Tag Archives: ps3

EA Sports Drops NCAA Exclusivity

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On a day when the NCAA handed down one of the most unprecedented punishments to Penn State University, I’m surprisingly not going to weigh in with my thoughts.  SImply put, it is disgusting and no matter what the NCAA ruled, it wasn’t enough.  Nothing could be enough.

In news that doesn’t make my blood boil, EA Sports has announced it will not extend the NCAA Football franchise’s exclusive rights when it expires in 2014.  This means that anyone else would be allowed to create an NCAA football game if they acquire the license to make it.

This comes in conjunction with a long standing lawsuit from consumers over the legality of exclusive deals with Madden and the NCAA.  The settlement will pay out a few bucks to those who purchased football games since 2006.  It also means EA Sports cannot sign an exclusive agreement with the Arena Football League, which most people probably weren’t even aware still existed anyway.

The better news for consumers is that the possibility of multiple NCAA Football games will soon exist.  It doesn’t mean EA Sports will discontinue the franchise.  In fact, it is entirely possible they still don’t have competition.  It opens the door for 2K Sports to get back into football however.  It is widely debated that NFL 2k5 remains the greatest football game ever.  In fact, it is said that NFL 2k5 (and its $20 price tag at the time) was the reason EA Sports signed the deal with the NFL.

This game actually existed…and could again.

 

As a longtime NCAA Football fan, this is great news to me.  The game has grown terribly stale.  Defense is still deplorable (and identical to the past five iterations), the AI can’t run or defend the option properly and bugs continue to plague the series at launch each year.  In fact, NCAA 12 was NEVER fixed despite several patches.

NCAA 13 was released recently to a mostly negative reaction from reviewers and fan forums.  Madden has made minor positive strides after a few extremely lackluster years and NCAA fans appear to be fed up with it.  The most enjoyable NCAA I can remember is still on the last generation Xbox.

Knowing the option for improved and alternate NCAA Football games in a couple years is a great feeling.  Now if only SOMEONE would put an NCAA Basketball game on the market.

NHL 13 Setting Sports Game Standard

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As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, gaming online cooperatively in a franchise mode is something I’ve longed for years ago.  While I’ve been slow to blog about it, my excitement piqued when information was released that NHL 13 would have this very feature in their game.  Being incorporated into a series I play far more than any other is a huge cherry on top of a giant sundae.

EA Sports is calling the mode GM Connected.  The premise is the same as Be a GM mode, where you control every aspect of a franchise over the course of multiple seasons.  The difference here is that GM Connected is an online mode.  That means up to 30 teams can be controlled by different people and play each other online.  Even better, there appears to be a plethora of options to play how you wish.  For instance, you can play “versus” style with one person controlling the whole team, or “online team play” style where up to 6 players are on the same team….or anything in between.

What I, and a couple of friends I regularly game with, plan on doing is taking over a single team and rolling against the AI.  We’ll of course use appropriate sliders and adjust the difficulty so it isn’t a cake walk.  I’d also like to keep a record of games and possibly even post highlights and stats.  There are so many great possibilities here and the excitement has me eagerly awaiting September 11, 2012, the release date of NHL 13.

Before I go any further, read this fantastic article from Game Informer that goes into great detail about the upcoming mode.  It should also be noted that much more information is expected to be released very soon concerning GM Connected.

A couple issues that bother me.

-  It was noted that the commissioner can advance the game in “three-day, one-week, or two-week periods.”  I truly hope this  is not interpreted as playing one game every three days.  If there is no flexibility here, this mode because useless since we will likely play several games a night.

-  There was no mention of customized sliders being used.  I have to think we will be able to adjust the period length, difficulty and all sliders you can change offline.

The article in question is close to two months old now, but is still by far the best information available.  My hope here however is that more games follow suit when it comes to the online co-op format that NHL is utilizing.

More to come on GM Connected.

