So, is the UMD a failure?

[Ausfalcon]

MikeB said:

@ Ausfalcon

No, in the posting above I was referring to Ken's comment.

It's more successful than I expected, IMO UMD movies helped the PSP to become the multi-media handheld as Sony was aiming for. The R&D with regard to that has probably helped PSP sales (the most successful handheld gaming console for rivalling Nintendo's handhelds ever since the release of the original Gameboy) and this R&D can also be applied to digital download versions.

I think moving towards digital downloads (in addition to UMD movies or not) was always Sony's long term strategy for the PSP.

Without UMD movie value add, do I think that would have benefitted the PSP more? No, I don't think so. Understand?

It being more successful than *you* personally expected does not set the bar at whether the format itself was a success or a failure to Sony or the public at large.

What Sony may or may not have planned for the long term strategy of the PSP's media format does not address the question of the OP.  Which was, was the UMD format itself a failure?

 

Sony had hopes for widespread adoption of "music-based" UMD:

http://www.us.playstation.com/News/PressReleases/209

http://www.i4u.com/article1542.html

That did not happen.

 

They admitted in 2007 it was faltering and not doing as well as they had hoped for movies:

http://news.filefront.com/could-umd-movies-makes-comeback/

And it never recovered as they hoped either.

 

The press noted early on in 2005 that UMD drive adoption was not occuring by any other drive manufacturers as Sony had hoped for in 2004:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-132921416.html

 

So lets stick to the topic thread.  The topic is *not* "was UMD a value-add to the PSP?"...