital downloads are not sellable, tradeable or exchangeable so ultimately we as consumers are reluctant to bother with them. Making downloads the only option will result in the majority of people simply abandoning the platform.
But from a hardware standpoint, lugging around little UMD disks, or carts or little cards is silly. An all digital system eliminates the issue, making the whole thing a self contained entity.
So I guess I'm saying the concept is sound, but on only letting people move the games that they purchased to their new PSP until March, I'm callling shenanigans.
Or am I missing something here?
From a consumer standpoint, I think you brought out the most valid point that usually stops consumers from going digital - the fact that you have no physical value and liberty to do whatever you want with your purshased product (i.e. resell, trade, lend, etc.).
On the other hand, from a business standpoint, the whole digital distribution system boosts sales because of their accessibility. A user wanting a game can simply hit 2-3 buttons and own it, just like that.
If we analyse the Steam model, their Friends, Achievements and Gift system, for instance, add a lot to the user's gaming experience. Needless to say, users will go for the digital download ONLY if the platform adds to the experience.
Will the PSPGo succeed in bringing more than just a downloaded game? We'll have to wait and see after 1 or two years of service.
The problem is that they aren't actually letting you move games that you purchased. They are giving you 3 games from a very small list. I personally have more than 16 PSP games on UMD, and only 4 of them are on the list above. About 10 of them aren't even available for download yet on the PSN storefront. It isn't a bad idea to do digital distribution, in fact I have repurchased some of my games in downloadable format and given the UMD away to friends. The problem is that Sony doesn't quite seem to be doing enough to put their full catalog on the store, and is offering this cheap gesture thinking that it will make up for that lack.
Now, if they end up adding some of the PSPgo's new features to a next generation UMD PSP, then I won't have to worry about this. For me, the support for PS3 controllers when the unit is hooked to a TV really is the killer feature for the PSPgo, but if I can't play all of my games then it's useless. Alternately, I would also love it if they made a backpack similar to the one for old accessories that gave us a removable UMD drive.