02/13, 6:05am
PS Vita OS offers Sony an additional mobile option
Sony is mulling the possibility of extending is PS Vita operating system to other devices, according to AV Watch. Incoming CEO Kaz Hirai reportedly mentioned the idea to reporters during a Japanese Q&A session suggesting that, in addition to Android, the PS Vita OS offered additional scope for the company beyond gaming. The view was also given further credence by Sony Computer Entertainment Senior VP Yoshio Matsumoto, who suggested that as the OS was designed to run on the ARM architecture, that porting it to tablets and smartphones was possible.
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02/09, 3:10pm
PS Vita First Edition bundle contents shown off
The early run of the aptly-named First Edition bundle of the PlayStation Vita has just received an official unboxing from Sony's US team. The system is due to arrive on February 15 to those who preordered it, or one week before its widespread launch in stores. Included in the bundle is a 4GB PS Vita memory card, a unique PS Vita carrying case, and a physical copy of the Little Deviants game.
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02/08, 7:10pm
iPad 3 may parallel Galaxy Tab in faster dual core
An incidental rumor floated next to talk of a purported iPad 3 case back has raised the possibility that Apple's expected A6 chip isn't quad-core. Citing unnamed sources, The Verge claimed that it would stay dual-core but have a "significantly more powerful" graphics core. Although not mentioned, it's presumed the clock speed, architecture, or both would be upgraded with the new chip.
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02/07, 11:45pm
North American PS Vita users must buy games again
Sony in a quick brief has warned that North American gamers won't have access to the UMD Passport program for the PlayStation Vita like their Japanese counterparts. A spokesperson told Kotaku that gamers with legacy, physical PSP titles will have to buy them again if they're available on the PlayStation Store. Japanese gamers can currently register their UMD-based games through the PSP and then pay a much smaller fee to download the digital version.
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02/06, 10:05pm
Application initially submitted in 2010
Sony has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a tablet-like game controller. The Position-Dependent Gaming, 3D Controller, and Handheld as a Remote in many ways conceptually resembles Nintendo's
Wii U's tablet-like game controller. Sony actually began the application process for the technology in July 2010, almost a year before Nintendo showed the system.
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02/06, 10:00am
Sony preps PS Vita update for February 8
Sony has teased an update for the PlayStation Vita that should significantly expand its features just a week before the North American launch. The 1.6 firmware patch will add a mapping tool with both driving and walking directions. Likely based on Google Maps, it has the options of satellite and traffic views as well as sending locations out on the Vita's own group messaging for a meetup.
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02/05, 11:25pm
PS Vita on smooth track according to Sony
Sony in its results call Friday was confident that the PlayStation Vita was selling well so far. Having moved slightly more than 535,000 units in its first three weeks, according to Media Create data, company CFO Masaru Kato didn't see "any problems" with results so far. The comment came even after shipments had dipped to just over 18,000 in January and had been mostly steady since.
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02/05, 1:50pm
GameStop now has PS Vita testers
GameStop stores as promised have started carrying PlayStation Vita demo units. Depending on which of the 3,300 stores showing the Vita gamers visit, they should have access to a handful of the 25 launch titles to try. Among the mix will include FIFA, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Wipeout 2048.
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02/05, 11:20am
Sony gives PSN new SEN badge in days
Sony has given notice that the unification of its online entertainment services mentioned during its CES keynote would affect the PlayStation Network on February 7. A terms of service change will see the service renamed as part of the Sony Entertainment Network. Actual functionality should stay the same.
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02/01, 11:25pm
Sony under Hirai likely to make major cuts
A profile of Sony's soon-to-be CEO Kaz Hirai has revealed that he may have been instrumental to getting a credible iPad rival into the market. The Wall Street Journal look showed that, under Sony's traditional structure of independently operating divisions, four different segments of the company were developing their own tablets. The User Experience group, formed while Hirai was an executive deputy to Sir Howard Stringer, culled all but one project and started focusing on the speed optimizations and PlayStation Suite support that would define the Tablet S.
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01/31, 10:45pm
PS Vita games get discount over PSN
A quick investigation has confirmed that PlayStation Vita owners in the US will get a discount on games if they buy through the PlayStation Network. Shacknews heard that, as in Japan, games will not just be available the same day as a download but will be price-cut over their retail versions. The discounts are about 10 percent over boxed copies, or about $4-5 for games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
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01/27, 3:50pm
Sony tempts gamers with special PS Vita deal
Sony has hoped to lure gamers to the PlayStation Vita with another bundle for the official February 22 US arrival. The Launch Day bundle mates the 3G version of the console with a free month's pass for 250MB of AT&T data. While most of the accessories aren't present from the First Edition bundle, gamers get a twice-as-large 8GB memory card to encourage more game and add-on downloads.
