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UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S.

Posted Feb 22, 2012 at 3:00PM EST by

Listed in: News Tags: psp, Sony, umd passport, vita

Sometime last year, when PS Vita hype was at max and the system had yet to fall embarrassingly on its face in Japan, Sony revealed the UMD Passport system. The service essentially provided a way for PSP gamers to bring the UMD games they owned directly to the Vita once they upgraded to the new system.

mfpsum2

Now that Vita is freely available here in the States, some users have noticed that the Passport service has somehow vanished into thin air. While it was available with Japanese Vitas, it doesn’t appear to have made the jump over the Pacific. Sony apparently forgot to tell everyone in the United States (and in Europe) until the device’s launch day.

Citing a lack of demand for PSP games and the very “reasonable” prices of UMD games on the PSN store, Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that the company had no plans to make Passport available either in the U.S. or in Europe. He noted that Sony doesn’t see much value in bringing the Passport system to the U.S., since PSP games are so affordable here.

Did you get that? Sony says that games are so cheap on PSN, there’s no reason you shouldn’t buy them twice.

Honestly, is anyone surprised by this news?

[Gamasutra]

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(2)

(18)

really, ok then.
Read all about it, vita To use flashcarts for games plus new propriety memstick cards for games.
and inside scoop, it will also feature an OLED screen and rear touch pad..
seriously, if its been reported already, its been reported.
i like the way it ends with "seriously, is anyone surprised by this move."
how about using the search engine on your own site before posting "news", if its not new its just "s"

# RE: RE: so much for professionalism — StickyG 2012-02-24 01:06

Quite possibly, however, the comment made that irked me was "Sony apparently forgot to tell everyone in the United States (and in Europe) until the device’s launch day." When, in fact, they did not forget. That's my complaint.

+1 # RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — xnamkcor 2012-02-22 18:12

That's the shiniest PSP I've ever seen.

+1 # RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — AkaiOtoko 2012-02-22 18:40

lol, it is. Had to put on sunglasses.

Aside from that, I'm a bit sad at the fact that they reduce backwards compatibility even more with each next gen console.

-3 # RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Cornelious 2012-02-22 18:23

Surprise Vita fanboys, sony always thinking about you, because it does everything! Yeah!

+1 # Stop crying — Spitfireben 2012-02-22 18:50

If you want to play PSP games, use your psp, and yes, the psp games on the PSN are cheap, mostly under 10€s. Got my vita today and i don't really give a f*ck about the psp games, since monster hunter isn't one of them.

# RE: Stop crying — AkaiOtoko 2012-02-22 22:03

"If you want to play PSP games, use your psp"

Hm...why would anyone do that?

To break their fingers so they can turn the camera in Monster Hunter and Gods Eater Burst??

Also, my PSP's direction pad gets stuck as does the analog nub, so using it to play games is near impossible...

# Seriously — Jsin 2012-02-23 06:50

Why is everyone putting up such a bitch fit? If you want to play umds, then keep the psp you already have. These devices are portable, therefore they don't take up that much space.

# RE: Seriously — Aces In The Palm 2012-02-23 11:01

Quoting Jsin:

Why is everyone putting up such a bitch fit? If you want to play umds, then keep the psp you already have. These devices are portable, therefore they don't take up that much space.

Quoting Jsin:

Why is everyone putting up such a bitch fit? If you want to play umds, then keep the psp you already have. These devices are portable, therefore they don't take up that much space.

because alot of things that dont take up much space together, take up a lot of space.
why should you have to take a psp and a vita.
if nintendo had of done that, could you imagine people walking around with a gameboy advance plus a DS plus a DSi plus a 3DS.
no because nintendo had brains to make 3DS backwards compatible.
the portable devices you have to carry the less portable it is, therefore, the more portable devices a company makes you carry, the less portable friendly they are.

# Wrong — Ahoy 2012-02-23 14:45

But MH Unite is on there. That's one of them.

# Well Mr. F — Sinnerswake 2012-02-22 21:11

I just bookmarked this QJ Vita as a site to find out news about the vita. Although your article contains news it also contains a hideous biased opinion that I do not care for at all. I hate when articles are so spiteful like this one is. QJ Vita has now been removed from my bookmarks.

# RE: Well Mr. F — xnamkcor 2012-02-22 23:40

Don't Leave. We can change! Think of the children!

# PMSL — Bozzy 2012-02-23 13:05

xnamkcor. You saint.

# RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — fdsdf 2012-02-22 22:26

surprise another shitty article. again

# RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Mr. F 2012-02-24 13:01

Hey! My feelings.

# RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — jeepman 2012-02-22 23:07

sony haters

+1 # RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Terrapin 2012-02-22 23:10

It's struggling in Japan, gonna struggle everywhere else and yet Sony pulls some stupid shit like this when Vita really needs every possible feature, service and idea they can possibly throw at it.

# RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — RzmmDX 2012-02-23 01:56

At least Nintendo designed the 3DS to be backward compatible.

The only fully backward compatible Sony console is the PS2. God, I hope I am right, never tried playing psx games on my PS2.

# RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — xnamkcor 2012-02-23 02:32

There were 1-3 games that didn't work and 1-10 with minor to major glitches.

