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.

I’m pretty pissed that Uncharted 2 is only available on the PS3. I’m never going to own one, no matter how cheap it gets, but I really want to play the game. There was a ray of hope for me this weekend when Naughty Dog’s co-prez Evan Wells said he’d like to see the game expand beyond the PS3. What he meant was the PSP, another console I will never EVER own.

The interview is pretty good, though. Wells talks about continued support for the game through DLC, the development process that could turn Uncharted 2 into the most played game on the PSN. At the end of the interview Evan Wells was pushed for answers about a Jack & Daxter sequel for the PS3. He wouldn’t say anything definite, but he made it clear that the company is committed to J&D in the future.

Source: Examiner

When Sony first announced the PSP Go, I decried the lack of a UMD drive. The nonexistent feature meant existing collections of PSP games could not be used on the new device. Then there was hope. Sony announced plans to implement a “good will” program by which PSP owners with UMD discs would be able to get a digital copy for use with the PSP Go.

Well it looks like that’s not going to happen. “We were evaluating a UMD conversion program, but due to legal and technical reasons we will not be offering the program at this time,” an SCEA spokesperson said today. The change makes the “upgrade” even less appealing for its October 1st launch.

I’d say the number of people who try to guess at domain names are few and far between these days. Google’s become a household name, and with that comes the expectation that when you’re looking for something, you’ll probably look there first. That didn’t stop the owner of pspgo.co.uk from getting a little spiteful with his domain address.

Doesn’t look much like a PSP Go page, now does it? That’s actually a clone of Nintendo’s DSi site. While the owner hasn’t officially come out and said it, it seems likely that someone is a little pissed he hasn’t been offered a fat wad of cash for the site.

You will of course notice that there is no site for pspgo.com and I’d call it a watertight bet that Sony just doesn’t care about having direct traffic from pspgo.co.uk. If someone is really dying to get their hands on a PSP Go (they’re barking up the wrong tree here), I’m sure, and it seems so is Sony, that the individual in question will resort to other means.

Stories like this make me want to smack someone at Sony. Hard. Preferably on or around the mouth. In the most recent issue of Game Informer, Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida said the company had “a very serious discussion” about adding a second analog stick to the PSP Go but decided against it for fear of splintering the market.

Judging by the latest NPD numbers, that was a totally brilliant strategy. Nintendo’s DS sold more than 4 times as many units as the PSP, which came in at a meager 163,500. I’m not sure why you would be so concerned about splintering the market when you’re actually losing it. And for what? To stick to the 10-year plan for all consoles? That’s what Yoshida says.

“We are talking about the mid-life cycle of this platform,” he told Game Informer. I’ve got news for Yoshida – you might not make it to the end. Ignoring your customer base is a sure way to produce abysmal sales numbers. If the PSP keeps tracking as is, the next five years will be one ugly ride.