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The UMD and PSP Getting Off The Ground
1up is running a piece examining Hollywood's relationship with Sony's UMD format. From the article: "Two UMD movies sold 100,000 units within two months. By contrast, one of the earliest DVD releases, Air Force One, took nine to achieve the same goal. DVD and ticket sales are on the decline, Hollywood needs a new source of revenue while they pick up the pieces, and PSP's handheld UMD format is turning into the glowing solution." Relatedly, Next Generation is running an article taking a look at the increasing quality of original games coming out for Sony's handheld. From the article: "After an embarrassingly slow start, the PSP has begun to find its niche with developers; likewise, Sony's internal studios and publishing division have gotten really adventuresome lately, with big and little games, both in tested genres and genres those games serve to test."
...to proprietary media formats.
I'm using the term "proprietary" loosely, of course... but buy into any media format that's tied to one specific device, and it's a given that someday you're going to have a stack of media that you can't play and a much lighter bank account to go with it.
Arr, the format be from the deserts of Iraq, Arr!
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
The two games mentioned are:
A generic Japanese RPG
A sequel to an unplayable horror game that is only described as having slightly improved visuals
This is considered finding a niche with developers? If so, is that really a niche Sony wants to fit into?
the UMD Wipeout/Stealth combo is not affected by this article, all is well with the world. And, if you listen closely, you can hear 8 tracks and Beta getting a setting ready at their table.
Anyone who has purchased one of these care to explain the reasoning? The PSP is cool, but I just dont understand why anyone would buy a movie that can only be watched on it, when DVD + laptop works perfectly well. The Spiderman 2 disc is neat to wow people with but i mean how many times can i watch the same movie on the same portable system? Especially since I got the system for gaming...
Why would people be *more* likely to buy an overpriced low-quality version of a movie that they can only watch on their PSP when they could just buy the DVD and watch it on their fantabulous home theater system?
Any high sales at the moment are probably solely due to novelty. Once the novelty wears off, sales will drop off (rather dramatically, I'm guessing). In any case, this isn't going to be a cash cow for Hollywood, as the studios will be less likely to sell a DVD for every UMD they sell of the same movie.
So the sequel is more graphically advanced but it's still unplayable?
Think of the bandwidth /. could save if they'd just redirect the games section straight to 1UP.com's homepage. Shit, I don't know why there's an "older articles" button on here, if you wait long enough it'll all get reposted by Zonk anyway. Zonkie, you're doing a heckuva job.
Does the fact that Air Force One sucked mean anything to anybody?
Let's face it people the PSP has a serious problem with games, this is the same problem you laughed at the Game Cube about, but you defend it now? The problem is you don't have people who know how to make handhelds in charge of it.
Nintendo risked a bit with the 2 screens, but notice where they are? Notice they know how to use it. Nintendogs is genius. They tried something big, and it's worked. Sony can't have something like that, they don't have the capablities for it on this system.
It's the same with the Revolution, if Nintendo gets third party in and sees it's a great idea you'll see a shift in power. And they can likely do it. What they need to let out is numbers for the systems and get the dev kits out, I don't know if they have done either, but once that starts it could be something good. It's going to be hard, but let's be honest, if you think games are good now, your kidding yourself, all we are getting are games similar to what we've been seeing for the last 20 years. This might actually give us something different.
The problem is PSP should stand for PS Ports. They might have GTA Liberty City Stories but they need more than one unique game to hold this system together and they failed that test so far. The only game I want for the PSP is Lumines and maybe Liberty City Stories. Where as the DS definatly has the games, and the backwards compatibility too.
They should have allowed everyone to put their own apps on the system. Would Java have worked if they locked it down? Imagine if you can run anything on the PSP and enjoy programming for it? but of course Sony doesn't want freedom (remember they have a huge invested interest in RIAA.)
Ngage failed for the similar reason in the game department, but the PSP is competition for the DS which is good, but it's not going to beat it though. Nintendo is entrenched here where they wern't on the 64. They use the older archaic format for the Handhelds, but I've noticed it's the one that works the best. You can't damage a cartridge like you can easily scratch a disk. I've scratched many discs accidently, nothing horrible but I've done it, I've never ever damaged a cart, even when trying... And when your transporting this stuff, you're going to scratch it after a while.
