The Official PlayStation Vita Thread - 11/4: FW 3.00 Coming Just in Time for the PS4 Launch!

Memory cards? They look REALLY similar to a Memory Stick Micro...really hoping it IS the same thing. That would mean they are already on the market and are already discounted at this point.

110915arai003_cs1e1_480x.jpg


EDIT: I canceled my pre-order. Money is tight and I want to spread my GS credit as far as possible. Going to wait for a bundle anyway.
 
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I'm not tech-savvy at all, but is there any chance you could save to the cloud if you are a PSN+ member, and therefore not have to worry about a memory card?
 
They'll have stuff like that for games that would utilize the cross-platform play, but the general cloud storage is just for the PS3 like most of the PS+ features/offerings. Game cards allow for saving on the card itself, so you'd only need a memory card for PSN games and other media.
 
I figure most of you have been following TGS news but just wanted to post up a compilation of a lot of announcements and hands-on from the conference. I know there is probably a lot i am missing but just wanted to compile some of the information together.

Playstation news recap from TGS (covers a good majority of all the announcements)
http://psp.ign.com/articles/119/1194259p1.html

Vita package and accessories detailed
http://playstationfans.com/playstation-vita/ps-vita-package-and-accessories-details/

Full list of games including those announced at TGS for the Vita and a ton of gameplay/trailer videos
http://www.ps3blog.net/community/pspvita/playstation-vita-megathread/

Vita confirmed region-free
http://www.dualshockers.com/2011/09/16/shuhei-yoshida-confirms-that-the-ps-vita-is-region-free/

Sony reveals Vita battery life
http://psp.ign.com/articles/119/1194435p1.html

Killzone 3 remote play on Vita
http://psp.ign.com/articles/119/1194597p1.html

Level-5 CEO likes Vita, working on a new JRPG
http://www.dualshockers.com/2011/09...-ps-vita-is-like-the-space-battleship-yamato/

Army Corps of Hell hands-on
http://www.gamesradar.com/tgs-2011-army-corps-hell-ps-vita-first-hands-preview/

Uncharted Golden Abyss walkthrough breakdown
http://gamergaia.com/psp/1898-uncharted-golden-abyss-walkthough-analysis-.html

ZoE HD has new animation; Kojima wants to make a sequel
http://andriasang.com/comy87/

Lord of Apocalypse, Vita's first action RPG
http://www.destructoid.com/tgs-lord-of-apocalypse-vita-s-first-action-rpg-211657.phtml

Super Monkey Ball on Vita
http://psp.ign.com/articles/119/1195115p1.html

Lumines Electronic Symphony hands-on preview
http://www.gamesradar.com/tgs-2011-lumines-electronic-symphony-hands-preview/

Gravity Daze, 10 minute video and more gameplay information
http://psp.ign.com/articles/119/1195041p1.html


Older news but good information, includes battery life information now!
The official specifications of the Vita (translated page from Japanese to English)
http://translate.google.com/transla.../psvita/spec/system/&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8


PS3 related:
Dead or Alive 5 coming in 2012, Ninja Gaiden III details
http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/9821.html
 
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...psp-lessons-and-nintendo.aspx?PostPageIndex=1

Game Informer has a great interview with Shuhei Yoshida about some of the new aspects of the Vita that were shown off at TGS along with other bits of news that have yet to be detailed:
The PSP received many different hardware iterations, to mixed reactions of consumers. Do you think the Vita will experience a similar life cycle?

We haven’t even released the PS Vita, so we don’t have any plans for future iterations. But as with any electronics product, things get better and cheaper or components advance, so we look at what’s going to be available for us. If it makes sense we might consider updating the product. But what we always make sure of is because we are doing the platform business we have to make sure games are compatible. Any iteration of the hardware you’ll be able to play games on. You look back at PSP, we released three iterations of the PSP. These compatible systems, later versions might have gotten some additional features, but basically these are additional nice things.

What options will there be for owners of original PSP games to play them on the Vita?

