Playstation Vita

[Spacehost]

The original was always slightly too big for pockets anyway, this one being marginally bigger won't make much difference. What are they meant to do? It's got a 5" screen. Have the thing fold in half down the middle of the screen?

[moosegrinder]

I thought I was the odd-one-out amongst pocket gamers carrying all my shit in a bag. I get mocked at work for always having a bag with me, but where else are you supposed to put stuff? I can't even stand a wallet in my pocket. A small pack of tissues is where it starts and stops.

They mock you for having a bag? Unless it's a fucking hand bag those people are fucking retarded. I don't leave home without my sac magique,

[Dimahoo]

The original was always slightly too big for pockets anyway, this one being marginally bigger won't make much difference. What are they meant to do? It's got a 5" screen. Have the thing fold in half down the middle of the screen?

Like a DS you mean?

[Retroid]

The original was always slightly too big for pockets anyway, this one being marginally bigger won't make much difference. What are they meant to do? It's got a 5" screen. Have the thing fold in half down the middle of the screen?

And that was two years ago...

[Camel]

Why would they care about size? People carry iPads around with them. It's not a phone.

Some people carry iPads around with them. Some don't because of size.

[Dimahoo]

A real videogamer doesn't care about size.

[Spacehost]

Like a DS you mean?

I think your DS has issues if you can fold its screen in half.

[Camel]

A real videogamer doesn't care about size.

I have no idea how to respond to this. Can we have some interlude music?

[Dimahoo]

I think your DS has issues if you can fold its screen in half.

But theres a good few games that play over two screens as one screen.

Metroid Pinball or Sonic colours for example..

Probably not what you meant.

[Tailfly]

Most exciting feature of this is the rear touch pad. I think it could become a standard feature of really natural menu selection and fast, accurate unobstructed selection within the games. Genius addition.

[mushashi]

I'd say £349 and £399. I think they're going to position it closer to the iPad than anything else.

SCEE have said as much:

So we thought, based on that, and in discussion with publishers and especially conventional game publishers, that there's a really significant opportunity in what I would call a middle segment – for a consumer that wants the convenience of a smartphone, but wants something deeper and richer than perhaps they generally get right now, and is prepared to pay for that.

This beautiful new device sits very much at the top end of that segmentation. I think it's a statement of leadership, that we think there is huge potential for dedicated portable game devices with the right set of cutting-edge features. And we've gone all out – in terms of a fantastic screen and viewing area which is core to any premium game experience.

This ain't being aimed at poor people (initially), more the Apple-types who think quality is worth a premium.

With PlayStation Suite allowing iPhone-style development and cross compatibility with Xperia Play and the wider Android 2.3+ hardware market, and traditional console development at the high end, they seem to be covering both ends of the market from the outset, they seem to have learnt some lessons from the PSP as they've fixed the majority of its major flaws and Nintendo have kindly nerfed the battery life on their device so removing that competitive advantage. Pricing is looking like the only major thing stopping them now.

[Stingo]

Indeed.

Now they only have to fix the UI. Or at least refine it. It's the only thing that makes me hit the pause button. (as for the pricing, I expected it to be close to the iPad)

[Danster]

Most exciting feature of this is the rear touch pad. I think it could become a standard feature of really natural menu selection and fast, accurate unobstructed selection within the games. Genius addition.

I agree, I'm intrigued as to how well this might work. Being able to manipulate a screen with your fingers without marking the screen or obstructing it sounds ideal.

[Dimahoo]

Well i'd guess the way you hold the thing allows your index fingers to move around whatever it is being moved, at least in the case of a GUI.

[Broker]

Colour me bored, another high spec handheld destined to become the home of endless thoughless ports of unsuited home games. After initial gadget lust dies, I can't see this making heavy inroads amongst anyone but the hardcore. Apple sell the iPad because they've also got a device for the other 90% of their market which people actually want to buy.

