The big PlayStation story of today is definitely the revelation of no UMD-to-PSP conversion for PSP Go owners. This means you can not play or download digital versions of the UMD game you already own, and Sony Computer Entertainment America has scrapped plans for any type of conversion service. This is a tough move for Sony, and from some of the comments I’ve seen around the web they will lose some prospective customers from this choice. But how expensive and tedious would it be to court every single developer and have digital versions of every game? I’m not really clear about the logistics of it all but it sounds like an enormous task. It could be done, though. Just imagine if Sony DID have digital versions of every game to download. It would be the true gaming app store.
Of course, there are other issues. “We were evaluating a UMD conversion program but due to legal and technical reasons we will not be offering the program at this time,” a Sony representative told IGN.
I can see the logic in a move like this, though. The regular PSP is at a very attractive price point, is available right now with an unbelievable wealth of games, and has a solid base of users. For new gamers getting into the PSP scene the PSP Go is an attractive product because it is small, gorgeous, and has a large gaming library to choose from as well. All games released after October 1st on UMD will have a downloadable version. It is a shame they won’t be offering some free games to existing PSP owners purchasing it. Sony Europe is offering several free games for UMD owners, so why can’t the USA?
