Sony's next-gen PlayStation Vita priced to compete with iPod touch

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 74
    bigmac2bigmac2 Posts: 639member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I'd say so. People pay $250 for the large consoles that do little more than play games and the portable device games tend to be cheaper.



    This device is a fair bit lower powered than the big consoles. I made a graph of the relative performances vs desktops/laptops:







    Although the NGP/Vita and other mobile devices seem fairly low powered, the lower screen size helps a lot. They were able to run a raytracing demo on a Sony MID at GDC one year, I think it was the Quake raytracing demo shown here:



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FP-ZbF4euo



    This means they can scale PS3 games onto the Vita and they will look similar quality.



    I'd possibly be interested in it to get the exclusives - if they put Heavy Rain, LA Noire and Uncharted on it, I'd be interested in it and I think that price is very competitive.



    I don't think it would sway casual gamers at all but you don't really make a device like this for casual gamers. The reality is that iOS still doesn't have a single title that holds up to the likes of Uncharted or Little Big Planet and there is a big market out there for people who want immersive titles with long gameplay.



    I never heard of Texels comparison before, since a Texel is a texture elements of unspecified size it's absolutely meaningless to used this as point to compare 3d performance.



    And the Raytracing demo from Sony was demonstrating CPU performance only.



    But you're right about title, the iOS don't got lots of big title yet, but games like Infinit Blade, Dead Space and Real Racing have already prove the iPad and iPod Touch are successful and powerfull enough gaming devices for the mass. The iPad is already more powerfull than 3DS and PSP go, and pretty much the same DNA of the new Vita.
  • Reply 42 of 74
    bigmac2bigmac2 Posts: 639member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ifail View Post




    Show me a full fledged game like this on iOS and i think its safe to say that iOS games are not comparable in the slightest.



    249 is a very reasonable price considering the hardware that you're getting, and against the competition which is mainly the 3DS. While an iPod Touch would be overall more capable due to the App Store, a Vita would be chosen for its obvious main purpose which is gaming while the iPod Touch would not.



    Vita is a gaming device with multi-media tacked on, while the iPod Touch is a multi-media device with gaming tacked on. As a gamer the decision is easy, as a regular consumer with 250 bucks to burn the decision gets a hell of a lot tougher.



    I got better graphics in Infinity Blade and Dead space on my iPad 2
  • Reply 43 of 74
    d-ranged-range Posts: 396member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ifail View Post




    Show me a full fledged game like this on iOS and i think its safe to say that iOS games are not comparable in the slightest.



    249 is a very reasonable price considering the hardware that you're getting, and against the competition which is mainly the 3DS. While an iPod Touch would be overall more capable due to the App Store, a Vita would be chosen for its obvious main purpose which is gaming while the iPod Touch would not.



    Vita is a gaming device with multi-media tacked on, while the iPod Touch is a multi-media device with gaming tacked on. As a gamer the decision is easy, as a regular consumer with 250 bucks to burn the decision gets a hell of a lot tougher.



    To me, that uncharted screenshot doesn't actually look all that impressive. Surely it's a much more interesting game to play than inifinity blade on iOS, but it doesn't look better. in fact, it looks worse than epic citadel on my 3GS.



    Graphics like this should be perfectly possible on an A5 powered iPod touch. Also, remember that right now, handheld games are constrained more by CPU power than GPU. You can scale down graphics to compensate for fill rate and polygon throughput and you don't need too much of those on a small screen with a relatively low resolution anyway. You can't scale down AI, physics, and other game logic without compromising gameplay though, and in the Sony Vita case it all remains to be seen how much better this elusive 4-core CPU is for games.



    I'm not saying the Vita (man I hate that name, what idiot came up with that?) won't be the most powerful handheld when it launches, but it won't be for too long, and its specs won't automatically declare it a victory for Sony. A handheld console platform should last at least 5 years or something, but within a year after its release, every smartphone will have similar specs. I really think Sony is heading for a big disappointment.
  • Reply 44 of 74
    jexusjexus Posts: 373member
    let''s try something a bit more familiar



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixAyLhD5s0U
  • Reply 45 of 74
    webmailwebmail Posts: 639member
    The black AppleTV is the best thing since sliced bread. Use a netflix account. It's better than any netflix streaming on xbox, playstation or any other platform. Netflix and Apple are the only ones using HTTP streaming instead of RSTP. And this ends up in a picture quality quality that is 2x higher than what you can watch on xbox with HD.



