PlayStation Vita

Sony Cuts PSP and PS Vita Forecasts by 4 Million

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 2, 2012 | 5 comments

Today’s Sony Q1 2012 earnings report were the first under new President and CEO, Kaz Hirai who took over the company a little less than 6 months ago. Like the past few years, the earnings report was nothing to write home about though its tough to expect a full turnaround from a company whose been as battered down as Sony. While Sony continued to take big losses in the television division (expected), the company drastically reduced their business ending year forecast for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita by 4 million, with the PS Vita having only been released for 5 months in the US.

Top 5 PSN Games That Should Be On The Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Jul 26, 2012 | 0 comments

Top 5 PSN Games That Should Be On The Vita

So you’ve bought a brand new PlayStation Vita. You’ve also finished Uncharted, MGS HD Collection, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and all those fantastic Vita games available now.

So what else is there to play?

While not playable on the handheld, there are hundreds of PSN-exclusive games that would find a great home in the Vita. Games that have otherwise been overlooked on the PS3 might get a new lease on life on Sony’s sleek handheld. And with the twin sticks, touchscreen, and tilt functionalities, these PSN games would definitely bolster the Vita’s already impressive lineup.

But before we start the list, here are some honorable mentions:

The PixelJunk Franchise
Siren: Blood Curse
Joe Danger
Rochard
Costume Quest
Flow/Flower

These are the PSN games that we (as PlayStation fans) would love to be re-released on PS Vita.

Due to Quality Control, Sony Delays Nasne NAS

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 20, 2012 | 0 comments

Remember that cool 500GB Nasne NAS Sony announced in late April which was capable of streaming TV and other media to the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, VAIO, tablets, and Xperia phones? Well just days before its Japanese release, Sony has delayed the product’s shipment due to quality control issues. Luckily, it seems that the biggest problem was from the shipment process which saw the devices get damaged in transit rather than any issues with the product themselves. This should result in a short relaunch time of the product as more come from Sony factories, preferably undamaged.

Also, no we won’t ever get this in the US.

Playstation Store Update: (07-03-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Jul 4, 2012 | 0 comments

In this week’s Playstation Store update, we have three amazing new additions to your “instant game collection,” along with the usual flood of updates, sales, demos, and full game releases. Online first person shooter Gotham City Imposters, PSN title Renegade Ops, and the highly regarded Pac-Man Championship Edition DX are all available for free download for Playstation Plus members.

If you don’t have a Plus membership, you can download a ton of full games from the PSN storefront, including the well-reviewed third person shooter Spec Ops: The Line and Sega’s Sonic Generations. And if you’re low on funds this week, check out the demos for Bellator MMA Onslaught and Summer Stars 2012.

Check out the entire Playstation Store update after the jump.

Sony Acquires Gaikai, Prepares for Cloud Gaming

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 2, 2012 | 1 comment

After rumors of a potential purchase of Gaikai, a web browser based online gaming service which offers games like Mass Affect 3 and Crysis 2, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has announced a definitive agreement to purchase Gaikai for a cool $380 million. Sony hopes that through the acquisition, the gaming giant will be establish a new cloud based gaming service. Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said:

“By combining Gaikai’s resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with SCE’s extensive game platform knowledge and experience, SCE will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences,”

He went on:

“SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.”

YouTube App Now Available For PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 29, 2012 | 0 comments

Avid portable video watchers have another reason to celebrate as the much awaited YouTube app is now available for PlayStation Vita. A free download on the PSN store, the YouTube app allows Vita owners to join the largest social video sharing site in the world, and not only that, Vita owners can sign in using their Google accounts to save and comment on their favorite videos.

Let me tell you, HD videos look amazing on the PlayStation Vita’s 5″ OLED screen. Just try watching some of the latest HD game and movie trailers from Sony and you’ll be blown away by the amount of color and quality that the YouTube Vita app outputs.

PS Vita owners can watch their favorite videos through two modes; full screen view and small screen (aka the YouTube site default view). Full screen view acts like the iOS version of Youtube in which the control panels disappear after non-use. It also allows users to turn HD (720p) on and off. On the other hand, small screen view acts like the traditional YouTube site in that the main video is playing on the left hand side; with comments, suggested videos, and information displayed to the right beside it.

