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Playstation Vita News
by Published on August 19th, 2011 00:47- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Vita's 512MB of RAM enables it to run programs in the background while gamers are playing games, Sony has said....
One of those programs is cross-game voice chat via Vita's Party system.
"Part of the reason [for including 512MB of RAM] is more RAM means easier development for game developers," Sony president of Worldwide Studios Shu Yoshida told Eurogamer at Gamescom.
"But as important as that is to allow the PS Vita always to do more while the game is running in the background, or when you switch between the game and other applications or system software functionalities.
"So the reason why we were able to include something like Party, which enables cross-game voice chat, is because we designed Vita so it always has enough resources to handle something like that behind the game while it's running."
At Gamescom Sony revealed the final specifications of Vita, set for launch in Europe in early 2012.
The confirmation of 512MB of RAM ended months of speculation about the power of the machine, speculation sparked by a comment by a developer that appeared to back up murmurings that Sony had halved the amount of memory in Vita.
The RAM reduction rumour began in May when a French source said Sony had lowered the base Wi-Fi Vita model's RAM from 512MB to 256MB to lower the cost of the unit to compete with Nintendo's 3DS.
But according to Yoshida, Sony never even considered cutting the amount of memory powering the portable.
"It has been very funny," he said. "There were some rumours for the last few months. Some developer mentioned the RAM was halved. We never announced the amount of RAM, and we never changed it.
"We've been making games, right, and we've been showing the games, like Uncharted, since January. If RAM gets cut in the middle of development, there's no way we can complete the games. So I was like, what's going on?
"I got lots of Tweets saying, Sony made a huge mistake by reducing the amount of RAM. We never talked about the amount of RAM and we never cut it.
"So going into Gamescom we agreed there was no reason we should hide it, so we just added it to the specifications. We always had 512MB of main RAM and 128MB of V-RAM. Actually when you add them together, PS Vita has more RAM than PS3 [the PS3 has 256MB of XDR DRAM main memory and 256MB of GDDR3 video memory]."
The speculation around Vita's RAM caused some concern over the power of the final version of the machine. Yoshida moved to reassure gamers about this.
"So far we've been getting very positive reactions from our developer and publisher partners," he said. "We could put even more power into the portable, but there has to be a balance made between the size of the unit, the weight and the amount of time you can play. We think we've hit the right balance in terms of creating a great experience on the PS Vita.
"The PS3 provides a full HD experience. The resolution on the PS Vita screen is much lower. Even though it's four times the resolution of PSP, compared to the console, the amount of data you have to push is much smaller. So that works to the advantage of the PS Vita."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...s-512mb-of-ram
by Published on August 19th, 2011 00:19- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
The ample power of Sony's new portable, Vita, means there's not a huge difference between development for it and its bigger PS3 sibling.
Speaking in a video interview with the PS Blog (below), developer Nihilistic's Rob Heubner said Sony has been seeing PS3 developers to get the most out of Vita.
"We're a PlayStation 3 company. That's our engine, that's out technology. And really, [Sony] were looking for PS3 developers to milk the power out of the Vita, and I think that's definitely the right way to go because it's got a lot of power," said Huebner.
"It's got all the shaders, it's got a lot of CPU, so it's really not that big of a change for us to work on the Vita compared to the PS3," he added.
He would know - Heubner is part of the team developing Resistance: Burning Skies on Vita, the official title of which was revealed at Gamescom this week alongside screenshots and footage of the game looking pretty sweet on the small screen.
Huebner says the aim is to make a "no-compromises experience with all the elements you'd expect from a Resistance game." http://www.computerandvideogames.com/316177/moving-from-ps3-to-vita-is-not-that-big-a-change-dev/ ...by Published on August 17th, 2011 15:50- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Sony has put an end to rumours that the PlayStation Vita's RAM was cut in half to keep costs down.
The idea that the Vita's specs had been downgraded surfaced inMay, and seemed to be confirmed by Novarama CEO Dani Sánchez-Crespo last month.
However, according to 1UP, the RAM was cofirmed as 512MB in a press release announcing the handheld's support of the social media applications Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter and Skype.
