Topic: PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) - previously known as NGP

[BlackNMild2k1]

It would be preferable if the system had internal flash or allowed for the use of SDHC SD cards, but their solution is more than adequate  for my backlogging tastes when it finally does come out.

You say that now, but we haven't seen how much those proprietary cards are gonna cost yet.
They could easily be 2-3X the cost of the same size SD card.

Where an 8GB SD card would've costed you about $10-15, a 8GB PSV Card might cost the same as a game ($30-$45).

[Razorkid]

It would be preferable if the system had internal flash or allowed for the use of SDHC SD cards, but their solution is more than adequate  for my backlogging tastes when it finally does come out.

You say that now, but we haven't seen how much those proprietary cards are gonna cost yet.
They could easily be 2-3X the cost of the same size SD card.

Where an 8GB SD card would've costed you about $10-15, a 8GB PSV Card might cost the same as a game ($30-$45).

Oh, I'm well aware of that and can almost gaurantee that the memory cards are going to be priced through the nose. But what I wanted to illustrate was that in lieu of an internal storage solution, having up to 20 of the biggest psp games stored on their highest capacity card is better than nothing at all. It certainly trumps carrying around those umds as well.

[ymeegod]

"Nintendo didn't attempt it at all with DS-->Wii "

Actually there was one--Final Fantasy Echoes of Time.  Couldn't find anyone to play with me but it allowed you to play ds/wii together in a room.

$250 is a start off price and it really isn't all that high.  PSP launched in the US at $250 and has sold around 70 million to date.  The demand determines the price.  Alot of folks are jumping the gun on the 3DS.  Sure it's not selling right now but wait until the holidays. 

[BlackNMild2k1]

PSV Flash Cards


4GB, 8GB, 16GB & 32GB

[Razorkid]

PSV Flash Cards


4GB, 8GB, 16GB & 32GB

Heh, and there you have it.

[Shaymin]

I can't tell all that well from the angle of the shot, but they look to be the size of a regular-ass SD card.

Also, why did they feel the need to label the cleaning cloth?

[SixthAngel]

I can't tell all that well from the angle of the shot, but they look to be the size of a regular-ass SD card.

Also, why did they feel the need to label the cleaning cloth?

Its a proprietary cleaning cloth.  The system is designed to scratch when you use any other.

[BlackNMild2k1]

PS Vita NOT Being Sold For A Loss?
Atleast it won't be a significant one if one at all....
http://ie.psp.ign.com/articles/117/1177042p1.html

Yoshida: At the very start of this project a bunch of us core members went to Japan and spent a day discussing what it is that we wanted to achieve with the new PlayStation portable device. One of the goals was to hit the right price point, which was actually $250. So at the very beginning we agreed that we're going to hit $250. But during that time we were still recovering from the difficultly we had with the high cost of goods with PlayStation 3 where the company lost a lot of money. We asked consumers to spend a lot of money to purchase what, at that time, was bleeding-edge technology. That was great from a technical standpoint but the technology has to mature enough so that a reasonable price can be put on the performance.

For Vita, the price on performance was something we definitely wanted to hit, although we all agreed because we are PlayStation, people expect better graphics and prettier pictures, so we have all those things we wanted to achieve in terms of capabilities, but we capped our ambitions with a cost of goods target that we can profitably sell the hardware for $250.

To answer your question, we set out a goal: Yes, we're going to hit the $250 price, and no, we don't want to sell the hardware with a deficit. That's a goal we set out to do and I'm very happy we are achieving that.

IGN: So you're going to be profitable with each Vita sold?

Yoshida: We haven't completed the hardware development. It's like 98-percent done in terms of hardware, and on the system software side and network code, we have a few more months to work on that. We don't have the final-final answer to that question, but the way we are projecting it seems like we're going to do pretty well.

Good on Sony if they can sell that at break even or close to. Everyone assumed Sony would be taking a big loss but I think I was the only one to assume that maybe they weren't.
But this statement does conflict with the previous one of PSVita being profitable in 3 years.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Samsung is making the chips for PS Vita
they also make chips for iPhone 4 & iPad 2
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/07/29/samsung_vita_cpu/

Samsung will be manufacturing the CPU for the PlayStation Vita, according to a blurb that appeared at the website for electronics industry newspaper The Semiconductor Industry News. The CPU will make use of a 45 nanometer manufacturing process.

Vita is due for release somewhere in the world before the end of the year. Current popular speculation has the system launching first in Japan, where its predecessor, the PSP, enjoys continued success.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Sony: Use Vita as a PS3 controller
Sony all up in Nintendo's Kool-Aid again, but I'm not sure they know the flavor this time around.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-02-sony-use-vita-as-a-ps3-controller

You could use PlayStation Vita as a controller for PS3 games, Sony has revealed.

This Wii U-like capability was explained by Sony Europe R&D manager Phil Rogers at the Develop Conference 2011.

"What could you do with all of this?" Rogers asked a room of developers and Eurogamer. "Here's a few boring technical ideas: you could drive a display from a PS3 game, for example.

"PS3 can send data down to Vita and Vita can display it. You could use the unique features [of Vita] - gyroscope, touch front and back - as a control device for a PS3 game.

"You can run software on both devices and use the network to sync the game states. And that's pretty good, because you then have the processing power of PS3 doing that work, Vita [doing] fancy graphics - however you want to do it. You're not sacrificing the PS3's CPU to be able to have a rich experience on Vita."

