PSP UMD movies slow down

Gamespot is reporting on an article from Variety which states, Paramount Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment are cutting back on UMD movie releases because of poor sales. Drama and horror flicks are being cut the most drastically as comedies have proven to be the best sellers for the PSP.

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Personally, I think what's killing the UMD is the price. The PSP screen measures only 4 inches across. I'm not watching movies on my PSP for a movie experience. I'm watching them to pass the time. With that being said, I don't want to spend upwards of $30 for something to just pass a couple hours of time. Ten to twelve dollars, absolutely, but nothing more.

Of course price is not a cited reason for the slow in sales. Per usual, piracy is partially blamed, as full DVDs can be ripped onto larger memory sticks. While we never endorse nor support piracy, studios (movie and music) need to understand there is a relationship between price and piracy. Movie and music studios make a ridiculous profit on CDs, DVDs and UMDs. Customers know that. As long as the customer continues to feel they're being screwed by studios, they're not going to feel guilty about getting their hands on an illegal copy of something. They feel they've already paid for it.