Smeg Outs UMD Cancelled News Posted by John Hoare on 23rd November 2006, 11:38 Yesterday, I was sitting there thinking, and I realised something. The Smeg Outs UMD release was planned for release in time for Christmas – but I couldn’t see it listed anywhere. A quick check with Andrew on the Webboard revealed that it has actually been cancelled. At the time of the Smeg Ups release I said “I suppose sales will be the ultimate judge of whether the release was worth doing or not” – clearly, the answer was not. Maybe people were too busy buying releases like this. The faliure of the format is honestly not that surprising. With puter games, there has always been a market for different systems – but this just isn’t really the case for video formats. On the other hand, even though I’ll never own a PSP and will probably never own the UMD Smeg Ups release, the anal part of me makes this unfinished business really irritating. In other merchandising news, the 2007 Calendar has been delayed, with Play now listing it as due for release tomorrow. We’ll have a review for you as soon as it arrives.
In one way its a shame that this release hasn’t happened but one the other its no surprise at all. From what i’ve gathered from various places including the PSP mags and other media its fast becoming a dud format for video. I brought the Smeg Ups because the completist in me said so. I wrote a review for BTL as well which probably put people off it even further!
As I understand it the whole UMD set up is suffering from poor sales and ‘porn’ seems to be the only growing part of it and that’s maybe just in Japan. I guess we’ll never know if the ‘smeg ups’ would have been a success, but given the apparent poor movie sales, it may have been doubtful. Maybe the cost of the PSP itself, primarily bought (I assume) for games makes it out of reach for many. I think you can now obtain a lead for attaching it to TV’s etc, but doesn’t that defeat the object of portability! Personally, I think ‘portable DVD’ players are coming down in price and size, which seems to be a better way forward for people wanting multi-functional media players.
porn, eh? How much is A PSP again? I had doubts that the smeg ups UMD would sell, mainly because out of the people who have a PSP, how many buy the videos, and out of those who would buy UMDs of Red Dwarf, and out of those who would be interested in the Smeg Ups? Too many variables.
> I?m surrounded by cunts. “It was only then that Seb realised he’d entered the bizarre landscape of John Hoare’s daydream…”
That’s great, though! How about his reaction in Better Than Life when he puts the bicycle helment I mean AR helmet obviously on? I do think Craig is generally great, mind you.
“You cunt. No, you cunt. Cunts, you?re all cunts. I?m surrounded by cunts.” This could explain so many cock ups on the site!
“It’s my arse Fowler, and I will not have a cock up!” Ah, The Thin Blue Line is great. “You seem to forget Boyle – it’s my arse, and if you stuff it, I’m going to end up very red in the face…”
This is no indication of the poorness of the Smeg Ups release, it’s the UMD format itself that’s the problem. Sony again not learning. Like they care.
I should be implementing it this weekend – but it might take a couple of weeks to be fully ready, as it’d be nice to launch it with a few reviews already written.
I’m fairly happy with my ‘Krytie TV’ piece which is ready and waiting.. A, I cant wait to have my writing skills (or lack of) ripped to shreds B, I cant wait to have the subject matter mauled to death C, I thought I would aim straight for the soft spot by going with Ser VIII Of course, that’s assuming someone could be bothered to read it… :-)
How about his reaction in Better Than Life when he puts the bicycle helment I mean AR helmet obviously on? “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, theeeeeeeeeese are briiiiiiiilliant!”
It’s quite heartening that these proprietary formats trying to hijack portable video seem to be failing to a certain extent. There should be a proper, mainstream way of ripping video directly from your DVDs to a portable device for free, not unlike the way iTunes has popularised CD ripping. I mean, you wouldn’t want top buy your albums again just to listen to them on your MP3 player, would you?
>> ?It?s my arse Fowler, and I will not have a cock up!? >>Ah, The Thin Blue Line is great. ?You seem to forget Boyle – it?s my arse, and if you stuff >>it, I?m going to end up very red in the face?? Not forgetting…’it’s your cock-up; my arse!” (no that is not a go-ahead for filthy schoolboy jokes directed at myself)
