You're simplifying one simple thing. This is talking about a transfer across generations, from PSP to PSP Vita. If users are paying full price for downloads of Xbox 1 classics on Xbox 360, for several generations of games for the Wii (N64, SNES, NES, etc), they're paying full price for PS1 and PS2 games on PS3, then why hold the Vita any different? I'm not saying I want to give Sony my money over and over, but this is not without precedent.



I guess the question is, is the software the same, is this a re-download, or a reworking of the software to get it to work on a new platform? Would you complain about re-buying DS titles for the 3DS? What about re-buying LoZelda: OoT 64 or Mario 64?



If you look at Steam you can make the argument that you can re-download software, but that is one platform Windows XP/Vista/7. And those are almost all current titles. Can you really make the comparison with same Wii Virtual Console that has 15-20 year old titles? And where does the Vita fit into this? Things are not as cut and dried as you state. Are we at a point where platforms don't matter? No. Did Sony ever give you the impression that you were buying software that would perpetually renew for the next 20 years regardless of platform? No.



The central issue is that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have gone with a segmented platform concept for their consoles and handhelds. Apple has gone with a unified platform concept across generations for the iOS. I don't count Steam for the generational discussion because Windows XP/Vista and 7 are effectively one generation.



I agree that I like Apple's approach better, but I also recognize that Apple is doing annual hardware updates which make it easier to maintain compatability. And even there older games do break eventually as the iOS and hardware changes. And then its up the the developer to decide if they fix the game, and if so, they usually break compatability wth older devices. There is no easy answer, just many orthogonal approaches.

Great way to legitimise whatever hackers and pirates come up with in the eyes of otherwise law abiding users. Sony shoots themselves in the foot again.

Which right now hovers around 2$ an old fry and a bit of lint...

Well, assuming the original UMDs each have a unique ID key, then issuing a single free digital copy per ID would be pretty fair: The owner gets their digital copy of their game they already own (and is now presumably tied to their account), and while the original UMD of an old game might be lent or sold, at least it can't spawn an infinite number of digital copy claims. It may even discourage resale.

"If you just let someone get a digital copy for anything they have on hand then there's nothing to stop people from abusing the system."



As long as you're required to have a physical copy - even if only temporarily - that's actually a pretty big logistical barrier. At worst, you're going to lend it out to a few friends (a behavior that was totally acceptable for PSN accounts until a couple weeks ago actually).



The PSP is already a hotbed of copyright infringement for anyone that wants it. Sony should be focused on rewarding their remaining customers and attracting new ones, not how to prevent sharing of games (guaranteed to have been purchased at least once) for a platform that's been cracked basically since release.



The worst part is that it's not even a nominal fee. Even ignoring the strong yen and saying $20, that's an enormous price to pay for the ability to continue playing a game I already paid full price for.



In the end, all this will do is force PSP games out of retail stores faster. Maybe that's what Sony wants, but if so they really underestimate the long tail on handheld game systems.