PS Vita

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Yeah, it's happening. Before April too, stupid financial year. Japan dets it December 17th though, so good for them.

SPECIFICATIONS:

* Model number: PCH-1000 series
* CPU: ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
* GPU: SGX543MP4+
* Main memory: 512MB
* VRAM: 128MB
* External Dimensions: Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x
depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
* Weight Approx: 279g (3G/Wi-Fi model), 260g (Wi-Fi model)
* Screen: 5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED, Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
* Rear touch pad: Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
* Cameras: Front camera, Rear camera; Frame rate: 120fps@320x240(QVGA), 60fps@640x480(VGA); Resolution: Up to 640x480(VGA)
* Sound: Built-in stereo speakers, built-in microphone
* Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Threeaxis electronic compass
* Location: Built-in GPS (3G/Wi-Fi model only), Wi-Fi location service support
* Keys/Switches: PS button, power button, directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), shoulder buttons (Right/Left), right stick, left stick, START button, SELECT button, volume buttons (+/-)
* Wireless communications: Mobile network connectivity (3G/Wi-Fi model only), 3G modem (data communication): HSDPA/HSUPA *specification for Japanese region, IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1x1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode), Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR ?A2DP/AVRCP/HSP?
* Slots/Ports: PlayStation®Vita card slot, memory card slot, SIM card slot (3G/Wi-Fi model only), multi-use port (for USB data communication, DC IN, Audio [Stereo Out / Mono In], Serial data communication), headset jack (Stereo mini jack) (for Audio [Stereo Out / Mono In]), accessory port
* Power: Built-In Lithium-ion Battery: DC3.7V 2200mA, AC adaptor: DC 5V
* Operating environment temperature: 5??35?
* Supported AV content format: Music - MP3 MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 3, MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC), WAVE (Linear PCM). Videos - MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC), H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High/Main/Baseline Profile (AAC). Photos - JPEG (Exif 2.2.1), TIFF, BMP, GIF, PNG

3-5 hours of battery life and take 2 hours 40 mins to fully charge.

And here's the launch line-up:

(Boxed)
* Uncharted (Sony)
* F1 2011 (Codemasters)
* Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Capcom)
* BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend (Arc System Works)
* Katamari Damacy (Namco Bandai)
* Ridge Racer (Namco Bandai)
* Disgaea 3 Return (Nippon Ichi Software)
* Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition (Sega)
* Dynasty Warriors Next (Tecmo Koei)
* Hot Shots Golf Next (Sony)
* Nature of Night of Kamaitachi (Chunsoft)
* Dream C Club Zero Portable (D3 Publisher)
* Fis Oh (Kadokawa Games)
* @field (Sonic Powered)
* Monster Radar (Sony)
* Shinobido 2: Tales of the Ninja (Spike)
* Army Corps of Hell (Square Enix)
* Lord of Apocalypse (Square Enix)
* Dark Quest (Ubisoft)
* Michael Jackson: The Experience HD (Ubisoft)

(Digital releases)
* Project NOELS (Arc System Works)
* 3gokushi touchbattle (AQ Interactive)
* Niconico (Dwango)
* Minnato Issho (Sony)
* Yuusha no kiroku (Sony)
* Little Deviants (Sony)

Not exactly a hot line-up, but better than the 3DS. Ah well, they might pad it about before it hits the west.

[Funky Fly]

I could give a fuck about Sony's handheld plans. They're doing the same stupid shit again. 3-5 hour battery life is pretty terrible. Especially because a lot of the best games on the PSP are JRPGs that tend to have 5467234786234763245 hours of progress between save points.

Honestly, I'm waiting for Nintendo to get their shit together with the 3DS before I get one.

[G]

i am so excited about this you have no idea

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Yeah, it is pretty much the PSP, all ports early on with a couple of games that just have new maps and a slightly different story like Uncharted. I can wait until it gets good, it took the PSP a couple of years though...

[The Destroyer]

That is some shitty battery life.

[Emperor Smeat]

What was the original PSP's battery life, the same or a bit longer?

Not surprised at Sony ending up with a low battery life because it was hinted to be low ever since the prototype stage where it was leaked how the device gets too hot when used for a long period of time and a stronger battery would have been too expensive at the time.

[Kane Knight]

I could give a fuck about Sony's handheld plans. They're doing the same stupid shit again. 3-5 hour battery life is pretty terrible.

OMG I know, and even worse, it's the same as reported for the 3DS! How horrible? I'm sticking with Nintendo's balls down my throat, TYVM.

Yeah yeah, JRPGs, it's different because Nintendo is Nintendo, I am gay for Mario, etc.

[Boomer]

I have never once felt bad about the battery life of my PSP, though I did upgrade the battery that came with it originally. 3-5 hours is honestly good for the kind of power that thing has, and you can just suspend games in case you need to make a big portion of time before being able to charge it again. Its not amazing, but it's not bad either.

I'll probably buy one to (not really) make up for all the pirating I've done with the original. As long as Sony actually holds to of being able to buy everything digitally for the system, that's all I really will ask for. I might occasionally buy a game if its cheaper in-store, because lord knows PSN doesn't ever have any rousing deals.

[Funky Fly]

Yeah, it is pretty much the PSP, all ports early on with a couple of games that just have new maps and a slightly different story like Uncharted. I can wait until it gets good, it took the PSP a couple of years though...
Yup. I got my PSP in 2009 and all I really have are "obscure" JRPGs and ports of PSX and Dreamcast titles. The only exceptionss are God Of War, Patapon and Tekken 5:DR.
What was the original PSP's battery life, the same or a bit longer?