The more we glorify their attempts at trying to make it live, the worse it will do when it crashes. UMD is a good idea, if they can make other players and get the cost down. I'm not going to pay twice the price (I get DVDs at places like walmart.. 15 bucks a piece on the day it gets released) just so it's portable. That's obscene.
"DVD and ticket sales are on the decline, Hollywood needs a new source of revenue while they pick up the pieces"
God I hate this little fact people like to bandy about. Tinsel town is not hurting in the slightest, here are yearly box office sales from the last half dozen or so years ( thanks to boxofficemojo.com ).
2004 9.4 billion
2003 9.1 billion
2002 9.1 billion
2001 8.4 billion
2000 7.6 billion
1999 7.4 billion
1998 6.9 billion
See... where I come from, when the number keeps going up and up, we dont call that shrinking... grrr.
I swear, they do. I went to my stepbrothers Basic Graduation, and every other soldier was buying a damn PSP. He bought one and 3 games and 2 movies. Ghost Busters, and the first 10 episodes of Ren and Stimpy. I asked my stepbro why he wanted a PSP, he said to watch the movies AND play the games, I asked why didnt he get a DS and a seperate movie player. He said the DS didnt play movies, and he only wanted one thing he had to take care of and that it was better that it was small. That way he could use it on downtime, instad of a DVD player.
Yay, I have a sig.
Wait, and was Air Force One one of the two best-selling DVD's? I'd be more surprised if the two best-selling UMD movies didn't compare favorably to a poorly-selling DVD of my choosing. Add the fact that things probably just sell more today than they did then and I'm struggling to see the news here.
"This is considered plagiarism."
wouldn't it just replace dvd sales? hopefully there aren't too many people who buy a dvd and a umd. i think a new "glowing solution" would be re-releasing lots of dvds and older movies on super-mega-video-format, where they actually do something innovative instead of shrinking it down and putting it on a 4" screen. yeah, probably flamebait. oh well.
best college pickem site ever: pickem.terrbear.org
No kidding, especially when you take into account the fact that you can get a decent portable DVD player at Wal-Mart for half the price of a PSP. I've seen uber cheap ones for under $100, decent ones go for around $120-$130.
"Two UMD movies sold 100,000 units within two months. By contrast, one of the earliest DVD releases, Air Force One, took nine to achieve the same goal."
This comparison is not relevant.
First, the DVD player was a single-function appliance, and had to be adopted before people would buy one. The PSP was released as a game platform, so it was adopted by many more people.
Second, the DVD competed with a tech that already had very deep market saturation -- videocassettes. Early adopters had already invested in laser-discs and been burned. Adoption of DVD players was slower due to these factors. The PSP, on the other hand, competes (in re: movies) with portable DVD players, which do not have as deep market saturation.
"DVD and ticket sales are on the decline, Hollywood needs a new source of revenue while they pick up the pieces, and PSP's handheld UMD format is turning into the glowing solution"
Except of course, that the UMD format is not a new source of revenue. It is a new distribution method for an old source of revenue -- movie titles for portable video players.
The reason that UMD-format sales of selected movies have been high? Because the titles released are targeted to the same market as the PSP. Why doesn't the article reference the top-selling DVDs sold within the first few months of sale?
The reason people pay high prices for UMD-format movies? Because it beats paying $400 for a portable DVD player that (1) serves no other function and (2) takes up even more space in the pocketbook/bookbag/tote/man-purse.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
I have a PSP, and UMD movies are nothing more than a fad. Contrary to the Hollywood executives' beliefs, I don't exist to line their pockets every time they decide they need to have me re-buy my movie library on a different format.
As some people have stated, you can buy a dvd player for your home and a portable dvd player, but your forgetting something.
Not alot of people have alot of room when there carrying stuff on an airplane or a have a car packed full of people, would you rather have a clunky portable dvd-player in your lap (thats hot) or a small lightweight, kickass looking screen that you can rest in your hands?
Another thing is that while dvd movies were meant to be played in the home, UMD movies were meant to played on the go. Yes, you can take a dvd on the go with a portable dvd player but its really not worth it. The two mediums are for completly different markets and should not be compared.
A final note is that some of you are complaining about the PSP's proprietary format. Every handheld device has had its own format, and even the UMD has protection. Theres a reason why sony used the UMD format and not a cartidge or slimeline dvd like the gamecube.
1)It can be scratched easilly
2)Unlike a cartridge, a cd can hold alot more space.