Also, you are wrong about it being the only use. The launch PS3 was backwards compatible to PS2 and PSX and current PS3s can emulate PSX through using it's power.

-2 # RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — RzmmDX 2012-02-23 04:37

And how many people own the original PS3?

Yeah. Face it, Sony has a terrible track record with backward compatibility.

+1 # RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — xnamkcor 2012-02-23 05:24

1 Million in the US and 1 Million in Japan.

+1 # Track record? — dbizal 2012-02-23 05:26

How? They have only had three consoles:
PSOne, PS2 which could play PSOne games also and the PS3, Which can play PSOne games, the first batch could also play PS2 games.

The 360 can only play a select few games and the Wii can only play Gamecube games.

What do you expect? You want the Wii to be able to play your old NES game? Grow up and get with the times. If you are annoyed so much then just get your PSP out and play on that... I still play my N64 and PS2 now days if I want to play games on them.

-1 # RE: Track record? — logo 2012-02-23 10:06

Vitual Console, basically it's a good emulation machine on par with the first xbox.

+1 # RE: RE: Track record? — xnamkcor 2012-02-23 14:48

Virtual console isn't backwards compatibility, it's an online shop that features games from older consoles.

# RE: Track record? — StickyG 2012-02-24 01:09

Actually, Nintendo has removed the backward compatibility from their newer consoles.

# RE: RE: Track record? — dbizal 2012-02-24 16:18

Yeah, from their budget Wii console things.

But the majority of people already own a Wii so it's really not a problem.

Also its not the point of the disagreement... lol

# RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — The Invader 2012-02-23 03:51

Why fanboys have to act like fanboys, I will delete from my bookmark qj.net because I dont like their opinions about my 300 sony paper stomper, sorry about my Vita, it has no great title and is no backward compatible, but I need it first day, I feel empty if I dont have it because im a fanboy, yeeeeiii, cry babies fanboys.

-1 # RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Terrapin 2012-02-23 15:31

A Sony Fanboy? I thought Sony's constant stupidity sent you lot into hiding being too embarrassed to admit it.

# RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Invader 2012-02-23 18:45

oh boy, another one

# RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Terrapin 2012-02-23 20:35

It's true though, i used to be a Sony Fanboy with Ps1&2 and i'd defend them to the death, but then Ps3 came out and i was deluding myself for a few years until i finally came to a realisation... Sony's Shit at running things in the DLC age, and i can't count the other diehard Fanboys that have just given up defending them, but i really would love to see the day they get theirselves sorted out and get back on top.

# RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Invader 2012-02-23 22:39

Yeah, I know what you saying, actually Im no fanboy of any brand, I like all console, but yes like you say, Sony stupidity make you hate them. And the most that I hate from them are their useless almost monthly firmware updates, you want to play online and you cant because of a new update, I hate when that happens. But I like their system, right now my psp is a paper stomper, but I used it a lot before it becomes a stomper

# RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — xnamkcor 2012-02-24 01:11

You aren't a fanboy, you're a hateboy.

# RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — The Invader 2012-02-24 02:48

Yeah, maybe lol

# RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — Mr. F 2012-02-24 13:02

I don't know why anyone defends a brand at all. It's not like Sony or Nintendo would come to your rescue in a fight.

# RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — xnamkcor 2012-02-24 14:18

One time I got in a fight with a bear and Sony saved my life. So, I don't know where you get your information, but it's wrong.

# RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — ronald mc donald 2012-02-24 16:07

wow, what a story, just incredible, what you smoke dude????

# ... — SeRosiS 2012-02-23 04:28

Are there any worthwhile PSP games at all for this to matter?

Nintendo wrote the book on backwards compatibility with its Gameboy all the way up to the DS and then they just left the Gameboy name behind. The only consoles I've ever seen that had near perfect backwards compatibility are the PS2 and the Wii.

Actually I take that back, PCs have had an entire history of backwards compatibility.

There are quite a few old games I still play, the oldest of them are MYST, Total Annihilation, GEX, Road Rash, and technically Star Control II; though it has been updated for modern systems.

Back to the original point, no worthwhile games. Maybe flOw or Echochrome but everything else was just smaller servings of larger brands.

+1 # RE: ... — AkaiOtoko 2012-02-23 15:06

These are worthwhile in my opinion:

Monster Hunter(There's a good amount)
Gods Eater Burst
Persona 2: IS
Persona 3 Portable
Dissidia 012

# RE: UMD Passport Program Not Coming to the U.S. — lu meng 2012-02-23 09:38

Sony apparently forgot how many PSP games are on UMD that are NOT on PSN. Not to mention that the Vita has YET to have PSOne playback...

# The UMD Passport is crap anyway — Ordersol 2012-02-24 14:09

People who are bitching about this obviously hasn't looked into more info about this. If you would have read up on it, you'd read that this was only good for First Party titles. Third party developers such as Square, Konami, Namco, Bandai, and Capcom were never involved in this program as Sony couldn't make a deal with them. So if you were thinking of getting Monster Hunter any other title from this, think again. BTW, the PSP stuff in the store is pretty cheap as it is since the failure of the PSP Go. The only games that are ridiculously expensive are Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, Tekken 6, and the Fate games.

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