Sony: PSP Go Priced Right, Games "Shipping" On Street Dates

While we haven't gotten Sony to answer our question yet about how UMD games will or won't be transferable to PSP Go yet, the company has addressed two other big topics: the unit's price and the timing of game releases.

Sony Computer Entertainment America's head of marketing Peter Dille showed us his fully-functional white PSP Go yesterday (Gran Turismo plays nicely on it, truth be told). And he fielded some of the key questions we've been hearing about the all-digital-download, slide-screen PSP Go.

We asked about the price of the October 1-launching PSP Go, which, at $249, will cost as much as a Wii and more than a PSP or PS2. "It's the same price as when we launched the product, the original PSP," Dille said. "It's targeting an early adopter, a tech enthusiast. We're hearing great things about the product. People are really excited about it. There's not much more to say. " The current PSP, which will continue to be sold once the Go launches, retails for $169.99.

All first and third-party PSP games will be available for digital download once the PSP Go launches, which raises the question of when these games will be purchasable. Would PSP Go owners be able to download the games before they're in stores or have to wait longer than those buying them in shops?

Dille said that PSP games will be made available for download for the PSP Go at a date and time that matches the games' street dates in retail stores. He left the option open to match the games' ship dates instead, if there was no hard-and-fast street date specified. Dille said Sony is also looking into ways to get retailers to support downloads for PSP Go by offering stores the chance to sell vouchers for downloading games, as Sony did in the U.S. with the only-for-download release of Patapon 2.

We expect to have a little more time with the PSP Go today and hope to find out more about Sony's plans for the unit. One thing we still want to know more about it how early adopters will be able to make the transition from their old PSPs to this new one.

http://kotaku.com/5278359/sony-psp-g...n-street-dates