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Sony Connect To Hook Up With PlayStation Portable?

Posted by simoniker on from the cloak-and-dagger dept.

An anonymous reader writes "UK video game site C&VG has posted a story rumoring Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld game console will allow both music and games to be downloaded via the newly announced Sony Connect online download store. An industry source quoted in the article says: 'PSP is intended to be able to link up with Sony Connect to offer digital music for download, but the bigger deal is the plan to put PSP games up there for download eventually, too.' C&VG says this rumor, if true, shows 'Sony's alleged drive to ultimately cut-out retail and handle distribution of software itself' - we'll find out for sure next week at E3." Elsewhere, GamePro/Famitsu interviews leading Japanese PSP developers, with Atlus producer Hideyuki Yokoyama saying: "I expect downloads and fees to be the primary business model."

99 comments

  1. Sony wins! by ld_hrothgar · · Score: 0, Troll

    This will put those Xbox fans back on their ass where they belong!

    1. Re:Sony wins! by nfotxn · · Score: 3, Funny
      This will put those Xbox fans back on their ass where they belong!
      Well, it's kinda hard to play those long Halo sessions standing up. To each their own, I suppose.
      --

      _nfotxn

    2. Re:Sony wins! by ld_hrothgar · · Score: 0

      Maybe I wouldn't have been Modded Troll if I'd mentioned I'm an Xbox fan... maybe I would have though. ;)

  2. Important Question by tcgwebs · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Will they allow "classic" PS1/PS2 games to be downloaded in the same way?

    --
    Domain name registration for $8.79 per year
    879domains.co
    1. Re:Important Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't count on it. Most Playstation games are hundreds of megabytes in size, so not only would there be the long downloads and huge bandwidth consumption, but you would also need hundreds of megabytes worth of storage on the unit. Flash memory is too expensive for that. I'm pretty sure that if they are going to re-release classic Playstation games, they will come on an optical disc.

    2. Re:Important Question by tepples · · Score: 1

      Many PS1 games, especially early ones that used Compact Disc Digital Audio for background music, are tiny. I own a copy of Geom Cube, which is only about 1 minute of game data (at 150 KB per second) plus CD-DA music, and Zoop, which is only 20 seconds plus CD-DA music (no bigger than a GBA game).

  3. Interesting move by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Right now, Nintendo has a problem with people downloading rom files for the Game Boy Advance, and playing them with a growing number of emulators for platforms from the PC, OS X, Linux, GP32, and maybe even Palm Pilots.

    So to combat that, they've created "value added" features, such as their Connectivity system: if you want to get the Tingle Tuner for the Gamecube, you need a GBA + Gamecube + an actual copy of the game. In some cases, it's worked (see "Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles" and others), so that's Nintendo's move.

    Sony seems to have a different idea: use the Internet. Assuming that you'll be able to use Sony Memory Sticks with your PSP, then you can just download games off the 'Net and play them. Granted, these games won't be the 1.8 GB that their PSP disks can hold, so it will be the difference between playing, say, "Final Fantasy VII" on your PSP and playing "Chrono Trigger".

    Still, it's an interesting move: Sony's betting that there won't be a PSP emulator for long enough to squeeze profits out of this. And if they allow people to create their own "burned" PSP disks from downloads (sure, 1.8 GB takes awhile, but you never know), then they just have to make their system difficult to mod for "pirated" games.

    I'm still in a "wait and see" for both the DS and the PSP, but I think both items will have different markets that should prove interesting to a range of gamers.

    --
    52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
    1. Re:Interesting move by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      Umm, yeah, but pirates don't register their machines in order to legitimately purchase online games. That's why they're called "pirates" and not "paid users."

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    2. Re:Interesting move by gentoo-jsz · · Score: 1

      yeah I heard about this problem as well!

      --
      (www.mazeme.com blog your way to expression)
    3. Re:Interesting move by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think what the grandparent was saying was that the game download would be keyed specifically to the machine ID you give them. If the pirates don't register their machines, they can't play the games.

