The Official Playstation Vita - $249

[[mXm] kotaco]

In January a new handheld gaming peripheral was announced in Tokyo, it's codename: NGP (Next Generation Portable)

Well today it's official, the NGP's real name is the Playstation Vita and it's probably one of the coolest portable gaming systems around. The Vita (pronounced VEE-TA) sports dual touch pads on the front and back, dual cameras on the front and back and a color rich OLED screen.

Augmented reality features will allow some games to be played in the actual environment around you, PSP games will be able to be played with backwards compatibility. And so much more! Refer to our previous post for more info.

Sony will be releasing two models of Vita for your consumption, the standard Wi-Fi model, and the Wi-Fi/3G model which will be exclusively carried under AT&T's network, at least until enough people complain.

They also "revealed a plethora of exciting new software titles, including Hot Shots Golf, Hustle Kings, LittleBigPlanet, Little Deviants, ModNation Racers, Reality Fighter, Ruin (working title) Sound Shapes, Street Fighter X Tekken, Super Stardust Delta, UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss, and Wipeout 2048."

The price for the base Wi-Fi only model is only: $249

Here's the official release statement:



Successively launching in the global market for $249 starting the end of this year, PS Vita incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. Two analog sticks enable a wider range of game genres. Together with the front touch screen and the rear touch pad, PS Vita offers new gameplay, enabling entirely new experiences.

With mobile connectivity playing a huge role in PS Vita’s interactive experience, we know many of you have been wondering what carrier will be helping us bring you closer to other users and closer to your gaming experiences on the go. Today, we proudly announced a partnership with AT&T, which powers the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, who will serve as the exclusive service provider for PS Vita in the United States. By having both Wi-Fi and 3G/Wi-Fi models available, PS Vita will enable infinite possibilities for you to “encounter,” “connect,” “discover,” “share” and “play” with your friends wherever they are.

The excitement doesn’t stop there. We believe that 2011 will be a defining year as we usher in a new era of portable gaming. With the official North American unveiling of PlayStation Vita also comes the introduction of an extensive line-up of software for the platform. [...] We can let all of you know that the biggest and best 1st and 3rd party gaming franchises will be coming to PS Vita.Further enhancing your entertainment experience are new PS Vita features, such as “LiveArea,” an interactive space for each PS Vita software title that allows you to access the latest game information through PlayStation Network; “near,” a pre-installed application that lets you see what other PS Vita users in the vicinity are playing; “Party,” which lets you voice chat or text chat while playing games or using the Internet browser; and “Welcome Park,” a tutorial application designed specifically to guide you through PS Vita’s new user interface.



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