Three free games for PSPgo upgraders

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 September, 2009

Update: Now with all 17 available games.

Sony has announced that people with existing UMD games who want to upgrade to the new PSPgo, due out on 1st October, will receive three "free" downloads of full games.

This "PSPgo Rewards" programme involves registering a PSPgo on PSN, then logging on to PSN with your existing PSP with a UMD in the drive, which allows you to download a special PSPgo theme, which then presents you with a voucher via email for use on the PSPgo.

The voucher can be redeemed for three out of 17 available titles. We've asked Sony for the full list, but in the meantime the press release mentions Killzone: Liberation, SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, WipEout Pure, Everybody's Golf, echochrome, Buzz!: Brain Bender, Buzz!: Master Quiz, LocoRoco and Patapon.

PSPgo Rewards will be available from 1st October until 31st March 2010 and is open to people with any existing PSP model and at least one UMD who buy and register a PSPgo during that timeframe.

The issue of how people with existing PSPs might "upgrade" their UMD collections to work on the download-only PSPgo has been debated a fair bit since the system's E3 unveiling, and the popular choice would seem to be a trade-in programme of some sort. We've asked Sony whether that's a possibility or whether PSPgo Rewards will be the final word on the subject.

The platform holder has previously said that it intends to support UMD despite the launch of PSPgo, with games due to be released both digitally and on the proprietary disc format for the foreseeable future.

Check out our PSPgo hands-on for more on the system, which will retail for £224.99.

Update: Sony's got back to us and provided a list of all 17 games available as part of the offer:

  • Buzz!: Brain Bender
  • Buzz!: Master Quiz
  • Daxter
  • Echochrome
  • Everybody's Golf PSP
  • Killzone: Liberation
  • Lemmings PSP
  • LocoRoco
  • MediEvil
  • Patapon
  • Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
  • Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
  • Resistance: Retribution
  • SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3
  • Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
  • Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
  • WipEout Pure
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (65) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Shadders #1 2 years ago

    I have a feeling that some people are not going to feel this is adequate compensation.

  • dog2_99 #2 2 years ago

    poor deal!

  • SeesThroughAll #3 2 years ago

    Not good enough, Sony.

    I'm not interested in the PSPGo, but want to be able to convert my UMDs to dowloadable format too!...

  • TipTop #4 2 years ago

    I read that Sony are expecting 20 to 25% of the existing user base to 'upgrade' to the Go. This seems incredibly low to me and would acknowledge that 75% of expected sales will be to net new users. Without a satisfactory method of transferring the investment in UMDs to the new platform, I can't see the take up from a personal view point. If the platform were a newer generation e.g moving from PS2 to PS3, then it may be different. However this is the same platform just in a different form factor. I think they need to work harder otherwise this wont make a dent on the the DS / DSi and allow Apple further expansion in the download to play market.

  • Eldritch #5 2 years ago

    Great news for all people who kept buying UMD games for all those years. Cheers, Sony.

  • Rpt81 #6 2 years ago

    I have a feeling that some people are not going to feel this is adequate compensation.

    Heh, I think you might be right. Especially as it means that anyone who was hoping to trade in their old model against the cost of a Go won't be able to benefit from the system.

  • jonthepymm #7 2 years ago

    Well, this is better than nothing! If the 17 game-list includes Lumines and God of War then I'll be happy.

  • abigsmurf #8 2 years ago

    3 platinum/budget games in exchange for the ability to play all your purchased titles on the new consoles. Yeah... Not a great trade

  • IMadeThis #9 2 years ago

    So it can be any game, yeah? Already sold my PSP to fund a PSPgo so I'll need to get another to take advantage of this 'offer'? Hmm...

  • thegamesthething #10 2 years ago

    "It's also a disgrace that Sony didn't update hundreds of my dvd's to blu ray when I bought a PS3. I think what their doing is better than nothing, which to be honest I think they have every right to."

    You can still watch your dvds on PS3.

  • jonsaan #11 2 years ago

    I hate to say I told you so but it is no shock whatsoever that there is no real UMD to DL scheme. This is it people. Enjoy.

  • jonsaan #12 2 years ago

    This also signals to me that there will be no major update to the store as the list of games are already up and available. This means no classics like Lumines or Ridge Racer etc.

    Pull your finger out of your arses SONY!

