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Upgraders to PSPgo will receive 3 free games

Sony has announced today that any owner of UMD games who want to upgrade to the new UMD-less PSPgo will receive three free games via digital download if they choose to do so.

The newly dubbed PSPgo Rewards program "involves registering a PSPgo on PSN, then logging on to PSN with an existing PSP with a UMD in the drive, which allows you to download a special PSPgo theme and then presents you with a voucher via email for use with the PSPgo," says Gi.biz.



There are 17 titles available to download through the program, and you could choose any 3. The titles are: Killzone: Liberation, SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, WipEout Pure, Everybody's Golf, echochrome, Buzz!: Brain Bender, Buzz!: Master Quiz, LocoRoco and Patapon.

The program will being on launch day, October 1st and will end on March 31st, 2010. It is open to all current PSP model owners.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 Sep 2009 15:00

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• 23 comments

• handsom

  Way to go Sony. You're making the old software library obselete all at once by removing a UMD drive from your system... And you offer folks 3 games for upgrading?
  
  What happened to the talk of replacing the UMD's that people owned for your system? Guess that went out the window, huh?
  
  I've read a few other sites saying that this system is going to tank for various reasons, and honestly I can't say that Sony is setting themselves up for success here.
  
  
  -By cutting out the software retailers, companies like EB, Gamestop, and even Wal-Mart and Target have no incentive to promote the system... And they won't.
  
  -Offering a paltry three free games for trading up to the new system, while eliminating everything else a user has purchased. What about me? I bought the system on launch. I've got more than twenty UMD's. I have no incentive to buy your new unit. And neither does Joe Bob who bought the slim and has five or six games. Sure, maybe a few users will make a gain from this, but those aren't the users Sony should be worrying about, users who don't mind losing their UMD functionality probably didn't buy many to begin with. And those customers aren't going to invest much in new software in the future. It's a bad business model. There should be something more specific to the gamer, allowing them to get a more significant trade-up option for their UMD libraries. Can you trade them in or sell them? Sure, but the minute this unit launches without supporting them, you can bet the UMD value will PLUMMET.
  
  Sony, you're capable of doing much better than this for your customers.

  24.9.2009 17:22 #1

• jookycola

  The go is the most unneeded and useless piece of crap ever made.
  
  It says...Hey! over here, buy this for twice as much as your current PSP, but now all those games & movies you bought on UMD are worthless and you now need to buy them all over again. And worse yet...when you've beaten the game and have no desire to play it anymore...you're stuck with it. No trading it.
  
  It also doesn't use the standard Memory Stick Pro Duo that all PSP's have used since the day they launched...you know, the ones you have a half dozen of now filled with movies, or games you backed up or stole. Yeah they are all now worthless to because now Sony wants you to buy MS Pro "micro". A brand new even more expensive, micro sized versions of the already over priced MS pro duo.
  
  So yeah, not only are you dumb enough to now have bought the way over priced PSP Go!, and now need to re-buy all your games and movies...you now also have to buy all new memory sticks too. Nothing form past PSP's are even remotely compatible with the PSP Go! You buy this piece of crap and you're starting all over again.
  
  And you can't hack it so even the perfectly legal homebrew stuff you use everyday like BookR: the PDF/ebook reader, Tetribetes: the awesome free Tetris game, NES/SNES/N64/GBA emulators and many others are also worthless.
  
  The reality is the PSP is in fact worthless.
  The fact alone that you can't even use standard memory sticks is a deal breaker all by it's self.

  24.9.2009 19:38 #2

• cazer

  how is the pspgo any different then an ipod,or mp3 player vs. your old records,8track,tapes, or cd's? you cant resell your song off them like you could your cd's. i can remeber everyone bitching about umd when it first came out. and no one is telling anyone to buy the go if they have an older psp. everyone here always wants choice and always puts a company down for not letting you then when one does you still put them down. always want it both ways. sony never said they were getting rid of umd. they just didnt put it in this psp.

