Sony: PSPgo always part of the plan

By Robert Purchese Published 3 July, 2009

UMD a stop-gap until tech was in place.

Sony Computer Entertainment chief product planner Naoya Matsui has revealed that a UMD-less PSP was always part of the handheld plan.

"We'd planned to release a PSP model without a UMD drive since the very beginning," Matsui told Develop, raising the question of why Sony developed the Universal Media Disc to begin with.

"But if we'd simply released the hardware, there wouldn't have been much for everyone to enjoy. We needed to prepare the right environment for it first - things like the transferral of content with the PS3 and PSN, and PC software to manage content like music and movies such as 'Media Go'.

"We wanted to release it when the delivery of digital content was on par with the delivery of physical media," he said. "That's what we've been working on these past two years. We'll be selling the PSPgo alongside the existing PSP models, because it's a product targeted at those people who are more accustomed to digital content."

Sony plans to both digital and physical versions of PSP games in the future. How much longer the niche UMD format can survive for depends on the uptake of Sony's new handheld.

The PSPgo launches simultaneously in Europe and North America on 1st October. The 50 per cent smaller handheld, with sliding screen and more on-board memory, will cost GBP 250, EUR 250 and USD 250. It's easy to remember, at least (and moan about).

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.

You may also like...

Comments (33) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • CaptainScarlet #1 3 years ago

    Sony laugh out loud at Muppets that bought their stop gap tech to give them cash and time to do it properly. Nice way to rub folks noses in their purchase of sony product again :)

  • bad09 #2 3 years ago

    I need to hold one first to try it but I must admit my slim is looking pretty big latley. Bung the GTAs (and MGS, the RE's and many more PS1) on PSN Sony and you might (might) have a deal.

    Is it REALLY £250 though, I'll wait a LONG while if it is! Maybe a hundred or just over. I think my slim was £130 so around there I'm happy.

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    I was lucky enough to pre-order one for £180, and £250 is still unconfirmed but pretty much a certainty anyway. It really is a bit much for bluetooth and 16GB memory, but it's nice as an option. I'm all about options - as long as they keep the UMD equipped ones on the shelves for those who don't want to pay all that extra, it's okay with me.

  • collateral89 #4 3 years ago

    250 is way too much u can get a ps3 for that

  • mkreku #5 3 years ago

    But why invent a NEW media technology for a stop-gap product..? It doesn't make sense to me.

  • DFawkes #6 3 years ago

    If it's actually £250 of course ;)

    Which it will be. We know how their minds work, they'll do it. Even if it was going to be £200 or something, as soon as the £250 price point started floating around they'd have decided they're just as well, since it's expected anyway. But it was probably always £250, even if it's unconfirmed.

  • patch #7 3 years ago

    I'd have thought the delay to go to digital distribution was as much a cost of components issue. 16Gb flash memory a couple of years ago would've made it impossible to make for a resonable price (think PS3 but worse). And where does this £250 keep coming from? Has there been a press release I've missed?

  • woodnotes #8 3 years ago

    According to Apple, the tech has been in place for a very long time indeed.

  • Toothball #9 3 years ago

    I'm not entirely sure how the UMD was integral to building on the rest of the connectivity options. I guess I couldn't be sure how I would have reacted to a digital only device two years ago, as back then I was only just starting to pick up on digital games on XBLA. I just want to know how I'm going to turn my UMD selection into digital versions.

  • wittynic #10 3 years ago

    250 is an absolute joke for a handheld.

  • SeesThroughAll #11 3 years ago

    They might as well have just shut up.

    Rethinking their strategy and playing catchup when things have clearly gone differently than they had previously expected does not make them look stupid.

    This kind of PR, on the other hand, does.
    Edited by 1 at 03/07/09 @ 10:07

  • peterfll #12 3 years ago

    And so are Sony secretly considering the PSPGo! as a stop-gap between this PSP tech and it's genuine successor?

  • kingcrude #13 3 years ago

    sounds like a fat excuse for another failed Sony format. how on earth can UMD be a "stop-gap" when theyre openly admiting theyre trying to find a option for people to play their current umd's software on the pspgo. ugh.

  • Gao #14 3 years ago

    I can't believe the bull they come out with sometimes. They're only saying this now to try to get people to buy the new one (as you would expect), but when they have another new device out they will come out and say "oh yeah it was always suppost to be this way!".

  • StooMonster #15 3 years ago

    And next from Department of the Ministry of Truth: "War is Peace", "Freedom is Slavery" and "Ignorance is Strength".

