vita-launch
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One post for three very different Vita launch trailers
The Vita supports a cornucopia of differing games, developers and play styles, and today we bring you the launch trailers for just three of the bunch: Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen, Touch My Katamari and Escape Plan.One of these is a serious sword-based fighter, one a showcase of Vita's black and white capabilities and the other an awkward, slightly dirty rainbow event. We'll let you figure out which is which.
Game explains the missing Ubisoft Vita launch titles, physics
Game, the UK-based games retailer, was unable to stock any of Ubisoft's Vita day-one titles, breaking the news just hours before the device's midnight launch early this morning. Game still doesn't have definite plans to carry the games, and marketing director Anna-Marie Mason explained why to Eurogamer: "You can see, there's a finite amount of space in a store." No way. Do go on."We can't stock absolutely everything. That's just not possible," she said. Mason didn't cite Game's financial troubles as a direct cause of the missing titles, talking past Game's store closures, layoffs, broken credit lines and the potential sale of its international branch.One possible reason for Game's struggling sales is an influx of cheaper online retailers, but Mason said Game offers something more, citing the store's 2.5 million customers a week. "What our customers get from us, whether they shop with Game or Gamestation, is more than a sterile transaction," Mason said. "They get the opportunity to transact with us in the way they want and they get added value. Our customers will vote with their feet."Game may stock Ubisoft's Vita launch titles in the future, Mason said, but for now it does offer the games through a "downloadable option," which we're sure will attract dozens of feet.
Video: PlayStation Vita's AR game trio
With the retail launch of the Vita hardware comes the arrival of three augmented reality games, using a set of six cards that look an awful lot like the ESP test cards Dr. Venkman used in Ghostbusters. I downloaded them all from the PlayStation Store today, carefully set up a camera between my face and Vita (keeping the table in view) and demonstrated all three.Of the three, Fireworks is the definite standout. And by "standout" I mean "one I could foresee playing a second time." [Music: "Shanghai Moon" by USK]
Joystiq's PlayStation Vita launch guide
Today marks the actual launch date for the PlayStation Vita! Sure, you may have had one for a week, but let's act surprised nonetheless. We continue to update our launch guide, to help you find all the game reviews and features you need to know about.
Escape Plan review: Shades of grey
Escape Plan makes a far better showcase for the PlayStation Vita's control methods than, say, Little Deviants. It makes logical use of the front and rear touchpads and the accelerometer, as you prod, swipe, tilt, and otherwise cajole two characters out of a series of deadly traps.Interacting with Lil and Laarg shows exactly what the capabilities of the Vita's alternate control methods are, but unfortunately throws their limitations into sharp contrast as well.%Gallery-148156%
UK Game store won't sell Ubisoft Vita titles at launch
European retailer Game won't sell any Ubisoft Vita launch titles tonight during the midnight launch of the Vita, even though it is stocking titles from all other major publishers, including EA, Namco Bandai, Capcom, Codemasters and Sega. Game said it will not stock Lumines Electronic Symphony, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Rayman Origins, Asphalt Injection or Dungeon Hunter Alliance, according to a statement picked up by VG24/7.Neither Game nor Ubisoft provided a specific reason for the shaft. Recently, Game has hit financial trouble and has closed numerous stores, laid off 46 employees from its corporate offices and is looking to sell its international arm.
Yoshida plays down lackluster Vita sales in Japan with PSP sales
President of worldwide studios for Sony Computer Entertainment Shuhei Yoshida recognizes that the Vita hasn't sold very well in Japan, but he thinks it will do better in the US. Why? Because Sony's previous handheld venture, the PSP, is still "very popular" in Japan. Or something like that."So, the Japanese launch, you saw the sell-through numbers, you notice that we haven't been able to sell out the units that we sold in," Yoshida told VentureBeat, responding to a prompt about lessons learned for the US launch from Japanese Vita sales. "But looking very objectively at the market situation there in Japan, especially on the portable, PSP is still very popular."Yoshida said Sony needs to communicate the Vita as a brand, not just another portable device, to potential players. Part of that is visible in Sony's marketing campaign, which includes $50 million of commercials, billboards, online banner ads, retail deals and hashtags."We are still seeing good sales through PSP, and we are advertising on TV, a dedicated PSP TV campaign, at the same time we are introducing Vita," Yoshida said, continuing to discuss the merits of the PSP as a children's entertainment system. He did mention one plan directly for the Vita: "At the same time, we are trying to communicate the value and new, exciting features of PS Vita to an older, mature, core gamer audience."
