Retailer says 'No' to PSP Go!
Slams Sony and its latest console
Sony would probably have you believe that retailers are climbing over one another to stock the PSP Go! But one Dutch retailer has refused to stock the firm’s latest handheld console.
Nedgame, a nine-store videogame chain in the Netherlands, has posted a message to customers on its website that it has decided not to stock the PSP Go!
The retailer appears to be unhappy with the console’s inability to import games and its download-only games sales strategy – presumably a reference to the console’s lack of a UMD drive.
Nedgame is also unhappy with the seemingly high cost of a PSP Go!, compared to the PSP-3000. Locally, the PSP Go! sells for €249 (£221/$365), according to Nedgame, while the PSP-3000 is a more pocketable €169.
All these factors will put punters off, the retailer reckons, so there's no point stocking the device, it feels.
Despite stocking other Sony equipment, Nedgame doesn’t appear to be much of a fan of the Japanese electronics giant.
“Sony cut the consumer choice and thus creates a monopoly on the Psp Go! game sales,” said the firm by way of Google's translation service. “We see this as a very bad development for both the consumer and the retailer.”
Nedgame will continue to support the PSP-3000.
Sony won’t release the PSP Go! into UK stores until next month. It will cost £225. ®
COMMENTS
I've already said no!
I'm certainly not a fan of Sony's new strategy of screwing over existing PSP owners with this download only crap. They deliberately went download only to cut out retailers and the pre-owned markets.
@ Ryan 1986
"Next Gen consoles wont support dvd/ blu ray/ flash memory etc. All download only, the sooner this happens the better I say!!"
Rubbish - and you know it.
Obviously, the next set of consoles will support both. Downloads and physical discs/memory cards/whatever complement each other, downloads will never replace physical media completely, certainitely not for a big complicated machine like a stand-alone console.
Good for them
Think of it from the shops point of view: what is the point in a shop selling a console where the customer can not buy a single game in store?
Consoles have historically been sold at very little profit and all the stores income comes from games and add-ons. Sony even makes a loss on the PS3 and is relying on game sales for profit.
Downloading games from online stores is probably the future for customers, but it is the death of all game stores.
@ Ryan 1986
"All these non english speaking countries are the reason why PSN/ XBLA games take so long to launch over here compaired to the USA. The English speaking users should have access to a English language store/ marketplace. This will mean we get games cheaper (no translation costs, forigen marketing) and they will be released earlier."
What complete and utter horse shit! The practice of keeping NA and EMEA markets separate has nothing to do with language issues. It does, however, have everything to do with being able to gouge consumers for the maximum amount they can get away with in the local market.
good
Good, means that there will be more units for the UK launch, sod the Dutch. Downloadable titles are the way forward, PSOne games have be online since March 2007, if they werent selling then why are more titles coming out in that format? PSP game sales online are increasing rapidly - on the launch of the PSP Go and the release of new games for download will only make this more so. XBLA titles have been selling really well as have PSN titles.
Next Gen consoles wont support dvd/ blu ray/ flash memory etc. All download only, the sooner this happens the better I say!!
All these non english speaking countries are the reason why PSN/ XBLA games take so long to launch over here compaired to the USA.
The English speaking users should have access to a English language store/ marketplace. This will mean we get games cheaper (no translation costs, forigen marketing) and they will be released earlier.