 

Sony’s Terrible Service

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The headline, while not misleading, may have you thinking of a number of ways that Sony fails.  That list is definitely a long one, especially when it comes to the Playstation 3 console.  I have no problem declaring the Xbox 360 to be the superior console on the market today, and honestly don’t even think it is close.  Both have their problems, but I’ve added another to Sony’s side this week.

Somewhere between 3 and 4 years ago, I purchased a used PS3 on Ebay for extremely cheap.  I did so with the sole intention of purchasing the only good baseball game available, MLB: The Show (to this day that still remains true about baseball games).  The Show is exclusive to the PS3.  I still have no regrets about it because The Show is easily the best sports sim on any console that I’ve played.  Also, having the Blu-Ray inside was a great bonus as well.

Last year around this time, a few weeks after MLB 11 came out, there was a major problem with my PS3.  The yellow light of deathoccurred.   This is the equivalent to Xbox 360′s semi-more frequent red light that occurred on the first version console.

With a brand new game stuck inside the console, I called Sony to request service.  Having no warranty off a console that I purchased on Ebay, I expected to pay for it.  $129.00 was the bill.  More than half what I paid for the system…awesome.  They paid for the shipping but it took over a week for me to even receive the box.  After sending it out, it was another week before their warehouse received it.

This was frustrating to say the least.  2 weeks after the problem and Sony hadn’t touched the console yet.  After another full week of having it in their possession, I got an email with a tracking number.  Finally, they are shipping me my PS3.  It took another week and it finally arrived.  When it came, I immediately discovered they shipped me a different console.  It was the same model, but definitely a different console.

One month of waiting seems like forever when my favorite sports game is out and am unable to play it.  I’ve sent my 360 to Microsoft on more than one occasion and had a 10-14 day turn around….more on this below.

Fast forward to this week and my frustrations return.  Upon turning the PS3 on, I get a blank screen with my television telling me there is no signal.  I tried 3 different HDMI cords, 2 A/V cords, 2 tv’s, and nothing worked.  I tried every fix available on the internet without so much as a blip on the screen.

I called Sony and got a hold of someone who sounded like she was incapable of having a conversation without her screen telling her exactly what to say.  We went through all the troubleshooting options, each of which I already did, and discovered that I needed to send it to Sony for repair.  The cost?  $129.00.

Does this price ever go down?  We are on the verge of the next generation of console and gaming companies are still charging about half price of a new console for repair.

I asked her to confirm the date in which I last sent in my PS3 for repair, and she told me a date I already knew.  Indeed it was LESS THAN 1 YEAR AGO.

You’ll have to forgive me as I believe that is an insufficient amount of time to be forced to pay “full price” for another repair.  I’m told that the 90 day warranty from the repair is all they give.  90 days is nothing.  I wonder how many PS3 owners have ever used this 90 day repair warranty.  I’m guessing a handful at most.

I told the representative that this was absurd.  4 times over the next 2-3 minutes she told me “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do”.  I feel bad for customer service reps when people yell at them in anger because it isn’t really their fault.  However, I have a much better understanding as to why customers get mad….the reps aren’t apologetic at all.  They are reading their scripts and show zero human emotion at all.  That, to me, is offensive and as a customer, makes me feel unimportant.

After asking for a reference number for the call, so I could call back later to get right back into it, I thought it over for a bit.  I decided I’m not going to pay $129 for a system that worked for 11.5 months (minus the 2+ weeks of shipping and the 3 months of sitting dormant after I got rid of The Show).  Surely I could talk to someone and try and get this outrageous asking price down to the $50-70 range.

I talked to a robot gentleman and gave him the reference number and explained everything I had told the previous rep.  He told me all the same stuff and I then asked if there was anything at all he could do for me.  Of course he said no and that the $129 is set in stone, no exceptions.

I asked to speak to someone else who might have more authority to help.  I did this all while staying as polite as possible without pissing anyone off…even though they had done a terrible job of returning the favor.  This clearly wasn’t part of his script because in a completely nervous voice he asked “Uh….who would you like to talk to?”

The exact opposite of how my customer service experience with Sony went.

I bet the janitor could do a better job of helping, how about sending him my way.

