vita

Sony's PlayStation Vita sales were behind the pace of the Nintendo 3DS in its first two days on Japanese store shelves.

According to Japanese game-tracking firm Enterbrain, Sony sold 321,400 PlayStation Vita units during its first two days on store shelves--50,000 units behind the Nintendo 3DS, which sold 371,000 units during its launch period earlier this year.

Sony launched the PlayStation Vita in Japan over the weekend. The handheld game player boasts the familiar PlayStation action buttons on the right side and dual thumbsticks. It can connect to the Web via Wi-Fi and 3G and features … Read more

We discuss our personal tech hits and misses of 2011; what we loved, hated and was overrated. Also, Scott and Ty weigh in on what will most likely be going on at CES 2012; the who, the what, and the why.

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With my best and worst games of 2011 behind us, it's time to look to the future at what 2012 will hold.

In an effort to avoid inaccuracies, I've compiled the chronological list based on the best release date information possible. Any game scheduled for a 2013 release (see Rainbow 6: Patriots) has been deliberately left off the list.

To see the games, click here or on one of the images below to go straight to the slideshow.… Read more

Sony's launch of its PlayStation Vita portable gaming device in Japan has apparently gone off without a hitch.

The Associated Press reports that the gadget landed in stores today, with thousands of anxious gamers queuing up hours ahead of time to get their hands on it.

"I'm so happy to see so many people lining up for PS Vita so early in the morning," the AP quoted Sony Computer Entertainment Japan President Hiroshi Kono as saying on his official blog. "I can tell they had anxiously waited for today's launch."

That may be, but Sony's decision to release the Vita so late in the year--and, indeed, delay its U.S. launch until February--could certainly undermine the overall splash the device makes and curtail Sony's efforts at a post-PlayStation Portable comeback.… Read more

Rewind to E3, June 2011: we saw the PlayStation Vita. We marveled at its capabilities and its price. For $250--at the time, the same price as a Nintendo 3DS--Sony offered a far superior piece of hardware. We looked forward to its release at the end of the year.

Of course, that was then, and this is now. The Nintendo 3DS dropped its price to $170, still expensive but more sensible. The Vita will release in Japan on December 17, but in the U.S. the release has been delayed until February 22, 2012. Sony has been keen to make a comeback and make a new handheld game system to revive the flailing world of the PSP. Can it succeed?

Regardless of the hype and demand the Vita is able generate in the U.S., there's still a general sentiment of disappointment sweeping through the gaming community on this side of the world. As the Vita misses the 2011 holiday season, a huge loss of momentum follows. Instead of cashing in on becoming what would likely be the toy to get this year, the Vita will see a late February release, just in time to coincide with paying off bank-breaking gift-giving expenditures from a few weeks prior.

It's easy to make lofty accusations about missing golden opportunities and of course we don't know what truly influenced this decision made by Sony, but it's impossible to ignore the potential impact the Vita could have had in the U.S. before 2012 sets in.… Read more

With the PlayStation Vita going on sale this Saturday in Japan, we're now nearing the home stretch as the powerful Sony portable gets set to follow up Stateside on February 22, 2012.

Sony brought the Vita to New York last week for a final tour before the new year. We're hearing it will make an appearance at CES as well, but we were excited to get some more hands-on time with the machine before next month's massive show.

Can the Vita succeed in 2012? First, let's recap what we already know:… Read more

Joseph Kaminski fills in for Wilson again on today's 404 podcast to mediate a most divisive argument: "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" vs. "Dumb and Dumber": who did it better?

We'll also wag a finger at Sony for pushing the U.S. release date back to February 2012, show off a YouTube educational feature guaranteed to upset a ton of schoolkids, and discuss a couple scientists claiming they're getting very close to Matrix-style instant learning.… Read more

Despite the PlayStation Vita launching in the U.S. several months from now, some people know little about the actual user interface.

In CNET's hands-on preview with the Vita, it's quite clear the software represents a big departure from the traditional XMB-interface used in predecessors PSP and PlayStation 3.

Now, some of the clearest screenshots of the Vita interface to date have emerged from Sony's PlayStation division in Japan. While the screenshots are in Japanese, there will be little difference in the aesthetic experience (except for icon pictures) when the next-generation handheld lands in the hands of gamers around the world. … Read more

Sony's new PlayStation 3 firmware--version 4.00--ushers in new functionality for the console by making it a hub for the upcoming PS Vita handheld.

After spending several years in version 3, Sony has elevated to version 4 in the latest PlayStation firmware that went live around the world yesterday. The console is now a media, backup, and update hub for the Vita handheld.

Specifically, now gamers have the ability to copy music, videos, images, games, and other apps between the PS3 and Vita. This is mostly unimportant now, but will be a nice touch later when the … Read more