  • Machetazo #13 2 years ago

    What's preventing PSP G(tf)O from falling completely on its arse? Not this, that's for sure.
    I agree with the commenter who said that things would be different if it were a new generatiion of PSP, but this is more of a...Mess. I like the PSP, but haven't the slightest interest in being obliged to download any game I'd want to play.

  • Fodder #14 2 years ago

    So, get a PSP Go, where you can't play your existing games and you have to pay as much as 32 quid for new ones or get a PSP-3000 which will play existing titles, plus all the downloadable ones and you can pick up UMDs of new games for much less than the price of the download. Hmm, tough choice.

  • bad09 #15 2 years ago

    "It's also a disgrace that Sony didn't update hundreds of my dvd's to blu ray when I bought a PS3. "

    Erm....the PS3 is a DVD upscaler so.....

    Anyway the ONLY things that would sway me to get a go is working Speccy/C64/SNES/MD/PS1 and a price about £70 lower. A list of crap Sony games (or any PSP games for that matter) won't do anything to change that.

    / Waits for the inevitable hackers
    / Then waits for the inevitable price drop
    / Picks one up.....

  • samaran #16 2 years ago

    that's a pretty good deal, really. they didn't have to do anything, and if you really have vast libraries of UMD games...don't buy a PSP go, stick with the system you bought them for in the first place! no-one's forcing you.

  • Toothball #17 2 years ago

    This does make the upgrade a little more appealing, although I'm still more concerned with how any UMD to digital process might go.

  • phatb0y #18 2 years ago

    Thats just confirmed a non-sale of a PSP GO here, unless theres a way to transfer titles across in the future. Though judging by Sony's stance on backwards compatibility in general I can't see that happening.

  • JahB #19 2 years ago

    wtf? what about Monster Hunter, the best and most sold game in the history of the platform?

  • mingster #20 2 years ago

    The PSPgo is dead before its been launched nobody in there right mind will buy one.
    Maybe if it was about £90-£100 retail but anyway most people that might buy one won't like the fact they can't use existing UMDS and won't have a cluw how to download stuff to it.
    The majority of Joe public is dumb and they won't understand the PSPgo at all.

  • chanandler #21 2 years ago

    lord said: "It's also a disgrace that Sony didn't update hundreds of my dvd's to blu ray when I bought a PS3. I think what their doing is better than nothing, which to be honest I think they have every right to."

    Lol... the PS3 plays both formats.... so you can watch your hundreds of DVD's on it. How does that equate to the PSPGo then? I have about 50 UMD's (mostly games but some movies) so I have to buy them all again apart from 3 lol. It's not like the Go has an extra analogue stick or larger screen or touchscreen etc to make it worth while upgrading!

  • GreyBeard #22 2 years ago

    Its bloody annoying that the Go is so stupidly overpriced; I'd quite like one but realistically its £75 - £100 more than it should be so no sale for me. Yet.

  • Bigglesworth #23 2 years ago

    This offer reflects calculations that PSP owners have each purchased an average of 3 games over the life of the machine...

  • drumbaby #24 2 years ago

    Monster Hunter has to be on that list, or I'm not playing.

  • loveless #25 2 years ago

    Way to take the piss Sony.

    Between that, the erosion of backwards compatibility in the Playstation line, and ridiculously semi-functional backup facility in the PS3, this current generation may very well be the end of the line with Sony's gaming platforms.

    (Then again, MS aren't any better with their Gold vs Silver live subscriptions, and poor reliability. Can't someone get Sega to rejoin the party? Please?)

  • Eraysor #26 2 years ago

    So essentially, if you have more than three UMDs, you're making a huge loss.

    Epic fail, Sony.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #27 2 years ago

    Hahahahaha... what a crock of shit. Why did I let my hopes get up when I secretly knew they would pull this kind of bullshit?

    My collection of 20 plus UMD games would love to be played on the PSPGo but looks like they will have to stay stuck in my PSP as ISOs on my memory stick.

  • Xerx3s #28 2 years ago

    3 Free small games for a product lifetime of not being able to buy discounted games and not reaping the benefits of price competition? Sounds like a meagre deal to me.

  • cooper #29 2 years ago

    No difference to me. I have no doubt the EU will have 1% of what'll be in the US and JPN stores.
    Hell, 99% of my PSP games are from the US - much cheaper and sooner (if they ever get a EU release at all).

