[Pai Pai Master]

I can't speak for 360 as I haven't downloaded that much but I'm not sure they have something similar.

Though when I think about it, I was able to redownload Braid perfectly fine when I switched HDDs as if it was the same hardware.

The system is great on PSN. From my experience Sony's done a great job with DD for PS3 and PSP...just wish they were quicker in getting PSone catalog titles out.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

That's the annoying thing in general with the big three. They love to nickel-and-dime the older content because they're scared it might steal attention from newer download content.

They don't want classic gaming to be the main feature for their consoles because if they did allow it to be, that might be all gamers end up buying. Plus there's other factors like licensing, copyrights, authorship and all these other messy details that might make it hard to distribute old games.

For example, Altus lost the source code for the reissue of classic Devil Summoner on PSP (JP only release, sadly). That makes a DD version kinda difficult.

[Feba]

Well, all new downloads will also be available for old PSPs, so they don't fragment the userbase, right? In that case, I fully support this-- I think the new hardware looks uncomfortable and stupid, but if it means more downloadable games and possibly trade-in kiosks (speaking of which, anyone else hear about Wal-Marts having trade-in game kiosks now? Apparently they're entering GameStop's field, but without the employee asking you to buy a subscription to GameInformer) for my old PSP, that's exactly what I've been waiting for. And if they do digitize PSP games, I'm going to be buying more, starting with Every Extend Extra and Lumines.

Also, PO2 worries me. I'm half-concerned it's going to spoil MGS4/5 plot, half-concerned it's going to be another primarily online or even non-canonical game.

[Pai Pai Master]

I think it's pretty certain Portable Ops 2 will be intended to play after MGS4.

And unfortunately it's just SCEA and SCEE, BBQ. Maybe there's some legal issues in corporate with it or something but the Japanese PSN store has dozens of great PS1 games to choose from for download. We've got like...10-15. MGS1, FFVII, Resident Evil 1-3,

just look at all the titles Sony's put up for download in Japan

just look at all the titles Sony's put up for download in Japan

.

[Malacite]

Not impressed Sony =/

[TheGrandMom]

Originally Posted by Feba

(speaking of which, anyone else hear about Wal-Marts having trade-in game kiosks now? Apparently they're entering GameStop's field, but without the employee asking you to buy a subscription to GameInformer)

Well I rarely go to Wal-Mart but I had to pick up a couple pairs of jeans for my daughter a few weeks ago. I decided to stop in the gaming section....its like a magnetic pull for me. LOL The one here had a dismal gaming section. It was 3/4's DVD's and other crap. Then the PS3 games were on one end and the Wii games at the other end....it was setup horribly. There definitely weren't any kiosks. I avoid Gamestop like the plague but the last time I went in one the kiosks weren't even on or were broken.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Apparently they're entering GameStop's field, but without the employee asking you to buy a subscription to GameInformer) for my old PSP, that's exactly what I've been waiting for. And if they do digitize PSP games, I'm going to be buying more, starting with Every Extend Extra and Lumines.

As annoying as the Gamestop employee might be, they can check the discs on used games before giving them to you and you can make sure the game has its instruction manual. I have a feeling these WalMart kiosks will require the case (good) but won't grade that harshly on disc and manual quality (bad, bad, bad).

Walked out of Gamestop today with Dragon Quest IV, Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for under $45. I would have gotten Luminous Arc instead of Castlevania, but I popped open the box and no instructions, so back on the shelf it went.

I realize UMDs have a casing on the disc itself but I still consider anything without box or instructions suspect. I also LOL at anyone on Amazon trying to sell games for full value with no case or instructions.

Gamestop has a Buy Two/Get One Free on used games (for equal or lesser value, natch) ending this Sunday. I'm not GS's biggest fan, but the local mom'n'pop has been pretty dry on PS2 games of late. I'm also one of those "Walmart is the devil" people, so I don't go to one unless I absolutely have to. I really only go for the $4 prescriptions, loiter around the game section and then don't go back for as long as I don't need to be there.

[Feba]

well, first, the kiosk thing is apparently really limited trials right now, so it's not surprising you wouldn't see them in person. second, I'm pretty sure they're being used as 'collection centers'; you sell your game to the machine, and then they ship it off to some processing facility and so on. I'd be surprised if the machine sold them back. Not that I'm exactly looking forward to the kings of increasing profit getting in on the consumer-rape-happy field of used media.