    4. Re:Interesting move by gl4ss · · Score: 2, Interesting

      There's other players in the arena already..

      Most of n-gages sales and software seem to lie in the online stores. Series60 software(that runs on the n-gage as well other s60 phones) is mostly available only online, including the best games available for it(such as Sky Force, which is an excellent shoot'em'up in 1942 style, which imho is better than any of the n-gage only games). Though, maybe they're looking for a way to get a cut of that side of the action with their own store.

      however, I kinda doubt you won't be able to be a (real) developer as easily for their system without paying any license fees as you can be for the symbian(or for the j2me devices) at the moment.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    5. Re:Interesting move by Trejkaz · · Score: 1

      Right now, Nintendo has a problem with people downloading rom files for the Game Boy Advance, and playing them with a growing number of emulators for platforms from the PC, OS X, Linux, GP32, and maybe even Palm Pilots.

      Don't forget the GBA itself, via flash cartridges. That is the ultimate midding finger as far as Nintendo are concerned, just look how hard they have tried to bring down everyone who sells those things (they have succeeded every time too, which sucks because these carts are awesome for homebrew experiments.)

      --
      Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
    6. Re:Interesting move by Rallion · · Score: 1

      Sony's betting that there won't be a PSP emulator for long enough to squeeze profits out of this.

      Assuming everything else you said makes sense, that's pretty risky. Particularly when you consider that the first GBA emulator came out before the GBA was even launched.

  4. Only... by baudilus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...if your talking about ROFL. This is going to be a costly p/r ploy by Sony.

  5. I'll wait until the PSP itself is cheaper. by dethl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "In related news, our source also revealed that Sony is currently leaning towards a price point of $249-299 in the US..."

    If Nintendo can beat this price, I don't think Sony has a chance at getting the handheld market. I personally wouldn't want to pay that much for just a handheld.

    --
    "Some fight for law. Some fight for justice. What will you fight for? One day, you will see."
    1. Re:I'll wait until the PSP itself is cheaper. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Nintendo can beat this price, I don't think Sony has a chance at getting the handheld market. I personally wouldn't want to pay that much for just a handheld.

      Of course Nintendo will beat this price. Nintendo has been saying all along that PSP and GB/whatever can co-exist. Nintendo on the low end, Sony on the high end. Plus PSP isn't "just a handheld" (ala GameBoy)

    2. Re:I'll wait until the PSP itself is cheaper. by baudilus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You're right - I do not have so much of a craving for games that I need to spend more than the actually PS2 costs just to be able to play them on the go. Nintendo has already beaten this price - sure the GBA:SP isn't as powerful, but who cares? You have fun games like Mario Kart: Super Circuit to keep you company.

      Besides, I have my iPod for music.

    3. Re:I'll wait until the PSP itself is cheaper. by dyefade · · Score: 1

      I personally wouldn't want to pay that much for just a handheld.

      But it's not just a handheld, is it, that's the whole point. If this can replace your games handheld and your digital music handheld, there will be a huge market for this, not with 16-year-olds (Nintendos main GBA target market), but with 25's. That's where the real money lies, and Sony knows it. Nintendo gave the impression they were aware of this with the SP, but they'll have to work really hard with the DS if they're going to hold of the PSP.

    4. Re:I'll wait until the PSP itself is cheaper. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...and if they ever got this thing to play video. OMFG! Nirvana.

    5. Re:I'll wait until the PSP itself is cheaper. by tepples · · Score: 1

      Do you think people would really buy it just to play Nirvana music videos?

  6. Black helicopters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    C&VG says this rumor, if true, shows 'Sony's alleged drive to ultimately cut-out retail and handle distribution of software itself

    Or it could show their drive to provide another, more convenient, channel to push their software to their customers, providing a potential competitive advantage.