I said just give me a supervisor or manager.   After a few minutes of Sony advertising, I was directed to a man who actually sounded like he gave a damn for a brief second.  After I told him my problem, he stood firm in telling me it would be $129 and went through the whole 90 day crap.

I asked him if he thought it was absurd that if an essentially new console stopped working 91 days after I had paid $129 to have it fixed, that I’d have to pay the same amount again.  He went on some spiel about how if his PS3 was in this situation that even he would have to pay full price to have it fixed.  Well, good for you buddy.  Way to make yourself sound real important in front of the customer.  I also didn’t ask about you and your console.

I thanked him for his time, but ended my saying I won’t be giving them any money to fix this  thing twice in a single year.

I was stunned at the sheer unapologetic answers and unwillingness to help that Sony was. It is really that much to ask that a system work for 1 calendar year?  Technically, it could break 4 times in a year and you’d have to pay for a repair every single time.  That is outrageous.

Even Microsoft sent me a brand new generation Xbox 360 after I had three separate issues with my system. Those were all with no charge too.

I quickly found many reputable 3rd party companies that specialize in fixing gaming systems.  One stuck out with overwhelmingly positive reviews and I went with them after a few hours of research.  As I type, my system is en route to RSOL PC.  I’ll discuss my thoughts on their service in the near future, but so far, it’s been a good experience.

MLB 12: The Show 2nd Impressions

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As I fall more and more into routine with this game, it has become extremely familiar to it’s predecessors.  I’m also loving it more and more.

I’ll start with ball physics that are making things happen that I didn’t see in previous iterations.  Balls in the dirt bounce much more unpredictably when the catcher attempts to block them.  No longer are we forced to endure the ball going completely to the backstop or bounce right in front of the catcher.  I’ve seen the ball go to several different spots from in front of the catcher, to the side, straight up, and half way back.  It’s a great variety with runners on base as it makes you decide whether to advance or not…a decision that was obvious last season.

Off the bat, the ball continues to amaze me as well.  The back spin on the ball is incredible when it hits the ground.  It’s also good on come-backers to the pitcher.  I had the bases loaded with 1 out and hit a one hopper back to the mound.  It hit the pitcher and bounced to his left where the first baseman picked it up and tossed it to the plate for the force out.  Very cool if you ask me.

I’ve continued to play Diamond Dynasty and am disliking it more and more.  It’s an overwhelming mess when it comes to the setup.  There seems to be no organization to the mode.  It is such a hassle to put players into your lineup, move them to and from reserves, and manage your Major Leaguers.   It’s also ridiculous that your starting pitchers lose a game played when they aren’t starting, thus making rotations meaningless.

I tried an online DD game for the first time and it was horrid.  While the lag honestly wasn’t bad at all, there is a massive delay in the timing when it comes to swinging.  This is completely unacceptable.  Anything shy of offline timing isn’t good enough.  How can you play baseball like this?  If you aren’t swinging before you know where the pitch is, you’ll be late and miss.  This leads to the pitcher throwing nothing but pitches way out of the zone because they know you’ll have to swing if you want to make contact.  By the 3rd inning, it’s simply a random guessing game with no skill involved.  The Show’s weakest spot has always been online play and this year appears to be no different.  What a shame.

I think it’s great that the classic stadium pack continues to be unlocked for those who paid for it in previous games.  I bought it in MLB 10 and they were unlocked last year and this year as well.  Why can’t other companies follow suit….I’m looking at you EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA.

I jumped into a play now game (I won’t start a franchise until Operationsports.com’s full minors rosters are released in a few weeks).  I played Oakland at Chicago Cubs with me controlling the Cubbies.  I used analog pitching, analog + zone hitting, and everything on All-Star.  I also lowered a few sliders one click, mostly everything that has to do with speed.

I got destroyed 5-0 but I left a lot of runners on base.  I was also trying out a few things that I wouldn’t have done in a franchise game.  Unlike a lot of gamers, I want the game to be as difficult as possible and present the biggest challenge without feeling like I was cheated.  Winning 120 franchise games means the difficulty is not hard enough.