  24.9.2009 21:10 #3

• shaffaaf

  I hope you lot realise that this goes BESIDE the PSP 3000.
  
  IF YOU WANT UMD's THE OPTION IS THERE!

  24.9.2009 21:43 #4

• Gnawnivek

  So, let me get this straight, by registering the PSP Go, you get 3 games for free? Not bad if you ask me :)
  
  EDIT, ah darn it, you'll need to pluck in the older PSP as well to get the vouchers.

  25.9.2009 09:06 #5

• bam431

  Argh Sony!!!

  25.9.2009 09:12 #6

• glassd

  Originally posted by Gnawnivek: So, let me get this straight, by registering the PSP Go, you get 3 games for free? Not bad if you ask me :)Correct. Keep your old PSP and games. Get 3 Free GO games. And, I have read that you can get Digital Copies of UMD games that you own.
  
  It is a good deal. Everyone has the option to buy it or not.

  25.9.2009 09:33 #7

• jdurden

  Sounds like typical Sony edited. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.

  25.9.2009 11:46 #8

• glassd

  Originally posted by jdurden: Sounds like typical Sony edited. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.Sounds like a typical xbox fan remark. What is BS about it.

  25.9.2009 12:11 #9

• shaffaaf

  id get rid of the swearie if i werre you.

  25.9.2009 13:25 #10

• rosedog

  Wait, I don't know if its been mentioned yet BUT...what if you trade in your old PSP for the new one?...
  
  How are you going to log in with your UMD?

  25.9.2009 13:38 #11

• glassd

  Good question. One would need to wait before traiding in their psp, should they want to get rid of their older psp. I for one would keep my older PSP.

  25.9.2009 13:42 #12

• jdurden

  Quote:Originally posted by jdurden: Sounds like typical Sony bullshit. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.Sounds like a typical xbox fan remark. What is BS about it.Sorry guys didn't mean to offend the 12 year olds posting comments. The BS I'm refering to is the fact that all the money spent on these movies is wasted once you upgrade. It would be like Blue Ray Players not supporting standard DVDs. Which actually wouldn't be as bad, but have fun carrying around two PSPs so you can watch your movies and play new games. Nice Xbox drop by the way, since they have no market for competing portable devices. ha DB

  25.9.2009 14:09 #13

• shaffaaf

  but why upgrade then?? why not stick with your current PSP?

  25.9.2009 14:24 #14

• glassd

  Quote:Quote:Originally posted by jdurden: Sounds like typical Sony bullshit. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.Sounds like a typical xbox fan remark. What is BS about it.Sorry guys didn't mean to offend the 12 year olds posting comments. The BS I'm refering to is the fact that all the money spent on these movies is wasted once you upgrade. It would be like Blue Ray Players not supporting standard DVDs. Which actually wouldn't be as bad, but have fun carrying around two PSPs so you can watch your movies and play new games. Nice Xbox drop by the way, since they have no market for competing portable devices. ha DBYou miss me by 28 years. I’ve got 8 tracks that wont work in my cassette player. Cassettes that wont work in my CD player. CD’s that wont work in my MP3 Player. Sony made some of all of them. A childish statement would be something like someone posting (typical Sony BS) on a PSP article that is talking about Sony giving away three free games when you upgrade to the GO.

  25.9.2009 14:40 #15

• Gnawnivek

  Quote:Quote:Originally posted by jdurden: Sounds like typical Sony bullshit. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.Sounds like a typical xbox fan remark. What is BS about it.Sorry guys didn't mean to offend the 12 year olds posting comments. The BS I'm refering to is the fact that all the money spent on these movies is wasted once you upgrade. It would be like Blue Ray Players not supporting standard DVDs. Which actually wouldn't be as bad, but have fun carrying around two PSPs so you can watch your movies and play new games. Nice Xbox drop by the way, since they have no market for competing portable devices. ha DBI see your point, but that's a different issue... UMD movies are dead, if you want to watch them, your old PSP still works right? It's like complaining the dvd player can't play VHS tapes. You still haven't explain the BS in this article. What's the typical BS about offering free games if you register with the new PSP Go and then confirm with the UMD'd PSP? It's only BS if Sony declines the offer (or putting it on hold like the UMD trade-in offer).
  