  • Widge #30 2 years ago

    I think the Go should cost £4.50 as it is some magical 'proper' RRP that I have made up in my mind

  • fushimi #31 2 years ago

    No Metal Gear AC!D, no sale!!

  • Nightside #32 2 years ago

    Reward upgraders? They get 3 titles and can't even trade in their old PSP against the cost of the PSPGO (although how much they would get is another question)

  • Quak #33 2 years ago

    I read that Sony are expecting 20 to 25% of the existing user base to 'upgrade' to the Go. This seems incredibly low to me and would acknowledge that 75% of expected sales will be to net new users.

    That's not true. They're not saying how much of the market that buys the PSPgo will be existing owners; they're saying that 25% of existing owners will buy a PSPgo.

    To illustrate, let's say there's 100 existing users and 25% of them buy a PSPgo - that makes 25 users. There might be 30 users in total (5 new buyers) or there might be 100 (75 new buyers) - you can't tell from the stats that Sony gave. All you can say from them is that 25% (so 25 in this case) of existing owners are predicted to buy one.

  • groovychainsaw #34 2 years ago

    Maybe sony like people cracking their portable consoles to use what they have already paid for. Hackers will have a better system than sony for the pspgo, ripping the umds you've already got and installing them all on one memory stick (completely legally, as far as I'm concerned, as you've bought the softwrae for the format you want to play it on, why should sony stop you using it.)

  • Quak #35 2 years ago

    CFW and isos it is then!

  • jonbwfc #36 2 years ago

    This is bordering on the idiotic. Not only does it not include all PSP games, not only does it not include the games that have been released recently that are the ones people might actually want to carry on playing but they're not even the best versions of some of the franchises. Why Pure and not Pulse? Why Everybody's Golf 1 when Everybody's Golf 2 has been out for ages.

    If this is all they're doing, hardly anyone with an existing PSP will upgrade to a PSP Go. And surely the people who have supported the PSP this far are the people they really want to hang on to, as nobody else seems to give a toss about it...

    Edited by 1 at 24/09/09 @ 13:54

  • FairgroundTown #37 2 years ago

    This wouldn't be so bad if Sony had not raised everyone's expectations of something much more expansive, like a 1-2-1 swap. Plus it stuffs everyone who wants to sell their old PSP to get a "Go".

    Also... I've a horrible feeling that a lot of "Go"s are going to be returned to the shop, when people realize they can't play their existing games.

  • Toothball #38 2 years ago

    The way I read it this trade is separate to any sort of UMC to digital affair, instead something supposedly there to benefit people who do decide to upgrade given that it's not a terribly appealing prospect as it is. Many seem to be taking this as the only thing they have to offer people with UMDs at the moment, but I don't think that is the case. I was a little unsure about whether I wanted to upgrade, but with these and GT on the table for no money then this is quite appealing for me. It'll all depend on what the rest of the list looks like, and what their UMD plan actually is. Not long now though.

  • jonthepymm #39 2 years ago

    PSPgo: a defence

    Having seen the number of comments on this site by people who clearly dislike even the existence of the PSPgo, let me try and explain why I'm getting one.

    I had the original 2005 PSP. The biggest problems were UMD load times, size, weight and poor battery life (2-3 hours). For these reasons, I stopped carrying it (and UMD games) around with me - and in fact, my wife uses it now; I haven't touched it for a couple of years.

    Then the PSPgo was announced a few months ago. Although the PSP-3000 would have solved half my issues, it was still too big to be easily pocket portable - and the PSPgo addresses this in a big way. Down from the 17cm of the PSP-3000, the PSPgo is 12cm. Sure, it's only 5cm, but that's a big difference when chucking in a pocket. A service fully based around no UMDs suits me fine also: they're slow to load and I don't want to carry them with me.

    So I preordered a PSPgo at £230. Since then, the price has dropped £30 (£199 at Play, as of today), I get Gran Turismo PSP for free, and now, I get 3 free games also (provided I can wrestle the old one off my wife for a couple of hours). Sure, PSP-3000 is still £65 cheaper but doesn't come with 4 free games; and some of that £65 would need to be spent on a 16GB memory card anyway.

    If you don't want a PSPgo, don't buy one - but please understand that some of us are really looking forward to it.

