Evidence Builds for Digital Rentals on PSPgo

[Andy Chalk]

Evidence Builds for Digital Rentals on PSPgo

Evidence is building that PSPgo [http://www.sony.com].

It's tough to rent games when your console doesn't have a hole to jam them into, but it's looking more and more like Sony might already have that base covered. As the Retail Gamer [http://theretailgamer.blogspot.com/2009/10/digitally-renting-psp-games.html] blog noticed a few days ago, games on the PSPgo can't be sorted into folders as they can on the PS3 but they can be sorted by expiration date. Fields for "Starts," "Expires" and "Hours Left" are also included in the game information windows.

That on its own could mean just about anything but the idea of digital rentals actually came from none other than Sony itself, which broached the idea all the way back in May [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91868-Sony-Considering-Digital-Rentals-For-PSP-Games] as part of an online consumer survey. The questionnaire posited a "rental download service" which would let users "download a fixed number of games during your subscription period... You will be able to change the games you have chosen for the download once your subscription term renews." The theoretical subscription periods could run "weekly, monthly or some other time period."

Kevin Butler [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/blogs/rumor-control/909119209/27061560/psp-game-rental-coming.html] loose on this one very soon.


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[Barky13]

I suppose it's an improvement but nothing's going to save it now.

 

[SaintWaldo]

This sort of thing already exists for digital cellphone games. You can get a game for a month, or buy it for ever. Usually the rental price is roughly 30% of full purchase. This seems to map with the price difference for rent/own SD content on PSN.

Not my cup of tea, but I'm sure someone will like it.

 

[zidine100]

Wait, are sony activley trying to destroy other busnises from providing rental games or something here? They have practically started decemating the game rental industry with this, Sure it may just start with the pspGo, but im assuming they will continue this sort of idea onto there next console and remove any need for disks if this idea is sucessfull, and im going to assume the other 2 main companies will follow suit, and bam game rental industry ruined.

ehm takes off conspiracy theory cap.

 

[hansari]

See now "renting" something digitally makes sense...but to "purchase" something digitally just doesn't make as much sense...gamers like having physical copies too much...

(unless Sony keeps it on record the purchases you made...so that way, if a glitch ever occurs, it will have no problem resending you the game...)

 

[scotth266]

The PSP Go is Sony's attempt to get their profits away from used game sellers. Since rentals fall into that same area, it's not so surprising that they'd try to do something like this.

I don't think it's going to work. Besides, they should be focusing on reviving the plans for a UMD conversion program: the lack of which is going to be the biggest thing holding the Go back.

 

[Amnestic]

gamers like having physical copies too much...

The success of Steam as a games 'retailer' begs to differ. It's clear that gamers are happy with both - well, in general anyway. I know our very own Khell_Sennet is very much a physical, hard copy gamer who derides digital downloads, but equally I know others who swear by digital distributation.

Me? All things in moderation. I've got CS:S, L4D, Plants Vs. Zombies and Prototype via Steam so far with all my other PC games being hard copies.

I'm waiting for them to release back catalogue of Bioware RPGs like BG2 and Icewind Dale on Steam. I'd be all over that like a fly on shit.

As for the PSPGo (so I'm even slightly on topic), it's cool that they're doing digital rentals though it remains to be seen how attractive that service will actually be.

Edit: All things in moderation - except alcohol.

 

[Jumplion]

See now "renting" something digitally makes sense...but to "purchase" something digitally just doesn't make as much sense...gamers like having physical copies too much...

(unless Sony keeps it on record the purchases you made...so that way, if a glitch ever occurs, it will have no problem resending you the game...)

I think that's how the video store works on PSN, you can either rent or purchase movies/shows on the PSN store, but for the life of me I have no idea if that's 100% true or not since I've never used it. You have a list of what you've downloaded, though I think you can only download everything a maximum of 5 times before you have to repay for it or something.