Downloadable PSP games will play on the Vita. We are going through the process of testing that, so we can’t say there will be 100 percent compatibility, but we are looking at a very high compatibility percentage for downloadable versions of PSP games on PS Vita. In addition, because PS Vita has a much larger, nicer-looking screen, and the existence of dual analog sticks, we will provide from a system level that some games benefit using the right analog stick. Like FPS or third-person action-adventure games. We will provide options to remap the control from either face buttons or the action buttons to right analog stick. So the control would be much better on PS Vita.

So is there a chance that owners of the physical UMDs will have a way to play the game on the Vita?

We just announced that we are working on something like that for the Japanese market. We are still working on the details of the program, so we will inform the details of the plan for the Japanese market. But we haven’t decided if we’re going to do something similar outside Japan.

You demonstrated the Vita’s remote play function with Killzone 3 during a TGS 2011 presentation. Will every PS3 game be playable on Vita, or is it up to the developer to incorporate that feature?

Yes, that’s correct. The PS Vita has to be customized to support remote play with the PS Vita. Yesterday, the demo that I showed using Killzone 3 was customized. It was meant as a technical demo and we haven’t even finished the utility of the remote play that’s really, really nice to support higher resolution screens on PS Vita, and the mapping of controls like R3, R2, L2 buttons using the backtouch panel. So as soon as we complete the development of those utilities, we will release the utility to PS3 developers so that they can check if their games work with the utility or they may have to do some additional work, because the remote play takes some additional memory and CPU time out of PS3 games. So some games that really utilize the PS3 capabilities may not work, so we’ll see.

What would you say is the most important thing Sony learned from the original PSP?

There are many lessons we have learned, but if you ask me to pick one lesson… Before the launch, as far as the hardware goes we didn’t put enough resources in the hardware to allow us to develop games that are unique to the PSP compared to home consoles. We had many products on PSP, but most of these games like God of War [Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparda] came from the console. Basically, you can play a bigger, better version of these titles on PS3. So pre-launch of PSP we were too happy with having the basic capability of PS2-class games to play on PSP, in terms of the screen and CPU/GPU. But after the launch and a few years time, just having pretty graphics isn’t enough. Especially when you can play a bigger, better game on home consoles. That’s the one big lesson when we designed the PS Vita. Because it is portable and because it’s a new technological development, we can put a touchscreen, touchpad, cameras, GPS, or 3G capabilities. We made sure that developers will be able to make use of these features that are unique to portable systems, so that with games we can continue to produce something very exciting that you cannot find on games on home console. So that’s one lesson.

The second lesson comes post-launch of the PSP. Because we shifted development resources to the PS3 launch, we kind of stopped supporting PSP games post-launch. That was a big mistake, because we didn’t realize that third-party developers were doing the same because they were working on the new launch of software on the PS3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 as well. So going into the PS Vita, because it’s our second time, we are making sure that we won’t make the same mistakes, meaning that we’ll continue to support PS Vita with a stream of good titles through release. So I pick these two as the lessons learned from PSP. I would also say that security and piracy was a problem with the PSP as well, and that will be fortified with PS Vita.

Speaking of security, can we expect the Vita to need as many updates as the PSP and PS3? Are there plans to make these firmware updates less intrusive?

I agree, it’s very annoying when you only have one hour in your busy life to play a game, and when you have to spend 30 minutes out of that one hour to update the hardware. So it’s not necessarily the frequency of how we update, it’s like you said – intrusiveness - of the current processes that we have on PS3 and PSP. I cannot talk about specific plans, but we are very aware of the issues, and we’d like to address those issues on PS Vita going forward.

HD remakes are very popular right now. Can you lend any insight into how difficult it is to update games like God of War and Shadow of the Colossus? From an outsider’s perspective it seems like these HD remakes are relatively easy to make but have high returns for Sony.

