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

[patsu]

Vita development slides from Jordan Gaming Summit 2011 (Nov 24, according to their website):
http://research.scee.net/files/presentations/jordan2011/2011JordanGamingSummit.pdf

256Mb RAM reserved for developers (system has more but unspecified).
128Mb VRAM.

 

[patsu]

3 more days to Japan Vita launch. We should be getting more impressions soon.


Torne App Launches with PlayStation Vita
http://andriasang.com/comzc0/torne_vita_app/

As previously promised, Sony will be giving its popular "Torne" PlayStation 3 DVR kit a firmware update to coincide with the release of PlayStation Vita. The update, which takes [Torne] to version 3.5, will be released on the 15th.

The major features of the update are support for PlayStation Vita. In addition to remote play, you'll be able to write video to your Vita in higher resolution than the current PSP writing options provide.

To make use of the write feature, you'll need to download the "Uke-Torne" app from PlayStation Store to your Vita. This free app will be available on the 17th, simultaneous with the Vita hardware.

The update also improves video writing speed through a new Quick Write option. For a thirty minute video, the PS3 can normally write to PSP in 10 minutes and Vita in 40 minutes. Using the Quick Write option, these are cut down to, respectively, 3 minutes and 5 minutes.

...

 

[patsu]

PlayStation Vita Friend Network Site Opens
http://andriasang.com/comzc3/minna_to_issyo_friend_network/

Sony opened an official site today for Minna to Issyo Friend Network, a downloadable Vita app that's meant to assist in online friend making.

Using the app, you create a profile. Based off your profile, the app searches for friends who match you, and suggests that you add them to your PlayStation Network friend list. If you see someone you like, you can exchange business cards with them, increasing your friend count.

You can perform activities with your friends, including building a garden and engaging in work activities. Perform work, and you'll earn MP (Minitsu Points), which can be used to create your custom business card and purchase costumes for dress up.

Minna to Issyo is part of Sony's Docodemo Issyo series and features Toro and Kuro the cats. ... The Minna to Issyo Friend Network app can access content from the Weekly Toro Station news cast that's currently available on PSP and PS3.

 

[patsu]

Control PlayStation 3's Marvel VS Capcom 3 With PlayStation Vita
http://andriasang.com/comzc4/mvc3_vita/

The PlayStation Vita version of Marvel vs Capcom 3 has some unique connectivity with the PlayStation 3 version of the game. The PS3 version can be played using the Vita as a controller. Capcom refers to this system as "Ultimate Controller."

We already detailed how the Vita (and, via the Ultimate Controller support, the PS3 too) supports optional touch controls for controlling the action. Even if you're not too keen on moving fully controlling your character via touch, the touch screen can be used to quickly tap out special moves. The touch panel can be customized with four of your favorite moves.

...

Transfarring, RemotePlay, Ultimate Controller, etc. are not so interesting if they're per-title rather than platform-wide.

 

[liolio]

Meanwhile, this study should be useful/applicable for Vita too:

Analyzing the Kindle Fire: UI Challenges for the 7-Inch Tablet
http://www.tested.com/news/analyzing-the-kindle-fire-ui-challenges-for-the-7-inch-tablet/3249/

Vita has a 5 inch screen. Don't fall into the same holes as Fire.

Hum, if you imply that a tinier screen is better I strongly disagree. The kindle has its lacking so does the galaxy tab still if I were to go with a tablet I might go with this form factor as it fit a big pocket.
THe kindle fire is a young product some patches are too come soon and it's likely to sell like crazy.
Instead of criticizing early issues I would say that it's likely to push this form factor in the hand of customers and establish it, actually it may further help to establish tablets as mass products. Not too bad imho, I wish the Vita this much success

 

[patsu]

No ! ^_^

I didn't make any statement about form factor preference.

But Vita will share some of the issues highlighted in the article. Some of the UI widgets may be too small for finger input. If the screen is smaller, a larger portion of it will be blocked by the finger too. A bigger form factor can accommodate larger battery as well.

The final experience will depend on how the platform owner optimize/refine their products.

 

[liolio]

No ! ^_^

I didn't make any statement about form factor preference.

But Vita will share some of the issues highlighted in the article. Some of the UI widgets may be too small for finger input. If the screen is smaller, a larger portion of it will be blocked by the finger too. A bigger form factor can accommodate larger battery as well.

The final experience will spend on how the platform owner optimize/refine their products.

I misread or read too much into your statement. My bad.

I was considering the kindle as a present and dismissed it, I'm waiting for cheap, potent and more importantly more opened hardware wise (support for sd cards+ replaceable battery ) and soft (want vanilla Android). Still I'm impressed by its gaming potential (or any 7" device with decent specs) there are already plenty of video of gaming on the Kindle fire. It is somehow the first real ipad challenger, I expect it to push more developers to move more games from IOS to Android.
Stick it a blend of "mini fling" and "thumbies" and stylus and the devices should rock as a gaming device. To me it's already way more tempting than a 3ds. PSV offer another level of capabilities but the threat on the handled console is growing. I can't help but think that the space for handled is shrinking, PSV will outdo in the gaming department whatever tablet/phone that comes out for a while (actually the Xperia play V2 looked pretty threatening already) but it will likely impossible for Sony to out do what Android, IOS or Win8 provide to consumers on the other play fields. So I see a uphill battle as technical/input advantages for the PSV will shrink fast.
If Android take off as a gaming platform as much as the IOS then clearly Sony will have to adapt / expect lesser sales.

