PS Vita Impressions! Vita Digital Purchases Beating PS3 - no NA price cuts

[Canuck]

Most games seem to max out at 1500mb at most. I suppose they means I should be able to keep 10 games on with a 16GB card. It's enough that I can have a variety of games and don't need to reload too often. 16GB seems like a decent compromise between space and value.

[Bullwinkle]

I got the 32GB and filled it pretty quickly (some of that is PSP holdovers).

I then got an 8GB for PS1 games.

Swapping memory cards is an awful affair.  There's a very long wait while the PSP loads everything on the newly inserted card.  Then another when you swap back.  Even worse is that if you had everything in neatly arranged folders before swapping, say hello to chaos.  The icons are jumbled into a completely random spew across the various tiles.  Of course, any changes you made to colors and backgrounds of those tiles still seems to exist, but everything else is scattered willy-nilly.

[MonkeyFinger]

As an FYI I went with the 32GB card which ends up giving you 29GB of usable space. I have 7 games on physical media installed, 13 PSP games ( not that I play them but I could  ) and 7 downloaded Vita games. All that takes 13GB.

[MonkeyFinger]

Even worse is that if you had everything in neatly arranged folders before swapping, say hello to chaos.

Folders? On the Vita?

[CeeKay]

the 32 gig card has been hovering between $75 and $80 on Amazon, but didn't they say something about being able to download stuff to your PC for transfer to the Vita in the future?

[Bullwinkle]

Even worse is that if you had everything in neatly arranged folders before swapping, say hello to chaos.

Folders? On the Vita?

I was using folders then switched to tiles later.  Tiles works better.  Read that as tiles.

[Harpua3]

Yeah folders on vita? Tiles? 

[Bullwinkle]

Yeah folders on vita? Tiles? 

Gorrammit.  Pages.  Screens.  Scrollie deals that contain icons.  Call 'em whatever you want. 

[MonkeyFinger]

Yeah folders on vita? Tiles?  

Gorrammit.  Pages.  Screens.  Scrollie deals that contain icons.  Call 'em whatever you want.  

LOL... any of those names would have worked for me. It was just the fact that I've seen people begging for folders to be added to the screens / tiles / pages / scrollie deals to help organize groups of icons that made me think I'd missed an annoucement or O/S upgrade or something.  

[Bullwinkle]

Hey, I keep meaning to mention that you should try Frobisher Says if you haven't yet.  Best Warioware clone I've seen.  Very amusing, too.

[EngineNo9]

Hey, I keep meaning to mention that you should try Frobisher Says if you haven't yet.  Best Warioware clone I've seen.  Very amusing, too.

I tried it out on the recommendation of the Giant Bomb guys as well, and I guess that type of game is just not my thing.  By the time I figured out wtf they wanted from me the time was generally about up, which made for more frustration than fun.

[The Grue]

Hey, I keep meaning to mention that you should try Frobisher Says if you haven't yet.  Best Warioware clone I've seen.  Very amusing, too.

I tried it out on the recommendation of the Giant Bomb guys as well, and I guess that type of game is just not my thing.  By the time I figured out wtf they wanted from me the time was generally about up, which made for more frustration than fun.

Yeah, I know what you mean, but once you do get the game requirements down, it becomes hectic and fun.

[Harpua3]

Hey, I keep meaning to mention that you should try Frobisher Says if you haven't yet.  Best Warioware clone I've seen.  Very amusing, too.

I tried it out on the recommendation of the Giant Bomb guys as well, and I guess that type of game is just not my thing.  By the time I figured out wtf they wanted from me the time was generally about up, which made for more frustration than fun.

Yeah, I know what you mean, but once you do get the game requirements down, it becomes hectic and fun.

I was wondering about this game. It is free and all...

[CeeKay]

just in time for the big event tomorrow, a retrospective of the PSP and PS Vita.  so many years of Vita memories! 

[MonkeyFinger]

Hey, is there someplace official where one can make suggestions to Sony / Playstation, maybe an email address? Meaning someplace where it won't immediately get lost in a sea of mostly worthless messages.

[CeeKay]

looks like the digital download business is doing well with the Vita:

"Digital business is the faster growing business" he said. "We do not publish numbers, but every month it's almost a new record that the purchase on Vita is higher than the PS3, because everything is available [digitally]."

http://www.destructoid.com/sony-digital-business-is-the-faster-growing-business--246237.phtml

[CeeKay]

also, no North American price cut.

