Sony's NeoGeo Pocket's (PSP2/Vita) business/non technical ramifications talk

[patsu]

Who moves data around on a SDCARD? The only card i take out is the CFCard from my camera because it´s old and slow to move data. If i am able to "plugin" my Vita and it can be in "USB MODE" then i can move the data from my PC and i am fine.

I simply think that by making the VITA cards "special" it will be harder to get access.. like the DVD drive that rotated backwards. And i am sure they have more tricks than just being physical different

Yes, just connect the devices via USB and they'd know how to talk to each other. However, the Vita-PC connectivity is now done via an app instead of via the usual USB drive approach.

 

[patsu]

Stolen from GAF...

Vita is region free. Now given that Vita has enough memory to run another program in parallel, Sony should work out a mechanism to facilitate external subtitling.

 

[patsu]

PSVita external battery’s capacity to be 5000mAh, 9 – 15h of playtime in total:
http://iamportable.com/psvita-external-batterys-capacity-to-be-5000mah-9-15h-of-playtime-in-total/

Today Sony revealed a new accessory for PSVita – external battery, which features a capacity of… 5000mAh.

And that’s more than twice as much as Vita’s internal battery has (2200mAh). So logically if PSV’s battery lasts 3-5 hours, it means the accessory can give you an additional 6-10 hours and in total you will be able to play non-stop for an incredible 9-15 hours(!).

This external battery weights 145g, its dimensions are 70x67x22mm and it will be released in Spring 2012. Price is “undecided” yet, but I wouldn’t be very optimistic at this point.

 

[wco81]

Price of that battery will probably carry the high peripheral margins, probably $50 or more.

 

[patsu]

We should be able to get third party battery packs.

 

[patsu]

Vita Street Fighter X Tekken will share DLC with PS3 version, may have tiny arcade stick:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/vita-street-fighter-x-tekken-will-share-dlc-with-ps3-version-ma/

This is kinda what I wanted [size=-2](Yes ! What is Playstation, Sony ?)[/size]

But that's not the cool part. Capcom is also planning to make the DLC cross-compatible between the PS3 and PlayStation Vita versions. "With the PS3 and the Vita," Ono said, "yes, they're different hardware, but they're part of the same Playstation family, so to speak, so we're already talking with Sony about ways to sync things together. As long as you're using the same PSN account, things you've purchased on the Vita version will work on PS3 and vice versa."

Capcom was a pioneer on 3DS with Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, adding things like online play and significant StreetPass functionality well before other 3DS games, and it looks like Capcom is keeping that forward-thinking attitude for this Vita game.

EDIT:

Sony should make Vita a universal game controller... like make RemotePlay server work on PC as well, so people can game away from their PC and other consoles.

I think RC robots and vehicles may work too, with the help of an adaptor. They can use the OLED screen to show robot-mounted cameras if they want.


EDIT: Make an app on Vita so that you can assign gestures and buttons anyhow you want !

This is fun too:

I asked Ono on a lark about the possibility of a tiny arcade stick for the Vita -- maybe something like the 3DS slidepad thingy, but with arcade hardware.

"We're actually talking to Mad Catz about doing something like that," Ono told us. "You can't replicate the experience entirely on a portable, but I think if we made a small joystick that you could just keep in your bag, and maybe even if you're in economy class, whip it out during a flight, put your Vita in there, and replicate to some degree the arcade experience, it would be really awesome." It's in keeping with Ono's view of portable fighters as practice tools for competitive console/arcade versions.

Capcom emphasized that this is just in talks, and nothing has been decided. But tiny arcade stick!

 

[Bigduo209]

I know Sony is supposedly doing this with some titles (Wipeout 2048, Dragon's Crown), but I hope more 3rd party developers come around to the idea of packaging console ports to the Vita with PS3 copies.

They don't even have to be packaged deals per se, but give out half-off codes/coupons for Vita versions of UMvC, SFxTekken, ModNation Racers, LBP, and other future games.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see selling a PS3 and a Vita version of the same game for 100 bucks working that well. It's even worse when you're trying to get people to buy into that whole shared console-handheld experience.

 

[-tkf-]

However, the Vita-PC connectivity is now done via an app instead of via the usual USB drive approach.

Ehmm is this confirmed? I have to run an app in order to see the content on the VITA?

