Years after the Playstation Portable’s release, there were still aspects of the machine that were drastically under-utilized. Broadband adoption combined with rapidly falling cost and growing capacity Memory Stick Pro Duo storage finally helped usher in something that was missing from the PSP from the start… The Playstation Store on the PC. You could now purchase PS One games for your PSP and download free demos without purchasing a Playstation 3. Access to the Playstation Store without a PS3 was sorely needed, but replacing the PS3 with a PC still left things a little awkward. But things all changed in 2008.
Continue reading to find out how and why…
When Sony implemented native PSP access to the PS Store via WiFi, it opened up a whole new realm of accessibility and commerce that has previously been trapped by awkward procedures and additional hardware. Now anyone can own only a PSP and still have access to download free demos or buy downloadable games while eating a Big Mac or sipping a Tall, skinny, double shot, decaf, mocha with a hint of nutmeg (those people deserve to have their PSPs stolen though, but that’s for another article.)
In addition to allowing you access to the PS Store via any wifi hotspot, Sony took the first steps of expanding the Playstation Network onto the portable device. I think those first steps are the first of many as I expect more and more to be revealed in the future as the single sign-on, trophies, PS Wallet and everything else combine to create a single “Playstation” gaming identity for gamers.
Sony’s gone one step further releasing many older games as downloadable via the PS Store. In addition to not having to store and fumble around with UMDs, downloadable games load faster and prolong battery life of the PSP as well. We have a pledge that all first party PSP games in 2009 will be available as downloads (in addition to UMD) and we’ve really seen the PSN titles for PSP kick up lately with Super Stardust Portable and Everyday Shooter. This is likely the beginning of a trend as even Atari’s Phil Harrison (the ex-SCEE front man) has expressed extreme interest in developing downloadable PSP titles.
The PSP represents the best non-Nintendo handheld success story to date and opening up the Playstation Store directly to the PSP will be key to pushing that success even further. That’s why the Playstation Store coming natively to the PSP is one of SarcasticGamer’s Top Gaming Moments of 2008.
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You never needed a PS3, just a PC, didn’t you? Or did some of the later demos only arrive via PS3? I had given up with the PC-based store by then because it was such a pain to deal with, and this is a big improvement.
@Damian: No, initially the only way to purchase downloadable games was via your PS3. You could track down random demos here and there but they weren’t from the PS Store.
PSOne games for example were limited to PSP owners that also had PS3s until not too awful long ago… and even then, you were tethered to a PC. Now you can directly access the PS Store from your PSP and a Wifi hotspot.