Patapon 2 Going Digital Only

[Keane Ng]

Patapon 2 Going Digital Only

There won't be a UMD version of Patapon 2, as Sony is using the game's release to test the waters of digital-only distribution for PSP titles.

Originally scheduled for a regular old retail release, Sony has trashed that idea and will be going full-on (or at least partially) digital for Patapon 2. The game will be sold for $15 on the PlayStation Store, while retailers will also be selling a $20 physical version that doesn't come with a UMD but a download code inside the box. So if you care about adding another case to your shelf of PSP games, go for retail. If you care about saving $5 for a footlong at Subway, go for digital.

Sony's doing this to test the waters of digital only distribution. "We're considering a digital only format for the Patapon 2 release as a one time test case as we continue to explore consumer preferences for digital content," Patrick Seybold of SCEA said.

Why is this significant for people who don't give a hoot about rhythm games with cute little characters saying really annoying chants? While it's true that Sony did this about a year ago with Echochrome on PSP, the timing for this coincides with multiple rumors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90772-New-PSP2-Rumors-Suggest-Touchscreen] about a new PSP without a UMD drive (and possibly with a touch screen) that'll get all its games via a PSN store.

Could be a sign that Sony's gearing up for this rumored UMD-less PSP or it could just be Sony exploring "consumer preferences for digital content." Either way, Patapon 2 will only be $15, and that's something to be happy about.

[Via Ars Technica [http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/04/patapon-2-to-go-umd-less-even-in-retail-stores-new-sony-trend.ars]]


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[ila]

That's great and all, but there are people who exist who just don't have access to a working wireless connection. For example, the free wireless in downtowm dubuque involves clicking on an ad first, and prevents connections with the Playstation Store. A similar situation is at Panera. But I guess this is the future or something. Bleh.

 

[BobisOnlyBob]

Pata~Pata~Pata~Pon
Pata~Pata~Pata~Pon
Pata~Pata~Pata~Pon
Pon~Pon~Pata~Pon
Pon~Pon~Pata~Pon
Pata~Pata~Pata~Pon
Pata~Pata~Pata~Pon
And on and on and on...

Interesting news. Personally I strongly dislike UMD for technical reasons.
Digital only sounds risky and unpleasant though. Can't they just do the sane thing and switch to some proprietary flash-based storage for games? I'm know flash memory is now capable of holding greater capacity than double-layered UMD with pretty equal bandwidth... still, that'd be an entirely new handheld. Sony looks like it wants to wring all the cash it can out of the PSP before it's buried under the mountain of DS games.

 

[ProjectileVomit]

That's a unwise move, as some people does not have enough memory in their current memory sticks to fit the games.

 

[Arkfeller]

Well, the average PSP game is a few hundread megabytes when it's an ISO/CSO (the smallest I saw was around 75MB CSO). Typically, the Memory Sticks you find around these days are at least 1 gigabyte. Fitting two games or more games on one Memory Stick is, by far, better than carting your UMD collection around. And what's more, UMD's are extremely noisy.

 

[Jake Lockley]

PSP content can be backed up to a computer.

 

[Jake Lockley]

You can purchase from the store using a PC and side-load it to the PSP.

 

[Falien]

I'm pretty sure I've seen Patapon 2 being sold in regular UMD format here in Europe.

Edit: Confirmed - a local retailer lists Patapon 2 on their website. Not sure what the policy on external links is, so won't link for now, but it's there.

 

[WrongSprite]

That's great and all, but there are people who exist who just don't have access to a working wireless connection. For example, the free wireless in downtowm dubuque involves clicking on an ad first, and prevents connections with the Playstation Store. A similar situation is at Panera. But I guess this is the future or something. Bleh.

Wireless? You can just plug the PSP in you realise?

 

[WrongSprite]

I'm pretty sure I've seen Patapon 2 being sold in regular UMD format here in Europe.

Edit: Confirmed - a local retailer lists Patapon 2 on their website.

IF you read the article properly, you'll see that they sell the box with a download code inside it.

 

[Falien]

IF you read the article properly, you'll see that they sell the box with a download code inside it.

I read it, that's why I noted "in regular UMD format".

 

[WrongSprite]

IF you read the article properly, you'll see that they sell the box with a download code inside it.

I read it, that's why I noted "in regular UMD format".

Oh sorry, i took that to mean a UMD disk.

 

[Jadak]

The only PSP content I have is digital only, so...great (Not that I have the slightest clue what this game is)

 

[ila]

That's great and all, but there are people who exist who just don't have access to a working wireless connection. For example, the free wireless in downtowm dubuque involves clicking on an ad first, and prevents connections with the Playstation Store. A similar situation is at Panera. But I guess this is the future or something. Bleh.

Wireless? You can just plug the PSP in you realise?

Oh, I was not aware the PC store was still active. I thought Sony had scrapped it in favor of the built in store on the PSP now. Still, I'd rather have a hard copy of the game anyway.

 

[LeonLethality]

i think umds are a good breakthrough and all sure with there flaws, but i do have internet access but dont have access to anything that would let me buy a game form PSN no credit card no way to get points i cant find PSN cards and i loved patapon, its like making monster hunter 3 for the wii just another slap in the face

 

[Signa]

sounds like a terrible idea to me. I have a hacked PSP, and I do like to rip my games to my memory card so I don't wear out the drive/battery, but I've I'm going to buy a game, I want my box, manual, AND disk. UMDs can't be that much more expensive to produce; unlike DS cartridges. Why can't they give us a UMD? Why can't they do what the Xbox360 does where you can install a game on your storage device but only allow the game to run if the original disk is in the drive? Why WHY WHY is Sony constantly being stupid?