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01/23, 10:45pm
PS Vita can control full PS3 games with tricks
A new hack demoed on video (below) has shown that the PS Vita can play full PS3 games through Remote Play. A jailbroken and modified version of the PS3's 3.55 firmware, lower than the most recent official build, can pipe through full games such as Battlefield 3 and the Mortal Kombat remake without having to get official support. Sony only allows its current list of PSP-aware Remote Play games to work.
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01/23, 4:45pm
Sony PlayStation Certified program gets new games
The PlayStation Certified program will soon get a number of new titles, according to a number of new ESRB ratings. Thus far, the program, which was designed to bring legacy PlayStation games to PlayStation Certified devices such as tablets and smartphones, only offered a few PS1 titles. The Entertainment Software Rating Board names a number of other PSP titles that will be made available on Certified Devices.
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01/22, 10:15pm
PS Vita top 3G plan costs more but gets more
Sony has quietly updated its PlayStation Vita 3G plan page to reflect the AT&T plan shakeup from this past week. While the $15, 250MB plan stays intact, the top-end plan has been bumped up $5 to cost $30 and provide a larger 3GB. As before, both are 30-day prepaid plans and can be managed entirely from the Vita.
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01/18, 8:20pm
PS Vita sales continue to drop
New Media Create data has made clear that the PlayStation Vita isn't yet threatening most other consoles or smartphones. After a blockbuster launch in December, it has tapered off for a second time in a month to just 18,361 systems as of January 15. Every console's sales dropped off sharply in the same period, but it still sat behind Sony's seven-year-old PSP, the PS3, and Nintendo's 3DS.
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01/17, 10:35am
IDC sees 3DS and Vita surviving Apple and Google
Dedicated handheld gaming systems like the Nintendo 3DS and Sony's PlayStation Vita will trigger a "rebound year" that fends off iOS and Android, IDC estimated on Tuesday. A wave of revenue stemming both from the new hardware and from game sales attached to it was expected to last through 2012 and 2013. While Nintendo and Sony might still sell fewer units and fewer games, the frequent $30 to $40 prices of their games would trump the dependence on cheap or free titles on smartphones and tablets.
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01/16, 10:15pm
Second Vita bug fix
Sony has reportedly released yet another firmware update for its PlayStation Vita handheld game console. The company did not provide full details surrounding the download, which brings the firmware up to version 1.52, however it is believed to address a problem involving compatibility with some 3G SIM cards.
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01/11, 2:45am
PS3 selling well, so no PS3 intro at E3: Sony
Despite expectations from the public that Sony would unveil a PlayStation 4 at the E3 show in June, Sony's Kaz Hirai said the current PS3 system was made with a 10-year lifespan and sells well enough not to warrant a replacement, the Wall Street Journal reported. Usually, game consoles are replaced every five years, but Sony's PS3 -- like the PS3 before it -- has beaten those odds. Sony has never hinted that a PS3 is coming, however.
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01/09, 2:00pm
ATT details PlayStation Vita plans
AT&T during its Developer Summit detailed its 3G data plans for the PlayStation Vita. The device will have plans similar to those for the iPad, starting at $15 for 250MB of data and $25 for 2GB. The plans are prepaid and let users add service without having to talk to AT&T.
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01/06, 1:40pm
Sony's Hirai would promote as Stringer stays
(Update: Sony response) Sony was claimed to be promoting Executive Deputy President Kaz Hirai to full President in a sign of a possible succession plan. Japan's Nikkei said, without claiming sources, that the step up would happen in April. CEO Sir Howard Stringer would still stay as CEO and board chairman.
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01/02, 6:50pm
PS Vita runs Genesis mutiple layers deep
Attempts to get unofficial PS Vita code running took their next step this weekend after video proof emerged of Sony's system running Sega Genesis games. Picodrive, the offshoot of a competition for a classic console emulator on the PSP, can run games like the Sonic series on the Vita using the official PSP emulator and the Half Byte Loader. It doesn't yet run perfectly and is plagued by stuttering sound, although video performance is very smooth.
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12/31, 4:55pm
PS Vita proof of concept app hack appears
The first steps to get homemade code running on the PS Vita have taken place after Japanese developer teck4, with elaboration by mamosuke, has shown a very early example. The "hello world" app runs in the PlayStation's PSP emulator and uses just hardware controls. While rough, it lets gamers change the color and movement of the "snowfall" in a test scene.
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12/29, 4:45pm
Ministry of Defense adapting battle video games
The British Ministry of Defense is turning to technology in order to train its soldiers. One such example is the virtual trainer called Virtual Battlespace 2, which is a modified version of a popular commercial video game. The need stems from hopeful soldiers who are used to popular and appealing video games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles.
