PlayStation Vita Announced (Feb 22, $249/$299 for WiFi/3G+WiFI) + some games

[Hoshino_Kid]

Sony Computer Entertainment Announces "PlayStation®Vita" as the Official Name for Next Generation Portable Entertainment System
Wi-Fi Model: 24,980 Yen (including tax), $249 and euro 249
3G/Wi-Fi Model: 29,980 Yen (including tax), $299 and euro 299

Press Release Source: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. On Monday June 6, 2011, 9:30 pm

TOKYO, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) (PCH-1000 series) as the official platform name for the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP). Wi-Fi model will be available for 24,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $249 in US and euro 249 in Europe, 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available for 29,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $299 in US and euro 299 in Europe and successively launch in global market starting the end of 2011.

"Vita," which means "Life" in Latin, was chosen as the most appropriate name for the next generation portable entertainment system as it enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. SCE is aiming to transform every aspect of user's daily life into an entertainment experience.

PS Vita incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. Together with the front touch screen and the rear touch pad, PS Vita offers new game play experiences never before seen on any device, allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion, through "touch, grab, trace, push and pull" finger motions. Also PS Vita features two analog sticks which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience, such as shooters, action games, and fighting games. Exciting and attractive new titles*1 are scheduled to be released from SCE Worldwide Studios, including "GRAVITY DAZE," "Uncharted Golden Abyss," "Little Deviants," "Hot Shots Golf," "Reality Fighter," "Hustle Kings," "ModNation Racers," "Wipeout 2048" and "Super Stardust Delta," as well as from a broad range of third party game developers and publishers, which will deliver value only possible on PS Vita.

Also, by having both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, together with various applications, PS Vita will enable infinite possibilities for users to "encounter," "connect," "discover," "share" and "play" with friends wherever they are. On January 27, 2011, SCE announced the first PS Vita application, "near," which will come pre-installed. It will let users discover what games PS Vita users in the vicinity are or were recently playing, as well as let users share their game information. "near" also enables location-based gaming features such as "gifting," in which a user can access virtual game-related items that other users are sharing, through checking in at geographic locations that others have also visited. The virtual items can include content unlocked from games, such as character costumes, weapons, and treasures. Sharing these items between users adds a unique dimension to the portable gaming experience on PS Vita while enhancing the social connectivity among the PS Vita community.

Additionally, PS Vita will come pre-installed with a newly developed application called "Party." "Party" is an innovative application for a portable entertainment system which enables users to enjoy voice chat or text chat not only during online gaming, but also when users are playing different games or using different applications such as internet browser. Through "Party," which offers a new form of social networking, and "near," which enables users to share their game information with other users anywhere, anytime, users can dramatically expand the boundaries of interactive communication.

Also a tutorial application called "Welcome Park," developed specifically to guide every user about PS Vita's brand new user interface such as the front touch display and the multi-touch pad on the rear, will come pre-installed. By playing "Welcome Park," users can easily become accustomed to the three dimension-like finger motions used on PS Vita.

SCE will vigorously promote PS Vita towards the launch as the next generation portable entertainment platform and work towards expanding the portable gaming market.*1 Some title names are tentative. Titles may differ by countries and regions.

1st Party Games (incomplete):
Super Stardust Delta
LittleBigPlanet
ModNation Racers
Gravity Daze (working title)
Ruin (working title)
Hot Shots Golf
Hustle Kings

3rd Party Games (MGS and ZoE Collections have the Transfarring Support):
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Zone of the Enders HD Collection
Michael Jackson: The Experience
Dust 514
Bioshock (workling title)
Virtua Tennis 4
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II Plus Revitalized
Ridge Racer (working title)
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Dragon's Crown (looks like a Vanillaware game)
Dynasty Warriors (working title)
Street Figther x Tekken
Mr Ink Jet
Shinobido 2
F1 2011
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Call of Duty (working title)
Rugby Challenge

Credits to NeoGAF for the games.