  • Fodder #40 2 years ago

    @Toothball

    I think that's quite optimistic. The press release says "With PSPgo Rewards you can download three much-loved, or totally new PSP titles for free, and put your new PSPgo to the test."

    They probably wouldn't suggest downloading "much-loved" games you already have if there was also going to be a UMD transfer scheme.
    Edited by 1 at 24/09/09 @ 14:52

  • Fodder #41 2 years ago

    A lot of recent UMD games come with install options anyway, and can apparently even be quicker at loading than the download versions, as they can load data from memory stick and disk simultaneously. Okay, you get four free games, but then have to pay massively over the odds for every other game you get for the machine. I just don't see how it makes any financial sense to get a Go! over a 3000.

    Having your games on a memory stick is great, but as the screen isn't covered on the Go, you'd need a case of some kind to carry it around, and if you're doing that anyway then I don't see UMDs as being a huge disadvantage. Most cases will store at least three, and you can keep one in the console.

  • Rpt81 #42 2 years ago

    That's my main sticking point, really. I'd quite like to have a PSPGo to replace my chunky old launch model, but not if it means being bent over backwards every time I want to buy a game, especially given the fact that it's a game that I can never sell on, trade in, lend to friends, etc. Football Manager 2009 cost me about £15 to buy on UMD shortly after launch. Almost a year later, I believe it's still £29.99 through PSN.
    Edited by 1 at 24/09/09 @ 15:04

  • yupyup #43 2 years ago

    PSPgo! DoOne!
    Edited by 1 at 24/09/09 @ 15:05

  • Toothball #44 2 years ago

    @Fodder:

    It is an optimistic view, but it's one reflected in this article to a degree. EG seem suitably unsure of this to be trying to contact Sony for further clarification. I had no trouble picking out three games I would like to download from that list that I don't already own, so as an offer in itself I find it rather appealing. If this is all they have to offer though then it's a terrible deal, but until it's definite one way or the other then it's not worth writing off the whole thing just yet. Knowing Sony though we won't hear about it until next year or so.

    Oh, also on the cases I picked up an official leather case a while back that doesn't have have slots for games to keep it looking sleek. It came with a plastic case for a couple of games which is alright, but it only holds two. And I can see the appeal of not having to carry around loads of discs, as a while back I found the transition from using minidiscs to mp3s a very practical one. Suddenly I could carry around all my music instead of just a handful of albums.

    @jonthepymm:

    £199?! It's going to be quite hard to resist now. I wonder whether I'll make it though the night.
    Edited by 1 at 24/09/09 @ 15:11

  • jonsaan #45 2 years ago

    Re: updated list. The only game that is not on the store already is Daxter. Poor.

  • jonsaan #46 2 years ago

    Lets hope psp minis throws up some impulse purchases..

    Pricing is key Sony. PRICING.

  • yorkieshaman #47 2 years ago

    I completely agree with everyone who's saying 'That's a naff deal: I'm not shifting from my PSP now.'

    But maybe this isn't Sony trying to convince us to re-buy most of our UMDs digitally. Maybe it's about eliminating UMDs as a source of cheap games for new PSPGo owners (as in: people who've never owned a PSP before).

    Let's say Sony DO launch some sort of trade-in system for UMDs - send in your disc, maybe a small charge and you get access to a digital copy. People are going to buy a PSPGo, pick up a load of second-hand UMDs off ebay (or more likely overpriced but still relatively cheap from GameStation etc.) and send them in to get their digital copies. Sony make nothing bar the small transfer charge (if they have one).

    If Sony stick to the 'three UMDs and that's it and you need to have an existing PSP for the promotion and it only runs for a little while anyway' line, all those new PSPGo owners are locked in to digital distribution. Even if Sony charge, say, £5 for games released previously on UMD, (and I'm guessing they'll charge a lot more) that's £5 in revenue they wouldn't have made had it been a second-hand sale. When you think of the number of second-hand UMDs there must be floating around in the world...

    Just a thought.

  • mingster #48 2 years ago

    Sony are not going to do a digital transfer scheme don't get your hopes up.
    You get what you can for whatever they charge or decide to give you on PSN. That's it.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #49 2 years ago

    This is more Sony crap being served up, and is in no way worth it, but feel free those that are hungry for it, you suckers. Their compromises are always half hearted and lack common sense, so I'm not going to hold any hope, that they'll just release a UMD external mini drive for PSP, to allow transfers of games.

