Ben-DutkaWith everything becoming integrated these days, some analysts are wondering if the mobile gaming explosion will hurt Sony's new handheld device.
Although the PlayStation Vita supports 3G, it still isn't a phone. At the same time, smartphones will let you call someone, support 3G (and in some cases, 4G), and yeah, play games. While it's certainly true that not one of those phones can match the Vita's potential for interactive entertainment, technology continues to advance at a rapid clip; there may come a time in the Vita's lifespan when a smartphone can compete in the gaming arena. And it's still a phone.
We've heard some analysts ask the question- "How many mobile devices are consumers willing to carry around?" SCEJ president Hiorshi Kawano told Reuters that he expects the Vita to do well and claims it doesn't compete with smartphones. Kawano says Sony expects the 3G Vita model to sell quickly (the first 500,000 are expected to disappear soon after launch) and he also believes the Vita doesn't compete with the Nintendo 3DS, either. Now, we agree on some points, and we certainly believe the Vita will become the best handheld gaming device available.
But despite Kawano's statements, that question in the headline remains viable. The Vita is a portable device. So is a smartphone. Maybe we wouldn't always carry both around but as the phone is typically a staple these days, the Vita will have to be added at some point, right? Furthermore, while the avid gamers easily recognize that the Vita is designed for them, other consumers might just look at the handheld and assume it's a phone. Sony will have to work to differentiate themselves from the crowd, and prove that their new portable is unique and attractive.
I wouldnt mind carry my ps vita around on my days off I might have my laptop iPod touch cell phone and google tablet on me at one time.
Same. I carry a Blackberry and a PSP, sometimes complimented by an HD Camcorder and a Digital Camera.
One thing about dedicated Handhelds is that if you sit down and play games and manage to blow away your handheld's battery, you still have a phone.
When you blow away your phone's battery playing crappy mobile games, you'll be out of luck when you need to call, text or receive messages and incoming calls.
Exactly it ain't hard i put all my devices in a backpack. These things all come in handy when I'm studying at coffee shops like coffee beans and Starbucks.
Same here cept i dont own a tablet/ipad. Thats on the list of things to get but…my iphone and the vita will be fine for a good while.
The Vita is not a phone and smartphones would never have games that will appeal to me. So yes, I'll be carrying both.
"never"? now that's a bold statement, good sir.
Could be, but I've seen the "fantastic" games that my friends play on their phones. Fun for a minute or two but that's just about it. So yeah, not interested with mobile phone games.
Don't you think they will develop much like computer games has developed over the years?
Remember, there was a time were the console games were much less than todays smartphone games. 🙂
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/16/2011 7:56:41 AM
Yeah but at that time a lot of new devices will come also, making the phones still look crapier. I also don't have any interest on mobile phone games, and never will.
Yes, maybe so. I don't know of course, but personally I believe that over time, handheld gaming devices will merge with mobile phones. Like the SE Xperia Play. That's both a gaming handheld and a mobile phone.
Some of the Android games today are pretty darn close to what could have been a PSP game, and in my opinion that's a pretty strong indication of what to come. May I remind you all that games development for Android only started to gain momentum during the last couple of years. That's a pretty short time getting to where they are today.
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/16/2011 12:11:37 PM
Over the years, sure. But I assumed that the question is for right now. Besides, I really don't like the controls on mobile phones so why should I force myself to play on it when I have another device fully dedicated for gaming?
I am not saying that games on smartphones will never progress. They have and will continue to do so. But games on dedicated handheld consoles would do so as well and they would always take a higher priority for me. So yes, I'd still say never.
I would definitely carry the Vita around with me. Since some newer PS3 games can be played on it, MGS and FFX remakes, I would take it to work and use it on my breaks all the time to get some play time on them.
And of course I'd have my phone. Free mobile hotspot anyone? Instant Wifi for the Vita.
I think it depends. Really, in terms of the two hardware offerings, Vita vs phones, the competition is fairly distinct.