3)While a cartridge would be the best idea for a portable system, a multifunctional system like the PSP cannot use them simply for the fact that it was meant for movies and games, you cant put a dvd-quality movie on a cartridge.
All in all, the PSP is doing well for what it was made for. It wasnt made for the poor twelve year old who doesnt travel much. It was made for the teenager or adult who spends his time traveling and doesnt have the space to lug around an mp3 player/dvd player/and a game system.
At least Zonk's not michael.
Oops, there goes my karma.
--DrH, the Sandwich with the Ph.D.
"With DVD, ticket sales down, Sony's portable might not be much of a savior."
That second article is crap. It doesn't even talk about PSP games! Rogue Galaxy and Siren 2 are both PS2 games. The only PSP game mentioned is Loco Roco. The single sentence in the summary is about the only mention of the psp in the whole thing. Zonk, maybe you should RTFA next time?
I do not buy the selling point of this mobile-movie stuff. Are these people riding 40 miles to work or school every day on a public transport? Government records don't say many are.
Are they flying on the plane every week or month? Nothing like a nice stigmatism to compliment the jetlag. Sub-VGA resolution is a trick from Satan to destroy the eyes of man so that he cannot read the BeOS Bible.
Why BeOS? I don't know, man, I didn't do it.
So, where is the reason? Movie sales are in decline because it is cheaper to buy a DVD than go to a theatre, now. Not to mention the whole home-theatre trend, anyway. Community events are so dirty. But, when watching Lost in Translation at home, I can whip it out whenever I feel like it, and nobody is going to say anything. Not even Grandma.
Most people are not highly mobile. We go to school and study our asses off all day, or go to work and bust our balls all day. Most do not ride public transports, nor car pool. The fact that trends suggest we are becomming more seditary and enjoying cinema in our own homes instead of going out says something.
Then again, it also says something that people would rather watch a segment of a movie on the PSP than play one of its horrible games. It's all novelty, and it will wear off.
They will be available at times when no other way to watch a movie of my choice. E.g. on a flight, train, stuck in town waiting for inconsiderate tardy people.
For less than half the price of a PSP, you can have an even bigger screen so that you can watch G-rated movies other than Disney/Pixar's Toy Story, which was the only G-rated movie available on UMD Video when I checked a week ago at Meijer.
BetaMax!
No. If you're thinking about buying DVDs and format-shifting them to Memory Stick PRO Duo, the so-called Betamax precedent won't save you now. Sony v. Universal was decided in 1984, but the law was changed in October 1998 so that format-shifting from a copy-protected medium became a federal felony. The governing case is now Universal v. Reimerdes, where it was ruled that using and/or distributing DeCSS within the United States (where Slashdot's server is located) is unlawful.
DVD-ripping software and a big honking memstick for the PSP are your friends.
When the FBI (or foreign counterpart) comes after you for breaking the DMCA (or foreign counterpart), Bubba will be your new (butt-)friend. Besides, can't you buy a portable DVD player for the price of a big honking Memory Stick PRO Duo card?
I still like ... voice samples
If they're in Japanese, what real use are they? Or do you expect publishers to pay for voice acting talent in several continental languages for the European version?
CD quality music
What do you deem CD quality music? Current Nintendo DS game cards are up to 64 megabytes, meaning that DS games can stream compressed audio from the game card instead of using "OMG it's a MIDI file" music. There exist multiple middle grounds between tracked music and storing the audio as Red Book audio. Which did you mean? 32 kbps MP3? 64 kbps? 128 kbps?
People can bring their PSPs into the movie and watch a UMD when they get bored!
It's also a bit silly to assert you can't have a pet game for the PSP simply because you don't have two LCDs.
It's not the second screen as much as the fact that it is touch sensitive. Nintendogs could have been done without the top screen, but if you don't have a touch screen, how can you touch your dog in pleasant ways?
Yes, a few of these games are sequels or have related series.
And a lot of the DS games aren't. Feel the Magic, Meteos, Polarium, and the like are brand new franchises. There are borderline cases: Pac-Pix and Kirby Canvas Curse play nothing like other games in their franchises to the point where the franchise is nearly irrelevant, unlike the racing games (Wipeout, MC, NFS, RR) whose gameplay is just like that of their predecessors. There certainly aren't enough original franchises on the PSP to justify the $120 difference in purchase price.