The Vita is due for release in Europe early next year for €249.99.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...irmed-as-512mb
...by Published on August 17th, 2011 15:49- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Sony has revealed that the dev kits for the PlayStation Vita will sell for €1,900 plus VAT.
Speaking at GDC Europe yesterday, as reported by Develop, SCEE's George Bain said there is also no cost to join the PS Vita Develop Program.
"There's just that cost of the dev kit. If you're a small developer, we happy to talk to you about this. It will help if you have a games portfolio. There's no reason we won't speak with smaller studios about joining up."
According to Bain, prototype dev kits for Vita can be free. Sony's Pub Fund - which helps smaller developers fund their games in return for exclusivity - is receiving up to 15 pitches a week. Although currently limited to games, it's expected that non-gaming apps will eventually come to Vita, as well as free-to-play models.
The Vita launches this year in Japan and before the end of March in Europe and the US priced at $249 for the WiFi model and $299 for the 3G version.
Some developers including Heavy Iron and Crytek have been critical of the high price of the console, and suggested that it's launching in a portable market that has fundamentally changed since the introduction of smartphones and tablets.
Yesterday the Vita took centre stage at Sony's Gamescom press conference, with new games including Resistance: Burning Skies, Reality Fighters, Escape Plan and LittleBigPlanet on display.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...1-900-plus-vat
...by Published on August 17th, 2011 15:48- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Ubisoft is developing six games for the PlayStation Vita.
The French publisher intends to support Sony's handheld from the very start of its lifecycle, with Rayman: Origins, Lumines, Asphalt, Dunegeon Hunter Alliance, Michael Jackson: The Experience, and the Assassin's Creed franchise all confirmed.
"With its processing power, dual tactile screens and cameras, PS Vita allows creators like Ubisoft new and unique opportunities to develop innovative games," said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in a statement.
"We've got a strong and varied line-up that will offer fun and immersion to all audiences of the PS Vita."
Price-points and launch dates have not been confirmed.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...umines-to-vita
...by Published on August 17th, 2011 00:28- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Wondering how you'll be able to most efficiently brag to far away friends about your new PlayStation Vita? Sony's got the answer in the form of newly announced apps for its next generation portable. Vita Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter and Skype apps will be landing in the PlayStation Store in Japan before the end of the year. The US and Europe will get their shot at the free apps in early 2012.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/p...winning-hasht/ ...by Published on August 16th, 2011 21:45- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Sony has confirmed the inclusion of Skype and Foursquare for PlayStation Vita....
Sony also confirmed that all PS Vita games will be sold from the PlayStation Store, as well as on physical media from shops.
Skype was rumoured for inclusion back in June. Microsoft became the new owner of Skype in May 2011. Was this deal inked before then?
Foursquare is location spotting technology that enables you to check-in at various real-life locations such as the gym, or the pub.
The pair were confirmed during Sony's Gamescom 2011 press conference this evening.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ed-for-ps-vita
by Published on August 15th, 2011 14:29- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Sony will initially lose around 5,000 yen (£39.90) on every PS Vita unit sold.
That's according to estimates by SMBC Nikko Securities analyst Kazuharu Miura, who told Bloomberg (via Andriasang) that the figure is likely to fall to 2,500 yen per system in the fiscal year ending March 2013.
Miura expects Sony to sell 2.5 million PS Vita hardware units and seven million Vita games by the end of the current fiscal year in March 2012, and 8.5 million hardware units and 28 million software units the following year.
Sony said earlier this month that Vita will launch in Japan this year and in US and Europe in 2012. When it does launch in the UK, Vita will set you back £229 for the Wi-Fi model and £279 for the 3G version.
Analysts have suggested the company's under "major pressure" to reduce the launch price of the system following Nintendo's recent 3DS price cut.http://www.computerandvideogames.com/315414/sony-to-lose-pound40-per-vita-sale-analyst-reckons/ ...by Published on August 15th, 2011 11:17- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Sony is about to launch its new handheld games console into a market that has fundamentally changed since the success of mobile devices, and is likely heading for a costly and ultimately doomed launch.
