Sony planning to charge for PSP downloads from next year

PSP News | Free updates and extra content to be no more come 2006.

It's long been suspected that Sony would eventually cease providing free updates for their PSP games (such as the free vehicle and track packs offered for WipEout Pure owners), and at the GDCE on Tuesday, Sony Europe VP Phil Harrison confirmed that the company would soon be charging for extra content. Indeed, it seems premium content downloads are set to play a big part in Sony's plans for their new handheld, which has now been launched in every global region.

Harrison discussed WipEout Pure's downloadable content in his GDCE spiel, describing it as 'an experiment which has turned out to be a good experiment.' Indeed, the popularity of the WipEout packs has inspired Sony to tap into this potentially lucrative stream of income, with Harrison declaring, 'We'll be moving to premium content next year.' Customers, admitted Harrison, were being 'capably lured by Microsoft's Xbox Live system', which already offers extra game content for a price.

Thus, it's hardly surprising that Sony has decided to jump on the bandwagon, and there's even been an iTunes-esque digital rights management system set up, which means once you've paid for your extra game content (say, an extra level or vehicle), you can download it as many times as you like to your PSP.

We'll post more on the structuring and pricing of this venture as soon as we get it.

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17 Comments

Blunty

6 years ago

Typical sony Bait and switch.
Also typical a sony act by pinching features that have been poineered by other companys. Why innovate when you can just sit back and let other people do the work and just steal whatever proves to be a successful feature or business model.

Jeremy

6 years ago

LOL, what a sham! could'nt believe i didn't see this one coming

thechu

6 years ago

Just when I thought Sony couldn't be any more of a dissappointment, they prove me wrong. Perhaps the reason why the Wipeout Pure downloadable content feature was so successful was because they were FREE!!!!!!!

Being able to download extra content is a bonus that comes with purchasing a game and may even be the deciding factor in buying one, but I'm not going to pay for a few measly extras, it's not worth it for me since I don't buy a lot of games.

Charging for XBOX 360 Live services is justified and warranted, doing the same for the PSP is just mean. Anyway, I think it would only work if it was cheap enough.

Chris-Leigh

6 years ago

'Charging for XBOX 360 Live services is justified and warranted, doing the same for the PSP is just mean'

Not that I agree with this move from Sony, but how does that work?

thechu

6 years ago

^ Hehe, sorry, just reread my post and saw how that sounded (lack of sleep makes you say strange things, methinks). I meant in regards to charging for bonus and extra content, it's okay for the XBOX 360 Live service because you'll be getting a whole lot more than just downloadable stuff, such as unique player ID's, skill ratings and online play etc, etc. But I don't think it's nice for Sony to charge for a bit of downloadable content.

onggie

6 years ago

Just like Microsoft, release something for free then eventually make the consumers pay!

themak

6 years ago

...no, more like sony!!!

ObsoletE

6 years ago

^ yeah, MS charged you from the get-go.

this is a stupid argument. personally i think it's annoying, but ultimately probably a good thing for gamers and PSP owners.

if you are getting income from extra content, you'll make it worth the downloaders money (in theory) whereas if you aren't, why bother? it should also encourage developers to make extra content.

i guess it's going to come down to how much they charge and what you get that decides the issue.

ZNMS

6 years ago

That's not surprising. Not one bit.

David

6 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

if you are getting income from extra content, you'll make it worth the downloaders money (in theory) whereas if you aren't, why bother? it should also encourage developers to make extra content.

Exactly. Who wouldn't be happy to pay a couple of bucks for new tracks or levels in your favourite game? And if it costs something, it'll be more likley to happen, and probably be better.

Lord InuYasha

6 years ago

*gasp* now they want more money?? This is starting to get out of control. The powers going to their head.

Andronicus

6 years ago

ObsoletE and David make the best points here.

Sony and the developers of PSP games are not charities here people.
They are companies.
Companies offer goods and services for revenue, which hopefully exceeds expenses, generates and profit, and makes shareholders happy.
Look it up.

Charging a fee is logical, and like ObsoletE and David both said - it will encourage additional content to be delivered, and perhaps increase the quality of the content.
Why would anybody expect Sony to give out freebies?
It's just not in their interests...

Lord InuYasha

6 years ago

^Still personally i would have preffered the Freebies!!! What if customer satisfaction plumeted and they ended destroying themselves in their mass puresuit of money??

Andronicus

6 years ago

I think customers have become used to the concept of exchanging $$$ for goods and/or services, and anybody unhappy about handing over $$$ for said G+S mustn't be familiar with the concept of an economy.

Come on.
Like I said, how is it in their interest to hand out products (and such downloads constitute products here) for free? Stuff that was created through the expense of $$$ and labour (which costs more $$$).

Most companies wouldn't be expected to give away freebies.
Sony is one of these companies.
Customers will be able to expect higher quality for the $$$ they fork over.
Think about what drives the developing companies to churn out quality products here - profits.

Sony will hardly destroy itself by charging $$$ for their products.
That's what businesses do!
It isn't a mass pursuit of money - it's serving the interests of the stakeholders, which includes customers, yes, but also the very important shareholders.

I see nothing wrong with this move from a business standpoint.

thechu

6 years ago

^ Thanks for the lecture on economics, we're so edumacated now.

(Only joking dude).

Considering how many people feel about Sony, bitching about them offers a bit of stress relief, even if we know better and know that nothing can be done when things like this happen.

Andronicus

6 years ago

Fair enough.
Bitch away!