Price, demand kept Vita's UMD scheme from the west

February 23rd, 2012, 03:46 Posted By: wraggster

A lack of demand caused by the low price for digital downloads of PSP games meant Sony saw little point in bringing Japan's UMD Passport programme to the west, Sony has admitted.
Speaking to Wired, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said that there would have been little merit in launching the scheme, which allows Japanese Vita owners to buy digital download licences for their UMD PSP games for a nominal fee, in other territories.
"I'm sorry we're not doing it in the States," Yoshida said. "The system has been introduced in Japan, where there is much larger demand for PSP games. When you look at the release schedule of new titles there are still lots of PSP games being released in Japan and being announced for release.
"So there is a lot more demand… to introduce a programme like that. The other point is, when you look at PSP titles sold digitally in the States or Europe, games are sold for a really reasonable price. You can buy Final Fantasy Tactics for $10. That's a great price.
"PSP games in Japan are sold at a much higher price, so people see the value in spending the $5 to $10 to get a digital copy. But when the games are already sold at a lower price in the US, we see less value in introducing that kind of system."
Vita launches in North America and Europe today, and tomorrow in Australia. 21-year-old Zohaib Ali was the first UK gamer to get his hands on the system at the midnight opening of Game's flagship store in London's Oxford Street.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/pric...md-scheme-west

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