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

The back touchscreen, camera, and "all the other crap" are kind of a necessary part of what's unique about Vita, so I don't know why you want them to cut all of the interesting stuff just for internal storage. You didn't mention any of that before, so it sounds like you keep changing your mind about what you want or how you'd expect them to get to this magical price point of yours. Did you just want a more powerful PSP with a second stick and internal storage?

It's a good thing that you have a great memory. I only post about my experiences and how things affect me, so I don't really know what you're specifically talking about. It doesn't seem like you're above spinning things to the point where if someone doesn't agree with you, then they must be defending Sony rather than having their own opinions that differ from yours. I know you're the type of person that hates a lot of things, so I can see how that can happen since I tend to be more positive about stuff usually if it's something I want to talk about. I don't know what any of that has to do with this particular discussion anyway.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']The back touchscreen, camera, and "all the other crap" are kind of a necessary part of what's unique about Vita, so I don't know why you want them to cut all of the interesting stuff just for internal storage. You didn't mention any of that before, so it sounds like you keep changing your mind about what you want or how you'd expect them to get to this magical price point of yours. Did you just want a more powerful PSP with a second stick and internal storage?

It's a good thing that you have a great memory. I only post about my experiences and how things affect me, so I don't really know what you're specifically talking about. It doesn't seem like you're above spinning things to the point where if someone doesn't agree with you, then they must be defending Sony rather than having their own opinions that differ from yours. I know you're the type of person that hates a lot of things, so I can see how that can happen since I tend to be more positive about stuff usually if it's something I want to talk about. I don't know what any of that has to do with this particular discussion anyway.[/QUOTE]

And the 3D of the 3DS was the interesting part of it....and how did that end up? With most people playing with the 3D off. Same with the DS which people went gaga over the touch screen and after a year or two most games didnt use the touch screen or used it as a gimmick. Being unique is not everything. What is so amazingly unique about the IOS products? Nothing! Yet what did they do, they ate the lunch of every game dev out there and a big chunk of other industries(music to boot).

I love the way too that you jump to conclusions saying I am the type of person that hates lots of things. You just assume you know me. Great debate tactic. In the past I am accused of being a Sony fanboy...but to you I am just the grumpy guy that hates everything and says other people love Sony. Sounds about right.

Look all I want is reasonable prices and features that are actually useful. The DS proved its second screen was usefull and to a lesser extent that touch gaming could have at least some games that were unique, fun and not possible without it. All the extra stuff in the Vita just strikes me as the 3D in the 3DS, it is not a game changer its just a feature to try and sell casuals on "ooo look the future!". Meanwhile a Hardrive is something that the IOS devices, the PS3 and the 360 have all proven are very important to gamers now days. As I have said multiple times before(you keep accusing me of not saying things but go back and actually read my posts vs just chalking me up as hater)Sony loves to push how you can play music, download games, upload movies and do all this other stuff with the Vita....yet you cant without a mem card. So whats more important? The hard drive that lets you actually use the systems built in features....or the abilty to touch the back of the system and have it detect it? I already know what you will answer so here is the follow up questions, how many games actually use those new Vita features in a way that will change our industry and blow our minds vs just ammuse us for a year then be forgotten about like the 3DS 3D.
 
I you take away the touchscreens, the camera's, etc, then what's the point? You have a glorified smartphone, minus the phone. I for one am a gamer...and I welcome unique features that differentiate the Vita from other handhelds/devices.
 
[quote name='SynGamer']I you take away the touchscreens, the camera's, etc, then what's the point? You have a glorified smartphone, minus the phone. I for one am a gamer...and I welcome unique features that differentiate the Vita from other handhelds/devices.[/QUOTE]

Same could have been said about the DS...and you know what you would have got? New Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi, 3 great Castlevania games and a million other great titles that did not use the DS touch screen. For every game that actually used the unique features well like Layton there were two dozen or more games like Final Fantasy Tactics that either didnt use it at all or people found it easier to use non touch controls.

Just look at Vita previews. What do journalists talk about and rant about? How gorgeous the screen is, how big the screen is, how impressive the graphics are and the killer line up of games. Rarely do you hear people talk about loving the new back touch panel, generally I see them say "played Uncharted and wished the Sony rep would stop trying to get me to use the stupid back touch panel and Gyro". Honestly yes for some gamers waggle, gyrogaming and other wonky ways of playing are a passion.....most people though just play the rare good game that use it and then go back to playing the vast majority of games that dont use the silly new tech.

So yeah sorry I and I bet a majority of other gamers would rather just have the "glorified smart phone" which frankly is a bad way of putting it because the Vita smashes the smart phone in game controls, graphics and developer support. I love my Ipad(wonky gyroscope games and all!)but its no replacment for hardcore gaming.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']And the 3D of the 3DS was the interesting part of it....and how did that end up? With most people playing with the 3D off. Same with the DS which people went gaga over the touch screen and after a year or two most games didnt use the touch screen or used it as a gimmick. Being unique is not everything. What is so amazingly unique about the IOS products? Nothing! Yet what did they do, they ate the lunch of every game dev out there and a big chunk of other industries(music to boot).

I love the way too that you jump to conclusions saying I am the type of person that hates lots of things. You just assume you know me. Great debate tactic. In the past I am accused of being a Sony fanboy...but to you I am just the grumpy guy that hates everything and says other people love Sony. Sounds about right.

