Games Booth

Exciting New Titles and Experiences Announced for PlayStation®Vita

Military shooter Unit 13, MotorStorm® RC, and incredible new AR technology join final launch line-up unveiled at European preview event

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has today revealed further launch details for the hotly-anticipated PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), due for release in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Australasia on February 22 ^nd 2012.

At a preview event held in London, SVP, Worldwide Studios Europe Michael Denny,   highlighted the message that PlayStation Vita is a state-of-the-art portable device, with games at its heart, by announcing the full range of PS Vita launch titles, including two new 1 ^st Party titles, Unit 13 and MotorStorm® RC, as well as unveiling a range of augmented reality experiences for PS Vita. Commenting on the announced software line up, Denny called it "one of the best launch line ups of any games console, ever launched."

SCEE PS Vita titles confirmed as available at launch on February 22nd 2012:

• Uncharted ^TM : Golden Abyss
• WipEout® 2048
• Reality Fighters
• Little Deviants
• ModNation Racers ^TM : Road Trip
• Everybody's Golf®
• Escape Plan
• Top Darts
• Hustle Kings
• Unit 13 - NEW!
• MotorStorm® RC - NEW!

The already impressive list will be reinforced by a compelling array of 3 ^rd party offerings which will launch alongside the console in February [1] .

Unit 13 - An Authentic Shooter Built to Play in the Field

First revealed was Unit 13, a third-person military shooter that will offer gamers a true, dual-analogue experience.

Designed from the ground up for PS Vita by Zipper Interactive, Unit 13 focuses on contemporary mission scenarios with an authentic ‘ripped from the headlines' feel.

Players will be tasked with demanding missions in the most hostile regions of the world - to stop terrorists, dictators, gunrunners, warlords and drug traffickers from destabilising the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and South Asia.

Players will choose from six different classes - Infiltrator, Sniper, Soldier, Technician, Point Man, and Support - based on their role and your own playing style.

Designed specifically for PS Vita, Unit 13 focuses on portable play, with bite-sized gameplay and a non-linear mission structure that will allow players to jump in at any time, without having to keep up with a story or previous events.

MotorStorm RC - Addictive and Social RC Action

SCEE also revealed a brand new PS Vita launch title from Evolution Studios, MotorStorm RC.

A unique blend of old-school and contemporary racing gameplay, MotorStorm RC is an addictive racer, with social interaction at the fore.  Players will be able to build an impressive garage of vehicles, with 24 vehicles initially available to unlock in the game, with DLC and expansion packs allowing gamers to access new tracks, vehicles, and more, planned after launch.

Augmented Reality Brings Your Games to Life

PlayStation has led the way in augmented reality gaming since the launch of the EyeToy® USB camera for PlayStation®2 in 2003. On the current console generation, EyePet burst onto PlayStation 3, introducing a new family audience to this magical technology.

These experiences were not confined to home consoles as PlayStation brought augmented reality gaming to (PSP^TM ) PlayStation®Portable, both with EyePet ^TM , and the innovative Invizimals ^TM franchise.

At the PS Vita preview event, Michael Denny revealed the next phase in augmented reality for PlayStation. Six augmented reality cards will be available at launch with free games to download from PlayStation®Store. These will allow gamers to enjoy a selection of games that make full use of the impressive AR capabilities of PS Vita.

PlayStation also revealed that PS Vita will be the first games console to utilise WAAR (Wide Area Augmented Reality) technology. In contrast to familiar single-card AR, WAAR uses up to six cards and allows for a much larger gameplay area than gamers have previously experienced.

PS Vita will also support markerless AR, that can do away with cards altogether.

The addition of this captivating technology means th at gamers will have so much to play, and share, with PS Vita right out of the box.

Cross-play means players can compete via challenges and leaderboards on PlayStation®3, or with PS Vita, as well as continue their experience from one to the other.

3G & Wi-Fi: Connecting PS Vita to a Social Revolution

This is a device packed with powerful social features that connect users to the internet, their social essentials and other gamers.  As well as the Facebook, Skype, foursquare and twitter applications already revealed, Denny also revealed the addition of Flickr to the line-up.

PS Vita will be available in two SKUs at launch; the Wi-Fi only model and a 3G/Wi-Fi model for the ultimate ‘always-on' internet experience. Vodafone will be the 3G partner throughout selected countries in the SCEE region.

PS Vita boasts a number of social applications that will allow gamers to be constantly connected to their PlayStation life, as well as those of friends and fellow gamers.

• Party enables gamers to enjoy voice chat or text chat with their friends, not only while they play online, but also when playing different games or using different applications such as the internet browser

• Live Area ^TM is an interactive portal that enables you to connect to your contacts, and the content. Players can check the latest news; receive instant gaming updates from your friends, and then comment back on what friends have said.

• near is a feature that enables you to find out what your friends in the same area are playing right now and share and discover gifts which can be used in game. Simply by sharing your game information, you can meet your friends and new players, regardless of what games they are playing

• Cross-Play is the ability to play head to head in real time across platforms. PS Vita can connect wirelessly to PS3 allowing PS3 quality graphics to be seen on the PS Vita's beautiful five-inch OLED Screen