As before, you can save the game highlight reel to your PS3 dashboard and upload to youtube.  Check it out:

I still have yet to play a co-op game, but the remainder of time before I start my franchise will be dedicated to finding the perfect sliders and trying to endure Road to the Show games.  I’ll also try to improve my Challenge of the Week status.

So far so good when it comes to MLB 12.  This game continues to get better and better and is showing why it is the premiere baseball game every single year.

Initial MLB 12: The Show Impressions

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Well the day is officially upon us and MLB 12: The Show is available on Playstation 3 and PS Vita.  I’ll be talking solely about the PS3 version of course.

Upon inserting the Blu-Ray, I was asked if I would like to install 10 GB of the game to the PS3 hard drive.  It would significantly reduce loading times I was told.  Thankfully I had other chores and activities to tend to because it took roughly 20 minutes to install.  If you played MLB 11, you know that the loading times were abysmal and possibly worse than any game I’ve ever seen.  While I didn’t play prior to installing, a few menus and a quick RTTS game showed exactly how much better it was in comparison to last year’s game.

The Show has always had great audio clips and opening videos featuring key moments from the previous season of Major League Baseball.  I was treated to a 2-3 minute video of the sequence of events that led up to what many consider the greatest night in regular season history.  I’m of course speaking of the wild card races in the AL and NL.  Watch it, it is spectacular and a pleasant reminder of how great this sport can be.

Any time I pick up a new game, I go into the options menu.  I like to see everything that is available so I know what I can and cannot tweak.  I immediately notice how familiar everything is and I adjusted a majority of settings to what I had last year.

MLB 12 features a new way to pitch and hit (to a lesser extent).  I tried the new pulse pitching in practice mode.  I feel like I gave it a good chance and I’ve come to the conclusion that I would get a massive headache if I had to endure pulse pitching over the course of an entire game.  I’m sure someone will enjoy it, however I am not one of them.   I’ll stick to last year’s analog pitching that I liked.

As for the change in hitting, it’s a combination of pure analog controls (introduced last year) and zone hitting, which utilizes the left thumb stick.  This was asked about a lot from the community and SCEA delivered.  If you enjoy analog hitting, this gives you full control of where the bat goes.  Turn the PCI on and you can see exactly where the bat enters the zone.  This is a lot to try and do and with a little practice, I hope to be able to use this mode.

Next, I jumped into Road to the Show.  RTTS is what all other sports games now have a version of.  You control one player, start him in the minors, and try to reach the big leagues.    I’ll admit, I become less and less interested in this mode every year.  There simply isn’t enough to keep me coming back.

The one RTTS feature I’ve been clamoring for is the ability to see every pitch in the field.  SCORE!  You can now see and attempt ONLY your at-bats, and play every pitch in the field.  After playing this way a couple of times, I felt the games took too long.

I then tried a game with “Result pitch only.”  This showed every single at bat in the game, but only the final pitch of each at bat.  Unfortunately, it meant I had to sit in the dugout and watch my teammates make out after out.  The fielding was great because it went by faster than seeing every pitch, but still kept you on your toes not knowing if you were getting the ball.

My ideal RTTS setup would be seeing the “result pitch” in the field and just my at bats on offense.  SCEA, make it happen next year.

As a former Challenge of the Week winner, I had to jump into this mode and give it a go.  This year it is now completely free so everyone has the same chance to win.  This week features Adrian Gonzales at Fenway, versus C.C. Sabathia.  I immediately noticed the very low scores on the leader board and groaned.  The bonuses are extremely difficult to obtain and the pitcher is filthy.  This is a lethal combination.

Last year’s game had noticeable lag spikes and times while playing CotW.  It has been smooth sailing this year (a great sign for online play).  I already have a huge complaint and it is a complete lack of feedback after each pitch.  I have tried every button combination and am unable to pull up the feedback window.  This is essential to me as it shows me the pitch thrown, my exact timing, and it shows me precisely how I can adjust.  Because of this, I felt like I had no patience at the plate.  I struggled mightily and never felt like I had a chance to compete.  Everything else looked and felt the same, but the fact that I was terrible leads me to believe that I’m extremely rusty, or the lack of feedback is killing my confidence.

