Will Consumers Pay Up for the PSP Go?

PS3 Informer writes:

"Financial analysis firm Sterne Agee echoes our concerns: the current model PSP is already too expensive for many consumers, and in need of a price cut. Introducing a new, more expensive model might appeal to hardcore gamers, but will fail to win wide market acceptance above $200.

Several years ago, the introduction of a new tech gadget, not matter what the price, was met with throngs of early-adopters ready to form a queue to part with their money. Now, with the economic recession firmly hitting home in households across Europe and North America, those heady days are temporarily behind us."

[clinker]

Anything higher than $200 seems crazy to me, and I'm still on my old PSP phat model. Some will argue that this is designed for NEW consumers. but what new (non hardcore) gamer is going to pay $200 for a handheld?

[Mindboggle]

I know $200 doesnt equal £100 but if its anymore than £100 i cant see it doing DSi sales. Yh it will sell but not like hot cakes. But why is it whenever sony announce something we always get hate articles and how this will fail. Why does the media hate Sony so much. I bet if this Microsoft with an Xbox portable it would get love and praise.

[STK026]

Your "Xbox portable" is pretty much coming true, well, the Zune HD seems to be pretty close to being it. And yeah, it's getting a whole lot of praise, and not much hate.

[Downtown boogey]

so Sony will finally understand the importance of DUAL ANALOG STICKS!
That's the sole reason I haven't bought it; I tried a friends one and all the shooter mechanics felt like a joke... And I like shooters! :(

[Tony P]

I'm still waiting on official specs before I start drinking for either joy or misery.

[Enate]

Why don't you think for a minute hey lets add another stick an get devs to start using it on the current psp redesign. Now I wonder what the problem would be with that. Lets see here maybe alienating over 50 million people who currently own a psp or multiple psps perhaps? This isn't the psp 2 its just finally more of a change then the 2000 or the 3000.

[talltony]

It would be stupid for sony to add a second analog stick. It is not the psp2 it is just a redesign with the same specs a new look and a few new cool features. Everyone with a old psp would get shafted because developers would make games with only the psp go model in mind.

[D4RkNIKON]

If they made such drastic changes to the system like taking out the UMD drive, then they could have added a second analog stick. If they made the second analog stick only button map and duplicate the Triangle, Square, Circle, and X then FPS would be a little more comfortable to play for PSP GO owners. But the games would still work for all PSP models. I think that would have been the best solution to the problem and would have made so many people happier. You have to admit, all current psp owners would want to upgrade for that reason alone. And it wouldn't split the community AT ALL.

Here check out this video of how it would work. The video is of a second analog stick made by acidmods.com and it is for the PSP slim.

[talltony]

Taking out the umd does not affect gameplay. You play the same games except you download them. Therefore its a redesign. Any which way you look at it, adding a second analog stick would diss every current psp owner on the planet. I promise you that this is why they didnt add the second analog.

[gaffyh]

@Mindboggle - Simple dude, everyone wants to see giants fall. Sony still has the largest market share in the gaming industry PS2, PSP and PS3 all currently on the market. Thing they don't understand is if it was only MS vs Nintendo, you'd regret Sony not being there, seriously. Competition pushes the companies to innovate and constantly try to one up each other, why is E3 so popular? Because people want a certain company to "win".

I guarantee even is MS announce som pile of crap like You're in the movies 2 and Lips 2 and that's it, La Chance and his boyz will be on N4G saying "MS won E3!!!"

They did it last year, and the only thing worth noting was FF13 multiplat, nothing else new.

[menoyou]

This is not news, reported as lame.

[dragunrising]

I would love if the device was the same price as the PSP 3000. Why shouldn't it? No UMD drive equals cost savings for Sony and consumer. I buy half my games digitally from PSN, XBL, and Steam so I don't have a problem with buying virtual copies of games. My only trepidation in purchasing the device is whether or not the PSP2 will be released sooner than later.

[PS3 FanBaby]

At least the PSP GO looks different from the original PSP. The original design was clearly a rip off of the Sega GameGear design.