Also, the PSP doesn't really have something to be backward-compatible with, yet
PS1 games through a Walkman-shaped accessory analogous to a GameCube Game Boy Player perhaps?
but that is a nice feature of the DS. (Although why they elected to disallow multiplayer link games is boggling.)
Probably because a link port would have taken up extra space on the console that is otherwise used for the real headphone jack, and because they wanted to prevent people from using flash card kits based on a GBA link cable.
where can I download Nintendo's hobbiest SDK?
A hobbyist SDK compatible with GBA and Nintendo DS is available here, and the forum is here.
You think they weren't entrenched after the SNES?
Because the Sonic the Hedgehog series and a more accurate port of Mortal Kombat 1 sold a lot of Sega Genesis systems, the Super NES wasn't entrenched nearly as much as the NES was.
Developers may also like the fact they can throw 1.8G on a PSP disc
How long does it take a UMD drive to read 1800 MB of data? Translate that into a temptation to drop to a NOW LOADING screen and you see what makes PSP not the best choice for playing five minutes at a time.
Lots of polygons, lots of pixels. You can compress things to an extent; however you start trading off quality and CPU cycles to do so.
(These aren't simply FMVs, either; Star Ocean 3 has a lot of large areas, voice acting, etc.)
Do RPGs released in Europe have voice acting in multiple continental languages, or is it just English or Japanese with subtitles?
The ability to play my own video from memory sticks isn't too bad, though, although I've never used it.
You're feeling the chilling effect of the DMCA, right?
However, I do find considering the entire handheld race won this generation because of something that's basically a tamagotchi to be a bit silly.
As I understood it, the point wasn't that one brand had "won this generation" as much as "won as of September 2005".
Hot Shots Golf rocks; don't bash it, people have bought PSPs for it, and I've spent far too much time in the past two days learning why. It's fun, and excellently implemented, with huge long-term value.
How does Hot Shots Golf compare to Mario Golf: Advance Tour?
This is like anything else entirely dependant on what you like to play.
I bought a GBA, and I'm considering buying a Nintendo DS, in part because of the ability to play a game called devkitARM where the object is to make your own game and brag about it on the Internet. Sony Computer Entertainment has shown itself to be much more proactive about thwarting homebrew than Nintendo is.
The last time I heard someone say that a smaller increase was the same thing as a decrease, they were talking about taxes.
Governments raise annual budgets to match the annual increases in the Consumer Price Index. A business whose revenue growth fails to beat inflation is considered a failure for exactly the same reason.
Because it beats paying $400 for a portable DVD player
Which country's dollars are you talking about? At Wal-Mart stores and Walmart.com I see portable DVD players for 120 USD, which coincidentally matches the price difference between the PSP and the Nintendo DS.
Nobody ever got jailed for violating the DMCA.
Tell that to Dmitry Sklyarov and "DVD" Jon Johansen.
Do you go up to people at the Apple store saying "You can buy a Discman for $20! Stop buying that iPod!"?
This is different. The PSP isn't hard drive based; if you want to carry multiple ripped movies, you have to carry multiple $130 memory cards.
I did bring my PSP, and I enjoyed my UMD movies while waiting.
I have children in my household. Which G-rated UMD Video titles are available, other than Disney/Pixar's Toy Story?
For not much more money
"Not much more money" is coincidentally the price of a portable DVD player, or the price of a GBA Movie Player, a PassMe adapter, and a small-ish CF card.
you can get the PSP, which plays excellent games, has wi-fi
Same with the Nintendo DS.
is hackable with homebrew crap
All that a local store had in stock a week ago was "model B", having long since run out of the "model A" PSP that came with 1.50 firmware. Has the "model B" PSP been reliably cracked for homebrew yet? Or should I look for a used unit instead? If so, how do I identify a PSP's firmware version in a pawn shop?
One of the most likely reasons I would buy a PSP is the Emulation/homebrew scene, but from what I hear it was destroyed when Sony updated the firmware for web-browswer support a few months ago.
Is there still work being done on it, or is the scene dead for good?
That thing doesn't even have it's own power source.
I linked to that specific player only as a generic example of a $120 player because in a couple minutes of searching, I couldn't find the exact model of $120 player that I had seen a few days prior at a brick-and-mortar Wal-Mart store. If you want to find other entry-level portable DVD players, search walmart.com for portable dvd player. Here's another; here's one that's a bit more expensive but still demonstrates the point.
