Column: Sony Failed with the PS Vita

The article mentioned argues that “most Americans use their handhelds at home anyway”, an argument so bad my brain still hurts. Either he was really short on valid points, or most Americans like to spend hundreds of dollars to keep themselves occupied on the toilet.
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You would too if you ate that much!

I'll withhold judgment until it comes out, but yeah, thats too short. My DS Lite could go days without recharging - still can I think.
 
After reading this I'm kinda glad the last Sony I owned was the PSX.
Not a fan of portable gaming at all and this thing does nothing to change my opinion on that little matter.
 
I'm just going to summarise my first thoughts about this article with the following short phrase:

Massive overreaction.

I'm sorry, Chris, but judging by the way you're going on the external battery is the size of a dinner-table. Have you seen the battery? Is it really that big and ... what was the term again ... cumbersome?

As one of the commenters on the original article stated - this is more a case of battery-tech not keeping up - the PS Vita is a tightly bundled monster, and it is going to draw a lot of power, and the users are going to end up paying the price for it. It's a sad reality.

The Kotaku article quoted in the comments listed about 5 hours of video playback (with lower screen settings) and about 9 hours of video playback. Personally, my gaming sessions on my PSP tend to be fairly short - 30 - 90 minutes at most, even when travelling, and the rest of the time is spent watching videos or listening to music. And assuming the clip-on battery is more or less normal sized, its not going to suddenly turn the PS Vita into a damn monster laptop.

Sure ... the PS Vita doesn't win on many counts - it's expensive, the spare battery will probably be pricey, accessories for the thing is also guaranteed to be expensive, and in the end the battery life isn't anything to write home about. But seriously, will the extra battery really be THAT much effort to carry around? A battery, and by extension a battery pack - it's kinda a small thing.

In closing, that entire article comes across as a total whining session - it's like you saw something worth complaining about and you went and hammered out an article of condensed nerd-rage without actually sitting down and thinking it through objectively. You're making a mountain out of a molehill - terrible article in my opinion. If that page had a dislike button, I'd be mashing it right now.

Oh wait ... Disqus has been implemented. Mashing away then ...

(Yes ... totally took you up on your offer to yell at you on the forums ... but then again ... opinion is opinion :p )
 
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My issue with the article is that it takes something we've all been aware of all along, and which we are willing to sacrifice for raw power, and makes a rant about it. Everybody has been aware right from the start that the battery life will suck to make way for the powerful hardware it's packing. I have no issue with that.

Even from the release of the first PSP, people were already aware that if you wanted shiny graphics at the cost battery life, you bought a PSP. If you wanted a longer battery life with a little less shiny graphics, you got an NDS. Why rant about it now? I can count on one hand the amount of times I've used my PSP when not close to a power outlet (meaning the amount of times I actually used it while travelling). I take it with me on holiday, but I rarely feel the need to use it on the plane or in the car. The times I do use it is when I'm sitting in the bungalow and it's raining outside, or something like that.
 
The main issue with the PS vita...Everything is extra $$

Device itself: $250
Charging cradle: $36 (Pay extra for a charging cradle? seriously wtf sony)
32GB memory card: $124
Extra battery pack $70 (speculated price)

Costs more than a PS3..LOL


The look on you're face when it falls out you're bag..smashes into pieces on the pavement..Priceless :p
 
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I'm not really bothered by the battery pack , but if it costs a fortune, then yes I can see the frustration. I would really like to buy the Vita, for times when I go on long camping trips or being in the car for long hours. But having to recharge it or rely on battery packs will be a bit of a schlep. Overall, though, I say just wait a while and don't buy it at launch, hopefully the price goes down rather quick, because for a handheld the price is a bit steep.
 
The Joker said:
The main issue with the PS vita...Everything is extra $$

Device itself: $250
Charging cradle: $36 (Pay extra for a charging cradle? seriously wtf sony)
32GB memory card: $124
Extra battery pack $70 (speculated price)

Costs more than a PS3..LOL


The look on you're face when it falls out you're bag..smashes into pieces on the pavement..Priceless :p
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But it's also as fast as a PS3...
 
