PlayStation Vita Gets NA, EU Launch Date

Sony's upcoming portable gaming console has now gotten a firm launch date. After arriving in Japan on December 17, the PlayStation Vita will come to North America and Europe on February 22. "The two versions of the console — one with Wi-Fi only and one with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity — will be priced at $249.99 and $299.99, respectively, in both Canada and the United States. The launch price in Europe will be €249.99 and €299.99." Users will be limited to downloading games no bigger than 20MB over 3G — larger games, which may require up to 4GB of storage space, will need to go over a Wi-Fi connection or be installed from a memory card. Despite abandoning UMD, Sony reportedly has "plans" to allow some sort of transfer of PSP games to the Vita, though it will likely cost money.

Comments

PS Vita Mix

[Scott Swezey]

I'm sad to see they didn't go with the PS Vita Mix model. A game machine that could also make me a smoothie would be a big hit.

AUNZ prices

[duracelllll]

Price in AU is $349 or $449 for 3G, NZ is $449/549.

Re:AUNZ prices

[sortius_nod]

Yep, but somehow it's more expensive to ship to Australia than the US, even though we're closer to the Taiwanese factories that make them.

Re:AUNZ prices

[NoobixCube]

I call it the "fuck Australia" rate. It's a legacy of the time our dollar bought 50 US cents, and companies still take the US price and double it for ours, now; though Sony haven't been quite so dickish.

Re:AUNZ prices

[jaminJay]

It's mostly because they're shipping an almost insignificant number of units to Australia in comparison to those shipped to the US. To the order that one retailer in America would probably order more in total than all of Australia's retailers put together.

Re:AUNZ prices

[AdamJS]

Well, they only do it because you guys pay for it. It's simply vastly more profitable than gaining a small amount more sales by selling at internationally standardized rates. They would do the same in other countries if they could get away with it.

Re:AUNZ prices

[Dogtanian]

I call it the "fuck Australia" rate.

To be fair, they have to localise it before they can sell it down under. Specifically, every unit has to be turned upside down first. Also, Aussie regulations require the attachment of corks on strings to keep flies away.

Plus, they've decided to rename it as the "Bruce" for the Australian market, to avoid causing confusion.

Re:AUNZ prices

[elrous0]

The U.S. doesn't have *ANY* VAT tax (just local sales taxes, which run 0%-7%). Most of the EU countries have something like a 20%-40% VAT tax added on.

This is Sony

[NoobixCube]

I'm sure they'll be more than happy to sell you new copies of games you already have.

Re:This is Sony

[khchung]

While it is always fun to flame Sony (especially on /., where you will get modded up automatically!), the fact is there is nothing on the PS3 that forces you to pay twice for any PS3 game at all since it was released.

I have a PS3, and for the past few years, all the games I bought, both on physical disc or through PSN, can be still played, no problem, even though I have reformatted the harddisk 3 times so far (once due to replacing a bigger disk, once due to PS3 broke down and fixed, and once when my bigger disk failed).

While you are free to buy old PS1 and PS2 games from PSN to play on your PS3. There is nothing to prevent you from firing up your old PS1/2 console to play those games if you like.

Re:This is Sony

[PopeRatzo]

While it is always fun to flame Sony (especially on /., where you will get modded up automatically!), the fact is there is nothing on the PS3 that forces you to pay twice for any PS3 game at all since it was released.

Did you not read the story?

Here, let me help you:

Despite abandoning UMD, Sony reportedly has "plans" to allow some sort of transfer of PSP games to the Vita, though it will likely cost money.

If Sony could figure out a way to make you pay twice for a game, they'd do it in a heartbeat.

Sony is among the most customer-hostile corporations on the planet. They see customers as unruly masses who need to be brought into line instead of people who are willingly putting money in their pocket. That kind of ugly corporate attitude has been part of the culture at Sony for a long time.

I put them on my permanent pay-no-mind list even before they decided they should place trojan malware on their customers computers. It's a shame, too, because one time they were an innovative company.

Re:This is Sony

[travisco_nabisco]

I agree that they can appear to be openly hostile to customers, however at least they are open about it. Most companies try to make you think you matter while they try to get every last penny out of your pocket.