Neither the Gamecube nor the PSP have an inherent problem with games, or at least not in the form of "it can't possibly have more games".
You can step down from that soap box. It's not some conspiracy to be pro-Sony and anti-Nintendo. It's just a pragmatic decision based on what games exist at a given time that interest a potential buyer. No more, no less.
There was nothing that said the Gamecube couldn't possibly get more games. For me, it just somehow didn't. The ports from other systems I could already play on those other systems, and Nintendo's own games just fall squarely outside the genres I'm interested in.
Likewise, there's nothing to say that the PSP will or won't get more games. We'll see. If it gets enough, it will do better. If not, not. So far, I'm pleased with it, but even I won't claim which way it'll go from here.
Any speculation along the lines of "System X will be guaranteed to get all the games, and System Y is guaranteed to get not much more" is just that: wild speculation. It makes for a good fanboy rant, but it's still talking out the ass either way.
The as for the rest of the rant:
"The problem is PSP should stand for PS Ports."
Well, that doesn't bother me. The PS2 happens to have the genres I like in abundance. If that's the kind of games that'll make it to the PSP, well, you've just told me I should be happy about buying it.
"They should have allowed everyone to put their own apps on the system."
Unless the DS does, it seems to me it's a non-sequitur. Can you just put your own app on a cartridge and run it?
But anyway, I bought it for the games, not to run Java on it, so it doesn't bother me. I already have a PC to do my programming on.
"but of course Sony doesn't want freedom (remember they have a huge invested interest in RIAA.)"
You mean unlike Nintendo which tried to stop emulation by patenting something as vague and patently bogus as "emulating a GBA"? Or patented something as blatantly obvious as simulating insanity in a game?
And I'm not even getting again into their old strong-arm contracts that said that you can't _ever_ program for another platform if you want a game published on theirs.
Doesn't strike me like the great defender of Freedom, so far.
"You can't damage a cartridge like you can easily scratch a disk."
Have you even _seen_ an UMD? If you can scratch it through the caddy, I want to know how you're doing it. Attacking it with a chisel and hammer, or what?
So basically that just tells me you don't even know what you're talking about.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
I agree with all of your points, except I think a better comparison would have been between the PSP and the Game Gear of olde. The GG was very powerful for its time, had a better display than its competitors, was largely a dumping ground for Genesis ports and old MS games, and finally was unaffordable for most consumers. Oh, and like PSP, it also had a multimedia gimmick of its own called the TV tuner-- I believe this device allowed the GG to function as a TV, and was even equipped with an antenna.
GG's shortcomings aside, I remember it doing decently (but not overly) well here in the States. I was quite fond of it myself, and wished I had picked one up at the time. Even now, I would take a GG over a PSP anyday. PSP's games have failed to enthuse me in the least. It appears gameplay continues to take a backseat to graphics.
You can't put DVD quality movies on UMD's.
Y'Know, I live on the French Riviera, not far from Italy.
So, figure it out. Rei Merdes... Heh, heh...
Games are what computers were made for not boring spreadsheets
I have a nephew (12) who is heavily into video games. He's got all the nintendo consoles and handhelds (gameboy, color, advance, DS) plus PS2 and PSP. Oh, and an iPod mini. He doesn't have his own computer or wireless and his parent like it that way because they can monitor his 'net usage in the livingroom. He also has a Juicebox, the VideoNow(?) player, Hit Clips and media for them. He's bought a few UMD titles. He's the typical target audience for this kind of stuff. He's a consumer. He doesn't play games on the PC (it's a bit underpowered for games) and there isn't going to be a 2nd computer setup in the house. So, any suggestions?
ok, your right; karma be damned forsure...
:P cheers
zonk's games section, yes its zonk's section, is terrible. the coverage is just the same crap 1UP posts. and frankly, as a long time browser, i am damn sick of this website because of moderators like him. i would go so far as to say i prefered micheal, but thats just because zonk bastardizes what i'm interested in... for shame!
if i wanted to suffer through 1up.com, i would; but this is slashdot, it was once a great morning lunch and coffee break time killer in the office. now its just crap.
hey zonk, i just got back from tokyo game show with a special preview for you: in 2006 zonk sucks dick for nickles.
venting complete
video game, ecchi, bbs and classic computing fans unite to eat sushi
My current setup uses PSPWare for Mac. I typically rip an episode of the Office or Six Feet Under from DVD each night to watch on the streetcar in the morning. Also with this sync goes a daily bookmarks file for the browser, a random selection of 50 songs from iTunes, whatever my last roll of photos taken was, and a podcast or two. Syncins a PSP only takes a few minutes even with this large amount of data (go USB2!). Its made a gigantic difference in my commute; sometimes you wanna play BurnOut, sometimes you just want to read, or watch something, or listen to music. I don't have to decide before I walk out the door which device to take - that is the appeal.
