The writing might be on the wall, but that doesn’t mean Sony has seen it yet. The entertainment giant has plans to continue backing its UMD format for the PSP even if retailers and movie studios won’t.
In a United Press International interview, Peter Dille, senior VP of marketing of Sony Computer Entertainment America, defended the technology and said it has, to date, been largely misunderstood by studios. The product, he said, is targeted. “We are committed to helping the studios better understand our product and our consumer, and will continue to educate them as we evolve and enhance the functionality of the PSP," said Dille.
Dille’s defense of the UMD technology comes on the heels of Target pulling the UMD format from its shelves. Other major US retailers have been considering doing the same and some major studios have also cut back on their support for the UMD format. This, of course, had lead many to conclude the UMD format is dead or at the very least dying.
While it’s true UMD technology is very niche and the movie titles chosen for production in the format should be targeted as well, it doesn’t seem likely Sony will manage to pull this one out of the grave. It’s hard to imagine major studios continuing to support the effort when they can get better results from other formats like the DVD and even downloadable movies.
But, Sony’s been known to pull off some amazing things and the company is, if nothing else, committed to creating and supporting new technology. It even admits its mistakes every now and again and actually apologizes for them. This is, of course, not excusing Sony for bad judgment in the first place.
Nods to 1up
Related:
PSP UMDs Snubbed By Target
UMD Movies Might Be A Thing Of The Past
Sony Reveal First Game/Movie Hybrid UMD
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