Vita

As we head toward E3 2012 in Los Angeles, I've noticed something curious in the air:

No one really cares.

By "no one" I mean no one who's not a gamer, of course. The general public, even the casual technology fan. Compared with years past when friends would try to pump me for information on when the next PlayStation would come out, whether there would be anything new for the Wii...well, this year, it feels like radio silence. The video game fan at my local Starbucks who kept asking me about the Nintendo 3DS a year ago barely has any questions to ask. My friend who bought a Wii two years ago doesn't seem interested. I couldn't use E3 to start a conversation if I tried.

It's seemed that way on the appointment-making end of things, too: other than Nintendo's inevitable reveal of more details on the Wii U, we're entering this year's E3 with a stunning lack of new hardware...or even of new hardware rumors. The oft-wondered-about "When will we get a new Xbox or PlayStation?" chatter has already been shot down by Sony and Microsoft, which claim there won't be a PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 at this year's E3.

I do know one thing, though: E3 needs a new product.… Read more

A total of 1.8 million PlayStation Vitas have shipped to date in the U.S., Japan, Asia, and Europe since launch, according to Sony.

CEO Kaz Hirai revealed that figure during a follow-up to an earnings call today in which the company posted a record loss.

The latest Vita figures --which Harai called a "good start" -- indicate a surge of nearly 600,000 units shipped between late February and March 31 (back on February 28, the Japanese company said it sold 1.2 million Vitas worldwide). While the new numbers seem like a silver lining in Sony's dark financial cloud, however, Vita sales still stall in comparison to the competition. To put things in perspective, it only took a month for Nintendo to ship 3.61 million 3DS gaming devices worldwide after its debut. … Read more

Following in the footsteps of a colorful PSP lineup, Sony has announced a white PlayStation Vita set to be released in Japan on June 28.

The white Vita (PCH-1100 AB02) will sell at the same price as the original black base model, contains identical innards, and comes in Wi-Fi-only or 3G/Wi-Fi configurations. … Read more

Every weekday afternoon, CNET Update delivers the top tech stories of the day. The show keeps a close eye on emerging trends, hot devices and new apps. And it's all in less than three minutes.

In today's show, Kindle is king, Google's got Zergs and gamers are gabbing:

Amazon had a stellar start to 2012 with it's Q1 earnings report outshining analyst predictions. And ComScore reports that there are more people using Kindle Fire tablets than any other Android tablet. (The Galaxy Tab family of tablets come in second.)

The controversial CISPA bill has been approved by the House … Read more

Skype for PlayStation Vita essentially works just like any other smartphone version of the software, providing a comprehensive set of features, free Skype-to-Skype voice, and high-quality video calls. Also, gabbers can choose between the rear and front-facing Vita cameras during video communication. The aesthetics of the Skype client seem tailored to blend in with the overall tone of the Vita user interface, which I consider a nice touch. … Read more

Wayne Brady makes his second appearance on The 404 today to expand on some of the gaming topics we covered back at CES in Vegas, but first he has a few words for his Twitter trolls.

He's daring all of them to show up to his improvisational comedy show at the Gotham Comedy Club here in NY. He's putting on three shows running today through Sunday and would love to face his critics in person, so check it out!

Wayne mentioned that he's always been into video games, so he'll update us on what he's … Read more

The new Sony Nasne tuner and media device, due in Japan on July 19 for 16,980 yen ($209), sort of looks like a miniature PlayStation 3. However, don't let the aesthetics fool you: Nasne contains many features the game console lacks, such as a built-in 500GB hard drive for recording content from digital terrestrial or satellite TV broadcasts. … Read more

Spring is in the air so you know what that means: the start of the 2012 baseball season. It's also the time of year where two game developers are competing for your hard-earned cash. So what's the best baseball game to pick up this year?

That will all depend on which console you own. Those with a PlayStation 3 have a choice, either MLB 12: The Show or Major League Baseball 2K12. On the other hand, Xbox 360 owners are locked in to only one title to satisfy their baseball itch. Unfortunately for the latter, this year's best baseball game is exclusive to the PlayStation 3.… Read more

When the PlayStation Vita launched, I didn't buy one -- or even preorder one, which seemed odd to a few people who know my affinity for Sony.

I've written about the device numerous times on CNET and enjoyed many extended gameplay sessions with major launch titles at press events. I kept up with Vita chatter on jumbo-size gaming forums like NeoGAF, reading about the trials and tribulations of the new system from faithful early adopters.

And let's face it. The Vita, with its array of sensors comparable to the Death Star, would capture the attention of any geek. Like some of you out there, I've grown tired of playing touch-screen games on my iPhone 4 and wanted buttons like the old days. Who could resist the doubleheader quad-core processor and quad-core graphics driving a mega, 5-inch OLED screen?

Well, so far, I have resisted, and I largely credit a visit to my mother's house several weeks before the PlayStation Vita launch on February 22.… Read more