Does this mean Lost Season 1&2 won't be coming out to Europe / US?

all sony/hollywod needs to do is make UMDs really cheap like $5 (even new releases) i guarantee they wuld sell like hot cakes. heck id buy em. then maybe i could use my memorystick for usefull things like music and video podcasts

I jumped on PSP shortly after it came out. But I've found so few good games for the system that I have a retarded collection: 3 games (WipEout Pure, which came with it, GTA and Monster Hunter Freedom--I had Lumines but the cheap UMD broke) and 9 UMD movies (only one of which I'd even seen before I bought it for UMD and none of which I ever owned--one of them was FF7:AC). My primary use of my PSP besides homebrew was to watch movies and listen to music at work. I liked the diversity of the PSP's capabilities. No matter where I was, I could use it to entertain me some way. That's what I like about it. I also never paid more than $10 for a UMD movie (bought them used at Gamestop) except FF7:AC because I really wanted it.

Now I no longer have my PSP, but I still have all the UMDs. Long story. I'm debating whether I want it back (because I miss being able to watch Van Helsing and Hellboy at work) or if I should sell the UMDs for store credit and get a DS (which I'm getting one way or another anyway). Honestly, I don't think the PSP is total crap. Everyone knows the DS has it beat in the games department, but the PSP is still a nice thing to have available. You don't always want to play games...sometimes I'm on a bus or in a long line and I just want to listen to music. I don't have a vast music collection so I never wanted an iPod.

Basically what I'm saying is the PSP has some merits, some value. If they release a device that lets you play UMD movies on TV, I'll be in heaven. I never felt bad about buying UMD movies though even if they were just for the PSP. In a perfect world I'd have both a DS and a PSP in my bag and plenty of software to enjoy for each, and that's where I intend to be someday.

Comment goes here.
More stuff from sony.
All I want is Dark Ressurection right now.

I've been quite the hater of PSP sinse day one. Who knows, I just thought / knew it was a bad idea. Sony makes plenty of merchandise outside of the videogame industry, and they're one of the most profitable corporations in the world. They need to stop trying to diversify. If they want to make a handheld media center, they should have left games out of it, because trying to make a game consol combined with a movie player, mp3 player, whatever player...it just doesn't work out well. And that's what we've seen so far. I think they had the ability to make a great handheld gaming system, but they stepped too far ahead of themselves and doomed it. When they make the next 'Playstation' portable, I hope they focus more on what consumers buy them for.

aikao is right. PSP be going anywhere and the games will stay on the UMD. Movies migh not but the psp will survive on key sony franhchises and other great games. It just wont be selling anywhere near the same as the DS anytime soon

Just one more reason why the PSP is quickly losing ground against the DS...and that's not a problem...

i wanted news on gt4 psp too. instead i get news on umd movies which i already know are failing. i dont like umd movies, but i do want gt4 for my psp

I don't think Sony can make UMDs cheaper, for a following reason: they created them, it might have been very expensive, now they gotta pay off. Or the movies charge sony for taking their movies to UMD. Basically, Sony may have a (--) amount of money.

UMD Movies were basically made to watch movies when you are not able to see a movie on a DVD. Anyway, their price needs to become cheaper. It is stupid to buy a UMD movie to see on a tiny screen instead of buying a (maybe cheaper) DVD to watch on your big LCD TV. A good price to recommend for UMD Movies is $15. I am a PSP owner for about a year and I haven't bought a UMD movie fore these reasons

They're still making UMDs? Does anyone still buy that crap? I mean, I own a PSP, but I would rather buy a DVD.

Make them cheaper - have an adapter that plays it on TV. Done. Sony where's my marketing check? I just saved your UMD's.