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12/29, 1:25pm
PS Vita content manager app may limit use
A discovery earlier in the week has found that Sony's Content Manager app for the PS Vita may be overzealous in trying to curb the perceived piracy threat. Wololo found that the Windows app for sideloading apps and media wouldn't load if a Vita attached to the PC wasn't using the latest firmware. It also wouldn't run if the PC was offline.
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12/28, 3:40pm
PS Vita sells just 72K units in first full week
Sales of Sony's recently launched PS Vita handheld games console have cooled significantly, the latest numbers from Japanese site 4Gamer.net reveal. The first full week of the console's being on the market saw just 72,479 Vitas find homes, a marked decrease from the 321,400 units sold in its first two days on the market. This puts the system in fifth place after the 3DS, the Vita's predecessor the PSP, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PS3, respectively.
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12/27, 11:35am
Sony has still not acknowledged widescale problems
Sony has released a new update for its just released PlayStation Vita. This is the second update that Sony has issued since the company began shipping the handheld gaming station on December 17. Sony has denied that the updates were necessary because of allegedly widespread problems.
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12/22, 3:30pm
PS Vita games, accessories, cards for US detailed
Sony picked Thursday to outline the launch details for the PlayStation Vita. The handheld gaming system will ship with 25 launch titles, most of which will be third-party games. Another ten games will show in the "launch window" on or near the February 22 launch day.
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12/21, 2:40pm
Widespread PS Vita problem reports untrue: Sony
The PS Vita, which recently launched in Japan, isn't saddled with the widespread number of problems the media is reporting, Sony said Wednesday. The company does admit a small number of users have filed complaints over consoles not powering up or down and touchscreens freezing. The company calls this normal, considering 325,000 units were sold.
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12/20, 4:25pm
Sony sued over addition of PSN do-not-sue clause
Sony is being sued for the new clause in its PlayStation Network end-user license agreement that protects it from just such things, Geek reported on Tuesday. The addition was made in September and prompted games developer EA and software giant Microsoft to make similar changes. Under the terms, PSN gamers must agree not to sue Sony if their accounts are hacked in the future or if anything else goes wrong.
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12/20, 3:05pm
SCE VP Shuhei Yoshida talks about PS Vita
The PlayStation Blog has conducted an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment VP and President of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, revealing some insight about the development of the PS Vita handheld console. During the interview, Yoshida admitted that the company shifted focus away from the PSP, the Vita's predecessor, and concentrated on developing games for the PS3. Instead, the company will plan ahead for "constant supply of excellent games" for the PS Vita.
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12/19, 5:20pm
Sony rolls out quick bug fix for PS Vita, apology
The PS Vita has just launched in Japan two days ago and the company is already issuing a software update to fix touchscreen problems, software bugs and system freezes, along with poor performance. The update notice in Japan also apologized to gamers for the inconvenience. Its timing hinted that Sony may have had an idea the system was shipping with software flaws.
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12/17, 3:40am
PS Vita has strong start in Japan
Sony had an upbeat launch for the PlayStation Vita in its home country of Japan. The 7AM launch saw thousands in line with volumes closer to that of an Apple launch, including 600 at Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo's Akihabara district and 300 at Bic Camera in the Ikebukuro district. At the official event at Shibuya Tsutaya, where Sony executives including company president Kaz Hirai were hosts, the first buyer was an unidentified 33 year old northerner.
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12/16, 8:45pm
PS Vita manual arrives ahead of launch
Just as the PlayStation Vita is launching in Japan, Sony has posted the gaming system's manual in English. The guide includes a handful of new revelations, including that it has to get standard-definition video from the PlayStation Store. It can't immediately play 1080p, hinting at an update, nor can it take HD video transferred from the PS3; 720p is the most that can play in normal use.
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12/16, 6:15pm
Handheld expected to arrive on Saturday
Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld appears to have been unboxed ahead of schedule in Japan, where the device is formally scheduled to be placed on store shelves tomorrow morning. A YouTube video shows the early preview of the production model, along with several games including what appears to be Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
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12/16, 5:40am
Sony gives Tablet S unique gaming edge
Sony has given its Tablet S a software update in Japan that brings with it support for the PS3 game controller. One of the key product differentiators in the Sony tablet product line is that they are the only Android devices that are currently PlayStation-certified. Presently, only 32-bit titles from the days of the original PlayStation console are available, but previously could only be played using the somewhat awkward virtual gamepad control scheme.
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12/15, 6:40pm
Sony backtracks on original statement
Sony has backtracked on recent comments surrounding multiple user accounts on the company's PlayStation Vita handheld. An official statement recently suggested each device would be able to run multiple accounts if each separate account used its own memory card, however the company now claims each device will be limited to one account regardless of storage.
