Sony's UMD in trouble

[Mockery]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060330/tc_nm/universalmediadisc_dc

:obvious

[Chojin]

Yeah, Apple finally killed something. Good for them!

[James]

It's been talked about for a while.

It really was a good idea, but UMD movies were not cost-effective to the studios or the consumer. However, if they made a UMD home player, it might make the format more worthwhile. But then you have HD-DVD and Blu-Ray coming out, and there's just an oversaturation of formats.

Not to mention that the studios haven't been very smart with what movies should be on UMD.

It really would be best to put an end to the UMD movies, and just sticking with selling the PC software that makes it easy for Average Joe to transfer his movies onto a memory stick.

[Fathom Zero]

Hmmmm...
I and all of my friends buy tons of UMDs.
And if Troma started to make them, it's good enough for me.

I guess when everyone starts trading in all of their UMDs because of some new media for PSP, we'll grab 'em all at rock-bottom prices.
Too bad, though. It seemed like a really good idea to me.

[Immortal Goat]

I kinda saw this coming, though. DVDs are cheaper, and you can grab a decent portable DVD player for way cheaper than a PSP. Especially since the special features on DVDs completely trumps anything that you can find on a UMD disc.

[Fathom Zero]

I like how they're trying to figure out how to connect UMDs to TVs, though. I think the special features on some of the UMDs are alright.
The new Troma UMDs have some cool extras. Like the commentaries and the featurettes. Am I the only one not giving up hope here?
I hope that there will be more 3rd Party support for the UMDs, like Troma.

Besides, you can't play games on a Portable DVD player.

[Immortal Goat]

No, you can't, but another thing that was not mentioned yet is that UMD sales are dissapointing, and yet there have been more UMD movies sold than PSP games. :/

[Fathom Zero]

I bought it because it is a universal media device. I put everything on it, Emulators, Movies, Music, etc. Extremely user friendly. At least I can safely say that it trumps the DS, at least in terms of visuals.
But damn, I can't get enough of my friend's Mario Kart DS.

[ScruU2wice]

The only UMD movie I have is Batman that movie and it is great.

I only got my PSP for the music and games. as long as I got those things going for me I'm fine..

[Fathom Zero]

I completely agree with you.

[Immortal Goat]

I bought it because it is a universal media device. I put everything on it, Emulators, Movies, Music, etc. Extremely user friendly. At least I can safely say that it trumps the DS, at least in terms of visuals.
But damn, I can't get enough of my friend's Mario Kart DS.
Well, of course it trumps the DS visually. But the thing is, I have an MP3 Player, a laptop with DVD capabilities, and DS for my portable games. I realize that it would be more convenient to have all of this in one small package, but since I don't need it, that's my reason for not owning a PSP.

That, and I haven't seen any games that really spark my interest on the system that lived up to the hype. Metal Gear AC!D and Death Jr. aren't that great, and those are the only real reasons I would want the PSP. That and Katamari, but I'm not buying a handheld for one game.

[the_dudefather]

the main highlihts of my psp while i had it was playing sonic the hedgehog, sam and max and broken sword on it.

only umd movie i had was spiderman 2, and it was free (quite good though)

[timrpgland]

I bought it because it is a universal media device. I put everything on it, Emulators, Movies, Music, etc. Extremely user friendly. At least I can safely say that it trumps the DS, at least in terms of visuals.
But damn, I can't get enough of my friend's Mario Kart DS.

It doesn't have the graphical power but I own them both and the DS is truly the better portable gaming device at this point and that's basically what I got one for. Better games and more innovation.

[Fathom Zero]

I guess I'm just a more cinematic kind of guy, I dunno.

[Chojin]

I was in the PSP's court when it was released and all shiny and pretty and the DS still had games that revolved entirely around you yelling at the console, but the DS has since really come into its own as a useful device and if I were going to buy a handheld it'd have to be DS all the way am i right guys

[James]

I just thing the PSP got into a rut that I really was hoping it wouldn't. Too many developers try to make PS2-lite versions of their games, completely ignoring the differences in functionality. Biggest one being there's only one analog stick/nubby. But that's the same way the DS started out, with just cheap name cash-ins with some bare-bones DS gimmick attached. I'm STILL not convinced there's enough games out there using the DS well.

I'd like to see developers put more effort into their games, because putting a PS2 game on the PSP really isn't much different than putting Gamecube game on the GBA.

[Dr. Boogie]

The thing that really left me confused about the DS is that it can't play Gamboy games. GBA games, no problem, but apparently there was something about those old games that just didn't click right.

[pjalne]

I still have no idea why anybody would want to watch movies on that thing. Most TV shows I could get, but come on, most movies released on that format aren't supposed to be just observed, you're supposed to experience them. I can't even watch a movie on a 17-incher.

[the_dudefather]

I'd like to see developers put more effort into their games, because putting a PS2 game on the PSP really isn't much different than putting Gamecube game on the GBA.

or putting snes games on GBA.

at least the DS has more original nintendo titles :)

[Nathan Graves]

This is not the first time Sony creates a bad recording system, they also creted Betamax and the Minidisc.

[ScruU2wice]

You guys are forgetting one important fact, which is that I already bought a PSP and I don't have any money to buy anything else, nor do I have the tolerance to hear that I'm shithead who wasted his money on a system I really enjoy.



Kinda trumps all of your opinions...

[the_dudefather]

arrrg damn you!

[Fathom Zero]

I have a mom and pop store near me selling all their PSPs for $100, I'm gonna buy two and take advantage of their other liquidation prices.

They're also selling a sweet Virtual Boy and a Mini-Disc Recorder, (hehe).

[Fathom Zero]

Well, it would seem that I am really stupid for raising a thread from the dead, but I felt I needed to bring this to light:

http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/12/umds-killed-at-target/