If there’s one nitpick that I’ve been hearing from both the press and my friends about the PSP Go, it’s, “So how am I supposed to play my UMD games on it?”

Here’s the thing… People are looking at the PSP Go as the next stage of evolution in the PSP platform. It is not. The PSP Go is a lateral move for the PSP platform, not an upgrade.

Sony is very wise by supporting the PSP-3000 and the PSP Go side-by-side, much in the way that Nintendo is supporting both the DS Lite and DSi. This way, consumers looking to buy a new handheld has two options to choose from, depending on their needs. The “core” gamers are more likely to pick up the PSP-3000 for its larger screen and ability to play the older library of UMD games and movies. The more “casual” gamer may just want a smaller device and download games for $5-15 a pop without having to worry about where they’ll store a bunch of cases. Sony can reach a broader market by having more than one option.

Sony’s head of marketing, Peter Dille, has even stated that the PSP Go is intended for early adopters of new tech, not the current subscriber. PSP fans, the PSP Go is not for you. It’s for them.

So my answer to those confused about how they’ll play UMD games from here on: Keep your PSP. It’s the same solution for people who want to continue to play Game Boy Advance games: Keep your DS Lite. There’s nothing wrong with it and no reason why you have to get rid of your old model to obtain the new. If you have a PSP-2000 or older, you can upgrade AND you have the luxury to choose your next breed of the PSP. If you have a PSP-3000, consider yourself set.

When I bought my DS Lite, I held on to my GBA SP. Why? Because I wanted to continue playing my old Game Boy cartridges. Sure, I could have saved some money by trading it in for the DS, but I accepted that as the price I pay to have my cake and eat it too. At this time, I have no interest in buying a DSi unless Nintendo decides put out some extraordinary exclusives that won’t work on the DS Lite.

The PSP Go's control
layout looks uncomfortable.

Speaking of price, it’s the price tag on the PSP Go that does disappoint me. Taking into account the missing features while acknowledging the compact design, I fully expected the PSP Go to share the same price point of the PSP-3000. My best hopes envisioned the PSP-3000 core to stay $169 and the PSP Go to be marked for ~$149. No such luck; the PSP Go will debut at a ridiculous $249.

In the article linked above, Sony tried to justify the huge gap, but I don’t think they quite get it. Nintendo’s placed an understandable $40 difference between the DS Lite and the DSi, but the DSi is more of an upgrade and at least the prices are competitive. The $80 gap between the PSP-3000 and the PSP Go could be a deal breaker. Only fools and early adopters (same thing?) would be willing to pay that much more for a product that offers significantly less.

Money talks and we’ll see just how well the new PSP Go does when it appears later this year.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.