Playstation Store Update (06-26-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Jun 27, 2012 | 0 comments

If you own a Playstation 3 and haven’t played the first two games in the Uncharted series yet, you’re probably crazy, but this week’s Playstation Store update has you lunatics covered. Available for full download this week for the first time on the Playstation Store are Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, available separately or together as a savings bundle.

Two new releases also make their way to the Playstation Store, as the movie tie-in The Amazing Spider-Man and Resident Evil: Chronicles HD are both now available for download. The Amazing Spider-Man looks to recapture the magic of past Spider-Man games with a fully explorable New York City and revamped web-sling controls. The game also acts as an epilogue to the upcoming Sony Pictures film.

Resident Evil: Chronicles HD features two early games from the franchise, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles andResident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, both available on a Playstation console for the first time. These two on-rails shooters are also Playstation Move compatible and have upgraded HD graphics for there PS3 debut.

And finally, if you’re a Playstation Plus subscriber, be sure to check out all sorts of discounts for various games, including all of the aforementioned titles, Journey, Skullgirls, Madden 12, and Fifa 12.

Check out the entire Playstation Store update after the break.

PlayStation Store Shut Down in South Korea

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 21, 2012 | 0 comments

If you’re a PlayStation 3 owner in South Korea, we have some bad news for you. Thanks to a new law passed by the government there which “prevents under-18s from being asked for their names or ages for the purpose of account authentication,” Sony has been forced to close down access to the PlayStation Store from the PS3. The new “Game Industry Promotion Act” is set to go into affect on July 1st.

On the bright side, despite Sony taking the store down proactively, access to PSN like multiplayer gaming and chatting will continue to function until the PlayStation Store returns “sometime this year.” Interestingly, South Koreans can still access the store via the PSP or PS Vita. It remains to be seen if there is some loophole or exceptions that exist or Sony simply hasn’t gotten around to shutting them down yet.

Street Fighter X Tekken Vita Preview

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 18, 2012 | 15 comments

Coming Fall of 2012, Street Fighter X Tekken for the PlayStation Vita is looking like the definitive version of the game. SF X Tekken on the Vita expands on the console versions while adding a host of extra modes, characters, levels, unlockable content, and even it’s own unique “Battle Tap” touch-screen controls.

With SF X Tekken, Street Fighter and Tekken fans can now take their fight on the go. Players have the option of either playing the competitive and co-op fighter locally or with other players using 3G or Wi-Fi.

Check out our Street Fighter X Tekken Vita preview after the break.

Exclusive: Sony Santa Monica Working on 3 Titles, 2 Of Which Are Secret

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 13, 2012 | 2 comments

Events like E3 are always about talking to industry folks and getting news where you can. Of course, when it comes to exclusive content, most of it is already signed away between publishers and large news sites who tend to have first dip on them. This of course does not mean exclusive content is impossible to come by, especially if you do a bit of detective work and ping back and forth between people within the same organization.

Having had a chance to do just that during E3, we were able to get some inside knowledge on Sony Santa Monica Studios and piece together some key knowledge about the studio’s current slate of games and future projects.

Sony Offers Free PS3 or PS Vita with Purchase of VAIO Computer

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 12, 2012 | 1 comment

If you’re starting to think about the up coming college semester, then Sony’s most recent promotion might help you decide on the computer thats right for you. Starting today, Sony is running a new back to school promotion that offers you a free PlayStation 3 (160GB) or PlayStation Vita (Wi-Fi) with the purchase of a VAIO computer. Not all VAIO computer are eligible though pricing on eligible notebooks start at around $750 and build from there. If you already have a PS3 and/or PS Vita but are still looking to get in on the action, Sony has other promotional offers as well, including $200 of PlayStation Gear. More on that, after the jump.

MGS HD and Gravity Rush Lead This Week’s Vita Releases

by Jan Hutchings | Jun 12, 2012 | 1 comment

This week’s going to be big for PlayStation Vita fans, as the long awaited Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Vita-exclusive Gravity Rush are set to release later today.

Vita owners have been anticipating the summer rush of games for their new handheld. It started a few weeks ago with the release of Resistance: Burning Skies and will continue with the gravity bending platformer Gravity Rush along with the sneaking heavy MGS HD Collection.

Find out more about Gravity Rush and MGS HD Collection after the break.

