Top 5 Reasons the PSP Go Will Fail
The PSP Go seems to have a lot going for it. Rumors were abound for it leading up to E3 where the Go was first announced along with its many new features. I for one am looking forward to the device but I’m stumped at some of the decisions made for it. Let’s take a look at five different reasons that’s holding the PSP Go back from being what it needs to be to capture the audience it’s reaching for. I want to also add that this is an opinion piece of mine and does not reflect the opinions of the other staff members.
No Selling, No Trading, No Borrowing
There are many consumers out there that hate hate HATE GameStop and everything they represent, but the fact of the matter is that gamers (not all) love that they can trade in their shelved games and put them towards different ones, and maybe even new ones in some instances. The PSP Go is putting a halt to this by not including some sort of physical copy of the game, which seems to be the direction everything is moving in but gamers still aren’t ready to take this plunge. Now don’t get me wrong, I love downloadable games, but I also like the fact that I can have a physical copy of something to do anything with.
Once you buy a game and install it to your Go, you are stuck with it, no trading it back in or loaning it out to your friends in exchange with a game of theirs. Yes, you can still go into stores and buy copies of games for the Go but that is pointless if you are anywhere near a WiFi point because you will just be able to download it from their online store. This procedure is a plus for gamers with that availability but some gamers will have to walk around in their backyards until you find that neighbor with an open network, or there is always McDonalds if a GameStop is a long drive for you (which for me is 30 miles in any direction).
Where is My 2nd Joystick
If you look at the lineup coming out for the PSP, you will notice that what they are wanting to make is hardcore PS3/PS2 games portable, which sucks without a 2nd Joystick. They are already limiting their audience with gamers that don’t want downloadable only so why not go the whole way and throw on that second little nubbin. I for one think it would justify it’s price point (more on that in a bit) and would pressure more gamers into purchasing the Go to get all those ports but now developers are constantly coming up with ways to find gamers a way to control the camera without the right joystick. I would have rather seen an entirely new PSP Go with the 2nd joystick rather than this new update which makes number 3 for the PSP (2000, 3000, and now this Go).
PSP Minis are a little too late to the party
The Iphone’s App store is a haven for independent developers to put something up to make money on. Apple keeps a significant portion of the sales and it looks like Sony wants to have some of that cash. The PSP Minis have a cap of 100MB which should allow for some creative games and applications, but to me this won’t take off like Sony would like. Everyone is trying out these types of programs like XNA, WiiWare, and DSiWare, and to be blunt they have been pretty unsuccessful besides a couple gems that stick out of the crap filled bunch. Looking at the launch of the store, it appears to be filled with games that are already a part of the App store. I understand its early and the Minis will surely gets their own exclusive games, but it’s going to be hard to developers to publish for the Go unless its easy to port games and apps from other systems. This leads into my next point…
Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
Sony seems to be completely lost when it comes to pricing their devices. Remember when the PS3 was revealed, and the hushed crowd when the $599 price point was announced. That was the main fault of the system’s otherwise amazing features. The same exact situation happened during the revealing of the PSP Go which is at a completely ridiculous price of $250. What exactly was Sony thinking with this, and what does the Go have to make up for the $70 price increase. Let’s look at the PS3 slim which is a slimmed down version of the original PS3 that cuts the price down $100. The PSP Go is a slimmed down PSP without a UMD drive and for some reason the price was increased. The company is hurting in terms of sales and this is the greatest disappointment of the Go. Why would you buy the PSP Go when you see the PS3 sitting next to it that is a full Blu-Ray/DVD Player that plays freaking PS3 games and its only $50 more dollars.
Competition with others… and itself
The PSP was first announced to go up against the NIntendo DS, and if history has taught us anything; You don’t mess with Nintendo and their handhelds. The PSP Go is now setting its sites on the IPhone and more importantly, it’s going to have to compete with the PSP 3000. The only major difference between the PSP’s is the size of the console, which the Go is prettier but not enough to justify the price difference, but the PSP 3000 will do everything else.
If you don’t have a PSP, I would still say go with the 3000 model. If you have a PSP right now, there is no reason to upgrade, unless you don’t own a PS3, then I would suggest go buy one now before all the awesome exclusives come out. This release reminds me so much of the DSi where it really didn’t upgrade much besides a couple crappy cameras and the DSi store. C’mon Sony… get your crap together.
25 Comments
this website will fail badly
its not psp2, so why the fuck write about secound thumb stick.
how can minis be late, fucker think before you write, psp will continue to sell till it hits around 120million (about 3-4 more years). dont you people at this shitty (unknown) website know that mini will carry on to psp2. if your poor like the people who run this website, then buy a psp3000 or wait for a price cut. i am not sorry, but this website is crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap!!!
Thanks for reading my article… oh wait you didn't because I clearly state people should go for the 3000 model over the psp go… idiot
That haters comment fails on so many levels. Just ignore people like that. He is obviously too dumb to understand the mini point.
well, ill ignore him, but can't ignore you… your awesome
OMG – 2cd stick is not the thing which make PSPgo! fail – It's the dumbest reason I've read – you've beat even MS paid fanboy sites !! Well done !