So if i want to load up movies for the kids i have to... run "iTUNES" ?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Sony could do what MS do with Hard disk, Wi Fi on Xbox. It's glaringly obvious the proprietary memory are for security. If they used standard memory cards they'd be one step away from the PSPs piracy woes looking like a walk in the park.

That's just ridiculous. You sound as if SD cards are a skeleton key for hackers or something. Firstly games still come on proprietary cards. Secondly encryption of download content can lock it to a device. PSP was hacked by the battery, using the service mode. PS3 was hacked using a USB dongle activiating the service mode. That's the thing Sony need to worry about. They can save their proprietary format for activating service mode and leave users with benign media. Plus PS3 wasn't hacked - it was breached and fixed. Sony know how to do that. Vita should be built around the same security, only improved, in whcih case how does choosing to support and SD card suddenly make it vulnerable?

The proprietary memory system is probably hardened at the hardware level to prevent low level attacks. Geohotz glitched the PS3 by messing with the hardware timing. I think a recent successful 360 exploit is also timing based. In the event that the system is compromised, perhaps the media itself can perform integrity check on the system, and/or limit the exposure (e.g., A title-by-title hardware token can be used instead of one key for all titles).

Which could be done on the game card which is acceptibly a proprietary format. Not supporting SD is just overkill; a knee-jerk overreaction to the past couple of serious goofs that, if fixed in Vita, would make it incredibly secure as the system has already been proven.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Ehmm is this confirmed? I have to run an app in order to see the content on the VITA?

So if i want to load up movies for the kids i have to... run "iTUNES" ?

Dunno about Vita, but my Sony camcorder had inbuilt media software that'd laucnh, and it's poop. Thankfully it can also be accessed as a USB storage device, or the SD card taken out and connected to the PC, even the though the manual discourages this saying it's unsafe.

I can imagine this frustrating step is true.

 

[Arwin]

Dunno about Vita, but my Sony camcorder had inbuilt media software that'd laucnh, and it's poop. Thankfully it can also be accessed as a USB storage device, or the SD card taken out and connected to the PC, even the though the manual discourages this saying it's unsafe.

Are you talking about PMB or something older? Personally I have PMB installed and I like it quite a bit. It's got very good DirectX accellerated graphics interface that is really fast and easy to use (even if yes, this is partly because it does extensive indexing). I also use the plugins for directly uploading images to Picasa or facebook.

I can imagine this frustrating step is true.

The only reason for this to be true would be if indeed the filesystem is encrypted. Otherwise I don't know if there is a difference - right now on PSP you also use specific PC software (or the PS3, or the PSP Store) to install your games. That doesn't preclude also being able to access part of it through USB, but I can imagine some parts being protected more than previously.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Are you talking about PMB or something older? Personally I have PMB installed and I like it quite a bit. It's got very good DirectX accellerated graphics interface that is really fast and easy to use (even if yes, this is partly because it does extensive indexing). I also use the plugins for directly uploading images to Picasa or facebook.

Yes, PMB. It takes five minutes to populate the window with what's on the camera with no loading screen or anything. It just sits there empty for five minutes before slowly adding thumbnails of each file. And it wants to scan your whole PC for media to become the defacto media player type thing, where I already have one of those and many others available. It's overkill for just accessing, viewing, and downloading video files.

The only reason for this to be true would be if indeed the filesystem is encrypted.

Yes, and given the proprietary nature of the media, it makes sense to need a software app to access the files and ensure security of content. The lack of SD support and the choices regards their electronics division makes me believe this is definitely a direction Sony could take with Vita. Considering the hassles iTunes can cause, I can only hope it's not true!

 

[patsu]

Which could be done on the game card which is acceptibly a proprietary format. Not supporting SD is just overkill; a knee-jerk overreaction to the past couple of serious goofs that, if fixed in Vita, would make it incredibly secure as the system has already been proven.

That's true. From security standpoint, it would also allow hackers an easy way to run their own software on the SD card. Right now, the only direct way in is the USB interface (like PS3's USB hack).

If the user wants a media card I/O, they would need to use a USB adaptor similar to how iOS does it. I assume it has a standard mini USB 2.0 interface, although I don't mind a higher speed one.

 

[Arwin]

I have never seen security overkill for consoles or handehelds in
my life, and I've lived long enough to see all of them ... Of course there are risks of alienating users, but it is easier to open up more than to close down.

