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Sony PS Vita gets new games as PlayStation Suite opens April

The PlayStation Vita will be getting a slew of new games, as Sony tells game-builders how to create new titles for the portable console.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Richard Trenholm
2 min read

The Sony PlayStation Vita will be getting a slew of new games from April, as Sony tells game-builders how to create new titles for the portable console.

Sony is throwing open the instruction manuals and tools for building Vita games next month when it releases an open beta version of the PlayStation Suite software development kit. Up until now the SDK has only been open to selected developers.

The Vita offers various clever ways of controlling a game. As well as the traditional thumb-waggled joysticks, there's the touchscreen and accelerometer you find in a smart phone. But the cleverest thing is the touch-pad on the underside of the console, giving you extra control over a game.

In one of the biggest titles at launch, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the extra controls let you send your two-fisted explorer climbing up and down ropes as well as running around shooting stuff and biffing baddies. With all these extra options, developers are spoilt for choice in creating innovative games.

Big-name games such as Uncharted are an important part of the Vita's appeal: shooty-bang-bang game Call of Duty is coming to the PS Vita this autumn.

A range of games is important for the Vita. For hardcore gamers the Vita is the pinnacle of mobile gaming -- with sales to match -- but for the wider public, casual games on their phone or iPod touch are often better suited to their needs. Our own Luke Westaway came up with three reasons PlayStation Vita is no match for iPod touch -- see if you agree.

In the meantime, here's Luke's review of the Vita. Press play to see the handheld in action:

Are you living la vida Vita? What games are you dying to see on the new console? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook page. For more gaming news, check out our button-bashing buddies at GameSpot.