Not surprised at Sony ending up with a low battery life because it was hinted to be low ever since the prototype stage where it was leaked how the device gets too hot when used for a long period of time and a stronger battery would have been too expensive at the time.
That battery life is about the same, but I can't tell you how frequently my PSP dies because it goes into sleep mode instead of turning off. So annoying. And it gets too hot because it's needlessly powerful. I don't need a fucking PS3 on a plane.
OMG I know, and even worse, it's the same as reported for the 3DS! How horrible? I'm sticking with Nintendo's balls down my throat, TYVM.

Yeah yeah, JRPGs, it's different because Nintendo is Nintendo, I am gay for Mario, etc.

Funny you say that then leave out the bit where I acknowledge that Nintendo's fucking up too. The only reason I'll pick a 3DS over a PSVita is because Nintendo will eventually fix their shit. They always do. There will be a godly version of the 3DS that will have 2 sticks, better battery life, more features, realistic mechanical lips that blow you while you play and a cheaper price point than the relative turd that the early adopters will be stuck with. It happens every generation. It's just a matter of playing the waiting game.
I have never once felt bad about the battery life of my PSP, though I did upgrade the battery that came with it originally. 3-5 hours is honestly good for the kind of power that thing has, and you can just suspend games in case you need to make a big portion of time before being able to charge it again. Its not amazing, but it's not bad either.

I'll probably buy one to (not really) make up for all the pirating I've done with the original. As long as Sony actually holds to of being able to buy everything digitally for the system, that's all I really will ask for. I might occasionally buy a game if its cheaper in-store, because lord knows PSN doesn't ever have any rousing deals.
Except that if I needed to play a PS3, I'd just get a PS3. I don't see the point in sacrificing battery life for power that 90% of the games released on this thing won't tap into. Plus, I doubt Sony's even begun to put any legit fixes into place on their online security.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

All I've got is Valkirya Chronicles 2, Persona & P3 and Tactics Ogre. Pretty hot games and I need more like that on Vita before I consider getting one.

[Boomer]

Except that if I needed to play a PS3, I'd just get a PS3. I don't see the point in sacrificing battery life for power that 90% of the games released on this thing won't tap into. Plus, I doubt Sony's even begun to put any legit fixes into place on their online security.

I don't subscribe to that argument. I like having a system with good power on the go; I don't use my PSP all the time, but when I want that kind of game experience away from home, when I'm on the treadmill, or if I want to play something before I go to bed, it's just what I need. Phone games just don't do it for me; I want games with higher production value. Am I spending a lot of extra money for that convenience? Hell yes I am. But it's a hobby I enjoy, and I'm willing to spend a lot of money to play the games that I want. I've wasted a lot of money buying a 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, two desktops and a gaming laptop, but I use them all regularly(well, maybe not the Wii anymore). It's almost certainly a big waste of money for me, so a Vita sounds right down my alley!

[Kane Knight]

Funny you say that then leave out the bit where I acknowledge that Nintendo's fucking up too.

Possibly because it looks more like tokenism than anything else. And since you go into blind faith mode in the next sentence....


The only reason I'll pick a 3DS over a PSVita is because Nintendo will eventually fix their shit. They always do.

Yeah, they fixed the Virtual Boy, Gamecube, and so on....Oops.

What you mean is they've fixed some of their problems, sometimes, at a premium. Which is the same thing Sony does. Ninteno even tried to lie about hardware failures like Sony.

There will be a godly version of the 3DS that will have 2 sticks, better battery life, more features, realistic mechanical lips that blow you while you play and a cheaper price point than the relative turd that the early adopters will be stuck with. It happens every generation. It's just a matter of playing the waiting game.

Except that if I needed to play a PS3, I'd just get a PS3. I don't see the point in sacrificing battery life for power that 90% of the games released on this thing won't tap into. Plus, I doubt Sony's even begun to put any legit fixes into place on their online security.

Taking the piss doesn't really cover up your fanboyism.

Additionally, Nintendo's only really safe online because it doesn't have it.

Whine about that not being true, but it's as true as whining about Sony's online security.

Much as it annoys me that my material was potentially compromised, and I had to do a song and dance to get it back, Sony uses pretty standard online security. You can't entirely blame them on this. Ecks Blah also got nailed, though in a different (and potentially worse) way, and I'm pretty sure others would have been attacked if they hadn't started going after the autistic basement dwellers at Lulsack.

Am I defending Sony? No. Their lack of transparency pissed me the fuck off and was probably worse. Their first policy of free replacement cards, which helped the banks and not us (since they usually provide them free)? Douchey as fuck. Selling us a month of a premium service? Fuck that. I'd probably even be annoyed at my time without service if my place hadn't just burned to the fucking ground.

But come on. Don't play that game. Nintendo's only safe because they're less worth the effort than, say, Microsoft or STEAM. And someone will eventually do the same to STEAM. IT may be a while, because NoSecks got busted and can't use their computers without their mommies present, but someone will. And a lot of the people bashing Sony will put dicks to lips and defend Valve.

Will you be one? I don't know. But still.

Come on, don't make me defend Sony. I think all three of the "big platforms" are full of shit.

[Kane Knight]

I don't subscribe to that argument. I like having a system with good power on the go; I don't use my PSP all the time, but when I want that kind of game experience away from home, when I'm on the treadmill, or if I want to play something before I go to bed, it's just what I need. Phone games just don't do it for me; I want games with higher production value. Am I spending a lot of extra money for that convenience? Hell yes I am. But it's a hobby I enjoy, and I'm willing to spend a lot of money to play the games that I want. I've wasted a lot of money buying a 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, two desktops and a gaming laptop, but I use them all regularly(well, maybe not the Wii anymore). It's almost certainly a big waste of money for me, so a Vita sounds right down my alley!