That's according to Lyle Hall and Matthew Seymour at Heavy Iron Studios, who believe the console is over-priced - but more importantly - that consumers have already demonstrated that they are no longer willing to pay out for single-function games devices.
"If people aren't willing to pay $249 for a Nintendo 3DS why would they pay $299 for Vita? People don't want to carry more than one thing in their pocket, that’s why Android and iPhone have done so well, they are the devices of choice, they offers multiple functions outside of gaming," Hall told GamesIndustry.biz.
I just don't know there's a market out there anymore for the hardware. I can’t see why you would want to put a device out that only does games
Lyle Hall, Heavy Iron Studios
"People don’t want it. That's Nintendo huge challenge - how do they add value to that?
Seymour, who has worked for 2K Games and Microsoft Games Studios in a career spanning 20 years, was more blunt in his assessment. "With all due respects to Sony and Vita, it's a car wreck. And how about Xperia Play? I'd love to pull up the numbers on that."
The PlayStation Vita is due this year in Japan and early next year in the US and Europe. The system will be taking centre stage at Gamescom this week, as Sony looks to position itself at the forefront of portable gaming after rival Nintendo launched the 3DS to muted response from consumers.
Less than six months since the launch of the 3DS the system has had its price unceremoniously halved in Europe, and is suffering from a lack of software and the perception that it's a simple upgrade to the DS family of consoles.
Sony's most recent attempts in the handheld market haven't been successful either. The digital-only PSPgo is largely forgotten and its mobile collaboration with Sony Ericsson - the Xperia Play - had no significant marketing push behind it.
Despite a harsh assessment of the Vita, Heavy Iron would like to see the machine succeed, said Hall, but it's the consumer that has voted with its wallet and changed the market.
"The technology is sweet, I'm a huge fan of mobile technology, but I just don't know there's a market out there anymore for the hardware. I can’t see why you would want to put a device out that only does games.
"The consumer has spoken. We wanted to see that world exist - more players, more opportunities for us, but at the same time people don't want that. Unless there's a super technology paradigm shift it’s not going to shift back."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...be-a-car-wreck
...by Published on August 8th, 2011 15:42- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Independent developer Icon Games has claimed that the PlayStation Vita marks a turnaround in Sony's relationship with the indie community.
A detailed post on the company's blog recounts an experience in 2005, in which Icon struck a deal worth $450,000 with a small US publisher to publish two of its games, Vertigo and Pool Hall Pro.
"The games were complete, already released in PAL territories and ready to go into SCEA QA," wrote director Richard Hill-Whittall.
The feedback was scathing; essentially Sony asked us to completely re-design the game and gameplay
Richard Hall-Whittall, Icon Games
"Sony refused concept approval, and the deal was dead – no negotiation – finished. Overnight we lost $450,000, which for a small studio would have drastically improved our position and helped us to invest more money into future development."
Since the introduction of PSP Minis, however, working with Sony has been a much more "positive experience". Icon Games has now developed five Minis, including two for the Vita - Build'n Race Extreme and Pub Games.
The Hill-Whittall complained that the initial stages of the approval process for the Vita offered evidence that Sony still doesn't understand how carefully indie developers need to manage resources.
"The feedback was scathing; essentially Sony asked us to completely re-design the game and gameplay, particularly in the case of Build'n Race Extreme."
"While some of the ideas were good these were ideas for another game; someone else's game – not the game we have been working on the past few months. It is also completely impractical given my budget."
"What if we re-design and they still are not happy or feel we haven't gone in the direction they want – what do we do then?"
But within two days SCEE agreed to a meeting, offering advice and support on how to finish each game to the right standard. He also claimed that Sony is open to games "of various different sizes and scope" and is more accepting of ports of iOS games.
Icon Games believes that the PSP was "hampered" by Sony "closing the door" on the indie community, but the success of the iOS platform and the App Store forced a change in the company's culture.
"Let the market decide – poor games won't sell and poor studios will fold," the post concludes. "iOS has proven that the consumer is open to a lot of different game styles and approaches, and this has allowed innovation to flourish in a way it hasn't done for a good many years."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...orm-for-indies
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