Sony Vita Games Thread

[Karamazov]

is there some hardware memory for saving games and all or you must purchase a memory card from the start ?
Because here in france it's quite expansive 250€ for the system + 50€ for a game + 20€ for a 4gb mem card, ouch !

 

[Arwin]

You should definitely look out for deals that include a memorycard as you'll need it for most things (only a few, if any, games can save to their own carts). There are also some great, pretty cheap downloadable titles that make it even more worth it, like Super Stardust Delta and a few others. Not to mention of course that there will be plenty of demos available.

I personally would probably have waited for a deal that includes a memory card, but I had a coupon for an online store I didn't want to buy the system from, so I bought a 16GB with that instead. Alternatively I'd probably have settled for the cheapest one and upgrade later when they get cheaper.

 

[BoardBonobo]

I went for the amazon deal that includes an 8Gb card. Though I will probably grab the largest card I can find as soon as the prices have settled. 64Gb would be nice.

 

[Karamazov]

here fnac gaming gives you 50€ if you preorder it i will do this with uncharted and a 4gb card

 

[dagamer]

You should definitely look out for deals that include a memorycard as you'll need it for most things (only a few, if any, games can save to their own carts). There are also some great, pretty cheap downloadable titles that make it even more worth it, like Super Stardust Delta and a few others. Not to mention of course that there will be plenty of demos available.

I personally would probably have waited for a deal that includes a memory card, but I had a coupon for an online store I didn't want to buy the system from, so I bought a 16GB with that instead. Alternatively I'd probably have settled for the cheapest one and upgrade later when they get cheaper.

Thing is, there's no reason for them to get cheaper. Only Sony officially makes them. It's not like the PSP where the Memory Stick Duo was a relatively open format that SanDisk was allowed to manufacture memory for.

Do we all remember when the PSP launched and you had to pay $150 for a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo on eBay? Those were the days.

 

[BoardBonobo]

Thing is, there's no reason for them to get cheaper. Only Sony officially makes them. It's not like the PSP where the Memory Stick Duo was a relatively open format that SanDisk was allowed to manufacture memory for.

Do we all remember when the PSP launched and you had to pay $150 for a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo on eBay? Those were the days.

I remember paying £80 for a 1 Gb Duo to use in my Sony Clie. Which is still knocking around somewhere.

 

[Gradthrawn]

Having had the unit for a few days now, I think this summary from Tech Radar's review pretty much echo's my current impression of it:

But this is really a games machine and should be viewed for purchase as such. It won't worry more versatile i-Things, tablets or media players anytime soon but if you want fun first, and a few other features second then it's worth investigating.

It definitely has the potential to be a far more versatile and very capable media device, but it appears that functionality played second fiddle in terms of resource allocation during initial development. I'm guessing internally they estimated what in the way of resources it would take to bring the media functionality up to the level of the benchmark PMPs, and then determined if it would be worth it giving whatever they estimated to be the launch demographic.

Overall though, I'm quite pleased with the unit. If I had to it over again I would still buy one, but I would have done a few things differently, which I mentioned earlier.

 

[Sigfried1977]

Gravity Rush scored a nice 9/10 on Eurogamer (and the text makes it sound like the best game ever). God, I want this game so bad.

 

[patsu]

EDIT: and patsu probably has his Vita by now, he should be getting it today. Better post some impressions!

Yeah, I was (still am) tied up. Have a lot of things to say about Vita. Guess I'll have to post random thoughts.

does remote play work?

Yes. It works better than the PSP one, but we still have to use the dpad to navigate XMB. Feels like a huge step backwards from touch screen UI. ^_^

As for the hardware itself, I'm quite pleased. Has a solid, quality feel to it. A step above even the original PSP, which I always thought had a quality feel to it, especially compared to the later models. The GUI isn't as off putting as I thought it would be, but it completely lacks the elegance of the XMB, and the clean, simple look of ICS and iOS. I think some will find it's design to be excellent, but it's just not my cup of tea. The screen is excellent, as has been reported. I don't like the way Friends List and messaging are separate apps that you have to launch. They should be a better integrated part of the experience, IMO. But I don't know what happens if a friends contacts you if the app is not running. If it launches automatically, then its a moot point.

The UI attempts to insert a community angle (LiveArea screen) into every app. Every app has its own LiveArea. As a result, launching an app always takes 2 steps. First tap in the Home screen opens the LiveArea. Second tap in LiveArea starts the app/game. Would be great if they allow us to double-tap in the Home screen to launch the app/game right away. Other than that, it's almost like the original iPhone OS. Very snappy and smooth.

The web browser has the following issues:
* Scrolling (upwards or sideways) sometimes leave the screen partially updated for 2-3 seconds. This is a bug.
* Browser doesn't rotate when you rotate Vita (i.e., can't view in portrait mode)
* No way to jump to the browser address field right away (by tapping on the info bar). Have to scroll all the way up.
* Since Vita OS does not have text services like a general purpose OS, copy-and-paste is missing. The text edit field also doesn't allow you to drag select (for copying or bulk delete).