Re:This is Sony

[tlhIngan]

I have a PS3, and for the past few years, all the games I bought, both on physical disc or through PSN, can be still played, no problem, even though I have reformatted the harddisk 3 times so far (once due to replacing a bigger disk, once due to PS3 broke down and fixed, and once when my bigger disk failed).

And that's a problem.

A good thing I never bought a single thing on PSN because I can't get on PSN. Or use the PlayStation Store, either.

See, Sony decided to screw everyone over with a PS3. Before, you could play games and movies and do Linux. Now it's games and movies, or Linux. Until sony either pays for a Linux PC, or another PS3, I'm not paying.

Modern blu-rays demand I update the firmware. Games require I update the firmware. Even epending money requires I update the firmware. Nevermind I don't agree with the new PSN terms and conditions.

Yes, all I can do is play games that were released prior to April 1, 2010. And since then, I've bought Xbox360 games and iOS games. (Funny how Apple lets you still use their iTunes store to buy apps and music and movies while running old firmware and old software - it takes them forever to deprecate old iTunes versions).

Ah well, I'm not even sure if the 3G capability is prepaid by Sony or requires a subscription service to work.

Re:This is Sony

[Golddess]

Your PS1/2 can play UMDs?

299 dollar = 217 euro.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why are these machines always the same number in dollars and euros (just like apple devices) while the two currencies have different values?

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[tlhIngan]

Why are these machines always the same number in dollars and euros (just like apple devices) while the two currencies have different values?

Why doesn't the EU adopt the same method of calculating taxes that US and Canada does? You know, add the tax at the register?

You silly Europeans with your silly ideas of "you pay the price tag" means all taxes are built in, hiding stuff like 20% import duties and 20% VAT on top.

Bah. do it the American way. We know what the tax rate is, and we know it's $299 plus tax.

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[elrous0]

The U.S. doesn't have VAT taxes, the EU does. And not just little sales taxes of a few percent, I mean*BIG FUCKING VAT TAXES*, no less (Sweden has an almost 50% VAT tax). So, yeah, they're going to cost a helluva lot more in Europe than the U.S.

No.

[Sasayaki]

Issues I can see right off the top of my head:

- For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet), which aside from being a pretty good gaming platform in its own right (arguably not as good as a dedicated device) is a net tablet, touch screen, eBook reader, high battery life device where the games are usually $1 and there are tens of thousands of non-game applications, including Kindle app, hundreds and hundreds of tools, Google maps, etc etc etc. And you can bet your arse those games on the Vita will all be $30 or more, AKA PC Game prices without even the cries of piracy to justify them. The Vita does nothing the iPad can't do, while the reverse is far from true.

- 3G enabled is pointless for modern games if there's a a 20mb cap. It becomes something to only download tiny games on, which don't need a dedicated device. So I might as well... see above point.

- No backwards compatability (can't play PS1/PS2 games). It *might* play PSP games, for a nominal fee, of course... when you could just play them on your PSP. That you presumably already own since you own the game. Pretty pointless.

- Rootkit scandal, PSHome outage, Sony's utter apathy towards the safety and privacy of their victi- uhh, consumers, blah blah blah blah. This isn't just wearing a slightly-too-short skirt to a party and getting a little too drunk, this is deliberately giving yourself rohypnol and publically signing a contract that says anyone can do anything to you while you're unconscious. Remember, you can now no longer sue Sony for any reason when you sign up to their products, so the analogy is apt. You will regret signing up to the Vita when it next gets owned by 4Chan script kiddies.

- No compelling reason why you don't just buy an Android tablet at the same price, install a bunch of emulators and play basically any kind of game that's five years older or more. And it's still an Android tablet. See point 1.

- What games? It's not like there's going to be a *good*, exclusive, Final Fantasy or anything on it. It's going to be crappy, full-price ports of old games (in which case see above point), or it'll be a bunch of shovelware with one or two good titles which you can probably get through PSN on PS3 anyway.

So, in conclusion, pass. Pass like a skanky, herpes infested crack whore offering me unprotected sex for ten dollars. Pass like the opportunity to invest in a brand new bridge in Nigeria some Prince is offering me a 50% stake in for a few thousand dollars. Pass, pass, pass.

Re:No.