  7. Sony is tickling my inner hippie by Frigid+Monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ok, so this is a little embarrasing but with the amount of games that were distributed for the PS1 that are now filling up landfills, not to mention the industrial waste from producing all those cds/dvds eliminating the packaging/disk/instructions might not be so bad, heck I'm going to go play my PSP in a TREE damnit!
    OTOH, eliminating the retail side of sales will cut all us little guys trying to make a buck slingin' games to pimply kids straight out.
    "I'm sorry we don't carry Madden 2006, it's availible only from sony.biz.com.monopoly"

    --
    "It's all just meme meme around here"
  8. I hope they consider.. by SCSi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The people who can only get dialup access, or the're going to burn a good majority of their users..

    1. Re:I hope they consider.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like Xbox Live, y'mean?

    2. Re:I hope they consider.. by NanoGator · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "The people who can only get dialup access, or the're going to burn a good majority of their users.. "

      This was insightful like 3 years ago. Today it's like complaining that Microsoft isn't supporting Windows 95 users.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    3. Re:I hope they consider.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Typical ignorant post. Most people in the developed world can't get broadband access to the internet, that includes the USA.

  9. Value add of retail shops? by Tyggyr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So what's the value-add of retail shops anyway?

    I would think a retail store staffed with knowledgeable, helpful people who know & play the game, and can help with appropriate selections, would have nothing to fear from online distribution.

    Of course if someone is just pushing boxes, then they should be afraid...

    1. Re:Value add of retail shops? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I would think a retail store staffed with knowledgeable, helpful people who know & play the game, and can help with appropriate selections, would have nothing to fear from online distribution.

      But if Sony has a "try before you buy", then these types of shops are in big trouble. After all, usually knowledgeable means they know something about the games to help you select. Well, if you have a large body of people evaluating games (i.e. the internet) and the ability to then try this narrowed list of games down before you spring for them, then exactly what becomes the value proposition for that shop. They're left with selling to parents and grand parents who know nothing about the games and just want to ask somebody "what's the best baseball game" during xmas and as gifts.

    2. Re:Value add of retail shops? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haven't been to a game store recently, huh? Lemme tell you what I've noticed. In the last five years or so, the "big two" game specialty chains, EB and Gamestop/Babbages/Software ETC/Funcoland, have done everything in their power to run off knowledgeable, helpful employees.
      They used to pay entry-level employees a decent wage, about $2/hr more than the minimum; now they've cut that back down to minimum wage for part-time shifts. Most stores won't, in fact, give their part time employees more than 10-15 hours per week. That barely adds up to enough mad money to buy the one good game a month they really want, let alone enough to gain product knowledge about a variety of games.
      How about the employee discounts? Five years ago, Gamestop gave their employees a generous 25% discount on games. Then they dropped it to 20%. Then they dropped it to 15%. I'm told that it's now 10% off. This is in addition to cutting back the wage tables and hours, mind you.
      Even the managers seem to be a lower class of employee these days; at the local store where I shop I've seen about 6 new store managers in the last year alone. Apparently they're there long enough to get written up for bad numbers, when they either get discouraged and quit, get disgruntled and steal, or get bitter and treat their customers like garbage.
      "Bad numbers" seems to have more to do with subscriptions to their in-house magazines or reservations for games that aren't out yet than of actual sales figures, incidentally.

      I'm told the reason for all of this change is that the game stores are now publicly traded on the stock market; thankfully, none of the wealth associated with an IPO is filtering down to the people who actually run their stores.

    3. Re:Value add of retail shops? by Tyggyr · · Score: 1

      CA, I definately agree with you -- I was aiming for a touch of sarcasm in my description of an idealized retail shop.

      I expect most of the chains will struggle mightily. And I will not be too upset.

    4. Re:Value add of retail shops? by dubiousmike · · Score: 2, Funny

      The value is getting out of your house. See some hot chicks at the mall. Duh.

    5. Re:Value add of retail shops? by quecojones · · Score: 1

      Remember how hard it can be to find certain games in stock, like those highly anticipated games that sell out in the first few hours of the release date, or those older games that aren't selling so well anymore so nobody really wants to keep any copies in stock just taking up space. With online distribution, you can get any game you want without having to worry about these issues.

