I couldn’t tolerate a world where digital distribution is the norm.  I made that decision when OnLive claimed I had nothing to fear.  In the battle over copyrights and software piracy, that’s my “breaking point”.

So thanks, Sony.  You just released the PSP Go.  It’s the first major gaming device built on digital distribution.  And so far, you’ve done everything to ensure it will be the biggest failure of a portable device since the Virtual Boy.

In a world where new technology tends to give you more for your money, you’ve taken a bold step backwards.  Compared to its direct predecessor, the PSP Go is more expensive, offers less functionality, is a hassle to set up, and managed to piss off the retailers who depend on software sales to bolster their bottom line.

There are internal issues at Sony we don’t know about.  In a world where the company no longer controls seventy percent of the console market, they spent 2008 hemorrhaging cash on all fronts.  To compensate, the company has become enamored with two words: Profit margin.

Yeah, many companies are obsessed with it.  But when I use my 360 to cook Jiffy-Pop, Microsoft does its damnedest to pretend the console is functioning properly.  When Sony speaks, I hear the ghosts of 2004, a company that still believes it’s the undisputed standard.

In this case, I see a 170-dollar PSP-3000 that is a better product than the 250-dollar follow-up.  I see a device built on the sole function of increasing profit margin with every PSP sold.  I see a device that increases software profit margin through digital downloads.  I see a device that requires a Sony-exclusive cable format and replaces the USB standard.  But according to Sony Director of Hardware Marketing John Keller, I’m just not educated.

We certainly view physical goods as very important and will remain so, but we’ve seen the growth for digital — particularly for a consumer who values ease of use and not having to go to retail and being able to download their content at home.

…

It’s really education, I don’t know how many times after E3 that I saw on blogs, “Well, I love the [PSP]go, it looks nice and portable, but where do I put my disc?” That just kind of rubs me up the wall [laughs], and I go, “This is an all-digital device, and it’s centered around digital.”

Haha, yeah, what a stupid question, asking how to play the games I already purchased for my device!  Good thing you have no recourse for that one!

Look, John: If people were “educated”, they would be discussing the potential pratfalls in a society where companies are building copyright law directly into software, something the PSP Go is trying to legitimize.  Not whether physical media inconveniences an on-the-go, nine-to-five, buzz-word society.

Fortunately, people are educated enough to see that Sony took a crap in the consumer market.  Just no word on whether the smell is going away.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Marketing, Piracy, psp. 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.