Play the Vita: February 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Over 1.2 Million Vitas sold

Sony has issued a press release indicating that over 1.2 million PS Vita systems have sold. Hopefully this news will quiet some of the naysayers who were predicting the systems demise.

-Evan

Source link:
http://kotaku.com/5889018/sony-sells-12m-playstation-vitas-worldwide

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

PSN Releases for today

A whole lot of new Vita games and applications are up on the PS Store today including 3 AR titles that I had featured previously. I'm downloading them right now and can't wait to try them out.

-Evan

Source link:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/21/playstation-store-update-227/

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Street Fighter X Tekken for Vita will be huge

Street Fighter X Tekken is looking to be a huge title for the Vita. Capcom just announced today that the Vita will have all of the PS3 characters and an additional 12 exclusives.

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/21/street-fighter-x-tekken-out-on-vita-this-fall-with-12-more-chara/

New Vita firmware available for download

In anticipation of the global Vita launch, a new firmware is available for download. Open up the PS Store on your Vita over WiFi to trigger the update process.

-Evan

Monday, February 20, 2012

Rayman Origins

I picked up this title on a whim today and boy am I impressed. While most other Vita games look great, this one just pops with all the cartooney colors and bright animations. I will be uploading a video later, but I have been quite impressed thus far. Some of you might not be interested in this one as the game has been out on PS3 and Xbox360 for months, but if you haven't checked it out at all, it is certainly worth downloading the demo, which is available on the Vita store right now.

-Evan

Lumines Review

The reviews for Lumines are coming in for the Vita. I personally have never really been a fan of the series, always finding myself expecting a long tetris block to come down instead of the 2x squares. The music however, has always been great, if you like that electronica thing. New to the series is an EXP system that even when you don't play well, you still get credits to unlock new things. Kotaku has given it a glowing review.

-Evan

Source link:
http://kotaku.com/5886432/lumines-electronic-symphony-the-kotaku-review

Sunday, February 19, 2012

More updates coming soon

I've been sick lately, which has done 2 things. Prevented me from updating the blog, and secondly given me plenty of time to enjoy my Vita. And boy is it great. I'll be uploading some more videos including Uncharted:Golden Abyss and will be putting up new content soon.

-Evan

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Vita in the house!!!

So it finally arrived. After all those months of waiting, my Vita is here. Below, see the unboxing video. My system feels a little bit snappier with the gams than the demo units I played at the Vita Hill Social Club.

-Evan

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

First US Vita TV ad released

Here is the first TV commercial for the Vita in the US. It highlights cross platform gaming wherein you can start a game on the PS3, and then finish it elsewhere on the Vita. I think it is a good move for Sony to try and market the innovative features of the Vita. This will help get people talking while at the same time promoting the product directly. Check it out at the source below.

-Evan

Source link:
http://myvitafeed.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/first-us-vita-commercial-revealed/

Resistance Burning Skies Launch Date Announced

Resistance Burning Skies is launching on May 29th in the US. This is going to be the first true FPS for the Vita and I am very excited for it. More will be learned about this title as the launch date gets closer.

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/resistance-burning-skies-on-ps-vita-may-29/

Monday, February 13, 2012

Super Stardust Delta is the free game for the Vita

People who are getting a 3G version of the Vita are eligible for a free game after a month off ATT service. Joystiq is reporting that the free game is Super Stardust Delta. Users will get the game for free after paying for 1 month of 3G service. -Evan Source link:

wipEout 2048 has arrived

It's great when FedEx doesn't buzz up and just leaves my package outside my door. But oh well. Here it is, wipeOut 2048 in the flesh. One item of note - this game includes and Online Pass. I was not aware that this would be required, but this is how a lot of game publishers are releasing games these days. See the pictures below. I will have more on this title once my Vita arrives.

-Evan

Using the Vita as a PS3 controller

Joystiq has put up an article and video about using the Vita as the "Ultimate Controller" for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the PS3. I can't imagine that this functionality will be all that useful other than for novelty purposes, but it is great to see that this kind of capability exists. I remember reading articles about how the Vita and the PS3 could be used together and that it would create some competition for the WiiU. Could be interesting down the road...

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/video-the-vita-becomes-a-ps3-controller-in-ultimate-marvel-vs/

First Vita TV Spot

The first Vita television ad for Europe has been released and personally, I don't like it. The ad is one of the ilk of "I am not going to talk about my product, show my product, or give any information of value. Rather, I am going to make some random comment and put up a release date." Who know if this is the same as the US TV ad campaign, but only time will tell.