      --
      "PROFANITY is the inevitable literary crutch of the inarticulate MOTHER FUCKER." -- some PC user
  10. So iTMS to sell iPods by foidulus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Andy Sony Connect to sell PSPs. Though actually this time I think it will work in reverse, PSPs will sell Sony Connect since I would imagine the primary motiviation of most people who will plunk down the few hundred dollars for one of these bad boys is not to listen to music :P Maybe Sony is hoping that it will generate revenue for the Sony Connect(since Sony has it's own music label, they stand to make a lot more money if the Sony store becomes successful, since they will be collecting the 70 cent royalties, provided people buy Sony's music)

    1. Re:So iTMS to sell iPods by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      who's Andy Sony?

  11. BREW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if they'll use BREW?

    They already have Sony Ericcson phones on BREW, maybe...

    1. Re:BREW by Ceriel+Nosforit · · Score: 1

      BREW

      Looks really pretty, but it'll probably give you for free a good deal of the products Sony wants to sell you. Ergo you're unlikely to see it.

      --
      All rites reversed 2010
  12. Thoughts by clu76 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not a bad idea. But I feel Sony might be doing themselves a disservice by making the PSP an all purpose device. It has great potential to suffer from a serious identity crisis.

    It plays games, movies, music, it slices, it dices, and can still easily cut through a tomato. But unless it excels in every feature, might be better to buy devices dedicated to one purpose. I personally don't want to use the PSP for music playback if it isn't going to be as good or better than my ipod. my $0.02

    --
    the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
    1. Re:Thoughts by MogwaiJeeper · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Very nice. Not to mention the fact that real geeks like to have lots of toys to accomplish all their tasks...

      I have a phone that I use as... a phone. Sure, it can do calendar, contacts, all kinds of organizer functions, but I use it as a phone. I have an iPod that I use to *gasp* play music. I have a PDA that I use as an organizer. I have a watch that I use to tell time. I have a GBA that I use to play games. I have all these neat little toys, and I LIKE it that way.

      I don't want one device that does it all. Not because it's not good... I'm sure the NGAGE^H^H^H^H^H PSP is good at what it does, but I want multiple devices because he who dies with the most toys wins... at least that's how it works for geeks.

  13. Downloadable games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's easy enough to pirate the seemingly crackproof media PS2 uses but it would be even easier to pirate a PSP game. whats to stop me from downloading one from alt.binaries.games instead of sonys online store?

    So what security measures are there if any to stop pirating...

    Hmm just let me enter my cdkey..

    up down X R1 L1 L2 start select triangle!

    1. Re:Downloadable games by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "It's easy enough to pirate the seemingly crackproof media PS2 uses but it would be even easier to pirate a PSP game. whats to stop me from downloading one from alt.binaries.games instead of sonys online store?"

      How are you going to burn those little discs?

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    2. Re:Downloadable games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      How are you going to burn those little discs?

      Well if sony makes it's PSP games downloadable theres no need to burn any discs.

      It sounds like sony might have to rely on some DRM type system for it's downloadable games instead of the classic read only storage medium used for console games such as cartreges and GDROMS... anyway these sorta things can't be copied.

      Sony plans to just sell pure software so you can put that into your PSP and play it. No hardware protection no safe storage media. Smartdisks are read/write. If a clever programmer defeats the software protection ( where have we heard that before ) it's a simple as upload your pirated game to your PSP and play.

      I think the whole downloadable games thing for PSP is bound to be big piracy issue and no doubt someone will find a way to exploit the more "open" gaming system sony seems to be going for at the expense of honest gamers.

      On the other hand... PSP linux? Dare to dream :)~

    3. Re:Downloadable games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Nobody will pay for digital content"

      Except the 70 million songs on iTunes.

  14. Vapour (ohhhh! UK spelling!) by mekkab · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Copy apple with iTunes/iPod, that sounds great.

    Show me the money. Err, downloads.

