Sony Reveals UMD Movie Prices
Not good for those hoping to build up a flick collection.
The news for PSP owners hoping to enjoy movies on their new handhelds is not good. It seems that when movies do start coming out on Sony's proprietary Universal Media Disc (UMD) later this year they will be priced around the same as their DVD counterparts.
Sony is planning to start releasing movies on UMD in Japan in April for between ¥3,800 and ¥3,980 (around £20), IGN has reported. While this does seem expensive to Western sensibilities, it bears noting that DVDs are generally more expensive in Japan than in Europe or North America.
What this does suggest, though, is that we could expect movies on UMD to cost about the same as movies on DVD. And with DVDs being one of the fastest growing technologies today, the chances of UMDs usurping the role of DVDs seem slim.
So far, Sony has announced it will start introducing UMD movies in Japan and North America in April, but the company is still mum on its plans for Europe.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games