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.shoptonews.net/2012/02/13/koller-vita-to-get-50-marketing-campaign-first-ad-shown/

Uncharted:Golden Abyss just arrived

Here it is. My photos of Uncharted:Golden Abyss just moments after UPS delivered it to me.

-Evan

Uncharted Near fetaures

Included with Uncharted:Golden Abyss is a new feature called the Black Market. Taking a page from Nintendo's playbook, this feature uses the StreetPass like Near functionality to help complete your collection of collectibles from within the game. Not much is known about this system just yet, but more will be reported on it once the Vita launches.

-Evan

Source link:

http://www.destructoid.com/uncharted-golden-abyss-gets-a-social-item-trading-update-221631.phtml

Reviews flooding for the Vita and Games

Only two days away from the Vita soft launch, and tons of website reviews are coming in for the US version of the console and for launch titles. I will be adding more and more to this list as I find them, but here are some initial reviews.

-Evan

Playstation Vita:

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/playstation-vita-review/

http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/13/playstation-vita-review/

http://gizmodo.com/5884292/playstation-vita-review-you-dont-need-another-beautiful-smart-gadget

http://kotaku.com/5884517/the-playstation-vita-the-kotaku-review

http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1243364/ps_vita_review_roundup_games_hardware_and_tech_specs.html

Sunday, February 12, 2012

A pretty comprehensive Vita review

Here is a link to a pretty comprehensive review of the Vita. This is a review of the Japanese Vita, so no AR cards or the AR functionality is reviewed, but I felt this was a pretty good article that summed up a lot. I will be posting my own review once my Vita arrives - in only 3 days!!!

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.psnation.org/2012/02/12/review-playstation-vita-the-console/

Vita Title File Sizes

Below is a list of initial Vita titles and their associated file sizes. Hopefully this helps people in deciding which is the right size memory card to purchase.

AR Combat DigiQ: Friend Tank Battalion - 220 MB
Asphalt Injection - 724 MB
BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend - 3180 MB
Extreme Escape Adventure: Good People Die - 121 MB
Dark Quest: Alliance - 1057 MB
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention - 1619 MB
Dream Club Zero Portable - 2835 MB
Dynasty Warriors Next - 1485 MB
Everybody's Golf 6 - 1100 MB
F1 2011 - 1435 MB
Little Deviants - 869 MB
Live Tweet - 5760 KB
Lord of Apocalypse - 1427 MB
Mahjong Fight Club - 793 MB
Michael Jackson: The Experience HD - 1225 MB
Minna to Issho: Friend Network - 168 MB
Monster Radar - 1640 MB
Nico Nico - 14 MB
Power Smash 4 - 1241 MB
Ridge Racer - 561 MB
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen - 1057 MB
Touch My Katamari - 744 MB
True Night of the Kamaitachi: The 11th Visitor - 793 MB
Uke-torne - 16 MB
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 - 1350 MB
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - 2777 MB

-Evan

Vita playing PSP games with comparison

Thanks to some of the posters on an Amazon Vita forum, here are a few video links that show the Vita playing PSP games with a side by side comparison.

-Evan

Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUdlCLi2o64

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJfb4shQa0w

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Preview

I was able to sit down at the Vita Hill Social Club and play a few rounds of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tonight. Firstly, I think this title looks great. I was never a big fan of the series, but on the Vita, the cartooney art style really pops. Secondly, I was skeptical at the video previews on the PlayStation Blog as the framerate just seemed to be way too smooth. But after playing it, I was impressed at just how smooth the game run.

I took two videos - the first is of someone else playing as there were no Vitas available when I arrived. The second one is me playing a few rounds. I was able to test out the touch functionality and it was definitely cool, but not something I would really use. I wasn't convinced that I would like this title, and I still don't think I am going to get it.

Let me know your thoughts.

-Evan

Vita Memory Card Just Arrived!!!

Man, is this memory card tiny! I just received my 8GB Memory Card. Since I have the First Edition Bundle Coming, and I also plan on purchasing most of my games that come in retail packaging (for resale purposes as well as sharing with friends), I didn't feel that I needed to shell out for the much larger cards. See the pictures of the package as well as the Memory Card sitting in my Vita Game Case.