  There's a difference between the article is BS and your dislike of the PSP Go. I don't understand some people at all. If you don't like the PSP Go, by all means, don't buy it. Does it matter to you that other people want to buy it? Better yet, is your UMD PSP going to explode when the PSP Go comes out?

  25.9.2009 14:42 #16

• Oner

  Originally posted by jdurden: Quote:Originally posted by jdurden: Sounds like typical Sony bullshit. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.Sounds like a typical xbox fan remark. What is BS about it.Sorry guys didn't mean to offend the 12 year olds posting comments. The BS I'm refering to is the fact that all the money spent on these movies is wasted once you upgrade. It would be like Blue Ray Players not supporting standard DVDs. Which actually wouldn't be as bad, but have fun carrying around two PSPs so you can watch your movies and play new games. Nice Xbox drop by the way, since they have no market for competing portable devices. ha DBIf you can't watch your language (or attitude) we'll be more than happy to watch it for you, as you get banned....If you would like?
  

  
  
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  25.9.2009 15:06 #17

• jdurden

  Quote:Originally posted by jdurden: Quote:Originally posted by jdurden: Sounds like typical Sony bullshit. Stereos are the only Sony products I will ever buy.Sounds like a typical xbox fan remark. What is BS about it.Sorry guys didn't mean to offend the 12 year olds posting comments. The BS I'm refering to is the fact that all the money spent on these movies is wasted once you upgrade. It would be like Blue Ray Players not supporting standard DVDs. Which actually wouldn't be as bad, but have fun carrying around two PSPs so you can watch your movies and play new games. Nice Xbox drop by the way, since they have no market for competing portable devices. ha DBIf you can't watch your language (or attitude) we'll be more than happy to watch it for you, as you get banned....If you would like?
  
  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Not Afterdawn.com, the coolest site ever!!! Honestly wouldn't bother me in the least, I love the articles on this site, which a bann won't keep me from reading them. So flex your muscle....If you would like? HAHAHAHA, take a joke and get a life!
  
  P.S. - The rest of ya'll are cool. BTW - PSPs ROCK!

  28.9.2009 11:36 #18

• bakedfish

  no no, sony has it right for going download only.
  
  Forget the retailers, you don't see them crying over not providing software or music or movies for the iPod Touch do you? Do you think Walmart or Target is losing movie and music sales to Apple? Of course.
  
  Problem with the Go is the price is games. They're making the same mistake Sega did. 20 years ago there was Gameboy and Game Gear. Sega Game Gear had much better graphics but the systems were more expensive, games were more expensive and they had fewer games than the Gameboy. Where is Sega now?
  
  Now iPhone/Touch vs PSP. Sony has better graphics but the systems are more expensive, the games are more expensive and they have fewer games.
  
  Deja Vu.
  
  Not a good time to be touting expensive games Sony. If you want to sell the PSP Go and be making PSPs 3-5 years from now we need to see a lot of $1-$5 games. Oh and if Apple can sell $199 portable devices with 620mhz cpus, 3.5" touch screens, 8gb memory, wifi and bluetooth and still make a profit so can you. Go price needs to be $150 to compete.

  1.10.2009 13:18 #19

• bakedfish

  Originally posted by cazer: how is the pspgo any different then an ipod,or mp3 player vs. your old records,8track,tapes, or cd's? you cant resell your song off them like you could your cd's. i can remeber everyone bitching about umd when it first came out. and no one is telling anyone to buy the go if they have an older psp. everyone here always wants choice and always puts a company down for not letting you then when one does you still put them down. always want it both ways. sony never said they were getting rid of umd. they just didnt put it in this psp.Because the move from CD to mp3 means individual songs can be bought for $1. Sure if you buy all 16 tracks on a CD it's still $16, but haven't you ever bought a CD and though "Gee, only two songs on here are good, and I spent $16 on this?"
  