[zensaber]

I wouldn't be surprised either if they collect the games, only to later ship them back out for profit or something. Honestly, a smaller screen doesn't really bother me, but the new design looks horrid in my honest opinion. It doesn't look like it would be very comfortable to hold for any length of time. The idea of no umd slot is a no go for me, not that I don't believe in DD products, but I am a person for physical form of the data, in the form of a disc, plus that means I cannot play my current psp games. Although if I am able to go somewhere to be able to transfer the game onto a PSN account, it would still mean I would have to work to be able to play games I already paid for. Now since it will be all PSN only, I believe that you should be able to back up the game file somehow so that if your psp gets ruined or you have too many games on it or something you can back them up on your computer or like PS3.

[Feba]

Originally Posted by zensaber

It doesn't look like it would be very comfortable to hold for any length of time.

Yeah, but then neither does any gameboy.

Personally, I would gladly accept a DD only PSP (although not with the 4k's hardware) so long as I was able to digitize all of my current PSP games at no significant cost (for example, a mail-in program would obviously have shipping costs; but simply charging fees makes it little better than rebuying a digital copy). That would have to include games from other regions; as well as making it easier in general to buy games from other reasons (digitally-- for example, allow a PSP to have more than one PSN account certificate at a time. One per region would be perfectly reasonable)

I wonder if this is why we've been seeing so many ESRB ratings for PS1 games, and a pickup in them being put on the service-- Sony might want to flood the PSP with digital content to get people hyped for 4k, as well as giving them the assurance that if they buy it they won't have four games they can download. I really doubt they'll be able to get the entire PSP library up by release, but I don't think they're only going to have these four or five new titles either. Shall be interesting.

[Pai Pai Master]

SCEA's seen that there's a demand for the PSone Catalog Titles here and they seem to finally be picking up the pace. It may have something to do with PSP Go coming up, but they've certainly been selling very well so far for PS3 and PSP already.

A little OT but Final Fantasy VII was rated today and will be coming soon.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Originally Posted by Pai Pai Master

SCEA's seen that there's a demand for the PSone Catalog Titles here and they seem to finally be picking up the pace. It may have something to do with PSP Go coming up, but they've certainly been selling very well so far for PS3 and PSP already.

A little OT but Final Fantasy VII was rated today and will be coming soon.

I think it was kinda sad that they seemed to think they had to play "wait and see" when stuff like Persona 2 and FFVII are going for $70 or more on eBay and no game company is really making a profit there.

Not that I'm vilifying sellers or used product, but still, it ws pretty easy to see there was a market for stuff like FFVII just by looking at the demand on eBay or Amazon. Any business that sells used games does that.

So it may be that SE wasn't trying to drive up demand for the likes of FFVII, they might have just been waiting for SCEA to get off its ass and do something. Weird that SCEA has helped keep MGS in print for so long, but has to wait and see for Final Fantasy VII.

[Pai Pai Master]

Well it's not always Sony's choice. Third parties are mostly responsible for getting their games up there, not SCEA. FFVII is a different story than MGS since SCEA published the title here and is publishing the PSN version.

Not to justify how long it's taken for some of these games. But third parties need to step up their support for the US and EU PSN just as much as Sony does and Capcom is once again leading the charge. They'll be announcing quite a few legacy titles at E3, with over 40 games old and new coming to PSN this year.

[Balfree]

Wouldn't it be better if the sliding part was split in 2 and came off the sides instead of under the screes? with a "snap in place" mechanism so that it resembles an old PSP when you're actually playing.

This looks awkward.

[Feba]

In a perfect world, Balfree, yes, only it would be split in two so that the controller portion fit OVER the screen instead of under it. Bigger control surface, screen protection, relatively bulky handles are a better place for electronics than squeezing them behind the screen.

The least they could've done was make it a folder like the GBA SP. Maybe mount it on a swivel hinge, so you can have the screen up for videos or music. Plus, it would compete with portable DVD players then, since you could easily put it on a surface.

But then, this is Sony. They've been big on appearance over performace ever since they started this whole 'the console goes ON ITS SIDE. WHOA.' bullshit. The UMD drives on the newer PSPs, the flip top on the slim PS2, the curved top on the PS3, fingerprint-magnet-shiny-plastic on everything and fingerprint-magnet-chrome on the PS3, etc.

---------- Post added at 05:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 AM ----------



Something like this, balfree?

Also, while I was looking, I found this concept. Almost scary.