Vita, The Clown Tablet, and Handhelds...

Smitty reported earlier that the Vita has been announced as having some of the same functionality as the WiiU. The key functionality being streaming content from the game console to the handheld device.

I think that is interesting but before I define or defend my position; a little history. I don't like handheld gaming systems; you would not know that from the long list of devices I have owned.

Original Game Boy

TurboGraphix Turbo Express

Sega Game Gear

Atari Lynx

Sony PSP

I have had every (worthwhile) handheld - Stuff it Nintendo Fanboiz - the handheld made sense to me when I could get games like "A.P.B." on the Lynx that you couldnt get anywhere else but the arcade. When it became about creating "mini-games" from known franchises on the console I was completely dis-interested. I have never been able to justify to myself purchasing a copy of "God of War PSP" or whatever because it was supposed to be this awesome God of War experience...

So as a result my PSP is completely disused and if I could get my 250 back I would have years ago.

So - the Vita - clearly I am out. Right?

There is a rub here; the more I read about the Vita and its features the more I wonder whether or not Sony has realized that the Apple model works. If you sell me a Vita and enable it to utilize a ton of my PS3 features on it then you have been successful. I dont need the Vita to be my phone - but I can tell you that having the ability to stream television to and from my iPad with Airplay has been awesome. I am very interested in this sort of functionality for my gaming console.

Like Smitty - the Vita has to have free software. I dont care if it has the power to play picture perfect versions of existing and future PS3 games unless they come with the disc for the PS3 that I am already buying. I WILL NOT pay twice for the "privilege" of playing the games I already own on a mobile device. Make your money on the device and enable AAA titles to be pack-in for the Vita @ retail PS3 purchase. That is the only way Sony is going to get anymore of my mind-share. Until then Ill be on my iOS device(s) wondering what all the hub-bub is about...

~ K

P.s. The Clown Tablet - Really Nintendo? Let me help you out with something - Apple already has the table market handled, your niche is the game-time my kids spend playing and I will be damned if I will buy them two WiiUs so that I can have a sane household full of Clown Tablets. I am sure you will be a hit with the single child families - that sounds like an awesome market segment.

PS Vita > Wii U?

 
So, news broke today that the PS Vita will be able to perform many of the same functions as the Wii U controller (or "clown tablet", as we call it). We're talking about streaming information, acting as a screen if the TV is in use, all that stuff.  However, the Vita is a standalone game system that you can bring anywhere, whereas the clown tablet pretty much needs to stay in the same place as the Wii U console.  As someone who's really interested in the Vita, this is welcome news. 

I have young kids in my house, and I'm not the kind of dad who would let them sit there and watch daddy spray some dude's brains all over the wall, tear someone's spine out, or be chased down and killed by various monsters. However, if the PS Vita makes it possible to stream any game from the PS3, that would be huge for me. But it's not quite enough to push me over the edge to make me commit to buying the thing.

K-Diesel and I have been talking and trying to come up with a list of features that would make the PS Vita something that we'd put money down on right now. To be honest, it's probably me who's taking it more seriously since Krizzle is being a PC snob lately. Anyway, I'd commit 100% to buying a PS Vita if the following were true:

• The functionality must be there for the PS3 to stream any game to the PS Vita while within range of the PS3s WiFi (this includes online games like shooters and the like)

• The games that are on PS vita alone (and not the PS3) must cost no more than $40

• For the games that you can play across the PS Vita and that PS3 (such as the upcoming action RPG Ruin), the portable version must be packaged free with the PS3 version

• The battery life must be at least equal to the PSPGo

That's all it would take to get me to mail my wallet to Sony right this minute.