Look all I want is reasonable prices and features that are actually useful. The DS proved its second screen was usefull and to a lesser extent that touch gaming could have at least some games that were unique, fun and not possible without it. All the extra stuff in the Vita just strikes me as the 3D in the 3DS, it is not a game changer its just a feature to try and sell casuals on "ooo look the future!". Meanwhile a Hardrive is something that the IOS devices, the PS3 and the 360 have all proven are very important to gamers now days. As I have said multiple times before(you keep accusing me of not saying things but go back and actually read my posts vs just chalking me up as hater)Sony loves to push how you can play music, download games, upload movies and do all this other stuff with the Vita....yet you cant without a mem card. So whats more important? The hard drive that lets you actually use the systems built in features....or the abilty to touch the back of the system and have it detect it? I already know what you will answer so here is the follow up questions, how many games actually use those new Vita features in a way that will change our industry and blow our minds vs just ammuse us for a year then be forgotten about like the 3DS 3D.[/QUOTE]
The difference between 3DS and Vita is that 3D is an unproven tech that nobody really knows if it's a long-term standard or if it'll be a fad like previous versions of the tech. Touchscreens, cameras, and such are kind of proven things that are expected from portable gaming/multimedia devices now. The back touchscreen is the only questionable thing about it and that isn't the backbone of the featureset. The touchscreen was a big part of the DS' appeal and a predecessor of some sort as to why it was huge for smartphones to make that the main way to interact with them. Features don't have to be used in every game to be worthwhile additions. Not every iOS game uses the camera or tilt functionality, but they're meaningful to it as a platform.

You do realize that there wasn't really anything like an iPhone when that came out and now everybody in the phone business has copied them to create a lot of "Me, too" products, right? iOS is far from a great gaming platform, though it's gotten better with each update.

You started it by turning the discussion away from the topic at hand and onto me as a Sony defender despite not having said anything that could be described as such. I wasn't judging you as a person, just a poster on CAG based on the posts I've seen from you that are generally negative about most things. You've literally made those accusations about me in this thread, so you can't really act like you haven't done that before.

As I said about iOS games, not every game needs to use every feature for them to be meaningful parts of the platform. Having the games that do make use of those features use them well is far more important than distilling all potential features down to what you want every game to use, as Sony's looking to court a large variety of games from the traditional button-based games to the more casual iOS-style games that they hope fill out the bottom portion of the library on PSN. Nowhere in the discussion we were having did you bring up the need to cut features to fulfill your wish of a 32 GB Vita for $300, but I see a post where you say something like that in the short post history below of this reply box so I apologize for not doing the research on your posts in this thread. Though you should make your points clearly if you're doing a "this is how you fix the problem" discussion. Leaving out important aspects of your points makes it seem questionable that new things keep popping out of nowhere.

You think you know me, but I wouldn't say that either internal storage or the back touchscreen is more important. You don't need internal storage at all as I've said before. Just stick a 4 GB card in every box to give everybody a taste of what it can do and you'll get the more hardcore users to upgrade to bigger cards and the more casual users will manage their content like they do on their iPod Touch or iPhone. This obsession with internal storage is only a detriment to your point because it involves a lot more costs than you realize and you can have both storage and a back touchscreen without them being mutually exclusive. Now what's your follow-up question?

I'm very much looking forward to getting a Vita since the lineup is appealing to me, I have plenty of digital PSP games to play on it to fill the gaps, and I like the potential of what the system can do. The memory card prices aren't ideal, but I can lower the cost of that easily to make it more digestible when the time comes. It's not set in stone since there's still two months until launch, but they'd need a doozy of a negative to pop up at the last moment to really force me to wait.
 
1. Cameras and what not are hardly seen as must haves in gaming. They are seen that way for phones by a fair % of people but hardly all people and hardly in gaming. I have never known someone to decide or not decide to buy a gaming device based on camera.

2. It is not just back touch screens that are new its also the gyroscope and again 3G is hardly a needed feature for most people(especially considering most people have their phone for that).

3. Most people I know buy their handhelds based on one of three things...none of which are "does it have a touch screen and a camera". The first is pricing, the second is what games are available and the third is "OMG ITS NEW ITS COOL AND LOOK AT THAT WEIRD GIMMICK GIMME GIMME GIMME. The DS had all 3 of these going for it. It had the double screens it had the touch screens, it had pokemon/Mario and it was much cheaper then its competition. Thus it sold. You are taking the wrong lessons from history and that you act like the Vita must have a camera or a touch screen but not two screens shows that you are just picking and choosing features to fit your logic. Gamers will buy systems for hit games and parents will buy kids systems because its the newest coolest must have item or has a game they wont shut up about(neither of which Sony is setting themselves up for with Vita).

4. Again you are proving you are not reading my posts by saying I am hung up on internal storage. Do I think it was stupid of Sony to include all this extra junk over internal storage? Yep! Do I think its stupid to try and push this as a multimedia device despite the fact that you cant store jack crap on it? YEP! Do I think its stupid to try and push digital gaming and say you recognize its the future but release a system unable to download/store those games? Yep! But do i think it was a make or break feature? Nope!

