Music deal to help shift PSPs

By Games Industry.biz Published 27 November, 2006

EMI's UK content to be offered.

The PSP has received a boost from major record label EMI Music UK, with a deal that will allow users to download music videos direct to the Sony handheld.

Admitting that the performance of the PSP has been disappointing, Bela Molnar, who is MD of HiFi Entertainment, the company offering EMI content via its online store, believes this deal is what the format needs to revive flagging interest in the machine.

"The quick downturn of the UMD market has left many of the big believers of the format disappointed, including us," said Molnar.

"We knew that the PSP market is huge, but it needed a different platform to provide content to users."

EMI Music UK's entire music video library will be made available to users of psp-playlist.com, downloaded directly to the a memory stick and priced between GBP 1.89 and GBP 2.19.

"PSP owners are substantial in number and content hungry," said Graeme Rogan, commercial manager of digital media for EMI Music UK.

"This deal will give consumers of the PSP format access to videos from EMI Music UK's rich back catalogue, generating incremental sales for our artists," he added.

With unit sales of Sony's handheld slowing compared to a triumphant Nintendo DS, some are beginning to question the longevity of the format.

Developer Climax recently told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz that it was concerned for the future of the handheld, and wants Sony to act quickly to revitalise the machine, which only launched in Europe last year.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • ecureuil #1 5 years ago

    Why were they disappointed by UMD? Everyone in the world could tell that no-one would buy it for that price. They should have expected this.

  • Steroyd #2 5 years ago

    HD music video's... on the PSP. o_O

    I've never understood UMD video's especially with Sony selling software to convert DVD's, not to mention the free option of PSPvideo 9.

    Which i've got working again on my PC yesturday WooHooo!!!
    Edited by 1 at 27/11/06 @ 15:35

  • dog2_99 #3 5 years ago

    still dont see why we should have to pay for a music vid they are a form of promotion for the band/artist it should free for a one view of a time period...

  • Steroyd #4 5 years ago

    Speaking of which i travelled through deserts, i've climbed mount Everest and even made it to the north pole, but i FINALLY found a compotent RPG for the PSP PoPoLoCrois, although the other one Astonisha Story is utter shite, does anyone know any other good RPG's i could trade it in for except Breath of Fire 3. :/

  • dog2_99 #5 5 years ago

    @disc,

    i guess they think if people will pay, why not! but i agree with you, though i think the MTV free thing dates back to an old agreement which the industry now regrets...in the time when they want to encourage music vids in the main stream!

    Its a music promo, they sometimes give them away with the Cd singles why pay for it!?
    Edited by 1 at 27/11/06 @ 15:41

  • polymorph #6 5 years ago

    Forgive me if im wrong(i dont buy cd singles) but dont a lot of them come with the video on them these days? why not buy that and rip both the video and mp3 to the memory stick?

  • polymorph #7 5 years ago

    dog2_99,
    Beat me to it!

  • Steroyd #8 5 years ago

    And that's why UMD movie sales have suffered.

  • dog2_99 #9 5 years ago

    well if people dont download it they will soon learn! shame they are not more dynamic off the bat though!

  • lambtron #10 5 years ago

    @steroyd

    Hehe I though Astonia Story looked quite interesting too but then I read some reviews and was put right off. Sounds like the reviews weren't wrong if that's your reaction ;).

    Do you have Tales of Eternia - I have bought but not played yet - is supposed to be good and is only 18 quid at Play right now.

  • Rambaldi #11 5 years ago

    So..the thing that's going to save the PSP isn't..games?

  • SeesThroughAll #12 5 years ago

    PSP is t3h d00med?

  • brokenkey #13 5 years ago

    Yay! Ever since the ipod nano came out I've been waiting for a small, ergonomically brilliant video mp3 player to come out, and now we've got the PSP!

  • Zero Beat #14 5 years ago

    I bet the vids aren't full res 480x272.

  • SeesThroughAll #15 5 years ago

    I bet the vids aren't full res 480x272.

    Nope, not likely. You can still encode playable 480x272 video to your memory stick, mind you, but it's only possible in the size-inefficient MotionJPEG format.