For Sony or for third-party publishers. If they are products for the PS2 that people really, really like, and because the PS2 is an SD system, if there are enough people that want to play these games with HD graphics with some updated features like trophy support, 3D support, or network features, it’s going to be win/win for both consumers and publishers. Because as you said, developing these HD remastered versions costs way less than making brand new titles on PS3 from the publishers’ standpoint. So many of these titles, when you look at the pricing of these games, publishers are pricing these games much lower than they do new titles. So people who really like these games on PS2 and like to relive them in HD format, when you try Ico and Shadow of the Colossus in the HD collection, you feel that these games are actually made for HD systems. The vision of [Fumito] Ueda-san really is realized better on PS3, so it’s a complete version of these games. It’s great for your money, especially when you are a new gamer and have never played these games before. It’s a steal. It’s two brand new titles you can purchase for less than buying one new title. So I think as long as there is this happy win/win situation between consumers and publishers, I would expect more titles will come out in this format.

It’s suspicious that Nintendo is releasing a second circle pad attachment for the 3DS after gamers universally praised the Vita’s dual analog sticks. Can you talk about what looks like an attempt by Nintendo to keep up with Sony?

Well it’s not like they looked at PS Vita and said “we need to do that as well.” I don’t know. It’s clear that they didn’t believe a second analog was necessary when they designed the 3DS, so I can only guess it was requested by Capcom’s side. Maybe a Capcom producer told Nintendo that to play Monster Hunter we need [two] analog sticks. That I don’t know, so I can only guesstimate. It was a bit shocking to see what they came up with.

Touching on the 3DS again, it seems like Nintendo responded to the Vita’s low price tag by dropping the 3DS’ cost even lower. It appears to be a direct response from Nintendo. Is it exciting to see Nintendo, which has had a death grip on the handheld market, seemingly react to the Vita’s hype?

I don’t personally believe that they dropped the price of the 3DS to respond to our pricing. We didn’t price PS Vita to their price, either. We had that plan since the last couple years. My personal guesstimate is that they have their business plan and goals to sell a certain amount of 3DS units, and they realized post-launch was that the pricing was not helping them to achieve the goal that they set. That’s my estimate. As far as if I’m excited, I’m not sure. If the 3DS sells like crazy and no one is interested in PS Vita, that’s a problem. There are lots of analysts talking about, “well, you know there are smart phones, there’s no need for dedicated portable game machines.” I don’t believe it. But if they point to certain performance of the 3DS and say the smartphone is here, it doesn’t help us either. I like to see healthy competition between Nintendo’s system and ours because it helps innovation. It’s always a good thing to have.
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[quote name='Javery']It's like they are aware of the "lessons learned from the PSP" but don't seem to care. Right?[/QUOTE]

To me its more like they are aware of the lessons of the PSP, fixed half and thought eh thats good enough. They have nailed some important things like the second nub, launch line up and extra features. But then they go and fuck up the price with the memory card and make PSN less noteworthy.
 
The proprietary flash cards may end up being one of the things that makes or breaks the Vita.

I understand that Sony probably needed to separate the memory in the first hardware release in order to both keep the costs down and provide a secondary source of revenue since they probably aren't making much on the first gen hardware. However, I kind of expect the Vita 2 to include a reasonable amount of built-in storage (16 or 32GB) while they keep the price the same (similar to how Apple keeps releasing new models with better specs and more storage while keeping the price the same).

And given the piracy issues with the PSP, I think that's one of the big reasons Sony is going with a proprietary card vs. a standard flash card format like M2 or microSD. I'm guessing the Vita card will include anti-piracy features and since the card will probably only work while plugged into your Vita (connected in USB mode) so all read/write operations on the card will have to go through the Vita operating system/hardware which also makes it harder to hack. They could even link the card to your PSN account at a hardware level if they wanted to.

However, while Sony could be stupid and charge a large amount for their proprietary cards with the goal of getting as much money out of us as possible since we have no alternative source of Vita cards, I think this will only hurt the sales of the Vita and PSN games. If people have to pay something ridiculous like $50 or $75 for a 16GB card, then fewer people will be able to buy the cards and that means they'll buy fewer PSN games because it gets pretty frustrating buying games on PSN if you can't store them in your Vita...and downloads are too slow for full size games (some PSP games are over 1.4 GB) to just download them when the urge hits you (unlike downloading most small games on the iPhone, which only takes you a few seconds).