I do not think they MUST include internal storage to succeed....but I do think its incredibly stupid to handle things the way Sony has. Go back and read my last 3 or so posts carefully, you will see time and time again that I have said it wouldn't be that bad if they just priced these cards appropriately. Sony could have released the system without any internal storage(or your 4GB card thing is a good idea) but made these cards 1/3rd the price by using SD cards...but they didnt do that. Instead the filled the system up with all this gimmick stuff in hopes of drawing the casual market and then made their memory sticks expensive as hell to make up selling the system at a loss. THAT is what I have a problem with and THAT is why I say you are on Sonys wang. Hell even a few months ago when I bitched when they announced the Japanese prices you were on my ass saying its not official in the US...now it is and you still defend them.

Any way you look at it I am done with this. Despite your thinking I am just some grump that wants to bitch id rather spend my time playing games then arguing about em(meaning this has wasted too much time!). Ill read your response and may even give a nod to it....but I aint arguing about such pointless stuff anymore(especially if you are going to make it personal attacking my "grumpy personality").
 
1. By itself? Nobody would be stupid enough to buy a gaming system that only offered a camera for input, but as a part of a package with other stuff, it can be a good bonus.

2. iPhone 4 has a gyroscope, so that's a standard feature now.

3. I'm not acting like it needs those things to succeed, but they're expected in a world where the iOS ecosystem is considered to be the future of handheld gaming. Just looking at the iPod Touch page on Apple's site, they advertise features based on the gyroscope/accelerometer and camera, so how are those not expected features for a device that's competing with Apple. Look at all of the speculation over what PSP2 would be and many of the things that Vita has were on most of those lists, so how am I the only one that thinks those were expected features? Why does Vita need two screens? It's neat for what the DS/3DS is doing, but I don't think there are more than maybe two products out there that are trying to use the dual screen thing for tablet/phone needs.

Did I not list the games and the gimmicks as two of the major reasons for why I'm looking to get a Vita at launch? How did I say any different than what you're claiming that I'm saying?

4. When all you've talked about in this discussion is the need for a 32 GB Vita for $300 instead of their current set of SKUs, it's hard of hard to see it as anything but a major part of your point. You think several of their major marketing points relies on having that but that it can still succeed without it? I haven't gotten that vibe from your posts AT ALL.

Now you're flat out making shit up to call me a Sony fanboy. I'm about done discussing this with somebody that can't resort to namecalling in a discussion. Nowhere did I defend the prices of the memory cards, so you're clearly lying about that.
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']I don't like the memory card prices either.[/QUOTE]

I only said to wait for NA pricing because I don't see the point in raging over yen pricing when pricing in our own region hadn't been announced. What point does it serve? I always err for factual proof rather than jumping to conclusions about ANYTHING.

Of course, if I'm not in complete agreement with you, I'm on Sony's dick. It's either pro-MSI Magus or pro-Sony. I can't be somewhere in between or in my own corner. Nope, just personal attacks from you. I'm done with this "discussion."
 
So........

I read on Joystiq today that downloadable games on Vita will cost possibly 40% less than their retail counterparts. I'm all about physical copies but this is nice for those who like downloadable versions.

Also, not to butt into the debate but my 2 cents is that Sony could've done better to include a 2 GB card or something into the bundle. The memory card prices will come down over time but as long as you have a PS3, you should be fine with a 4 GB for the time being. Personally, unless I come into some extra cash I'm going to be holding out on getting a Vita until a holiday bundle is released this time next year. I really want to play some Uncharted but I have alot of PSP RPG's left to play anyway.
 
1. Camera - adds to cost and will likely not be used.
2. Touch pad on back - adds to cost will likely be largely unused.
3. Touch screen on front - needed just so the system doesn't feel antiquated, but no one is going to buy a Vita for touch only games, when playing those types of game on your phone is more convenient, and 10x cheaper. ($0.99 vs $9.99 for same game in PSP era).
4. Motion controls - even ios devs have mostly abandoned these by now.

The comment about "Nintendo proved the dual screen is useful", is kind of BS. Nintendo just threw features at the wall, some of it stuck. The dev's proved the screen could be useful, though more for the fact it was touch than anything.

Countering my own points:
But this is basically what Sony is doing with Vita features. Putting a bunch of shit on it that they are *hoping* dev's will figure out something cool to do with one of them, or a couple in combination. I do think that there will be a lot of people who look at the list of features and say, "oooohhhhh, more features equals awesome", and buy one. Even though the features they will get 99% of their enjoyment out of is powerful cpu/gpu and nice screen, dual sticks. But it is still more sales.

Unfortunately those features drive up the cost for those of use that only want the powerful cpu/gpu and nice screen, dual sticks. But just maybe... a dev will come out with a killer way of using those features, and we will saying how Sony showed us they were useful features years from now. Though seeing as all those features (except back touch) are also-rans it seems unlikely.

~S
 
[quote name='Josh5890']So........

I read on Joystiq today that downloadable games on Vita will cost possibly 40% less than their retail counterparts. I'm all about physical copies but this is nice for those who like downloadable versions.

Also, not to butt into the debate but my 2 cents is that Sony could've done better to include a 2 GB card or something into the bundle. The memory card prices will come down over time but as long as you have a PS3, you should be fine with a 4 GB for the time being. Personally, unless I come into some extra cash I'm going to be holding out on getting a Vita until a holiday bundle is released this time next year. I really want to play some Uncharted but I have alot of PSP RPG's left to play anyway.[/QUOTE]

On the flip side, they'll likely never be discounted like physical games tend to be at some point.
 