    We watch nothing but AppleTV using netflix w/Apple's great UI in the bedroom. Any movies we download that aren't from iTunes I stream from our desktop computer or from my iPhone to the AppleTV. It's fantastic.



    Everyone I know in northern california (silicon valley) has one, even the xbox engineers use the AppleTV with there iPhones for streaming pictures, video, music from the iPhone to the device. With iOS 5 we're all running around playing group games showing on the office HDTV.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by msantti View Post


    Speaking of Apple TV, I think I have now been burnt twice. Once with the original model and now with the new one. Talk about stagnant. I truly believed Apple would up their game with it. It's just a meager profit stream for them I am guessing.



    They says it's a hobby. Well, it will stay that way if they treat it as such.



    iPad to the TV has to work wirelessly. Hooking it up via HDMI is fail.



  • Reply 46 of 74
    webmailwebmail Posts: 639member
    It's not about performance. I work in a lab with a SUPER computer that's the #5 fastest on the planet.

    Yet if I put you in front of the console you would quickly leave because the software doesn't allow you to do anything but command line calls.



    It's about the UI, Sony and Nientendo fail because they never understand that it's about the beautiful user interfaces, they win people over, they make them iPhone lovers, Mac lovers, people who refuse to leave the platform for any reason because it's the first time they used something that just worked, that remembered where they left off, that functions without any learning curve.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMac2 View Post


    I never heard of Texels comparison before, since a Texel is a texture elements of unspecified size it's absolutely meaningless to used this as point to compare 3d performance.



    And the Raytracing demo from Sony was demonstrating CPU performance only.



    But you're right about title, the iOS don't got lots of big title yet, but games like Infinit Blade, Dead Space and Real Racing have already prove the iPad and iPod Touch are successful and powerfull enough gaming devices for the mass. The iPad is already more powerfull than 3DS and PSP go, and pretty much the same DNA of the new Vita.



  • Reply 47 of 74
    bigmac2bigmac2 Posts: 639member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by webmail View Post


    It's not about performance. I work in a lab with a SUPER computer that's the #5 fastest on the planet.

    Yet if I put you in front of the console you would quickly leave because the software doesn't allow you to do anything but command line calls.



    It's about the UI, Sony and Nientendo fail because they never understand that it's about the beautiful user interfaces, they win people over, they make them iPhone lovers, Mac lovers, people who refuse to leave the platform for any reason because it's the first time they used something that just worked, that remembered where they left off, that functions without any learning curve.



    I agree with you 100%.



    And since in the gaming console world is up to the game developer to recreate the user experience for every game, Nintendo and Sony have to maintain very little OS without any standardize UI API for developer to use in their project. Nintendo nor Sony got a OS that can do more from launching a game.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by msantti View Post


    iPad to the TV has to work wirelessly. Hooking it up via HDMI is fail.



    Apple heard you, with iOS 5 you will be able to do video mirroring thru Airplay.
  • Reply 48 of 74
    lukeskymaclukeskymac Posts: 506member
    I'd possibly be interested in it to get the exclusives - if they put Heavy Rain, LA Noire and Uncharted on it, I'd be interested in it and I think that price is very competitive.



    I don't think it would sway casual gamers at all but you don't really make a device like this for casual gamers. The reality is that iOS still doesn't have a single title that holds up to the likes of Uncharted or Little Big Planet and there is a big market out there for people who want immersive titles with long gameplay.[/QUOTE]



    Exactly. While the NGP gets Uncharted the best we have on iOS has little more complexity than Tetris. While it may ultimately fail like the PSP, the dismissive comments from people that quite possibly think that every game is a Mario game (or Bejeweled) don't exactly improve the image gamers have of Apple users..
  • Reply 49 of 74
    lukeskymaclukeskymac Posts: 506member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMac2 View Post


    I got better graphics in Infinity Blade and Dead space on my iPad 2



    That's just a stupid thing to say While I agree that Infinity Blade looks overall almost on par, it uses fewer polygons and a static world compared to Uncharted
  • Reply 50 of 74
    lukeskymaclukeskymac Posts: 506member
    What disturbs me the most is how no developer seemed to have created a good control scheme for FPS's on iOS. Really, there are ways to make it almost as easy to control as a analog+shoulder button combination, but no one seems to care...
  • Reply 51 of 74
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMac2 View Post


    I never heard of Texels comparison before, since a Texel is a texture elements of unspecified size it's absolutely meaningless to used this as point to compare 3d performance.