Plus, linked play is a pretty cool idea. I wouldn't Wii-U doing that, if not for the 350 dollar price tag for the "tablet."

[Kane Knight]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/119/1194580p1.html

Now Funky, if you want to slam Sony, THIS is one you should be on.

[Verbose Minch]

Yeah, they fixed the Virtual Boy, Gamecube, and so on....Oops.

What was wrong with the Gamecube? The only thing going against it was bad sales. It had a great library, a great controller, graphics that were basically on par with the competition. I don't think they could've really done anything to ''fix'' the Gamecube.

[Funky Fly]

Not going to quote any of that, since it'll come out a grarbled mess, so I'll respond to the major points really quickly:

1. It's not really tokenism. In the 3DS thread, I made a post about how I had lucked into enough money to acquire a newly price dropped 3DS and Ocarina of Time, but opted not to get it because a better version would come along eventually. It's in there towards the back, maybe even on the last page itself. Furthermore, I should have clarified the bit you consider blind faith. I was only referring to Nintendo's handheld consoles, all of which did see multiple versions, each better than the last. Even then, I'm not actually praising Nintendo. If you can't read the implied dissatisfaction here, let me spell it out: Buying Nintendo a handheld, only for a better, cheaper version to come out 2 months later is really annoying. However, I consider Nintendo's bullshit less terrible than dealing with Sony's bullshit. That's all.

2. The whole lack of transparency on Sony's part is my whole point. At no point during this whole situation have they even tried to be honest, even when being threatened with several millions of dollars in fines. They don't consider the consumer smart and/or important enough to deal with in an honest manner and they are probably lying about the status of their supposedly improved network security right now. I don't see how any of what I'm saying here warrants any kind of defence for Sony. It's not like I've been praising any one company at all here. It's not even like I have a hate on for Sony. I have a PSP and a PS2 and I'm even wearing a pair of Sony headphones right now. I just think that of the three major console makers, Sony has done the most to piss off consumers in the last few years.

[Emperor Smeat]

Sony reveals an officially licensed external battery pack for the Vita will be sold by the company but didn't state how much of an increase in battery life the external battery can add nor the price.

All they said is by adding the external battery with the regular one, there is enough juice to last for a cross-country trip from New York to San Francisco or vice versa.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/external-vita-power-pack-battles-lame-battery-life

[Funky Fly]

I'd be impressed if they were talking about a road trip. Sadly, the article specifically says for a flight. So 3 - 5 hours of battery life gets extended to 8 or 9, assuming you're playing during all the bullshit you deal with at the airports, checking in, checking luggage, passing therough security, getting on the plane, taxi, take off and landing (you know, when you have to turn off all electronics), any stops during travel where you may need to (will need to at certain airports) do all this shit again and then when you arrive, wait for your bags, get them and pray you never have to do that again as you leave the airport?

[Jura]

I haven't bought any PSPs but I really want to play the old Square RPGs so I think I might get a Vita much later after it comes out in February.

[Kane Knight]

I'd be impressed if they were talking about a road trip. Sadly, the article specifically says for a flight. So 3 - 5 hours of battery life gets extended to 8 or 9, assuming you're playing during all the bullshit you deal with at the airports, checking in, checking luggage, passing therough security, getting on the plane, taxi, take off and landing (you know, when you have to turn off all electronics), any stops during travel where you may need to (will need to at certain airports) do all this shit again and then when you arrive, wait for your bags, get them and pray you never have to do that again as you leave the airport?

Funky has turned into the handheld equivalent of Droford.

[Emperor Smeat]

Looks like at least the Wi-Fi version has 2 really bad issues and apparently the solution from Sony to fix one issue can cause the 2nd issue to occur. I'd assume not too many people bought the 3G version since no news on if these same problems plague that one as well.


While Wi-Fi connection has been reported to be a bit iffy, it's not yet sure if this is a widespread problem or just due to network configuration. One of the most widespread issues however was that the system would occasionally freeze, either when installing an update or playing specific games. Sony has already addressed this problem and recommends affected users to turn off their systems by holding down the power button for up to 20 seconds, as a normal shutdown is not possible in this case.

But Japanese gamers slowly find themselves asking if they should turn off their systems at all, because now another problem has reared its ugly head: Users have reported that they weren't able to turn on their Vitas anymore. This issue seems to be spreading like wildfire over Japanese support forums and Sony has not yet commented on it. It is of course entirely possible that this is merely due to user error, but the numbers of affected customers seems to be on the rise. We'll have to wait and see if Sony will address this issue as well and how widespread it really is.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/psvita-owners-report-freezing-other-major-issues


Also unlike the PSP's launch, the Vita hasn't sold out in stores with plenty of handhelds still on shelves which is what Sony hopped wouldn't occur (one of their worst case scenarios).

[Emperor Smeat]

Sony revealed the launch lineup for the US and Canada will be about 25 games confirmed to be on sale for Day 1 with another 10 to be released within the "launch window".

Launch Day Games

Army Corps of Hell
Asphalt Injection
BEN10 GALACTIC RACING
Blazblue: Continuum Shift EXTEND
Dungeon Hunter Alliance
Dynasty Warriors Next
F1 2011
EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer
Escape Plan (PSN Only)
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
Hustle Kings (PSN Only)
Little Deviants
Lumines Electronic Symphony
Michael Jackson The Experience
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Plants vs. Zombies (PSN Only)
Rayman Origins
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen
Super StarDust Delta (PSN only)
Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs (PSN Only)
Touch My Katamari
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition
wipEout 2048

Launch Window (soon after launch)

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
Gravity Rush
MLB 12 The Show
NINJA GAIDEN ∑ PLUS
Reality Fighters
Ridge Racer
Silent Hill Book of Memories
Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted
Unit 13
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/full-list-of-ps-vita-launch-titles/

The games will also be in a range of prices with $30 reserved for lower tier companies and games, $40 being the middle for everyone, and $50 for Sony along with big tier companies.

