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PlayStation Plus coming to the PS Vita this year, cloud storage increasing from 150MB to 1GB 'from September'
Sony's decided that you've been playing so much with their dedicated online service, you deserve more space for your cloud saves. From next month, users will see their cloud storage increase from 150MB to 1GB. We were also teased that the PlayStation Vita would be getting into PlayStation Plus soon, but it looks like SCEE CEO Jim Ryan is holding onto that tantalizing nugget for now. Hopefully we'll hear more on this a bit later.
PlayStation Vita Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified bundle announced, pricing MIA
Sony's handheld will get its own companion bundle for its incoming (and exclusive) Call of Duty title. The set will include the game, a PlayStation Vita and a carry pouch -- camouflage pattern TBC. Unfortunately, Sony it neglected to mention a price or a date -- though it's likely to arrive around the same time as the game, later this year.
PS Vita and PS3 cross-buy feature revealed: buy one copy, get the other free
Sony's kicked off its Gamescom event in Germany by revealing a new deal for games playable on both the PS3 and its handheld relative, the PS Vita. The incoming PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault will be two of the first titles to arrive on both -- with a single purchase giving you both versions. According to Jim Ryan, president and CEO for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, you'll get both copies in the single package but there's no word on whether both, or one, will be digital download-only. We'll update this post when we hear more.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: gaming
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're getting our game on -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! It's time to balance out that daily grind at school with some well-deserved leisure. Fortunately, many of our choices walk that fine line between work and play -- if you're willing to stump up some more cash beyond a normal laptop, you could get something capable of handling the latest PC titles. Some of our other choices may be a harder sell in the education stakes, but we all need some stress relief, right? And with bigger consoles nearing the end of their life cycles, there's never been a more wallet-friendly time to get involved. Jump in after the break for our favorite gaming choices. If all your money's been earmarked for learnin', then you should certainly enter our sweepstakes. Leave a comment after the break for a chance to win, and visit our giveaway page for all the details.
NPD: Xbox 360 ruled a steadily declining video game empire in July
Microsoft must sometimes feel like its lead in the game market is a Pyrrhic victory. The Xbox 360 once again topped the NPD Group's hardware charts in July, claiming a near-majority 49 percent market share of consoles -- but the 203,000 units sold were a steep drop from the 257,000 units that traded hands in June, and a far cry from the glory days that would have given a victory more meaning. Nintendo and Sony haven't shared their own figures, although the analyst group notes that only Nintendo's 3DS and DSi had any kind of increase in the month. The industry as a whole was unmistakably feeling the combined effects of the pre-holiday doldrums and a console generation that's long in the tooth: hardware revenue was down 32 percent in the month to $150.7 million, while the games in question saw revenue dip 23 percent to $260.7 million. If you need a culprit, earlier reports for the second quarter had credited similar shifts to sales of physical game copies declining faster than digital sales could replace them. Hope remains in the usual fall spike; even so, the July figures suggest the big three platforms might be living on borrowed time.
Sony releases Q1 2012 financial results, eats $312 million loss
Sony's first-quarter figures for 2012 show that despite the company's optimism three months ago, it's made a net loss of $312 million. It pulled in a whopping $19.2 billion in sales for the three months ending June 30th, partly credited to bringing Sony Mobile fully into the family. However, the cost of restructuring the Mobile Products and Communications Division (of which Sony Mobile is a part) came to $143 million, wiping out the additional gains to record a loss of $356 million. Gaming-wise, the PlayStation maker suffered a $45 million loss as falling sales of the PSP and PS3 were only partially offset by the sales of the PS Vita. There was better news in its imaging division, while sales of compact cameras fell, DSLRs and "Professional" products took up the slack, resulting in a profit of $160 million. In a trend we've seen across the Home Entertainment industry, sales of LCD televisions continued to fall, forcing the company to eat a loss of $126 million. Movie and TV recorded a loss of $62 million, although that's primarily due to a dip in advertising sales in India and the cost of marketing (but not producing) The Amazing Spider-Man, the profits of which won't be recognized until September. Finally, while it spent big to purchase EMI this quarter, big-ticket albums like Usher's Looking 4 Myself and One Direction's Up All Night helped the division make a profit of $92 million. While Sony's treading water to execute Kaz Hirai's "One" Strategy, it's still got $8.4 billion stashed under the mattress, and in the face of lower sales, is hoping that reduced costs will help it make $1.6 billion in profit by the end of March 2013.
