Sony released the PSP Go on Sept. 30 in North America and with it, thrust the video game industry headlong into the age of digital distribution. The reaction from the video game community has been decisive at best.
The PSP Go lacks any sort of port for the existing UMD disks, the proprietary format that Sony has released PSP games on since the system’s launch in 2005. Sony has promised that every game originally released for the system on UMD will eventually be made available for download on the PlayStation Network. Incentive was offered for this claim when Sony added over 90 PSP games to the PlayStation Network to coincide with the launch of the PSP Go.
Many critics of the PSP Go focus on the perceived “betrayal” of the core PSP user base, personified by Sony’s lack of any sort of exchange program for people who already own games on UMD.
This reaction is sure to be mirrored in the future as more and more consoles turn to digital distribution in an effort to increase profits and bypass the influence of the brick-and-mortar retail element.
Critics are also quick to compare the PSP Go’s increased price compared to the current PSP 3000, $250 as opposed to $170. What many gamers fail to realize, however, is the comparison between the two PSP models is less appropriate than a comparison between the PSP Go and Apple’s iPod Touch.
The feature sets are almost identical. Both provide video and music download service, similar amounts of built-in storage, and comparable portability. The key difference, of course, is the games.
For something that Apple’s marketing department claims as “the funnest iPod yet,” most of the games ported to the iPod Touch from other systems are mediocre at best. Some of the most enjoyable games on the platform are simple, creative titles like “Rolando.” Whenever a developer tries to force dual-analog controls onto a system with no tactile interface, the result is seldom enjoyable.
While the PSP Go is a contentious figurehead for the movement to digital distribution, Sony has succeeded in throwing down the gauntlet. The industry reaction remains to be seen.