PS Vita memory cards will also be cheaper in the US and Canada by about $10 to $20 depending on the GB card bought. Japan's prices are in the parenthesis.
4GB: $19.99 ($29.99)
8GB: $29.99 ($44.99)
16GB: $59.99 ($69.99)
32GB: $99.99 ($119.99)

Europe will have the same games listed but different prices.
http://www.gamezone.com/news/sony-vita-game-card-prices-announced-60-for-uncharted-golden-abyss

[Kane Knight]

The memory card pricing is still a big turnoff for me, especially for a handheld that's trying to push a downloadable library.

I do like their launch library, but as it is I think I'm gonna wait and see who gives the better retool faster: The Vita or the 3DS.

[Funky Fly]

Funky has turned into the handheld equivalent of Droford.

There was a point to it, if you want to turn off snark mode for a second: A cross country trip is a 6 or so hour flight, depending on the weather and which way you're flying. A battery add on that adds 1 or 2 more hours is kinda crap, don't you think?

[Kane Knight]

There was a point to it, if you want to turn off snark mode for a second: A cross country trip is a 6 or so hour flight, depending on the weather and which way you're flying. A battery add on that adds 1 or 2 more hours is kinda crap, don't you think?

Assuming they mean it as completely pedantically as you do.

Which, of course, is Drotard logic.

There was a point to it, if you want to turn off cocksucking mode for a second.

[Emperor Smeat]

It looks like Sony either went against their word or retailers fought back because the PS Vita games that have both a retail and digital copy are almost the same price.

Sony originally stated the digital PSN copies would be about 40% cheaper (around $20 savings) but it turns out they only ended up being 300 yen cheaper ($3.85 US).

The same is probably going to happen in the US and Europe since retailers already killed off the previous attempt by Sony to have cheap digital games with PSPGo.

[Kane Knight]

I'm sure Gamestop was pissed and had a tantrum.

[Kane Knight]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114982-PSP-Outselling-Vita-in-Japan

Ouch.

[Emperor Smeat]

Probably going to get worse for a while due to Sony recently sending out a response where instead of them accepting the faults, they somewhat hinted it was the customer's fault and not their or the Vita's fault.

"We here at Sony have taken in the consoles by affected customers to check whether we could recreate the described symptoms every time; however, we were able to confirm numerous times that with the proper handling, these issues can be avoided."

The "proper handling" was them saying the 2 and 5 second method always works while the device can only be charged by the USB port and not the AC adapter.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/sony-responds-psvita-issues

[Kane Knight]

Probably going to get worse for a while due to Sony recently sending out a response where instead of them accepting the faults, they somewhat hinted it was the customer's fault and not their or the Vita's fault.



The "proper handling" was them saying the 2 and 5 second method always works while the device can only be charged by the USB port and not the AC adapter.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/sony-responds-psvita-issues

Good thing Nintendo would never blame the customers for a known problem!

Okay, now that I'm done trolling funky, that really is a shitty deal.

To be fair on one element, though, a lot of "USB-charged" devices have problems charging because they use more power than they're drawing. I mean, it depends on the use levels and whatnot, but I know I've had problems with it in the past. Hell, I bought a DVR station for my Archos so I could actually charge it while updating shit. Otherwise, it dies mid-process.

Like the article, I can't verify that this shit works, so maybe they're full of it. But this wouldn't exactly be unprecedented.

[Emperor Smeat]

I'd assumes a lot of the potential anger probably is due to how Sony said the Vita was going to change all of the flaws the PSP had and it appears nothing really changed.

The device still only can be charged when its off unlike most other devices and the DS/3DS while the Vita still keeps the complicated way of going to sleep or turning on the device. I also assume the Vita can't charge the battery while in sleep mode which in theory should be using the least amount of power for the device and the rest available for charging.

[Kane Knight]

I'd assumes a lot of the potential anger probably is due to how Sony said the Vita was going to change all of the flaws the PSP had and it appears nothing really changed.

The device still only can be charged when its off unlike most other devices and the DS/3DS while the Vita still keeps the complicated way of going to sleep or turning on the device. I also assume the Vita can't charge the battery while in sleep mode which in theory should be using the least amount of power for the device and the rest available for charging.

Yeah, ain't paid much attention to this because I'm not bothering witha first gen Vita OR 3DS. Some of this is pretty dumb. Easily fixed, it'd seem.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

I think Sony are going to find that the sweet spot for handheld pricing now is well under what they're selling for. They actually have a better launch line-up in general than the 3DS did, but they're selling for $10 more than the 3DS did at launch and that's ignoring the fact that the 3DS came with an SD card instead of bullshit proprietary memory.

Honestly can't see it doing brilliant until a price cut. The only issue is that they'll be taking a loss on every console sold already, whereas the 3DS is the first console Nintendo are selling at a loss.

Either that or the 3G model will be subsidised with the service contract in the US or Europe which could spur sales.

[Kane Knight]

Honestly can't see it doing brilliant until a price cut. The only issue is that they'll be taking a loss on every console sold already, whereas the 3DS is the first console Nintendo are selling at a loss.

Isn't it ironic that the console manufacturers are trying to move AWAY from a loss leader model?

[Emperor Smeat]

PS Vita already got hacked and it took just 2 weeks due to a loophole regarding how the Vita emulates the PSP in order to play PSP games.