So it was on to attempt Diamond Dynasty.  You are told to create the home town of your team, its nickname, abbreviation, and colors.  I went with what I typically go with it games like this, the Fort Wayne Vipers.  However, after clicking ok, I was told this name was already taken.  WHAT?  Someone actually used Fort Wayne Vipers?  So I went with Indiana Vipers and sure enough that was taken as well.  First off, I’m curious as to why you aren’t allowed to use the same name as someone else.

Turns out the nickname must be unique.  That is the most ridiculous thing ever.  Essentially what that means is after the first hour or two, all the common names like Bears, Lions, and Vipers are gone.  At the very least they could have not allowed common city plus nickname.  After about 10 minutes of self debate, I went with Fort Wayne Green Vipers.  I used a lot of green in the colors.

After finally getting to the team lineups page, I realized how complicated the setup appears.  You are given a handful of majors players, none of who are actually in your lineup, and a bunch of scrubs who you can train with earned money.  It took another 15-20 minutes just to get a lineup set with a mix of these players.  I never actually started a game for fear of not being able to finish and not knowing if I can actually quit the game and return later in this mode (something you can do in franchise or exhibition).

My wife is a graphic designer and wanted to design my logo, jersey, and that jazz.  Even she was amazed by the amount of detail you are afforded.  Seriously, for someone with no design experience, even basic setup is entirely overwhelming.

As for the game play itself, this is MLB: The Show.  Not a lot has changed honestly.  That’s not a bad thing either.  The game is solid and there is little to complain about.  Many of the fielding woes from the past are fixed.  The ball physics are a minor improvement but it is very noticeable.

I won’t get started on a franchise until the Full Minors roster from Operationsports.com is released.  The guys over there do an amazing job with every single minor league player as well as tweaking every Major League player.

Bioshock Infinite Release Date

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Bioshock Infinite has an official release date:  October 16, 2012.  Mark it down and be prepared.

There isn’t much else as far as news for the game, but it is always exciting to know just when you can have your hands on one of the blockbusters.

We’ll also be treated to more and more gameplay over the next several months I’m sure.

1912′s city in the sky will be available on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

MLB 2k12 Demo Thoughts

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Having not played a baseball game in several months, I was ready to fire up the MLB 2k12 demo.  Going in, I knew it wouldn’t be nearly as good as MLB: The Show, but I really wanted to have a baseball game to play.  Unfortunately, I have to wait a week for The Show.

Please keep in mind that everything you read comes from the point of view of someone who plays The Show.

After pressing start, you are given the choice of playing as Texas or St. Louis.  The first thing you are shown is a look at Busch Stadium.  This is extremely disappointing.  It looks bad.  The detail simply isn’t there.  The only thing that really stood out (and I didn’t skip any cutscenes) was that the base coaches were wearing helmets.  Good touch, but shouldn’t be a focus.

I came to bat with Texas and the camera angle (the only one available mind you) is like I’m looking through binoculars backwards.  The pitcher seems so far away.  The control scheme is less than ideal as I have a choice between pressing A to swing, or using the right thumb stick.  Having enjoyed using the stick to swing in The Show, I opted for that and was given a brief tutorial on it.  It is indeed different as you press up to contact swing, back and up to power, and left or right (what?) to just slap at the ball to foul it off.