    It's a theoretical maximum fill-rate so will use the most basic forms of texturing to measure it. The real-world rates will vary based on how you process the textures but all the manufacturers try to score the highest amounts so in the end they all use a common yardstick. It is to some extent another of those marketing tags like clockspeed but they can at least give some indication of relative performance. There are many factors to consider:



    http://planetquake.gamespy.com/View.....Detail&id=209



    Advanced shader processing performance is something that doesn't get mentioned much and plays a big part in how modern games look. You can sometimes get an idea from the number of SPs and their clockspeed but again, they are hard to compare, even with actual GFLOP stats it's difficult.



    The PS3 is undoubtedly faster than the XBox theoretically but most of the time, XBox games look better. LA Noire was the first game I've heard of that turned out better on the PS3.



    It's not how much performance you have but how you use it and my only criticism of the iOS platform is how developers are not using the performance they have to make great games.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMac2 View Post


    And the Raytracing demo from Sony was demonstrating CPU performance only.



    It demonstrates the scalability of graphics depending on resolution. What I was saying was that although the iOS devices and even the NGP have lower theoretical performance, it's countered by their lower screen size so they can achieve visually comparable graphics output to the big consoles.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMac2 View Post


    But you're right about title, the iOS don't got lots of big title yet, but games like Infinit Blade, Dead Space and Real Racing have already prove the iPad and iPod Touch are successful and powerfull enough gaming devices for the mass. The iPad is already more powerfull than 3DS and PSP go, and pretty much the same DNA of the new Vita.



    I think the iOS devices are perfectly capable for gaming but they need better games. Not just visually better games but games with depth. Most of the big franchises have easily identifiable stories, characters or art styles. Like if I mentioned Splinter Cell, you'd know about Sam Fisher, Echelon, NSA, JBA, the multi-vision goggles, the stealth gameplay, the interrogations, the rappelling, the snake-cam and always having to hear about something happening to Sam's daughter. If I mentioned Infinity Blade then you just think about swiping a sword around. There's no depth to the games.



    Developers have of course made Splinter Cell Conviction for the iPhone and it's not bad (comparable to PSP versions), but most of the time, you get the impression developers don't try as hard with the iOS platform as they do with the well-established game platforms. Likely because they are held to a higher standard by Nintendo and Sony. With the App Store, almost anything goes. Not to mention the driving down of the selling price as a result.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by webmail


    It's not about performance. I work in a lab with a SUPER computer that's the #5 fastest on the planet.

    Yet if I put you in front of the console you would quickly leave because the software doesn't allow you to do anything but command line calls.



    Can it run /usr/bin/Crysis?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by webmail


    It's about the UI



    I'd say that much is true for the multi-function parts but when it comes to games, isn't buying an off-the-shelf game, plugging it in and playing easier than trying to hunt through a pile of mostly terrible low-quality apps, where you just get Angry Birds advertised at you all the time, followed by a download/sync process and then tap the app to open and it crashes because you just have an older iPod or iPhone?



    I think Apple needs a filtering system. I know people will say that it's unfair to automatically set a game from EA apart from e.g the first-time development efforts of a single autistic kid (especially considering the games would likely be of a similar calibre) but really, we have to accept that games take time and resources and if a game studio ploughs hundreds of thousands of dollars into a game, it will most likely have better production values.



    I'm not saying filter apps/games based on studio but based on effort. If an app just turns on the flashlight, give it a tag of 'low-utility' and let me ignore these apps. If I want to find a specific 'low-utility' app then I'll go looking for it. Until then, I want to browse apps that people have put some effort into.



    This task is made harder by the popularity of mind-numbingly basic games but as long as they are categorised properly (which they aren't - according to iTunes, Tetris is an action game) then it would help.
  • Reply 52 of 74
    lukeskymaclukeskymac Posts: 506member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    The PS3 is undoubtedly faster than the XBox theoretically but most of the time, XBox games look better. LA Noire was the first game I've heard of that turned out better on the PS3.



    Lol wut? Mass Effect 3? Uncharted 2? Killzone 3? (last 2 are exclusive, yes, but look better than Halo and Gears)



    Quote:

    It's not how much performance you have but how you use it and my only criticism of the iOS platform is how developers are not using the performance they have to make great games.



    Someone has got to take the first step. Once the money starts rolling in the publishers will finally allow more resources to be spent on iOS games. Infinity Blade was a nice start in the graphics area...



