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Retailer: 'No justification' for stocking the PSPgo photo

Uh oh. Sony may think it can charge whatever it wants for hardware and the people will come flocking, but the high price of the PSPgo, not to mention its digital-only game library, has irked a number of independant retailers in the UK, who now see no valid reason for them to bother stocking Sony's latest portable.

"From my point of view I've got to think, 'Do I want to stock this?' Right now I can't see any justification for stocking it," says Don McCabe, Joint MD of UK retailer Chips.

"Certainly I'm not getting the response from consumers," he continues. "Normally when a new piece of kit is launched or announced I'll get a multitude of people saying 'As soon as that comes out I want one of those.' First adopters are on the phone within seconds of it being announced and you've got your pre-orders. I don't have a single pre-order for PSPgo at the moment."

Fellow retailer Grainger Games says that it has "no pre-orders at all" for the system, although it will have to stock a few just for anybody planning to drop in an buy one. Either way, it would seem that despite Sony's arrogant claims that Europeans don't care about price, the company's hiking in PAL territories may just bite the publisher in its arse this time. 

We'll have to see how it goes, but frankly, if you're going to try and price gouge in Europe as much as Sony is, you kind of deserve everything you get. Sony earned the lukewarm reaction to its hardware this time.


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34 comments | showing # 1 to 34

Syn's Avatar
Syn at 06/25/2009 15:03
"From my point of view I've got to think, 'Do I want to stock this?' Right now I can't see any justification for stocking it," says Don McCabe, Joint MD of UK retailer Chips. "Do I want to stock this?' Right now I can't see any justification for stocking it.

Just thought I'd point that out.

I can't blame them. I was intending to get a PSPgo shortly after it came out....until I heard the price thing...yeah.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 06/25/2009 15:06
Did Don McCabe really repeat himself like that?
Havoc Fang's Avatar
Havoc Fang at 06/25/2009 15:08
Is it me, or is this the polar opposite of the PS3's 'potential'?

PS3 sounds average with a TON of potential in the coming years to make up for lost time, while this just sounds like it has the potential to be 'okay, not bad'.
walkyourpath's Avatar
walkyourpath at 06/25/2009 15:10
Too bad you can't get the hardware via digital distribution!

Honestly though, game stores will make some scratch by selling cases, the new memory sticks, car chargers, etc. . . They're upset that they won't be able to sell boat-loads of UMDs, but they'll sure as hell stock it -- they don't want to be the one retailer that has to turn away parents looking to buy the Go for their kids during the holiday season, since they'll usually buy other items/games there too.
Tha Meat's Avatar
Tha Meat at 06/25/2009 15:10
Wonder if that dude runs the UK equivalant of Circuit City.
pedrovay2003's Avatar
pedrovay2003 at 06/25/2009 15:14
Honestly, I agree with him. I'm one of those people who sees no point in the Go even existing as long as the 3000 is around.
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 06/25/2009 15:14
You'd think after 3 years of their complete and utter separation from their customers, they'd eventually get the hint that they shouldn't be as arrogant as they are. Sony is that asshole who thinks he's the most popular kid in the school because their dad owns a dealership.
GLORNS's Avatar
GLORNS at 06/25/2009 15:18
I would get a GO. If it was $169.00
VisMortua's Avatar
VisMortua at 06/25/2009 15:19
Amazing photopainting skills Jim. Just thought I'd give credit where credit's due. =D
Mini-Boss's Avatar
Mini-Boss at 06/25/2009 15:21
the go looked cool till i actually read its capabilities
Mini-Boss's Avatar
Mini-Boss at 06/25/2009 15:23
god i miss the days of the ps2
Stahlbrand's Avatar
Stahlbrand at 06/25/2009 15:25
Yeah, I can only imagine that a big part of this is brick'n'mortar retailers not wanting to help sell hardware that will put their glorified pawn shop business model on the ash heap of history.

If I were Sony, I would quickly and quietly kill the 3000, and over 6 months or so go to an all digital format for PSP releases. Because, f*ck those pawn shops, charging a hair under retail for used games they sold in the first place. (I still can't find Fable II in any shop for less than $54.99)
JamnOnTheOne's Avatar
JamnOnTheOne at 06/25/2009 15:28
The problem is still the distribution model (download only) for the games. The U.S. does not have enough wifi broadband penetration to make this even the slightest bit viable for the common person.

