For all I thought was wrong with the design of and idea behind the PSP Go, Sony almost talked me out of my disbelief. I thought maybe, just maybe, the 10-year plan was something I just couldn’t understand. Turns out it’s just that, something I don’t and will likely never understand, and something that just isn’t working.
The PSP Go has launched to mediocre reviews, which is no surprise considering it’s essentially an aesthetic overhaul. But Sony has also botched the launch, with several features not working as expected and a long update system before the device can even be used. As Destructoid’s Jim Sterling experienced, “I have been in my house for an hour… an hour… and I have done nothing but download, rip, copy, install, update, install, rip, copy, install, install and install.” That’s a hell of a first experience to give user, most of whom are likely among Sony’s most loyal customers. The people buying the PSP Go at launch aren’t likely to be the people who’ve never owned one or even thought about one. They’re the ones interested in or committed to the platform.
To make matters worse, Sony also failed to deliver on a launch promo for European customers. If you bought a PSP overseas, Sony also gave you a voucher to download your choice of three games for free. Unfortunately those downloads were locked to the device on which they were downloaded. That means no transferring from your PS3 to your shiny new PSP – again, a big problem for Sony’s loyal few. As things stand, the problem still hasn’t been resolved, so a lot of players are stuck with unplayable games sitting on PS3 hard drives.
On top of it all Sony killed the UMD trade-in program, which really could have changed things for the PSP Go. A cosmetic upgrade is a fine thing when it allows for the use of old media. By not giving PSP owners a method by which to upgrade to the new device, Sony again screwed it’s most profitable population – the hardcore loyalists.
I’m sorry Sony fans, but if there’s one message buried just below the surface in all of this it’s that Sony doesn’t want you. Sony thinks it can survive without you. It’s another plan I’ll gladly admit I don’t understand, and probably never will.
Gamefly released an app for the iPhone this week that could quickly become your go-to place for game info. The application is free, and integrates easily with subscribers accounts. You can manage your account as you would expect, and select games for rental on the go, but the app has a lot more than just account management.
