It isn't about not being able to afford the new memory cards otherwise I wouldn't have the stash of Memory Sticks - 16Gig sticks included - that I do now or the game collection I do now. It's rather more about the principle of everything. You already paid for everything once. But there is now a new console out that is meant to totally replace the one you have... but with no ability for backwards compatibility (except for digital downloads). Despite the fact that the new system was/is mean to replace the older one, there is no true backwards compatibility and if the UMD Passport Program works, you could get your backwards compatibility... but at the additional price of having to PAY AGAIN - and a lot - to port your older things over. The Vita is clearly meant to replace the PSP, not meant to be a totally brand new console apart from the PSP because otherwise, the PSP's digitized games wouldn't play on the Vita and the Vita wouldn't have access to the former PSP catalog. And yet there is no real backwards compatibility for the UMDs - a way for the Vita to truly replace the PSP which read games off of UMDs in addition to digital-only. If what people are saying is true and this program doesn't work out, then the Vita is a whole new console for anyone who has a UMD collection and not merely a replacement for the former PSP.Yes it is more than fair. Just to think it is possible on a completely new console ( with all the legal stuff ) makes it way cool. If one can not afford new memory cards, then this system is not for you ( or any new system). Keep your PSP and game on.
digimonkey12
JNKtastic's forum posts
I've only downloaded a little over 10 Gigs of stuff from the PSN from fullblown games to DLCs to demos to themes and in 10 Gigs worth of data, there have already been entirely too many opportunities for trouble. Downloading directly to the console saves time, but downloading directly to the computer through Media Go has been safer but much less efficient (download twice, essentially - download from MediaGo and then transfer a copy to console). 24 to 48 Gigs worth of material even on broadband and even at high transfer speeds? UGH!At the best scenario, let's say all 24 of my UMD games can be 'ported' over because all of the games have downloadable versions. 24 games. 1-2 Gigs each not counting any potential add-ons. That's 24-48 Gigs of games to be downloaded and 24 to 48 Gigs worth of time and opportunity where the download can go funky.
I've already spent a hefty sum of money building up my PSP library (and general gaming library on different platforms). As the PSP purchases were all within the last 2 years, I'm not looking forward to dropping $200ish to port over a collection of games that I already spent my hard-earned money on to own on UMD. Granted, I came into owning my PSP late in the game and so the purchases are all still relatively fresh for me (as opposed to someone else who might have own some of their titles for longer), but, still. UGH!The official UMD Passport Program website (which lists UMDs currently available as downloadable in their catalog) says that these games will be anywhere between 500 yen and 1000 yen a pop with more popular and more complex games tending towards costing 1000 yen (and upwards). So let's be fair and say that fee averages out of around 750 yen as there are popular and not-so-popular and complex in the collection. That's around $10.00 USD average to download a game which equates to $240.00 to port over 24 games, but note that the US and international versions of the UMD Passport Program might have pricing schedules different from the Japanese one.
I've already spent a tidy sum of money on Memory Sticks... but my gripe is actually not about having just spent money on those. It's about how much I have to spend EXTRA in addition to the UMD Passport fees to port over games I already paid for and legally own. $120.00 EXTRA just for my UMD games and NOT counting anything else (which would need room on a separate storage card)? UGH! If we do the math, that's: $240.00 (UMD Passport Program fees) + $120.00 (storage card) = $360.00 (total)to port over my UMD game collection (and I won't bother calculating the potential time and sanity lost should something go wrong in the downloading and/or transferring process for 24-48 Gigs) THAT I ALREADY BOUGHT and LEGALLY OWN! Don't get me wrong; I love my UMD collection which is the whole reason I decided to do some research, but... HOLY %$#@ and WTF! ----- References: 1) Sony Announces UMD Passport Program for PlayStation Vita Buyers - andriasang.com 2) UMD Passport Program - Current Port-able Game List Japan/Japanese official PlayStation Vita site ----- All that said... any thoughts? Do you think it's 'fair'? Does this possibility cheer you up any if the thought of losing your UMD collection to the new console that's meant to be a replacement was a downer? Do you have any better ideas on how a UMD Passport Program might be executed?One PlayStation Vita memory card at $120.00 USD for a 32 Gig pop OR two 16 Gig memory cards for $70.00 bucks a pop for a total of $140.00 USD. If we're smart and buy a 32 Gig card, that's $120.00 out the wallet.
[QUOTE="JNKtastic"]The Memory Stick technology is 'old'; it first came out in 1998. Is it really that much a surprise that - 13 years later and in time for the release of a new piece of technology - they're changing to a new method?GranpireEhhh, not really true. Memory Stick technology started out in 1998, but it's been constantly updated with each new iteration, to improve speed and storage sizes. I'm not saying Sony's cards were ever the best, nor were they better in any way than other cards. But to say that Memory Stick technology is 'old' is false. Memory Sticks were never outdated, just overpriced. Sorry I didn't clarify. I meant 'old' in the sense of doing what Sony wants to do with the Vita in particular - the whole bit about locking the new cards (game carts and storage media) to a single PSN account and such - not so much as 'old' in the fact that it's actually outdated.
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