[quote name='snowsquirrel']1. Camera - adds to cost and will likely not be used.
2. Touch pad on back - adds to cost will likely be largely unused.
3. Touch screen on front - needed just so the system doesn't feel antiquated, but no one is going to buy a Vita for touch only games, when playing those types of game on your phone is more convenient, and 10x cheaper. ($0.99 vs $9.99 for same game in PSP era).
4. Motion controls - even ios devs have mostly abandoned these by now.

The comment about "Nintendo proved the dual screen is useful", is kind of BS. Nintendo just threw features at the wall, some of it stuck. The dev's proved the screen could be useful, though more for the fact it was touch than anything.

Countering my own points:
But this is basically what Sony is doing with Vita features. Putting a bunch of shit on it that they are *hoping* dev's will figure out something cool to do with one of them, or a couple in combination. I do think that there will be a lot of people who look at the list of features and say, "oooohhhhh, more features equals awesome", and buy one. Even though the features they will get 99% of their enjoyment out of is powerful cpu/gpu and nice screen, dual sticks. But it is still more sales.

Unfortunately those features drive up the cost for those of use that only want the powerful cpu/gpu and nice screen, dual sticks. But just maybe... a dev will come out with a killer way of using those features, and we will saying how Sony showed us they were useful features years from now. Though seeing as all those features (except back touch) are also-rans it seems unlikely.

~S[/QUOTE]

Thank you. The reason the IOS devices have began dominating has Zero to do with features. I do not see people playing games all the time that use most of those features or talking about them as selling points. Instead the reason IOS has dominated(and to a lesser extent the DS early in its life)is because of pricing, convenience and hype. My mother got my brother an Iphone because he wanted something with texting and many of the features of the Iphone anyways, but then she knew she could buy tons of $1 games for him vs $30 on the DS. It was a cost savings not a feature descion. Same is true for many of my younger cousins whose parents have done the same thing and i have heard other parents on podcasts like gamerswithjobs. Hype also plays a large roll, you are just not cool...hell your not even normal if you do not have a Droid or IOS device now days. Our family treats my wife and I as some kind of weird subspecies because we do not have texting, and my brother cried because he didnt have an iphone and all the other cool kids did. People dont go and spend hundreds on a device because it has a touch screen...they do it because all their friend are.

Looking at the IOS devices and claiming they sold because of the camera or touch screen is like looking at the NES and claiming it sold because it had a dpad.
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']On the flip side, they'll likely never be discounted like physical games tend to be at some point.[/QUOTE]

Don't be so quick to assume that. PSN has quietly had some sales on PSP games and all of them have recieved permanent price cuts at some point.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']3. Most people I know[/QUOTE]
That doesn't equate to the millions of people who will be buying the PSVita. I didn't read the rest of your post as it's likely more BS about how the features the PSVita sports aren't necessary.

Again, my rebuttal: that's what makes it unique. Those features are there to lend another layer for developers to use to immerse us in games. No one is forcing you to buy it or like it. We clearly get that you don't, but your argument that these features aren't needed is completely wrong. I'm a gamer, so I'm especially looking forward to the touchscreen games as well as the hardcore old controls games...again, the options are there for everyone to enjoy.

EDIT: as for the back touchpad...I can't imagine how awesome a Child of Eden-like game with touch controls would be on the PSVIta. Just sayin' ;)
 
[quote name='Josh5890']Don't be so quick to assume that. PSN has quietly had some sales on PSP games and all of them have recieved permanent price cuts at some point.[/QUOTE]

I'll grant that 'never' is a strong word, but there is some concern if that pricing structure is true. The bottom line is that if digital copies sell for 40% less than retail versions at the game's release, there's a much, much smaller chance of a discount or sale. Let's be fair, how long does it take most retail games to drop to a PERMANENT price point of 40% off? 6 months? A year? It depends on the company, but the general idea would be that until the retail version hits a dedicated price point that's equal to the digital version there's really no incentive for Sony or other developers to mark down and *already* marked down game.

Of course, I disagree with that structure anyway, just because of the implication. Yes, I completely understand that creating artwork, manufacturing packaging, and shipping to a store cost money, but I can't shake the feeling of "Well, if you're willing to charge me 40% less for the same game as a download, then you're overcharging me for the physical copy." I understand the economics of it, but it makes me question what they would call the 'true' value of the game I'm purchasing. Totally impractical in terms of the economics behind it, but that's how I feel.
 
[quote name='007']I'll grant that 'never' is a strong word, but there is some concern if that pricing structure is true. The bottom line is that if digital copies sell for 40% less than retail versions at the game's release, there's a much, much smaller chance of a discount or sale. Let's be fair, how long does it take most retail games to drop to a PERMANENT price point of 40% off? 6 months? A year? It depends on the company, but the general idea would be that until the retail version hits a dedicated price point that's equal to the digital version there's really no incentive for Sony or other developers to mark down and *already* marked down game.

Of course, I disagree with that structure anyway, just because of the implication. Yes, I completely understand that creating artwork, manufacturing packaging, and shipping to a store cost money, but I can't shake the feeling of "Well, if you're willing to charge me 40% less for the same game as a download, then you're overcharging me for the physical copy." I understand the economics of it, but it makes me question what they would call the 'true' value of the game I'm purchasing. Totally impractical in terms of the economics behind it, but that's how I feel.[/QUOTE]

I do agree with your points but lets remember that Sony hasn't confirmed anything. I think 25% is more likely for most games ($39.99 retail/$29.99 PSN)
 
Yeah, that was my planned but unwritten third paragraph.

