The victory of copywriters on the example of the PlayStation Portable

On a habr often discuss a possible future in which there will be no piracy. And then the content producers will lower prices, be loyal to users and will almost give out everything for nothing. Will it be so? It seems like not at all.

Not so long ago, I decided to buy a video watcher for the subway. I did not want to buy any cheap noname, so the choice fell on the PSP . I went to a decent store and bought it. After a month with films in the subway, I also wanted to play, and read books on it.

It all started with the fact that I started looking for fb2-reader. I found several applications, downloaded them according to the instructions, but they do not start. He began to scratch his head and google. It turned out that only specially signed games can be downloaded to the PSP. Okay, no problem, for sure there is some PSP Store where I can find the reader in 5 minutes and buy it. Found. This “PSP Store” turned out to be a Windows-only program called “Media Go”. I had to load Windows. As it turned out in vain. In the assortment of this “Media Go” there were only games for children and casual. No readers and any other applications were found at all.

Okay, probably all kinds of applications will be on UMD disks. Started to search. Some games.

Okay, I'm a programmer, I’ll write a reader for myself and I will use it. I started looking for an SDK. SDK is paid, prices are not indicated, a decision to sell is made in each case individually.

Hah, what happens. I have a pretty powerful device that surpasses my smartphone in all respects, on which I used to read books, and I can’t put the program I need there, despite the fact that it is distributed absolutely free. And why? Because Sony decides what can be launched and what not. But I did not want to do anything illegal.

And what do you think? I started thinking about hacking the PSP and installing everything I need there. But it turned out that PSP versions had long been released that had not yet figured out how to hack, and I am one of the owners of this new generation of devices.

And what do we get in this world without piracy? Devices on which you can put only what the manufacturer allowed. Game development for those who buy SDK for fabulous money. And the games themselves in stores for 1500/2000/2500 rubles. This is despite the fact that the most expensive PCs cost 1,500, and usually 600.

Here it is the triumph of copywriters!

PS Do you think I'm not ready to pay for a program for reading FB2 books? Very willing to pay if it will cost an adequate amount and will be sold at all. Nevertheless, the current situation is such that no programs are allowed in the PSP Store, the programs themselves exist and are put only on hacked PSPs.