LittleBigPlanet PSP, MotorStorm Arctic Edge may be digital downloads

Speaking with technology site Wired.com, Sony’s head of marketing John Koller (who was recently embroiled in something like a spat with Shiny founder David Perry over an alleged UMD-less PSP) has stated the company’s intention to move towards a digital future.

“[T]he idea of digital distribution fits into the world as we go forward. [...] the idea of offering content to consumers, to make it easy, you can wake up in the morning, download something and go, it's very appealing.

"So one of our big pushes this year is to be sure that the right kind of content and the right kind of games in particular are placed on the PlayStation Network for download on the PSP.”

Part of this strategy, he goes on, is to ensure that games available from retail will also be available as digital downloads, though not until the “back half of this year.”

Of course, this lines up Sony’s dual release strategy pretty well with the release of the games Sony debuted earlier this year: LittleBigPlanet, Assassin’s Creed, MotorStorm Arctic Edge, and so on.

Though Koller wasn’t to be drawn on the subject, he did suggest that LittleBigPlanet and Assassin’s Creed might get the digital download treatment alongside their retail releases.

Wired.com: So are you saying that stuff like LittleBigPlanet PSP, Motorstorm PSP, those are going to launch simultaneously in digital? Koller: We're looking at that kind of situation. We haven't really decided how the timetable will work on launches that are digital versus retail, but we are looking at digital versions of the games that launch on UMD, yes.
On the subject of David Perry’s infamous hypothetical UMD-less PSP, Koller was typically tight-lipped. “I can't really comment on that other than to reiterate the fact that the digital side of things for us on PSP is really important.”