Has Sony Learned Nothing from the PlayStation Network Hacking?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 11, 2012 | 8 comments

If Saturday was your day to kick back, relax and play some games on PSN, you quickly came to the realization that the PlayStation Network was down. Our site was the first of all the outlets to break the news, due to a simple coincidence which had me navigating the PlayStation Store and downloading a few games. Upon attempting to download LittleBigPlanet 2, I was quickly booted from the store and my subsequent attempts at accessing the store did little to change my faith. Taking to Twitter, I soon realized the incident was worldwide and not limited to North America.

Further discovery led to the realization that those who were logged into PSN could continue to view their friends list and download content in their queues while those logged out could not log back in, which affected both PS3 and PS Vita users. Despite partial access to the network, online gameplay was also down alongside other Sony services like Music and Video Unlimited though 3rd party services like Hulu and Netflix experienced no down time.

In the end, after 4-6 hour downtime, PSN was fully restored, though everyone was left in the dark as to why the service went down in the first place. During the down time, most users quickly feared the worse; another PlayStation Network hacking. While that might be jumping to a hasty conclusion, it’s also not a stretch and only Sony is to blame for their lack of communication during the downtime. After the jump, a chronicle of the events and Sony’s lack of communication.

PlayStation Suite Becomes PlayStation Mobile, Helps Transition the PlayStation Brand for Life After Consoles

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 11, 2012 | 3 comments

On the surface, one of the lesser announcements during the 2012 E3 Sony press conference was the renaming of PlayStation Suite to PlayStation Mobile. The Android-powered initiative is designed to bring the PlayStation brand to smartphones and tablets by offering PlayStation One games (and potentially PS2 and PS3 titles way in the future) to would-be gamers. Sony is also expected to bring the service to the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, allowing games developed for the platform to be playable on their consoles and Android powered devices. Sony also hopes that the initiative will build positive awareness for the PlayStation brand and bring mobile owners to their main consoles.

With PlayStation Suite being renamed to PlayStation Mobile, many assumed that it might either be a simple legal maneuver or better branding of the platform —which it is. However, more importantly, this stands as a true realization of the PlayStation brand and the direction its headed. Many assume that console gaming as we know it will die in the future, especially if we consider handheld gaming devices like the PSP and PS Vita. As smartphones get more and more powerful by the year and their adoption rate continues to skyrocket, there will be a time (and some might argue that we are there already) that a device like the PS Vita won’t be needed. With your phone being able to make calls, get thousands of apps, take beautiful pictures, and get more powerful for gaming, the future is grim for dedicated handhelds. This rule of course also applies to Nintendo and also sheds light on why Microsoft never entered the category.

Much like Sony Ericsson was renamed to Sony Mobile to help you get a understanding for the brand, simply by its name, Sony has also renamed their new platform to PlayStation Mobile. This new naming scheme will easily help give the brand direction by letting it be known that its PlayStation content for mobile devices, unlike PlayStation Suite which was vague at best. More importantly, with the lifespan of handhelds being numbered, Sony knows that it might only be a matter of time before their dedicated console might be transitioned to your smartphone that can stream to your television or more likely, a box with cloud access. Of course, such a move won’t happen with the PlayStation 4 but with the PS5, it seems almost certain.

With the name PlayStation Mobile, Sony is now helping condition the market and consumers that the PlayStation brand is not dedicated to just something at home. With PlayStation Mobile, the PlayStation brand will now transition to mobile devices and eventually the cloud, escaping its current landscape of just being at home.

PSA: PlayStation Network is Down Worldwide (update from Sony)

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 9, 2012 | 40 comments

After attempting to access the PlayStation Store to download a free copy of LittleBigPlanet 2, thanks to this week’s PlayStation Plus update, I discovered that every attempt to get into the store would result in a crash with the following error message:

The service is currently undergoing maintenance.

I’ve since attempted to do some basic trouble shooting like rebooting my network and PS3 with no different results, indicating that its indeed on Sony’s side. When the question was posed to our Twitter followers, it seems that a great many are experiencing the same issue, even in EU territories, resulting in not a localized blackout but a worldwide issue for Sony.

We’ve already contacted Sony and we’ll update this post as we hear more.

Updates, after the jump, including Sony’s response.