 

[patsu]

TGS game awards (more to come...):
http://andriasang.com/comy8d/

Last year's Japan Game Awards saw the addition of the "Designers Award," which is given to one game picked by a panel of top game designers. Heavy Rain took was the first ever recipient of the award.

For the award's second year, another non-Japanese game won out. Announced by Tokyo Game Show organizer CESA on the 15th, designers this year selected 5th Cell Media's Scribblenauts for the award.

...

The results of the Game of the Year voting were also announced by CESA on the 15th. Unlike the designer award, the main Game of the Year award is influenced by the public through online voting. The 1,426 games released to Japan between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011 qualified. Following a public vote held from April 11 through July 22, a panel selected the final results.

Capcom's Monster Hunter Portable 3rd for PSP won the Grand Award this year.

Award For Excellence recipients included:

Wii Party (Nintendo, Wii)

Legend of Heroes Zero no Kiseki (Falcom, PSP)

Catherine (Atlus, PS3/X360)

Gran Turismo 5 (Sony, PS3)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo, Wii)

Xenoblade (Nintendo, Wii)

Donkey Kong Returns (Nintendo, Wii)

Ni no Kuni (Level-5, DS)

Pokemon Black & White (Pokemon, DS)

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker (Konami, PSP)

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (Capcom, PSP)


Other awards included:

Special Award: Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar Games, PS3/X360)

Best Sales Award: Pokemon Black & White (Pokemon, DS)

Global Award -- Japanese Product: Pokemon Black & White (Pokemon, DS)

Global Award -- Foreign Product: Call of Duty Black Ops (Activision, PS3/X360/PC)

...

 

[patsu]

Titanio found the Vita AR demo video in TGS keynote:

 

[patsu]

TGS keynote on Vita Connectivity:

 

[patsu]

Live Broadcast Your Play Sessions on PlayStation Vita with Nico Nico's Video API:
http://andriasang.com/comya6/

PlayStation Vita's Nico Nico Douga functionality will include more than just support for streaming videos covered in the service's characteristic walls of comments. Nikkei reports that Nico Nico operator Niwango is working on developer tools that will allow developers to build live broadcast functionality into their games.

According to the Nikkei report, the Nico Nico API is currently able to just broadcast a player's face snapped by the system's front camera. Next year, Niwango plans on updating the API to support live broadcasting of gameplay footage as well.

At Tokyo Game Show, Nico Nico detailed "Game Jikkyou" or "Game Broadcast." At present, this refers to the former type of broadcast -- just broadcasting the players' face along with an audio stream. Nikkei's report today confirms that the more advanced game footage broadcast will also be supported in the new year.

I always thought Vita is nice but still a little too conservative (Where's spectating ? ^_^)

Game broadcast doesn't sound very useful unless I can stream to another user to help him or her tackle some blocking issues.

 

[patsu]

Sony's Shuhei Yoshida Outlines PlayStation Vita Remote Play Plans
http://andriasang.com/comygo/

Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida has shared additional details on the company's Remote Play plans in an interview in this week's Famitsu.

The TGS demonstration was actually done via a wired connection between the PS3 and Vita. This was necessary because of the high volume of people at the event potentially causing interference. Yoshida promised that in more realistic circumstances, you'll be able to play wirelessly at the same level of speed shown at the event.

PS3 titles that are played via Remote Play need a bit of customization for memory and CPU use. Sony is finishing up work on a library that facilitates this and will be sending a beta version of this out to developers to test upcoming and old titles.

While Yoshida did not say when Remote Play support will be ready for PS3 games, Vita owners will get to try out one area of Remote Play at launch. Sony is finishing up work on the required customizations for Torne, a popular first party device that gives the PS3 digital video recorder capabilities. Following a December update, this will support Remote Play on Vita.

Outside of pure Remote Play, Vita can be used as a controller for your PlayStation 3. The system's screen can also act as a sub monitor. Yoshida said that Sony is looking into creating utility libraries that will allow PS3 developers to use the Vita's touch screen.

Bring the feature to PC+Vita, Android+Vita, etc.

 

[KongRudi]

I hope that someone thinks on the fact that with camera + augmented vr you could do away with voucher codes in the store.
So instead of typing a 16-digit code, just snap a picture of a voucher, and you don't have to type in DLC-codes and similar in PSN-store. That would be cool.