    Quote:

    If I mentioned Infinity Blade then you just think about swiping a sword around. There's no depth to the games.



    ... and there's the next step.



    EDIT: also remember that "games generally look better on 360" because 1- they are mostly developed for 360 and simultaneously ported to PS3 and 2- that little "free antialiasing" chip
  • Reply 53 of 74
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    IMO, the most impressive game controller I've ever seen is coming from Nintendo. Forget Sony. The totally cool capabilities are highlighted about mid way thru the stage presentation video. So just ignore the boring opening minutes.



    http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/t...ller-revealed/
  • Reply 54 of 74
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Seems to me that these handheld units are on the way out in favor of the touch and iPhone. Games from the App Store now fill out every level... free, cheap, moderate and expensive.
  • Reply 55 of 74
    cycomikocycomiko Posts: 716member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by webmail View Post


    It's not about performance. I work in a lab with a SUPER computer that's the #5 fastest on the planet.

    Yet if I put you in front of the console you would quickly leave because the software doesn't allow you to do anything but command line calls.



    It's about the UI, Sony and Nientendo fail because they never understand that it's about the beautiful user interfaces, they win people over, they make them iPhone lovers, Mac lovers, people who refuse to leave the platform for any reason because it's the first time they used something that just worked, that remembered where they left off, that functions without any learning curve.



    the beautiful user interface that leaves your view impeded with fingers?



    Analogue sticks have an awful lot going for them
  • Reply 56 of 74
    i have been a loyal cutomer of the ipod touch sine the 1st gen (currently on the 4th generation got every gen there was) i had never really wanted the iphone. the thing that i have always wanted is 3G connectivity option because the device depends on the internet a lot i never wanted the 3G ipad because it was too big and im an extremely mobile person and would like to just tag songs on sharzam on the go, i never understand why people act like they have wifi signal cooming out of their as*. anyway now sony did it (3G option) they have just sealed the deal for me..
  • Reply 57 of 74
    emacs72emacs72 Posts: 356member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BigMac2 View Post


    Nintendo nor Sony got a OS that can do more from launching a game.



    do you honestly believe this? i suspect you weren't serious in this remark.
  • Reply 58 of 74
    emacs72emacs72 Posts: 356member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Games from the App Store now fill out every level... free, cheap, moderate and expensive.



    the boundaries between cheap, moderate and expensive are quite arbitrary. as such, one can easily categorise games available on the PlayStation Network (PSN) into the same levels of cheap, moderate and expensive.
  • Reply 59 of 74
    majjomajjo Posts: 574member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emacs72 View Post


    i find this questionable. where are your reliable citations to prove this?



    Why do you think Sony has been getting hacked so much lately? its because they pissed off the hardcore / geek community.



    Basically, it went down like this:



    Sony sold the PS3 promoting the ability to run linux on it as one of its features.

    Sony then decided to drop linux functionality, and released the PS3 Slim without linux support.

    George 'GeoHot' then published a workaround to reenable linux functionality of the PS3 Slim.

    Sony sues GeoHot.

    In the course of the lawsuit, Sony gets permission to confiscate GeoHot's computer, his paypal records, as well as the IP addresses of anyone who has visited his website.

    Hardcore / Geek community gets pissed.

    Sony taunts them, telling them to 'bring it on.'

    Sony's databases starts getting hacked.



    While I can understand Sony's position, the way they handled this entire ordeal has been a PR nightmare.



    Links:

    Sony drops linux support:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ps3...ack,10035.html



    GeoHot sued:

    http://www.dailytech.com/Geohot+Fail...ticle20645.htm



    Court gets IP addresses:

    http://psgroove.com/content.php?837-...t-Site-Vistors



    Geeks get pissed:

    http://www.dailytech.com/Anonymous+E...ticle21282.htm



    and the rest... well, just google "Sony hacked"
  • Reply 60 of 74
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by majjo View Post


    Why do you think Sony has been getting hacked so much lately? its because they pissed off the hardcore / geek community.



    The reason they were hacked is because there are a lot of tossers in the world.



    The amount of people that purchased the PS3 to install Linux is very small, next to nothing. If these people wanted to continue running Linux on it, they had the option, the didn't have to install the update which got rid of it.



    The Other OS feature wasn't advertised as a big feature, in fact due to the large number of extra features they provided us over the years it didn't worry me one bit that they removed it.



    Just because they have an issue with Sony's business practice doesn't give them the right to commit criminal acts, and inconvenience millions of users.
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