Kotaku 
Enter your username and password.
Denver, 6:23 AM
Tue Nov 10
57 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip us: tips@kotaku.com
Editor-In-Chief:
Brian Crecente
Email | AIM | Twitter
Deputy Editor:
Stephen Totilo
Email | AIM | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Michael McWhertor
Email | AIM | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editor, Japan:
Brian Ashcraft
Email | AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editor, East Coast:
Michael Fahey
Email | AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editor, Oceania:
Luke Plunkett
Email | AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editor, Weekends:
Owen Good
Email | AIM | Twitter
Correspondent, San Francisco:
AJ Glasser
Email | AIM | Twitter
Columnist:
Leigh Alexander
Columnist:
Tim Rogers
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
10/05/09
10/05/09
a) I could afford it (I am a student)
b) I thought I wasn't going to get screwed over by prices on the PSN store
10/05/09
But are we in the same UK here? Student's are pretty much the only people en mass who CAN afford to drop £200 on a handheld. Well, unless you're student loan isn't available yet, but still, it's coming.
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/06/09
Loans are managed by the Student Loans Company, which is a central non-government organisation that works in close partnership with the Inland Revenue.
Students don't have to pay back any of their loans until after they graduate and are earning at least £15,000 a year. If your earnings are over that threshold, then you pay back 9% of your income over £15,000 (so for someone earning the UK mean salary of £24,000, they would pay back 9% of £9000, equivalent to 3.4% of their total salary). Repayments are just taken out of cheque at the end of the week or month, in the same manner as income tax and national insurance.
The interest rate on student loans is determined by the Retail Price Index, which is a general inflationary measure of the cost of things such as consumer goods and accommodation. Because of the economic situation at the moment, the interest rate on most student loans is currently 0%, but it varies year on year.
When you reach a certain age (60 or 65, I can't remember) any outstanding loan repayments get written off.
So Wintrale's description is not entirely accurate. As far as I'm concerned, I think my student loan is probably the only time in my life I'll ever be able to get credit on such hugely favourable terms, and the fact that it went to pay for my education means that it was a debt that I was more than happy to take on. It is far preferable to the terms of most credit cards or mortgages, for example.
10/06/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
What I think is interesting is that this could be a strong indication that there is indeed a large margin of profit for the device, specifically if retailers are able to sell at such a discount. They must be making some profit, even after such a discount.
I would hazard a guess that it's cost of production is closer to the 3000, and that the higher price tag, allowing for higher profit margins, could be a sign of good will towards retailers in lieu of having no actual software to attach to the device.
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
That's a good point (about the good will to retailers)!
I never thought of it like that. Now my perspective of the PSPgo is not as harsh anymore :/
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
EDIT: Or maybe it's just the channels I watch. Apparently you guys have barely seen any and now I feel like a crazy man posting.
10/05/09
Why are Sony not advertising it anyway? Maybe they are still viewing it as an experiment?
10/05/09
You're probably not seeing ads for it in GameStop since PSP Go is ushering in the end of retailers.
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
I saw a bunch of commercials over the weekend *especially* for GT PSP (which seemed like it came on every single commercial break) as well as a number for just the PSP Go itself. A lot during the South Park marathon on Comedy Central, as well as on Spike.
Last week's Ultimate Fighter w/ Kimbo Slice had a metric fuckton of PS3/PSP Go commercials (then again, PS3 was one of the ring sponsors, so maybe that had something to do with it as well). And, per usual, a number seemed to be on the typical Adult Swim programming (which always had a boatload of videogame commercials).
But yeah, maybe there's hardly any commercials for it on other stations, but I know those 3 seemed like they were bombarded with 'em.
10/05/09
If I owned a gaming store, I wouldn't sell it.
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
I think a good price is $200.
10/05/09
10/05/09
And your -so EDGY- with the DS remark.
10/05/09
Maybe it should be the same price as a normal PSP seeing as it takes out the UMD drive, and simple has 16GB flash memory which is the same as a PSP with a 16GB stick in it
10/05/09
10/05/09
It may be decent hardware, but it's also like 3 year old tech. It's almost completely identical to the 3000 and yet it costs $80 more.
I'm sorry, but 16GB and bluetooth =/= $80. Especially with the money you save by ditching the UMD drive.
10/05/09
10/05/09
Didn't meant to come across as a fanboy.
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
Like I said, because this comes with 16GB memory, 200 dollars would be a good price point.
16GB memory doesn't sound like a lot, but it's pretty expensive in terms of those little cards if you google it.
I do agree 250 is too high. I think Sony wanted to reap the 'geek benefit' (you'll know what I mean if you own a desktop gaming PC and buy graphics cards) for the first month or two, and perhaps drop the price after sales slow down? Common business tactic.
05/13/09
@FukDaPoh-leese Shank'd lol.
05/13/09
05/13/09
Since they started taking bribes. So, a very, very long time.
05/13/09
05/13/09
05/13/09
prisoners get to play video games? is there something wrong with this picture?
05/13/09
05/13/09
05/13/09
If anything, I'd make them play Superman 64.
05/13/09
05/13/09
"Not yet, ma! thug_boy_bruno and I still be dealin' with some mean shit over at PSN, yo!"
05/13/09
05/13/09
My my aren't you the clever one. Do yourself a favor and log off Kotaku. There is a nice little "Logout" link in the upper right hand corner of the page. Good day.
05/13/09
05/13/09
05/13/09
05/13/09
I'm in agreement. It appears that any hack can get on Kotaku these days.
05/13/09
05/13/09