Nintendo wasn't the only one at E3, even though they stole the show with their announcement. Sony was there, right after yet another attack on their network. Instead of saying sorry or even addressing the problem, Sony did say that their network is safer and more protective than ever. But a sorry isn't what we are looking for at E3, we care about the games, gadgets, and consoles.
A new console was definitely on Sony's list! The all-new PS Vita, previously codenamed the NGP or Next Generation Portable, is coming towards the end of 2011. They come in two types: Wifi-only for $249 or Wifi and 3G for $299. The 3G version will have AT&T coverage, and I'm hoping you don't have to pay monthly, which is what the Barnes and Noble Nook does. I'm sure we'll get much more information in the coming weeks.
So, a new console and guess what it has? A multi-touch screen. Who'd have guessed? Well, I might have, but just a little. But the next step of having a rear touchpad? I wouldn't have thought of that one! Why touch your beautiful Vita's 5-inch OLED screen when you can touch the back pad? It makes a lot more sense since you're holding a portable console. Your fingers are laying on the back of the handheld anyway, so I expect that to work nicely, but to take a bit of time getting used to. Plus, they did away with the pesky UMD's (did anyone ever like them?) and now all the games are strictly digital, giving the back touchpad a smoother surface.
There's not enough places to touch!
What else? Oh yeah, it has two cameras, much like everything does. With ope rear camera one front-facing, not only am I sure you can video chat, but you can also use the augmented reality system to play games. How cool would it be to play ModNation Racers or Little Big Planet by playing in the world around you? I'll tell you how awesome: more awesome than a three-headed fire-breathing dragon-shark with laser beams. Yeah, that's pretty awesome.
Hide yo kids, hide yo wife!
Did I mention it has motion control? We saw a glimpse of six-axis control with the Dualshock 3, but I don't feel it was brought to it's fullest potential, so I'm hoping for some more from the Vita. I have full faith in Sony, as I loved my PSP to death. Literally.
♫ Don't you forget about me ♫
Besides that you're pretty much left with your basic PSP controls: Microphone, Start/Select buttons, +Control Pad, Action Buttons, and L+R Buttons. The microphone has a new use, so you can chat while playing multiplayer games and watching videos. I don't like the talking while watching videos part because when there's audio, I like to listen to that and not someone else's commentary but that's just me.
Not only does the Vita do all this, but there's full PS3 Integration! You get to play your PSN games (that are compatible with the Vita) on your PS3, then transfer the files (hopefully wirelessly) to your Vita for uninterrupted gameplay. I'm extremely eager to see how this pans out. Hopefully we will get some hands-on soon.
Brace yourself for the epic.
On a side note, I wonder how the making of this video went?
"Hey I want you to make a video showing the PS Vita. I want it to be epic. Like this is serious shit and it's about to go down."
"How epic do you want it?"
"Like, Middle Earth epic.""Well, have I got the video for you!"
Lastly, we have our line-up. A nice variety of games containing some really strong hardcore titles and some casual titles. I'm sure that most of the PSN titles will be getting upgrades to work with the Vita. The line-up consists of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Hotshots Golf, Wipeout, LittleBigPlanet, Gravity, Little Deviants, ModNation Racers, Reality Fighters, and Ruin. A pretty solid starting line-up, and I'm curious to see what's going to be next.
So what are your thoughts on the new handheld? Will it be a day one purchase or does it not appeal to you? Let me know below!
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