PSA: PlayStation Network scheduled maintenance in Europe starts tomorrow
European gamers are warned to get something else to do from Thursday afternoon. Sony's PlayStation Network is set to go offline on that side of the Atlantic starting from 4PM GMT tomorrow, through to 8AM Friday. Maintenance work will pull the PlayStation Store, account management and registration offline for this time, although anyone looking to play online can still do so -- as long as they're signed in to PSN before network... work begins. Updates on Sony's network tinkering will be posted on both on its own blog and twitter -- linked below for your convenience.
Sony Japan: PSOne classics coming to Vita in summer update, PlayStation 3 to get downloadable PS2 catalog later this month
If you've been aching to wile away hundreds more hours replaying Final Fantasy classics on the go, then Sony Japan's got some good news for you. It's finally revealed that the ability to play those charming, if a little dated, PSOne titles will arrive on the PS Vita's next software update, version 1.80, later this summer. This little nugget was tucked away behind the news that a handful of PS2 titles, playable on all versions of the PS3, will launch in the Japanese PlayStation Store on July 25th. The first wave of titles include Biohazard Code: Veronica, Siren and Dragon Force, all priced between 800 and 1,200 yen. No news yet, however, on when (or if) a similar retro-gaming bounty will arrive outside of Japan.
Sony drops VAIO T from free PlayStation offer, hikes real cost of entry to $970
Remember how it seemed too good to be true that Sony's back to school promo would let you buy a VAIO T and get a free PlayStation 3 or Vita worth a third of the value of the Ultrabook you just bought? Well, it was. Sony has quietly dropped the $750 laptop from the PCs that qualify for the deal, raising the real qualifying price to $970 for a 15.5-inch VAIO S. Some will cry foul at being denied such a killer bargain without warning, but it's easy to see why Sony backed out: that's a lot of gear to give away for little in return. Dreams of heading to class with an ultraportable in hand and a PS3 at the dorm will have to be postponed, then, even if it's still an ample discount. [Thanks, Gabriel]
YouTube for PS Vita now ready, will help you watch more kitties than Killzone
Sony promised us a YouTube app for the PlayStation Vita this month, and although it's just sliding under the wire, that app is here. The viewer as it hits the console will play videos over 3G and WiFi as well as in HD quality, if you've got the bandwidth to burn. Most of the basics for favorites and searches are covered, including a small player that will let you hop between clips. There's no mention of subscriptions for those perpetually addicted to Maru or Ray William Johnson, however. That quirk aside, the free app is due to swing by the PlayStation Store any moment now, so fire up your Vita and get ready to watch game strategy videos distracting pet clips on that OLED-packing handheld.
Sony kicks off back to school promotion with a free PS3 or Vita for VAIO PC buyers
Not to be outdone by Microsoft offering a free Xbox 360 to students buying a new PC, Sony has now come out with a back to school promotion of its own that could net folks their choice of a free PlayStation 3 (160GB) or PlayStation Vita (the WiFi-only model). Unlike Microsoft's promo, though, you can't just buy any PC -- you'll need to purchase an eligible Sony VAIO computer, which includes a range of the company's laptops and all-in-one desktops starting at around $750. Alternatively, you can also choose to get $200 off your choice of other PlayStation gear, or simply get eight percent off the purchase price of the computer itself. Complete details on the offer (which is for college students and faculty only) can be found at the source link below.
How would you change the PlayStation Vita (Japanese Edition)?
How would you change: a regular feature where we ask people about their experiences with gadget's we've reviewed, when they reach the real world. This week we're looking at the Japanese edition* of the PlayStation Vita, which instantly made us feel old when we realized the OG model was seven years old. Times have changed, and the Vita's biggest competitor is smartphone gaming: leading to our dismay when we found its battery conks out after just three hours, not to mention the high cost and that measly VGA camera. We know there's a market for hardcore gamers who want blockbuster games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but is that hefty price-tag worth it? Let us know in the comments below. *We'll be looking at the US edition in a few months time, for those of you who didn't import the device when it was released.