Easily the biggest issue is the complete lack of check swings.  In The Show, you always pull back before pressing up as this represents your stride at the plate.  If you pull back and don’t press up, you won’t swing.  Worst case scenario is you check swing.   In MLB 2k12 if you don’t want to swing at the pitch at the last instant, too bad.  This is a huge missing element to a baseball game and it is amazing how many games 2K has put out and this has still been omitted.  (EDIT:  It appears check swings ARE in the game.  You need to press back on the right thumb stick.  This is not easy to do still.  If you are going for a power swing, you are already pressing back and going forward, but now you need to pull back?  An improvement from not having check swings, but still badly implemented)

I was also perplexed as to why I was being told what every single pitch was when it was coming in.  Unlike the batter’s eye of MVP 05 back in the day, still the single best game ever for attempting to read a pitch, you are simply told in words what is coming.  As the pitcher was releasing the ball, the words “Four Seam” came up.  Are you freaking kidding me?  Even more perplexing was that this game actually shows breaking balls better than The Show.  Yet you need to tell me it is coming?  Weak 2k…absolutely weak.

It’s been noted in the past that the commentary was one of 2K’s strong points…something that certainly shouldn’t be at the top of the list, but it is.  After my first at bat I noticed it was missing from the demo completely.  Another big miss here as far as I’m concerned.

I also noticed that for some reason the catcher rifles the ball back to the pitcher.  I mean, faster than the pitcher throws to the catcher.  Is this to speed the game up?  What is the point of this?  If you want to speed the game up, eliminate the throw altogether.

The defensive players throw the ball much more naturally than in the past.  It looks more fluid and not as clunky.

After my 3 outs at bat, I went to the pitchers mound.

Here is where 2K does a better job than The Show.  You have a variety of pitches, 5 in this case.  You have to throw every pitch with the right thumb stick.  The trick is that every pitch is thrown very differently…as in real life.  A regular fast ball is thrown by pulling down on the stick and then up.  You’re given a very small timing window and if you fail, the pitch will go awry.  A curve ball is thrown by starting the thumb stick at 5 o clock, and rotating up to 11 o clock.  It’s really enjoyable to pitch in this game.

One of the very few things MLB 2k12 excels at, pitching.

The risk/reward is massive when pitching.  Even missing by a little with timing will hurt you and could cause a wild pitch.  Unfortunately, that leads to another huge gripe…

With a runner on first, I threw a wild pitch that rolled all the way to the back stop.  The runner didn’t even flinch and stayed at first base.  I intentionally threw 3 more wild pitches to see if it was just a fluke and the runner NEVER advanced.  Unbelievable.

In the field, throwing the ball seems like a bigger chore than it should be.  Like pitching, you have a tiny window of timing where you throw the ball for optimum strength and accuracy.  Throw too hard and you risk throwing it away.  Throw too weak and you risk the runner beating out the throw.  It seems out of place and completely unnecessary.

The fielding camera itself also feels way too low to see what you are doing.  This is really just personal preference.  I’m sure some people play with the camera at about 8 feet off the ground, but I prefer the game camera available in The Show.

I played two full games and stopped enjoying it after that.  It’s simply not fun to play and offers very little over what The Show does.

Positives:
+ Pitching is amazing.  I really wish The Show would utilize a form of pitching from this game.

Neutral:
+/-  It’s the only baseball game on Xbox and it is more fluid than in the past.  If it is your only choice, it could be worse.

Negative:
-  The first thing you notice is the terrible visuals.  How can The Show look SO much better than this?
-  Being told what ever pitch is?  Why?
-  Bad camera angles
-  Unnatural throwing from fielders and a completely unnecessary throwing meter.
-/-  No check swings….deal breaker.  Badly implemented check swings.
-/-   Bad AI when it comes to base running.  You MUST advance a wild pitch, let alone 4 consecutive pitches.

All in all, I’m sorry if you are a baseball fan and only own an Xbox.  You are clearly missing out on The Show.  I also think 2K is wasting their time by putting this game on the PS3.

I clearly won’t be touching this game, but those who appreciate good online play and great league implementation might.

MLB 2k12 Demo Tomorrow; The Show Still Unknown

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MLB 2K12 demo will hit the Xbox 360 and PS3 tomorrow.  Xbox gamers can look forward to another underwhelming game while PS3 gamers will laugh at 2K for actually taking the time to put their game on the system at all.

The demo will feature the previous World Series matchup of the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals.  This will be your first opportunity to control the Cardinals without Albert Pujols on the roster.