Snapshot: Touch My Katamari
There are so many games out there we couldn't possibly review them all. Welcome to Snapshot, where we tell you about games that might fall outside our usual coverage but are still something we think you should know about. Today: Touch My Katamari for the PlayStation Vita. Touch My Katamari is the best portable Katamari ever made by default. The reason is clear: the PlayStation Vita has two analog sticks, and it is therefore possible to play with the proper controls that the King of All Cosmos intended. Other portable Katamari games don't count.Playing Katamari Damacy on a handheld system feels ... so right. I can roll around in a surreal, fantasyland Japan for two minutes, pause the system, and get back to what I'm doing. I can absentmindedly amass darumas, cow pylons and automobiles while I'm watching TV.Even putting aside the portability, Touch My Katamari is a legitimately good Katamari game. Not the best Katamari game -- Namco can never top the work of creator Keita Takahashi, especially if it continually reuses old levels -- but a good one.%Gallery-142216%
Lumines Electronic Symphony review: Three-part harmony
This is going to sound incredibly entitled, I know, but reviewing video games can be very stressful work -- especially in the case of a new console launch, where you're given more games than you'd normally play in a year and asked to absorb them all in a week.Under conditions like those, it's easy for panic to set in; playing games can feel like work, and you're constantly worried that you're not playing when you're writing, and not writing when you're playing.The PlayStation Vita launch game Lumines: Electronic Symphony, despite technically being part of this hectic situation, has had nothing but a restorative effect on my mood. My time playing Lumines has been the only time in the last week during which I wasn't panicking. I come out of a 45-minute session feeling rested and kind of euphoric. How's that for an endorsement?%Gallery-147435%
Online Pass makes it into North American Vita titles
Last month, word came out that the Japanese version of Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational for the PlayStation Vita included an online pass. With the embargo on North American Vita coverage lifted, we can now confirm that the American version does indeed feature an online pass. Of the Vita games we've acquired so far, Wipeout 2048 is the only other title to feature an online pass.Those are currently the only titles with passes available on the US PlayStation Store, so it would seem that the rest of the launch lineup is free of the online pass's ten-dollar grip -- for now.
Joystiq's retail Vita collection requires 255MB of storage [update: more added]
If you haven't heard by now, chances are very high that you will need a memory card to get much use out of that shiny new PlayStation Vita. Apart from requiring a memory card for PSN downloads, many retail games have their own storage requirements as well. After the break, we've listed the requirements for every retail title we have on hand (see image above, Rappy included for scale). We've also included the storage required for the downloadable Vita games available thus far.The retail games we have add up to just over 255MB of required storage, a figure you might want to keep in mind before deciding which incredibly expensive memory card is right for you. It's also worth noting that a full 160 of those MBs are dedicated to FIFA Soccer.
Little Deviants review: Little interest
Most new consoles tend to launch with something designed to showcase the hardware's abilities. Such games are generally designed to wow new adopters with all the snazzy tricks their new toy can do. The best of these combine plenty of graphical bells and whistles with innovative gameplay mechanics that aren't possible elsewhere -- something like, oh, let's say Super Mario 64.Others in the "launch showcase" genre might leverage the abilities of new hardware, but they do it in a more disconnected way. I'm talking, of course, about the mini-game collection. If you're lucky, you might get a batch of diversions that not only show off a console's capabilities but are also genuinely entertaining. Other times, you get a conglomeration of disparate, perfunctory experiences that never coalesce into a cohesive product.In other words, sometimes you get Little Deviants.%Gallery-147128%
Video: The Vita becomes a PS3 controller in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
If you happen to have both the PS3 and Vita versions of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, you can try out the "Ultimate Controller" mode: a feature that lets you use the Vita as a PS3 controller with four customizable touchscreen buttons.No, it's not practical. But it is kind of cool. And in this video, we show you how to set it up, and how it works. Let us take you for a ride ... into the future.
Review: PlayStation Vita [updated for US launch]
Update: We've freshened up our review of the Japanese unit to reflect the new stuff that we've experienced with our new American unit -- mostly through firmware updates. Wherever you see the bold, red word "Update" you'll find new info. And while you're in the mood to read PlayStation Vita impressions, you can see a different perspective on the hardware in Engadget's review. Sony's PlayStation Vita packs an enormous 5-inch, 960x544 screen, a console-like dual analog interface, and 3G/wi-fi functionality, combined with a widespread program of digital distribution through which every Vita game will be sold on the PlayStation Store. With advanced online features, incredible graphical performance, and that screen, the Vita provides the most console-like experience of any handheld, while also taking advantage of the handheld format with input methods like touch-screen and (direct) tilt controls. In a way, it's coming at the Wii U from the other direction. A quick disclaimer: I'm not going to be able to answer the issue of whether dedicated handheld systems can continue living in the age of smartphones. I am of the opinion that there will always be room for things like the 3DS and PlayStation Vita, but that's a larger issue, one external to the evaluation of the Vita as a device. I'm also unable to guess as to its chances against the 3DS, which has a year headstart, a price advantage of around $100, and two popular Mario games; the Vita is technologically superior and loaded with features, but, then, so was the PSP compared to the DS. Besides, it's too late to address the necessity of the Vita: the device has already been designed and produced. My goal is to talk about the merits of the existing device, rather than discuss the merits of dedicated portable systems as a whole. And, as it turns out, this thing has plenty of merits to discuss ... and a few obvious issues.%Gallery-142307%
Uncharted Golden Abyss review: Grave rubber
Presenting Uncharted: Golden Abyss as one of Nathan Drake's earlier adventures is a masterstroke. For one thing, it explains why people are still hiring him to hunt down relics. At this point, they just haven't heard of the handsome, half-tucked grave robber who breaks everything he climbs across, shoots everyone he sees, and goes through an awful lot of trouble for treasure that's invariably cursed, deadly or not really treasure at all.But we're not interested in the chest full of MacGuffins at the end. We're in it for the hero's hazardous journey over crumbling handholds and vertiginous chasms. We like to see an ancient civilization lurch back into life with the aid of an unbelievably convoluted, one-use mechanism. And we want to spot that spark between the characters who get themselves into one mess after another, and yet another. If that's what Uncharted is to you, then you'll find very little has been lost in the transition to PlayStation Vita.