    You can talk all you want, and thats great. But I don't believe Sony until its in my hands. Sure, I love it once I can buy it, but promises from never-never land mean nothing.

    --
    In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
    1. Re:Vapour (ohhhh! UK spelling!) by homer_ca · · Score: 1

      This won't be taking any iPod market share with just memory stick for storage. What do flash players cost now? Like $60? I doubt it'll play unprotected MP3 files. It'll probably make you recode everything to ATRAC just like the NetMD. Vapourware implies something new and exciting. A flash music player locked in to a copy protected online music store is neither.

    2. Re:Vapour (ohhhh! UK spelling!) by mekkab · · Score: 1

      oh, no no no! I don't mean that its competing against iPod! I mean that Apple uses iTunes to sell iPods- sort of a value added service and a reason to buy an iPod over a Nomad jukebox.

      In the sameway, downloadable roms that are legitimate is the vapour- and quite an enticing vapour, too.

      --
      In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
    3. Re:Vapour (ohhhh! UK spelling!) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, because we all know how Apple invented portable music players, online music stores, handheld computers, and the graphical user interface.

  15. Sony Connect Reviewed by No_Weak_Heart · · Score: 4, Informative

    David Pogue at NY Times trashes Sony's Connect service.

    1. Re:Sony Connect Reviewed by No_Weak_Heart · · Score: 2, Informative

      Pardon me, here's a different link, the Google News workaround link. Don't be shy about looking it up yourself next time -- comes in handy if you're actually interested in the content.

      On the other hand, if your objective is to rail against evil site registration then I can see how you couldn't be bothered.

  16. Re:i thought it had an optical drive? by foidulus · · Score: 2, Informative

    It will use sony's proprietary memory stick to hold music, game data, goat.cx pics, whatever you want.

  17. Convenience by phorm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It doesn't have to be great at everything, just great at the primary application, and convenient for others. My PS2 in many cases isn't the best DVD player, but it's been pretty good at playing some discs I borrowed from a friend recently (when my PC, which usually plays DVD's is busy burning them instead).

    Sure, I could go buy a DVD player for cheap, but really the PS2 does the job, and nowadays I use it more for video than games.

    Remember, not all of us have an ipod. If Sony adds said functionality for cheap and it works half-decently, it'll probably be useful.

    1. Re:Convenience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Although, you have to wonder how it will do as a music device. The iPod is convenient and compact. I don't think you'll be able to tuck a PSP in your shirt pocket.

      It may excell as a gaming system... with Sony that's all they need for success. I doubt the music playing ability will be a huge selling point unless youre a conspicuous 6th grader.

  18. sounds like something I've heard before... by focitrixilous+P · · Score: 1

    plan to put PSP games up there for download eventually, too.

    So, will it eventually be epoxy encapsulated a la phantom?

    --
    SAILING MISHAP
    1. Re:sounds like something I've heard before... by Kenja · · Score: 1

      To be anything like the Phantom Sony would have to move its offices to one empty room at a strip mall.

      --

      "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  19. pic? by chachob · · Score: 2, Funny

    funny how the nintendo gameboy is used as the logo for a sony playstation article, eh?

  20. Surprised? I'm not. by Thedalek · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Didn't anyone else notice that Sony was touting the new discs to be used in the PSP as a new end-user storage media (meaning not exclusive to games)? How they went on and on about how the PSP was going to be the new Walkman? How they talked about watching movies and listening to music on it?

    --
    Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
  21. What about piracy? by chrispyman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    While that sounds like a nice way for Sony to cut out the middle man, you're forgetting that it's alot harder to physically copy a copy-protected, non-standard format game disc than, oh, some file you download to a hard drive. After all, the only way to pirate GameCube discs was due to a buffer overflow in Phantasy Star Online. I can only asume that online game distribution would be pretty easy to crack compared to cd copying.