[Unbiased1]

no it won't be 200$, listen to that leaked vid again, if i remember correctly John even said that it will get cheaper.

[Mike134nl]

From what I understood it should be cheaper to produce (no umd drive), so it should be cheaper than the psp.

But assuming they are gonna keep both the psp3000 and the psp3000 in the market they could opt to sell the psp go for a higher price as the higher end model. Justifying the costs with the slider slimed down and ofcourse the 16gb.

At the end of the day they definitely can't overprice it especially with competition like apple, nintendo and maybe even Microsoft if their zune will be able to play games.

[morganfell]

I don't care what the price happens to be. I'll pick one up on day 1.

[Mu5afir]

They are going to sell the PSP Go! for less then the PSP 3000. They will make a lot more profit from PSP Go!, then PSP 3000 so selling the system for a less would make more sense. Remember, there is no middle man with PSP Go. Sony will get a ton more royalty.

[STK026]

I might be getting one if it's cheaper, but it definately won't be as a replacement for my PSP-2000 (which replaced my 1000), since from what I read, it has a smaller screen, I'm not too sure about the way they pllaced the stick and until they confirm there's a way to get your old games on it or to buy it back, I'm not giving up on my old PSP.

I'm not sure we'll be seeing games like Generation of Chaos or other more "obscure" titles on the PS Store any time soon.

[Vicodin]

"the current model PSP is already too expensive for many consumers"

Huh? The PSP has sold over 50 million units worldwide. It is the most successful non-Nintendo handheld in history.

"Introducing a new, more expensive model might appeal to hardcore gamers,but will fail to win wide market acceptance above $200."

Wow, and coating the PSP Go with Anthrax would be a definite bad move by Sony if were are just making random crap up.

Stupid article and author. Wait a few days and write a good and informative article or just start spewing uninformed garbage.

[clinker]

Many financial analysts have called for a price drop on both the PSP and PS3. It is widely accepted that the current price of the PSP is too high, considering the traditionally lower price of handheld game systems. If they launch the PSP Go at $200 or higher, it risks being priced out of the mass consumer range.

[STK026]

The PSP is cheaper than the DSi. So I don't really see the problem with the price, considering the PSP has much better multimedia functionalities and specs.

[roflmuffins8]

Since there's no UMD drive I'm going to assume it'll be cheaper to manufacture, and therefore cost less in stores. I'm guessing a price point around $100-150.

People say the whole digital-only concept is going to fail, but think of the iPhone. It's almost entirely based off the app store and it's a huge success. Sony can do the same thing with games and, if they execute it well, come off with the same success.

[themyk]

i personally know the two people who invented the ugly dolls and i have one of the originals (prototypes) i guess you should say. david and sun-kim are friends of mine. and everyone needs to go out and get an ugly doll.

[Milky]

I agree with rolfmuffins8, its a competitor to the itouch basically, just with better games.

[shysun]

Funny how they say it will fail with the PSP go now but in BLU-RAY articles they say Digital distribution is the new age! OH the irony

[Marty8370]

Should be well under $200.

[clinker]

I think 16GB of flash memory is more expensive than a UMD mechanism. Wanna place a friendly wager? I bet this thing comes in at $200 or higher, although sony might be too scared to even talk about pricing at E3.

[themyk]

i certainly doubt that putting a 16 gig memory in there is very expensive. memory is cheap. either way i think it'll be 200 regardless.

[silverchode]

i think 16gb of memory is preaty cheap now.

[Sashby123]

All of my cases broke after wear and tear. I just prefer the 'instant' click away from choosing from my 20 games on my memory stick now, without having carry around the disc hoping they work or the load scratching sound it makes. I will for sure get this IF Sony has strong dlc support for the Go!. I would also like the PSP GO!'s Bluetooth to connect to the PS3, instead of WIFI for LOCAL connection so i can just instantly turn on my PS3 in the house without having to waste my internet. Also remember the demo about 2 yrs ago with the PSP acting as a PS3 racing game rear vision mirror, well bluetooth could solve this and broaden the connectivity between PS3 and PSP. Or even better, having the PSP able to send/talk to ppl on the Friends List while playing a game on PS3.