If don't have wifi in my home or a PS3 (which I don't - I wired my house because wired > wireless), how do I get games for my PSPGo?
-PL-'s Avatar
-PL- at 06/25/2009 15:28
Has there been any advertising for the PSPgo whatsoever? Is there any way for a non-gaming enthusiast to even know about their upcoming release?
Tha Meat's Avatar
Tha Meat at 06/25/2009 15:31
Doesn't it still have a memory stick slot?

In that case....

@JammOnTheOne

DL the games onto the memorycard via your comp and pop it into your psp.
whatisdelicious's Avatar
whatisdelicious at 06/25/2009 15:56
@Mini-Boss: I'll bet Sony does too.

But those days were nice, when Sony was king. Sigh. I really wish they'd get themselves back up to that status.
snakerdlk's Avatar
snakerdlk at 06/25/2009 16:09
sony fucks up...again
Discarded Couch Sandwich's Avatar
Discarded Couch Sandwich at 06/25/2009 16:09
I've seen UK retailer Game asking people to register their interest in the console, but they've lacked the big-hitting price detail up to now. Better get it out there soon, because people are going to want to save for a while to buy that one.

@GLORNS
In Britain it costs the equivalent of $375. Take that!
linuxguy's Avatar
linuxguy at 06/25/2009 16:11
@JammOnTheOne: they just released a program to download games from the psn.
glitched's Avatar
glitched at 06/25/2009 16:38
Wait, wait, wait, what?

When I heard of the high price I immediately thought of two reasons for price point.

1. Sony needs to come out with something at the same time to make some money to be able to afford to price cut the PS3
2. Sony needs to Entice retailers to stock something that makes them obsolete by allowing a higher markup/profit for the retailers per device.

Both seem very logical to me, and yet I see stories like this. What am I missing?
Aurain's Avatar
Aurain at 06/25/2009 16:51
There is no confirmation of the UK price.

However, it's 250 Euros, and 250 Dollars.
That alone is robbery.
I can see it being £270.

Factoring in the fucking wank EU PSN, and there is no reason to buy a PSP Go.

I really would buy a PSP and Final Fantasy Tactics for it, so support one of my favourite games with the only copy I can buy and play on an uncracked console.
But the normal PSP is also over-priced considering it's poor selection of games, and poor control scheme.

Of the games coming out/released. The only ones I would buy would be Prinny, FFT:WoL, and Peace Walker.
I'm not in a position where I can waste upwards of 200 quid and smile while being raped in the arse as a result.

Everything Sony does seems to be wrong.
Their motion controller has more potential than Natal, being a combination of Natal and Wiimote in essence They fucked that up by allowing Microsoft the first go at E3. No-ones talking about Sony's. If they'd got in first, The boot would be on the other foot.

No PS3 price drop? What the fucks up with that? I paid full price, at release, and I wouldn't begrudge anyone getting the console cheaper than me if they'd enjoy using it.

Shiity Service for our PSN? Why? The EU has always been loyal to the Playstation brand. We're a larger landmass than the US, and we've probably got more customers. We pay more, and get less, and inferior hardware. And ridiculous delays, Cross-Edge coming out in August in the UK, It's out in U.S. It's time they enforce Simultaneous Release or they don't get Publishing rights.

If they treat us equal, their approval rating would go miles high.

The fact the US is getting FFT on PSN, Will probably get Xenogears, and maybe Chrono Cross by the end of PS3's lifespan is disappointing on a Personal Level.
They never saw release on PAL shores in PS1 days, They never will now...
How hard would it be for Square and Sony to put their heads together and get a basic PAL conversion. I'm guessing Days. Translations obviously take a long time, but making an NTSC PS1 game into a PAL one? Surely it can't be that hard...
CelicaCrazed's Avatar
CelicaCrazed at 06/25/2009 16:56
I was wondering how retailers would feel about the PSP Go. Maybe Sony will do what they did with Patapon 2 and release box copies with a PSN card inside. Though I'm sure 'ok still be pissed about the lack of resales. Oh well, guess I'll make a trip to Sony Style.
grasslunatic's Avatar
grasslunatic at 06/25/2009 17:02
Well I won't buy one anyway.
Uber Mashu's Avatar
Uber Mashu at 06/25/2009 17:20
People are not really interested in a new PSP because a new one is announced every time I pass wind. Flooding the market with a new model every six months is not helping you Mr Sony man.

