Why are software sales so low in the US?

[DKing]

psp sales are increasing and game sales decreasing.

The only thing that explains it is piracy. Ppl are buying PSPs with no intention to buy games.

The second statement is plausible. The first one is just faulty logic.

[Turn2]

I will only buy the classic compilations. I find it too difficult to play a game that has alot of 3D action compared to going home and playing one on the Big Screen. the only one I bought was Starwars Battlefront and played it about five minutes and said screw this. I have the Namco, Midway, Capcom collections. The reason I didn't buy anything is that Metal Slug Anthology didn't come out for christmas.

I think the reason PSx emulation works so well is that the PSP is almost identical to the PS1 controller as far as lay out is concerned and the games were designed for that type of play. With 3D games, I've become acustom to my dual thumbstick controls

[DCRich]

And now for my take on it...

The games are just too damn expensive. when anyone thinks of a portable system, they think of affordable games. why is the ds and gameboys so successful? the games are hella cheaper. thus, people are more likely to make a purchase they see as "oh, it's not that much, so what the hell, let's buy it."

with the psp, you put almost as much thought into buying a game as you would a home console. People only pirate because the many games they may want, are too expensive to buy. I will only buy a game I get really excited about. the others, screw them.

If they were cheaper though, then I would buy more. i do no pirating on my PSP, but the fact that I want to keep my 1.5 is also an issue for me and many other. I don't want to upgrade, so I don't buy. simple

EMBRACE HOMEBREW YOU SONY DUMBASSES! IT WILL SAVE YOUR HANDHELD!

[danurban]

Well piracy may have something to do with it but there are prolly a lot of other factors such as price, marketing, etc...

Also I think it has a lot to do with the quality of the games. I haven't been blown away by a single psp game; there has been no killer app. I think nintendo has a much better handleheld strategy for the DS by creating unique handheld expierences that really couldn't been done on any other platform while most psp games just feel like console games and often times have poor controls.

I know metalgear has created a unique expierenece with the wireless soldier thing which sounds pretty cool but honestly I think its too little too late. I gave in and bought a DS lite and I use it a lot more than my psp now.

Simply put I blame it mostly on sony's poor business plan for the psp. I have no idea what sony is thinking lately especially with that $600 machine nobody wants to buy called the ps3.

Personally I traded in all my psp games months ago and now just use my psp for homebrew which I rarely even do anymore.

[IndianCheese]

When it comes to PSP, I came for the music, I stayed for the homebrew.

Nuff said.

[Uchiha Sasuke]

I certainly think piracy contributes to low sales. It's a big problem, not all of the problem but a large part of it.
Think about it...how many people on these forums feign their innocence and condemn piracy but in fact are doing it themselves? I think quite a lot of us. Me? I'm innocent and have never dloaded one iso *whistles a merry tune*
In my opinion despite the great work that Dark Alex etc does, most people use his homebrew apps for naughty reasons despite what you all think.

But I find PSP games aren't great and I only play a select few of the ones I have. What with MGS and hopefully the upcoming PSP rainbow six game, games will steadily improve. 333MHZ has been unlocked too which will help. However this wont stop piracy ever!

[Ichijoe]

Like others here have already stated that Greatest of Gaming Genres, the Ego-Shooter DOES NOT BELONG ON THE PSP™!

I made the biigest mistake in my life by choosing the PSP™ Game Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex over Falcom's: The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermilion.

Sadly a Titel that I only saw Once and never again here 'round Frankfurt Germany.

Although GitS:SAC was in fact a Third-Person Shooter ~instead of the FPS Ego-Shooter kind.~
The limitations of a second (on indeed just a Right Hand Nub!!), was sorely felt.

Only a biased S0NY®™ fanboi could love this lame-arsed Controller setup! ~And most likely they secretly hate it too!~

So having been bitten on that Front Once, I'm not about to make that mistake again! Thus the whole Ego-Shooter Genre for the PSP™ is a non-issue for me!

I was expecting more from Ridge Racer2 sadly I was mistaken. ~thankfully I'd only rented it~
Had I actually bought that stinking pile of **it.
I'd have chucked the whole System into the Bin!

Like I've said the single best thing to happen to the PSP™ was the Popstation.
Now I can play all my old PS1 Games on the PSP™.
Given there Library of Games for that System, it boggles the mind as to why S0NY®™ should want to tap that Market so late.
And then with such P*ss poor Titles like Everyone's Golf?!?!
At least there working on getting better Titles out like Whipeout.

The only quseion I have is WHERE THE HELL ARE ALL THE J-RPG's?!?!
I bought the PSP™ to eventually purchase Titles like Luna, Dragon Quest et-al. for there System!
And instead for the First year of it's miserable life S0NY®™ would rather flog me there crappy over-priced Movies.

And the One thing that could save the System PSX Emulation, requires you to own there over-priced (€599.99), Console!
I mean WTF S0NY®™!!

[SteveV2]

Most of the PSP games are just crap. That has to play a major part me thinks

[Uchiha Sasuke]

And the One thing that could save the System PSX Emulation, requires you to own there over-priced (€599.99), Console!
I mean WTF S0NY®™!!

Erm ichihjoe, you dont need a PS3 to play PS1 games on your PSP. Aint you heard of Dark Alex and Popstation and Firmware 3.03oe?

[tonyjambo]

I've had my PSP since it was first announced and own about 10 games - probably more than average.
I also have devhook 0.52 and FW3.03 installed on top of FW 1.5

I use my PSP for the following :
commercial games (i.e bought UMDs)
Emulators (Primeraly Genesis and SMS)
Occasional homebrew (more like the doom/quake demos etc than true home brew)
The odd ripped iso - more for non-us games or games i'm really not sure I want to buy .....

Reasons I think Sony don't sell more games :
1) Game price - $50 is too much for a game i play in 10-20min chunks.

2) Game styles - Not enough games are fun in 10-20min chunks

3) Load times - they are appaling for games you should be able to pick up and play ... If i'm on a 10 min subway ride I dont want to spend 5 mins looking at loading screens ....

4) Advertising/marketing - Sony used to be the kings of marketing but for some reasont hey have no idea who their psp target audience is. I had no idea MGS:PO was out - and i subscribe to PSM and watch G4 TV.

What sony need to do to fix this (are you listening sony ??? )
1) Forget about trying to lockdown the PSP - its not worth it - spend the money making good games

2) Make cheaper more fun, shorter, quick replay games - one of the reasons emulators do so well is that most of my genesis games are short.

3) Why oh why dont we have an itunes equivalent or PSP ? A sony store where you can buy movies, music and games online and synch to your PSP - with a nice management interface ......

4) Play to the strengths of the psp - don't shackle it.
It has wireless networking - synch with the PC wirelessly. Allow users to play games head to head with a single copy.
Embrace emulation - strike deals with Sega to officially emulate genesis - sell genesis roms in the store for 50c each ... etc

Just my 2c worth ....Sony a movie/music game company built a portable console with built in music/video/online capabilities and then stopped users from playing protected music/videos/games on said device ..... not the smartest move in the world when they had the option to do an apple and tie it to their online distribution model.

The piracy aspect doesnt hold - its really-really easy to copy music from itunes and redistribute - but hey its 99c a song - why bother ..... sony need to capitalise on the market not fight it tooth and nail ...