40% seems way too steep. That makes a $40 game $25. I think something in the neighborhood of 20% sounds a little more reasonable, which makes a $40 game $32. It's not a gigantic discount, but enough that it makes the digital one more palatable without devaluing the retail copy.

Like you said, though... as with most things recently about the Vita, nothing is confirmed by Sony.

What about that 'no MSRP for games' thing? Was that ever actually confirmed?
 
[quote name='007']Yeah, that was my planned but unwritten third paragraph.

40% seems way too steep. That makes a $40 game $25. I think something in the neighborhood of 20% sounds a little more reasonable, which makes a $40 game $32.
[/QUOTE]

If Sony is trying to combat iOS and Android gaming, I can see the $25 price tag for downloaded games. They have to combat the 99 cent iPhone apps and $5-$10 games. We can debate the controls and other aspects ad nauseum. However, as consumers become accustomed to those prices on other devices, they'll be less likely to spend $40 on a handheld game. A $20-$25 game that, in some cases, can be played alongside the console version? People might pay that.

It's not a gigantic discount, but enough that it makes the digital one more palatable without devaluing the retail copy.
Click to expand...

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/1001/

I don't know what the numbers look like this year, but according to this site, 54% of all internet connectivity was still dial-up in 2010. Many people use their Smartphones as their sole computer, so they can't use PSN to download games. Those people would pay $40/game (or less if they can shop online on their phone/at work).

Sony sent me a survey a few months back about the Vita. All of the questions concerned download pricing.
I don't remember all the questions they asked, but they pointed at a pricing model where PSN games were significantly less than their physical counterparts. There were some questions about PS Plus discounts, too.
 
[quote name='62t']That link also said 94.55% of internet usage in the USA in December 2009 was broadband[/QUOTE]

I believe that refers to overall bandwidth used, not % of connections that are broadband. However, that's an ugly, poorly worded site to begin with.
 
[quote name='orntar']Maybe I'm not fully understanding this, but it doesn't sound like that big of a deal...

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/08/sony-vita-will-support-multiple-psn-accounts-each-tied-to-indi/

It does sound like a dumb move on Sony's part, but it wont affect me, I think.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like it's just a way to force the content to be associated with a PSN identity. Alternative is to have the console hold the identity in minimal onboard memory and play any PSN content on any card, i.e. play pirated content.
 
A bunch of info on the Vita version of MLB 12: The Show has been revealed on the PS Blog:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/08/batter-up-mlb-12-the-show-for-ps3-and-ps-vita/

Revamped commentary, presentation, Move support, and a bunch of Vita info have been revealed:
Despite my bulging pectorals, rippling six-pack abs, and chiseled physique, I’m honestly not much of an athlete. But I don’t need to be a sports expert to see the appeal behind MLB 12 The Show, the slavishly faithful baseball simulation that consistently ranks as the sport’s most respected gaming franchise. At a holiday showcase event in New York City last night, I took a few swings with an early build of MLB 12 The Show, including the PlayStation Move-enhanced PS3 edition and the all-new PS Vita iteration.

The game’s community manager, Ramone Russell, described how the San Diego team began development with a gruelingly in-depth focus test. The goal: to suss out what core players didn’t like about last year’s edition. “The key feedback we heard involved our presentation and commentary, so that’s our number one focus this year.” Russell described a new feature called True Broadcast Presentation, which accurately recreates broadcast camera cuts and other presentation signatures you’d see in a televised MLB broadcast. “We’re trying to blur the lines between baseball simulation on your PS3 and what you’d see on MLB.TV sitting on your couch,” Russell explained. “When a batter strikes out, the camera will cut and you will see his face, his anger.”

Commentary, which Russell specifically described as the “number one complaint” from last year’s game, is seeing a similarly massive overhaul. “You’ll hear more season-specific commentary, more conversation pieces,” Russell explained. “The commentators are going to talk about the MVP race, the Cy Young race, the series that you played in two days before. They’re going to talk about how your pitcher is having an awful year because he’s 5 and 15.”

Expansive PlayStation Move support is another key upgrade this year, being tightly integrated into almost every facet of the game, from batting to pitching to fielding to baserunning. Then there’s the hotly anticipated PS Vita version, which will mirror virtually every game feature, mode, and mechanic from the PS3 version and displays graphics that sparkle on the system’s 5’’ OLED screen. You’ll also be able to share your PS3 save files to the cloud, then pull them down on PS Vita and pick up your progress seamlessly.

I sat down with Russell to dig into the all the new details. If you’ve got further questions, let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to get you answers.

PlayStation.Blog: What’s your personal favorite addition this year?

Ramone Russell, Community Manager: I think it’s our new ball physics. Our programmer ripped out every line of last year’s code and completely re-invented the way the ball acts. It’s a nerd feature, but it adds so much to the game. The baseball gains and loses energy like a real baseball, and if you go into replay, you can count the rotations – that ball is going to spin the way it’s supposed to. This opens up the game because we have bloopers, ricochets off the bases, balls going into no man’s land….it’s much more dynamic and engaging.

PSB: Let’s talk turkey on PlayStation Move. It’s not just for batting, right?

RR: Last year was just Home Run Derby mode, but this year it’s used for batting, pitching, fielding, and base running. There is a learning curve to all of this, but we wanted to make it more fun than just flicking your Move at the screen over and over. That would get boring!