Meanwhile, MLB 12: The Show has made no announcement about releasing their game’s demo on the PSN SEN.  However, if you make a trek to select Best Buy stores, you have access to MLB 12: The Show at kiosks.  Not every Best Buy store has this available so your milage will vary.  While there, you may even be able to compare the Vita version with the PS3 version of the game.

Both games are available on Tuesday, March 6.

Vita Launch at Midnight

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The day has arrived when the Playstation Vita is officially released.  Of course everyone who really had to have one already has it since if you bought a bundle, you’ve had it for 7 days now.

Tonight at midnight, Vita will be available to all for a price of $249 or $299 with 3G.  As I’ve mentioned before, I see little reason to get a 3G version because of the ridiculously expensive data plans.  Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere and that would certainly be plenty for me.

Having gotten my hands on a display Vita at the store today, I’m extremely impressed with the picture quality.  It looks almost as good as a PS3 game.  Being a huge Uncharted fan, it was easy to see the slightly diminished quality in the game, but it was very little.  Let’s face it, Uncharted 3 is one of the most visually appealing games ever created, and Uncharted on Vita holds up very well.

Nathan Drake is determined to be first in line for PS Vita.

It holds nicely in your hands and the miniature sized thumb sticks are feel surprisingly well made.  In my 10-15 minutes, I never felt like the Vita was too small or too large.  The screen is about the right size (5″) and you can hold it however you like.  That’s my biggest qualm with the 3DS…you have to hold it just right and at the right distance or the top screen is distorted and looks brutal.

The control setup is just like every other controller in the Playstation library with the d-pad above the left thumb stick and the face buttons above the right.  The start and select buttons are located below the stick on the right side.  Also on the front, two speakers, a camera, and a PS Home button.

On top there is an L and R shoulder button, power button, volume controls, and memory card slot.  There is also an opening where various inputs can be used for things such as headphones.

I was unable to see the back of the Vita based on how is was docked in the store, but I know there is another camera in the back as well as a trackpad.

There are a variety of games available at launch.  26 total games, which include PSN downloadable games, are there for the buying.  There are also a plethora of games on the horizon, so Vita is getting plenty of attention.

I’m not a big fan of handhelds, and quite frankly, never have been.  I can tell you that this blows away anything Nintendo has ever offered in this genre.

I bought a Playstation 3 exclusively to play the best sports game on the planet…MLB: The Show.  While I can’t say the same about the Vita, it certainly is very intriguing, especially when it comes to the compatibility of the Vita and PS3 version.

Playstation Vita First Edition Bundle Goes On Sale

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Sony will release their 2nd handheld console officially on February 22nd.  If you pre-order the First Edition Bundle however, you can get the Playstation Vita tomorrow.  Amazon, Target, Gamestop, and most retailers who are selling the Vita, will have the First Edition Bundle available.  The price is $349.

The bundle includes a PS Vita 3G/WiFi System, 4GB memory card, Limited Edition Case, a DataConnect Session Pass, a PSN Game, and the game Little Deviants.

Sackboy wants you to touch him a week early.

Of course you’ll also have the Vita a full week before it is released to everyone else.

It should also be noted that to use the 3G from AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier by the way, you’ll need to pay for a pricey data plan.   250 MB for $15/month and 3GB for $30/month.  I can’t really see how this is even close to being worth the price, but to each their own.

If you are absolutely set on getting the Playstation Vita with 3G, it’s silly NOT to buy this bundle.   The memory card included plus the free DataConnect Pass offset the cost immediately.

Even the bare bones Vita, which will be available next week, is $249.  This does not have 3G connectivity but will connect to Wi-Fi.  Many places are offing bonus deals on the purchase of a Vita next week as well.  Target, for instance, has a $20 gift card with purchase. 

I’ll reserve judgement on the Vita until I get my hands on one….not to purchase of course because I think it is ridiculously overprices, especially when compared to the 3DS ($169).   However, the allure of playing The Show…using your PS3 saves mind you…on the go is pretty cool.

Anyone picking up a Vita?  Let me know your thoughts.