EDIT speaking of tablet I watched this and this make tablets even more of a thread imo. This has amazing potential, bring some well thought accessories and its gaming even, next ready.

 

[patsu]

Yap, there will be confusion for a while. I don't think it's only threats though. There are also opportunities to expand their gaming footprint.

 

[patsu]

NTT DoCoMo Announces Cheap 3G Plan Ahead of PlayStation Vita Launch
http://andriasang.com/comzco/docomo_3g_plan/

NTT DoCoMo, the official 3G provider for the device in Japan, has announced a low priced monthly 3G service plan. Priced at ¥1,580 per month, the plan supports 128kpbs uploads and 64kbps downloads. DoCoMo says that it's primarily meant for low bandwidth activities like checking e-mail, checking social network services and conducting searches.

...

DoCoMo provides a number of wireless plans besides this, including pre-paid and monthly fixed rate plans. We previously detailed a pricier ¥5,460 monthly plan which has faster 14Mbps download/5.7Mbps upload speeds. For those who want to pay-as-they-go, DoCoMo also offers 20 hour and 100 hour pre-paid cards at the low 128kbps download/64kbps upload speeds (these are the plans that Sony announced at the Tokyo Game Show -- you'll find details here).

The new 128K plan will be offered starting March 1, 2012.

 

[patsu]

Sony Begins PlayStation Game Music Service
Music from Final Fantasy, Yakuza and Monster Hunter on your mobile device.
http://andriasang.com/comzcm/ps_game_music_service/

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan kicked off its new "PlayStation Game Music" service today. This service gives users of select mobile streaming services access to music and other audio sources related to the PlayStation family of game hardware.

...

Launching with the service today are such properties as Final Fantasy XIII-2, the Monster Hunter series, the Dynasty Warriors series and the Yakuza series. Sound effects and chimes include the PlayStation 3 startup sound and the sound effect you hear when unlocking a trophy.

Users of streaming audio services from such companies as NTT Communications, MTI, Enterbrain, Oricon and Dwango can access the "PlayStation Game Music" corner starting today. Streaming services from other companies will be added in the future.

 

[patsu]

Sony Says New Vita Portable Player Sold Out in Japan Advance Ordering
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...portable-player-sold-out-in-pre-ordering.html

Sony Corp. (6758), the world’s second- largest video-game console maker, said it sold out the new PlayStation Vita portable player in pre-ordering in Japan.

“There were lines to make reservations for the machine at retailers,” Andrew House, chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, told reporters in Tokyo today. He declined to provide the number of orders.

...

Sony and Nintendo Co. (7974), the world’s biggest maker of video- game machines, are facing increased competition from Apple Inc. (AAPL) as gamers flock to the Cupertino, California-based company’s iPhone and iPad to play titles such as Rovio Mobile Oy’s “Angry Birds.”

Sony fell 1.5 percent to 1,345 yen at the close of Tokyo trading. The stock has declined 54 percent this year, the sixth- biggest drop on Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average.

...

The Vita is pricier than Nintendo’s competing model. The Kyoto, Japan-based company cut the price of the 3DS, its 3-D handheld player, by 40 percent to 15,000 yen in August. A lack of popular titles forced Nintendo to reduce the price less than six months after it was introduced.

Sony signaled in August that the company won’t engage in a price war with Nintendo.

House became head of Sony’s video-game division in September. He was previously head of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

 

[patsu]

I misread or read too much into your statement. My bad.

I was considering the kindle as a present and dismissed it, I'm waiting for cheap, potent and more importantly more opened hardware wise (support for sd cards+ replaceable battery ) and soft (want vanilla Android). Still I'm impressed by its gaming potential (or any 7" device with decent specs) there are already plenty of video of gaming on the Kindle fire. It is somehow the first real ipad challenger, I expect it to push more developers to move more games from IOS to Android.
Stick it a blend of "mini fling" and "thumbies" and stylus and the devices should rock as a gaming device. To me it's already way more tempting than a 3ds. PSV offer another level of capabilities but the threat on the handled console is growing. I can't help but think that the space for handled is shrinking, PSV will outdo in the gaming department whatever tablet/phone that comes out for a while (actually the Xperia play V2 looked pretty threatening already) but it will likely impossible for Sony to out do what Android, IOS or Win8 provide to consumers on the other play fields. So I see a uphill battle as technical/input advantages for the PSV will shrink fast.
If Android take off as a gaming platform as much as the IOS then clearly Sony will have to adapt / expect lesser sales.

EDIT speaking of tablet I watched this and this make tablets even more of a thread imo. This has amazing potential, bring some well thought accessories and its gaming even, next ready.

Here's more (or rather, another attack vector)...