    I know the best of PSP can be experienced through the current PSP. If you need a new and better PSP battery, try ebay, as better batteries were released for PSP. I have two PSP bateries which I rotate accordingly, if want longer play.

  • penhalion #50 2 years ago

    So let me get this. You have to jump through hoops to get a voucher to download 3 of your games and throw away the rest of your UMD collection like some idiot.

    Are Sony serious?

    Why would anyone but a complete muppet upgrade if they aren't guaranteed to be able to convert all of their existing games to run on the PSPGo at no extra cost. Otherwise the retailers have been 100% correct in saying that this machine is dead even before it's been officially launched!

  • des #51 2 years ago

    yawn...what a stupid deal,why are they even bothering?

    PSPGo is such a disaster...please re-buy every* game that you have already bought

    *-3(if those games are included in the 17 games list)

  • ant72 #52 2 years ago

    Somebody wake me up. I have not played my PSP in quite a while, and can't imagine myself "upgrading" to a machine I can't play my games on.

  • Ryze #53 2 years ago

    /chortle

  • TopKatt #54 2 years ago

    I can understand all the people complaining about this, but from a personal point of view, if I'm reading this right, I 'm now very termpted to get one. My position is that I own a PSP 2000 with one UMD. So, does this mean that I could buy a Go from play (£199) get a free copy of GTpsp and then download three more games free of charge and then sell my old PSP and game on ebay??

  • Rein #55 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:11:28 12-12-2011

  • Rein #56 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:11:28 12-12-2011

  • TopKatt #57 2 years ago

    Reading the article again, it sounds as though, even though I've got only one UMD, I can download three games! That means that, once I sell my old psp and game I'd be getting a new PSP Go and four games (inc GTpsp) for about £100!!

    That does sound too good to be true I'll admit, lol. Am I missing something???
    Edited by 1 at 24/09/09 @ 19:16

  • Rein #58 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:11:28 12-12-2011

  • TopKatt #59 2 years ago

    @Rein

    I know it definitely sounds too good to b true but check this out:

    "5. Pop one of your UMDs into the drive of your current PSP and register on PSPgo Rewards when prompted
    6. Download a PSPgo theme
    7. Wait for your email voucher for your three free games
    8. Choose, download and enjoy!

    Promotion starts on 1 October 2009 and runs until 31 March 2010. Promotion open to owners of a PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 and at least one UMD, when they purchase a PSPgo. Titles may vary by territory and age restrictions apply."

    So yeah, an awful deal if you have a stackful of UMD's, a great deal if you only have one.

  • SeesThroughAll #60 2 years ago

    @ TopKatt: You're mistaken, the promotion applies to up to three UMD games.

  • INSOMANiAC #61 2 years ago

    Maybe you all havent noticed but you will need to go on the playstation store with your old psp to get the games, you can bet your right bollock that youll need a new firmware in order to do it, which is bad news for alot of people. I think im the only person in the world whose psp isnt using custom firmware...

  • Moz #62 2 years ago

    This is going to upset GAME as it's going to stop people trading in their PSP to get their PSPGo (initially) unless they get Sony to give them a bunch of codes on cards that they can give people who trade for a PSPGo

  • cowell #63 2 years ago

    Had anyone noticed these are all first party Sony releases?

    I am guessing that part of the legal (and logistical) problem of making every PSP game ever released available digitally is the number of publishers involved. From the get-go that always struck me as a big potential stumbling block.

    Perhaps any people feeling particularly agrieved about a game not being available for PSPgo - eg Monster Hunter - they should get in touch with the publisher in question and appeal to their sense of 'good will'.

  • 3william56 #64 2 years ago

    So... if my mate has never logged onto the PSN with his PSP2000, can I then use his to log on under my iD, and get 3 games for nothing?

    /perks up

  • Loghorn #65 2 years ago

    Can't someone get Sega to rejoin the party? Please?

    I, for one, would sure love for Sega to return to the console business. Unfortunately, they probably don't have the kind of money to do so...

    Plus Sony's wondering why both Nintendo & Microsoft are dominating them in both the console & the handheld industry. Because they keep making too many dumbass decisions! I sure like to know who Sony has been hiring lately, because it seems that ever since 2005 or so, they've just became the laughing stock of the gaming industry. I certainly have no intention of buying their precious PSP Go anyways. I can just get the 3000 model instead.