There are two major handheld consoles on the market at the moment: the PS Vita and the Nintendo 3DS (let’s not bring the 2DS into this). So which one should you buy? Which one (commercial success not considered) is best? Let’s end this once and for all…
This is my reward for getting excited about things. While it is due out in Japan on December 26th, Square-Enix announced on Monday that Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster will be delayed until March 2014 for us folks in the West. Not only that, but the PS Vita version of the game seems to have been delayed indefinitely for anyone outside of Japan. Those in North America will get their hands on the PS3 version come March 18th, with Europe able to play Blitzball a few days later on the 21st. While this may seem like unfortunate news (and it is), I choose to see it in another light.
It’s my belief that the delay is intentional and not due to localisation issues or other, unavoidable setbacks. I have a sneaking suspicion that we may have a pleasant surprise on our hands. Read more …
A little while back, I wrote what ended up being a fairly controversial article on why I wasn’t interested in the PlayStation Vita. I gave my reasons as to why I felt it was, in my opinion, inadequate; it caused a little bit of a stir in the comments of both this site and article aggregator N4G. Though a lot of the retorts were nothing but fan-boy white noise, there were some insightful responses among the various replies. They went a long way towards showing just how much of the decision to purchase a console is down to personal preference in a number of areas. At the time, it was unfortunate that the Vita’s combination of features wasn’t appealing to me; as one commentator put it, I wasn’t the “target market” and I should “move on”.
But the problem is that I sort of am the target market. I like games and I love hand-held consoles. I’m particularly fond of them when compared to smartphones for gaming purposes. It just so happens that, until now, there’s not been a good enough reason (or combination of reasons) for me to get a Vita. With the recent announcement of a new Vita Slim and a price drop for the original model, I felt it might be a good time to re-evaluate my position on the PlayStation Vita. How many of my original concerns still hold true? How has the PlayStation 4 connectivity influenced my views? Let’s take a closer look. Read more …
Sony has recently focused it’s efforts on a new model of the PlayStation 3 console, and to an improved online store with more features promised for the paying “PlayStation Plus” members, including more free games and content, and more reductions over both the PlayStation 3 console, and also the handheld PSVita.
The trouble is, Sony are currently experiencing a spot of financial hardship, and I don’t necessarily thing that they have chosen the best methods to deal with this. Here is what I would have done differently:
1) No new PS3
There was no real need for a newer, slimmer console. Both the PS1 and the PS2 only had 2 model versions, and the PSP got less successful as it got smaller and more model types (anyone remember the PSPGo?). Nintendo can carry off releasing new versions of the DS every 6 months, with a camera, 3D or making it larger, and Nintendo fanboys (and girls) will happily pay for the privilege. Sony’s fans are not quite so loyal, and we could have all waited with our Slim or Phat current consoles until the YLOD hit us, or the PlayStation 4 emerged.
2) Bring in Cross-Platform-Play
There has been little movement on the PSVita front really. The games aren’t spectacular, aside from a few early launch titles and the addition of Little Big Planet, and now that we have PSP games and PS1 games finally approved for use on the console, it seems that all I use my PSVita for is exactly what I ended up using my PSP for – retro gaming.
The PSVita is a powerful piece of kit. It has touch screens for intricate puzzle solving/surgery/crime fighting, and dual analogues for some pretty decent shooting action. All it is missing is the interaction with the PS3, and with Microsoft bringing in SmartGlass and Nintendo’s very own Wii-U leading the way, Sony had better pull it’s finger out if it doesn’t want to miss the bus! Initially, using the PSVita as an extra control pad would be pretty awesome, but eventually being able to play on the awesome touchscreen so that the TV could be used for other things, or carrying games on when you head out for work. I’d even encourage people to develop mini games for the PSVita, akin to the chocobo side game for Final Fantasy VIII, so that we could level up characters or acquire new items for use in the game, without actually playing the main game.
The PSVita has a lot of untapped potential. Sony focused pretty hard on making the console an impressive piece of kit (aside from the camera) but haven’t really developed it’s interactivity with other Sony devices, and that’s a shame.
3) Work harder with Bethesda
We all know Bethesda games are not the greatest supporters of PS3 gamers, judging by their appalling treatment of Skyrim fans anyway, but it seems to be due to their focus on developing for the Xbox 360 first, and then trying to cram it onto the PS3 hardware as an afterthought. Developers like Bethesda seem a little unwilling to sort the problem, and while it is not Sony’s fault that the glitches have occurred, it would certainly be in Sony’s interest to help smooth the relationship between the company and gamers, although given the latest news regarding Doom 3 BFG Edition (you CANNOT install the game on Xbox 360, without losing the option to play 2 other games on the disk completely), Bethesda seem quite content in annoying all of their future purchasers.
4) Bring out the PS4
I know the gaming market probably isn’t ready for it yet, and most gamers aren’t even close to being financially ready for it, but we need a new serious console. After seeing the buzz around the Wii-U at the Eurogamer Expo, everyone was keen to get their hands on it, even if the software provided wasn’t quite living up to expectations. We all crave new things, and perhaps the PS4 will allow a bit more interactivity with the PSVita (yes I have a bee in my bonnet about it), and also a slew of new games in an otherwise stagnant marketplace.
These are just my opinions on matters, and they may not be right or even financially viable for Sony. But in these times of recessions and global economic downturns, isn’t it time Sony came out fighting?