On the surface, it seems pretty apparent as to why Sony is introducing this download-only iteration of the PSP: the two biggest flaws with the PSP since day one were size and battery life, and the biggest thing restricting the redesigns and developments of these things was the UMD drive.
The PSP-Go will now put the profits from game rentals into Sony's pockets, and will remove second hand game sales, which Sony has also hated. Another two bonuses.
Finally, by limiting the games to download only, you can enforce lots more DRM and stuff than before, making it harder for pirates to, well, pirate.
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But, there are flip-points, Sony could essentially be creating a two-tier system where some games will be exclusively-downloadable (like Patapon 2), this doesn't matter, because you can still play downloadable titles on the original PSPs, anyway, but not everyone chose to do this. Perhaps worse, though, is the fact that PSP:Go owners won't be able to play games that are not downloadable, rendering a whole load of the back-catalog unplayable.
Second of all, downloading games isn't an option for everyone. In the UK, for example, it has recently been reported that 4 million homes have LESS than 2mb/s connections, and I've read on VGC from time to time that the USA still has many areas that can't receive connections greater than 56k. Many users who may have the connection speeds may be restricted by bandwidth limits as to who much they can download.
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So, why are Sony doing this? I personally think that the PSP:Go is simply a test for future products. If the PSP:Go fails, it's much easier for Sony to fall back on their 50 million-strong PSP userbase than it would be if the PSP2 fell flat on its back as a download-only handheld with zero userbase to continue selling games on.
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So, what do you think? Do you think that Sony are basically using the PSP:Go as some kind poisoned goat for a T-Rex (crap analogy, I know, but I couldn't think of one). Also, do you think it will be launched worldwide, and do you think it will be successful?
