External UMD Drive for PSP Go: Good idea?

[juan0tron]

I've got a simple solution for those who want a PSP Go (once the price drops, hopefully), but already have a shitload of paid for UMD's. Why not sell an external UMD drive? it seems like a clunky addition, but hey, better than nothing, and you don't have to keep it on you at all times anyway.

Now either we can set the drive to read-only, therefore preventing piracy and such, or we could actually do something cool. Either we can have the option to rip UMD's directly to the hard drive, or they could act as a download voucher of sorts.

The cons are kind of obvious, but I still say Sony should go through with this. If I could afford a PSP Go, this would definitely lean me towards buying it. Thoughts?

[Mamoda]

i think its a brilliant idea, but i belive i read that they are going to do some lame thing where you get some kinda voucher for 3 free games from the psn of your choice, which is really bogus for people who like you said bought a ton of UMDs...even worse if they traded their old psp(s) in to get credit towards the Go

[tiktektak]

This would be the only solution which could make me buy a PSPGo....

You know how could they do a thing like the Go? No physical game? wtf?

[KaiserWAVE]

Yeah, no physical game as a standard is a pretty daring (stupid?) idea. The only reason I can think of why they're doing this is as a test run for a business model that relies on digital distribution only. Other than that all I can think of is epic fail and some part of me says "I hope so", not because I want Sony or the PSPgo to fail but I want the digital-distribution-only approach to fail.
 

[tiktektak]

Yeah, no physical game as a standard is a pretty daring (stupid?) idea. The only reason I can think of why they're doing this is as a test run for a business model that relies on digital distribution only. Other than that all I can think of is epic fail and some part of me says "I hope so", not because I want Sony or the PSPgo to fail but I want the digital-distribution-only approach to fail.
 

We're exactly in the same boat on this topic!

[Beastman1975]

walked into my local Gamestop and they had plenty of PSPGo's for sale on launch day , considering that the downloadable games are supposed to work on a standard psp as well i dont see this working to well

[juan0tron]

Hm, I wonder if anyone out in the world of the internet is willing to gut a PSP to test this out. Hey, maybe if this idea becomes popular enough Sony will consider it. Man I can't wait to see the sales figures for this thing in a few weeks. Hoping it'll bomb...

[gszx1337]

While an external UMD drive would be good (for the consumer), it would suck balls for Sony. By having an external UMD drive, Sony would lose all of the benefits of having a download-only handheld. By having a download-only handheld, Sony is in complete control (no used games, no sales, sharing games if Sony implemented crippling DRM) if there was an external UMD drive, people would just grab the games they want on UMD used or on sale. Unfortunately, GameStop was planed to have UMD-kiosks where you can have your UMD games ripped to your PSPGo!, but that fell through.

[sheep2001]

it also opens them up to a potential crippling piracy war.  If there is a hacked/custom firmware release as there is now for older PSP's, i think people will be more likely to go down the piracy route, as they don't get a physical product when they hand over their cash.

Also all the reviews i have read of the go don't like the positioning of the pad/buttons - unfortunately i think this is going to be a flop.  And i do mean unfortunately, as i'm all for progress - longer battery life, better screens, etc..........

[tiktektak]

it also opens them up to a potential crippling piracy war.  If there is a hacked/custom firmware release as there is now for older PSP's, i think people will be more likely to go down the piracy route, as they don't get a physical product when they hand over their cash.

Also all the reviews i have read of the go don't like the positioning of the pad/buttons - unfortunately i think this is going to be a flop.  And i do mean unfortunately, as i'm all for progress - longer battery life, better screens, etc..........

Don't get me worng sheep I'm all for progress in technical terms too! The only problem is that if progress means there will be no physical games anymore a collectors life will get pretty frustrating!

[Grumbleduke]

First time ive seen a console not sell out on launch day. Could be telling.

[Vt102]

it also opens them up to a potential crippling piracy war.  If there is a hacked/custom firmware release as there is now for older PSP's, i think people will be more likely to go down the piracy route, as they don't get a physical product when they hand over their cash.

Also all the reviews i have read of the go don't like the positioning of the pad/buttons - unfortunately i think this is going to be a flop.  And i do mean unfortunately, as i'm all for progress - longer battery life, better screens, etc..........

Don't get me worng sheep I'm all for progress in technical terms too! The only problem is that if progress means there will be no physical games anymore a collectors life will get pretty frustrating!

I’m afraid your on the right track there.. The future of VGs is downloads instead of discs or cartridges. The 3 major systems offer download only games already.

A Brazilian company called "Tec-Toy" (the Sega licensee in brazil) is releasing a system called "Zeebo" that runs only on Downloadable games. Granted that it is in Brazil and the console is geared towards low income customers, but i bet you that Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are keeping a good eye on it.

I think that soon a bunch of us will have to move to a different hobbies.... hhhmmmm Maybe i'll get back into model airliners...

[juan0tron]

Move to different hobbies? As long as my classic game collection remains incomplete, I'll never stop collecting. 

[the7k]

I think a lot of ya guys are kinda missing something important about all of this.

Digital Distribution could very well be the thing that saves the Video Game industry. Look at us now. All we have are God of War clones and Gears of War clones. Everything is so extremely derivative. 99% of the games out there are all about how cool it is to blow someones head apart.

Why? Because these are the games that have proven to be profitable. You can make money with them. With game budgets getting huger and huger, you have to guarantee a return on investment or else you'll end up with a huge debt.

How do you solve this? By reducing the barriers to getting a product out there. It's a lot easier to get creative products to make a profit if you don't have to worry about over-producing physical copies, don't have to worry about manufacturing packaging and discs, etc.

It's why some of the best games we have seen this gen have been on Steam, on PSN, on XBLA, and on WiiWare. Those are the only places where you are allowed to be creative. I'll take AudioSurf, PixelJunk Monsters, Castle Crashers and World of Goo over most of the shlock that gets sold for $40-60 any day of the week.

10 years ago, I would have thought that making a video game and making money off of it was nothing but a distant dream. These days, it's possible. A few years from now, the likelihood is only going to get better.

[juan0tron]

True that, that's why I upgraded to a 4gb Memory stick for my PSP. We're definitely seeing some more original downloadable games out there, and its an awesome way for new developers to break into the field of gaming, but I'd still like to see hard copies of games from those who can afford to produce them. Hell, I'd buy 'em straight from the developer if I really had to. It's more of a DRM and loss of data I'm worried about when it comes to DLC.

I heard they put a poll up for those who wanted a UMD version of Holy invasion of privacy badman! etc etc, and it was at a strong 50/50 last time I checked. I like that they've made enough money out of it to get a demand from the fans to make a UMD. Maybe that's how it should go.