About Mini's – I think we should wait – as you probably know Sony is not Nintendo – probably Sony is the only big company which took the risk of releasing games like ICO or Shadow of Collossuss – think what they could do on Mini's. Ofc it also can be crappy service but I think we should wait to see what happens – so your second argument – temporary disabled.
Money argument – yes you're right, PSPgo! 250$, while PS3 299$ it's riddicolous – but the price should change before 1october or at least before end of this year.
Competition with other PSPs – PSPgo is targeted for a different consumers than PSP-3000 and Sony doesn't counting that PSPgo! will outsell PSP
It's just an evolution of a product – you are NOT forced to buy it.
And about game trading – yes it's a bit pain in ass but since PSP-3000 will still be avaible you have the choice.
Regards
I stopped paying attention when you said second analogue stick, that is just stupid, THIS IS NOT A PSP 2.
The point is for Sony this stops the second hand market which doesn't generate any revenue for you, which is likely why the console is so expensive, to compensate the retails for them. What you fail to understand is the problems the PSP is having with SW. The PS3 which has sold half as many units as it, has sold more software, because of piracy, and this unit is going to stop that, as Sony has made it more secure.
About the minis, the problem is the App store is becoming flooded, and so devs are going to move to minis, because Sony has decreased the dev costs for PSP massively, and Sony have already shown some decent titles. Note that there are 50m users for them to sell to, so it is not exactly a small market
The difference is not just the size, but the fact that it runs really quietly as there is no UMD drive and of course the flash memory, I know you can get an MS duo, but you can also get MS micro to expand it to a total of 48GB if you really want
And if you love downloadable games, how can you prefer having a physical copy of something, that is just a contradiction.
Yes it is expensive, but that is the only thing holding it back
Sad reasons, an less I check DSI did pretty good even with not much change and PSP Go isn't for everyone and people need to quit bitching.
You are right money doesn't grow on trees, but if you really want something then WORK FOR IT!!!
After learning that in the states, “built in wifi” has a different meaning, I have no need for one beings my PSP 2000 is still in mint condition.
The minis are an excellent idea, and though I would partly agree they are late, they are still very welcome.
What really needs to be done with the system is an emphasis of online support. I would love to see full PSN intergration into the PSP. For instance, friends lists, trophies and UK&US support for Ad-hoc party would all make the PSP a must have, but Sony keep insisting that they need to make new exterior changes instead of internal changes.
2nd stick cant be added because the older games wouldnt work with it and thats splitting their user base in half ya digggggggggggggg?
So what if older games wouldn't use the second nub, you could just use standard the control method. New games however could have the option to use either a two nub control set up or (for people with 3000's) the same shitty control set up we are used to. Seems pretty simple to me sony.
Totally agree if PSP Go had 2nd stick – instant buy, even at $250. But with no stick, no sale – even at current PSP prices!
It's pretty difficult to develop to entirely different control schemes, and set up the game to balance with them, in relation to turning speed and reactivity, etc.
I agree, psp go sucks big time… I own a psp 2000, i would rather buy the psp 3000 than a psp go… I really believe they are burring themselves with this one… Everyone was expecting a psp 2 with more features, instead they send out a new psp more expensive with less features? thats just being dumb
I cant disagree with this article anymore then I currently do.
Most notably, 250$ isn't overpriced. As far as I'm concerned that's about the standard price i would pay for a handheld straight off the market. What people need to start to realize (as we get complaints like this with everything, most notably, DLC) is that Sony is not out to do YOU any favors, Sony is out to make money. More importantly gamers need to get it through there heads what they've been being told by the market since video games have existed: Gaming is an expensive hobby.
Out of the money margin, your last section is what is most unnerving about this article. “You don’t mess with Nintendo and their handhelds”. Although this quote MAY be true, its only proven through numbers, and if you want to go down that road, then throw out every other console you own, handheld or not, because right now the Wii and DS dominate both markets. Does that mean the Wii's a better console then PS3 or 360? Of course not, it means the the general market prefers the Wii. The PSP GO is aimed at PSP owners, or people who dont want a DS, or whom are Sony supporters.
As for the second joystick, the PSP is already a console, this is an update, like the DS Lite or DSi. Meaning it runs the same with new features, adding a second joystick just isn't ideal, as many games already exist (and exist well) without the second joystick. As far as I'm concerned, a second joystick is MAYBE only called for in a BRAND NEW system, not an UPDATE.
There are parts here that I agree with, most notably the no UMD slot. I agree with the fact that I would love to be able to have a hard copy of my games, but really on a portable system, where the games are going to be small, and probably quick to download (or re-download if needed) that it wont be a huge issue. Also, there is already talk and rumors of a peripheral that will allow you to take games straight of a UMD, or play straight from it. Furthermore, the PSP's right now will still be on the market, meaning UMD's will still be around. Nothing is stopping anyone from getting hard copys of there games and using them on the PSP GO given the the peripheral is indeed in the works. If not, the other PSP's are still there.