Umds should just be cheaper than DVDs then they'd sell. Stores seem to charge UMDs for about $5 more than the DVD version and the UMDs have less content, so there's no reason to buy UMD movies. I'm sure everyone realizes this, but I commented about it anyways

UMD is just too expensive for the size.. If they were 6 bucks, I'd buy them.

its not like sony comes and actually reads this pointless crap people put on this site....all the insults and comments are basically just for kids to read and start conflicts and issues about stuff that does not even concern them

UMD's would sell if there was a home UMD player, like a DVD player. If I had a UMD player in my home and could watch UMD's on television as well as psp I would buy UMD's instead of DVD's for sure. They take up less space and have a protective case around the disc.

grnidbandit this isnt a PSP fanboy section its about UMD's
Jimbo you said exactly what i was thinking. Its stupid how little 10 year olds will pay a buttload of cash to watch "are we there yet?" on a PSP. And all those kids who think their all "gangstas in the hood" tend to play PSP. I personally have a PSP and a DSD ad I like them both for different reasons.

I have a PSP and I have 5 movies that I have seen only once. UMD didnt catch on because you cant hook it up to your TV, Only on your tiny PSP.

Sony allways makes the technically superior format (betamax vs VHS, Minidisc vs CD). But sony just cant market it right!!

how can they be such great inovators but just crappy marketters.

If you could watch UMD's on a TV UMD player,& buy blank UMD's, then the "Universal" in UMD might really come out. Until then, its just an "MD"
hmmm.. kinda like MiniDisc

Jimbo, I use to manage a Gamecrazy store. You do make a good point that I too saw on a daily basis.

Who wants to buy the movies they have on UMD. Why movies on UMD when u can only watch it on a PSP. If they made DVD/UMD players that would be one thing. I personally dont want to spend the same price or more on a movie that is less quality and limited to how i view it.

I think the problems with the UMD movies are:

1. You can buy the exact same movies for the same price or CHEAPER on DVD and watch them on portable DVD players or a TV.

2. UMD's mess up really easily, (well DVD's do too).

3. Who wants to buy something you can watch on a screen smaller than something you can buy and watch on a bigger screen? (Think about it!)

4. (Most important) THE SOUND IS HORRIBLE!

So think most of all...should Sony really give up on UMD's?

i love the dvd movies on th psp keep making them

First; I agree, the price drop to 9.99 or below would help UMD Video sales. Point made.

Second; The PSP is not going to fail because its UMD videos aren't selling. Every portable system has its gimick to hook gamers, the PSP is graphically superior to other portable gaming systems, and that's what it will survive on.

let's face it, SONY KNOWS what the problem is----$$$. The UMD works fine and doesn't need to be retooled or anything so it's not a technical question, so the very very bottomline is pricing. Consumers know that and SONY knows that, and it's just a matter of time til they decide whether to drop the price, or get rid of the UMD movies format altogether. For Sony to try to put some spin and say that they are working with movie studios and having studies on this whole issue is really a slap in the consumers face.

DVD = roughly $18 and can be watched on a huge TV through a progressive scan DVD player that costs roughly $50
UMD = roughly $20 and can ONLY be watched on a tiny screen.... and then you have to recharge the batteries... oh, and did I mention this tiny screen runs $200
Clearly PSP owners ARE idiots if they continuously shell out money for UMD movies... I work at Gamestop, and it should be noted that we sell more copies of Are We There Yet on UMD than we do of Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max and Tokobot combined.... it should also be known that the psp caters mostly to the pre-teen "I'm a member of G-unit" crowd. The psp will continue to sell, unfortunatly, this is due to the fact that the vast majority of today's video game consumers are complete morons and will go for anything that they can play GTA or Madden on.

They so need to be cheaper.

sony sucks at making video fromats :minidisc,betamax, and now the umd is failing i bet the blu-ray will fail too

They need to be cheaper than DVDs

I've bought twi UMD movies since aquiring a PSP--Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (because I've never seen a BTEA DVD for sail or rent) and Ghost in the Shell. I got the latter for like $5.00 at Suncoast because the store was shutting down..

Of course, I've not played my PSP in months, and even then all I played was Lumines. I think the core problem is that nearly everything on the PSP feels like you're paying again for something you already have--PSP games tend to be watered-down ports of console games. Sure, some of them have been good ports, but others are just the same thing with poorer graphics. The only PSP game coming out this year I'm interested in is Rachet and Clank: Size Matters, and that's mostly because they're not making anymore Rachet and Clank games for the consoles since Insomniac is busy with it's new PS3 alien-shooter.

