14 DAY TRIAL // The Western launch of the PlayStation Vita is nearly upon us and leading Sony executives believe that one of the main features to ensure the success of the device are the new connectivity features.
Shuhei Yoshida, the leader of the Sony Worldwide Studios and one of the main promoters of the Vita, tells IndustryGamers that “3G is our investment in the future. I hope some consumers will believe in that investment of their money for the future. These systems last many years, and we will upgrade firmware, add new features, but it’s not easy to update hardware.”
The executive admits that on launch there will be limited uses for the 3G technology included in the PlayStation Vita, but he believes that looking to the future is needed in order to give the new handheld a long shelf life.
Sony is keen on pushing the social angle early on and will then allow the game developers to integrate the new feature in actual games.
Yoshida adds, “The main purpose we believe in for having 3G in PS Vita is the social connectivity features that we have put at the center of PS Vita.
“When you open a game, you don’t automatically start a game, but you’re taken to one page which is constantly updated from publishers as well as your friends doing activities or giving you in-game items. So all that social connectivity is enabled by the 3G.”
The PlayStation Vita has already been out in Japan for about two months and the gamers have been less than enthusiastic about the device, which has failed to even once beat its main rival, the Nintendo 3DS, in terms of sales.
Sony has repeatedly said that the launch line-up for the Vita is better suited for the sensibilities of the gamers in the West and that statement will be tested starting tomorrow.