PlayStation marketing boss John Koller has been talking to Wired about the PSP and PlayStation Network, where he has revealed that digital distribution is the future of Sony's handheld device. It'll be Sony's "big push" this year as the company focuses on simultaneous UMD and PSN releases for PSP games.
"Not to say that retail isn't of extreme importance, because it is," Koller explains, "but the idea of offering content to consumers, to make it easy, you can wake up in the morning, download something and go, it's very appealing. So one of our big pushes this year is to be sure that the right kind of content and the right kind of games in particular are placed on the PlayStation Network for download on the PSP."
Koller also talked about how the American PS Store lacks when compared to Japan, where all manner of PSOne Classics are available: "What's coming out of Japan echoes the way that we look at the world here in North America. They have decided to go full-bore with digital content, and we have as well. All of that's going to happen. We look at that as a big opportunity for us."
The idea of the PSP as a digital download hub could be the angle that the system really needs to go over in America, and also entice more third party interest. I can see publishers looking at the PSP almost as a testing ground to see how digital distribution of full games could work on a grander scale. It's a clever idea, and I hope Sony doesn't stuff it up. The platform holder has a golden opportunity to capitalize on portable downloadable gaming before the competition.
Fingers crossed that it takes that opportunity and doesn't get complacent.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
8:40 AM on 03.25.2009
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As far as being a consumer goes.. it's a fantastic idea. It may help limit the piracy as well, just as itunes did for music piracy (i'm not an idiot an understand that piracy is and will be a big problem, but this will still help).
If they over-saturated the store with PSPOne classics, I'm debating whether or not that's a good move. I mean, not that many people have a PSP yet (in comparison to DS); how many people would that seduce into buying one. If they put every PSX RE on the PSP, I would buy buy buy.
If anything this may slow down game sales a little but it should boost hardware sales enough to the point where most retailers won't care ( you need the machines before you can download ) and help the "poor preformance"( poor no, its just doing alright) of the PS3.
All in all it seems like a good idea.
You CAN download the games off any windows based computer as long as you have a cheap 10-15 dollar cable that lets you hook your psp up to your computer.
If you use the psn store at all your bound to have ( or at least develope) an interest in the console its most associated with.It developes curiosity.
If you had to choose between a Wii,360 or PS3 and you have an acount on psn it would just make more sense to go with the PS3. A few of the games work on both the console and the handheld and your account already exists.So you would probably run with the ps3 if only because you already have games for it.
Not necessarily. I happily buy stuff off PSN all the time. I've yet to have even the slightest want to buy a ps3. the only thing so far to even slightly inspire that urge was Valkyria Chronicles
Then I checked out the PSP PSN and I was able to d/l a copy of DD for my PSP for free. Ahaha way to many acronyms in that one. Anyways, I'm just waiting to final fantasy 7 to become available.