However I prefer to use Vita for web surfing because of the larger screen and the dual hand hold. It's more convenient and less tiring when I browse in bed. ^_^

Typing is also faster because of the larger virtual keyboard, and more sophisticated text completion. The side menu is also very convenient for performing common actions (e.g., open a bookmark, display all pages). Since the side menu is always there, these actions generally takes 2 quick taps to execute.



Friends List, Group Messaging and Near need to be reorg'ed a little. Yes, Friends and Group Messaging should be together. Some functionalities in Near may be more appropriate for Group Messaging + Friends.

In addition, since Vita can multitask well, these apps should call on each other to perform their specialized functions (e.g., Near should launch and update Friends' activities log, instead of embedding the Friends' log inside itself).


Despite these details, the overall Vita environment is rather pleasant to use. The OS may crash once in a while. Hopefully the new 1.61 update fixes them.

EDIT:
My biggest gripes so far are:

* Sony should expand Friends List limit to 200 or more. I have already hit the 100 limit months ago. I can't add any more Vita friends. ^_^ How 'bout start with PS+ members first ?

* Should speed up backup speed. Either add incremental backup option, or implement a Sync function like iOS. We should not need to perform full backup every time.

* Still waiting for that multitasking fix (for switching between web browser and game seamlessly).


EDIT 2:
Near is quite similar to what I wanted in Home (e.g., summarize and highlight community activities in real time). Unfortunately, it is not available to PS3. And Home is not on Vita. Otherwise, it would be interesting to enhance Home with a 2D UI, and Near's "dynamic" community analytics.

 

[JPT]

Dear lazy web,

Should I buy the Vita in Hong Kong or is the difference between EU and HK version to "big" to bother?
Not sure if the price is lower in HK either.

 

[Gradthrawn]

Friends List, Group Messaging and Near need to be reorg'ed a little. Yes, Friends and Group Messaging should be together. Some functionalities in Near may be more appropriate for Group Messaging + Friends.

I'd say they need to be more then reorg'd, but essentially redone. The multitasking is quite nice and I'm pleased with that (just not the interface), but whenever I switch from the Friends app, and go right back to it, it appears to be reconnecting to PSN (SEN) each time! You see the grey system message box and a "Please wait" message, or something along those lines. The Friends List/Messaging/Party/Trophy experience feels completely disjointed to me.

 

[patsu]

Dear lazy web,

Should I buy the Vita in Hong Kong or is the difference between EU and HK version to "big" to bother?
Not sure if the price is lower in HK either.

Hmm... I am not sure. Not familiar with EU gaming needs.

Both EU and HK 3G Vitas should be unlocked. WiFi units naturally have no difference.

Games are region free but downloaded ones are tied to the memory card. You can keep games from different region on the same card but you'll have to switch account to play them. Switching account involves resetting the unit. You can check the GAF Vita thread for an instruction video. The link is in the B3D Vita console thread (one level up). ^_^

 

[patsu]

I'd say they need to be more then reorg'd, but essentially redone. The multitasking is quite nice and I'm pleased with that (just not the interface), but whenever I switch from the Friends app, and go right back to it, it appears to be reconnecting to PSN (SEN) each time! You see the grey system message box and a "Please wait" message, or something along those lines. The Friends List/Messaging/Party/Trophy experience feels completely disjointed to me.

I suspect they drop the connection after every session to conserve battery life. I hope they add a higher performance level for Vitas with extended battery, and those plugged into the AC power. I intend to buy Nyko's integrated battery pack + grip, which should increase battery life to 9-15 hours (3 times current battery level).

The other possible factor is the multitasking. We'll have to see if Friends runs better after the multitasking patch.

I am also waiting for PS Suite. Very curious to see if we can write our own Friends + Group Messaging app. ^_^

 

[Aeoniss]

@Patsu

But how would that browser feature work in game? It would totally suck up oodles of memory.. Is there anyway to ensure that there would be no memory leaks and other problems?

I mean, basically the game would go 'on pause' and boot up the browser. The browser would get the lion share of resources and then you close it... I assume that something as resource intensive as the browser must be totally purged from memory... Thus freeing the resources back up for the game to function as the developer intended it. Would this work seamlessly? No issues?

The only other option I see here is squishing the browser into some per-determined resource 'box' that cannot be expanded.

We're talking about an embedded gaming device, so the priority is (and should be) with the game.

Doesn't the 3DS do this stuff though? How does it work?

 

[patsu]

I don't have access to the tech info. Can't answer some of your questions.

By observing from the outside, it looks like you can open up to 6 apps at the same time. Inactive apps are "reduced" to their LiveArea form (You have to back out into the LiveArea screen by clicking on the "Playstation" button before you can swipe to another app). Therefore, in theory, only one app needs to be actively running. The rest can install background tasks for the OS to run. The other apps may (need to) free up memory before switching to a resource intensive game.

Here's NetFront browser's memory requirements. I have no idea which version Vita is using.

