Ben-DutkaDesperately want the PlayStation Vita? Considering importing Sony's new portable when it releases in Japan on December 17?
Well, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida doesn't recommend it . He posted on his Twitter feed that Western gamers should just wait for the launch dates for their respective regions. He also reminded us that the circle and X buttons are switched on the Japanese Vita; it's one of those "minor nuisances" importers would have to deal with. Here are the direct quotes:
"There are people who are interested in importing the Japanese version of PS Vita from outside Japan, but I personally do not recommend that."
"Sorry to make you wait a bit longer. We will update the launch dates outside Japan soon."
Guess we'll just have to live with that. Besides, how long will we really have to wait? The Vita is bound to be a hot item, but we're wondering if it will appeal to those who haven't been portable gamers in the past.
I'm more than willing to wait for the Vita's official launch in this region. I may be on the edge of my seat and I may stare hopelessly at various pictures of the Vita on import sites and I may learn some Japanese and…..
Yea this is harder than I thought.
I really don't care when they release it I can wait until Christmas of 2012 if they need to (not saying they will or need to do that but you get my point?)
Gives me more time to save money and more time for them to find out initial problems from the Japan launch and hopefully fix them in time for the North American launch!!!!!!
I have two PSPs. My PSP-1000 is the US version and my PSP-3000 is the Asian one (I won it at work. LOL). I got used to alternating between the O and X buttons after owning and playing them both for years. So that's not the real issue to me.
As much as I would like to get my hands on the Vita as soon as possible, I would still prefer to get the US version of the Vita once it comes out (provided that the 3G version will not be provider-locked). That's because most games I get to buy locally are the R1 versions and that the DLCs are usually released earliest in the US PlayStation Store.
That is why I am now reluctant to import! Still debating.
Are you in the USA? Because if you are then it's AT&T, but if you're in euro or something then I have no idea. But yeah it'll be region free…just dlc won't..hm
Waiting allows me more time to make sure I have the money saved up for it so I'm good.
Has that X and O thing been the case for Playstation consoles as well? I always thought it was weird in FF7.
I have imported quite a few japanese games for the PSP (mainly the monster hunter series since I JUST COULDN'T WAIT)…and yea…O = accept/next/move on while X = cancel/previous/go back.
For me though it isn't so weird as it makes more sense picture-wise. You "circle" the one you want to choose and "x" out, when you don't want to decide on that option. …or something along those lines.
Judging by reactions to Vita, would not surprise me if it beats 3DS by several million in the first few months.
If Sony can keep it secure and free of pirating, hopefully the major developers will continue to support it longer than they did the PSP.
Vita ticks all the boxes for everything a hardcore and casual gamer could want. It does everything all other devices do except make phone calls. As for the gaming side of things, Vita does it best!!
The only thing missing on it are Nintendo games. Apart from a lack of Mario, Zelda and Metroid, Vita can pretty much do everything you want it to!!
Am planning on being patient and waiting for the official Aussie release. There's more than enough games coming the next 5 months to keep me occupied until Vita's release. Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Uncharted 3, Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, MGS Collection, ICO SotC Collection, Gears 3, Batman Arkham City, Goldeneye Reloaded, Battlefield 3, plus I got a massive back log of games I still need to finish.
With all that to play, Sony, you don't have to worry about me being impatient since you have provided me with more than enough on the PS3!! 😉
I think Nintendo products sell well enough to not fall so far behind the competition, but I'm rooting for Sony regardless!
I couldn't agree with you more on your points about Vita; there are PLENTY of high quality titles to come in the next couple of months, but hopefully that doesn't deter customers from supporting the monster handheld.
Thanks DanceMachine, I now have the confidence to NOT import. You reminded me that I may just be too busy for it anyway.
Sony needs to market the VITA as MORE than just a gaming device. Their new tablets can function as a universal remote. I am sure the VITA can do so as well. On the car mount as a GPS. Skype, FourSquare, Facebook, Twitter and soon Google+. Heck, I'd love to shut all the lights in my home with it.This machine can do it all if Sony allows it. Consumers need to know this. And know it well.
Get on it Sony.
Last edited by FatherSun on 9/18/2011 11:38:57 PM
In my opinion I haven't seen any interesting Nintendo game since the late 90's. 🙁
"Vita can pretty much do everything you want it to" – weeeeell… As long as all you want it to do is play games.
Sure, you got a browser and a skype client but so did the PSP. And how much did we use those… Then we got that facebook client, and that's pretty much it so far. That's quite far from everything.
In my opinion people should stop thinking and saying it will do everything cause they will most likely end up getting themselves or others disappointed.
It's much better to treat it as what it is, a dedicated games machine and consider everything else as a pure bonus.
Last edited by Beamboom on 9/19/2011 5:08:21 AM
I'll wait but I still want it now.
Patience and this generation of 'gamers' do not belong in the same sentence.
I'll wait for two reasons, 1 because sony just released the sweetest videocamera with an APS-C size sensor and I might have to spend vita money to get it, and 2 because I know sony will make it worth our while, I mean, it is sony we're talking about here
In the case of the VITA. Patience is NOT a virtue!
Well, I am interested in the Vita, but before purchasing it I am looking at getting a quad core NVidia powered table due out early next year. I want to slouch on the couch and browse the web and surf the net… So the Vita can wait – wait for a price drop that is. I see the Vita as a real luxury item rather than a necessity.
I am sure for many here it will be a necessity, but I have my 2 Ps3's and happy with these for now. I don't have the PsP anymore as my mate wanted it back after he told me he didn't want it, so no more GoW on the PsP, unless I purchase one.
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
A quad core powered table? Like with an enormous touchscreen? I hope you meant tablet there, if not, I will be freaking jealous!
I can wait. I have no need for it yet, and the PS3 provides. The only reason that I might want to import it is because Harvey Norman (I think) has a preorder price of $450 for the 3G version. I'm not afraid to pay it, but I don't think that I should have to considering dollar parity and that fact that no matter which provider we get we're screwed :/
why?
i hope he has a better reason then the x and o buttons are switched, i mean seriously is that such a big problem?
id much rather import it simply because 1 its most likley going to come out in march and theres a million and one big games releasing in march MP3 and ME3 to name a few.
nothing worse then spending 400 bucks on something then not having time to play around with it!
where if you import it then max a month for shipping you will have it at the absolute latest mid jan where theres very few games releasing.
2 even with shipping and insurance costs its still cheaper to import it!
not to mention if you were to add accessories and games onto that then it would be hundreds cheaper!
only thing that would make me say its worth waiting is if the JP or HK games would not be playable in english.
though im pretty sure they will be.
and i think all HK games are in english for some reason because when i imported bayonetta it was in english i did not have to change a single thing!
all the writing on the box is in asian but the game itself was in english.
hopefully the vita will have a option that lets you set the language to whatever your XMB is set to that way anyone can import it and play it in their language.
no thanks yoshida, i think i would save my cash and my time thank you very much!
Well I would import one if it was the same price exactly because of that button flip, so…
I can wait for Vita it's going to be amazing I just know it
I can wait, what's the use anyways? The Dutch game stores will not have Vita games yet and the Japanese games will probably be unable to communicate to me in English or any other languages I even remotely understand.
Also, I fear that importing anything will be unbelievably expensive.
Hmmm, I wonder that the reason was that there was a button flipping going on anyway, to even start with???
I'm thinking that Sony could have just left all of the PSP's buttons either one way or the other.
OOPS, I meant to type…what the reason, & not that the reason.
damned these bloodshot eyeballs