And if I can't easily play the games I buy, then I won't be buying new games on PSN very often and will probably stick with retail copies of the games. But it is in Sony's interests to get me to buy PSN versions of the game because then I can't buy and resell on the used market.

Success is certainly not assured. While the Vita has a lot of cool things going for it and there is huge potential for some really awesome features that could be offered by the game producers (such as selling bundled PS3/Vista versions of a game with extra features when you have both), Sony could still get greedy and end up pulling a turd instead of a rabbit out of their hat.

And while think that the iPhone/iPad/Android devices are inferior as gaming devices, it isn't always the better hardware that wins the race (as Sony has learned many times over), so Sony really needs to focus on customer satisfaction instead of customer exploitation as the primary method of increasing sales. Learn from the Steam model.
 
They won't be releasing a Vita 2 that renders the Vita obsolete with better tech inside of it. I don't know why anybody would want that since that just punishes the consumer.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']They won't be releasing a Vita 2 that renders the Vita obsolete with better tech inside of it. I don't know why anybody would want that since that just punishes the consumer.[/QUOTE]

Adding built-in storage in a Vita 2 wouldn't render the Vita 1 obsolete...it would just provide a different way of storing your games, but doesn't change the functionality of the device in any way that affects game play. Sort of like the PSPgo if it had supported UMDs.

It would also make sense to do something like this after the Vita 1 has been out for a year or so, since they'd be able to drop the price of the Vita 1 while still getting a decent price on the Vita 2 (at the original price). But given the tech in the Vita, I just don't think they'll be able to get the price down very low if they are going to include built-in storage.

Of course, the other option would be to offer cheap Vita storage cards. But if you look into the future and think about a Vita 2, the only things they can really change while maintaining platform continuity are the size of the screen and the amount of built-in storage...and maybe some additional video output options like they have with the PSP/PSPgo. I guess they could also add some more built-in features/apps, but they can't do something stupid like Nintendo did with the 3DS and add new controls that don't exist on all models because it just pisses everyone off and game producers won't adopt the new features because it will limit game sales.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']To me its more like they are aware of the lessons of the PSP, fixed half and thought eh thats good enough. They have nailed some important things like the second nub, launch line up and extra features. But then they go and fuck up the price with the memory card and make PSN less noteworthy.[/QUOTE]

I agree - I was referring to the fact that they said they couldn't just put console games on the handheld but that's exactly what I think is happening -- again!
 
It does if you're making the system more powerful with new iterations, as devs have to support the more powerful spec and maybe support the old specs rather than having one piece of hardware to develop for. They've said that they're not going to follow the Apple model for iteration.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']It does if you're making the system more powerful with new iterations, as devs have to support the more powerful spec and maybe support the old specs rather than having one piece of hardware to develop for. They've said that they're not going to follow the Apple model for iteration.[/QUOTE]

OK...I see what you're saying, but that's not what I meant by my comment about Apple. I was mainly speaking to how they increase the built-in storage...not bumping up CPU specs, which would affect game design.

But adding/increasing the built-in storage would have no impact on game design any more than the PSPgo adding built-in storage had on game design.
 
I didn't say the storage did, but that increasing the power like Apple does segregates the audience and requires devs to do more testing to make sure their games work on all models/firmware if they're not exclusive to one model. Both iPad models and the last two iPhone/iPod Touch models offer the same storage options, so they don't increase the storage with each iteration.
 
If Sony isn't going to make the holidays, I think it might be better to wait until May or June. There are far too many AAA titles releasing in the February/March time frame for it to get the full attention it deserves. Not to mention the inevitable iPad3. The other advantage is that SCEA can really have their online infrastructure and other app stuff ready on day 1 and have time to develop a coherent messaging campaign about PS3/Vita interoperability.