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12/15, 7:55am
PS Vita Japan launch already spoken for
Sony on Thursday said that it had sold out of the PlayStation Vita in Japanese pre-orders. Not due to go on sale until Saturday, the handheld game system triggered lines that saw its initial batch spoken for. It did have a significant amount of time to sell stock, having started pre-orders on October 15.
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12/13, 8:20pm
Judge dismisses PlayStation case on lack of ground
Judge Richard Seeborg is now known to have completely dismissed the PlayStation 3 Other OS lawsuit late last week. A ruling made public on Tuesday (below) eliminated the one remaining complaint of violation surrounding the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. While sympathetic to the gamers for losing the ability to boot Linux on the PS3, Judge Seeborg determined that Anthony Ventura and other plaintiffs hadn't persuaded the court that Sony was legally responsible.
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12/08, 7:00pm
Company denies recent reports
Sony has attempted to downplay recent reports that claimed the upcoming PlayStation Vita handheld will restrict users to one account on each device. The company has clarified the limitations, suggesting the single-account restriction will be tied to memory cards rather than the devices. The comments suggest users will be able to run multiple accounts, but only if they purchase several of Sony's own memory cards.
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12/06, 6:25pm
Phone features Playstation inspired gamepad
Regional carrier C Spire is now offering the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone. Its version is similar to that on Verizon and centers on a slide-out gamepad to let it play ports of older PlayStation games and newer titles. It continues to center on a four-inch, 480x854 display and a 1GHz single-core Snapdragon.
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12/05, 5:00pm
PS Vita to have limitations, at least initially
The upcoming PS Vita handheld console from Sony will be limited from web browsing while a game is running in the background. Users will have the ability to check friends' lists, music and Twitter, but can't browse the web while in a game. At the same time, only one PlayStation Network account can be set up on the device at the same time.
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12/05, 2:30pm
Sony Ericsson NA President teases details
Sony Ericsson's North America President Paul Hamnett in an interview Monday (video below) teased plans for smartphones at CES. Although the full integration with Sony wouldn't show for some time, he hinted that there would be "signs by CES" in January of what Sony's complete control would mean. Among those would include PlayStation certification on "most" of Sony's phones in the future.
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11/28, 1:40pm
Vita memory cards priced from $30 to $120
Video game retailer GameStop has potentially revealed US pricing information for the unique memory cards that the PlayStation Vita will use. The 4GB card will cost $30, an 8GB one $45, 16GB will be $70, and the 32GB version will cost $120. This is somewhat similar to the prices of the cards for the PSP system at GameStop, which are $38 and $51 for the 4GB and 8GB cards, respectively, and $125 for the 32GB version.
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11/26, 4:20am
PS Vita might be usable as PS3 game control
Sony's PlayStation Vita might be used even more as a game controller than the PSP was in the past. A rumor late this week for Eurogamer has the Vita getting a firmware update post-launch that would let the PS3 be used to play "all games." Legacy games would be capped at the PSP's 480x272 output, but games written after the update could use the PS Vita's native 960x544 resolution.
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11/25, 12:15pm
Sony acknowledges late launch of PS4 a problem
PlayStation Europe CEO Jim Ryan said he doesn't want to repeat being behind competitors in the launch of its next-generation gaming console. Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Ryan said it'd be "undesirable" for the PS4 to be "significantly later than the competition." Nintendo's Wii U should be out in 2012 while the next Xbox is expected to be introduced next year as well, with a launch possibly due in 2013.
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11/19, 3:35am
Nintendo GameCube anniversary marks rocky history
A second console celebrated its tenth year alongside the Xbox Friday as the Nintendo GameCube marked its anniversary. The system was launched in North America on November 18, 2001, just a few days after the Microsoft Xbox. Unlike Sony's PS2 or Xbox, it had a rocky history and led some to wonder if Nintendo had lost relevance.
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11/16, 9:25pm
PS3 hits 5th anniversary Nov 17 in better spot
Sony on Thursday will mark the fifth anniversary of the PlayStation 3. The system was launched on November 17, 2006, within days of the Nintendo Wii. As of the end of this September, Sony had shipped 55.5 million of the console and will likely have passed 56 million by the anniversary.
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11/15, 11:20am
PS3 gets 3D Harry Potter, PS Plus bundle
Sony brought out a late PlayStation 3 holiday bundle on Tuesday to catch Black Friday buyers next week. The new bundle ties a 160GB PS3 to both 2D and 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 on Blu-ray. A coupon in the box gives access to downloadable versions of the two earliest movies in the series, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets.
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11/11, 5:45pm
Target gets Everybody Dance exclusive
Sony is introducing two new Move-related PlayStation bundles for the holidays. The first combo packages the motion controller with Sports Champions and Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest. The second package bundles a PS3 console with accessories and Everybody Dance.
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