NetFront v4.2:
http://www.access-company.com/products/mobile_solutions/netfrontmobile/browser/index.html

[Memory Requirements]

ROM: 2MB-4MB (Kernel +SLIM)
RAM: 2MB- (Depending on complexity of content viewed)

NetFront NX:
http://www.access-company.com/products/mobile_solutions/netfrontbrowsernx.html

[Memory Requirements]
ROM: 12MB (Browser engine only)
RAM: Less than 25MB (Depending on web content)

As Gradthawn alluded to above, Sony's priority is indeed gaming. The UI, development and run-time resources are allocated that way (Hence, starting a game kicks the web browser into its LiveArea today. ^_^).

3DS does allow switching between the browser and game. Similarly, if they can swap computing resources in and out on the fly, the impact will definitely be smaller than running them in parallel.


At another level, the web may be a gaming platform too. Google, Zynga and Gaikai gave a glimpse of their vision. Personally, I suspect we will see more intriguing/integrated/seamless and fun ideas from the web people in the future.

 

[patsu]

While every Vita gamer lusts after Gravity Rush, here's another interesting game, Ciel No Surge. Genre used to be "Others", but has been updated to "Life Simulation" recently. Hope someone brings it stateside.

Gust Announces PlayStation Vita Game
http://andriasang.com/comzqk/gust_vita_game/

A Few Bits About Gust's PlayStation Vita Simulation Surge Concerto
http://andriasang.com/comzsh/surge_concerto_gemaga/

Ciel No Surge Gameplay Flow Explained
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/21/ciel-no-surge-gameplay-flow-explained/

Ciel No Surge, Gust’s PlayStation Vita Game, Has You "Dive" Into Ionasol
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/01/3...ystation-vita-game-has-you-dive-into-ionasol/

Ciel No Surge Takes Place On A 24 Hour Clock, Has Downloadable Costumes
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/0...on-a-24-hour-clock-has-downloadable-costumes/

Ciel No Surge Has Online Play (Plus Watch Ion’s Hair Grow)
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/08/ciel-no-surge-has-online-play-plus-watch-ions-hair-grow/

Sure, You Can Take Ion On A Date In Ciel No Surge
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/13/sure-you-can-take-ion-on-a-date-in-ciel-no-surge/

Ciel No Surge’s New Characters: Someone Tsundere And Dragon
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/20/ciel-no-surges-new-characters-someone-tsundere-and-dragon/

 

[Sigfried1977]

Looks a but like your average Japanese (barely) interactive graphic novel, albeit without the naughty bits.

Also, I fucking hate Amazon Prime. Sure, it's always on time, but it's also never early. All my regular Amazon service using colleagues got their Vitas this morning, while my premium membership paying ass just went home empty handed.

 

[Karamazov]

got this amazing little thing today.

is there a way to see how much space is left on my memory card ?

 

[patsu]

Looks a but like your average Japanese (barely) interactive graphic novel, albeit without the naughty bits.

It "smells" different ! Gravity Rush also uses a mixed 3D + comic strip style presentation btw.

Also, I fucking hate Amazon Prime. Sure, it's always on time, but it's also never early. All my regular Amazon service using colleagues got their Vitas this morning, while my premium membership paying ass just went home empty handed.

Oh it will be here soon enough. What game(s) did you buy ?

got this amazing little thing today.

is there a way to see how much space is left on my memory card ?

Eh... from memory work, I think it's Settings > System > System Info

 

[Arwin]

I've been playing Motorstrom RC, on PS3 for now, Vita hopefully tomorrow.

So, there's quite a lot to this game. Been playing for a bit, got something close to 40 medals (out of 134?) and seen quite a few tracks now. The tracks definitely get better later in terms of visuals, you actually get dusk and dawn type lighting like in the big Motorstorms, and like its big brethren, it does make them look a lot nicer. And there are some neat light effects from festive colored lights to laser-shows. Bottom line, on the PS3 at least, the game looks a lot nicer than I expected. No idea yet what the Vita version will be like, but I'll have them side by side tomorrow hopefully and if the graphics are mostly identical then some levels could look pretty great on that screen.

Types of racing is overtaking (usually have to overtake 10 as quick as possible), time trials, and races (8 player). It's cool you can see your own best time as well as the target times in all types. Races unlock much like Pacific Rift - get enough medals, and one of the four zones will unlock more races. About 25% in, I'm already struggling to get golds, and sometimes even bronze - have to definitely learn the tracks, and can't just full-throttle through everything. Some tracks can have you turn your car around pretty easily and ruin your chances of winning, so have to be careful here and there.

Actual driving is pretty good. Have to get used to the camera a bit, but it's part of learning the track and there are four different camera modes (haven't tried them, just the default one). I currently drive traditional RC controls, but looks like point controls (alternative controls) may be easier. It's great that they are there for the split-screen multiplayer, as that will make it more accessible for others.

I had no friends yet playing, so instead I get constant updates of random people online beating the crap out of my times. Great.

The playground seems fun to mess around in. More impressions later.

EDIT: PS3 version supports custom soundtracks (the press ps-button / play anything variety)