Batting’s much better. Last year, you just saw a floating bat, which created a disconnect. This year, you see the full batter on screen and he’ll move his bat around as you move your bat around. Pitching is really simple: you grab the Move, draw it back, and “throw” it like a real baseball. For fielding, you’ll actually catch the ball when you’re playing with Move, then flick it over to throw it to first base, flick it up for second base, or down for home plate. When you’re running bases, you’ll play as the base runner coach. To signal to your runner to advance, you swirl the Move clockwise; to stop him, you hold the Move straight up. We wanted to be creative with the motion control support, so we hope people like it.

PSB: What was the overall goal for the PS Vita version of MLB 12 The Show?

RR: We started out with a prototype phase. We had to decide on what kind of experience we wanted to give PS Vita players – it’s a handheld, so the play sessions are usually quicker. We thought about doing something totally different, maybe an arcade version of baseball. But we ultimately thought it made the most sense to recreate the entire PS3 experience on PS Vita. The Vita’s powerful enough to do that. So every single feature this year, from MLB 09, 10, 11 are all in the PS Vita version.

We’re also taking advantage of the unique hardware. You can use the front touch to navigate menus or select pitches, and you can use the back touchscreen for fielding and pick-offs.

Have you designed any special modes for PS Vita to accommodate those quicker play sessions?

Yep, that was important because research shows that handheld players play for 15 to 30 minutes, tops. We give you the ability to fast-play through a game by cutting out a lot of the presentation, the camera cuts, to shorten the length of games.

Will PS3 and PS Vita players be able to compete with each other online?

Not this year. It’s something that’s on our radar and we’ll investigate for next year.

Will the PS Vita version include multiplayer at all?

In some way, shape or form, yes. We’re still in the works on that.

What’s the release timeframe for the PS Vita version?

It’ll be release in a similar timeframe as the PS3 version. We haven’t nailed down the exact timing yet for either game, but you can expect it around the same timeframe as the PS3 version this spring.

Graphically, how would you say the PS Vita version stacks up to the PS3 game?

When you see it, I think you’ll be surprised. Vita’s a powerhouse. We have it locked at 30 frames per second, and the visuals are very comparable to the PS3 version. That’s something we just couldn’t accomplish on PSP.

You’ve been suspiciously quiet about multiplayer modes so far – you’re probably still ironing out the details, but can you give PlayStation.Blog readers a sneak peek of what’s in store?

For PS3, we have a brand-new mode that is really, really innovative. Nobody has every done a multiplayer mode like this in any sports game, ever. We’re going to reveal it in early 2012. So in addition to the other features I told you about, there’s still this secret feature that we’ll be talking about soon. We think people are going to love it.
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“This economy’s been down for the last few years, and it’s hard to ask somebody to spend $60 every year,” Russell concluded. “But we never want anybody to have to think twice about that, we want it to be a no-brainer. There’s so much content here that you’ll never want to touch MLB 11 The Show ever again.”
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I want to know if I can take my RTTS (player) or my franchise from my PS3 copy and play it on the go on my Vita copy. I would buy both games for that ability.
 
That's what it says in the last sentence of the first paragraph about the Vita version:
You’ll also be able to share your PS3 save files to the cloud, then pull them down on PS Vita and pick up your progress seamlessly.
Click to expand...
I'm wondering how the cloud save stuff works since it's separate from the universal PS+ feature that is already in place. Is it just an in-game thing for the games that support it or will it be an app that manages Vita/PS3 cloud saves?
 
Some other new Vita game stuff on the PS Blog:

Rey interviews James Mielke from Q? Entertainment about Lumines: Electronic Symphony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=v=6qXh0mdbwCc

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/12/09/doctor-who-the-eternity-clock-coming-to-ps3-and-ps-vita/

There's a Doctor Who game being made for PS3 and Vita by the team that made Tumble and the two Start the Party games on PS3 and there's just a teaser trailer for the game at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=v=U5y8_hkQOIM

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011...3-multiplayer-ninja-gaiden-sigma-for-ps-vita/

I guess there's an improved version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma coming to Vita around launch, though they barely acknowledge its existence in this post despite it being mentioned in the title.

Andriasang has a bunch of gameplay videos and trailers for Vita games:

Super Monkey Ball
LittleBigPlanet
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Little King's Story
Gravity Daze
Persona 4: The Golden

They also have info on Sega's new Vita game, Samurai & Dragons:

http://andriasang.com/comz7v/sega_samurai_dragons/
http://andriasang.com/comz8a/samurai_dragon_update/
http://andriasang.com/comz8d/samurai_and_dragons_first_look/
 
[quote name='Thomas96']Any estimates on how much the 3G service will cost for th Vita?[/QUOTE]

Just a guess but probably same as ipad
 
I keep hearing people complain about how tight it is to use the analog sticks...to which I propose someone needs to make the extenders like we currently have for the PS3 and 360 controllers ;)
 
I got to play with Vita in Santa Monica on the Third Street Promenade.

Here are my impressions:

Analog sticks: Really like these. Their height is good and they have a decent amount of throw. They aren't really springy like I felt the psp nub was, meaning it would make your thumb tired to hold it for long. They have a nice light rubberized texture which feels good and allows a decent amount of grip.