[CDFN]

Yay for 1:1 currency conversion. Pay up Europe!

[daschrier]

Does anyone think that touch screen games can seriously challenge an actual console style game? I mean, Angry Birds and those types of games work just fine, but "real" games just suck on a touch screen.

[CDFN]

Does anyone think that touch screen games can seriously challenge an actual console style game? I mean, Angry Birds and those types of games work just fine, but "real" games just suck on a touch screen.

It depends on how you use it, I thought it was pointless in uncharted but fantastic in modnation racers and LBP.

[Hidoshi]

Does anyone think that touch screen games can seriously challenge an actual console style game? I mean, Angry Birds and those types of games work just fine, but "real" games just suck on a touch screen.

Depends entirely on what you mean by "challenge". Don't forget that the console market is having its ass handed to it in terms of sales by "app" style gaming at the moment.

[daschrier]

Does anyone think that touch screen games can seriously challenge an actual console style game? I mean, Angry Birds and those types of games work just fine, but "real" games just suck on a touch screen.

Depends entirely on what you mean by "challenge". Don't forget that the console market is having its ass handed to it in terms of sales by "app" style gaming at the moment.

Well that's sort of what I was getting at. If you go by strict sales/dowloads, you could argue that app games are more successful than console/handhelds, or may be in the future. But using that logic you could also say that youtube videos are more popular than hollywood movies because of raw viewership. Obviously a hollywood movie or AAA console title is a much more involving experience than a youtube clip or a freeware iPhone game.

[Aeolus]

The problem here is that you're trying to compare apples and oranges. Console games have an entirely different standard set to them than phone apps. They're built differently and cater to different markets. Handheld games are sort of the middle ground in all of this. Not as much power as a console but far more capable than a purely touch screen driven interface. More expensive to make than cheap and casual apps but much cheaper and less resource intensive than a console game.

A phone really likes it's touchscreen because it can be smaller and sleeker and can easily fit in your pocket. Consoles obviously can't, and handhelds are the middle ground.

[Alisha]

it already looks like the Vita is gonna kick the 3DS ass in the games department.

[Mickeymac92]

I'm interested in:

Street Fighter X Tekken
Wipeout 2048
Uncharted: Golden Compass
LittleBig Planet
Resistance
Bioshock
Killzone
Little Deviants
Super Stardust Delta
Gravity Daze
Sound Shapes
Dragon's crown
BlazBlue Continuum Shift II Plus Revitalized

TGS (which is where most of the games I'm interested appear) hasn't happened yet and already there are almost twice as many games that I want for the Vita than the 3DS.

[Eusis]

I might actually get this sooner than later. My PSP 2000 screen's screwed up, I have quite a few PSN downloaded games I can burn through during the first few months, and honestly I've come to like the PSP quite a bit.

[Kevadu]

I love my PSP, and I'm not really a big fan of handheld gaming.  I have never bought any console at launch in my life (generally I think it's pretty stupid...wait for the games you want), and yet I'm seriously considering getting a Vita at launch.  Especially at that price.

I still have reservations, though.  No word yet on things like battery life.

[Yoda]

Question about the 3g version...

So do you have to get a separate subscription for this from att? What if you already have some sort of data plan?

[Aeolus]

Sorry. You're stuck with AT&T like early iPhone adopters were. That's why everyone was either laughing at or booing the $300 version. It's the suckers' choice. Seriously, don't do it.

I might actually get this sooner than later. My PSP 2000 screen's screwed up, I have quite a few PSN downloaded games I can burn through during the first few months, and honestly I've come to like the PSP quite a bit.

Depending on how brickable this is I might be tempted to adopt early too. Too bad my UMD library is now useless.

[Eusis]

I'll borrow a 3000 for that. And probably rebuy UMD games I really like/still need to beat when decent sales pop up.

[Lazlowe1984]

I can't wait to see other Japanese franchises come to Vita like Monster Hunter or Phantasy Star.