Those same emulators that worked on the PSP now work in the virtual PSP done by the Vita. Also makes it a bit harder for Sony to fix without potentially removing or "breaking" the current PSP emulation.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/playstation-vita-already-homebrewed

[Kane Knight]

PS Vita already got hacked and it took just 2 weeks due to a loophole regarding how the Vita emulates the PSP in order to play PSP games.

Those same emulators that worked on the PSP now work in the virtual PSP done by the Vita. Also makes it a bit harder for Sony to fix without potentially removing or "breaking" the current PSP emulation.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/playstation-vita-already-homebrewed

Oh Jesus. Now they're gonna update it to remove PSP compatability.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Really hope that hack leads to breaking out of the PSP sandbox and Vita piracy just to see if Sony do kill it.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

So Sony are charging slightly less for on the PSN downloaded games, as they should. Unfortunately for Everybody Golf fans, the Vita Everybody Golf comes with an online pass. This online pass is not included with the PSN version and has to be bought separately.

Just fucking wow.

[Verbose Minch]

I cannot wait till Sony kicks the bucket.

Just a horrible company.

[Emperor Smeat]

:lol: Apparently either Sony forgot to plan the data prices with AT&T for the 3G model or AT&T completely forgot all about the Vita for the US release because as of right now there is no special discount plan for the Vita.

Instead it will be using a similar data plan done by the iPhone and other mobile devices.

250MB of data - $14.99/month
2GB of data - $25/month

The 3G model requires a plan in order to play online games due to just the 3G model being subsidized which ends up being about $300 per year. In comparison an Xbox Live Gold account is only $60 per year ($5 per month).

http://www.gamezone.com/news/ps-vita-3g-data-plan-costs-revealed-were-there-the-whole-time

[Kane Knight]

So Sony are charging slightly less for on the PSN downloaded games, as they should. Unfortunately for Everybody Golf fans, the Vita Everybody Golf comes with an online pass. This online pass is not included with the PSN version and has to be bought separately.

Just fucking wow.

lolwot

[Emperor Smeat]

Could be a sign of what will happen with the US launch but in Japan the 3G model got a big price cut (20%) by retailers due to demand dropping to almost nothing in the 3rd week. WiFi model still selling well enough for retailers to not even bother giving it a price cut for now.

Also revealed was the firmware update that was meant to fix issues from the launch ended up causing more problems with SIM cards not working anymore making the 3G capability somewhat useless.

[Kane Knight]

Gotta love the major companies releasing firmware updates that fuck up their systems.

[Emperor Smeat]

3rd week in a row the PS Vita in Japan ends up selling only 50% of the previous week with last week having just 20,000 handhelds sold.

Software sales are also declining badly in terms of retail copies and not even the unofficial 20% discount by stores helped sales.

Sony is rumored to be in a panic mode and could be preparing even more to put all their bets on the US/Canada region being the only region to keep the system alive like Japan was for the PSP.

http://www.gamezone.com/news/playstation-vita-sales-plummet-less-than-20-000-units-sold-last-week

[Kane Knight]

PSV always struck me as more of an "America" thing anyway.

Not that it guarantees it'll sell over here, but I didn't see it being a phenomenon in Japan.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

It'll sell like ████ in the west because of the launch window and Sony will be "doomed".

Then ██████mas will roll around and Sony will be geniuses for saving the system from it's death bed.

[Kane Knight]

It'll sell like ████ in the west because of the launch window and Sony will be "doomed".

Then ██████mas will roll around and Sony will be geniuses for saving the system from it's death bed.

It's almost like our ████ysis is generally short-sighted and based on the last five minutes.

[Kane Knight]

Wow. That's an amusing one to see blocked out.

[Emperor Smeat]

AT&T revised the data plans for the 3G model with the former 2 GB at $25 per month now becomes 3 GB at $30 per month.

The 250 MB at $15 per month and subscriptions only being monthly-based stay the same.

http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/att-updates-vita-3g-pricing-structure/

[#BROKEN Hasney]

If you hacked your PS3, you can now remote play any PS3 game you like on a Vita. Delicious.

[Emperor Smeat]

A bunch of new bundles got announced the past couple of days for the US/Canada release.

First up is the PS Vita First Edition Bundle—aka that bundle that’ll get you the Vita one week early. Previously, that pack included the 3G/WiFi Vita, a limited edition case, a 4GB memory card, and Little Deviants. Now, those getting that pack will also get an AT&T DataConnect Session Pass—which will get you one free 250MB session of 3G internet—and a voucher for a free game from the PlayStation store (worth $10).

The PS Vita First Edition Bundle will still retail for $349.99.

Far more interesting, however, is that Sony is also beefing up the standard 3G/WiFi version of the Vita. Now, with that system, you’ll get an 8GB memory card, the AT&T DataConnect Session Pass, and the free PSN game—all for the original $299 price tag.

The second bundle is being considered a limited edition bundle due to only being available at launch and lasting until the initial set runs out.

http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/sony-beefs-up-their-vita-launch-bundles/
http://www.screwattack.com/news/sony-reveals-special-ps-vita-launch-bundle

[Emperor Smeat]

Sony confirms the North American region will not be getting any sort of PSP-to-Vita adapter to play PSP discs nor will there be the UMD Passport Program like Japan has.

The only way to play PSP games is to rebuy them from the PSN (soon to be SEN) store although no discount either like Japan gets mainly due to the Passport Program.

http://kotaku.com/5883089/sony-you-wont-be-able-to-bring-psp-discs-to-vita

[Droford]

The 3G version will flop in the US just like 3G tablets have done because no one wants to pay $30 a month to use one device, especially if they are already paying the $30 for data on a phone. If companies are going to start slapping 3/4g into all kinds of different devices, then the carriers like AT&T should offer some sort of multiple device plan or restructure the data plans they have.