What about the lag Sony? You didn't forget about the lag did you?
Is the Vita doing the processing of that video or is the PS3?
Cost... are you gonna need 2 pieces of software to make that work? Is there gonna be a PS3/Vita software and/or hardware bundle?

[TJ Spyke]

Is the Vita doing the processing of that video or is the PS3?

The article says that the PS3 is processing the video.

I don't think this is big news, the PS3 already had something sorta like this with the PSP (though only a handful of games did it).

[BlackNMild2k1]

Is the Vita doing the processing of that video or is the PS3?

The article says that the PS3 is processing the video.

and then they said:

because you then have the processing power of PS3 doing that work, Vita [doing] fancy graphics - however you want to do it. You're not sacrificing the PS3's CPU to be able to have a rich experience on Vita.

So does the PS3 process the video or does the Vita process the video? Do they both process the video?
They didn't make that part very clear.

And Sony had already announced this to attempt to rain on Nintendo's WiiU parade, but the question of lag still comes to mind.... not to mention cost.
Sony did remote play on the PSP and there was horrible lag. It also wasn't very supported because a PSP doesn't come with every PS3, so every dev can't count on a PSP or PS3 owner to own the other device, nor can they count on them to go out and buy the other device just to use said feature.

All things I referenced in my previous post.

[Ceric]

It be a matter of choice.  You could do it either way.  Sort of like how DS games have single and multicart Multiplayer.

I wouldn't worry to much about lag on a LAN situation.   Shouldn't be an issue with good code.

[Adrock]

Using Vita to mimic the tablet controller doesn't work for the same reason using 3DS in place of the tablet controller doesn't work. It's too expensive and the systems weren't designed with this functionality in mind. That said, I don't see this being a very successful solution. It seems like more of a marketing tactic. "Anything Wii U can do, PS3 can do..."

3rd parties are more likely to take advantage of the tablet controller because every Wii U owner is guaranteed to own one. It's the point of the system, not side feature.

[Ceric]

Using Vita to mimic the tablet controller doesn't work for the same reason using 3DS in place of the tablet controller doesn't work. It's too expensive and the systems weren't designed with this functionality in mind. That said, I don't see this being a very successful solution. It seems like more of a marketing tactic. "Anything Wii U can do, PS3 can do..."

3rd parties are more likely to take advantage of the tablet controller because every Wii U owner is guaranteed to own one. It's the point of the system, not side feature.

I would extend that to any accessory.  Though we've had this conversation before.  If its not part of the default packaged then don't consider it part of the system for all intents and purposes.

[Chozo Ghost]

I don't think this is big news, the PS3 already had something sorta like this with the PSP (though only a handful of games did it).

This idea has been attempted many times but its never taken off. The GC-GBA connectivity was the first attempt (that I'm aware of), and only a few games supported that. Then there is the Wii-DS connectivity which I think even fewer games support. So I'm not very optimistic it will work this time around, or any time soon. The main problem is it requires consumers to own two distinct pieces of hardware, and at $299.99 and $249.99 that's an expensive prospect... not to mention the games themselves.

The reason why this sort of thing has a shot of working on the Wii U is that all the necessary hardware will come with the system's purchase by default so everyone who owns it will have everything needed. That's why the Wii U will succeed in this connectivity thing where everyone else has failed.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Dreamcast to VMU was first.

Playstation to PS Pocket was next (rushed to market copy of the VMU).

[was there a N64 to GB game? I an't remember if they tried connectivity there]

Nintendo was next with the GC to GBA

Sony followed up with PS3 to PSP

[was there a Wii to DS in here somewhere? I've never seen a connected game for the two systems, seems like a missed opportunity]

Nintendo announces WiiU and WiiU to 3DS

But Sony will likely beat them to market with PS3 to Vita
even though WiiU will likely work much better since that is what it is designed to do.

[TJ Spyke]

I don't think you could count the VMU as you couldn't use it as a controller. It was little more than a memory card which let you play very simple games when you took it out of the controller. Same with the PocketStation. GameCube-Game Boy Advance was the first to actually let you use it as a controller.

Wii only has done it once AFAIK. Pokemon Battle Revolution let you use a DS as a controller. I am sure Wii U will do the same with 3DS, though I also hope more games will do it.

[Ceric]

Batman the Brave and the Bold also has DS Wii Connection.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I was just listing out the evolution of the idea

but depending on how you want to look at it, you could point at the Sega Nomad.
It's not the same idea, but you can see the evolution happening to get where we are now.
The tech just wasn't there 20 years ago, and it wasn't cheap enough 5 years ago, but we will have it next year.

[broodwars]

[was there a N64 to GB game? I an't remember if they tried connectivity there]is what it is designed to do.

Yes, there was.  There was Pokemon Stadium on N64, where you could hook your Blue/Red/Yellow Pokemon GB games into the N64 transfer pak and play them on your TV.  I think Pokemon Stadium 2 had this feature as well, and both allowed you to transfer your Pokemon from the GB cart to the N64 games.

[Chozo Ghost]

There was also the Super Gameboy thing which let you play GB games on your SNES. But that probably doesn't count for what we're talking about.

[Mop it up]

[was there a Wii to DS in here somewhere? I've never seen a connected game for the two systems, seems like a missed opportunity]

With Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, the Wii version can play local multiplayer with the DS version, connecting up to three DS systems. It also has online play and can connect to any combination of four Wii and DS systems.

[TJ Spyke]

Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation Vita will not be coming out in North America and Europe until 2012: http://www.industrygamers.com/news/sonys-ps-vita-not-coming-to-us-or-europe-until-2012/

[BlackNMild2k1]

.....and then the 3DS exhaled.