Why all the hate for UMD?

Why is there so much hate for the format? I personally didn't have a problem with it. Is it just the size?

I like the format too... its portable and doest get banged up so quickly, I like the fact that the actual disc is covered from scratches and such...

I don't know what is wrong with it either. I have tons of UMDs and I think the format is great. A PSP without a UMD drive would suck because of the lack of backwards-compatibility. If you don't want to use the drive, then don't use it. I also noticed that most people who compain about UMD - and the amount of games on the PSP - don't buy any games and download their games. And those people really need to shut up because they are the problem's source. I think 1,8 gigs is nothing to brag about in a handheld format. Also the protective case is a brilliant idea.

they are too slow

I wouldnt call them slow maybe on the original but with the slim and 3000 umd loading times are probably shorter then the Ps2 loading through a DVD now it never got this much garbage, I personally know id much rather buy the game informat then of the net, for example Resistance on the PSN store is 59au its 59au at the shop too, why not buy the proper copy and have something to keep?, it just feels better.

They have long loading times and if they are damaged in any way, they are useless.

I prefer hard copies myself. They look so well on the shelves. Besides, pointing out that they get useless if they get damaged is absurd. First, watch out for your games, second, the protective case provides some protection from harm, and last but not least, the digital copy isn't safe either. If something happens to your stick or you accidentally delete it then you have absolutely nothing and there you go. I'm sure I'll stick to the hard copies no matter what platform we're talking about (that is, while this ultra-modern world lets me).

I prefer hard copies myself. They look so well on the shelves. Besides, pointing out that they get useless if they get damaged is absurd. First, watch out for your games, second, the protective case provides some protection from harm, and last but not least, the digital copy isn't safe either. If something happens to your stick or you accidentally delete it then you have absolutely nothing and there you go. I'm sure I'll stick to the hard copies no matter what platform we're talking about (that is, while this ultra-modern world lets me).

Darth_Tic-Tac

Stop being so judgemental and harsh in tone, I managed to accidentally crack the casing of my "GTA LCS" game and now i have to pop the plastic into just the right position before it'll play, and I'm an electronics professional, have been for over 20 years. Accidents happen no matter HOW careful or "adult" you are at handling them. I thought they were a great design too, at one time... but I have since seen the error of my ways (and the comparitive bullet-proof nature of a different system's games that i won't mention by name for fear of being slapped by a mod).

I'm not a big fan of DL content because I've had too many memory sticks go wipe on me in the past, so I'll continue to buy games on UMD but that's only because that's what we've got.

they are too slow

Blue_Eight

Bingo. It's not as quick as cartridges or larger discs.

I LOVE the umd format personally. The discs are small and can hold enough on one to display perfect dvd quality movies and in some cases games that look better than any ps2 game. I fully support the format, I buy games and UMD movies to this day. I love the format so much that if it were a girl, I would... never mind. You get the picture now. I sold my last psp a while ago and bought another one last friday so i have to rebuild my movie and game collection which sorta sucks. Never sell your psp ppl! you will regret it later on guarenteed.

They can't hold a lot of space, that's pretty much my only concern. Apart from that I'm less reluctant about leaving them lying around because of their design, compared to a cd.

It's a rather slow format, can get noisy, is a bit large, and too fragile for my liking, unfortunately.

I can deal with the slowness and the noise is relatively easy to ignore, but no one can really deny that the UMD's are a hassle to carry around compared to the DS. Yes, I am comparing it to the DS, please-don't-crucifymeforit. I take care of 4 kids, all of whom are interested in video games to some degree (aka, I own a figurative metric ton of videogames for both systems) so it's no surprise that the larger size of PSP UMD's (and the smaller capacity of UMD cases) make it exasperating to cart them around on vacations, weekend trips, etc.

No matter how careful an adult is there will always be an accident. At the time of such an accident, the UMD does not hold up well. It's quite fragile. It doesn't take a whole lot to destroy the outer covering of the disk and one fall in a bad place can easily scratch the disk. This risk is only multiplied when you throw in even 1 minor running around.

If I didn't have my siblings around I wouldn't have much of a problem with UMDs.

they are too slow

Blue_Eight

[QUOTE="Blue_Eight"]

they are too slow

blooddog28

They can't hold a lot of space, that's pretty much my only concern. Apart from that I'm less reluctant about leaving them lying around because of their design, compared to a cd.

garathe_den

I thinks its pretty cool. Its heaps small and compact but can only hold so much.....So most games are very short.