[Kane Knight]

Sony confirms the North American region will not be getting any sort of PSP-to-Vita adapter to play PSP discs nor will there be the UMD Passport Program like Japan has.

The only way to play PSP games is to rebuy them from the PSN (soon to be SEN) store although no discount either like Japan gets mainly due to the Passport Program.

http://kotaku.com/5883089/sony-you-wont-be-able-to-bring-psp-discs-to-vita

Hey, way to not incentivise your last hope market-wise.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Sony today announced that they were afraid of getting "too many of those gosh darn sales dealsies" and have decided to box every Vita with 5 year old aged manure smell.

"Only the true Sony fanboys are eligible to buy this device and only they will put up with the smell" a marketing exec was quoted as saying while playing with himself.

He then picked up and flung his own feces at a fellow marketing exec.

[Kane Knight]

That sounds realistic.

Sadly.

[Verbose Minch]

The 3G version now has no release date for Canada.

This thing is dead on arrival.

[Emperor Smeat]

Sony reveals the entire list of PSP games (1/3 of total library) which will be available at launch day for the Vita on the PSN Store. Sony is planning on adding more games over time but no guarantees on every game being added nor if they will be updating list after a certain period of time passes. Very few of the actual big sellers for the PSP will be showing up any time in the near future.

Also confirmed is the US/Canada launch games will be 25-26 games and includes PS Mini games.

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/initial-slate-of-vita-compatible-psp-games-revealed/3975/

[Kane Knight]

They really fucked up the format transition I think.

[dronepool]

I never had interest in this because I rarely play my PSP (I should get it hacked so I can play ROMS...) and now with the news of PSP games being on sale again on PSN sounds like it'll piss off some people. Pretty stupid as of them not to include a way to play PSP games.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Hooray for arbitrarily locking games from the west that are available in Japan, like Gran Turismo, which is completely Sony owned and no licensing issues at all.

One marketing exec on the verge of thrusting a giant dildo in his arse was quoted as saying "If we release Gran Turismo seperatley, we can... we can... HNNNNG... INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS WHILE PISSING EVERYONE OFF... Woah, what a fucking rush."

[Kane Knight]

I never had interest in this because I rarely play my PSP (I should get it hacked so I can play ROMS...) and now with the news of PSP games being on sale again on PSN sounds like it'll piss off some people. Pretty stupid as of them not to include a way to play PSP games.

I played my PSP a fair amount. If nothing else, it was cool to play a portable version of FFVII.

It got destroyed, so I was thinking of possibly getting a PSV at some point. However, I'm in the boat that most of my games were already digital.

[LuigiD]

I remember back in 2005 I was torn between a PSP and a DS. I got the DS.
Like 2 years ago I got a PSP for cheap from a friend. I played like 5 games and got bored..then I hacked it to play roms and homebrew.
I don't know..I feel like the PSP was not very impressive. There was a couple of cool games but I didn't spend nearly as much time as I did with the DS. I wanted to get a Vita while I wait for a redesigned 3DS..but all Vita drama is turning me away too.

[Kane Knight]

I remember back in 2005 I was torn between a PSP and a DS. I got the DS.
Like 2 years ago I got a PSP for cheap from a friend. I played like 5 games and got bored..then I hacked it to play roms and homebrew.
I don't know..I feel like the PSP was not very impressive. There was a couple of cool games but I didn't spend nearly as much time as I did with the DS. I wanted to get a Vita while I wait for a redesigned 3DS..but all Vita drama is turning me away too.

My problem is I'm not particularly keen on most of the games anyway. Then again, between portable puzzle titles and portable RPGs, there's usually enough to allow me to justify a game system. I'm more inclined to get a Nintendo handheld because Pokémon.

Got my PSP in a sale, and it was worth the price, but I'm definitely not impressed by the choices Sony made.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

My problem is I'm not particularly keen on most of the games anyway. Then again, between portable puzzle titles and portable RPGs, there's usually enough to allow me to justify a game system. I'm more inclined to get a Nintendo handheld because Pokémon.

Got my PSP in a sale, and it was worth the price, but I'm definitely not impressed by the choices Sony made.

Exactly this, I got an imported from Japan white PSP just after they launched because OOOH SHINY NEW THING. All it was back then was PS2 ports with the worst loading times in history. (and Metal Gear Acid, that I actually enjoyed).

Got my second PSP 2000 cheap due to Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Peace Walker and ended up finding gems in Disgea, Persona and Daxter. Well worth the £50 I paid, but not even close even at current retail price.

There's a couple of quirky looking Vita games that could be interesting, but I can already see them loading the thing with watered down current-gen console experiences. They're fine for long trips, but I have no desire to spend what they're asking on a handheld that has just that.

If they eneded up talking completely re-mastered PS1 classics with new GFX like the N64 3DS ports as well as IP I can't get on the main consoles, then we'd be talking.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Sega should get on the bandwagon and remake Panzer Dragoon Saga for Vita. That would be a must buy for me compared to all the little <s>upscales</s> "remasters" we keep seeing.

[Kane Knight]

Exactly this, I got an imported from Japan white PSP just after they launched because OOOH SHINY NEW THING. All it was back then was PS2 ports with the worst loading times in history. (and Metal Gear Acid, that I actually enjoyed).

Got my second PSP 2000 cheap due to Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Peace Walker and ended up finding gems in Disgea, Persona and Daxter. Well worth the £50 I paid, but not even close even at current retail price.

There's a couple of quirky looking Vita games that could be interesting, but I can already see them loading the thing with watered down current-gen console experiences. They're fine for long trips, but I have no desire to spend what they're asking on a handheld that has just that.

