Sony adds 46 comics to the Digital Comic Store

[Nate the great]

from the blog post:

We’ve had a very busy week here in the Digital Comics lair training new publishers (!) and prioritising new features for the application. Those of you who follow us on Twitter will know that we’ve been asking for your ideas and requests, so for those that don’t, please let us know what you’d like to see in the comments below. And yes, we are working on a way to delete comics from within the application!

In this week’s update we have a massive 46 comics for your delectation. Highlights include our first game related comic, the newly released: Army of Two #1. We see another chapter in the disturbing, yet hilarious, life of Wormwood. Plus IDW are releasing the issue 0 teaser comic too – both come with audio commentary from creator Ben Templesmith. In the Marvel camp you can read the first six ever episodes of The Incredible Hulk (1962); and we introduce both Uncanny X-Men and Blade to the library. Plus more Avengers and more Daredevil. Should keep you busy for a while!

The Digital Comic Store is now selling about 700 comic books for the Playstation Portable. Given that the store only opened two months ago and that this is an entirely new format, 700 isn't bad.

I played with PSP Go for a short time while at CES. I thought the Digital Reader was actually a pretty good solution to the problem of the comic book page image being larger than the PSP screen. It doesn't just display images, and it's difficult to describe the complete process. But there is a video demo in the Digital Comic Store. If you're interested then you should watch it.

[Godzil]

Nate: did you try the Aquafadas (under the "Ave!Comics" brand) solution for Comics/BD on iPhone/Web? How does the PSP solution differ from them?
(I can't test the PSP version since the european store is not open for this, even if the application is installable :/)

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Godzil

Nate: did you try the Aquafadas (under the "Ave!Comics" brand) solution for Comics/BD on iPhone/Web? How does the PSP solution differ from them?
(I can't test the PSP version since the european store is not open for this, even if the application is installable :/)

You can use an US account with Gift cards without problems. For games and comics it's officially open. Only movies are regionally limited.

[Sischa]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

You can use an US account with Gift cards without problems. For games and comics it's officially open. Only movies are regionally limited.

Hmm can you explain that? I use my PSP mainly for watching videos but reading english comic series i would be interested (i see they have the Star Trek Series, very nice if i remember correctly).

I also thought that we have to wait here in europe, i didn't know that it is possible to get an US account.

[Bimble]

I don't know about how to get you into the US store, but there are some free comics once you're into the Playstation Store that you can download on a PSP to check it out. Once they're downloaded you access them under "Extras" in the PSP's main GUI. I grabbed a couple ("Dynamo 5" #1 and "Atomic Robo" #1), just to check it out. The interface isn't bad, but there aren't any real view options. You advance or go back with the right/left controls, and the comic is read by moving from panel to panel, or by jumping to two or three points in a full-page panel (to allow you to read the text and see parts of the action up close). Up and down let you view full pages, forward or back. If you've ever used Marvel's online comics service, it's similar to the "Smart panels" reading mode there.

It doesn't look half-bad, you just lose a bit when you don't get to view a two-page spread all at once in glorious full detail (only in fragments or as a tiny thumbnail on the PSP's screen).

The prices are mostly US $2 per comic, which is a bit of a disappointment when it comes to some of the older comics they offer. I mean, sure, it's neat to read Fantastic Four #1, but for $30 or less you can hit Amazon to get "44 Years of the Fantastic Four" on disc in PDF format, including the fifteen FF comics they're selling on the PSP for $2 each. Not as convenient to read on the PSP, true, but it's still quite a price difference.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sischa

Hmm can you explain that? I use my PSP mainly for watching videos but reading english comic series i would be interested (i see they have the Star Trek Series, very nice if i remember correctly).

I also thought that we have to wait here in europe, i didn't know that it is possible to get an US account.

You can define whatever country you choose for your account. On PSP and on Media Go software as well. For the US account you need gift cards (if you haven't got an US credit card). Easy to get via eBay and others.
You can purchase comics and games from the US without any problems. I've even read articles, Sony would encourage that approach. Haven't been able to download movies from the US though. When using a proxy I've been able to purchase, but download stops after a few seconds. I simply HAD to use an US account, as there's so little available for PSP Go.
Only downside: You can't simply switch between accounts. Have to delete all data and re-install from scratch and then use another account. Instead, I've bought a 2nd Go: 1 for the German account, 1 for the US account. I love the PSP Go but I hate the available titles. "Lumines" for example, one of my alltime favorites, still isn't available. And there's no custom firmware for Go yet. You can use Sony's store with any PSP though, even PSP 1000. Only need an actual firmware.

[Sischa]

Originally Posted by Bimble

I don't know about how to get you into the US store, but there are some free comics once you're into the Playstation Store that you can download on a PSP to check it out. Once they're downloaded you access them under "Extras" in the PSP's main GUI. I grabbed a couple ("Dynamo 5" #1 and "Atomic Robo" #1), just to check it out. The interface isn't bad, but there aren't any real view options. You advance or go back with the right/left controls, and the comic is read by moving from panel to panel, or by jumping to two or three points in a full-page panel (to allow you to read the text and see parts of the action up close). Up and down let you view full pages, forward or back. If you've ever used Marvel's online comics service, it's similar to the "Smart panels" reading mode there.

It doesn't look half-bad, you just lose a bit when you don't get to view a two-page spread all at once in glorious full detail (only in fragments or as a tiny thumbnail on the PSP's screen).

The prices are mostly US $2 per comic, which is a bit of a disappointment when it comes to some of the older comics they offer. I mean, sure, it's neat to read Fantastic Four #1, but for $30 or less you can hit Amazon to get "44 Years of the Fantastic Four" on disc in PDF format, including the fifteen FF comics they're selling on the PSP for $2 each. Not as convenient to read on the PSP, true, but it's still quite a price difference.

Hmm doesnt work out for me. I guess its cause i am using my "german" PSP Store Account

@mgmueller Oh that could be an idea. At least to give it a try until the reade will be released in germany too.

As a permanent solution it sounds a little bit "messy" to always install/deinstall the reader when you want to change your language.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sischa

Hmm doesnt work out for me. I guess its cause i am using my "german" PSP Store Account

@mgmueller Oh that could be an idea. At least to give it a try until the reade will be released in germany too.

As a permanent solution it sounds a little bit "messy" to always install/deinstall the reader when you want to change your language.

...that's why I've bought a 2nd PSP Go. 1 for the US and 1 for the German account.

[Godzil]

You seriously bought TWO PSP Go?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Godzil

You seriously bought TWO PSP Go?

Well, I've asked for the 2nd one as a christmas present.
But I would have bought it myself as well.
Calculation is simple:
I've had about 50 games (ca. € 1.500) in my German account before I found out to use an US one.
The US one by far is preferable. The usual: More (games) for less (money).
If I switch between accounts, it's horribly time consuming. Doesn't make any sense at all for casual playing (usually, I'm using it for maybe 10 minutes).
If I exclusively use the US account, I'm throwing away € 1.500 of games from the German account.
So it makes sense, to buy the 2nd PSP Go. It only was € 180 - demand is extremely low and prices had been reduced.
BTW: I think, PSP Go is a brillant unit. I don't miss the UMD drive. But I miss tons of games, way too less content in Playstation Network. For example, my alltime favorite "Lumines" isn't available because of legal issues. And you still can't use custom firmware, so you're stuck to the few games in PSN...