I've owned a PSP for quite sometime now, I do not own a DS, but enjoy some of the games and functionality of it. I love my PSP (actually loved, sat on it and the screen shattered) and I can tell you right now, that opening day, I will own a PSP GO. Of course this is just my opinion, and I wont demean yours through it. I hope this doesn't offend you or anyone else.
As for the comment below me, I take a huge amount of offense to this. I've written some work on this website I'm extremely proud of, and for you to demean that publicly in front of other viewers over one article is not only immature but overall uncalled for. Its people like you that have made Gamer Culture into one big joke. Thanks a ton.
The PSP Go “failing” or not is inconsequential. It already had it's beneficial effect, with many developers scrambling, expecially in Japan, to release a big slew of games for it's coming. This will definitely fuel the PSP market a lot. The PSP Go will probably be a luzury item for a while, but who really cares? The games are what really count, and a truckton of them are coming.
My biggest problem with it is the price. Sony's main console is now $299 and the go is only 50 dollars less? thats a bit insane. From what I understand the PSP 3000 does everything that the PSP go does function wise. So your basically paying more money for a smaller unit? I don't really have any issues with the 3000's size. There has been numerous reports that the battery life is nearly the same as the 3000. Usually when you cut down a console and remove stuff like the UMD drive the point is to make it more affordable. This thing really needed to priced at least the same as the 3000.
Andi i think you slightly contradicted yourself in your response. You said Sony is out to make money. Then you said about the DS that it can only be proved by numbers and talk about the DS and Wii's success. Nintendo and Sony are COMPETING in the handheld market. If the DS didn't exist or wasn't selling a bagillion units a month then Sony's sales would go through the roof. DS has a vice grip on the handheld market much like apple has it on the music download market and the iPhone is starting to do to the cell phone market. The more the DS out sells sony the more market share Sony loses. Sony used to own the music industry with the Walkman, now with the ipod controlling the market the Walkman has pretty much faded from existence. Numbers mean everything in this business, if you don't make a profit on your consoles it doesn't matter how good the games are. Hell the first half of E3 conferences is spent with each company bending the numbers in their favor. The point of the Go is to draw in new users. Your not going to do that with a $259 price tag. I would expect to see a price cut before xmas.
Now I am not just a sony hater. I have a PSP 2000 and I play it all the time. I can tell you though there is now way in hell I would pay 50 or 70 more dollars for a smaller system with no difference in functionality. Heck my 2000 can download the same games the PSP Go can.
You are all idiots!!!
the psp go will fail so bad!! A lot of people i know like to buy hard copies of their games so they can trade them or lend then to friends. also the software is going to be the same for the psp 3000 so why not buy a bigger memory card and download the games. The 2nd nubstick would be great but as the older games wouldnt work for it doesnt matter, just make the stick for the newer games.
You people are just sony fan boys who cant see the fact that the psp go will fail. the funny thing is that this guy like his psp and so do i but here in the UK the console costs £225, if i didnt have a ps3 already i would buy one as they are only £250. so for the people who say the psp go is worth the money then the ps3 is a steal.
I think that everyone is missing the point. Sony doesn't really care about the existing customers. They want more new customers. The target for the PSP Go is the kind of people who buy a new iPod or iPhone with every new version. Every existing PSP owner is like a dog that has had a juicy bone thrown in front of them! Just live with your PSP 3000 if there's nothing wrong with it. Just think of the Go as a new line of the PSP instead of the 4000. I bet some of you would sell your PS3 to get the PS3 Slim just because it's new! DON'T GIVE IN THE THE HYPE!!!
fit……….i like this new psp go….its prettier but …………i cant decide i have a psp 2000 but should i buy the new or I buy ps3 instead ….is psp go worth ps3???
I quite like the PSP GO! It has a sleek overall feel to it and it's very small in it's stylish form factor. I think Sony are quite smart with the GO! As they know it won't succeed, but it will sell and at the price it is at ($249.99) makes it a gold mine. They only have to sell 1 million and money wise, profitability wise it will be like selling 2 million PSP 3000's. Sony have this right from a business point of view, but Sony are only treading the waters. We all know that Digital Distribution is coming, it may not be next generation but it is coming, so this handheld is an experiment more than anything.
At the end of the day all things mentioned above in the article are common complaints but for the most part this is still the same console. So they wouldn't have added a second analogue stick this late into the handhelds life span, perhaps if it was 3-4 years younger maybe but not now developers just wouldn't code it in. The rest is merely how you feel, I am not a huge fan of the price but I know hundreds of people that would pay. Sony of course know this and they will take advantage of it until it stops working. I think the PSP GO! Is a magnificent system but one that is just an experiment of Digital Distribution.
This isn't the first time Sony have experimented, the PSX DVR 250Gb which released in Japan at the heart of the PS2 era was an experiment, it didn't work but it wasn't really meant to.
The older games wont work with it anyway….The PSP Go doesn't have a UMD Drive. All the Old games collection is a waste now. If i was going to tell someone what psp to buy, I'd say the PSP 3000. It's also very easy to Jailbreak/Downgrade/Hack.
Buy a ps3. Simples.
i think its so not gonna fail…………….its gonna be cooooll!!!
it gonna fail psp sucks
nintendo dsi rocks