If they eneded up talking completely re-mastered PS1 classics with new GFX like the N64 3DS ports as well as IP I can't get on the main consoles, then we'd be talking.


Yeah. On the plus side, I like the amount of launch support it's getting. On the other, there's not much that interests me. Plus, I think it's smarter to wait until after the mandatory gimmick shit is done with. I don't like the whole "touch screen on the back to climb" anymore than I liked the Sixaxxxxxis stuff.

[Emperor Smeat]

Some Vita news with one being really bad if it ends up being widespread.

First, Sony is spending about $50 million to help market the Vita for its North American debut. To put it in comparison, Sony spent around a similar amount to hype up the PS Move while Microsoft spent around $500 million for Kinect and Nintendo risked an entire quarter's worth of revenue for the 3DS.

Second, it appears the big deal Sony made about digital versions being cheaper might not last as Capcom has pulled out of having cheaper versions while majority of publishers are favoring just a $5 discount on average. Sony even hinted this might just be a temporary plan because its all up to the publisher to decide on a discount or not.
http://www.giantbomb.com/news/not-all-digital-versions-of-vita-games-are-cheaper/3987/

Now the bad news, due to really bad hardware and software sales in Japan, some developers in Japan are already pulling their support from the Vita with some already stating they are switching to just 3DS games. In comparison, the PSP was very healthy in Japan while everywhere else had the support pulled after the 2nd/3rd year but was brought back due to Sony paying developers to make games for it.
http://www.screwattack.com/news/vita-developers-might-be-jumping-ship-3ds

[Kane Knight]

Second, it appears the big deal Sony made about digital versions being cheaper might not last as Capcom has pulled out of having cheaper versions while majority of publishers are favoring just a $5 discount on average. Sony even hinted this might just be a temporary plan because its all up to the publisher to decide on a discount or not.
http://www.giantbomb.com/news/not-all-digital-versions-of-vita-games-are-cheaper/3987/


This is why buying digital is largely retarded. Especially with how pricey this specific platform's storage is.

Now the bad news, due to really bad hardware and software sales in Japan, some developers in Japan are already pulling their support from the Vita with some already stating they are switching to just 3DS games. In comparison, the PSP was very healthy in Japan while everywhere else had the support pulled after the 2nd/3rd year but was brought back due to Sony paying developers to make games for it.
http://www.screwattack.com/news/vita-developers-might-be-jumping-ship-3ds

Lousy Japs won't buy anything American! :shifty:

While I joke abuot Sony being American, they did kinda have a large number of Western-style games and marketed to those as though it was a strength, and even bragged about the Western games being the big pre-orders.

Maybe it's not the Vita that's the problem here...

Not that it matters, mind. If Japanese devs are pulling out, they're pulling out.

The PSP may be fucked before it even has a chance to fail in the Western market.

[Verbose Minch]

At the Eb Games where I work, we had ten pre-orders for the first edition bundle. 5 of which were cancelled on launch day. We've sold a total of 5 Vita's, 3 games and 1 screen protector.

Sony has to be raking in the cash!

[Kane Knight]

Oh anecdotes, how you demonstrate the norm....

[Verbose Minch]

Oh anecdotes, how you demonstrate the norm....

All of western Canada is carrying on in much of the same fashion. Obviously there are exceptions though.

Quit being a dink for the sake of being a dink.

Edit: By Western Canada, I mean the EB Games in Western Canada.

[Kane Knight]

All of western Canada is carrying on in much of the same fashion.

You didn't say that. Don't bitch at me for not being omniscient.

[Kane Knight]

At the Eb Games where I work

Yes, going off the information you gave is being a "dink."

Fuckwad.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Holy shit, Sony did something right with the Vita.

Buy Hustle Kings, Wipeout 2048, or Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on Vita or PS3 and you get the other version for free.

EDIT: Thought it was too good to be true. Destructoid is flat wrong on this. The link they're using to the PS blog says:

- Buy Hustle Kings on either PS3 OR PSVita, get the other version FREE
- Buy Wipeout 2048 on Vita and Wipeout HD Fury on PS3 and get HD FURY as FREE DLC for 2048 on the Vita when it comes out
- Buy Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and any DLC you purchase works on BOTH versions.

Well fuck.

[Kane Knight]

Still better than nothing.

[Emperor Smeat]

Yeah its part of the cross-platform play push Sony is doing with games sharing a PS3 and PS Vita version.

Its still up to individual publishers if they want to offer a free version or allow free access to DLC content on the PS Vita from the PS3 version.

Capcom announced the free access to DLC once the Vita version of UMvC3 was announced but then decided against offering a discount on the Vita digital version as a trade-off.

[Kane Knight]

I really wish they'd have more of this stuff, but publishers are real dickweeds.

[Emperor Smeat]

Sony makes an official statement to the lack of the UMD Passport outside of Japan and why only Japan will be getting the large price cuts for digital games.

For the UMD Program, its because only Japan supported the PSP well so they can get access to their PSP games without having to rebuy them.

For digital discounts, its because Japan pays higher prices for PSP and Vita games unlike the US/Canada. They did not factor the higher prices Europe and Australia pays for their games in why only Japan can get up to 20% off a digital version of a PS Vita game.

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/sony-outlines-why-umd-passport-isnt-coming-here/4001/

[Kane Knight]

Yeah, they're retarded.

[Emperor Smeat]

Apparently the promotion involving free PS Vita's at Taco Bell backfired badly due to Taco Bell not realizing their contest servers got hacked so hackers were able to activate the winning codes while the legitimate winners can't receive their PS Vitas.

