PSPgo Launch Canned In France?
Not really off to a good start for the new PSP.Published 02/07/2009 at 23:00 by nofi
According to French site Jeux Video, Sony may decide to not launch the new PSPgo in France. The reasons are simple and may end up being echoed by UK retailers at some point – if there’s no profit to be made then why bother? Essentially, the French distributors would have no interest in selling the machine if it doesn’t generate profit on games (remember that consoles themselves rarely sell to customers much above the cost price to the retailer) and without boxes games there’s no second hand market either.
Jeux Video states that this is little more than subjective discussion at this stage, but feels that the issue is strong enough in some quarters to warrant the post. The site also states that the retailer in question still plans to support the current PSP 3000 model, and presumably the UMD-based games, too. The rest of Europe should still see the launch of the new console as planned on the 1st of October alongside the wonderful looking Gran Turismo PSP, which, of course, will also be available on the ’standard’ PSPs in addition to the Go’s digital download. Cheaper too, we’ll wager.
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
Alex_Assassin_08 | 02/07/2009 23:07
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Great?
Doesn’t everyone who already has a proper PSP hate the Go?
Watchful | 02/07/2009 23:11
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It’s not a question of hating the PSPgo whether people have already got a PSP or not. It’s just that the ‘go is so damn expensive compared to a ‘3000.
AllTheApesEscaped | 03/07/2009 00:03
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I have an original JP launch PSP and am getting a Go – and it will be cheaper at £160
BioEye | 02/07/2009 23:23
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How did they not see this coming?
It worked for Apple, as they sell iPhones and iPod Touch in their own stores. Unless Sony get some PSN cards in the EU or some sort of ‘buy this plastic box for a download code’ item within third party shops, it’s not going to do well.
Downey92 | 02/07/2009 23:28
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What do you mean about the Apple thing, other shops sell iPhones too…?
BioEye | 02/07/2009 23:31
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Apple have the extra install base of their own Apple Stores whereas Sony don’t really. Apple also sell accessories which can be sold in third party shops, meaning those shops want to stock the iPhone/iPodTouch. It’s just not the same with the PSPgo.
Watchful | 02/07/2009 23:31
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I’d expected to hear by now that we’d be getting download codes in boxes like Sony did with Patapon 2 in the US. Maybe they’re waiting for Cologne to make their big reveal. But that’s still a month and a half away. Retailers and consumers are still too much in the dark about everything. This is why Sony should have listened to me and not announced the PSPgo at E3. I told them it was too soon.
Carl | 03/07/2009 00:07
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Good. Hope it’s canned everywhere. Crap idea and priced at £100 more than it should be
YOURMUMANDME | 03/07/2009 00:10
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If Sony have a fair % of shares in a high street retailer or two then all they should do is crack a deal with those stores to sell the little blighter .
Another option is to sell it exclusively through the net , cutting out the middle man creating a slight reduction on the price tag . All it would take is a little advertisement , should they ever decide to do that with anything they make …….
ghost5 | 03/07/2009 00:14
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new title – PSPGo: No Go In France
colossalblue | 03/07/2009 00:59
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Sorry but it’s got to be done…
So it’s more like the PSP: ALLEZ! then?
cc_star | 03/07/2009 02:08
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The iPod comparison is valid but I would point out that apple have always managed to create a level of hype around their products, and this hype has filtered to the mass Market, hell even my dad has an iPod and he’s 64
the iPod is a huge consumer product, it does something that no other device could at the time, inconjunction with iTunes it’s a phenomanon and does what could be a complicated task very simply, and plugged a huge gap in the Market, they practically sell themselves, this is why stores stock them, the product drives footfall into stores. Apple are a rich company and they’ve advertised the hell out of it as well.
The PSPgo is none of those things, it doesn’t plug a gap in the market, the 2000/3000 actually does more because not only can you download everything you’re gonna see on the go, buy you also have access to hundreds of cheap back catalogue games
something no one has mentioned so far is that many PSP owners run custom firmware so they can run emulators, or even run copied games. The go won’t have these benifits to those sizable number of end users.
It won’t be a footfall driver like the iPod, therefore I can’t see it getting much if any shelf space. I believe Sony have invented a great White elephant.
Also, in a couple of weeks they are starting to have meetings about a PlayStation Phone, this already makes the go out of date 4 months before it’s even launched.
After the opening weekend I can’t see anyone buying one.
Chimpanzee | 03/07/2009 08:32
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Not surprised really. For the first dedicated download-only games console to release at that price is lunacy. They’re the first ones to do it so it’s basically an experiment – you’d think they’d be willing to make a bit of a loss on the actual device just to get it out there and start selling downloads.
(Minor typo in article: “without boxes games” should be “without boxed games”)
Cjdamon042 | 03/07/2009 10:50
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I wouldn’t mind a PSPgo (I don’t own a PSP at all at the moment), but the fact that it’s more expensive than the older and technically more advanced PSPs is turning me away. That and obviously I’ll be paying full price for PSP games whereas if I purhcased the UMD versions of games for an older PSP they would probably be cheaper, plus there’s second hand games too.
DarthSharkey | 03/07/2009 11:09
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The fact that it’s more expensive to purchase the Go and you have to pay whatever price SONY demand on the PSN store then you’re limited to what you can buy because they will sell nearly everything at £24.99 (Monster Hunter:FU) when you can go on sites like play and buy the actual UMD for £17.99 or a PSP:3000 silver with MH:FU special pack for £134.99.
Unless SONY announce box codes in stores etc then I don’t think a lot of people will be purchasing the Go.
joeybamboo | 03/07/2009 11:34
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well i for one will be buying one regardles. i love dettin new toys to play with, even if it does only have a few extra features. itl be welcome in my home anyway.
deepmenace | 03/07/2009 12:04
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a big change to the pricing of psp games is on the horizon i think though.
i can see that in the near future LOADS of psp no-umd games selling for under £15 or £10 and loads in that impulse buy zone of under a fiver.
Downey92 | 02/07/2009 23:43
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Understand you now. There are a few Sony Centres dotted around but they are very sparsely situated, only ever been in one once, and even that was in America. I did buy my PSP 1000 there before it was released in the UK though
cc_star | 03/07/2009 01:53
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As far as I know Sony Centres are franchises and are nothing to do with Sony (except their stock obviously)