Grand Theft Auto 3 out now on iPhone, iPad and Android
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-12/15/grand-theft-auto-mobile

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of crime epic Grand Theft Auto 3, Rockstar Games has released a mobile version of the seminal PS2 classic on iPhone, iPad and Android.

...

[List of officially supported models]

Those are just the officially supported devices. From Twitter comments and Android Marketplace reviews, it seems that the game runs on the Samsung Galaxy S2 and even the Xperia Play -- complete with the PlayStation-style buttons. Your mileage may vary on these unofficially-supported Androids, though.

All these development are known factors more than a year ago. Hopefully Sony has something to surprise consumers come Feb 22.

 

[patsu]

Vita Will Allow Multiple PSN Accounts, Sony Says
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/vita-accounts/

Here we go again...

Sony Backtracks, Says Only One Account Per Vita
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/sony-vita-psn/

Though a Sony representative told Wired.com at a Vita preview event last week in Manhattan that Vita users will be able to switch accounts by swapping out memory cards, the PlayStation maker has now retracted that statement. It told Wired.com in an email on Thursday that Vita owners will indeed have to reset their hardware to factory settings, deleting all of their data, in order to sign in with a different PlayStation Network account.

...

“[The] PSN account is tied to the hardware and the memory card, not just the card,” a different Sony representative said in an e-mail, “which means that if a second person is using your Vita, it’s not just a case of switching out memory cards, it’s clearing out all of your saved data on the Vita itself when you do the factory reset.”

“In other words, PlayStation Vita is intended to be played by only one user,” the representative said.

Vita users will have to delete all of their data in order to use new accounts on Sony’s online network, which is used for both digital shopping and multiplayer gaming.

I don't really care about multiple accounts per Vita.

The key question is:
What happens if my wife and I bought 2 games using our PSN accounts on the PS3, and then try to copy them to my Vita. Will both games work ? Or will the Vita refuse to take the game my wife bought ?

 

[Arwin]

Here's more (or rather, another attack vector)...

Grand Theft Auto 3 out now on iPhone, iPad and Android
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-12/15/grand-theft-auto-mobile

All these development are known factors more than a year ago. Hopefully Sony has something to surprise consumers come Feb 22.

Of course you could also say that this shows these devices are almost 7 years behind the original PSP which ran variants of GTA3 already as Liberty City and Vice City Stories, and these iOS devices mostly have worse controls too.

I think its more the breadth of gaming than the depth of gaming that is a threat.

 

[patsu]

Yes, but when combined with a cheaper price (or free), and a much more lenient DRM, it could spell troubles to Sony and Nintendo's current handheld model. The developers may also have less constraints.

It won't kill them now, but it's not something they can take lightly.

EDIT: The flip side is... can they ride high (in the long term) on the same wave as well.

 

[tuna]

Here we go again...

Sony Backtracks, Says Only One Account Per Vita
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/sony-vita-psn/



I don't really care about multiple accounts per Vita.

The key question is:
What happens if my wife and I bought 2 games using our PSN accounts on the PS3, and then try to copy them to my Vita. Will both games work ? Or will the Vita refuse to take the game my wife bought ?

I care and I am pissed. No Vita for me if this is the case.

On the PSP you register the PSP with one account, and you can not play games tied to other account. You can register how many times you like.

 

[Gradthrawn]

Here we go again...

Sony Backtracks, Says Only One Account Per Vita
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/sony-vita-psn/



I don't really care about multiple accounts per Vita.

The key question is:
What happens if my wife and I bought 2 games using our PSN accounts on the PS3, and then try to copy them to my Vita. Will both games work ? Or will the Vita refuse to take the game my wife bought ?

SCE's actions and design decisions would seem to indicate that they lack an understanding of this whole multi-user, online networked environment. I'm guessing that's not the actual case, so, I wonder what technical and business directions/decisions lead them to make comprises like this? Do they realize expectations on the network side of things for their devices have changed for many of their key users?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Has the experience of PS3 game sharing been that bad that they've been spooked? This move makes no sense. Why not allow people to share the Vita around the home? Having the account on the memory card made perfect sense, but this seems frustratingly limited.

Every time I think Sony may be starting to understand what's needed, they do something like this. My hopes and expectations for the company have dwindled considerably since the beginning of this gen, and I worry about what PS4 will look like.

 

[upnorthsox]

At this point, Sony is in such total disarray (or worse paralysis) I'm not even sure a total house cleaning Jan 1st could turn things around for them in time for a PS4 launch. The sad thing is that the way forward has been obvious for a few years now even to us neophytes on B3D. Even sadder is that change will probably be attempted from within by corporate politics instead of genuine leadership/vision and all backed by a "too big to fail" Japanese government. This will not stave off another 50% drop in stock prices, and the gutting of what was Sony will be inevitable.

 

[Arwin]

Smart security people would say: close first, open later. But obviously, marketing wise that's not always the best solution. In other news, apparently the initial store stocking has gone up from 500.000 to 700.000 based on pre-order demands (cf 400.000 for 3DS).

Smart picture, from gaf/adriasang: