Comments on: PSP Gone: Has Sony doomed its new handheld?

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:22:56 +0000

The product has been a disaster for my 10 yr old. He’s had the PSP Go since Christmas and it’s just been problem after problem. Have to update the PSP system software right out of the box, couldn’t connect to home internet, downloaded the file to PC and transferred to PSP (one of 3 options to update system software per the PSP website), didn’t give me that option when we tried it (only gave internet update or update via memory card file), didn’t have an M2 memory card, got one but PC slots don’t fit, got a USB memory card reader, transferred the file, system finally updated, tried to download a game and got error message 0×80029564, no help or support on Sony site, googled and loads of blogs with same error doce in discussion.

This is like it used to be 15 years ago – lots of ingenuity and creativity and perseverence just to get something working. But we’ve used ipods etc for ages now and they just get easier and easier to set up and use. I just don’t think manufacturers should assume that we are closet IT engineers.

So we’re returning the PSP GO (now known as “PSP STOP” in our family) and will get an itouch. At least I know it will be up and running 20 mins after we get it home.

By: Ricky

Ricky — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:46:58 +0000

The thing is that Sony won’t make a way to play UMDs on your psp go because if they do, I’ll simply buy an UMD at a game-store and pass it to the PSP go, and then just return it to the game-store…. you sure know how to kill your brand SONY

By: Jarold

Jarold — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:14:06 +0000

I COMPLETELY agree with the above poster. Sony has been repeatedly lying to its consumers for years now. First the PS3 now this crap. Not only is this handheld ugly but sony brags about its music playing functions… hmm… let me see. I can either buy a ~$230 dollar player which CANNOT play my UMDs or a $180 iPod Nano, A REAL iTunes compatible player.

Funny how the same company who called Nintendo’s advancement in gaming a “gimick” is now trying to sell me a PSPGo for its music playing abilities and a PS3 for its blu ray player.

By: name

name — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:38:08 +0000

what about false advertisement?
werent sony locked by law to support UMDs because they said they would?
if not than whats stopping from them saying things that are completley off.
when they announced the go they said you will have a way of converting your UMDs to your PSP go so i had in my mind i would buy one on release.
so i bought one on release and im STILL! waiting for that conversion program, im stuck with over 100 psp games that can do jack sh*t now thanks to $ony.

seriously false advertisement laws have gone down the drain lately, back in the day if a company did this they would be in the court house getting a spanking wright now.

seriously, whats stopping them from completley outstretching the truth about some of the features of the psp go?
not lying but stretching the truth, like saying the screen is not a size it is or saying certain game will work with it when they wont.

they said on release you will have a way to play UMDs on your psp go and you dont so to me thats false advertisement and they should be in jail for it.

exact same thing with the ps3, when they removed BC out of ps3s they did not do anything to let their customers know.
wow they issues a press release on the net, what about people who dont surf the net for these types of things?
one of my mates bought a ps3 slim recently and did not tell me, he thought BC was still there and is now stuck with a $500 paper weight.

sony should of been forced to make commercials and such and should of had a massive sign on the ps3 packing saying this no longer supports ps2 games.

50 bucks says if any small company did this they would of been thrown in jail years ago, but since its $ony no no they have to much money, there above the law.
its complete utter BS!

By: sesho

sesho — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:23:15 +0000

I agree with everything thing you say. I guess the Go is supposed to appeal to people that do not already have a PSP, because I see no reason to buy one since the last PSP just came out about a year ago.

By: Lewis

Lewis — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:18:14 +0000

I don’t think it’s really fair to assume some sort of higher-level responsibility to maintain backwards compatibility. And while, sure, ideally they wouldn’t have backed down on promises, I don’t think it’s a whole lot different to the Left 4 Dead DLC/sequel fiasco, for which I absolutely side with Valve.

I guess if you consider the PSP Go and update to the current console, it’s kind of an issue. But consider it an entirely new entity, and the argument kinda falls apart for me.

Maybe I’m just too nice to complain. Nice article, either way, and plenty of food for thought.

By: DH

DH — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:55:38 +0000

I think Sony is taking the first real steps towards the inevitable. Digital downloads will, very soon, be the only way to buy content and Sony is looking ahead and dipping their toe in the water with a lot more gusto and a lot less to risk than a lot of other companies. And its fine that other companies sit and question Sony’s motives – Reggie has openly done that all week – but I don’t doubt they are the companies sat recording every single result that Sony sees from this experiment.

I’m not defending the PSPGo as a unit – its flawed and you have highlighted most of these issues very well. But for me the major issue lies in the price. If you remove an essential component like the UMD drive…surely it should cost less AND use less power. It’s ridiculous to charge more money for a system that, essentially, does less that its predecessor. Furthermore, the games on the store are full price. Forget paying an extra quid or so for the Mini’s series, what about paying £10 less for a game on UMD than I have to for a downloadable game?! Furthermore…it might be a game I love and already own on UMD and I have to pay FULL PRICE for it a second time around. Sickening and inexcusable.

As I say, im not defending the system…but I will defend what I see as a fairly brave adventure into territory I am positive Sony already know is going to continue to lose them money. They are making their mistakes early so that when the digital download era fully begins, they will have already made the mistakes other companies will disappoint their consumers with. At least Sony are doing it early and whole heartedly…unlike Nintendo.