-Evan

Vita Game Carrying Case Arrived

So my first Vita item has arrived! Now it's only the Vita Game Card Carrying case, but I carry things around with me a lot and I like to be organized. Here are some photos I took of the package and the actual carrying case itself.

-Evan

Capcom event at Vita Hill Social Club tonight

Is anyone planning to go? I am going to try and make it and also grab some more videos while I am there.

-Evan

Source link:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/08/vita-hill-social-club-calendar-upcoming-events/

PS Vita Trophies List

PS Vita trophy lists have apparently been around for a while, but I have come across what I think is the best compilation. Check out the source link for 22 PS Vita titles. This website promises to update as often as possible.

-Evan

Source link:

http://www.ps3trophies.org/games/vita/

Friday, February 10, 2012

Top quality ports that deserve attention

Modojo.com has a list of games that are ports from other consoles that warrant a second look on the Vita. I agree about Virtua Tennis (just check out my preview), but am unsure about some of the others. I never was able to really get into Ninja Gaiden (a game that originally came out on the Xbox and has been re-released several times since).

What are your thoughts?

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.modojo.com/features/playstation_vita_launch_games_ports_you_should_play/

Taco Bell Vita Contest Problems

Taco Bell and Sony have teamed up for a promotion where they are giving away a PS Vita every 15 minutes. However, since the contest began, there have been a number of reports of foul play wherein Taco Bell restaurants were not giving out codes. Now it seems that people who thought they were winners are being told that they will not be receiving anything. Kotaku is citing a response from the agency that is handling the promotion that "Nearly all of the calls we've received about discrepancies have been from people who had the URL for the winner's page but who did NOT have winning entries. "

Is there foul play afoot here or are some people just trying to get a free Vita?

-Evan

Source link:
http://kotaku.com/5884142/this-taco-bell-playstation-vita-contest-seems-a-little-weird

12 minute Vita feature overview

The PlayStation blog has put up a 12 minute video overview of all the Vita features. While this information may be well know to those of us who have been following anything Vita related for the past year, it is a great introduction to show people who think that the Vita is merely a PSP.

The only new piece of information that I found in the video is that the voucher for a free game that 3G purchasers will receive is for a specific title, and that title will be revealed shortly. Jeff Rubinstein, one of the higher ups on Sony's handheld and Vita teams confirms this in the comments section.

-Evan

Source link:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/10/welcome-to-playstation-vita/

Games and Accessories Shipping from Amazon

First it was Gamestop, now it's Amazon. Today, I received shipping confirmation for my game and accessory preorders. Instead of arriving Wednesday, they should all be here on Monday. Now if only my Vita would come early too...

-Evan

Vita feature I hadn't heard of before

So here's a feature I hadn't heard of before. Apparently with some cross play games, Sony is only going to charge consumers once to get both the PS3 and Vita versions of the game. I assumed that with Warrior's Lair (previously named Ruin) that this would be true, but hadn't heard anything about it since.

What do you think?

-Evan

Source Link:
http://www.tqcast.com/2012/02/09/3-killer-ps-vita-features-that-will-change-portable-gaming-forever/

wipEout 2048 Preview

I've been playing wipEout since the PS1 came out over 12 years ago. I've loved the series for its inventive course design, excellent weapon system, and steep learning curve. Winning a race just felt really good as it took a fair amount of time to figure out how to do it. When the PSP came out, my favorite launch title was wipEout Pure. And now, for the Vita launch I'm excited for wipEout 2048.

This tile features really bright colors and crisp details. I've been saying it a lot, but I think even the crappy Vita games will look great on the gorgeous display. Also, this title is the first to launch with PS3 to Vita cross play functionality. This means that you can play against anyone that has wipEout HD on the PS3 while on your Vita.

Enjoy the video. I will likely be going back to the Vita Hill Social Club in a few days to try and get some more videos.

-Evan

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Virtua Tennis Preview

Ok... preview number two. This is actually the Vita game that I was convinced I wouldn't get, but has turned out to be the one I can't wait for the most. Virtua Tennis 4. Now, I haven't played a Virtua Tennis title since the Dreamcast, but really enjoyed the two entries that I played. Somehow, this game looks and plays better than any other Vita title. Don't get me wrong, I have the First Edition Bundle coming on Wednesday along with release date copies of Uncharted: Golden Abyss and wipEout 2048 (stay tuned for that preview which will go up tomorrow). But Virtua Tennis 4 seems to have as much content if not more than any of those and truly visually is the best Vita launch title hands down. Everything from the presentation to the video cut scenes to when a player gets a power shot off (watch the video, I explain the whole mechanic in it) just shine on the OLED screen of the Vita. According to reports that I have read online, the reason why Virtua Tennis looks so good is that it runs at the Vita's native resolution, something that even Uncharted: Golden Abyss doesn't do.