  • AcidSnake #16 5 years ago

    Are the video's 64p or 96i ?

  • chupachups #17 5 years ago

    I don't understand why they're charging people to look at music videos... surely these are filmed as advertisements for albums? Is there really that much call to pay £2 for a 5 minute video? For £6 you could probably get quite a decent full length DVD on special offer.

    Still, it's good to see they're trying to sell videos as downloads, they're far more viable and easy to get hold of than UMD videos.

  • brooza #18 5 years ago

    Finally! The thing that'll convince me to get a PSP again...

  • barnard666 #19 5 years ago

    just to clarify - if an artists video is played on MTV they get paid (just like any radio broadcast) the PRS sort ot all out, and the advertising breaks pay for it.

    You tube may perhaps screen videos for "free" but the website specifically requests that users submitting content are fully resposible, and have all the "required" licenses. therefore 99 times out of 100, music videos put on you tube shouldnt be there.

    I think its more than acceptable for a musician / label to expect people to pay for their intellectual property. I hate what MP3's have done to the record industry, the same trend is already happening to the movie industry with DVD sales plumeting. No dout everyone thinks its OK to have games for free too...I think its your god given right to have all your entertainment for free, even if it does mean I lose my job, and nobidy can take risks with adventurous new media, because the returns will probably be too low for indie developers / labels / film studios.
    Edited by 1 at 27/11/06 @ 16:16

  • Mr_Brown #20 5 years ago

    Pff...perhaps if they released some original games on it rather than cut down ports of PS2 games...they might shift a few. But to be fair, an handheld at that pricepoint was never going to be the sucess the DS is.

  • dsmx #21 5 years ago

    Umd sales sucked because of they priced it higher than dvds and they put utter garbage on them and not what people wanted.

    If sony wanted to increase psp sales they should embrace homebrew and drop the price to around the same as a ds lite.

  • chupachups #22 5 years ago

    "I think its more than acceptable for a musician / label to expect people to pay for their intellectual property."

    ...but no one was ever buying individual videos, the videos were effectively adverts for album sales, and that's where the money came from to make the videos. It's the album sales where the real money has always been.

    Most band websites have always given away their videos for precisely this reason, they're advertisements, not the actual IP from which the profits come.

    It's like expecting people to pay for film trailers. Technically, yes, studios can say they own the IP and people should cough up, but no studio is ever that crazy, they go out of their way to make the trailers as widely seen as possible.
    Edited by 2 at 27/11/06 @ 16:23

  • AcidSnake #23 5 years ago

    Although I think we're far enough removed from the DS Lite's introduction so that if the PSP comes down in price that the Lite can follow abruptly...Maybe not by much, but if PSP drops to DS Lite price and the DS Lite drops 20-30€ below that...Well, for those prices the Lite would still shift many more...

  • lambtron #24 5 years ago

    "I hate what MP3's have done to the record industry, the same trend is already happening to the movie industry with DVD sales plumeting."

    Is this really true though? I remember once hearing a news story where members of the film industry were saying "Oh noes teh pirates - it is the end of our industry." Couple of days later there was another news story about how it had been a record year for takings for the film industry. Moreover, I don't see any spates of mass redundancies or bankruptcies in either of those industries.

    At least in terms of the games industry I would argue that the second hand market is a far bigger problem than piracy and one that doesn't have an equivalent in the Film or Music industries.

  • GrandpaUlrira #25 5 years ago

    What are the relative sales for the DS and PSP in the UK overall? And how many per week is each roughly selling? Is the PSP starting to stall in the UK, or is it in other territories?

  • Carpathian #26 5 years ago

    Music videos are made to shift units. People are being given the option to pay to download things for the PSP.

    Am I missing something ? How will "pay for things which we use to promote other things we want you to buy" make people run out and buy a PSP ?

    "believes this deal is what the format needs to revive flagging interest in the machine."

    ...and put money in their pockets before it goes under as a viable platform worth investing in.

