When Sony Computer Entertainment announced the release packages for PSP -- the Standard system kit and the expanded Value Pack -- we were left a little curious by one omission: there's nothing to check out but the hardware! Neither PSP package included a demo disc for trying or viewing videos of PSP titles -- sure, Namco's shipping enough copies of Ridge Racers for nearly every PSP purchaser to own that game, but we want more, more, more.
In Japan, SCE may be rectifying that situation -- gamers who have put in their purchase of the Japanese version of the system through Sony's official PS World retail outlet (sorry, they only ship in that country, although they're already sold out anyway) are notifying us that the order slip also includes a Sampler Disc as part of the package. We have only heard from those who've picked up the Value Package, but it would make sense for this to be tossed into the Standard pack as well. There is no word yet on what games will be featured on the disc, if the disc will be UMD format or DVD format, or if anything will be playable if the disc is a PSP-format release.
[Ed.Note - Originally, we were told and reported that that the disc was mentioned as a UMD release, but a more accurate translation from our Japanese correspondents has the pack-in as being a "Special Video Demo Disc For PSP", which could be any format.]
While demo discs are still a rarity at launch (neither Xbox, PS2 nor GameCube included a playable or video demo disc in the launch package), the low cost of disc media, the win-win benefits to players and publishers, and the recent proliferation of middleware development suites that can more easily spin off game code into bite-sized demo pieces (a big boon for time-pressured programmers) will hopefully make this a thing of the past. The biggest restriction, of course, is time -- developers are already up against the clock in making launch games, and doing a demo adds that much more time to the work.
While we're not sure whether the Japanese disc will be playable or just video, we're hopeful that the release is at least in UMD format so that players can pop it in right away and see what's coming up soon for the system. Nintendo added a demo for its upcoming Metroid Prime: Hunters to the US edition of its DS system package. Hopefully, SCE America will follow SCE Japan's lead (and keep up with Nintendo -- their pack-in demo was one of the most fun things for the system ... we're not saying this to be competitive, but it'd be nice if the US PSP demo were equally cool, OK Sony?) and put together a US UMD Demo for its release here in early 2005. We'll have word on what this special disc includes when the Japanese system launches on December 12th.
