Future SCEI PSP games downloadable

By Robert Purchese Published 9 October, 2008

Simultaneously with UMD launch.

Sony Japan has decided to offer all first-party PSP games as downloads at the same time as UMD release.

The first example of this will arrive on 15th October alongside the direct access PSP Store, which cuts out the need to go through PC or PS3 for the content.

Games to arrive include Patapon 2, LocoRoco 2, Resistance: Retribution and a bunch of the new titles we saw videos of earlier.

The Japanese fondness for the PSP will also be rewarded by a new "Ad-hoc Party!" feature that online multiplayer by going remotely through the PS3.

The media hub ideas don't end there, either. Resistance: Retribution (PSP) and Resistance 2 (PS3) have been given special features to reward people connecting both games and systems together.

There's no word on any of the PSP Store or "Ad-hoc Party!" features for Europe just yet.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • rumrum4444 #1 3 years ago



    psp is doomed anyhow !!!




    .

  • samaran #2 3 years ago

    more like GAME is doomed

  • Thunderbolt #3 3 years ago

    UMD is doomed.

    Looking forward to the PSP-4000 with games on memory stick with less noise and faster loading times.

  • FeralUK #4 3 years ago

    @Thunderbolt!

    I wish that was true! (PSP 4000)

  • mingster #5 3 years ago

    less noise?
    christ you must have a dodgy psp mine is silent.
    all good new features no way is the psp doomed as long as the PS3 exists so will the PSP.

  • rufus_the_stunt_bum #6 3 years ago

    about time

  • Widge #7 3 years ago

    I like UMD films :(

  • superjag86 #8 3 years ago

    just get those 16gb memory sticks down in price and i'll be happy :)

  • Colin8703 #9 3 years ago

    Watching films on UMD is like watching movies on an ipod.

    Pointless.

    I like my PSP but good quality software release are so rare and the prices are a rip off, just like DS games are a rip off.

    I usually wait for them to be cheaper or by the US version on import to save a tenner.

  • SeesThroughAll #10 3 years ago

    I like removable storage, it's quite handy for moving things back and forth between the PSP and the PC (and the PS3).

    So, I'll second the comment on cheaper 16GB sticks.

  • Thunderbolt #11 3 years ago

    less noise?

    Yes, people have a go about the noise on the 360 but the PSP throws out its fair share too.

    I have a Slim & Lite from Dec 07 and its quite noisy (whir, whir, crunch as the disc spins and loads) especially older games.

    X-men 2 was painfully slow whereas GOW and Crisis Core where much better.

    Sorry I have no love for the UMD and watch all TV and movies on memory disc instead. But dont get me wrong I do love my PSP and am looking forward to getting Lego Batman tomorrow!

  • Widge #12 3 years ago

    Why is watching a film on a PSP pointless?

  • lambtron #13 3 years ago

    He said watching films on UMD is pointless. Not the same thing as watching them on a psp.

  • moggsy #14 3 years ago

    A sign of things to come for all formats methinks.

    GAME might want to think about sharing some of that pre-owned game revenue with the publishers pretty sharpish.

  • kangarootoo #15 3 years ago

    @Thunderbolt!

    So the noise is coming from ther UMD drive, which this move will remove from the equation. So hurrah.

  • Widge #16 3 years ago

    @Lambtron

    Ah I see, the coupling with watching movies on an ipod statement threw me.

    I think UMD films could be more useful now if you think about it. You get a memory card stuffed with games (or music) and you have more space if it isn't used for films. thats the angle I'm going for anyway. I find converting films a pain and the resulting quality is good, but never the same as a crispy UMD.

  • Feanor #17 3 years ago

    "Watching films on UMD is like watching movies on an ipod.

    Pointless."

    My PSP's screen is a little bigger than my ipod's. Just a little. And at US $5 a pop, I own half a dozen UMD movies. Watching Steamboy in the back of a car when I got forced to visit the in-laws last year was very nice.

  • callum9999 #18 3 years ago

    I don't get the "ad-hoc party" thing. Is it basically just allowing you to play ad-hoc games as though they had the infrastructure mode (if you have a PS3)?

  • bad09 #19 3 years ago

    Smart move just make sure you bring it to Europe Sony. The one thing that stopped me staying with official firmware with new slim I got this month was the SEVERE lack of anything half decent to download to MS on PSN. If they had the games I want I would of happily payed again (it's only £15 quid a game) for a official digital version of my games rather than using my dumps on CF. I only play about 4 or 5 PSP games anyway!

    Mind you if I did go official what would happen to my emulators? :(