Okay so the article is about the writer being angry at the battery life of the PS Vita, if so then he shouldnt get one. If he is correct 2-3hours battery life isnt that long, its a hour shorter than the PSP, but with better graphics and more tech than anything else. Or maybe he got his numbers wrong cause i from what i gather Sony said the charging time is around that region 2hours or so... Hey i am still getting one, if i have the money at time of release.
 
ZAP_Tech said:
Okay so the article is about the writer being angry at the battery life of the PS Vita, if so then he shouldnt get one. If he is correct 2-3hours battery life isnt that long, its a hour shorter than the PSP, but with better graphics and more tech than anything else. Or maybe he got his numbers wrong cause i from what i gather Sony said the charging time is around that region 2hours or so... Hey i am still getting one, if i have the money at time of release.
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Charge time is 2H 40M according to sony, game time reported to be around 3H.
My main annoyance is the price of all the extras.
I won't bother buying one..as it stands I barely have time to game on my monster gaming rigs.
 
The Joker said:
Charge time is 2H 40M according to sony, game time reported to be around 3H.
My main annoyance is the price of all the extras.
I won't bother buying one..as it stands I barely have time to game on my monster gaming rigs.
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Yeah ... but going by the article Chris wasn't very likely to get one either - so why bother writing it? He looked at it from a completely negative, non-objective point of view.

He's also venting about news which is two months old. I've been looking at the reactions on other sites, and yes, there are a couple of folks who think they should've included the battery in the design, but then the Vita would be twice its current size.

Also, c'mon. Sony failed with the Vita? I can guarantee you there are going to be long queues outside the shops in December when that thing hits the streets (in Japan).
 
shadowfox said:
Yeah ... but going by the article Chris wasn't very likely to get one either - so why bother writing it? He looked at it from a completely negative, non-objective point of view.

He's also venting about news which is two months old. I've been looking at the reactions on other sites, and yes, there are a couple of folks who think they should've included the battery in the design, but then the Vita would be twice its current size.

Also, c'mon. Sony failed with the Vita? I can guarantee you there are going to be long queues outside the shops in December when that thing hits the streets (in Japan).
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Yip only because its the next best thing. Its the same with all the latest and greatest tech, so no big shock there.
I still feel its insanely overpriced. So basically to get the full gaming experience with decent battery life you need to spend over $400..That's just fucking insane.
 
Unfortunately, the technology for the hardware seems to be advancing quicker than the tech for the actual batteries. They need to get that sorted before I ever put my hands on a portable device.
 
The Joker said:
I still feel its insanely overpriced. So basically to get the full gaming experience with decent battery life you need to spend over $400..That's just fucking insane.
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Totally agree. Which is why I won't be in the queues when it releases over here. My PSP will tide me over for a few years at least - there's a lot of gaming left over in that little toy. The prices will come down eventually :)

Play-Asia's got the Wi-fi version listed at $525.00
 
shadowfox said:
Totally agree. Which is why I won't be in the queues when it releases over here. My PSP will tide me over for a few years at least - there's a lot of gaming left over in that little toy. The prices will come down eventually :)

Play-Asia's got the Wi-fi version listed at $525.00
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lol at that price :eek:
You could buy a X360 slim + a Ps3 for a little bit more..LOL

Sometimes I think Sony has lost all common sense. There is no need for a Ps vita, the current psp's are still good enough.
 
The Joker said:
Sometimes I think Sony has lost all common sense. There is no need for a Ps vita, the current psp's are still good enough.
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Ah well ... you know gamers. Always demanding MOAR!! And the PSP is what, 7-odd years old now? You wouldn't know it from looking at the thing - I still think my PSP is one of the best gadgets I've spent R2k on, I love playing on it - my only complaint is the location of the power-switch, I've lost track of the number of times I've put myself into standby while playing Tekken or something.

The PS Vita is on deffo on my Christmas shopping list - for 2015 :p
 
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