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duckroll · Nov 23, 2009

Okay, I posed this earlier in the PSP Go thread, and I didn't want to create a thread then because I was unsure of the specifics of the rumor. Now that it's clearer, I think it's worth a discussion with more information.

Today in Japan, there was a demo event for upcoming Playstation titles. FFXIII and KH BbS were the main draws there. Many fans attended and it has surfaced that KH BbS might not be hitting PSN at launch... or at all.

Here's a photo of the pamphlet given out at the event: http://ameblo.jp/lightning13/image-10394835532-10316398432.html

Notice that there is only the UMD icon on it, indicating a retail release. For titles which will be available on PSN as well, there is also a PS Store icon, which is absent here.

And here's the smoking gun twitter post by a fan who attended the event: http://twitter.com/Magunus/status/5965879419

He's twittered about the event while he was there, so this is just one of many of his posts about impressions, etc, at the event. Here he mentions that when he asked the staff working there about the lack of a PSN release scheduled for the game, he was informed that there would not be a download version of the game because the license holder Disney has not agreed to online sales.

Now, this could all be a misunderstanding, and it could get cleared up before the game is released early in January next year. But if not, and if the information presented here is true, that would REALLY suck for both Sony and the future of the PSP Go. KH BbS is without a doubt the biggest PSP game since Dissidia, and it would be retarded to tell new PSP consumers who bought a Go to just "go fuck off".

Thoughts?

mrklaw · Nov 23, 2009

why would it suck any more for the future of PSPgo than the other games that aren't available at launch like LBP in the US, or Pro Evo? Or the countless titles in the back catalogue that aren't available?

SecretBonusPoint · Nov 23, 2009

Wowwwww. PSPGo Home. 2 failures neatly combined into a brilliant message.

duckroll · Nov 23, 2009

mrklaw said:
why would it suck any more for the future of PSPgo than the other games that aren't available at launch like LBP in the US, or Pro Evo? Or the countless titles in the back catalogue that aren't available?

Because KH BbS is a bigger title than all of those combined? :lol

badcrumble · Nov 23, 2009

Wow. That's pretty awful. And it's going to encourage piracy on the PSPGo to boot (hasn't it been hacked already?). smh

Blablurn · Nov 23, 2009

poor gamecocks

SecretBonusPoint · Nov 23, 2009

Theres also the issue of bundles with a digital game being far less attractive to SE. I used to sort of vaguely defend the PSPGo back when I thought Sony would "do it right", but they should have really sat on this thing until PSP2.

Also duckroll, we're you grinning from ear to ear when you made this topic, knowing the internet shitstorm it could create? :lol

Looking forward to the KH:BbS global launch as well!!! Fuck you Wada.

Aru · Nov 23, 2009

That's pretty bad news if the game is actually never released on PSN.

Sony made a lot of wrong moves with the PSP Go, and this one may kill it. Maybe they should have waited for the PSP2 launch and go DD only :/

Swag · Nov 23, 2009

Yikes two failures so far, DD future seems pretty far off, shame cause it's a pretty good device.

Massa · Nov 23, 2009

That explains why Sony doesn't make the PSN version mandatory - seems like the choice would be between UMD release or no release at all in some cases.

Cerebral Assassin · Nov 23, 2009

duckroll said:
Because KH BbS is a bigger title than all of those combined? :lol

Surely Pro sells more than KH in EU?(I hope so anyway)

youzen · Nov 23, 2009

If true - amazing job as ever, square-enix...

duckroll · Nov 23, 2009

SecretBonusPoint said:
Theres also the issue of bundles with a digital game being far less attractive to SE. I used to sort of vaguely defend the PSPGo back when I thought Sony would "do it right", but they should have really sat on this thing until PSP2.

That's a non-issue. The KH BbS LE PSP bundle in Japan is a PSP-3000. S-E isn't dumb.

Also duckroll, we're you grinning from ear to ear when you made this topic, knowing the internet shitstorm it could create? :lol

Okay, I'll actually be completely honest about this. Yes and no. I don't see the need to hide that I'm a very vocal advocate against the PSP Go. So I suppose in that sense "bad news" like this makes me feel vindicated and all "fuck yeah" deep inside. But I would not actually wish this upon anyone. If someone purchased a PSP Go, that's their decision, not mine. There's no reason why that person should not be able to buy and play a huge game like this just like anyone else with a PSP. It's a retarded problem which HAS to be sorted out imo. I'm anti-PSPGo, but I would never be anti-gamer. Sony dropped the ball with the PSP Go's functions, but I don't think fellow gamers should pay the price.

