Is UMD-less Sony PSP 2 finally ready this time?

The rumors about the Sony's launching of a UMD-less PSP have been flying for months. When most people remain skeptical, the industry veteran David Perry indicated he's "certain" of a PSP 2 that won't feature a UMD disc drive to GameDaily BIZ. Maybe we should give him the floor to make a speech.

 

A few days ago, Acclaim's chief creative officer David Perry has posted an update (via Twitter) on his Facebook page, indicating that Sony has let the cat out of the bag regarding its next PlayStation Portable. He later reaffirmed that comment to GameDaily, saying he can't reveal his source (naturally), but he feels certain UMD is gone.

 

Although PSP games are currently shipped to retail on the UMD format, it's clear that Sony has been moving more and more towards digital distribution. Whether downloading games directly to the PSP or to a PS3 or PC and then transferring the content, it seems PSP owners are embracing the digital distribution method. As Perry says, removing the UMD drive would also significantly improve battery life, probably along the lines of DS-type battery life.

 

Is UMD-less Sony PSP 2 finally ready this time? We've heard this story far too many times to wonder if the whole "dropping UMD" rumors are true.