[Dimahoo]

I don't agree at all. Unsuited home games how?

Unsuited is a device that could do lovely games on a HD screen but sans a Dpad. I'm not saying its complete shite but a gamer wants a gaming console.

Complete with Ano sticks (or two) and IMO if they add control technologies that make it compete against Apple as well, its going to eat Apple.

They should have called it the "Adam".

I'm sure Coleco wouldn't mind.

Meh...speculation of course but i'm certainly not bored and i'm not sure how anyone could be - bar the fact its from Sony and the usual games issue.

Its about time for a big change and i don't think you could ask for much more.

[Major Britten]

SCEE have said as much:

This ain't being aimed at poor people (initially), more the Apple-types who think quality is worth a premium.

With PlayStation Suite allowing iPhone-style development and cross compatibility with Xperia Play and the wider Android 2.3+ hardware market, and traditional console development at the high end, they seem to be covering both ends of the market from the outset, they seem to have learnt some lessons from the PSP as they've fixed the majority of its major flaws and Nintendo have kindly nerfed the battery life on their device so removing that competitive advantage. Pricing is looking like the only major thing stopping them now.

I think this is probably the best option for sony, the sony brand has always been known as a premium brand in the entertainment industry so its hardly anything new. But with the huge success Apple has been seeing its clear that people will pay the extra if they think it is worth it. The big difference though is that Apple make a profit on every unit they sell which is something that Sony probably wont be able to do.

Personally Im now more interested in the PSP2 than I am in the 3DS, the system itself is a really sexy bit of kit making the PSP and 3DS look pretty cheap in comparison. Also the tech in this bad boy is pretty stunning and the games announced so far look amazing. What im hoping is that Sony do something similar to what iOS developers have been doing and making future games universal, which can be played on the PS3 and the PSP2 without there being any technical differences and only one copy of the game needing to be purchased to play at home or on the go. We have that already in a way with PSOne and Minis but what about proper PS3 games? If Sony can nail that then this could be a very big thing (if youre a PS3 gamer).

[Broker]

It looks like an impressive piece of technology, and I'm sure it wil draw gadget lust out of me, but I don't have any faith in Sony to ensure that it's not just drammed with thoughtless ports. It seems odd that for a device so squarely aimed at traditional gamers there is so little of interest games wise. I don't exect to see MGS4 on it, ever, that's just a tech demo. Uncharted in impressive, and Monster Hunter is important in Japan, but once again I can't help feel that Sont have spent so long perfecting the hardware they're forgotten what it's supposed to be doing. If I was competing with the DS behemoth I'd make sure I had some fucking triple a games straight out of the gate, not just interesting tech demos. But there's a port of uncharted, a port of shittle big planet and a bunch of other boring, samey crap. I'd like it to appeal in the same way as the PSP, but this time I would appreciate some substance being left when the excitement of the lovely screen has worn off.

[Dimahoo]

The only massive thing that troubles me is the lack of grips and that could be hard to do with that rear touchscreen.

I know it impeded portablity (well, not if you had a bag!) but for me they were the most essentinal thing for it.

[Sprite Machine]

If I was competing with the DS behemoth I'd make sure I had some fucking triple a games straight out of the gate, not just interesting tech demos.

Isn't it still a YEAR away from release?

Besides, this has always been a Sony problem. First and foremost, they make hardware; they let third parties make interesting software for it.

[mushashi]

It seems odd that for a device so squarely aimed at traditional gamers there is so little of interest games wise.

Outside of one or 2 titles, the 3DS is squarely in the same boat, but for some reason, people seem overjoyed about old console ports on that

It'll come down to whether you have an insatiable desire for Nintendo-developed stuff as to which is preferable, JPN support for the original PSP is pretty solid against the DS juggernaut, they seem to have secured a decent level of interest from developers and it'll probably have the edge in Western dev support, I notice some notable iOS developers have already signed up. Lack of Nintendo support didn't stop Sony from having the 2 biggest selling home consoles of alltime or Apple from making billions selling portable devices which play games. I'm starting to think the 3DS won't have nearly as easy a ride to #1 as conventional wisdom would suggest. EA/THQ still think of it as the kiddie console too:

My Garden for the 3DS is very casual, and [EA's COO John] Schappert considers the platform "similar to a standard Nintendo offering", with an audience profile like "the Nintendo DS we had before."