  • moggsy #16 3 years ago

    It's all a big mess if you ask me, which I know nobody did.

  • BM #17 3 years ago

    Sony: PSPgo always part of the plan

    Booooooooooooooolllllllllllloooooooooooooocccccccckkkkkkkkkk kkssssssssssss

  • Chazmeister #18 3 years ago

    Great, once again the UK get to pay nearly a £100 more for their kit than the US do.

  • Arcadiian #19 3 years ago

    I hope Blu-ray isn't also a stop-gap.

  • chessboxer #20 3 years ago

    Out of curiosity, who would rather spend their money on an iPhone/iPod Touch?

  • mingster #21 3 years ago

    o that's such a lie.

  • citizenHUNTER #22 3 years ago

    @chessboxer I know I would. Seriously £250? It's got some on board memory, not that expensive these days and is a bit redesigned so it DOESN'T have all the mechanical bits and bobs associated with the UMD drive anymore yet it's £100 more than the current PSP. Not to mention the sheer cheek of selling it for 250 no matter the currency, tis a piss take yet again of us over here. Shouldn't the government be stepping in and getting pissy with operations like this...?

  • chessboxer #23 3 years ago

    @ citizenHUNTER

    I hope the government has more important things to do.

    Although I do think £250 is a bit steep (and we can get it cheaper from the US), Sony have not confirmed what this can do which the PSP3000 cannot. So far I've heard that it has a CPU which is over 40% faster, will have in-game XMB and will be DS3 compatible for all titles.

    I wouldn't say no to getting one (from the US) seeing as it can play music just as well as an iPod (talking about audio quality), I can easily convert video for it, I should be able to use my Sony DR-BT50's and games which have been announced for it will have much more appeal for me than anything I have heard about for the Apple devices (e.g. Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker).

  • onyxbox #24 3 years ago

    @ £150 this thing could take back the market share iPod Touch is eating into... at £250 there's just no way man. Sony's stuff is high quality stuff for sure but PSP go price is ill informed.

    /runs off and goes and pre-orders :-)

  • peterfll #25 3 years ago

    I wonder if Sony will region lock the PSPGo! store in the same way Nintendo has for the DSi, therefore discouraging importing? Actually, is the US DSi store region locked or just the Japanese store?

    Less we forget - Lik Sang....

  • Ryze #26 3 years ago

    Yeah Sony - bollocks.

  • AusFreelancer #27 3 years ago

    Was betamax also a stop-gap for VHS?

  • zedzee #28 3 years ago

    "The 50 per cent smaller handheld...will cost GBP 250"

    HOW MUCH?!!!

  • Quak #29 3 years ago

    What a load of bollocks. They came up with a UMD-less device when the UMD sales were falling through the floor and even their own movie studios dropped the format.

    This bullshit is along the lines of "umm yeah we didnt include rumble in teh ps3 cos its last-gen technology - nothing 2 do with teh immersion lawsuit".

  • Bravestinsane #30 3 years ago

    I recently bought a Nintendo DSi to go along side my 360 i wanted something casual play to chill out on.

    The PSPgo for £250 i wont even consider looking into it until its under £150 (what i paid for a new DSi)
    My launch Xbox 360 wasnt even this expensive, kind of takes the piss. I havn't had anything made by sony since the PS1 and i loved that console, hogs of war, vigilante 8 those were the days.But got this price not going to even consider it. Perhaps if it was like the DSi (in which the power of the handheld had doubled to DSi exclusive games would look better) Whereas to my understanding the power in the PSPgo its exactly the same so whats the point.

  • bad09 #31 3 years ago

    Wow, seems to be true, just checked Play £249.99.

    Never mind, guess my slim will do until a 2nd hand cheap one comes along (IF I like the new model - still not convinced it will be that comfortable). Sony lol....

  • electrolite #32 3 years ago

    All I could think reading this was "of course it was Sony, of course . We believe you"
    Edited by 1 at 04/07/09 @ 17:04

  • sneetch #33 3 years ago

    @mkreku
    But why invent a NEW media technology for a stop-gap product..? It doesn't make sense to me.

    Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.

    Now, why didn't they just say something like "we knew we needed a physical product to sell in stores because otherwise we could only sell it to people who had a PC and internet access (as the PS3 was two years away when the PSP launched) and we didn't want to limit our market" then I'd say fair enough, makes perfect sense. I still wouldn't be willing to pay more for it than a PSP with a UMD drive though.

    From the screenshot on the develop-online.net article the console looks teeny, far too teeny for me. Unless that guy has massive hands. :)
    Edited by 2 at 05/07/09 @ 00:28