[Clanwolfer]

looks like the digital download business is doing well with the Vita:

"Digital business is the faster growing business" he said. "We do not publish numbers, but every month it's almost a new record that the purchase on Vita is higher than the PS3, because everything is available [digitally]."

http://www.destructoid.com/sony-digital-business-is-the-faster-growing-business--246237.phtml

That's sort of full of weasel words though. Of course you would expect a newer console with a small install base to have faster-growing sales than a console with a mature market and rumors of an impending successor. And the 'almost' means that it might not even be there.

Also - for anyone else with a Vita, is the PSN store just a godawful mess for anyone else lately? For the past month or so I can hardly check even new releases without retrying multiple times, let alone browse any selection, and the one thing I did buy (Pinball Arcade table pack) I had to retry 3 times. It might have been longer - hadn't touched the store in months before that.

[CeeKay]

Also - for anyone else with a Vita, is the PSN store just a godawful mess for anyone else lately? For the past month or so I can hardly check even new releases without retrying multiple times, let alone browse any selection, and the one thing I did buy (Pinball Arcade table pack) I had to retry 3 times. It might have been longer - hadn't touched the store in months before that.

I don't recall any issues, but I haven't really checked the Vita version since they put the store online.

[EngineNo9]

Also - for anyone else with a Vita, is the PSN store just a godawful mess for anyone else lately? For the past month or so I can hardly check even new releases without retrying multiple times, let alone browse any selection, and the one thing I did buy (Pinball Arcade table pack) I had to retry 3 times. It might have been longer - hadn't touched the store in months before that.

I don't recall any issues, but I haven't really checked the Vita version since they put the store online.

I've been checking the store regularly on my Vita and haven't had any problems.  I'm assuming you've updated everything?

[Harpua3]

Certainly not the exact same thing but relavant. Last night night I was browsing the PS store on ps3 and it was slow as hell. Buttons not responding for numerous seconds etc. usually not like that at all for me..

[Clanwolfer]

Also - for anyone else with a Vita, is the PSN store just a godawful mess for anyone else lately? For the past month or so I can hardly check even new releases without retrying multiple times, let alone browse any selection, and the one thing I did buy (Pinball Arcade table pack) I had to retry 3 times. It might have been longer - hadn't touched the store in months before that.

I don't recall any issues, but I haven't really checked the Vita version since they put the store online.

I've been checking the store regularly on my Vita and haven't had any problems.  I'm assuming you've updated everything?

Latest firmware, and I've turned it off and on again. Maybe it just flat-out doesn't like my router - I'm on FIOS so it's probably not a speed thing.

[MonkeyFinger]

Certainly not the exact same thing but relavant. Last night night I was browsing the PS store on ps3 and it was slow as hell. Buttons not responding for numerous seconds etc. usually not like that at all for me..

There was a PS3 update quite some time ago (before the new store) where that started happening to me all the time. Any time a button had to flash it ended up doing it really... really... slowly. It was painful and required much patience but eventually they fixed whatever issue caused that and it mostly went away. Mostly. I just recently had something similar crop up again this week as well where one basically got 'stuck' for a period of time.

[Harpua3]

Certainly not the exact same thing but relavant. Last night night I was browsing the PS store on ps3 and it was slow as hell. Buttons not responding for numerous seconds etc. usually not like that at all for me..

There was a PS3 update quite some time ago (before the new store) where that started happening to me all the time. Any time a button had to flash it ended up doing it really... really... slowly. It was painful and required much patience but eventually they fixed whatever issue caused that and it mostly went away. Mostly. I just recently had something similar crop up again this week as well where one basically got 'stuck' for a period of time.

Yeah mine did that again then all better the next time. Who knows;).

[CeeKay]

woohoo!  folders in the next update!

Create folders to more easily manage your favorite application icons on the home screen, with up to 10 icons in each folder and a maximum of 100 on the home screen (including icons inside the folders).

now I can tidy up all those icons that I have no use for but the system won't let me delete.

[Gratch]

Every time this thread gets bumped, I feel guilty and/or irritated that I have a Vita collecting dust on my desk. 

[Bullwinkle]

woohoo!  folders in the next update!

Create folders to more easily manage your favorite application icons on the home screen, with up to 10 icons in each folder and a maximum of 100 on the home screen (including icons inside the folders).

now I can tidy up all those icons that I have no use for but the system won't let me delete.

Folders are great, but I'm actually more excited about this:

Verify which PS Vita card you are using by looking at the home screen’s info bar. You can also save the layout of your home screen icons in the memory card.

Once you start using more than one memory card, it currently resets your icon settings every time you put the card back in.  Now if only they would cut down the time it takes to reload a new memory card.

BTW, this is coming tonight!

