Secondly we have the PlayStation Vita. Instead of focusing on a specific story that cropped up during the week, instead we generally discussed Sony’s upcoming handheld, addressing topics such as release date, price point, memory storage, game cases, and of course the bountiful PlayStation Vita software line-up.
Josh: I’m well-known as a Vita fanboy, but even so, I think the memory card and battery reports coming out of TGS this week seemed overly negative – the situation with both is just the same as with almost every comparative device out there. The PSP required a memory stick to save anything, and the situation is automatically better with the Vita because there’s space included on most of the game cards to save or download content.
Plus, without any information on western launch plans, it’s entirely possible that there will be a small stick included with the console when it launches over here (the PSP included a 32MB stick, or there was a slightly pricier ‘Giga Pack’). With the battery, it’s the same story again: the 3DS got grief for its 3+ hour battery life, and so is the Vita, but the original PSP and DS also had batteries that lasted about the same.
If Sony were planning a £300 base price point, including an extended battery and large memory stick, they’d be slaughtered for not learning their lessons from the PS3’s “it’s about value” pricey launch. I guess it’s just one of those cases were you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t, but remember if you’re looking at the Vita and want more space or battery life, at least the option is there.
Al: Actually not bad. The games line-up is nowhere near as strong as a lot of people like to think it is – there’s a couple of good games in there but nothing earth shattering, but the tech is amazing and the price (if you ignore those ridiculously overpriced memory sticks) is still competitive.
It’s the screen that does it for me – it’s astonishingly good – so if Sony can get their act together and get some cheap games on there then it’ll hopefully do OK. Ignore the cheaper end of the gaming market, though, and it’ll bomb – spending £40 on portable games is no longer an option in the new wave brought over by Apple’s App Store.
Aran: The more I see of the PlayStation Vita, the more I love it. Japan’s release date is 17th December while the North America and Europe has to await confirmation. Fair enough, I reckon it’ll hit us in March. That gives Sony a 3 month window to work on a big launch line up which, going by the various lists of PS Vita games, should be amazing. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Resistance: Burning Skies, Metal Gear Solid & Zone of The Enders HD Collections.
However, what concerns me is the price and even my love for the PS Vita will not be enough to convince me to part with so much cash.
£229 for a Wi Fi PS Vita. £279.99 for a Wi Fi and 3G Vita. Right now I can buy a 320 gig PS3 for £229.99 or a Xbox 360 with Kinect for £269.99. If we’re going handheld, I can buy a Nintendo 3DS for £129.99. Sony will have to convince a lot of people that the price tag they’ve put on the PS Vita is worth it, especially now when people are watching their pennies. It doesn’t help that the Memory Cards will also be expensive. For example, an 8GB Memory Card will cost $42, which is roughly £30. A normal 8GB memory card would set me back around £10 max. With such high prices, sales may struggle and then Sony would have to slash prices just like Nintendo had to with the 3DS.
At least the game cases look nice.
Joe: From its TGS showing it seems as though the Vita will have a great set of launch titles which is definitely what it needs to counteract the high price point. Sony is wise to release it in Japan before the end of the year and a result the console will probably sell really well there.
Sadly I think the Vita will come unstuck outside of Japan, much like the PSP. The 2012 release date everywhere else means that it’ll really struggle against the 3DS. It’s a shame because the Vita’s shaping up to be a really impressive piece of kit.
Isaac: I want to buy the Vita and I’m considering ordering one. The Christmas rush is going to make it tough but I’m going to still try. It really depends on how much it’s going to cost to import. I might wait until it releases in North America since you pretty much have to buy every single accessory to even make it a viable platform. The Vita itself is priced well but man, everything else is so expensive. Its lineup of games is definitely impressive, although most of them are admittedly PS3 ports. I must say that I’m excited about the idea of having a mini FightStick to go along with the Vita. I’d be able to take the portable versions of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Street Fighter x Tekken seriously.
Origami Killer
Great feature. The hardware expansion looks ghastly for the 3DS, as said it’s ridiculous. As for The Vita, I don’t mind the memory stick but the price of an official Sony one is going to be astronomical. Hoping for cheaper third party ones. All in all by the looks of it the line up looks to be great and the current price of the Vita is reasonable, looks to be a winner.
Foxhound_Solid
They should simply release a new model with dual sticks. The expansion is hideous yet essential. It’s like looking at that super nanny. You shouldnt but you probably would…..
bacon_nuts
They will, its just like the wii motion plus, starts as an attachment, then a redesign, although it is too early for that, it is probably on the way.
Smallville2106
LMAO there is just something about her lol
OllyBobs
Brilliant new feature! Can’t really say much on this topic as I’m not much of a portable gamer, but really looking forward to future talks!
Jas-n
The Vita’s memory stick liiks just like an M2, minus a notch. Plus squeezing 32GB on something that weights about 1g is astonishing.
Jakster123x
Apparently the expansion feels good to hold according to IGN and isn’t actually that heavy, but by god is it an ugly beast, not to mention the device is asymmetrical with it! Would someone please think of the symmetry?!
Kennykazey
The 3DS-attachment looks like such an afterthought (which it is) that it’s ridiculous. Surely it can’t be nice to use as it looks ergonomically incorrect on several levels. It wont be a hit as it wont get the support it needs from devs since it will split the userbase. So if Ninty is serious about it then they must release a new model with it built in.
The Vita seems too good to be true, but let’s hope not. Recent intel about memory-sticks seems scary. But I don’t think there will be any problem, they’ll get cheaper as/and third-parties will get involved. When the Vita was known as the NGP, people where concerned about the battery-life, 3-5 hours was to be expected really, so I don’t know why that’s putting people off (if it is). It’s about the same as the PSP and the Vita has got a helluva lot more power under the hood. Plus there’s that portable charger, that can charge it fully 2 times or something without the need for a socket. The big concern is the battery lifespan, but I think it’ll be fine. Also, the console sure doesn’t have a problem with the software line-up, unlike a certain other handheld that needs to get it act together real quick. Some of the upcoming 3DS titles look like great games, but that’s the problem; they’re upcoming, not out like they should have been.
Sorry for long comment, but I don’t have many people to talk about these subjects with IRL.
Good feature though, it’s nice with a weekend recap with different opinions chiming in.
DrNate86
I just can’t was u
DrNate86
Curse you, touch screen!
bacon_nuts
lol.
DrNate86
I just can’t wait until Luigi’s Mansion 2! My first and one of my favourite games on the gamecube.
Kreisash
The fact that MK 7 is coming out just before Christmas and isn’t simply a Wii port, will be the 3DSs strongest move yet. I know some people who weren’t too interested in the 3DS until I mentioned a new Mario Kart on it coming soon. Now it’s a “I might buy my daughter a 3DS” now.
All they need is for the momentum to keep going, but that means strong titles at the right time, on time.
a inferior race
I think that as the games flow the 3DS will be a slow burner in much the same way as the PS3. Does anyone else remember when people were comparing it to the Dreamcast? Although, I do think that the next iteration of the 3DS will come with a second circle pad as standard.
After buying a PSP on launch when it was suppossed to be a portable PS2 and it never came, I can’t help but see the same thing happening to the Vita. It already seemd to be sharing a lot of games with the PS360 and unless it starts to get some games that are unique to the console I can’t really see the point. Just for clarity I don’t really consider Uncharted and Wipeout to be unique to Vita and I can’t see reality fighters or whatever it’s called being any good.
Smallville2106
That’s one of the reasons I am unsure about whether to get one or not. I want it to have more unique and exclusive games. If everything that is released for Vita is going to be released on PS3 too then I won’t be forking out the cash for one.