Sure, you could say Nintendo are guilty of doing the exact same thing, but at least they have the games library to back it up.

My current PSP is collecting enough dust as it is. How can I (or anyone else for that matter) justify spending all that extra money on a shiny new machine, just to get the same result?

Games first. Hardware second. What are Sony playing at this generation?
Cowboy TTop's Avatar
Cowboy TTop at 06/25/2009 18:32
Aurain, you make some great points.

PSP Go is a nice piece of kit and I'd love one for my collection. Problem is Sony, they have complex about their pricing, and its one that's always their undoing. Greed is a bad trait and Sony have dicked us around too much in the past, to deserve such loyalty.

What is indeed insulting, is that the original PSP should be on sale for like £50-60, but their greedy keeps it high and knows no bounds. IF PSP Go flops, they only have themselves to blame.

Small retailers may have trouble selling them, so DS wins over it again.
DemonEyes23's Avatar
DemonEyes23 at 06/25/2009 18:40
i guess i can see where they are coming from. I want a pspGo but the price just isn't workin for me
JamnOnTheOne's Avatar
JamnOnTheOne at 06/25/2009 18:47
@ Tha Meat

"DL the games onto the memorycard via your comp and pop it into your psp"

My computer doesn't have a memory card slot :-D Nor does my 10 year old cousin that wants a PSPGo. However, now we're proposing workarounds for a product whose intent is to buy a download code a Best Buy (or directly from the device itself) and then pray you can find a wifi hotspot near your home or friend that has a PS3/Computer that can access the internet AND have a memory card reader. I know plenty of avid gamers that don't even have internet access at home.

My argument still stands that this device is not for your average consumer and I hope it will die the death it deserves...
KaL YoshiKa's Avatar
KaL YoshiKa at 06/25/2009 19:16
I'm pretty sure JamnOnTheOne that the PSPGo should have a miniUSB slot like the PSP.
Ace Flibble's Avatar
Ace Flibble at 06/25/2009 19:29
The problem here in the UK is, most stores here make their money mostly from the pre-owned market, and of course lots of gamers here basically rely on trade-ins to keep up with our extortionate game prices. Digital distribution wipes out both of those. Shops can't make money off pre-owned games, gamers have nothing to trade in. It's not surprising this wouldn't go down well in the UK.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar
Midgetsnowman at 06/26/2009 00:45
@stahlbrand: thats kinda funny. I just bought fable 2 at my local Movie Gallery used for 24.99 >_>
SilentAldo77's Avatar
SilentAldo77 at 06/26/2009 05:05
@JamnOnTheOne: Have you ever heard about USB card readers? They cost less than 10$.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar
Sexualchocolate at 06/26/2009 05:05
Whooo! Today is the day! in exactly 2 hours I will be heading to Game Station to pick up Monster Hunter Freedom Unite! FINALLY!

In other news, I'll buy a PSPgo when it's about £150. Nuff said. I have WiFi, I have a PS3 the PSPgo will be an awesome addittion to my set up and my PSP1000 is on it's way out anyway.

In fact, if my PSP's analogue nub get's any worse before the innevitable holiday price drop, I'll just by a GO anyway. Fuck it.
ChaosTeaCup's Avatar
ChaosTeaCup at 06/26/2009 05:13
In response to somebody who earlier said that no store would want to be GO-less when parents start queuing up to buy it for their kids, I have to say: I spoil my daughter something rotten (she lives in another country and it breaks my heart completely), buying her usually, anything she wants. But if she asks for a PSP:GO, she'll have no chance. 250 for a handheld?? What planet are Sony on, man??
Emrah's Avatar
Emrah at 06/26/2009 08:04
They ask 250 for this, and people are expecting a ps3 price drop. PSPgo 250, ps3 299. No way, man.
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