  Getting rid of the UMD and going download only is a smart move. The original PSP has a memory card slot and 16gb cards can be purchased for $67 now. If they can reduce the game sizes to a few hundred megabytes or download them in chunks (after finishing lvl 1 you don't need it all the time do you?) and offer games over PSN thru wifi like iPod Touches do why not? Given the success of the Touch and App Store I would think Sony should follow in Apple's footsteps.

  1.10.2009 13:35 #20

• LM2008

  I'll not buy the new psp, because i don't need it. My trusty old "fat" psp still works like a charm both with converted movies that i own, music and umd games, what more could i ask? i can buy 2 more 8 GB pro duo and i'm done. What i hope is the 3000 version sales keep on so sony don't take it out version, just in case my psp fail soon.

  1.10.2009 14:42 #21

• handsom

  I don't think stores like Target and Wal-Mart are going to be Sony's biggest concern, but they're also not going to help the situation.
  
  iPods etc never did offer retailers much of a way to cash in, outside of gift cards, which offer minimum retailer cut. The difference is that iPods started that way. And if you recall, early iPods were available in electronics stores like Best Buy and Circuit City, but Wal Mart and Target didn't actually carry them until the 3rd or 4th gen, when a lot of customers wanted it. It was more of a decision that they needed customers to feel like they were still carrying all the products that they like. If a customer feels like their mart store doesn't have everything, then they might start going somewhere else.
  
  For years, retailers have built electronics business models around the profit made on SOFTWARE, not the game systems themselves. Most retailers make next to nothing on selling the hardware itself, if they're running a sale, they sometimes take a hit on it. The idea is that they can recoup in software.
  
  I'm not saying stores will stop carrying systems like the PSP Go, but I am saying they're going to put a lot less advertising power behind it. Stores advertise and run deals on things that will be profitable to them; and that makes a huge differente. Shops like gamestop and even wal-mart may not necessarily refuse to stock the system, but they're also a lot less likely to advertise it outside of the 90 day 'launch window' and holidays.
  
  Ever open a Target ad, and see some things advertised at the 'every day low price' even though it's not necessarily on sale? Yeah, those are items that the company has more potential to make money from you if you buy... For example, if you buy that new Blu-ray player at the 'every day low price', you'll probably pick up some blu-ray movies with it. That xbox 360? Yeah, you'll need some games to go with it. You get the idea, when brick and mortar retailers can't sell you software with the system, they're going to back off unless Sony offers some previously unheard of price break to make the system itself worth selling. And specialty chains like Gamestop rely even more on software sales, you can bet they're going to do the bare minimum once this holiday season passes.
  
  And for those of you who are thinking 'accessories'... No. Retailers really make next to nothing on controllers, memory, etc. It's just another 'come on in' and pick up a game with that new memory card or controller.
  
  Like I said, they won't refuse to carry these things, but if Sony tries to leave them out of the one portion that's actually profitable... They're not going to push the system to success. Imagine a game console that retailers weren't jumping behind to get you hooked on, why, it'd probably end up like the Virtual Boy, lol.
  
  Honestly, as hardware supplier, there are one of two ways you can [successfully] go:
  -Use retail channels to get your system out there, with moderate profit margins in some area. If you scratch their back with profit, they'll scratch yours by supporting your product.
  -Use your own direct channels almost exclusively. This means using your own stores, or companies you have a vested partnership with(a retailer is not a partner, unless they're subsidised\owned by you or a contracted partner).
  
  You can't do half and half. If your product isn't profitable to a retailer, they'll only carry a few to keep customers from feeling like they're inferior. But they won't spend money training employees to offer the product, advertising the product like crazy, they have no reason to do these things...

  1.10.2009 15:07 #22

• Gnawnivek

  good read, thanks for the insights Handsom.

  1.10.2009 17:04 #23