[spunnups]

I still have the Original PSP and I'd really like to show off the new slick, sliding interface so yeah, i might just pick it up for the right price.

[themyk]

i have an original as well. got it like 3 or 4 days after launch. and i haven't seen the need to get another one. the slim and the slim2 just didn't justify a new purchase. but this one on the other hand. IM IN.

[mpmaley]

It's not replacing the PSP-3000 so does it matter if it sells well or not?

All Sony is doing (IMO) is testing the DD network and see how consumers like it for the PSP-2.

[No_NaMe]

Terrible move from Sony...

[themyk]

care to elaborate?

[resistance100]

I'm a consumer and i will so there's your answer =D

[TruthBTold]

Im not a hardcore gamer but always thought about a PSP but never liked the whole idea of carrying around games with it. This having the ability to store your games is a much better option for people like me. I'll be looking at the price for this but will end up buying one for sure.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

All I need for this is for SoNy to say how to transfer UMD's to it and i'll buy it!

[themyk]

that i think is the most important question out there. the million dollar question. how do you get the games you already bought on umd. and play them on the new one.

[Boogeymanz]

Great move by Sony, as for price im thinking around $150.00 range it will be cheaper than the current PSP 3000.

[themyk]

i hope so.

[ActionBastard]

This is HUGE for Sony. They have built an iTunes infrastructure for the PS3 and PSP. Why the hell do you think MS has the Zune HD and the Zune Marketplace connecting with XBL? Why do you think the DSi has DSiWare? Besides simply hating on it for having Sony in the name, what's wrong with it?

[kewlkat007]

2004 NDS $149.99 released(NA)
2006 NDSl $129.99 released(NA)
2009 NDSi $169.99 released(NA)
.
.
.
2005 PSP $250 released(NA)
2007 PSP2k $199(Daxter pack) $169.99 standard.(NA)
2008 PSP3k $199(R&C pack + ET pack)(NA)

2006 MYLO 1 $349.99 1GB memory + Memory Stick Duo(NA)
2008 MYLO 2 $299.99 1GB memory + Memory Stick Duo(NA)

Since Sony loves bundles, I'd say $170-$199(Bundled)/$150-$170.0 0(standard)

[sinncross]

I believe the PSP Go will be cheaper.

I think Sony wants their handheld to go to straight digital download territory but the PSP Go will sell alongside the PSP 3000. The best way for DD to flourish to have many many ppl using the feature, PSN, so making the PSP Go cheaper will make it in a price range for a larger demographic.

There will be no point in this device if it is more expensive or even the same price as the PSP 3000... that would be the wrong move by Sony.

[dantheman1515]

The PSP was an utter failure, the only game I enjoyed was God of War. Meanwhile the DSi I picked up (my only regret is that its f-ing baby blue) hasa already gained a catalog of games. 200 hundred dollars is a stretch, but when has sony ever listened to the consumer? What if they bundled the PSP Go with a PS3 for aroung 500$ Then they would get two game systems into a household and would lead to bigger software sales where companies make their money. They lost a billion dollars lasst year on the PS3, yet they have refused to change their strategy. Leaarn from your mistakes Sony! You have great games like Killzone 2, Infamous, LBP, and upcoming titles; but they arent selling because buying your hardware leaves the consumer broke.

[Seraphemz]

maybe you are just into little kids games. (besides GOW)

which would mean that you are not PSP's demographic. PSP is the best handheld device hands down.

And for people that say that the iPhone is in competition with the PSP are dumb. How can you compare a dumb ass tap to shoot Metal Gear game to Portable Ops...which was awesome.

PSP Go is a day one for me.

[dantheman1515]

So you are infering that games such as GTA:CW and Zelda, along with a great catalog of rpg's (Pokemon included, I will always love those games no matter how old i grow). Plus the Mario and Luigi games are great. The fact is that first party devs for sony failed to put out games for the handheld, I dont wont, nor do I feel many will pony up the money for a system with no games.