Sony demos Cross-Play, announces Cross-Controller DLC for Vita and PS3
One of the things we can look forward to in the coming year from Sony is some some lovely cross-platform content that makes the worlds of the PS Vita and PS3 just a bit more tightly integrated. Games like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will allow players to compete against each other, regardless of which Sony console they're using. The so-called cross-play functionality isn't limited to live play either, some games (including the aforementioned PS All-Stars) will allow you to save your game on one and pick up where you left off on the other. There will also be new downloadable content that will span Sony's home and portable consoles. The cross-controller DLC will come first to Little Big Planet 2, which will let you use your Vita to actually create levels on the PS3. Sadly Sony wouldn't divulge too many more details, but we can expect Battle Royale to hit shelves this holiday season. We guess this multi-screen entertainment thing is really going to take off this year.
Sony announces white PS Vita bundle with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
Still not sold on the PlayStation Vita? Then Sony's hoping that it's latest bundle will be more to your liking. In addition to the just-announced Assassin's Creed III: Liberation game, it packs a limited edition "crystal white" PS Vita (WiFi only), along with a 4GB memory card. Unfortunately, you'll still have a bit of a wait before you can get your hands on it, with the bundle only set to hit stores on October 30th (coinciding with the game's release). No word on a price for it just yet, nor is there any word on the white PS Vita being sold separately. Not to be left out, the PlayStation 3 is also getting an Assassin's Creed III bundle of its own, which includes the game and some exclusive DLC -- no price for it either, though.
Sony is bringing Hulu Plus, Crackle to PlayStation Vita
Sony's pre-E3 press conference is underway and the company just announced the PS Vita would get a couple of new video apps soon in Hulu Plus and Crackle. The Vita YouTube app was announced previously, but it looks like this is just the start of Sony expanding its Entertainment Network from the PS3 to the handheld. There's no word yet on exactly when they will arrive, but keep an eye on our liveblog for all the details as they're revealed.
We're liveblogging Sony's E3 2012 keynote, tonight at 9PM ET!
The PlayStation 4? The Vita 2? Pipedreams for E3 2012, perhaps, but Sony's surely going to put on a show, as always, with this year's E3 press event. A Vita price cut seems like it might be in the cards, to help reinvigorate interest in the company's portable. We'll probably also be getting some more insight into the SOEmote for EverQuest II -- and, of course, games, games, games. Want to join in on the action? Follow along here at 9PM ET. June 4, 2012 9:00 PM EDT
E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing
Happy June! We're out holding things down in sunny, smoggy downtown Los Angeles, preparing for the on-coming storm of video game goodness. It's shaping up to another exciting year for all things Electronic Entertainment Expo, albeit one a bit less focused on the hardware side. Things unofficially kick off on Monday, with press conferences from two of the big three -- Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo will round things out on Tuesday morning, officially opening the show. So, what sort of action can we expect to see over the week in LA? We've compiled a quick list of what we're looking forward to over the next several days.
Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: gaming
In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. The summer months are home to one of the most bittersweet events in gaming: the Electronic Entertainment Expo. E3 flaunts the year's biggest news in video games, exciting players with peeks at upcoming titles, glimpses of new consoles and soul-crushingly distant release dates. Need something to kill time with? We can help. Sony and Microsoft may not be unveiling next-generation hardware at this year's expo, but there are still a few things you can do to put yourself on the bleeding edge without a console. If you simply can't live without dedicated gaming hardware, however, you still have some options -- though you'll have to wait until the fall or beyond to get your hot little hands on Nintendo's upcoming Wii U. Read on, and we'll see what we can do about subduing your post-E3 anxiety.
Sony's PlayStation Vita has a YouTube app headed its way by the end of June
Assuming all that gaming, Facebooking and Tweeting isn't enough action for your PS Vita, Sony announced tonight it will get a YouTube app by the end of the month. Considering the built in web browser doesn't handle HTML5 or Flash video, native apps are still necessary to fill out its video streaming lineup. The company's US blog hasn't posted any pics yet, but Engadget Japan has a few screen grabs of what it will look like. Check after the break for another pic, while we wonder what other surprises Sony has planned in the run up to E3 2012.
More PlayStation Vita bundles coming to Europe, planning a visit to the Eiffel Tower
Sony's delivering a pair of PlayStation Vita bundles to European customers to tempt cost-conscious consumers to splash out on the new handheld. You'll be able to snag a WiFi only console with a 4GB memory stick and Uncharted: Golden Abyss for €249 ($320) or a 3G-enabled unit with the 4GB storage and a download code for Motorstorm: RC for €299 ($380). There's no word on when the pair will arrive, but it's hoped that in the not-too-distant future, they'll climb on a long-haul and arrive Stateside, too.