Sony cancels UMD Passport Program for US players

Sony's announced that it won't be bringing its UMD Passport Program to US players when the Vita is launched in North America later this month. In Japan the program allowed players to transfer their UMD-based PSP titles to Vita-friendly PSN downloads, but Sony appears to have decided bringing the measure to America is more trouble than it's worth. The company reminds players that seamless transfer of “select PSP titles” is still possible if the game's a digital copy.

Sony's decision may sound like reducing the options of American players, but in truth, it may have saved you just as many headaches. The program wasn't free, and with publishers allowed to set their own price for a UMD Passport copy of the game (and some titles just plain ineligible for transfer), the program had a nigh-infinite scope for confusion, disappointment and, ultimately, national collapse (perhaps). Maybe if you've got UMD-only PSP games you still play every day... you could just keep your PSP?