Also, some people think that tennis games are nothing but glorified Pong. While sometimes that feels true, this title has tons of content. Create your own player, level him/her up like with a classic RPG feel, travel around the world playing opponents, train to get better, and continue year after year. But there is so much more to this title. First off, there are a number of mini-games that are completely separate. I assume like in previous titles, these will be the training session used to level up skills. But they are playable as standalone mini games for those short bus/subway rides.

This title also has some smooth touch controls, but I was much more comfortable and had better control with the D-pad. I think this is a feature that people will try out, but am not sure how successful it will be in the long run.

I hope that the online play is as solid and smooth as the single player was in the demo. And remember, I was only playing the demo! Tweaks to smooth out kinks should be incorporated in the final build that ships to consumers.

If you were uncertain about picking this one up, be sure to check out the demo now - or when the Vita launches should you not be near a Social Club. This title is now the game that I will likely be sinking more time into than any other for the foreseeable future.

-Evan

How to transfer PSP games to the Vita

Sony has put up a How-To guide detailing how previously purchased PSP and PS-Minis will be transferred over to the Vita. More importantly, they have included a list of titles that will be compatible at launch. Note that Sony was very clear in indicating that this list will grow over time. This should be taken with a grain of salt though as when the Xbox 360 launched, Microsoft claimed that way more titles would be backwards compatible than ever were.

-Evan

Source link:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/09/how-to-download-psp-titles-to-ps-vita/

Sound Shapes Preview

So here it is. My first video preview for the Vita. I feel like this title was talked about a ton at E3 of last year, but hasn't gotten much coverage since. A couple of things. Firstly, the one Vita that had this game at the Vita Hill Social Club in NYC was in the worst possible spot for recording video. Please forgive the glare. Secondly, the background music in the Social Club was also quite loud. Lastly, this is probably the longest demo that is on display. Having already played the demo previously and not having all the time in the world, I stopped playing about halfway through the demo. Not before I died a bunch though!

I hope you enjoy.

-Evan

Video previews coming up

I made it to the NYC Vita Hill Social club today and am in the process of uploading the videos to YouTube. I took video of Sound Shapes, Virtua Tennis 4, and wipEout 2048. Stay tune for more videos over the next few days and weeks from pre-launch, to my unboxing, to retail release reviews.

-Evan

Vita to PS3 comparison video

Just found this comparison video for the Vita and the PS3. Is there anyone out there who is unconvinced that the Vita is a graphical powerhouse?

Also, at 2:45 of the video, a very interesting concept is relayed in which the Vita is actually used to display different content than what is displayed on the PS3. I've heard people mention that this was possible, but it could really be an impressive feat that would square the PS3+Vita combo with the upcoming WiiU from Nintendo.

-Evan

Source link:
http://kotaku.com/5883649/see-how-well-the-vita-plays-with--against-the-playstation-3

Get a Vita like a smartphone in Australia

Here is an interesting idea. In Australia, Vodafone, a cellphone provider, is offering the Vita on a monthly contract (requires 12 month commitment). Basically, for 55AUD, you get a Vita, a memory card, and a 1.5GB per month allotment to download from the SEN store. I feel that the same kind annual contract structure would work in the US and other parts of the world, but this is the first time I have actually seen a provider offer it. There are other promotions from cellphone providers (in the UK, for example, by signing up with the provider, one can get wipEout 2048 for 5 pounds).

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2012/02/opinion-one-of-best-selling-points-for.html

Some lucky Canadians have received the PS Vitas

Not jealous of Canada yet? How about this... Reports are coming in that some lucky Canadians have received the PS Vitas. I have yet to see any reports of this happening elsewhere, but come on Amazon, can us Americans get a little early Vita love?

-Evan

Source link:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/amazon-ca-ships-out-a-few-vitas-early/

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

PS Vita store is now open in the US

The PS Vita store is now open in the US. According to reports from kotaku.com, the store opened only a few minutes ago. The store currently has games for purchase and movies to rent. Without a Vita to confirm this myself, it seems likely that Sony would want to have the store up and running in advance of people receiving their Vitas in less than a week's time.

