Got a lot of PSP games? Want to transfer them to the Vita when it comes out? Get your wallet ready. Although it's not clear if something similar will come to North America, Sony's UMD Passport Program for Japan is not a good sign.
It's quite a few steps, which is a pain in the ass. Even worse, you have to re-pay to get the UMD games on your Vita. First, you must download a special UMD registration app on the PSP. Then, insert the UMD you want on your Vita into the PSP, and register it with the PlayStation Network. From there, you'll be able to pay to turn the UMD into a downloadable form, which you can then download onto the Vita.
Prices range from 500-1500 yen, which ranges from about $5 to $20 per title. And there's only a select list of titles that will be offered. At least for now.
Sounds like a clusterfuck to me, but it's good that Sony is trying to come up with something. For the PSPgo, they just said "fuck it" and skipped out on any UMD conversion altogether.
Let's just hope they get their shit together before the Vita's launch in North America this February.
[Source]
