[quote name='Chibi_Kaji']If retailers don't carry the PSPGo who will? It's not as if Sony has a store of it's own.[/QUOTE]
Wrong.
Admittedly, we're talking about a handful of stores across the country, but they do have their own retail stores.
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Except that it's not just a Sony issue since Microsoft is dealing with that pressure, as well. Sony risks even more retailers not stocking the Go, though I don't know if Patapon 2-style download codes would help change their minds or not.
The peripheral thing is something almost every takes advantage of with new systems, from new colors of every peripheral for MS, to the new PS3 stand for the Slim, to new stylii and accessories for the DSi and new stuff for the Go. If they follow through with the adapter they mentioned for the old accessories, that would help them out. The Go even screws SCEA since they have a few PSP camera games that can't work with the Go because of the new proprietary port and the camera itself has yet to be released here, so it's a weird situation overall.[/QUOTE]
Honestly, I think the retail codes
would go a long way towards easing the fear of retailers. I'm not sure how many people would bother to buy that version of the game, but if you package it like they did with the PS3 version of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 - throw some goodies into the package along with the code - I can't see why it wouldn't work.
As far as alienating people goes, I really think the only ones Sony could possibly alienate (right now, at least) would be independent game stores. Even then, if they refuse to carry the PSPgo they won't stop carrying the PS3. It's going to take even more work to piss off the big box retailers - how many headphones, stereos, TVs, speakers, albums, movies, and games have the Sony logo on their box in a given Target or Best Buy? Even if Sony was to do something colossally stupid like try to strong-arm them into carrying the PSPgo against their will, they wouldn't abandon Sony.
As it stands now, I've already got my doubts about how well the PSP has worked for retailers. Whenever I look at clearance racks, I see more PSP games there than games for any other system, and occasionally (like on my last trip to K-Mart) for all of the other systems combined. While that's anecdotal, it does raise another potential argument - if the PSP is already not selling well, that's even
less incentive to carry the PSPgo.
The apparent lack of demand for the PSPgo might actually be in Sony's favor, though - it'd be a lot easier to talk people into carrying it if they don't have to keep a large number of systems in stock.
Bottom line for that: I think that we're blowing the "alienating retailers" argument out of proportion a bit, because unless I'm completely misreading the situation, I don't think they're too wild about the PSP to begin with. Even if they aren't happy with the PSPgo, though, Sony has enough other products to keep that relationship between store and supplier alive.
As for the accessories...maybe I'm an exception, but I don't think I've purchased
any accessories for my DS Lite other than a case. Same for my 360 - the only accessory I've purchased for that was a Vision camera bundle, because it was $5 at Sears. Most accessories aren't necessary, and I can't imagine that there's going to be a rush to get new ones that are only compatible with the PSPgo.
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