    {rolls eyes}

  • dog2_99 #27 5 years ago

    @barnard666

    Originally music Vid were provided free by record companies to MTV, which thought of them as advertising for their records and performers...now as for the industry folding and people being put out of work if things are free...how come Google makes so much 'real' money from its free public consumer service...EMI could use advertising to fund the service? then sell the tech on etc

    i find it hard to feel sorry for the record industry when they mention MP3s, they spent so much energy trying to stop Napstar etc they created greater awareness of it...they should have jumped on board and offered free or subscription based services years before itunes!

    An example of where the PSP is, someone at work just said to me that he wanted a PSP over a DS lite for xmas as he was uninterested in games...how right he was! (yes i have both DS and PSP)

  • NoCodeNed2 #28 5 years ago

    @ lambtron - massive personnel cuts in music industry over last 5 years - they just don't shout about it, unsurprisingly. Don't know what bearing it has, but thought I'd mention it.

  • lambtron #29 5 years ago

    Fair enough :)

  • GChris #30 5 years ago

    A lot of people seem to be saying that since music videos are given away free on singles, etc they should be free to download. The problem with that is that the video comes with a complete copy of the music track as well, so if you're selling them on their own, it should cost at least as much as a music track does. I guess the extra cost is either to offset their costs (since video files are larger than music files) or because they believe that a music video has a higher intrinsic value than a music track, but I'm not sure I'd personally agree with the latter.

  • Arwin #31 5 years ago

    I like the idea and so I tried it immediately, but there were some technical differences. They are working on the problem right now though, so it should be solved soon. But you may want to wait a few seconds.

  • barnard666 #32 5 years ago

    people pay for DVD's filled with music videos, should it not be OK to pay a portion of money for a portion of that content?
    and yes the record industry is in a terrble state, you can actually look up sales on an online char tracker, you need to be a label and to pay a subsciption, I was shocked to see how low sales were of some of my favourite bands, people like Zeke selling 300 copies of their newest album in the UK, whilst it was all over file sharing sites with downloads in the thousands...I suspect the new Melvins album that has over 1000 + downloads on oink will sell similarly well.

    it just seems to me like people are very happy to act as if it isnt "wrong". I think when this hits Films and Games as much as it has music, people will start seeing less and less unique products, and more and more guaranteed sales EA sequel rubbish...I just find it pretty sad thats all.

    Again using music as an example there is very little new alternative music these days that isnt safe. 15 years ago the music scene was pretty vibrant, now we seem to get pop under the guise of alternative, skate punk bands, emo rubbish, and coldplay clones liter the musical mandscape, because no one will take risks on anything that doesnt fit in an already predetermined box. Thats probably why the darkness did so well, no one dared sign them but when they did people reacted because they were hearing something different from everything else, whether they were good or not is beside the point. That kind of diverse landscape should be the norm not the exception.

  • Rambaldi #33 5 years ago

    @MrBrown

    "a handheld at that pricepoint was never going to be the sucess the DS is"

    Agreed

    /looks into crystal ball

    "a console at that pricepoint was never going to be the sucess the 360 is"

    /strokes beard

  • Rambaldi #34 5 years ago

    @bigo

    Why would I be buzzing about 3 UMDs for £30, "hahahaha" to quote you?

    I can get as many (if not more) quality DVDs for that price that can, y'know, be played on my TV OR ripped to a PSP.

    Edited by 1 at 27/11/06 @ 18:25

  • Shrike #35 5 years ago

    @barnard666
    "Again using music as an example there is very little new alternative music these days that isnt safe. 15 years ago the music scene was pretty vibrant, now we seem to get pop under the guise of alternative, skate punk bands, emo rubbish, and coldplay clones liter the musical mandscape, because no one will take risks on anything that doesnt fit in an already predetermined box. Thats probably why the darkness did so well, no one dared sign them but when they did people reacted because they were hearing something different from everything else, whether they were good or not is beside the point. That kind of diverse landscape should be the norm not the exception."

    Were you channeling 2003 when you wrote that? I feel like I just dropped three years of industry-moving-on-ing-ness.

  • barnard666 #36 5 years ago

    yeah probably, I still think its fairly similar situation though, I have just kind of given up paying attention to everything really. I guess if I hear something to get me interested again I shall get back in to trying to seek out new bands, but the music industry has kind of lost me....a bit like EA have! I still spend most of my money on CD's but it tends to mainly be new albums by bands I was already in to, or things I never got around to getting till now...