    1. Re:What about piracy? by S3D · · Score: 1

      I can only asume that online game distribution would be pretty easy to crack compared to cd copying.
      Not easy if it's distributed to console like PSP. Sony can use model , commonly used for handhelds now: Customer give his unique device ID, server generate key from this ID , this key should be used to unlock application. For PSP server could also encript application with this key. Every time game running it check device ID and validity of the key. For PSP this sytem would be even more hard to crack then for handhelds, because
      1. AFAIK there is no easy way to get installed game form PSP to PC
      2. crackability of the console game depend on availability of PC emulator. PSP SDK cost is 25000$, so it will take a lot of time before free emulator will be available....

  22. Great idea by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 3, Interesting
    This is great. Even better if the PSP could wirelessly download it from a hotspot or something. My big question though is once you've downloaded the music/movies/media to your PSP, will you be able to transfer it to your computer? Or will you just have to leave it on the PSP, and repurchase it once you've deleted it because you needed to make room for other files?

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
    1. Re:Great idea by News+for+nerds · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Small games and other data you created on PSP can be exported only to a Sony memory stick with MagicGate supported, I guess. Data you don't create such as large movies and games will be only for physical unrewritable UMD media to store contents which big boys will supply.
      As for connectivity to PC, a software with DRM, which is something like Windows Media 9 Series, may be supplied from Sony to manage MagicGate-protected data which originally belong to PSP.

  23. Over Hyped by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I severly doubt the psp will live up to its claims.
    Just like Sony claimed the playstation 2 would be able to render toy story in real time, the psp wont provide revolutionary handheld graphics without an absymal battery time.
    However I hope that they can at least provide competition for nintendo to help lower prices in the handheld console area.

    1. Re:Over Hyped by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Just like Sony claimed the playstation 2 would be able to render toy story in real time.

      It did render Toy Story, as long as you had the disc in the drive!

    2. Re:Over Hyped by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its rendered better than toy story (ie:beyond good and evil). Also, toy story was never a good benchmark (ie: crappy graphics)

  24. I Think Pay Per Level is the way forward... by ripnet · · Score: 1

    ... It makes sense, as putting down 40 for a game which may be crap is a bit of a risk, far better to pay 2-5 per level or whatever, then you would only spend more money on good games...

    1. Re:I Think Pay Per Level is the way forward... by AltaMannen · · Score: 1

      It wouldn't make much sense for publishers of poo-games to do that, and even if games were potential hits I don't think the publishers would want to risk the loss of people only paying 1/20th of the game and get bored with it (Prince of persia is a nice game but I probably would only have paid for a third before getting bored).

  25. Closed hardware by t_allardyce · · Score: 1

    Looks like instead of PC's getting locked down with mandatory DRM, everyone else will just leave PC's behind and move over to a closed-box tamper-proof "i dial home and make sure your still a subscriber" units that do all the basic things most people need: games, music, video, office applications and printing. These platforms will be more strictly controlled than a totallitarian facist dictatorship, any tampering and the unit will kill its self, and if it doesnt dial in regularly the company will be able to "reclaim" it because you will legally only be renting it. This will be fine to begin with, as if we care? we can stick to our nice 'open' PC's and laugh as everyone else is treated like crap. Unfortunately it will start to fall apart for us. Hardware manufacturers will quit the PC market, closed systems will start locking out compatability, and eventually, unless we can get some hardware on our side we will run out. Could that be a starting point for big brother?

    --
    This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
    1. Re:Closed hardware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long a there is an open source movement, none of this will happen.
      Linux is an example of a group of people who want freedom from this type of problem, and open source programs allow you to see any nasty code which is there and edit it to your needs.
      Currently the dmca has an exception in it which allows all reverse engineering of hardware to create interoperatable software, this will prevent big brother locking people up for creating alternative software for propriety hardware.