I've spent a good deal of time with cell phone games over the past several months and I've come to see that the value is incredible where a person can obtain a decent to high quality game from $1 to $10. But while these games are nice, they just aren't at the same level with the kind of premium offerings that will be on Vita. And this just isn't a graphics thing either. It's also a production one. Many of these parent's basement games or games being generated with modest budgets by amateur to fledgling devs are fun and many are quite remarkable, but the sort of development effort going into Sony's first party offerings or esteemed partners just won't be touched by the phone market anytime soon imo. That, and the control options and versatility are in a league of their own on Vita. A part of me really wants to get behind Vita, because I want to support the highest quality stuff. But another part of me acknowledges that mobile gaming in general isn't all that valuable to me, and perhaps the $1-$10 spot is my sweet spot for killing some game time on the side.
I will just be carrying around the Vita.
Vita. Still use phone booths.
Like a boss!
Huh… so you're the one making sure that Supes can still do his work
@faraga
Gotta love The Lonely Island….Like a Boss is one of the best they've done….next to the Jack Sparrow song…Micheal Bolton doing cocaine: Classic!
Last edited by Snorge on 9/16/2011 1:34:02 PM
Yes I definitely am. I'm getting the non 3g version so I'll use my android for a hotspot.
Same here
I already carry around my psp with my mob. It really is no biggie.
i carry a manpurse so yes.
I'm not an on the go gamer, I like to keep it in my home, like sex.
That's…a totally bizarre analogy. LOL
I'm an on the go gamer. I know this because I like to have quickies in restrooms.
See? The two are related. Somehow.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 9/15/2011 11:15:11 PM
Weirdly enough…..World is kinda right…..kinda….. Ok now I KNOW Im going crazy if I agree with World, LoL
My droid goes everywhere I go. I have no reason to carry around a gaming device unless Im traveling. Im only interested in games on Vita because my droid already does everything else.
…i dont limit my sex to just at home lol. Either way, vita is going to have skype…i really dont need a phone
You going to have skypesex with it?
Gotta love the options
I'm glad it is not a phone so the price tag will be more reasonable.
If it already has 3G, expect a version that will make voice calls, however.
I have a question for someone who may be able to answer. Are they planning for people to play online with the PS Vita over 3G or are they reserving that feature for Wi-Fi? I ask because I have played games online over 4G with my Ps3, and while that is FAR better than 3G, it has very poor performance for gaming, so I am interested on how online gaming on the Vita will work.
Good question. I have no idea how it'll work on a 3G network.
If it's anything like the PSP, you should be able to connect to whatever wireless network you are around as well. When at home, I can connect to my home internet, and at the airport, I can connect to the airport internet, too.
"Is that something in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
"Actually, that's my iPhone, Vita, wallet, and keys, but yes, I actually do have an erection because my Vita is so close to my pee pee."
LOL xD
o_O
Probably It's gonna be the same analogy for pcs and consoles.
As long as they all fit in my inFamous 2 bag.
just wear the MC Hammer pants. hahaha
Mobile devices in your hammer pants? hmmm… puts a whole new meaning into iPod Shuffle.
How about we all just wait until someone hacks the Vita and comes up with something actually helpful like the ability to make phone calls with it… Just pair a BT headset and you're all set… How much more bad ss would that be?
… Or what about if Sony made it so that we did not *have* to hack it in the first place, in order to run our apps on it…
I won't carry it around all the time, but I will take it with me often, like when I'm taking a train ride or I when I have a free hour at school.
Last edited by faraga on 9/16/2011 12:05:59 AM
If i could i'd carry my ps3 everywhere. Hide yo system, hide yo cables, hide yo games, they taking everythimg in this m……..
I literally just LOL'd at that.
Hmm…I do have quite a few games for my PSP, but to be quite honest I just never seemed to take it out because the batteries I have happen to be those really cheap kind. I mean…the system just shuts down in an hour.
I always end up taking my AC/DC adapter if I want to take it out. And by taking it out, I mean like…sitting in the middle of campus, in a cafe, eatery, to play Co-op games with friends…Monster Hunter, Metal Gear, Kingdom Hearts, and GODS EATER!