Taco Bell now is placing all the legitimate winners in another drawing contest but no guarantees this one won't get hacked either nor any guarantees of anyone who was an original winner will still be able to get a free PS Vita.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/taco-bell-vita-contest-fail

[Emperor Smeat]

Early sales figures place the Vita at about 1.2 million units sold worldwide so far with the US and European launches being about 600,000 units combined. Software sales is about 2 million but includes both digital and retail games sold combined.

In terms of launches, the UK launch of Vita is about 1/4 to 1/2 of what the PSP had when it launched while the US/European launches manage to tie Japan's total sales in a week.

For more comparisons, both the 3DS and Vita are a bit lower than when the DS and PSP launched. When the PSP launched, the DS was 2nd for the week but when the Vita launched in the US and Europe, the 3DS managed to out sell it by a couple hundred thousand units.

[Emperor Smeat]

The multiplayer mode that was either taken out or not ready in time for Uncharted Golden Abyss ends up being a card game.

It sounds similar to what was done with the Metal Gear Solid game on the PSP that was based on cards to do actions and stuff.

http://www.screwattack.com/news/rumor-uncharted-golden-abyss-get-card-based-multiplayer

[Emperor Smeat]

Wanted to wait a few weeks to see how sales numbers would grow since the first week of the US and Europe launch moving it to 1.2 million overall and the early focus of making the US a hotbed for the Vita isn't shaping up that well.

So far, plans of the US being a huge hotbed isn't occurring and percentage-wise, its dropping roughly the same the Vita did in Japan.

About 300,000 - 400,000 have been sold globally since the US launch and every week had the 3DS outselling it.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

THERE'S STILL LIFE IN THE VITA YET.... Well, Sony are trying anyway. First up, a slim redesign AS IS TRADITION. Looks like it has a slightly worse screen, but 1GB storage built in and a whole extra hour of battery life. Also has multiple colours.

http://i.minus.com/ibghspDCDeK00t.gif


Also announced is (to me at least) a much more interesting device: The PSVita TV. Clocking in at $100 (based on a Yen price conversion) and coming out November 14th over in Japan, it looks like a contender for the set-top box wars that no-one seems to give much of a shit about as every single device can now run Netflix anyway. But this one could get my interest.


It's capable of playing PS1, PSP and Vita games on your TV (although games that rely on a touch screen will not work) and it supports remote play like the Vita does meaning you can have this in another room from your PS4 and play in a different room, which could be handy. It will also support DualShock 4 controllers and takes Vita carts as well as digital purchases.


The problem with both of these devices? Those fucking memory cards are still about and they just announced a new one: 64GB for $100. SAME PRICE AS THE FUCKING CONSOLE. Unreal.

[Kane Knight]

Isn't the "worse screen" done because of the issues of life expectancy and burn-in of OLED screens, though?

I mean, that seems like a feature, not a bug.

The rest? Meh. 1 GB is enough for game saves, at least, but it's kind of a joke with the storage problems unless you're pushing physical which is the opposite of what they seem to be doing. An extra hour of battery life? Tell you what, keep the extra hour and remove your proprietary, shitty USB connection for a normal one.

[Kane Knight]

The GBA player seems decent, though. Just, as you said, still has the issues with memory cards. And seriously, fuck that noise. I'd have more games for my Vita but the cards are more expensive than the games I want. And I don't want to have to shuffle games I'm currently playing.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Isn't the "worse screen" done because of the issues of life expectancy and burn-in of OLED screens, though?

I mean, that seems like a feature, not a bug.

The rest? Meh. 1 GB is enough for game saves, at least, but it's kind of a joke with the storage problems unless you're pushing physical which is the opposite of what they seem to be doing. An extra hour of battery life? Tell you what, keep the extra hour and remove your proprietary, shitty USB connection for a normal one.

True about the screen, I'll have to see if the trade-off in quality is worth it when I get my hands on one. If it's not too much of a major difference, then the benefits will outweigh the negative that's for sure. Forgot about the burn-in and how awful it was on some of them when I was looking through second hand units in store.

Destructoid (http://www.destructoid.com/new-slim-ps-vita-model-pch-2000-announced-in-japan-261504.phtml) are saying that it is actually using micro USB for transfer and charging, so that's nice at least.

[Kane Knight]

Well, if they're using Micro USB, that's a plus. A shame they didn't switch to SD or Micro SD at the same time.

If the screen's reasonable, I may pick one of these up. Maybe. My screen's showing some early signs of its age. It'd be really nice if they just...Made cheaper storage. Then I'd be all over it like Slik on fake news stories.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Still want to see the screens with my own eyes, but this isn't promising. OG Vita on top

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BT3QxRsIcAA-oje.jpg:large

[Kane Knight]

That's...Quite the difference.

[Bad News Gertner]

Picked up The Walking Dead Telltale for Vita. VERY nice looking. Bit of a lag, but still solid.

[Bad News Gertner]

How about instead of making a Slim Vita, Sony RELEASES SOME MORE FUCKING GAMES!!!!!!!

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Saw a deal for a Vita with Little Big Planet, Teraway, a 16gb card and a month of PS+ so I finally jumped in, just in case they discontinue the sexy OLED version.

Planning to not buy any games and just leech off PS+ since it will have the benefit of being able to get the free PS4 games each month for when I finally drop on one of those too.

[Kane Knight]

How about instead of making a Slim Vita, Sony RELEASES SOME MORE FUCKING GAMES!!!!!!!

I have no issue finding games. Be nice if they decided to make storage less prohibitive, though.

[Heyman]

I have no issue finding games. Be nice if they decided to make storage less prohibitive, though.



So weird eh? This was Kane Knight's last ever post on here.


What a way to go.