MightyKAC · Nov 23, 2009

I'm hoping this sends a message to Sony about what pretty much EVERYONE thinks about the PSP Go

SecretBonusPoint said:
Wowwwww. PSPGo Home. 2 failures neatly combined into a brilliant message.

Ummmm.... what the hell does Home have to do with ANYTHING in this discussion and who exactly is saying its a failure (aside from you of course).

MightyKAC · Nov 23, 2009

Sebulon3k said:
Yikes two failures so far, DD future seems pretty far off, shame cause it's a pretty good device.

I'm probably alone in this but I'm REALLY not seeing this DD only future in the cards at all.

Gamecocks625 · Nov 23, 2009

duckroll said:
...he was informed that there would not be a download version of the game because the license holder Disney has not agreed to online sales.

...but....Disney published Lumines II in North America...that means....

V_Ben · Nov 23, 2009

oh for fucks sake. seriously? this blows.

Doubledex · Nov 23, 2009

Blablurn said:
poor gamecocks

A Human Becoming · Nov 23, 2009

The PSP Go seems like a poor decision more and more...

MightyKAC said:
I'm probably alone in this but I'm REALLY not seeing this DD only future in the cards at all.

You are not alone. I think there is a threshold where most people want a physical copy of a game. I'm not sure where it is set, but my guess is $15-20+.

Physical media will likely have a place for a long, long time until bandwidth costs decrease. Even then, atleast until the generation accustom to physical media passes on, the option will always be there.

SmokyDave · Nov 23, 2009

I own a Go. I am not surprised at this news. It seems to me Sony don't really have the balls to follow their DD path properly. They don't even advertise the Go in the UK, all the ads feature the 3000. It was obvious within a day or two of the launch that the UMD Legacy titles would be lacking and that day & date releases were not going to happen. I'm quite happy to roll with it, the fewer games they release, the more money I save.

On an slightly related note, I had to lodge a tech support call with Sony the day I bought my Go (Launch day). As of today they have still not come back to me other than once to say my call is being dealt with. If I try to call them, they tell me to wait until someone calls me. It has been nearly 8 weeks. Not impressed at all.

epmode · Nov 23, 2009

You see this sort of thing all the time in the PC DD space so I'm not surprised to hear it affect Sony's Go store. Sucks for Go owners I guess.

Dead Man · Nov 23, 2009

Why would Disney NOT want online sales?

Swag · Nov 23, 2009

MightyKAC said:
I'm probably alone in this but I'm REALLY not seeing this DD only future in the cards at all.

Give it about 37 years, I predict at that point we'll be ready to get rid of the physical and move into the digital, YEAH!

No but really, it works wonders for the PC platform ( See Steam )

Oni Jazar · Nov 23, 2009

This would further explain why Sony is not putting any serious muscle behind the system. Apparently the digital distribution model is so fucked that Sony would rather send the system off to die then to try and have it a competative product and have serious user backlash. Is it any surprise that hardly anyone is buying the go given its outrageous price and the fact that Sony continues to announce PSP 3000 bundles?

MightyKAC · Nov 23, 2009

Sebulon3k said:
No but really, it works wonders for the PC platform ( See Steam )

Yeah but thats ONLY due to its clientele ...

[*insert Glorious PC Master Race joke HERE*]

MikeE21286 · Nov 23, 2009

duckroll said:
Okay, I posed this earlier in the PSP Go thread, and I didn't want to create a thread then because I was unsure of the specifics of the rumor. Now that it's clearer, I think it's worth a discussion with more information.

Today in Japan, there was a demo event for upcoming Playstation titles. FFXIII and KH BbS were the main draws there. Many fans attended and it has surfaced that KH BbS might not be hitting PSN at launch... or at all.

Here's a photo of the pamphlet given out at the event: http://ameblo.jp/lightning13/image-10394835532-10316398432.html

Notice that there is only the UMD icon on it, indicating a retail release. For titles which will be available on PSN as well, there is also a PS Store icon, which is absent here.

And here's the smoking gun twitter post by a fan who attended the event: http://twitter.com/Magunus/status/5965879419

He's twittered about the event while he was there, so this is just one of many of his posts about impressions, etc, at the event. Here he mentions that when he asked the staff working there about the lack of a PSN release scheduled for the game, he was informed that there would not be a download version of the game because the license holder Disney has not agreed to online sales.