I understand the argument from the DS fans but these features are killer apps for me.
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
At the risk of Not Getting It...
:-)
What's so exciting about either of these announcements? How the hell will UMD "save hollywood"? Right now PSP feels more like a niche item, limiting yourself to that audience doesn't seem like a big win. What do UMDs offer over DVD? Anything besides formfactor, and maybe format-specific goodies if the movie maker feels like throwing Sony a bone?
As for the PSP game lineup...rouhgly speaking, I think only a few genres work well on handhelds, genres where the portability makes up for the small screen and other sacrifices....5 minute sit-and-plays, and longer RPGs. PSP might have the RPG market for handhelds going into the future, but...
I do think people who dismiss GTA as a series are missing out on something, I think its use of challenging missions set in a sim-city-ish world (one that seems to follow its own agenda, rather than being prelayed out for the game designers' convenience), with mayhem of the violent and stunt variety is unique; I can't think of another game that matches it, but given that its going to be done better on the consoles, it's not a killer app.
I'm a Nintendo fanboy, but I really expected PSP to mop the floor with the DS, especially after trying to play Super Mario 64 with that stupid nub-on-touchscreen setup...it desperately needs an analogish controller ala the PSP (hmm...the SNES-like GBA lacks 2 of the SNES buttons, the N64-like DS lacks the N64 analog stick...) But I think Nintendo has the smarts when it comes to pick up and play gaming...one area where the commitment to cartridges finally payed off
SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
What if he wants games PSP has?
Most of those are either direct ports or direct sequels to games on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, or they're cross-platform and available on the DS or GBA. Even the popular PSP falling block game is on the GBA now. My suggestion is to wait it out until there is a wider selection of compelling exclusive titles.
the homebrew
You can determine which model PSP you have by looking under the 120V on the UPC label. In North America, model ' ' and 'A' (firmware 1.50) have been cracked for homebrew, while model 'B' (firmware 1.52) hasn't. As of September 2005, stores have only model 'B'. If I go used, what's the most polite way to check firmware version over the phone while I have the yellow pages open to local pawn shops?
etc etc?
What about 4 pack-in games? For the price of a PSP, that's what you can get if you go with a DS.
And that wav sounded pretty decent.
It was a 30 kbps GSM file made with GSM Player for GBA. At that bitrate, a 2:00 loop would take 450 KBytes of space in ROM. If you're willing to devote 1/4 of the 64 MiB on a current DS card to background music, you can fit a full CD length soundtrack. And as for the CPU hit, the GBA decoder does take a bit over half the CPU on the GBA, but the Nintendo DS's CPU is clocked four times as fast.
Bottom line: Using a studio recorded soundtrack in a DS game is feasible.
But there'd be no point since it would just be a PSone, and a TV capture card for PSP.
But if the market demands what amounts to a PSone and a TV capture card, then why doesn't Sony produce it in much the same way that Nintendo produced Game Boy Player for GameCube?
With what would it be backwards comaptable with?
With the PSone Walkman Edition TV tuner, of course ;-)
Sony has completely lost touch with reality. Evidence? They keep trying to sell the UMD as a format in and of itself. Hello, Sony. This is reality calling to remind you that those little discs that only your handheld can play and only you can write are NOT a format. They're the things you put in your handheld. Do you expect that you're going to trick someone into buying a $20 UMD - Oh man, didn't you hear? It's the new format! - and then they'll HAVE to get a $200 game system to watch it on? Oh yes, cackle, surely that will work, crash of lightning.
Sony, what the hell is wrong with you? You add DRM to old media and call it New Special Shiny Media, you shunt your product beteen disparatie niches, none of which it very well fits. You can't even be bothered to get demo units to the stores that sell your shitty handheld. The only people who sell their products on theory are con men and pure profiteers. I wonder which one we're dealing with here?