UMD remains ‘very important’ says Sony

[wraggster]

In John Koller's recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, he was remarkably candid about how Sony needs to address the shortcomings it's demonstrated with the PSP over the last, what? Eighteen months, two years?

But despite painting a digital future for the PSP, Koller was very careful to remain fully on side with the physical UMD media.

"We look to the tangible disc as continuing to be very important," he explains. "I think there's certainly a consumer out there who values tangibility. We say that a lot in our research."

Hmm, strange choice of words. Perhaps he's suggesting that Sony 'says' people love the UMD, in the same way Sony 'says' millions of people are buying the PS3 (when its data is based on the number of PS3s shipped to retailers, rather than actual units in people's front rooms).

The reaction to the increased activity in the PSP's online store and revelation that Patapon 2 is being sold purely as a digital download in the US has been very positive, while the UMD is rumoured to be excluded from future hardware.

Give us your opinion on whether - despite the PSP apparently getting a second wind - the UMD format is worth sustaining, or just another extra cost on the PSP's already pricey software.

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PSP/P...ws.asp?c=12759

[cozy]

UMD is dead,like the $ony`s Mini Disc I still have a MD walkman and love it still,but the memory/Harddrive is the future with pay per download like the ipod ect...you will always get piracy on all formats so make max profit on downloads....( it must cost a bit to produce a UMD disk and all the box art ect....) Just look at the NDS all games come on a rom cart,Get a R4 cart and copy your roms onto it and u have all the games on one memory stick! & look at the wii,a usb loader is out, put all your wii games on a usb harddrive(300 gb!!)no more need to put games on a DVD!!!!!High speed Bradband is getting bigger and most people have a internet connection the way forward is pay per download......

[Spyzius]

I love UMD and I just cant understand wgy everybody is so exited abou internet download