[EngineNo9]

Every time this thread gets bumped, I feel guilty and/or irritated that I have a Vita collecting dust on my desk. 

Well, today you can brush off the dust and go download Guacmelee! 

[MonkeyFinger]

 More like bubbles than folders but hey -  I'll take it. 

[CeeKay]

More like bubbles than folders but hey -  I'll take it. 

yeah.  I used to have 2 pages of icons for all the system stuff you can't get rid of, now I have half a page 

[Gratch]

Every time this thread gets bumped, I feel guilty and/or irritated that I have a Vita collecting dust on my desk. 

Well, today you can brush off the dust and go download Guacmelee! 

That actually looks pretty cool, except for this part (from the GT review):

Underneath this hilarious and brilliantly stylized exterior lies a beast of a game, one that will test your mettle more than most other games of its ilk.

I have zero interest in something controller-throwing right now.

[Harpua3]

Just to comment on a few things here. I have 5 games on cart, 10 dl games, and 3 psp games on this 32gb stick. I still have 16 gb free! I don't like the pricing on the memory sticks at all, but this 32gb really has lasted.
So off to try gaulamelee!!!

[Crusis]

I've stood by my Vita since the day it was released. It's a wonderful piece of technology marred by a really lackluster collection of games. I still have it but I purchased a 3DS XL last weekend and a number of games to provide my mobile gaming fix. I'm not abandoning the Vita but I'm just so MEH over what is available. Not much of a rant ... back to Monster Hunter 3.

[Dante Rising]

Just to comment on a few things here. I have 5 games on cart, 10 dl games, and 3 psp games on this 32gb stick. I still have 16 gb free! I don't like the pricing on the memory sticks at all, but this 32gb really has lasted.
So off to try gaulamelee!!!

I just downloaded Atelier Totori, which is a wonderful addition to the stable of games if you like carefree JRPGs with a heavy emphasis on alchemy. But I was stunned that the game is almost 3GB. Of course, it IS one of the the best looking title on the system.

[Gratch]

Just to comment on a few things here. I have 5 games on cart, 10 dl games, and 3 psp games on this 32gb stick. I still have 16 gb free! I don't like the pricing on the memory sticks at all, but this 32gb really has lasted.
So off to try gaulamelee!!!

I just downloaded Atelier Totori, which is a wonderful addition to the stable of games if you like carefree JRPGs with a heavy emphasis on alchemy. But I was stunned that the game is almost 3GB. Of course, it IS one of the the best looking title on the system.

Dammit Dante, my wallet didn't need to hear about that one!

[MonkeyFinger]

Just to comment on a few things here. I have 5 games on cart, 10 dl games, and 3 psp games on this 32gb stick. I still have 16 gb free! I don't like the pricing on the memory sticks at all, but this 32gb really has lasted.
So off to try gaulamelee!!!

I just downloaded Atelier Totori, which is a wonderful addition to the stable of games if you like carefree JRPGs with a heavy emphasis on alchemy. But I was stunned that the game is almost 3GB. Of course, it IS one of the the best looking title on the system.

For me in the PS Store, this shows as "disk only". And it looks like it's the 3rd of three games. Should someone new to the series start with the first one or does it matter?   Oh - there's a "plus" version for the Vita, I see. How different is it from the PS3 version?  Need to go investigate, it would seem.

[Gratch]

Just to comment on a few things here. I have 5 games on cart, 10 dl games, and 3 psp games on this 32gb stick. I still have 16 gb free! I don't like the pricing on the memory sticks at all, but this 32gb really has lasted.
So off to try gaulamelee!!!

I just downloaded Atelier Totori, which is a wonderful addition to the stable of games if you like carefree JRPGs with a heavy emphasis on alchemy. But I was stunned that the game is almost 3GB. Of course, it IS one of the the best looking title on the system.

For me in the PS Store, this shows as "disk only". And it looks like it's the 3rd of three games. Should someone new to the series start with the first one or does it matter?   Oh - there's a "plus" version for the Vita, I see. How different is it from the PS3 version?  Need to go investigate, it would seem.

According to the IGN review, it's a straight-up port of the PS3 game. 

[Teggy]

Get the exclusive swimsuits in one pack with this game & DLC bundle! 'Angel Swimsuit' and 'Devil Bikini' are included in this package.

Alchemy, huh?

[Turtle]

The Atelier series of games is known for being pretty laden with T&A and a whole lot of not so subtle innuendo and such. I believe the last few basically involve getting close to a bunch of magical girls that empower you by you sticking crystals into them if they like you enough.

[Teggy]

sticking crystals into them if they like you enough.