-Evan

Source link:

http://kotaku.com/5883596/the-ps-vita-store-is-now-live

Vita Augmented Reality (AR) features

One of the features that I am most excited about is the Vita's capability to do all kinds of cool things using Augmented Reality (AR). There was a brief display at CES that showed off a touchscreen soccer game. Below is a video of that demo.

In addition, the PlayStation Blog posted another video today focusing on some of the Vita's other AR titles. A Suite of AR applications will be released on February 22nd for the awesome price of FREE that will utilize AR cards. These AR cards will be included with every Vita system.

I think AR is an impressive piece of tech, and the Vita will certainly be capable of more than the 3DS' offerings of including a character in a photo. The Vita allows for true interaction with items that are produced using AR.

I've tried Reality Fighters - the biggest title to include AR features at the Vita Hill Social Club. From face mapping onto characters to fighting on a coffee table, this title is quite impressive - even though the controls for a fighter are subpar. For anyone who has played Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat, Super Street Fighter 4, or any of the Soul Calibur titles (my personal favorite fighting game of all time is Soul Calibur 1), Reality Fighters will be seen as a poor fighter. But when it comes to AR, one cannot help but be impressed with its functionality.

Link to CES AR demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOHe9fhrJnU

Link to PlayStation Blog AR Video released today:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/08/dive-into-ps-vitas-augmented-reality-suite/

-Evan

Content Manager for OSX and Vita games available on SEN

Sony has made good on their promise to include Mac OSX compatibility for the Vita. Today, Sony released the Content Manager software which allows for the backup of game saves and transferring of photos, videos, and purchased games to and from the Vita. View the link below for a direct download link.

http://cma.dl.playstation.net/cma/mac/en/index.html

Reports are also coming in the you can download Vita games to your PS3 through the SEN (formerly PSN) store. Unless you have imported a Vita, this isn't that useful just yet, but perhaps there are some images and descriptions up that might be a good read. Search specifically on SEN for a Vita game title and it might be available. Currently, the following games are available:

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational ($35.99) (Size: 1.15 GB)
ModNation Racers: Road Trip ($26.99) (Size: 1.5 GB)
Super Stardust Delta ($9.99) (Size: 208 MB)
Uncharted Golden Abyss ($49.99) (Size: 3.2 GB)
WipEout 2048 ($35.99) (Size: 1.6 GB)

-Evan

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Gamestop selling Vita games now!

Reports from many different outlets are reporting that Sony has given Gamestop the green light to sell Vita games as they arrive. Keep in mind that Gamestop does not always have the best prices on games (wipEout 2048 is selling on Amazon for $10.00 less than at Gamestop), but if there are some games that you are worried about not being able to pickup, call your local retailer to find out if they have it in stock. See the source link for just one blogger who was able to pickup 3 games and a Vita case.

My suggestion would be to stick with my preferred video game retailer, Amazon.com, due to it's competitive pricing and Release Date Delivery.

-Evan

Source Link
http://wanderson75.net/archives/5824

No UMD Passport Program for US Vita

According to Kotaku.com, there will be no US UMD Passport program. The program which was announced and launched aside the Vita in Japan allowed users to pay a nominal fee to download digital versions of games that they already purchased for the PSP. This would allow users to play there PSP games on the Vita, despite the Vita not having a UMD drive.

Sony never confirmed that this program would be launched in the US, but I can't help but feel that this will alienate some longtime Sony customers. Having owned a PSP from launch, there are certainly some games that I would have considered repurchasing for my Vita. But not having the option just confirms that the PSP is being abandoned by Sony. Hopefully by stopping the PSP in its tracks, Sony will really start to put some money behind the Vita.

Check out the link below for the initial story.
http://kotaku.com/5883089/sony-you-wont-be-able-to-bring-psp-discs-to-vita

-Evan

Blog Launch

Hi Everyone.

My name is Evan and I have decided to start this blog to express my excitement for the PS Vita. I plan on updating it with News, Pictures and Videos on all things PS Vita related. Unlike many people out there, I have already handled the Vita as I live near one of the Vita Hill Social Clubs and already have my own thoughts and ideas about some of the launch titles as well as the console itself. Stay tunes as I post more.

-Evan