Same with movies--if you have access to a $20 DVD version or a $15 Dollar UMD version, the latter of which has no special features and only works in a PSP... Well, which are you going to pick? Usually, it will be the DVD version 9 times out of ten.

I don't care about UMD's i use my PSP to listen to music and play games, can watch movies anytime.

My friends use their PSP to watch TV series, movies and news, but why would they pay for expensive and awkward UMD discs, when instead they can rip movies from DVDs or copy other videos from their hard drive to the PSP -- free of charge.

Nowadays you can get even a 4 GB memory card for your PSP. It's enough for some very high quality video.

Problem with Sony is that they don't understand regular consumers, but instead think it's OK to make people pay for the same movies twice or damage their PCs with rootkits or other malware.

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Okay, now that is just cruel. I clicked the last word expecting news on gran turismo for the psp. Now I am Dissapointed, why couldn't they have a picture of a umd movie or something. Boo!

I believe Sony should just stop trying to invent new formats like Beta-Max and Minidisc... And Blu-Ray soon enough.

Sony has to find more protection for the playstation portable. I still agree because Sony is really trying to figure this problem out. I think the biggest problem that sony needs to work on is the compatability for the psp because their are so much lag in games. Fix That please!
Umds, well they are being a problem because they could get scratched easily, break easily, and just expensive. at least make the games thirty bucks or 20. too much money. There should always be a shield for the psp. some sort of metal or plastic case covering the psp against resedue, and scratches. the ones in best buy sucks and they are too much.

I agree the UMD's need to be cheaper than DVD's. I also fell in love with the PSP, and I saved up and got one. But personally I think it needs more than just a few great titles and alot of PS2 ports and more great titles and fewer ports. As well as a 2nd analog......for the love of god it's needs a 2nd analog stick and a better D-Pad.

I may have sold my PSP but I do intend on getting it back,but I'm hesitant becuase after a while I was only using it to play/listen to music and I can get an IPod for that. So I want more great games on this sexy little system.

Sony has already hinted that your UMD moves will play on your TV through the PS3. but thats fine, let the price drop, i will scoop them up and i will watch them at home and on the road.

I always said that it's the games that make the system. So far, PSP has had its gems like Lumines and Daxter and recently the new Tekken game, but beyond that, it doesn't have enough good games aimed a wide audience. I would buy a PSP if I could find 8 or 10 games I'd play, but so far I've only found 3 or 4. That's why I think the PSP is headed toward a slow, painful death. Trust me, I wanted to like the system but all that hardware doesn't mean a thing when you can't play anything enjoyable. And the last thing gamers need is to watch movies on a small PSP screen. Chances are: if you travel and like to watch movies on-the-go, you already have a laptop and therefore don't have to rebuy all your favorite movies.

youropinion said:

"The PSP is going to fail, and here's why:

It doesn't really have much to do with its propiertary format or movies that only play on the PSP. It doesn't even really have to do with the idea that there are/aren't good games available for it.

Sony made the mistake of targetting an audience that doesn't "need" a PSP. Its main demographic is likely 18-35 year olds. If you're one of these people, you likely already have a PS2/Xbox/GC/PC/etc. When you have those things already, why would you ignore them and play games on what is essentially an inferior product? You're not going to watch a UMD movie at home when you have a DVD player. And with the iPod being so successful, most people already have good portable music, and tech-savvy guys already have cell phones that can do alot of what the PSP can in terms of internet, multimedia, AND communication.

The reason gameboy and all of its incarnations were so successful (minus the virtual boy) was that they targeted kids. I'm 24, but when I was growing up everyone had a gameboy. The reason is that basically they were relatively inexpensive, they could be played at home (assuming you had a SNES and an adapter) and they had a broader range of games. Kids play with those things constantly because children CONSTANTLY need to be entertained. They bring it in the car, on the airplane, in a resturant, etc etc. The people that the PSP targets are not children. They don't need constant entertainment. In many instances THEY are the ones with the children. It also doesn't help that the PSP does not have many "outside the box" games like the DS does (Nintendogs, anyone?)