[QUOTE="garathe_den"]

They can't hold a lot of space, that's pretty much my only concern. Apart from that I'm less reluctant about leaving them lying around because of their design, compared to a cd.

eggknight

Yes, it is not enough memory space, 3 gigs would go a lot furthur. The main reason why the psp doesn't have enough solid games for it is because it can't fit enough info on the umd. San Andreas Stories would probably have been released had the umd's been able to handle it.

And the ds and the psp are completely different handheld systems, they can't really be compared in that way.

Yes, it is not enough memory space, 3 gigs would go a lot furthur. The main reason why the psp doesn't have enough solid games for it is because it can't fit enough info on the umd. San Andreas Stories would probably have been released had the umd's been able to handle it.

And the ds and the psp are completely different handheld systems, they can't really be compared in that way.garathe_den

Where are you getting 3 gigs from? And why not compare it to the DS in that way... storage space, is storage space.

Also, the main reason why PSP doesn't have enough solid games is because game developers rather go with a handheld that has a larger user base and develop smaller and simpler games, as a bonus to them.

Regardless, I don't think it's a good idea to dump the UMD support by Sony. Apple can get away with it because it's a cell phone, and downloading stuff via the phone is a given. With a PSP, you are tied to a 3rd party source.... an Internet provider and most likely a PC, too. I feel that if they do drop the disk in a future PSP2, then sales will become lower than what the current PSP is doing. I feel it's a model to disaster, because Sony doesn't have the infrastructure to pull it off.... With the infrastructure mainly being a cell phone service, provider.

I don't think it's a good idea to dump the UMD support by Sony. Apple can get away with it because it's a cell phone, and downloading stuff via the phone is a given. With a PSP, you are tied to a 3rd party source.... an Internet provider and most likely a PC, too. I feel that if they do drop the disk in a future PSP2, then sales will become lower than what the current PSP is doing. I feel it's a model to disaster, because Sony doesn't have the infrastructure to pull it off.... With the infrastructure mainly being a cell phone service, provider.

Threesixtyci

Good Lawd, Testify SON!!! Here's someone with a little understanding of the marketplace, people... get with this cat's logic, no doubt. Sony is dreaming if they think it's even a remotely good idea to try and follow Apple into the ring on the DL content gaming front. They'll get their cans handed to 'em for hats. When the PSP "dies" , which is a LOOOOOOOOONGGGGG way off, trust that, I will stop buying Sony products entirely. The PSP and limited (mostly used) PS2 purchases are the limit for me, I won't be getting another Sony console and I sure-as-spit won't get another Sony handheld... I enjoy what my PSP hath given me, fans... I just don't think I'd walk the road again given the price and the over-all confidence in the tech and provider (Sony has done NOTHING to clean up the hacking and the cheating - that's the equivalent of third strike to me - How is it that Sony can make you use a certain firmware for accessing their online store - a service instituted well after the system & firmware's original release, but the company (and it's development partners) couldn't come up with a system where-by you gotta have the most recent firmware to play "SOCOM", or "MoH" online without people using CFW and pwning your nuhtzak? Would it "cost too much to retro-fit games", ya figure? I find that hard to believe, that Sony couldn't make patches available on their site as add-on security for people logging onto the SOCOM or MoH servers. But fine, so you don't/ can't do it for older titles. Then make it a standard on all NEW titles, like "Res:Ret" so that the multiplayer of THAT game isn't susceptible to the hackers? (And BTW, it's too late for that game now, I've seen more than a few "God Mode" people playing lately.)

Sony needs to put some blinders on and stop trying to keep up with it's competition, and start doing what they were so good at fifteen years ago - Breaking new and critical ground in gaming. Not becoming a cell phone company or worrying about Nintendo slowly turning the DS into a social networking tool. Jack-of-all-Trades, Master of NONE.

No one remembers the tele-taco N-Gage around here? C'mon...

The thing to look at here is that Apple has already proven product superiority in the marketplace in terms of cell tech provider, and they haven't been a gaming platform since the early 80s really, with the Apple II home computer, but they've proven they can hang by providing ports of "Halo" and other uber-popular titles...

... Sony, on the other hand, hasn't proven a thing in the last five years of the PSP - They haven't shown any domination or control of their own market OR technology (hackers OWN the thing), so if you can't keep your own house even a little in order, how do you expect to take on the biggest dog on the "Got My **** Together" block?

I don't trust DL content right now, not on SD sticks. I want my games in a hard format, as I'm sure most of us do at this point in tech history. If you damage a card or you pass it by a strong magnet you might get stiffed on the money you paid...

... and I think after the last five to six years of the system's life, enough of us have felt that flame already in terms of what was once promised vs. what is now delivered (and/or threatened for the future).