Size and design of the unit: The unit didn't feel all that much bigger than the PSP (I didn't have one to compare against). The design is really nice looking, and although this wasn't a production unit, it looked pretty close. The design was pretty similar to the original PSP design, which I liked. It seems like the face buttons got a little smaller, which isn't a big deal. It was comfortable to hold and it wasn't awkward using any of the buttons. It only becomes awkward if you want to use the rear touchpad and you have to pinch the unit with your thumbs to hold it steady. It is still a neat concept an I'd like to see it used. I tried it out on little deviants and uncharted.

Screen: Big and beautiful. I really liked the screen, although the place I played it in had some skylights so I was able to see how it performs in direct sunlight; i.e. you don't want to play with it in direct sunlight. The screen is big enough to differentiate it from mobile phones and I think Sony made the right choice here. The brightness is nice, colors are crisp and it has good contrast. Obviously ghosting isn't an issue with OLED.

Software: It's meant to be touch-based by how it is designed, which may irk some people (you can still use the sticks). The interface made sense and was nice to navigate through, though. I couldn't test the browser because they didn't have it on wifi.

The games:

Uncharted: Looks really good. It's obvious the polygon count isn't high enough and the textures aren't quite as good as uncharted on ps3, but it easily bests any PS2 game out there. It felt like any other entry into the uncharted series. Only thing that bugged me was that the right analog stick was locked into "normal" orientation and I couldn't change it in the options. It's frustrating for me if it isn't inverted so I gave up trying to do the shooting sections and went to another spot. I'm still very excited for this game.

Little deviants: I enjoyed this one more than I expected to. Although it was very simplistic, it was fun to use the rear touch pad and the augmented reality features, although I felt like a huge dork wearing that huge vest they tether the Vita too while I made circles on a carpet in my socks, per their rules. They augmented reality part has you move around physically to shoot things, and your actual surroundings are displayed via the rear camera. The game doesn't actually utilize those surroundings, so it's more there just so you don't collide into anything and have a continuous sense of motion with your point of focus.

Wipeout: The racing was actually pretty fun with the power-ups and gravity defying tracks. Found myself ignoring the race to stare at the nice clouds and lighting in the sky.

All in all, I was pretty impressed with the vita. I went ahead and pre-ordered one there at best buy. I had pretty much already planned getting one at launch, so this wasn't a spur of the moment decision. IT was nice though because they give you a little "gift" basket which has a $10 PSN voucher and some junk items like vita branded drink cozies, sunglasses and cardboard mockups of the vita to store game character tokens they give you (still not sure the purpose of these tokens?).

I'm happy to answer any specific questions you guys might have.
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']I got to play with Vita in Santa Monica on the Third Street Promenade.

Here are my impressions:

Analog sticks: Really like these. Their height is good and they have a decent amount of throw. They aren't really springy like I felt the psp nub was, meaning it would make your thumb tired to hold it for long. They have a nice light rubberized texture which feels good and allows a decent amount of grip.

Size and design of the unit: The unit didn't feel all that much bigger than the PSP (I didn't have one to compare against). The design is really nice looking, and although this wasn't a production unit, it looked pretty close. The design was pretty similar to the original PSP design, which I liked. It seems like the face buttons got a little smaller, which isn't a big deal. It was comfortable to hold and it wasn't awkward using any of the buttons. It only becomes awkward if you want to use the rear touchpad and you have to pinch the unit with your thumbs to hold it steady. It is still a neat concept an I'd like to see it used. I tried it out on little deviants and uncharted.

Screen: Big and beautiful. I really liked the screen, although the place I played it in had some skylights so I was able to see how it performs in direct sunlight; i.e. you don't want to play with it in direct sunlight. The screen is big enough to differentiate it from mobile phones and I think Sony made the right choice here. The brightness is nice, colors are crisp and it has good contrast. Obviously ghosting isn't an issue with OLED.

Software: It's meant to be touch-based by how it is designed, which may irk some people (you can still use the sticks). The interface made sense and was nice to navigate through, though. I couldn't test the browser because they didn't have it on wifi.

The games:

Uncharted: Looks really good. It's obvious the polygon count isn't high enough and the textures aren't quite as good as uncharted on ps3, but it easily bests any PS2 game out there. It felt like any other entry into the uncharted series. Only thing that bugged me was that the right analog stick was locked into "normal" orientation and I couldn't change it in the options. It's frustrating for me if it isn't inverted so I gave up trying to do the shooting sections and went to another spot. I'm still very excited for this game.

Little deviants: I enjoyed this one more than I expected to. Although it was very simplistic, it was fun to use the rear touch pad and the augmented reality features, although I felt like a huge dork wearing that huge vest they tether the Vita too while I made circles on a carpet in my socks, per their rules. They augmented reality part has you move around physically to shoot things, and your actual surroundings are displayed via the rear camera. The game doesn't actually utilize those surroundings, so it's more there just so you don't collide into anything and have a continuous sense of motion with your point of focus.

Wipeout: The racing was actually pretty fun with the power-ups and gravity defying tracks. Found myself ignoring the race to stare at the nice clouds and lighting in the sky.

All in all, I was pretty impressed with the vita. I went ahead and pre-ordered one there at best buy. I had pretty much already planned getting one at launch, so this wasn't a spur of the moment decision. IT was nice though because they give you a little "gift" basket which has a $10 PSN voucher and some junk items like vita branded drink cozies, sunglasses and cardboard mockups of the vita to store game character tokens they give you (still not sure the purpose of these tokens?).

I'm happy to answer any specific questions you guys might have.[/QUOTE]
This is at a Bestbuy?I don't want take my shoes off.Can I decline?
 