I've had my preordered at Amazon since the page went up over the summer, so I am on board day 1 regardless, but I think a delay to mid-spring has at least some merit. The Mario games are going to stimulate 3DS sales anyway, so I'm not sure there's necessarily a whole lot of additional harm done.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Vita may be releasing in February. I still think that is too late, but is a better launch window then Spring at least.

http://www.justpushstart.com/2011/0...-february-28-2012-leaked-by-playstation-blog/[/QUOTE]
For people that don't want to click on the link, they claim that an article announcing the NA launch was accidentally published on the PS Blog and taken down immediately, but they didn't take a screencap to have some sort of proof that this actually happened.
 
Feb is traditionally the weakest month in retail year. Couple that with the weakest us economy in many years, and I fear for the Vita in NA. I want it to do well, so games come out for it, but worry.

This will be a gamers device only. Last gen, I often saw my sons friends with psp's, but this time around their parents will be buying the iPods. The market for a dedicated portable gaming machine is half what it was; ipod is smaller, can text, makes kids feel like the have a cel phone, fits in a front pocket, can play tons of games. The only reason I see my sons friends being into this is if they could play BlOps on it at recess. So the dual stick could save the vita's ass in NA, but they will need to advertise it big time. So those of us who do get one, buy games! Need to show the pubs there is a real market here.
 
[quote name='Chris in Cali']Man, Shipwreck really likes to point out anything negative when it comes to the Vita, and Sony in general it seems.[/QUOTE]

True, and I also think he sort of misses the point with Vita, at least for sizeable part of its audience. For those in the West who still like Japanese-developed games, the Vita is likely the console you're going to want to own, portability issues aside. The PSP eventually turned into the place for high quality RPG, action-RPG, and strategy-RPG games from 2009 onwards, and attention to those genres looks to continue with games like Persona 4 Golden already announced.
 
Not saying it means much but Amazon updated their ship date for my Vita pre-order to April 4th, 2012.

Granted its probably just another made up date but a change none the less.
 
Have they actually announced NA pricing for accessories or is everybody assuming that the straight conversion from Yen to Dollars are the official prices?
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Have they actually announced NA pricing for accessories or is everybody assuming that the straight conversion from Yen to Dollars are the official prices?[/QUOTE]

Not sure, but what are the odds that Sony does not gauge people on accessories? They did it with the PSP and just in general have put out their accessories for far more then many people feel comfortable paying. Dont get me wrong I want to be super hyped about the Vita and I hope they put out the mem cards at a reasonable price....im just not expecting it by any means.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Like Destructoid pointed out, its nice to see...but then you have to figure in the ungodly cost for their memory cards and it negates the savings.[/QUOTE]

As long as you can re-download games from the cloud or your computer, you can get by with fewer memory cards and it's only the upfront cost that gets you.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Not sure, but what are the odds that Sony does not gauge people on accessories? They did it with the PSP and just in general have put out their accessories for far more then many people feel comfortable paying. Dont get me wrong I want to be super hyped about the Vita and I hope they put out the mem cards at a reasonable price....im just not expecting it by any means.[/QUOTE]
I'm talking about using Yen conversions as what will be NA MSRP, which isn't a good assumption to make. Just using the article linked earlier, we should be expecting $60 Vita games when we know they're $40. Accessory pricing at launch will always be a bit expensive, which is why this site exists to find good deals and bring down the costs to a more reasonable level.

In other news, Marvel Pinball for Vita is a launch game with cross-platform stuff:
On to some PS Vita news! Marvel Pinball is looking really sharp on PlayStation’s upcoming handheld. We cannot say enough about how freaking awesome this new device is and how amazing it is to develop on. Marvel Pinball is making full use of PS Vita’s coolest features, including both front- and back-panel touch support, gyro sensor, accelerometer and last but not least, cross-platform functionality with PSN. As we get closer to the release of Marvel Pinball on PS Vita, we will definitely provide more details on all of these features. One more thing: Look for Marvel Pinball to be available for PS Vita starting day one!
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http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/10/13/marvel-pinball-ghost-rider-trailer-ps-vita-plans/

Also:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/level-5s-time-travelers-also-coming-to-vita-and-psp/

Level 5's 3DS game Time Travelers is coming to Vita, and PSP, which is apparently some sort of adventure game.
 
With a cap of what, 20 Mb for 3G downloads why on earth would anyone pay the extra $50 to get that one? Seems ridiculous to me.
 
[quote name='keithp']With a cap of what, 20 Mb for 3G downloads why on earth would anyone pay the extra $50 to get that one? Seems ridiculous to me.[/QUOTE]
Because it would be used for more than just downloading games?
 
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011...-software-developers-talk-genesis-of-ps-vita/

Sony's posted a Developer Diary about the Vita's creation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKpe2Ax8N2g

Edit: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011...ting-fans-to-touch-my-katamari-this-february/

Namco confirms that Touch My Katamari, Ridge Racer, and Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen are launch titles. Some details on Touch My Katamari control options:
I’ve been checking out the latest builds of the game since TGS, and the Prince’s next adventure is just as nonsensical as ever. Fans have been dying to have an on-the-go, two-analog stick version of Katamari for ages, and TOUCH MY KATAMARI does it right. In addition to the two sticks, players can also opt to use the front touch screen itself to control the ball, but what’s unique is what can be done with the rear touch panel…

Players use their fingers to stretch and squeeze the ball into oblong shapes that will help the Prince navigate under short passageways or into narrow crevasses. Just a quick tap of both fingers on the rear panel and *SPROOOIIING* – your Katamari is perfectly spherical again!
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IGN article on DLC and memory cards...

Sony has outlined the first crop of PlayStation Vita games that will require a memory card and what the means for future DLC. So far, the list is short but significant.

Kotaku has reported that its Japanese branch has been sent details by Sony of the games that will require memory card assisted saving and those that will not. One list is significantly longer than the other, with the games capable of storing save data on the Vita game card confirmed as:

Asphalt: Injection, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, F1 2011, Dynasty Warriors Musou Next, Shin Kamaitachi no Yoru, Dark Quest, Shinobodo 2, Power Smash 3, BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend, The Michael Jackson Experience, Mah-Jong Fight Club, Let's Try Bass Fishing: Fish On Next, and Lord of Apocalypse.

Those that will require one of Sony's proprietary memory cards include: @field, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Dream Club Zero, Disgaea 3, Hot Shots Golf 6, Monster Raider, and Ridge Racer.

According to Sony, the choice of whether a game will require a memory card or not is up to the developer, but those titles that save data direct to the game card will not be capable of supporting DLC. A translation of the Japanese Vita FAQ suggests that the advantage of saving direct to the game card is the "simplicity" that this system offers, whereas saving to memory card offers "scalability".

It seems likely, then, that if you're to play Vita's most high-profile games you're going to need to fork out for a Sony memory card which will retail alongside the Vita in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavours ranging from approximately ¥2,200/$29/£18 to ¥9,500/$125/£78. Though as we're all too aware, pricing is rarely a case of a direct currency conversion.

PlayStation Vita launches in Japan on December 17 and in North America and PAL territories on February 22 2012.
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I think the higher cap cards are really just for media. If you want to save money (who doesn't), I think you can get away with a 4gb for a long time. Game saves should be small, updates shouldn't be too bad either.
 
I think even with New Vegas 4GB save cards would last a long time, right? Even with a game with a giant world that's saving almost everything (my saves are up to over 7MB each in New Vegas now! Though I'm close to the end...which probably means I have several weeks left! :D )
 
If you only need a card for game saves, I'd agree that a 4GB should last you a while. However, if you you'll be buying games on PSN, you'll probably want a larger card...possibly much larger if you like to have more than one game installed and ready to play.

Then again, it's not much different than the DSi/3DS..except for Sony using proprietary cards vs. Nintendo using inexpensive SD cards. We'll probably be paying double the cost of an SD card and I think it is unlikely there will be third-party vendors of the Vita storage cards.
 
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