[MtHuurne]

For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet)

I doubt that: currently the iPad 2 is about twice as expensive as the quoted euro prices and equivalent Android tablets aren't significantly cheaper. Tablet prices might drop a bit in the next half year, but not so dramatically.

3G enabled is pointless for modern games if there's a a 20mb cap. It becomes something to only download tiny games on, which don't need a dedicated device.

You can download the games over WiFi and play them online over 3G. Probably the 3G is too slow to download big games anyway even if there wasn't a cap.

No backwards compatability (can't play PS1/PS2 games).

PS1 games could be emulated. Of course, it is very likely Sony will want you to buy the game again instead of letting you put a disk image of your PS1 game on a flash card.

I probably won't be buying one either: for simple games a smartphone will do just fine and for more complex games I prefer a bigger screen.

Re:No.

[muon-catalyzed]

That iPad vs Vita comparison of yours is like comparing Ford Transit to Porsche 911. Each has its uses and users..

Re:No.

[AdamJS]

The 3G is for Online Play Anywhere. Anyways, it's making a far harder push for developers (both professional and amateur/indie) than the Wii or 3DS has, which gives it a lot more potential.

Re:No.

[AdamJS]

Equivalent android tablet, he said. Those chinese tablets are utter garbage and even ones that (Specwise) match an old iPad won't deliver anywhere near the same performance.

Re:No.

[AdamJS]

3G is faster than most household internet. Or at least, in eastern and western Canada. I can get a fully sustained 8 to 10+ mbit download and 1.5 to 3+mbit upload which sadly is better than most household connections can attest to.

Re:No.

[drinkypoo]

Issues I can see right off the top of my head:

- For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet),

That's OK, I bet Sony still thinks it's "probably too cheap"... like the $600 PS3. They've got a real let them eat cake attitude over there.

Hell of a statement

[Trax3001BBS]

With the concern that games cause violence, and the back and
forth studies of yes they do, no the don't.

Sony promotion:
"PlayStation Vita will redefine traditional boundaries of gaming
and blur the lines between entertainment and reality,"

That should ease some minds I'm sure.

Comparing prices

[houghi]

299EUR is 412.27USD today Could be different tomorrow.

Re:Comparing prices

[Inda]

History tells us that something sold for 299 EUR will sell in the USA for 299 USD, and 2,999 GBP in the UK, such is rip off Britain.

Re:Comparing prices

[daddy32]

Which happen to be the exactly same as the difference between two currencies?

Re:Comparing prices

[petermgreen]

Though VAT isn't really a tax on "value added". As a VAT registered buisness you claim back VAT on stuff you buy and charge it on stuff you sell.

Yes if you only buy and sell in country and don't buy or sell any goods with special VAT rates it is equivilent to paying tax on the value you added but as soon as you import and export that no longer applies.

Re:Comparing prices

[MemoryDragon]

Well usually the companies translate 1€ to 1 USD, and despite getting the VAT out of the calculation, cash in 10-20% extra depending on the Euro Dollar fluctuation.

Re:20 MB is a stupid limit

[robmv]

I think this is an artificial limit to prevent kids wasting a lot of money exceeding the carrier monthly quota

A rumour that's easily spread

[Dogtanian]

I'm sad to see they didn't go with the PS Vita Mix model. A game machine that could also make me a smoothie would be a big hit.

They probably ditched it because they're *already* planning for an improved version of the original (like Nintendo did with the DS Lite). Leaked publicity suggests that the Vita "Lite" will be with us soon.

Re:20 MB is a stupid limit

[Babbster]

While I'm sure part of the reason is whatever 3G deals Sony is negotiating around the world, there's also the fact that 3G is S-L-O-W compared to WiFi.

When you start talking about downloading 1GB+ games (this size is fairly common already among PSP games and Vita games will probably be even larger) you run into some big issues because of the time involved. This includes battery life where just about any 3G device would need to be plugged in to pull down a gigabyte of 3G data. There's also going from tower area to tower area while the download is happening; inevitably, the process would start, stop, slow, and/or stall multiple times, increasing the potential that the downloaded data will be corrupt or have to be downloaded more than once.

Granted, a good download manager would take care of both these issues, but it's still a practicality issue. Downloading huge games via 3G would be a dumb use of time, bandwidth, and battery life when one could stop by a Starbucks and get the same download in a fraction of the time.