So E3 2011 has now come and gone and while you may have expected me to immediately toss up a reaction to the *makes sour face* Wii U. I think I'm actually more excited about the PSVita at this point. Don't get me wrong, Nintendo's new system - let's just refer to it as "the system that shall not be named" - looks like some awesome technology, but I think Nintendo did an absolutely terrible job of revealing it during their press conference. Their showing brought up far too many questions and far too few answers (though some answers have trickled through the media since Tuesday).
But all of that is besides the point because I'm writing up this blog today to discuss Sony's new handheld. Why am I doing this? Because I feel like I'm the only one excited at this point and that the system is receiving a lot of flack or is just generally unknown. I'll agree that Sony has taken some very big missteps - especially in the handheld market *cough* PSPGo *cough*- but I'm hoping the following five reasons as to why I'll be picking up the Vita might help to change your mind.
I know that this is technically three things but I thought I'd throw them together since they are all features not included with the PSV. Firstly, with Sony's huge push of 3D TVs and gaming, I'm somewhat surprised they decided not to go with some form of 3D for the PSV. But as one of many who detest the headache-inducing fad that is 3D, I couldn't be happier with their decision. Secondly, UMDs are quite possibly one of the worst forms of video game media - the plastic casing around the discs is flimsy while the entire UMDs themselves are clunky and cumbersome. While the new medium for the PSV doesn't have a slick acronym or name yet, Sony has confirmed that UMDs are out and flash memory based cards are in (which also means the terrible concept of download only that PSPGo introduced is out as well).
4: Dual Analog Sticks
This might not seem like a big deal, but those who have played around with the PSP know how crucial that second analog stick is and how the lack of it can destroy a game. There isn't really too much else to say here other than the sticks look very slick while still managing not to stick out too much and I can't wait to get my thumbs on them.
When the dust had finally settled from the announcement of Nintendo's system that shall not be named there was a collective "wait-a-minute" moment from observant gamers everywhere. It wasn't long after that people realized that a PS3 and PSV could arguably do the exact same things that the Nintendo Shall-Not-Be-Named can do, with the big difference of the ability to continue playing not only in the same room, but virtually anywhere. Add in the addictive tendencies of the trophy system, the slickness of the PS Store, and the majority of other cross media bar PS3 features and you have one enticing handheld/possible controller.
2: 5" Gorgeous OLED Multi-Touch Screen
It seems that with the Vita, that "wow, a handheld with current-gen console graphics" selling point has finally officially arrived. Watching clips of gameplay that easily look like they could be running on a PS3 definitely boggles my mind. Throw in the fact that the display doubles as an iPad-esque multi-touch screen and you have what is clearly the most exciting physical feature of the system.
1: The Games
I thought I'd include the LBP E3 2011 trailer below so you can see the Vita in action. Enjoy!
There are, of course, several other reasons I will be picking up the PSVita before year's end (certainly including the $250 price tag) but the above are my personal top five reasons. So what do you think about Sony's newest handheld? Are you still unimpressed? Do you think Nintendo will continue to reign over the handheld market? Or were you wowed by the impressive hardware and software shown for the Vita at E3? Maybe you're just excited to play Angry Birds on another touch-screen enabled device? Please let me know in the comments section below.
While I was very impressed with the vita and its many features I won't be picking one up because at the end of the day the handheld gaming experience has fallen too far behind main console gaming. A handheld never quite allows for the same level of precision control that a console controller does and this has always been a hindrance for me. Although I would think that the vita (mainly the pretty cool looking dual sticks) might fix a few of these problems the size of the screen will never allow for a fully immersive game experience and that's before we get into sound. While handhelds are great toys to kill time on a bus or in a car or in the waiting room I can't see myself choosing the mobile experience over the real thing on a full sized screen, you can always kill time with an iPod anyway. For your sake (and your wallets') let's hope that Sony can prove me wrong :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. The fact is, as you said, the handheld market will never be able to compete to the console market - but I understand that and I wasn't trying to compare them. If I'm at home and not lying in bed then I'm obviously going to be playing my PS3 or Wii over a handheld. However, when I am winding down before I go to sleep I think it'd be cool to pick up the PSVita from my night table and be able to play a bit more (in addition to bringing for trips and the like).
ReplyDeleteThe real competition here is definitely the iPod, as you mentioned, and not a console. But considering the fact that I only have the classic iPod video and not a touch or iPhone, the gaming capability is very limited and personally I'd rather pick up the Vita than the latter two.
Oh and don't worry about my wallet lol. I'm not about to drop 250 in cash. I traded in a bunch of DS games and will probably trade my 3DS when the Vita comes out.