Now, this could all be a misunderstanding, and it could get cleared up before the game is released early in January next year. But if not, and if the information presented here is true, that would REALLY suck for both Sony and the future of the PSP Go. KH BbS is without a doubt the biggest PSP game since Dissidia, and it would be retarded to tell new PSP consumers who bought a Go to just "go fuck off".

Thoughts?

I would/wouldn't be surprised. Disney has always shyed away from online/DD stuff with their properites. Although I had heard rumblings that they were starting to turn the corner on this thought.

But maybe they're only comfortable with their movies being out there.

Anyways, in terms of the video game space, the PSP GO is proving to be a massive f-up right now.

Although, didn't many DD only services start off poorly (mainly Steam?). Still, it doesn't bode well for the future of DD-only platofrms.

duckroll · Nov 23, 2009

idahoblue said:
Why would Disney NOT want online sales?

Since we don't know the specifics of the store contracts, it's hard to say. Maybe Disney just doesn't like Sony's arrangement for PSN? Maybe they see more value in retail-only products? On the PC, we've seen publishers not release stuff on certain DD platforms simply because they don't like the fee arrangement and the cut they get out of the sales. It's not unusual, but in this case, since Sony is the sole distributor for DD on that platform, it makes it more annoying since there's no alternative for PSP Go users.

mrklaw · Nov 23, 2009

SmokyDave said:
I own a Go. I am not surprised at this news. It seems to me Sony don't really have the balls to follow their DD path properly. They don't even advertise the Go in the UK, all the ads feature the 3000. It was obvious within a day or two of the launch that the UMD Legacy titles would be lacking and that day & date releases were not going to happen. I'm quite happy to roll with it, the fewer games they release, the more money I save.

On an slightly related note, I had to lodge a tech support call with Sony the day I bought my Go (Launch day). As of today they have still not come back to me other than once to say my call is being dealt with. If I try to call them, they tell me to wait until someone calls me. It has been nearly 8 weeks. Not impressed at all.

I don't think its even about balls. Its just that the PSP uses physical media, and so distribution agreements will be based on that. With DD, older agreements may not be renegotiable, and newer ones may need to be redone. Its a transition phase. We saw it with streaming TV like iplayer and hulu with patchy coverage of shows until contracts came up for renegotiation.

I still love my PSPgo, but went into it open eyed and realising that some games may never come to it. It is what it is.

PSP2 should do it properly from the get go with either DD only or at least mandatory DD releases for all titles.

Swag · Nov 23, 2009

MightyKAC said:
Yeah but thats ONLY due to its clientele ...

[*insert Glorious PC Master Race joke HERE*]

This probably is the real reason behind why the PC is such a viable platform for DD :lol, I agree with the fact that Sony hasn't really been handling the Go! as appropriately as they should considering how alien it is in the handheld market.

badcrumble · Nov 23, 2009

It's pretty obvious at this point that PSPGo users are (profitable) guinea pigs for a possible PSP2 business model, and that Sony doesn't consider them customers in the same sense as PSP1/2/3k users. Sad, and upsetting, and I'm glad I'm not them. Sure the PSP2 could do some cool stuff as an improvement on the PSPGo, but to essentially have consumers pay (a good bit of money) to beta test the DD-only business model and then treat them as second-class citizens is really, really shitty.

Kintaro · Nov 23, 2009

Eh, wouldn't be the first missed opportunity for either Sony, SE or Disney. Won't be the last. Excluding a segment of paying customers when pirates will be happily playing the game without paying is just...stupid.

smenden18 · Nov 23, 2009

If this turns out to be true, I'll seriously consider sellling my Go and getting a 3000.

Jinfash · Nov 23, 2009

SecretBonusPoint said:
Wowwwww. PSPGo Room. 2 failures neatly combined into a brilliant message.

Fixed.

anddo0 · Nov 23, 2009

smenden18 said:
If this turns out to be true, I'll seriously consider sellling my Go and getting a 3000.

If this rumor holds true, I'm going back to regular PSP. I may hold out for the 4000 series if that ever comes to light.

V_Ben · Nov 23, 2009

im just thankful my old psp is still kicking around in a drawer at home. i may have to get it out once this releases :-D

Pureauthor · Nov 23, 2009

Well, if this turns out true, the PSPGo is even more screwed than it already is.

Stink · Nov 23, 2009

PSP used to be my favourite platform, but this hardware fork has done more harm than good imo, although it did serve to cover up just how weak the long-long-long awaited GT turned to be.

MightyKAC · Nov 23, 2009

Sebulon3k said:
I agree with the fact that Sony hasn't really been handling the Go! as appropriately as they should considering how alien it is in the handheld market.

Which is what astounds me the most about why this whole Psp go thing is falling on its face.

Handheld game is arguably the PERFECT venue for dedicated DD distrobution. No extra media to lug around, super quick loading times,it stretches out battery life significantly, and cheap easy to play casual games will sell like crazy on it (see itunes for proof). The whole thing seems like its made of win.... on paper.

For console gaming its a different affair alltogether but on paper I can really see how the PSP should be at moderately successful.

It just seems that somehow Sony has REALLY cocked up the execution on this thing big time.

Noogy · Nov 23, 2009

I wouldn't be surprised as Disney is a rights holder. It would be a shame, as this is one of the biggest PSP titles to look forward to.

Johann · Nov 23, 2009

idahoblue said:
Why would Disney NOT want online sales?

Disney isn't new to online transactions but they are usually the dominate party. They may not like the licensing agreement for the service. With Sony as the sole distributor for the service, too many hands will thin the pot.

It's difficult to say without knowing the contract. Other reasons for forgoing DD include preventing company information from getting to other developers or maintaining a relationship with another partner.

Kintaro · Nov 23, 2009

MightyKAC said:
For console gaming its a different affair alltogether but on paper I can really see how the PSP should be at moderately successful.

It just seems that somehow Sony has REALLY cocked up the execution on this thing big time.

Problem is that they attempted to do it in the middle of the platform's life. Attempting to introduce a different focus SKU in the middle of a platform's life is silly and stupid no matter who does it (which is why Natal will fail if they attempt to launch it in the middle of 360's life).

That being said, it's also silly on SE/Disney's side not to put your title on PSN for those with all versions of the PSP who prefer to download their games. What the hell is it going to hurt? Only hurting legit customers really.

Luigiv · Nov 23, 2009

And this is why I bought a PSP 3000 last month (That and it was bundled with MHFU for cheap on Ebay

).

Seriously the selection of PSP games on PSN sucks balls and the stupid device locks the games to my account so I can't even use US and Aus games simultaneously

.

MikeE21286 · Nov 23, 2009

Kintaro said:
Problem is that they attempted to do it in the middle of the platform's life.

I would agree with this as well.

If the PSP GO were the only model available of the PSP, much of the ill-will towards it would go away.

It is the fact that comparatively it looks really bad when stacked up against the other PPS models

inner-G · Nov 23, 2009

MightyKAC said:
[*insert Glorious PC Master Race joke HERE*]

PC gamers in a Kingdom Hearts thread?

...mmmmkay.

acm2000 · Nov 23, 2009

what pspgo owners? :lol

Sydle · Nov 23, 2009

Glad I kept my PSP2000.

StuBurns · Nov 23, 2009

If this is true, Sony is fucking stupid. How can it not be in the first party rules? If Agito and The 3rd Birthday don't hit PSN Sony have seriously fucked up.

I was actually looking for FF1 for PSP on PSN earlier and found it wasn't there, maybe it'll never be on there.

grandjedi6 · Nov 23, 2009

duckroll said:
Since we don't know the specifics of the store contracts, it's hard to say. Maybe Disney just doesn't like Sony's arrangement for PSN? Maybe they see more value in retail-only products? On the PC, we've seen publishers not release stuff on certain DD platforms simply because they don't like the fee arrangement and the cut they get out of the sales. It's not unusual, but in this case, since Sony is the sole distributor for DD on that platform, it makes it more annoying since there's no alternative for PSP Go users.

I bet this is it. Since PSP download is relatively new Disney and Square Enix probably don't have a contract written up for that form of commerce yet. And with the retailer being cut out of the question, Disney and Square are likely fighting over how they're going to divy it up.

Stumpokapow · Nov 23, 2009

acm2000 said:
what pspgo owners? :lol

To be fair, this is a pretty valid point. It's not clear what's happening with the Go in Japan; it might not actually manage to sell through its initial 150k shipment for quite some time, and I'd suspect an enormous proportion of Go owners also have a PSP Classic.

In the US and Europe the Go seems to be doing a little better, but again if it ends up being 8-10% of the PSP Classics' install base, this isn't necessarily going to be very big deal

Spiegel · Nov 23, 2009

I have a PSP-1000 but I'm buying some games digitally because it doesn't seem like psp2 will have umd slot, and I'm hoping they at least include backwards compatibility for digital copies or that someday Sony will make psp games playable on ps3/4.

So this is definitely bad news for me.

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