Finally, and the reason why I think the DS will win this war is that the PSP doesn't really "offer" anything. The PSP is like an iPod on steroids. However it doesn't do anything really "different." The DS has a dual screen AND has a touching mechanism. Not even the home systems have this capability. Unless the PSP does something to REALLY distinguish itself as opposed to just being an expensive "jack-of-all-trades" I don't see it living past the next 2 years. "

THATS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. IM IN SONYS TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC, A MALE IN HIS 20'S...BUT I ALREADY HAVE A CELL PHONE WITH A BUILD-IN IPOD, INTERNET, CAMERA, GAMES AND MORE!!! NOT TO MENTION THAT MY WORK BANNED THE PSP AFTER ONE EMPLOYEE WAS WATCHING A MOVIE ON THE JOB...

Too many cry babies complained about the last message I put, well if you did go some gerber....now their is nothing disrespectful about that...just dont cry over it

Well Sony, it's been nice knowing you; but you are going to die...

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i knew it would be big when it started, but i also knew that it was going to die off as well, sorry Sony, TRY MAKING SOME GOOD GAMES FOR THE PSP, until then i will use my DS, i got rid of my PSP.

The only way UMD can have a chance of making a profit is make it cheaper and when the PS3 comes out u can plug it in the psp to the ps3 and watch moives on your t.v i know that the ps3 has a blue ray but the dvd's have to be at least 25 or higher for the price to get one HD dvd.

The PSP is going to fail, and here's why:

It doesn't really have much to do with its propiertary format or movies that only play on the PSP. It doesn't even really have to do with the idea that there are/aren't good games available for it.

Sony made the mistake of targetting an audience that doesn't "need" a PSP. Its main demographic is likely 18-35 year olds. If you're one of these people, you likely already have a PS2/Xbox/GC/PC/etc. When you have those things already, why would you ignore them and play games on what is essentially an inferior product? You're not going to watch a UMD movie at home when you have a DVD player. And with the iPod being so successful, most people already have good portable music, and tech-savvy guys already have cell phones that can do alot of what the PSP can in terms of internet, multimedia, AND communication.

The reason gameboy and all of its incarnations were so successful (minus the virtual boy) was that they targeted kids. I'm 24, but when I was growing up everyone had a gameboy. The reason is that basically they were relatively inexpensive, they could be played at home (assuming you had a SNES and an adapter) and they had a broader range of games. Kids play with those things constantly because children CONSTANTLY need to be entertained. They bring it in the car, on the airplane, in a resturant, etc etc. The people that the PSP targets are not children. They don't need constant entertainment. In many instances THEY are the ones with the children. It also doesn't help that the PSP does not have many "outside the box" games like the DS does (Nintendogs, anyone?)

Finally, and the reason why I think the DS will win this war is that the PSP doesn't really "offer" anything. The PSP is like an iPod on steroids. However it doesn't do anything really "different." The DS has a dual screen AND has a touching mechanism. Not even the home systems have this capability. Unless the PSP does something to REALLY distinguish itself as opposed to just being an expensive "jack-of-all-trades" I don't see it living past the next 2 years.

jwsoul: The point was simple, the PSP is the jack of all trades and master of NONE. It cannot outsell either the IPOD or the DS, two of it's main competitors. The UMDs were overpriced and a foolish attempt at Sony once again forcing its own format onto the public. So, from day 1 of release, people found a way to rip video without having to pay AGAIN for films they already owned. The PSP is going to go out with a whimper, and the UMD debacle is the first step.

Sony will keep throwing money at it, but its obvious that the consumers have spoken. When the PSP2.0 comes out, it should stick to one thing and do it well. Hopefully, by that time they can have a killer app or 3 that will convince to buy one.

UMDs need to be no more than $10 each.

The format will never be successful at the DVD-price of $20.

Game is my thing in psp and internet browser is what I spent the most.

ok... i do have to agree with everyone saying that there really is no point to selling umd movies for such a high price... i own two.. the one i got in the bundle and on i got for christmas.... now if we could only burn our own media umd's ... with both music and video...i would be happy... although sony would never do that ...i can still dream.....

Two things, drop the prices to match DVD and release a DVD and UMD player for the home