Third parties not required to release PSP games on PlayStation Store

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 16th 2009 at 9:15AM }

What do Undead Knights, Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising, NBA 2K10, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes and Cars: Race O Rama have in common? All of these are PSP games released on UMD after the PSP Go's October 1 launch -- and all are currently without a digital equivalent. Owners of the Go system are unable to play these games because they simply aren't available on the PlayStation Store.

Once again, Sony's hands-off approach to the PlayStation Network means third parties are responsible for getting their content on both UMD and the PlayStation Store. "It's up to individual third parties to decide if and when to publish their UMD releases on PSN. Most, if not all, are on board, as this is a revenue opportunity for them," we were told by Eric Lempel, SCEA's director of PlayStation Network operations. Namco, the one publisher that returned our request for comment, noted specifically that "there are currently no plans to release Akatsuki Rising on PSN right now," despite its October 6 release on UMD.

We highly encourage Sony to make simultaneous digital releases of PSP games a requirement for publishers, not merely a suggestion. The company previously issued a mandate for PS3 games to include trophies in 2009 -- a similar policy must be enforced on the PSP. Without it, there's no guarantee that all future PSP games will ever be playable on the PSP Go.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/16/third-parties-not-required-to-release-psp-games-on-playstation-s/

I agree with this thread +1000

It just keeps looking worse and worse for the Go!

"We highly encourage Sony to make simultaneous digital releases of PSP games a requirement for publishers, not merely a suggestion."

This is a pretty stupid comment. There are many benefits to not releasing it on PSN. First and foremost they make a little less money on PSN and there are less PSPGo owners than regular PSP owners.

What? You make so much more money off a digital download than a retail release solely because you eliminate retail and the publisher gets all of the money.

I thought the pubishers got the same amount. Just Sony gets more money since they get to set the price. Plus the fact that the publisher has to pay 16¢ for every GB that is downloaded off of PSN. 

But now that I looked it up I see the average PSP game is 800mbs

I feel like I got hit in both directions with the new handhelds . DSi cuts out GBA, and PSP removes UMD. Sad times... Don't worry Golden Sun I will never give up my Lite.

As someone else said, it seems like it makes more sense for developers to skip the PSN route. If your game sells 500k copies on PSN that's $80,000 lost revenue. And I don't think developers cover costs of disc production and shipping (that's the publisher I believe) so this is a direct loss to them.

I could be wrong. I really don't understand Sony's weird methods for PSN content.

The publisher sets the price, not Sony.

Actually, its Sony that gets the "same amount" (the license fee).  The publishers get all the other benefits, as far as I know.  And yeah, the 0.15 extra that the publisher has to pay PSN probably doesn't bother them much, with regards to digital games purchases.

I would think that *not* releasing on PSN would be something of a mistake... but remember that if you release a title on PSN, you're allowing 5 copies of that game, tied to devices associated with the PSN account that bought it, to exist.  Maybe some publishers honestly believe that family/friends will buy multiple copies if there isn't a digital version available.