The PSP was at first touted as a portable media center (in my opinion)…it has music, video, photos, internet, and gaming. But I couldn't really do all that primarily because of memory. Memory sticks were quite expensive and although they went down in price…I ended up getting a Micro sd to Memory Stick adapter. I have 32gb of memory now on my PSP. So i can carry loads of music and movies (mp4,mpeg). But then…I had to convert DVDs to mp4 and mpeg…which was …kind of a pain and didn't always work out.
Carrying around photos seemed a bit pointless as it didn't have a camera (well it did but wasn't really worth it). As far as the internet goes…no flash…and a pretty dismal browser make it a lousy experience wouldn't you say?
But moving on…we have the VITA. Now the internal flash memory (16, 32gb) has been scrapped (all the way back from the playstation meeting) to meet consumer pricing. And that's good…but the NVG cards are quite expensive. But once again…someone on this earth will create a Micro SD to NVG adapter and make it infinitely cheaper. Seriously…I saw the price for a 4gb stick and if you were to convert the price to USD…it'll be $30. Hell…I can get a 32gb memory stick for $30, so I'll just wait for the adapter. Then…the music player, video player, camera will all come to great use. As for the internet…we have 3G and Wi-fi. It all comes down to AT&T's pricing of 3G doesn't it? I can tell you that Docomo's pricing is just…damn expensive. I can see many in Japan getting the wi-fi model in the end as players there will just end up going to a comic market or wherever there are plenty of Wi-fi connections. And they play Ad-hoc mainly as well.
For here in the U.S…it's AT&T…some hate it, some say it's ok. It really comes down to the price. Those who have quite a bit of cash to get the 3G…well yes…it's guaranteed that they can just have this device and just any normal feature phone or whatever. I mean hell, the browsing experience on the VITA will be better, there's flash meaning: YouTube, and there's a GPS.
And even if one gets the Wi-fi model, because they have a smartphone that has GPS, 70+ apps, camera, music, video, and whatnot…there's still one main reason to go out with a VITA. THE GAMES. And with unique features like augmented reality & a rear touchpad…gaming on this device is going to be one hell of an experience.
As far as games go on this…I'm hoping to see RE: revelations, Monster Hunter 4, and some others get developed for the PS Vita. Currently though…there are the 2 big ones: Uncharted & Resistance. But honestly…the game I'm really waiting for…IS GRAVITY (JPN: GRAVITY DAZE)…because that…seems like the first game to actually test the console's limits.
Buy a 16 or 32GB card, put it in the system and forget it. Connect it to your PS3, use the PS3's HDD as the mothership, and only keep what you want/need on the Vita. Suddenly that 16/32GB isn't such an issue.
While speaking on memory cards, I picked up a used PSP Go a few months back & just bought 2 Micro SD cards for it, only to find out they not the ones that the GO uses(and the Pro Duo cards that the regular PSP use are way too big).
Oh well, at least I can still use my new memory cards on my regular PSP's, with my adaptors.
Anyway, as I didn't get any manuals or paperwork with my GO, does anyone here know exactly which damned memory card the PSP GO uses?????
Last edited by BikerSaint on 9/16/2011 3:51:17 PM
@BikerSaint
They use the Memory Stick Micro. Except…I have not heard of a Micro SD – > Memory Stick Micro Adapter.
I only tried searching for a minute though, so…best of luck with that.
shadowpal2,
Yeah I bought 2 8GB & one 16GB Sandisk Micro SD HC #2 cards thinking they were the only micro's being made.
They seem to fit into the Go OK, but….
then they stay stuck inside & I have to use a tiny-ended jeweler's tweezers just to pry them out as they refuse to do that normal auto pop-out when pressing inward, like all 3 models of my regular PSP's do.
Plus the Go won't recognize any of my micro's either(I've even tried other brand names of these same Micro SD cards too).
FYI, and they still work perfectly if placed into the Pro Duo adapter for all my other 1000, 2000, & 3000 PSP's though.
So the Go MUST BE using some %#&$%^&* different model or form of Micro card that I'm not currently aware of.
Hey all,
Anyone else here that has(or had) a PSP GO too that can help me out here?????
Last edited by BikerSaint on 9/16/2011 8:27:35 PM