No, it's at only 4 locations in the US. When they have you pre-order it is on a computer tied to best buy's website.

I don't think you can decline the shoe removal.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']They revealed on the PS Blogcast that the Welcome Park app has trophies.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, you could see the trophy list for it at the mall units.
I want to use the mall's wifi to sign in and see if I can earn them.
 
[quote name='orntar']some new launch trailers

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/get-in-touch-with-vita-launch-titles-with-ten-new-trailers/

edit: I'm pretty much sold on 5 of them, would get 3 more if I had the money, and not interested in 2 of them.
man, I need some more money.[/QUOTE]

I played Little Deviants and it was quite entertaining. Escape plan also looks fun (and of course LBP). I'm worried about the pricing on some of these games because I view them as ramped up versions of games appearing on phones for $5 or less. You can't charge $40 for that type of game, no matter how feature rich.
 
Still waiting for a wifi-only bundle for the US. How long do you think until they start releasing bundles? Hoping not much longer...January?
 
[quote name='SynGamer']Still waiting for a wifi-only bundle for the US. How long do you think until they start releasing bundles? Hoping not much longer...January?[/QUOTE]

it wont be till far after launch. summer next year - maybe a bundle.
 
[quote name='orntar']it wont be till far after launch. summer next year - maybe a bundle.[/QUOTE]
There are almost always launch bundles. I have no problem going to Canada to get mine, with it being so close. I just wan ta bundle with the wifi-only system, not the 3G one like we have in the US right now
 
First portable system I'm looking forward to since....I guess the original gameboy and sega nomad.

I'm kinda sad there is no support for connecting to a TV though, I realize it's portable but it would have been a nice option.
 
Really? Uncharted is a killer app ready for launch. Little Deviants, Wipeout and several others look to be good titles. The only thing they could have done better was to launch a title for another one of their top tier franchises like God of War, Ratchet and Clank, Infamous or Resistance. Personally, I would have loved another mobile Ratchet and Clank of a mobile Infamous.

On the subject of launch bugs: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/...panwith-patch-apology-for-day-one-issues.ars?

I'm kinda glad Japan is beta testing for us.
 
I really think this one of the strongest launch line-ups I've seen for a system. I plan on getting this at launch, even though launch models tend to suck.
 
[quote name='JDTAY']I really think this one of the strongest launch line-ups I've seen for a system. I plan on getting this at launch, even though launch models tend to suck.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm with you there. However, I really want this platform to succeed and not be stuck with only touch interfaces for mobile gaming, so I'm willing to jump in at launch. Hopefully a unit better on battery life will hit once Sony can start making the chips on a 32nm, 28nm or 20nm process in the coming years.

If it is anything like the PSP though, it may be the easiest unit to jailbreak which is fixed on later units. I definitely want to see some emulators on this machine. With its CPU, it's very capable of doing full speed N64 emulation and maybe even some playable or near playable Saturn and/or dreamcast.
 
Hows the Web Browser on this and why do u need to be with at&t if it's not a phone to that sucks
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']Yeah, I'm with you there. However, I really want this platform to succeed and not be stuck with only touch interfaces for mobile gaming, so I'm willing to jump in at launch. Hopefully a unit better on battery life will hit once Sony can start making the chips on a 32nm, 28nm or 20nm process in the coming years.

If it is anything like the PSP though, it may be the easiest unit to jailbreak which is fixed on later units. I definitely want to see some emulators on this machine. With its CPU, it's very capable of doing full speed N64 emulation and maybe even some playable or near playable Saturn and/or dreamcast.[/QUOTE]

I'm torn on buying on day 1. I have my pre-order on Amazon (did as soon as it was up for sale), but am considering cancelling for a couple of reasons:
1) $350 for the early release bundle is just too much for a first release of the hardware. I'd be more tempted by the WiFi bundle because I know I'd have to get a storage card regardless and would probably buy Little Deviants anyway so the extra $50 isn't a bad deal, but that's not being offered in the US.

2) As much as I want the Vita, I have such a huge backlog that I can easily keep busy with other games (on my PSP and 3DS)....possibly until the second gen of the Vita comes out, or at least until some sort of price drop or discounted bundle comes out.

Normally I might agree that the jailbreak is most likely to be on the first gen release (it typically only gets harder with later releases), but I'm thinking that there won't be much jailbreaking on the Vita. Sony learned their lesson on the PSP and I believe this is a big reason why they are using proprietary storage cards in the Vita that have embedded security in them that ties them to the Vita (at least that's what it sounds like). Not saying it will be impossible, but it will be a lot harder than it was with the PSP.

I also expect that you'll be forced to install patches to play newer games as they come out, even if you buy retail games (which will likely include the patches on the game card, like they did on UMDs for the PSP). So you won't be able to play newer games if you want to stay on older FW to keep your chances open for future jailbreaking.

If it does get jailbroken, that might be the time I decided to pick up a new/used Vita, but as much as I'd love to see it jailbroken (primarily for being able to play my UMDs on my Vita wi/o repurchasing my UMD games on PSN), I'm thinking it either won't happen or will have enough negative side-effects (such as not being able to play new games for weeks/months after they are released) that it won't be worth it to me. And hopefully Sony will offer a UMD->PSN conversion program that lets me play my UMD games on my Vita for a reasonable price (free would be nice, but no more than $5 per game).
 
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