A “test case” for Sony

Apr 14, 2009 07:07 GMT  ·  By

The PlayStation Portable hasn't been one of the luckiest platforms when it comes to games released for it, as a lot of developers have stood away from it, despite the fact that it has sold over 50 million units worldwide ever since it was launched.

But things are starting to get better for Sony's handheld device, for a lot of new titles have appeared or have been announced for it in the last few weeks. One of the most expected games scheduled for release is the sequel to Patapon, a title that gained critical and commercial success when it first appeared on the PSP.

The game, which is already available in Japan, Europe and Australia, will be hitting North American shores on May 5. But now an important piece of information has appeared, as the Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Sony Computer Entertainment America, Patrick Seybold, has declared that it will be appearing in both UMD and digital download formats on the PlayStation Store.

“We're considering a digital only format for the Patapon 2 release as a one-time test case as we continue to explore consumer preferences for digital content,” Seybold said in a press release. “The downloadable game will be available on May 5th at both retail and via the PlayStation Store. We remain focused on providing superior games and entertainment experiences in both the UMD and digital formats and are working closely with our partners to deliver the best PSP line up in our history.”

The release of this big title for the PSP in digital format further fuels the speculation fire that the next iteration of the Japanese handheld won't bear any UMD slot and will only focus on digital downloads as a way to offer games to players.

All in all though, Patapon 2 will certainly be a popular title and a lot of the people eagerly anticipating it will definitely opt for downloading it rather than carrying a UMD with them.