Nintendo got rid of the cart slot on the DS, so I have officially stopped buying future itterations that product too. They did it at the risk of alienating people like me with a few carts they still wanna play from their old SP days... if Sony wants to go to all DL content on memory sticks for it's system (or become a phone or a GPS or a Google outlet or a YouTube viewer) as it's primary focus and business model, that will be the end of that for me.

Why is there so much hate for the format? I personally didn't have a problem with it. Is it just the size?

haris1189

I dont have an issue with the UMD, I think the format is actually very creative. We have never had a disc for a handheld before, prior to the UMD it was all cartrigde....so, if I was to change something I would wish it to be smaller, maybe the size of the DS Gamecard. But soon all games will go digital, there will be no disc or carts to use.

[QUOTE="garathe_den"] Yes, it is not enough memory space, 3 gigs would go a lot furthur. The main reason why the psp doesn't have enough solid games for it is because it can't fit enough info on the umd. San Andreas Stories would probably have been released had the umd's been able to handle it.

And the ds and the psp are completely different handheld systems, they can't really be compared in that way.Threesixtyci

Where are you getting 3 gigs from? And why not compare it to the DS in that way... storage space, is storage space.

3 gigs is an amount that some ps2 games add up to, or slightly under. The psp's games could be less of ports and more of full games if it's umd's could hold that much space. Tat goes for games that stand on their own without being ports or side stories.

And the ds is a less powerful system compared to the psp, all of it's games require much less data than the psp does. A lot of them still look like gba games, which don't usually need much cartridge space at all.

They're okay even though they get tons of scratches even with the plastic covering. But i'll take that over downloading games anyday. (Ahem, PATAPON 2)

running a disc like the umd drains battery like crazy and yes the size sucks and they are easily broken (i personally havent had a problem with this because i take care of my things) but alot of other people have

I personally dislike them but feel that they should still be made available for the rest of the PSP's life cycle, since UMD was the system's original medium. I find UMDs to be loud, slow to load and the spinning makes the PSP feel heavy. I am glad that right now I have a memory stick with 3 PSN games that I can just switch among - no fussing with clunky discs and flimsy disc drive cover.

i got psp 3000 here.. and having no problems loading using umd. hmmm.. the only problem for me is... the price. haha. XDvhenzyme

yeah i agree,the taxex of umd at our place is high

I don't mind the UMD, but the PSP 2 should do ANYTHING before going all download, which is the way they've been leaning (ahem, PATAPON 2. I agree flowersjf. Nice name by the way. :) ) My suggestion for the PSP 2 would be to have 2 control sticks that aren't as delicate as the one on the PSP, (duh) and use a full disk slot, about the size of a DVD. Then, it should be able to play DVDs and PS 1 games straight from the disk, and maybe PS 2 games if it's powerful enough. Something like that would not only rocket the PSP 2 past anything Nintendo could dish out, but it would attract people who just want a good portable DVD player as well. Sony's profits would skyrocket, retailers would be happy because they're still selling a physical product, and there isn't a portable gamer alive who wouldn't like the system. It's pure genius. :P

Looky here:

http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2008/02/psp22.jpeg

I don't mind the UMD, but the PSP 2 should do ANYTHING before going all download, which is the way they've been leaning (ahem, PATAPON 2. I agree flowersjf. Nice name by the way. :) ) My suggestion for the PSP 2 would be to have 2 control sticks that aren't as delicate as the one on the PSP, (duh) and use a full disk slot, about the size of a DVD. Then, it should be able to play DVDs and PS 1 games straight from the disk, and maybe PS 2 games if it's powerful enough. Something like that would not only rocket the PSP 2 past anything Nintendo could dish out, but it would attract people who just want a good portable DVD player as well. Sony's profits would skyrocket, retailers would be happy because they're still selling a physical product, and there isn't a portable gamer alive who wouldn't like the system. It's pure genius. :P

Looky here:

http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2008/02/psp22.jpeg

dobermuffn

I find the PSP too small... It's uncomfortable to hold in my hands without the bulky case I have to protect it. Then again, I have big hands.

I was thinking about full disks because that's what made sony popular in the first place. Plus, being able to play any PS 1 games without having to pay an additional $6-10 would be a big help in my mind. I like small, but I like functionality and versatility over tiny size any day. Plus, if the system were larger, they could give it more power. Imagine playing the PS2 version of The Force Unleashed on the PSP 2 instead of the scaled down PSP version. I think it'd be awesome, but maybe thats just me.

Here's a picture of that oversized case, if you're wondering.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ueLWRHweL._AA280_.jpg

P.S. Does anyone know why I'm having trouble copying and pasting into a reply? I have to open Microsoft word, paste the URL into there, then grab and drag it into the reply window.

