http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png http://kotaku.com/tag/umd http://kotaku.com/tag/umd

The PS Vita does not use UMDs. Instead, it uses cartridges and digital downloads. The UMD is going extinct, putting current PSP owners in a bind should they want to play their PSP titles on the Vita. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5858586&view=rss&microfeed=true

In an interview with Dengeki PlayStation, Sony's Yoshio Matsumoto said that the company is still looking into offering UMD owners the opportunity to re-download their games on the Vita for a special price. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5848554&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony's next generation handheld will, as previously promised, support downloadable PSP titles. The PlayStation Vita will even let you take advantage of its dual analog sticks to control some software. But what about those of us with nothing but PSP games on UMD? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5840031&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony has a new PlayStation Portable. Budget priced at €99 (and currently only for Europe), the PSP E-1000 does what every other PSP does—it just doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi. And it's matte! See? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5832110&view=rss&microfeed=true

At last year's E3, Sony introduced us to the PSPgo, the digital download only version of its PlayStation Portable. What did Sony learn from the release of the device? Well, "consumers like their packaged media library" for one. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5558693&view=rss&microfeed=true

When Nintendo launched Mario Kart Wii in Japan, it roped in some of the country's biggest celebrities for the ad campaign. Among them, was Aki Hoshino. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5500746&view=rss&microfeed=true

Your used (or torrented) copy of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, the latest entry in the SOCOM series for the PlayStation Portable, may be missing something: online play. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5474128&view=rss&microfeed=true

While some publishers may be dropping the UMD format in favor of digital downloads, at least one PlayStation Portable title will re-embrace it in 2010, namely Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! 2: Time to Tighten Up Security! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5432441&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony may have put aside plans to offer a UMD solution for PSPgo owners, but a third-party may be stepping up to the plate. Logitech is rumored to have a UMD drive add-on planned for Sony's download-only device. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5417206&view=rss&microfeed=true

As of last week the Playstation Store is the only place PSPgo owners can go to pick up their games. Just how do the prices of the Sony-operated online store compare to the prices of the same games sold as used at retailers? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5374014&view=rss&microfeed=true

Video games stored on a disc of plastic and tucked away in a case are approaching extinction. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5372943&view=rss&microfeed=true

Playstation Portable owners will not be able to transfer the disc-based UMD games they own to a PSPgo when the sleek new digital-only system launches next week, Sony officials told Kotaku today. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5367207&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony's mysterious goodwill program for PlayStation Portable owners saddled with UMD collections will be rewarded, should they choose to upgrade to a PSPgo. In Europe, at least, Sony will be giving away three free games to new PSPgo investors. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5366711&view=rss&microfeed=true

While not joining a broader boycott among some European retailers, ShopTo's comments in advance of the PSPGo's launch do not exactly encourage sales. "As a format it is almost dead before it has arrived," the ShopTo boss told Eurogamer. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5361820&view=rss&microfeed=true

Come September 22nd, PSP owners won't even have to leave their homes to pick up Atlus' Persona remake, which is now launching simultaneously at retail and on the PlayStation Network. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5330853&view=rss&microfeed=true

Those who missed them the first time around when they hit the PC can now play five classic erotic games on the PSP. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5330296&view=rss&microfeed=true

One of the biggest hurdles to getting Playstation Portable owners to upgrade to the recently announced PSP Go is their existing library of UMD games which won't work on the device. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5279557&view=rss&microfeed=true

The writing is on the wall for the poor old UMD. First Patapon 2 goes download-only, then Fate/Unlimited Codes, then we hear another rumour of a UMD-less PlayStation Portable. But it's not dead yet! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5232314&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony's rumored plans for a new PSP—supposedly dubbed the PSP Go!—may also usher in a new wave of games becoming digital downloads for the device. That includes, allegedly, the long-awaited arrival of Gran Turismo Mobile. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5231915&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony may be taking a rather unusual step at retail with Patapon 2, making the PSP a digital download only, but still offering a boxed copy at retail. How would that work, exactly? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5210150&view=rss&microfeed=true

The biggest problem with the PSP isn't the handheld's lack of quality games. It's the handheld's current reliance on making you buy, and use, those awful UMDs. But later this year, that will change. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5184624&view=rss&microfeed=true

Who truly knows whether Sony is planning on dropping UMDs for the next version of the PSP? Only Sony (and David Perry). Certainly not God of War: Chains of Olympus developer Ready At Dawn. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5163913&view=rss&microfeed=true

While not outright denying rumors of a UMD-free Playstation Portable, the head of Sony's hardware marketing said that the UMD business is "critical to us this year and beyond." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5161253&view=rss&microfeed=true

The UMD-free PlayStation Portable 2 is indeed real and could hit as early as this fall, David Perry, chief creative officer at Acclaim, told Kotaku today. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5160320&view=rss&microfeed=true