  • Steroyd #37 5 years ago

    Hehe I though Astonia Story looked quite interesting too but then I read some reviews and was put right off. Sounds like the reviews weren't wrong if that's your reaction ;).

    Do you have Tales of Eternia - I have bought but not played yet - is supposed to be good and is only 18 quid at Play right now.

    I tried my cousin's Tales of Eternia, but the 2D battle mechanic is a turn off. :/

    Don't even get me started on Astonisha Story, from now on EG's word = words from God.

    It's like Grandia, meets Breath of Fire meets Final Fantasy tactics love childs ugly twin, PoPoloCrois has loading times, but they're dispersed and tolerable and when it really gains momentum seamless, Astonisha Story has loading times (up to ten seconds) BEFORE each AFTER each fucking battle it drove me nuts after 2 battles, and it's going back not to mention the battle system is shite as well, PoPoLoCrois has a similar battle system...done right.

    Oh EG never again do i stray away from your words of wisdom.

    /bows down to the screen.

  • floppylobster #38 5 years ago

    @lambtron

    The Film industry aren't showing outward signs yet but inwardly it's starting to happen. The public won't notice big changes for 5 years or so but it will come.

  • YourMessageHere #39 5 years ago

    I tend to feel that I'm not all that happy about giving money to major labels for the few things on them that I like, as the lion's share goes into their pockets, not the artists, and from there goes towards promoting crap. Then there's the ruthless pushing of DRM, which so far as I can see, far from combating the piratical bane of the entertainment industry, is simply its long-nursed revenge for home audio and video taping (we'll limit what they can do with it, give them less and make them pay more! We can blame piracy for our not having the good sense and judgement to sign talent or create true quality!).

    No, I'd say any loss in revenue was much more likely caused by the older demographics they decided to ignore in favour of the youth market (like, most people over about 25; you know, the majority of the population) getting sick of increasingly poor quality entertainment and not buying it. The whole push for the youth market has caused the entire industry to revolve around teenagers.

    Now we're reaching a point where teenagers are growing up having lived their whole lives around entertainment that's geared for teenagers, mass produced according to formulae, but which their lowered expectations (and hence lower standards than older people) believe is geared for adults; the effect is a dramatically lowered actual standard of what adults get, because the entertainment industry only care what the teenagers think. This is why pop music and film is anodyne and crap and formulaic.

  • barnard666 #40 5 years ago

    perhaps, but there are still some reasonable things that get released, they just dont get promoted!
    I guess whether you think the standards are lowered or not, if it's good enough for you to want it / download it, then it should be good enough for you to buy...It just seems that people dont really understand the concept of paying for things they want. If you are hungry and you kind of want a mcdonalds because its the easiest thing to lay your hands on, you don't steal it just because its not as good as burger king.
    I guess if all crime was faceless and easy then there would be a lot more of it! perhaps if you (as in the general torrent downloding you) could log on and use file sharing to take money from random peoples bank accounts you would?

  • YourMessageHere #41 5 years ago

    I'd say your McDonalds analogy is flawed. Personally I'd draw a distinction between stealing, i.e. removing a thing and actively causing the owner to lose money by rendering the thing beyond his means to sell, and illegally copying, i.e. leaving the thing where it is and passively not causing the owner to gain money while still enabling him to sell it. You can't illegitimately copy physical goods such as McDonalds (except if you count burger recipes; in which case, "home taping" has hardly hurt Mickey D's, has it). Similarly, torrents magically attached to random bank accounts would not drain the accounts, simply copy their contents to other bank accounts - in which circumstance there's no downside to the idea (other than the threat of hyperinflation =P ).

    People brought up to be consumers know very well how to want stuff but not how to value it, so in that sense maybe you're right to say they don't understand the concept of paying for stuff they want. But in that sense, I'd say the market is as much to blame for piracy as the pirates, in that their prices are too high relative to the exposure/intended appeal of their products. If you want to sell manufactured pop to teenagers, you need to price it in such a way that teenagers won't be unable to afford said maufactured pop.