Viva La Vita!
by Godzprototype, HSM team writer
I bought a PlayStation Vita recently, after having watched the press release about the PlayStation 4. Understanding where the next console generation is headed, and what the new PlayStation 4 has in mind with the x86 architecture is interesting to say the least. That should make developing for the system much easier for new developers.
Sony released its first PlayStation handheld game system, the PSP, in North America in March 2005. The game system was designed to have excellent connectivity with the PS2, PS3 and the PSP game systems. The PlayStation Vita is a very robust companion to its counterpart, and is an extremely well built handheld gaming system. Vita, in true Sony fashion, is ahead of it’s time. Having been a fan of Sony products over the past three decades, I have found their products usually way ahead of the average queue in technology.
Sony’s hardware in general tends to blow most of our minds. And, they usually find themselves backtracking to keep up with what they already built. Now, in my mind, that’s a good thing, as long as the architecture allows for ease of development by other developers. The PlayStation Vita was built with the future in mind. And the future is streaming.
What actually brought me to buy a Vita is the anticipation of what it should be capable of doing when the PlayStation 4 is finally released. It’s designed to be an alternative controller for the PS4. Vita already does cross-platform gaming and media streaming very well. After having handled the Vita for a couple of months and tried most all of the features it boasts, I have to say I am really looking forward using it in conjunction with the PlayStation 4.
The games Vita offers at the moment, outside of its release titles, seem to be short of the lineup the PSP had throughout its run. Having played a lot of the titles the PSP offered, I am surprised that at this point more of the PSP’s games have not been offered in the store for the Vita. There were many good titles, such as Burnout Legends, Namco Museum Battle Collection, the Ace Combat series, Atari Classics Evolved, Chili Con Carnage and HeatSeeker. These were the titles that really drew me into the PSP. One of the Ace Combat games is available through the store, but the price is $39. That’s a little steep for a re-issued game. It would be nice if the entire series were available for the Vita in a bundle package.
This was just one of those games for which I felt the same anticipation for the next installment, as I did for the annual holiday lineup of console games. The Vita appears to be ready to play right along with games that will be designed for both it and the PS4. But the lineup for the handheld, with the exception of a few games, seems to be waiting for something. Waiting for developers, I believe.
The touch screens on both sides of the system really do give the Vita a unique finesse, and I have enjoyed using that with several games — one in particular, Escape Plan. That really makes playing on the Vita a lot of fun! The range of interactive features is intriguing, and on par with smart phones. Sony really is so good at building awesome equipment!
Sony created what are called AR, or Altered Reality, games — games like Table Top Tanks, PulzAR, Cliff Diving, and Fireworks. These games take a huge step forward in actually utilizing the front-facing camera and projecting the game with the aid of the AR Play Cards out in front of you. You can look up or sideways, and stand above the game, looking down on the game on the surface your camera is pointing at. This is fascinating, and I have played these games quite a bit.
While shared mobile apps and games are nice, they have nowhere near the quality and intrigue that a game on a console would have. Thinking back, and looking forward, this new mindset of making a game short and simple with a few hand gestures seems like the gaming industry as a whole has sold themselves short of the challenge of creating a game that felt robust and is full of features.
The AR games the PlayStation Vita has on offer are very creative, and it would be nice to see the Vita expand on these. And it would be good if the store offered more of the PSP games as downloadable content. I see the the future of gaming as not having any hard copy of a game purchased. And people will miss this! Part of gaming is collecting those games. Whether the games are on a cartridge, CD, DVD or UMD, collecting the games themselves is just as important as collecting trophies in the games you have played.
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Thinking about this, gave me this idea: Sony could put your entire account on an SD card you could purchase. Everything you had purchased, past and present would be stored on this card, and your future purchases would be added to it. Only full purchases of games or media could be available on this card. So at least you would have a piece of hardware you could call your own — customisable SD cards. A key of sorts to the PlayStation Network. I know I would probably buy two, just to have one I could see.
I am glad I bought the Vita, and again hope that at the very least more PSP games are released for the system as downloadable content through the store. I am looking forward to what the Vita will do in conjunction with the PS4, like using it to stream PS4 games.
The games I have played on the Vita have been a blast, with interesting interfaces as well. The developers are not worrying too much about whether a game can also be played on smart phones, and concentrating on what they do best. Which is creating more of the quality games us older gamers enjoy, and bringing all of that into the symphony that is the Sony experience, which should keep us entertained for a long time to come.
- Very solid and stable game play.
- Wireless features excellent.
- Cross-Platforming.
- Lightweight.
- Excellent battery life and powersave functions.
- Touch controls superb.
- Awesome sound.
- Excellent overall performance.
- Needs more games.
- Should have more past games available for download in the store as bundles if in a series.
- Power cord could have clear indicators for which side is up.
- Browser capabilities could have more function than currently available.
May 6th, 2013 by Godzprototype | 3 comments
Godzprototype is learning the art of creating Machinima, and would like to share it with you. Hope you enjoy.
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I’ve had my eye on one for a while, but the launch price just made me laugh then leave the shop; I wasn’t about give out what they were asking for a hand-held!
Because of the 3G abilities, I think it’s important to own that version to get the absolute best of what the system can offer, which is why I’m still waiting for a good price for it really.
It looks good, really good. And a friend of mine who has also recently got one keeps telling me about cool little quirks it has every now and then, making me want one sooner and sooner! Thing is, I know how things went for the PSP, and sat back as they experimented on Joe Soap with the Go! too. So I really have no intention of owning *another* hand held that does nothing but gather dust.
The Augmented Reality games look fun, but not much better than what the 3DS can achieve, which is a little worrying if I’m honest. However, I’ve seen AR apps running on smart phones that allow for everyday uses that might suit the Vita better. Instead of games, you could have an AR app what *needs* the pure grunt power of the Vita behind it; like an Holiday App that allows you to see (on-screen) information about ancient ruins and streets just by pointing the Vita at them. Or the same thing with cafe/restaurant reviews pulling data from Four Square or what have you. I know “gamers” would groan at these thoughts but really, we all expect our electronics to be multi-purpose now, right?
Anyway, I’ll chop this comment off at this; nice write up Godz, thank you for weakening my wall of patience even more! ; )
I really want a Vita. My problem is my PSP still works great. I travel a lot and use it constantly, but I just cant justify spending the money to replace a perfectly good PSP. Also as memory cards has got bigger and cheaper the PSP has grown with the times as well.
As much as the Vita rocks, I’m saving my money for the PS4, so Sony is getting my money one way or another.
great article Godz, maybe I could borrow your Vita?
I currently use my Vita as a phone. Best gaming phone ever!