Danny Bilson: That's right. Nintendo is mostly the family product. We do have a few games that we're making on 3DS, but they're more of our "family games" that are in "core." We haven't announced them yet but there are, uh, maybe three or four of them.

[scottcr]

as much as I'm awed by the capabilities, and am almost certainly be getting one... I can't see this selling outside of a really core crowd. Blokes, with lots of disposable income aged between 20 and 35.

[Dimahoo]

If those controls are any good with FPS's then i'd imagine a large chunk of COD/MW/BF fans will buy one.

[Ketchup]

As impressive as the PSP2 is (and it is impressive) to me it'll be just like the current PSP. Franchises from the big console put onto the PSP and little else. If i wanted to play uncharted, i'd play it on my PS3. Why make me buy another machine to carry on with the franchise? Same with things like Fifa. The 3DS at least gives us something different (much like the DS). All the stylus controlled games, they don't work well on a console. Take Phoenix Wright, it's a perfect portable game but would be dull on a console. The 3DS offers experiences you can't really get on a home console.

[Treble]

If those controls are any good with FPS's then i'd imagine a large chunk of COD/MW/BF fans will buy one.

It goes even further than that. Which third-person action games are enjoyable (or even properly playable) without dual analogue sticks? Current forum fave - Dead Space 2 - wouoldn't be much fun. Having the twin anos finally gets rid of that barrier.

Being someone who is married and has to share the telly with a family, having a handheld that ticks all the boxes and does everything a console pad does (as well as everything the iPhone does) with a big, hi-def (comparative to size) means it has the potential to be 'proper' system rather than a 'snack' to eat between 'proper' gaming 'meals' (oof, clunky).

[Liquid Myth]

As impressive as the PSP2 is (and it is impressive) to me it'll be just like the current PSP. Franchises from the big console put onto the PSP and little else. If i wanted to play uncharted, i'd play it on my PS3. Why make me buy another machine to carry on with the franchise? Same with things like Fifa. The 3DS at least gives us something different (much like the DS). All the stylus controlled games, they don't work well on a console. Take Phoenix Wright, it's a perfect portable game but would be dull on a console. The 3DS offers experiences you can't really get on a home console.

Have you read anything about this machine? It's got a touch screen as well as a back touch panel, and developers have said that they'd rather do original new content (actions speak louder than words, mind).

[Robo_1]

I think that's it really. For me the PSP was a great console, but it's limiting controls sabotaged it's original aim to bring a console experience to a portable. Sony have taken that problem to heart, and have packed NGP with pretty much every input you could reasonably expect.

The fact that we're getting mini analogue sticks rather than two analgue nubs, speaks volumes about how important Sony views getting the controls right.

[Dimahoo]

I still think its massively unegonomic nature will be a hinderance. If your going to make a console with twin stick support, you need to be able to hold it properly.

As i said earlier, it makes it less portable, but at least give us the option because the orignal was an absolute 'mare to behold.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

as much as I'm awed by the capabilities, and am almost certainly be getting one... I can't see this selling outside of a really core crowd. Blokes, with lots of disposable income aged between 20 and 35.

I hope so.

If it means less waggle- or casual centric shite and half arsed ports, I'm all for it.

[ontwofronts]

If this is priced (and aimed) at iPad territory then Apple will destroy the PSP2.

I don't think you can take on the iPad with the Playstation brand.

If a Playstation product is expensively priced then it will fall short with the mass market, we have seen this before.

Smart piece of kit though.