[bjornbear]

It'll be huge success!

+ its a redesign, unlike a an improvement, which means it'll stick out from the PSP's. I still dno what the diff is between the PSP 3000 and this tho =( i hope they don't compete with eachother...

Either way...150€ for this wud be awsum =)

[sinncross]

Well there is no UMD in the PSP Go and the mic is gone it appears.

On the other hand, the PSP Go supports bluetooth and has a port for headsets/ mics. The PSP Go also apparently has 16gb internal flash memory and support for stick media.

If cheaper, it could be a great success.

[Johnny Rotten]

If the blue tooth works for a pair of headphones I'll be really tempted to.

[resistance100]

Can't see why they wouldn't work

[Shuya]

err its doesn't have a umd drive in it, it will be cheaper

[TapiocaMilkTea]

It will be cheaper, there's nothing new introduced in PSP Go except the bluetooth, otherwise it's just a smaller UMDless PSP.
Should be easier and cheaper to manufacture.

[eagle21]

I hate stupid articles that don't make ANY sense. When PSP Go! hits, it will sell over 1 million the 1st week worldwide. But little heffers who can't afford it will still think stupidly.

PSP Go! will get PSP to 80+ million SOLD. :)

[Theoneneo81]

it has atleast 10hrs battery life and a higher Wirelless chip than 8021.B if so thats a big upgrade from the psp 3000 i also hope that they add suport for trophies and Friends list in the new psp

[Allowen]

Uhhh.

PSP Go cheaper VS PSP-3000 more expensive .

If PPL likes PSP GO then SOny might have found a way to stop the priract on their portable video game.

I want to see the library of games that Sony will put on the PSN.
Hopeffuly recent games like Resistance Retribution will pop on the store at same time the new PSP launchs

[PotNoodle]

I'll be buying it. Fully downloadable system == fully portable system in everyway.

No added bulk from the UMD drive and a nice smaller, better looking system.

As for those complaining about no second analogue stick:

THIS IS NOT THE PSP2! This is the same PSP as before but in a new case and without the UMD drive.

If they added a second analogue stick, you'd find so many games that didn't work with the original PSP. They chose not to segment the market because nintendo used to do that alot and it nearly killed them.

Smart move by sony not to give in and put a second analogue, but i bet you they will on the PSP2.

[acertainkid102]

Flash memory is extremely cheap now. I think its $1 a gig. It will probably be the same price as the PSP 3000 or cheaper

[Chaos Striker]

Personally, I believe price will be the major determining factor for how well the system will sell. If it occupies the current $169.99 and drop the older models down to a competitive price with the DS, then Sony will definitely be able to move some systems. Of course, the second factor will be marketing. If Sony is able to get the word out to the public about a decent multimedia device with better gaming potential than the competition, then I'm sure it will have a good affect on the market (Bestbuy's Sony kiosks is a good start at this).

[Ninjamonkey]

I would get it...

But I want to know then the PSP2 is coming out really...

And will downloadable games for the pspgo work on other psp's if youve got flash memory anyway?

Also i hope it takes duo pro since Ive got a 4Gig one which would help to give it more storage...

[Panthers]

No UMD = Awesome. It will be much better to just have the games right there on the PSP. Plus being able to play PS1 classics will be sweet. I have a PSP, but I never really used it. I might sell it and get this. The smaller size is much nicer too. I wonder how thick it is.

[efp722]

Talked to sony rep the other day at work (video game store). confirmed a price cut and also said that the rumors at his headquarters is that sony will annouce ps3 price cut.

guess we will see tuesday.

[Jeff257]

I have a PSP 2000 so Im considering getting this if they announce a way to download my UMD games to the PSP Go without rebuying them. Also if the price point is over 200 bucks I wont be buying this when it comes out. No consumer in their right mind would buy it if it was priced that high. If Sony wants this to suceed then they will price it aggressively to be a contender to the DSi. Sony might take a hit on hit but because its DD only means they could make up any money lost on games sold.