14 DAY TRIAL // Today Sony Computer Entertainment has held launch events for its new PlayStation Vita handheld all over the Western world before the console is widely available tomorrow.
I was lucky enough to attend the one in Romania, getting a closer look at the device and some more information from the strategy the manufacturer plans to employ when it comes to promoting it.
Sony is keen to position the Vita as the mobile gaming device of the future, a piece of hardware that comes equipped with features like back touch and 3G, that might not have a lot of uses on launch day but that will become increasingly important as time goes by.
The new handheld offers more options than its main rival, the Nintendo 3DS, and a number of titles, from Uncharted to Wipeout and Everybody Golf, that simply cannot be reproduced on smartphones, no matter how powerful they are.
Sony is also pushing the social angle a lot, telling players that 3G and native support for social networks mean that they can stay connected with friends without hassle and they can make gaming more than a solitary experience.
I can vouch that social gaming is very engaging with the Vita after playing about 40 minutes of Wipeout 2048 with three other people, trying to learn the track and trash talk them at the same time.
I won more races than I lost and, even with inexperienced gamers and limited vehicle availability, the experience was superior to any other multiplayer on a mobile device I recently played.
The Vita feels solid and well manufactured (you can read more about it in our full Softpedia hardware review) and the crowd was impressed by the graphical quality it can deliver and the variety of gaming experiences available on launch day.
It remains to be seen whether the typical Western gamer will be more interested in the PlayStation Vita than the one in Japan and whether Sony can keep up the stream of video game releases that any new hardware needs, but the early signs are encouraging for this new and impressive piece of hardware.