Airlines Will Make Time Fly By Offering PSPs To Travelers
See Full ImageGee, I thought bringing a PSP on a plane might get you shot. But nowadays, authorities probably realize you can't do anything bad with it...besides watch UMD porn, or something. Wait...does that exist?
Anyway, as reported by Joystiq, IFE Services has announced a new partnership with SCEA to offer airlines the use of a "custom-tailored PSP" during flights. See now, here's where the security part comes in: these units will be "fully certified for use in-flight," which means they may be limited or restricted in some way. You may not be able to go online or access the PlayStation Store, or something, but then again, the PSP is a pretty handy unit. There's lots you can do with it, and with the right games or even movies, the hours can quickly disappear. And hey, if you've got one, leave it safe and sound at home; just use the one the airline gives you! Furthermore, PSPs will feature an extended life battery that offers up to 11 hours of play time - perfect for those overseas trips - and there will also be "comprehensive crew training" involved. So it'd be like, "oh stewardess, I can't seem to get this to work...could you bend waaaay over and check the..." ...where the hell is my mind this morning?
IFE Services works with six airlines, so don't be surprised if someone offers you a PSP before a long flight.
Side note: The source is actually an official press release, but either Joystiq typed in the address wrong or the link is dead.
5/27/2010 10:46:45 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (28 posts)
dachemists
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 1:54:07 PM
1 up, 0 down
LegendaryWolfeh
Friday, May 28, 2010 @ 12:36:34 AM
0 up, 0 down
eLLeJuss
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:07:02 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:08:24 AM
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Sony recently said that they thought that rampant piracy is to blame for the woes of the PSP outside Japan. I've read a lot of skeptical thoughts on that one. But I do think it's the case.
Perhaps this initiative is a sign that Sony are continuing to support the platform in the long term. Which is a good thing.
As for the piracy thing, I think about it this way. Game sales for the PSP are hugely disappointing outside Japan - due to game piracy and hacked PSPs. Sony managed with the PSP-3000 and Go to prevent users from permanently installing a CFW, so neither model is popular among so called enthusiasts who like to mod their PSP with custom firmware - and funnily enough play pirated games. In addition to this, poor game sales deter small and large developers from publishing on the PSP platform. This in turn means that the PSP platformn is less attractive to potential buyers.
So the hardware sells poorly because there are not as many games as there should be and because people don't want to buy the new systems that you can't hack. Games continue to sell poorly because of the piracy and lack of growth in the market. It's a vicious circle, not a virtuous one..
Sony says that they have something that they can do to prevent piracy in the first 30-60 days after the release of a game. If they works it may help restore some faith among developers, but until consumers decide to pickup a PSP, the positive impact will be limited.
If Sony can build on initiatives like this one and put PSPs into the hands of consumers so that they can see what it can do, then perhaps they can restore some virtue to the cycle and break the vicious circle they are currently in.
4 up, 1 down
maxpontiac
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 12:32:03 PM
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 12:58:34 PM
0 up, 0 down
Shadow_Ninja
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 4:37:24 PM
I wouldn't really consider the psp dead considering it has sold well over 10 million in North America. it just seems to lack innovation in terms of blockbuster titles. i mean, not a whole lot of people buy games hoping it will be a good one. yea i agree with you that the psp is not the biggest "thing" in the market, but it's not dead either.
1 up, 0 down
Kowhoho
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 10:30:42 PM
1 up, 0 down
NiteKrawler
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:24:16 AM
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1 up, 1 down
Jawknee
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:37:29 AM
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5 up, 2 down
0_o
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:41:00 AM
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3 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:45:32 AM
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http://www.docstoc.com/docs/40342725/IFE-Services-Distributing-the-PSPandreg-(PlayStationandregPortable)-System-to-the-Worlds-Airlines
1 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 12:34:51 PM
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Great that Sony can get more exposure out there for the PSP, but I can foresee 1 little problem......or 2.......
Homeland Security winding up wrestling everybody down to the carpet when the stewie's ask for their PSP's back and you're all in the very middle of a hectic game chapter.
Or all the planes arrivals are delayed for 2 hours while the plane sits on the tarmac waiting for 342 people to get to the next save checkpoint.
3 up, 1 down
G8GTdriver
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 1:16:51 PM
2 up, 1 down
NeoHumpty
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 1:32:38 PM
2 up, 0 down
fluffer nutter
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 1:45:03 PM
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 2:10:17 PM
2 up, 0 down
faraga
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 3:01:26 PM
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(Yes it'll hold out for that long, especially because the main flight was overnight and I spent most of the time sleeping, that, and I mainly used it as an MP3 player.)
0 up, 0 down
gumbi
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 3:27:31 PM
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On the topic of piracy and the effects it's had on hardware/software sales... I have to admit, everyone I know who owns a PSP is running CFW, and most of them would not have purchased one if they couldn't do so.
So yes, the newer more secure units are hurting sales because people don't want a PSP they can't hack. But the years of piracy that the PSP has already endured have deterred publishers from making games for it... So now Sony is selling fewer of both PSP's and games.
I dunno, maybe Sony should just unlock the PSP so anyone can develop games/apps for it and focus on hardware sales. I think that if this baby was open it would be a much more attractive piece of hardware for the masses. If you're curious, check out the PSP homebrew scene, there's a ton of slick apps for it.
Now before anyone attacks me let me say that I DO still buy games for my PSP. I bought GOW COO, Crisis Core, LBP, Hot Shots and several others once they hit the bargain bin. And when Valkyria Chronicles 2 comes out I'll be buying it day one. I don't support piracy for the purpose of playing ripped games, but as a programmer I absolutely support the homebrew scene.
I hope Sony gets it right with PSP2. Either lock it down so devs and publishers feel secure enough to invest in making great games for it, or open it up so anyone can develop for it and focus on hardware sales.
1 up, 0 down
CharlesD
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 4:05:49 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Victor321
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 9:31:51 PM
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This can really handy, especially when you can just bring in your memory stick, and use it on the airline PSPs.
Wait..if the IFE Services allows that, I can see a lot of stolen memory sticks....never mind...=(
0 up, 0 down
KingRed
Friday, May 28, 2010 @ 12:21:02 AM
0 up, 0 down
KingRed
Friday, May 28, 2010 @ 12:17:21 AM
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0 up, 0 down
___________
Friday, May 28, 2010 @ 2:48:53 AM
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i thought the whole point of airplane mode was to deactivate radio signals so they cant interfere with the aircraft instruments which has been proven that no device can interfere but still.
just another scam for airliners to suck out even more of your cash, soon you will have to pay for the overhead lockers and the carpet on the floor.
want a seat? that will be a extra 27 dollars.
0 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Reply
Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 11:03:58 AM