Sony is determined to distinguish the games available through its PlayStation Mobile platform from the somewhat variable quality often found on mobile app stores – and now it’s outlined just how it plans to do that.
Tagged ‘PlayStation Vita’
The Sony Playstation Vita has many tasty tricks up its sleeve, including 3G connectivity for web browsing and, of course, multiplayer gaming at your nearest bus stop. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that its officially partnered with Vodafone to provide such on-the-fly online gaming, with a cheeky added bonus to 3G PS Vita customers also on the cards. Read more
A world of dual analog inputs is coming to the Nintendo 3DS, set to debut next month at a trade show in Tokyo. According to the French technology website 01net, Nintendo has been developing a joystick for the 3DS and asked certain game developers to come up with new titles optimized for the dual-controller console. The site also claims that a 3DS replacement is set to debut in early 2012. The rumors sent Nintendo shares to the moon, rising over eight percent on the Osaka Securities Exchange.
Remember those Sony PlayStation Vita RAM downgrade rumours that said it would drop from 512MB of RAM to 256MB to fit the predicted £229 price tag? Well, they were wrong. Sony has now confirmed that the PlayStation Vita will ship with 512MB of RAM onboard with a further 128MB of dedicated VRAM.
Sony’s press release also trumpets the PlayStation Vita’s support for Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter and Skype but sadly didn’t include the one bit of information we’re truly craving: a UK release date. While we know the PlayStation Vita will arrive in Japan in time for Christmas, we’re still not expecting to get our hands on it until some time in 2012. Come on Sony, throw us bone here!
We’ve heard of throwing someone under the bus, but Lyle Hall and Matthew Seymour of Heavy Iron Studios have run the PlayStation Vita over with an 18 wheeler. The two believe the PS Vita is over priced and that consumers are no longer willing to pay out for a single-function gaming device. “If people aren’t willing to pay $249 for the Nintendo 3DS why would they pay $299 for the Vita”.
No, we’re not joking. The latest pre-order updates from Best Buy and Amazon suggest the Sony PlayStation Vita will not launch in the US and UK until the 30th of March 2012. That’s nearly three months after the December launch in Japan. Following the initial shock of the PS Vita delay, today’s update feels like Sony is rubbing salt in our wounds.
The PlayStation Vita UK launch won’t be until next year according to Sony Computer Entertainment CEO, Kazuo Hirai. He told reporters in Tokyo that the new handheld will hit Japan in December with the US and European launches following in early 2012.
It’s disappointing news, especially as just this week we had our hopes raised by that Blockbuster leaflet which suggested the PlayStation Vita would launch here in October.
It seems odd that Sony is willing to let the PlayStation Vita miss out on Christmas lists in the Europe and the US since 40% of its revenue came from those markets last year. Still the revelation is bound to put smiles on the faces of Nintendo execs who have been struggling to sell the Nintendo 3DS.
Wondering whether the PlayStation Vita will be worth the wait? Check out our PlayStation Vita guide.
