Could Sony be working out all the kinks in a download service for the PSP?  And if they are how would it connect, through the USB cable or through the store on the PS3?

Really there is no concrete story behind the possible PSP store beyond the few choice words Sony shared earlier.  SCEA’s Jack Tretton, speaking at the Sony Gamer’s Day, stated that, “the advent of a long awaited and quite frankly long overdue ability to deliver a downloadable service for the PSP will help us out a great deal.”

Damn straight it would help out a lot.  If there is something the PSP desperately needs it is an edge that it can hold over the DS.  The PSP will most likely never achieve the level of sales that the DS has, but it could help draw out more consumers if it could brag that it has the ability to download games via the internet.  It would certainly make the memory sticks a whole lot more valuable, too.

The real question that this brings to mind is what type of downloads would the store offer?  While movies are an obvious choice, I doubt they have the draw to pull enough people into the PSP market.  Besides most people who go out and spend the cash to get a PSP probably already have some sort of portable MP3 device that can play videos on (and if they are ipod users they get the convenience of itunes).

Sony would have to focus on the games.  Movies, whether in a downloaded format or UMD, are never going to be a strong system selling point.  And the PSP is definitely not going to take any significant marketshare away from dedicated MP3 players.  Thus games must be the platform’s strong suit.

Sony should take a lesson from Nintendo and release a back catalog of PS1 games.  This would help add a cheap library of games to the PSP and avoid most of the control confrontations that would arise out of the PSP’s lack of a second analog nubbin.  If Sony could secure rights to other emulated games that would also be quite amazing.  People are already modding their PSPs or getting firmware hacks, so if Sony could make a legitimate market for downloaded games it could definately cut out some of the market that is not savvy enough to figure out how to get downloaded games illegally.

If nothing else the prospect of an online store will bring positive buzz about the PSP.  2007 could very well shape up to be a decent year for the often bemoaned hand held.

Chufmoney

[via Joystiq]