PSP Go: NO UMD "conversions" for already-purchased games.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Yup. Like I said all along: the PSP Go is crap. Smaller screen, more awkward button placement, and 16GB of storage to do...what with? NOT STORE YOUR EXISTING PSP COLLECTION, that's what. Sony's promised UMD conversion that would allow existing PSP owners to transfer their existing library of useless-on-the-stupid-GO UMD games to store them on the Go and continue enjoying them has fallen through for licensing reasons.

So what the hell's the point of the Go? You can get more storage and better screens with a Zune HD or iPod. But those won't play PSP games OH WAIT NEITHER WILL THE PSP GO.

Stupidest idea ever. Especially considering that the PSP3000 wasn't exactly lacking in "pocketability" anyway. At least it had a drive for the PROPRIETARY MEDIA FORMAT DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR GAMES FOR THAT ONE SINGLE SYSTEM.

WTF was Sony thinking? What a stupid move.

A list of retailers is already refusing to carry the device because lack of support for physical game media effectively shuts them out of software sales for the system, which is where the real profits lie.

It's looking more and more like a brick in water as time goes on. Desirability for the consumer is heavily restricted due to lack of UMD support and lack of good titles on the PS Store, while support from retailers is waning. I think it probably would have been wiser to work on a PSP4000 or maybe put some of that R&D money into giving the PS3 backward compatibility again.

[OldmanPurdy]

When i first heard of this I thought that without the umd drive it would at least have longer battery life but so far every review I have seen say the battery last 1 hour less.

[MinisterofDOOM]

That's because it uses a completely different, smaller battery (one that, by the way, cannot be accessed without completely tearing the unit down AND breaking a warranty seal ).

[OldmanPurdy]

Huh that's pretty dumb the tool free battery change was one of the better portability features of the old PSP.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I've gotten some hands-on time with a PSP Go, and I have to say the lack of UMD drive is even more disappointing now that I've seen how well-designed the rest of the system is. It's VERY solidly built, looks fantastic, and feels great. My only complaint about the system's physical build quality is that the shoulder buttons are incredibly mushy. The analog stick location is also a little awkward compared to the old PSP1000 location, but so awkward as to be a problem. The actual stick itself feels much more solid than the one on my ancient launch-day PSP1000.

The system has curved rubber feet on the back which are ideal for keeping it in place while watching movies as well as for protecting the shiny finish. The slider mechanics of the screen are silky and tight, with a good springiness past the middle of the slide, snapping the screen open or closed with a respectable force. How well the springs will stand up to years of abuse is yet to be seen.

But of the 4 games I play regularly on the system, one is not available for download. The other 3 are, but I'd have to pay full price for them again. That blows.

If I could get those 3 free (as Sony originally claimed we'd be able to do before changing their story) I'd be down for buying a PSP Go. From here on out, all PSP games will release to UMD and the PS store, so once my current library is covered I'm good to go. I'm just waiting for Sony to get their act together and make buying this console desirable for existing PSP owners. Seems kind of stupid to introduce a console that caters ONLY to new customers. But then Sony is known for treating their customers like dirt anyway, so I don't know why I'm surprised.