    2. Re:Closed hardware by t_allardyce · · Score: 1

      Yes but remember, most people dont know or care what open source is. To them a computer is just an appliance like a car. Laws are easily changed too, and even if you are allowed to reverse engineer, what if the hardware is just designed to stop you (i.e chips will burn out if tampered with) is there anything to say hardware cannot be designed like that? and what about using DRM as a law tool against reverse engineering - eg "oh your honour, they cant reverse engineer this system because the DRM system is part of it and that would be breaking the DMCA"

      --
      This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
  26. PSP Pipe Dreams by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I hear lots of marketing hype about Pricing, Connectivity, Storage, Raw graphical grunt, and making this beast of a handheld perform everything short of fellatio (Sonys tried and tested tactic of quietly reducing the features availible closer to launch aside). But I hear very little about the actual games and battery life, the two most important ingredients for any sucessful handheld, nice to know Sony have got their priorities right.
    Then again, judging by the damp squib that was the PS2 launch lineup I'm not surprised.

  27. Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is a great idea! My son, who plays a lot of video games, have asked me numorous times to purchase songs used in his games. There is no reason why it shouldn't work the other way around--buy the music you like and use it in the game.

  28. Does anyone remember.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Remember the Sega Channel in the mid 90s? You could plug this thing into your Genesis that would allow you to download games, demos, all sorts of stuff through your cable TV connection, and content changed all the time. Good times, good times.

  29. Not saying YOU bought an N-Gage, but ... by boarder8925 · · Score: 2, Funny
    I personally wouldn't want to pay that much for just a handheld.
    It's amazing how many people who bought the N-Gage would probably say something like this ... ;)
    --
    Keep your eyes to the sky.
    1. Re:Not saying YOU bought an N-Gage, but ... by dethl · · Score: 1

      Yes, but it is at least a cell phone as well as a gaming handheld.

      --
      "Some fight for law. Some fight for justice. What will you fight for? One day, you will see."
  30. Re:Surprised? I'm not. by NanoGator · · Score: 1

    "Didn't anyone else notice that Sony was touting the new discs to be used in the PSP as a new end-user storage media (meaning not exclusive to games)? How they went on and on about how the PSP was going to be the new Walkman? How they talked about watching movies and listening to music on it?"

    Probably to be expected. Sony's always trying to push their own media. The question is whether or not making an overpriced portable game system is the right way to promote it. I like the idea of using that sort of media, but I worry this'll fall flat on its face.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  31. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  32. I don't know about you but I rather own my games. by ITR81 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I don't want to DL games (dialup like over 50% of the US). I like having actual instructions and not some .pdf file of it. I actually like to touch my games and collect them. I will not subscribe or rent my games from Sony.

    Another Q? How can they sell it at $299 or less when in Japan they have stated a $699 price range?? Sounds like they will be taking a Xbox route on this one.

    I think I'll be going with the Nintendo DS which will also play the entire GB lib...and probably still cost less.

  33. Which brings up a good point... by Hamster+Lover · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Anti-piracy advocates like to drone on about how piracy raises prices for everyone. Why, then, are GC discs still so outrageously priced if piracy has not made a dent in their profit margin? Wind Waker is still C$69.99 in stores months after a very successful release.

    It seems that only the shit titles see a price cut to attract otherwise uninterested customers.

    Either the game companies are greedy or piracy has relatively little affect on console game prices.

    1. Re:Which brings up a good point... by burns210 · · Score: 1

      It is $49.99 every where i have seen... in fact, i don't think i have seen a launch title over 50 dollars. And yes, I do own the game(bought well after launch).

  34. Well designed it is near impossible to crack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lets say you use PK crypto, give each PSP it's own private key burned into internal eeprom (fused, so it wont be rewriteable ... and only protected routines which run entirely from internal memory are allowed to use it ... standard paranoid DRM scheme). Then encrypt the game on the fly (at the server of course) so only a single PSP will be able to play it.

    If the PSP is designed to only run crypted software then you are pretty much stuck as a cracker. To crack a game you need to get the key out of your chip (neigh impossible) decrypt the game, then get the key out of the PSP you want to copy the game to (even more impossible, since you have to keep it in working order this time) and then crack the other key of the pair!

    If you design the protocol correctly you can make cracking of online distribution for software for closed platforms as hard as cracking public key crypto.