European PSP owners are going to get a few former PlayStation Network only titles in cold, hard physical media format, as SCEE is planning on releasing two collections of PSN titles on UMD. The PlayStation Network Collection releases, unearthed by Siliconera, consist of one Power Pack, containing flOw, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops and Beats, and the Puzzle Pack, featuring Lemmings, Go! Puzzle and Go! Sudoku. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5045205&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sony has thought about and continues to play around with the idea of building a Playstation Portable with a built in hard drive or internal memory, Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said this morning at a gather of game writers. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5025895&view=rss&microfeed=true

When we spoke with PSP senior marketing manager John Koller at CES, he told us about Sony Computer Entertainment America's plans to revitalize the UMD platform for non-gaming purposes. Key points? Price and selection. General consensus amongst gamers was that buying UMD movies didn't make much sense at a $30 price point, sometimes close to twice that of their DVD counterparts. Also, too little focus on dick and fart humor. Sony is attempting to revitalize the UMD movie and television market, today releasing details on new, SCEA-distributed titles that ring in at $14.99. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=348690&view=rss&microfeed=true Wii-mote straps had a problem. This I knew. And Xbox 360 have hardware issues. This also I knew. But UMDs falling apart? That would involve prolonged PSP use. Not an issue! In the above infomercial, Dave's hands from web vender Multimedia Recovery claim to have repaired 70,000 busted UMDs and shows the horrors of "flimsy" UMDs. So flimsy that it looks "deliberate" as the disks are "designed to self-destruct," while the frame that encases the discs are made out of "junk." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=306833&view=rss&microfeed=true More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=278504&view=rss&microfeed=true

John Koller, senior marketing manager at Sony responsible for the PlayStation Portable, says that the "future of UMD is bright" and that the company won't walk away from the format. While UMD movies failed to light a fire under consumers and complaints about long load times for games abound, Koller says the format "possesses many strengths" including cheap manufacturing costs. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=275290&view=rss&microfeed=true

Looks like the latest versions of the PSP's firmware did more than just rapidly expose and then defend the handheld from hacking attempts and unlock the full potential of the systems 333 MHz processor. Code hacking enthusiasts have broken open the v3.5 and v3.51 firmware to discover a file named np9660.prx, which is an ISO loader that could possibly be used to play PSP titles off of a memory stick without using a UMD. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=274696&view=rss&microfeed=true

Sure, I know the PlayStation Portable doesn't need "saving." It's already the most successful competitor Nintendo has ever faced in the handheld gaming space, but that doesn't mean its potential as "the Walkman of the 21st century" has been realized. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=256845&view=rss&microfeed=true

Online game rental outfit GameZnFlix isn't dropping their awkward camel-capped name, regrettably, but they are getting out of the PlayStation Portable biz. It's not that the PSP is underperforming, just that those damned UMDs are getting too expensive to mail out to customers. By way of Aeropause, we are treated to this apology from GameZnFlix. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=254583&view=rss&microfeed=true

If you simply can't endure the two month wait for your PSP Final Fantasy remakes to ship this summer, well, you don't really have to. NCSX let us know that the Japanese release of the 20th anniversary edition ships with optional easy-to-read English text. Obviously, you'll pay import premiums to re-enjoy these RPG classics early, and your manual and UMD case will be in Japanese, but think of the street cred! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=254220&view=rss&microfeed=true

Falcom announced that the next release in their long running role playing game series The Legend of Heroes will be so epic, contain so much needless dialogue and be so stuffed with RPG cliche, that the upcoming PSP title will ship on two Ubiquitous Media Discs. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=253435&view=rss&microfeed=true

By: Brian Crecente More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=250775&view=rss&microfeed=true

Circuit City appears to be clearing its stores of some UMD stock with a pretty decent deal. This week you can buy any of 16 pre-selected UMD titles for $10 each. The weekly sales brochure says there are 16 titles to choose from but only lists 12. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=243716&view=rss&microfeed=true

I watched Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children shortly after it hit DVD and I have to say, while there were parts of it I enjoyed, overall I felt the experience was disjointed. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=240072&view=rss&microfeed=true Retail hatorade. Bricks-and-mortar chain HMV is offering a big pricey bundle that includes a 60GB PLAYSTATION 3, a 4GB PSP and two PSP games for £674.99 (US $1,327). The deal pretty much guaranteed shoppers a PS3 on launch day if they forked over the cash. A mass HMV email was sent out to 5,000 "lucky few" with purchase details. So what do other British sellers think? Choices UK negs the idea and won't be following in HMV's bundled footsteps. The reason being that the outlets says it "won't hold... customers to ransom." Virgin Megastore's Stephen Lynn chimes in, saying: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=234844&view=rss&microfeed=true

What's so bizarre about this Farmer-manufactured Universal Media Disc Vertical Stand? Not that implication that one could possibly have the 24 UMDs required to fill every slot, but the fact that it lights up. For what reason? Maybe it's for power failures, those stormy times when one finds themselves with no electricity and nothing to do. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=228847&view=rss&microfeed=true