180°

Transfer Your PSP UMD Games To Vita... For A Fee

Sony has been saying for some time now that they are working on a plan to allow current PSP owners to transfer their UMD games to the PlayStation Vita when the system launches. We now have official word from the company how that will work (at least how it will work in Japan) and not surprisingly it will cost you [about $10 per title].

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brutalgamer.com
TacoTaru4548d ago

Lovely - they will reward their best customers with large psp umd libraries by charging them hundreds of dollars to use an automated system to download the digital version of a game they already own. sigh... I guess greed dominates everywhere.

Mario0074548d ago

hundreds of dollars? its like 5 dollars based on those japanese figures and in japan the games always more expensive than in the west so you can expect that it'll be 5 dollars per game at most

ABizzel14548d ago

Why wasn't this ready for the PSP Go?

Nonetheless it's worth going out to buy all those cheap UMD's, now that I can transfer them over to my Vita.

The Vita has hit every single note right with me, and I expect to be a happy buyer come February. I might even pick up the early pre-order copy.

TacoTaru4548d ago

"Pricing may vary for each game, but the average price is around $10." ( I'm assuming that is 10 US dollars.) That's $200 for my 20 or so UMDs. So you download a bit of software that recognizes a UMD title and gives you license to download it from PSN. I'm not sure that was much of a costly development effort for Sony.

Mario0074547d ago

@taco taru: those prices are only converts from yen, since sony hasnt even announced this plan outside of japan yet

CynicalVision4548d ago

Nobody is making them do anything, if people are so fond of their UMDs then stick with the device that can play them. Sony aren't forcing people to buy the Vita.

Arksine4548d ago

If they didn't people would abuse the hell out of this. They would buy the physical version, download the digital version, then trade in the physical version.

dgonza404548d ago

well said, i didnt even think of this until you pointed it out.

killerhog4548d ago (Edited 4548d ago )

I don't blame Sony for this move. Let's be real, you know damn well people are going to abuse the transfer method/system by renting games/lending games to friends, so this is Sony's way of catching in on GREEDY consumers.

Rent a $30 PsP game for $2 and transfer it for free to the Vita which you now own for a life-time? Don't blame sony blame greedy slimey consumers.

princejb1344548d ago

you do know that they had to spend time and resources to make this program possible
so they need to get paid for it, is a business and there trying to please their customer for what they asked for
they could have left it alone

Ddouble4548d ago (Edited 4548d ago )

People sure do love to exaggerate. Hundreds of dollars really.

I'm assuming everyone has played all the UMD's they bought so is there a need to transfer everything to the Vita when you have a PSP which was built for it in the first place?

When you bought your PS3/360 did you play through your entire PS2/Xbox library on your new console?

Also you go on like it's only Sony's decision. It's a joint decision with the publishers and Sony.

FragGen4548d ago (Edited 4548d ago )

FWIW, I have about 50 to 60 UMD games (and four PSPs, huge PSP fan). And if it comes out to ~$5 in the US after conversion rates, I'll be a happy camper. I won't transfer everything but GoW, Syphon Filter, Resistance, Socom, GTA, and Dante's Inferno would all be lovely to have on my new toy come Vita time. For titles that aren't worth it, I'll just pass.

Plus, I'm sure I'll have at least one of those 4 PSPs functional if I get an itch for a UMD classic.

Knushwood Butt4548d ago

Who is 'they'.

A big chunk of this cash will go to the publishers.

Anyway, I think it's a good compromise for all. The prices are not high.

I have been using a PSP Go since launch though, and haven't used a UMD for a long time. Still have a couple that I might transfer over.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4547d ago
TheFirstClassic4548d ago

Well, I'll be keeping my psp around for when I want to play psp games.

spacedelete4548d ago ShowReplies(2)
GraveLord4548d ago

You'd be better off just playing those PSP games on PSP.
Its just not worth it.
Buy Vita for Vita games.
/rant

GirlyGamer4546d ago

Why did so many people want this for free. I don't have many UMD games and the ones i do have i borrowed from friends and forgot to returned them ( shame on me) . It would have been very easy to rent or burrow a game and put it on the new system if this service was free.

110°

Sony Could Increase Your Game's Difficulty If It Sees You Complain About It

Sony has recently published a new patent that wants to dynamically handle the games' difficulty and gameplay based on the player's emotions.

jznrpg7h ago

This is something I might use. Sometimes I play some good games but they don’t have difficulty option and are a little too easy.

Profchaos7h ago

Souls games will be like that players struggling make it harder

PassNextquestion6h ago(Edited 6h ago)

I think if used correctly it could work well

jambola2h ago

cool idea
cool idea for horror games especially
the way it's explained here sounds like it could never be forced hopefully, so that's ok with me

Show all comments (6)
280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

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techraptor.net
ChasterMies20d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken20d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga20d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken20d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6420d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long20d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197220d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic20d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 20d ago
DivineHand12520d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91320d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer20d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91319d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit19d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 19d ago
Christopher20d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6919d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit19d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher20d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken20d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197220d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic20d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2320d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218320d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder20d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts20d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

Show all comments (43)
80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

blackblades26d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken26d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades26d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii26d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p