[QUOTE="eggknight"][QUOTE="garathe_den"]

They can't hold a lot of space, that's pretty much my only concern. Apart from that I'm less reluctant about leaving them lying around because of their design, compared to a cd.

garathe_den

Yes, it is not enough memory space, 3 gigs would go a lot furthur. The main reason why the psp doesn't have enough solid games for it is because it can't fit enough info on the umd. San Andreas Stories would probably have been released had the umd's been able to handle it.

And the ds and the psp are completely different handheld systems, they can't really be compared in that way.

I quite disagree, look at what the DS does with 512mb, it has some great games, Take a look at the N64 too, ocarina of time a game bigger then probably FF8 on ps1 which took 4 700mb discs while OOT looked better and only took 32mb, I quite think 1.8gb is enough, not really groundbreaking but quite enough in most cases.

[QUOTE="Threesixtyci"]

[QUOTE="garathe_den"] Yes, it is not enough memory space, 3 gigs would go a lot furthur. The main reason why the psp doesn't have enough solid games for it is because it can't fit enough info on the umd. San Andreas Stories would probably have been released had the umd's been able to handle it.

And the ds and the psp are completely different handheld systems, they can't really be compared in that way.garathe_den

Where are you getting 3 gigs from? And why not compare it to the DS in that way... storage space, is storage space.

3 gigs is an amount that some ps2 games add up to, or slightly under. The psp's games could be less of ports and more of full games if it's umd's could hold that much space. Tat goes for games that stand on their own without being ports or side stories.

And the ds is a less powerful system compared to the psp, all of it's games require much less data than the psp does. A lot of them still look like gba games, which don't usually need much cartridge space at all.

It's funny that the DSi is now the same price as the PSP... yet, you give DS gamesa lot more slack.

A better setup would be to leave the PSP with it's UMD drive... and allow us to install games on the memory card either, by choice or via a recommended install, like a PC.Then the only limit you have is the space of the memory card, and you can install and uninstall games at will. But the problems with that is that Sony is looking for ways to cut costsand piracy of titles will be the same as that of thePC .

I doubt Sony cares that the UMD drive sucks extra battery power, or that multiple UMDare harder to carry around. All they care about is saving money by removing a component from their product.

OMFG WHAT THE HELL WHY WOULD YOU ASK THIS!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!??????????????

ill give u 2 reasons!

1.there slow

B.IF THE PLASTIC BREAKS AND THE LITTLE DISC FALLS OUTS NOBODY REPLACES THEM YOU MUST BUY THE GAME ALL OVER AGAIN (it happened to 3 of my games thanks to the crappy case that held them)

I HATE UMD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH **** **** **** **** ****

i like them for collecting purposes

plus games are cheap

I love that thing its portabale and light and looks cool8)

OMFG WHAT THE HELL WHY WOULD YOU ASK THIS!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!??????????????

ill give u 2 reasons!

1.there slow

B.IF THE PLASTIC BREAKS AND THE LITTLE DISC FALLS OUTS NOBODY REPLACES THEM YOU MUST BUY THE GAME ALL OVER AGAIN (it happened to 3 of my games thanks to the crappy case that held them)

I HATE UMD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH **** **** **** **** ****

gamerx8000

http://www.umdreplacementcase.com/

http://vpgames.com/p-1121-replacement-umd-casing-shell-case-for-sony-psp-5-pack.aspx

it may be slow but it brings you top quality pwerful games that in some cases a ps2 cant handle

Why doesn't sony just keep the UMD, slap the system with some extra power, better graphics and the usual, and give us 2 better quality analog sticks? That's all anyone really wants. Internal memory would be nice too, although I would ask for that last. I find it sad that my Ipod has more memory then both of my PSP Memory sticks combined, and I've only got an 8 gig ipod. (6 gigs with both of my PSP mem. sticks.)

By the way, could you give us an example please, Getix-01. Thanks. :)

Today, I dropped my DS game case, and all the cards spilled over the floor. I thought, " Good thing they're so durable! I wonder what would happen if one of my UMD disks fell? Oh, wait - two of my games broke, and one is really messed up (freezes in the middle of play), AND I WAS EXTRA-CAREFUL WITH THEM!" One of the games broke while sitting on my shelf. Seriously. Oh, and did I mention how slowly they load?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm advetising Nintendo on a Sony thread, just trying to answer the question.

If you all hate the UMD so much I guess I have no choice as sony will listen and it will go down the drain, but seriously I will hate to have a download only method and I would not purchase the system, at least give us some DS Card like format.

Then u must hate the ps3:roll: