14 DAY TRIAL // The incoming PlayStation Portable Go!, the new gaming handheld designed by Sony, is set to ditch the UMD drive, which has been the main content delivery system since the PSP was released. The company has said that all the games released for the PSP would be available both in physical form and as digital distribution packets.
Now, it also seems that the new handheld will be getting more content via something that will probably resemble the Apple app store. Destructoid has gotten news from sources close to game development at Sony who are saying that small applications that will not be appearing at retail will be offered through a fresh service on the PlayStation Portable Store at prices set to range from 2 to 6 dollars. The official reveal should be made in August 2009.
Al de Leon, who is a representative of Sony Computer Entertainment America, commented for Destructoid that “We are making a concerted push towards expanding the content available on the Store, particularly with the demand for digital content that will spike when the PSP Go! launches this fall. This push includes new titles that are also launching on UMD, PSP catalog titles, PSone classics - double to nearly 60 titles - and PSN exclusives.”
The company is also trying to have more people get the PSP development tools, aiming to make development easier for the platform, which could mean smaller, indie games coming this year and early in 2010.
Sony promised that the PlayStation Portable Go! would be released during this year, probably in the crucial sales period right before Christmas. Considering the fact that some are questioning the 250-dollar price tag, Sony would be wise to sweeten the deal by offering quite a few apps at launch with as many as possible being free, at least for some time.