14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher and hardware maker Sony is introducing a new referral program for the PlayStation Vita in the United States, giving all those who recommend the platform and convince a friend to buy it access to 20 dollars (15 Euro) in PlayStation Network credit and 1,000 Sony Reward Points.
Gamers should explore their entire network of friends because they can get added rewards for up to 10 referrals.
After that, extra friends persuaded to pick up a PlayStation Vita are still counted and Sony plans to give a prize of 1 million Sony Reward Points to those who get the most sales at the end of the period, on February 28.
All those who take part need to be residents of the United States and be at least 18 years old.
The official site for the Vita referral program states that those who take part will need to use “only email, Facebook, Twitter and a referral card to communicate effectively to friends/family members the qualities and benefits of the PS Vita.”
The new program is designed to boost sales of the new Sony handheld on the North American market, where it has failed to make a big impact since it was introduced.
The company has repeatedly said that it is satisfied with sales of the Vita despite the fact that the handheld is not beating the Nintendo 3DS.
The Vita is a pretty impressive piece of hardware, with solid graphics, a great screen, good battery life and back touch capabilities.
Unfortunately, Sony and other publishers have failed to deliver the video games that can take advantage of the unique power of the Vita.
Competition from smartphones for each person’s gaming time has also affected the overall fortunes of the handheld market and Nintendo has also seen smaller than expected sales of its own 3DS.