    Your only option would be to try to crack the software by using the input path meant for content delivered on UMD (which can not be custom crypted for a single device). Which in itself could be made difficult, and would still require you to get your private key out of your chip.

    All in all it can be made far too difficult for anyone to consider even trying it. Much easier to try to crack the UMD distributed software.

  35. ... wtf? by GaimeGuy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm reading all these comments about "GREAT! BRILLLIANT MOVE, SONY! Use retail kiosks as a means of game distribution!"

    Yet, when Nintendo announced, and implemented, this feature into the iQue, I heard nothing but bashing from the internet community. Why the hell is it that everything nintendo does is a stupid move, but when done by Sony, it's the best business strategy ever? Not to mention the fact that they're touting PSP/PS3 connectivity, a la GC/GBA. -_-

  36. DING DING DING by C0rinthian · · Score: 1
    It seems that only the shit titles see a price cut to attract otherwise uninterested customers.
    We have a winnah!

    Just like everything else, game companies charge what people are willing to pay. People are still willing to pay $50 for Halo, so it's price really hasn't dropped yet. (I've seen it for $39.99, no lower) Amazingly enough, less popular games are in the $19.99 Bargain bin.

    Of course, this is only logical. If it doesn't sell at $50, drop it to $40 until it doesn't sell anymore. Drop to $30 and repeat ad nauseum.

    I seriously doubt that piracy has had any real effect on game prices. (Or CD and DVD prices for that matter)
  37. MOD PARRENT UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    GMR sucks

  38. Leakage by RotJ · · Score: 1

    Chris Kohler offers some details about the PSP rumors. According to him, the Sony rep who gave away the info he shouldn't have on Sony Connect had this to say: "Don't fuck me. Alright? Please don't fuck me."

  39. Drama Queen Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OMG!!!1! SC and PSP? She NEVER said anything about him! OH! I remember this one time I was at the mall with her and she was like "did you see him walking out of Ms. Jacobs class and he did that little smile an quick turn like he always does? It was sooOoOo cute!" GTG I'm off to the movies. I hope there is another Colin Farrell flick out...he's the dreamiest! **smooches**

  40. Portable Games by PingPongBoy · · Score: 1

    Occasionally I enjoy playing games while I'm on the go. That's what cellphones are for

    It wasn't easy to spell all that with Dragon NaturallySpeaking I had to make a few corrections

    --
    Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
  41. Why being a cellphone as well matters by tepples · · Score: 1

    Unlike most handheld gaming systems, N-Gage is a mobile phone as well. Many parents and school administrators will let their kids carry a mobile phone to school but not a gaming-only system. Most mobile phone network operators sell phones on an installment plan along with mobile service. Do the major toy stores offer installment plans for the gaming systems they sell without having to go through a credit card company?

  42. Too expensive to move just for broadband by tepples · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For people in many geographical areas, the choice is still either dial-up, ISDN, or a $$$/mo T1 line, without any offer between ISDN and T1. What suggestion do you have for them?

    1. Re:Too expensive to move just for broadband by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about DSL, cable, or satellite, in the US?

    2. Re:Too expensive to move just for broadband by brosmike · · Score: 1

      I'd personally suggest the T1, but hey, that's just me.

      --
      You know you're a nerd when you can mathematically prove that you have no life.
  43. Sony will have to sell downloads in stores by tepples · · Score: 1

    For this reason among others, the GameCube outsells the Xbox in geographical areas where broadband is not affordable to residential customers.

    However, Sony could beat this by selling downloadable works at toy stores that sell PSP systems; stores can afford business-class Internet connections.

  44. Re:i'm not a loser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mod parent up "Insightful"!

  45. Four problems with satellite Internet access by tepples · · Score: 1

    Many geographical areas within the United States still do not have cable or DSL, and satellite Internet access still 1. needs expensive equipment, 2. incurs excessive latency for gaming purposes, 3. doesn't work with fascist anti-dish landlords, and 4. doesn't work in areas that can't get a good line of sight.