Although the PlayStation Vita’s official launch date is February 22, those who invested in the First Edition Bundle were able to get their hands on the Vita on February 15.
I happen to be one of those lucky people. Against my better judgement, I decided to plunk down the $350 to get the Vita, a case, a 4GB memory card, and Little Deviants. And since I got my hands on the portable, I’ve been quite happy with the experience — and somewhat impressed with the fun factor Little Deviants delivers.
Whenever I review a software product or gadget, one of the key elements I must consider is price. Time and again, I need to determine if the value a product delivers is enough to justify its price tag. And in far too many cases, it doesn’t.
But I’m starting to wonder how much price really matters. Surely we’d all like to save a few extra bucks whenever we can, but if the right product comes along that satisfies many of our desires, we find a way to justify purchasing it in our mind. The device over there that’s $200 cheaper is nice and all, but it’s not the one we want. And that’s all that matters.
Sony’s PlayStation Vita will be launching soon. The portable will come with dual thumbsticks, a nice, big display, and a design that puts Nintendo’s 3DS to shame. And at a starting price of $249.99, it’s in the sweet spot for serious gamers who want a solid portable.
But just because the PlayStation Vita seems attractive, it doesn’t mean that it’ll be a winner. In fact, I’m a firm believer that the Vita will be Sony’s last portable, and the device that could very well put an end to the company’s entire mobile-gaming division.
Over the past several weeks, I haven’t had much time to sit in front of my television when my favorite shows come on. I’ve either been out of the house, working, or doing something that wouldn’t allow me to watch anything live.
Luckily, though, I accessed my favorite shows on my DVR and TiVo. Whenever I had a chance to check out an episode, I did. And when I realized that what I was watching was really not worth it, I deleted it and moved on. Best of all, I didn’t have to watch a single commercial.
As I’ve said numerous times on these pages before, I’m deeply concerned by motion gaming. I think it’s holding the gaming business back and helps to make the space seem “gimmicky” — something I thought we were trying to move away from.
My issues with motion gaming have prompted me to turn my back on the Wii. In fact, I haven’t even seen my Wii in well over a year, since it’s been sitting in my closet with the rest of the obsolete and boring consoles I’ve bought over the years.
When Apple announced its fiscal first quarter earnings last week, which encompassed the three months ended December 2011, much of the attention went to the company’s exceedingly strong iPhone and iPad sales. There was also a lot of talk about its huge profit and exploding cash reserves.
When I think back over the years, I can remember countless technology-focused brick-and-mortar stores I enjoyed shopping at. From CompUSA to Circuit City to the ridiculous number of other stores that came and went, there was a time when a large portion of my life was spent shopping in the brick-and-mortar.
I’m often asked by friends if they should buy an Apple TV. They usually head to the Apple Store to buy a new iPad or iPhone, and while there, they come across Apple’s little set-top box. For just $99, it seems like a bargain. And so, they ask me if they should plunk down the cash to buy one.
The first question I ask when I field the question is, “do you own an Xbox 360?”
I’m a little confused.
Remember back when Apple first introduced the Apple TV, and the company said that it was designed to be a hobby device? Well, in 2010, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, after unveiling a new version of the device, said it was no longer a hobby. Now, though, it appears it is again, since Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook said earlier this week that the device is still — wait for it — a hobby.
As a Time Warner Cable customer, I was one of the last cable subscribers out there to get access to HBO Go. For months now, many of you have probably been using the streaming service, and to see a column about it now might surprise you. But don’t hold it against me — I was a victim of the oddly contentious relationship between Time Warner Cable and its former corporate overlord, Time Warner.
I’m often asked when Sony will launch its next PlayStation. Just about everyone is interested in finding out if the next console the consumer electronics giant offers up can be as appealing and popular as its predecessors. The push for Sony to launch a new PlayStation is also born out of the fact that Nintendo is launching a new console this year, called the Wii U. And if history is to be our guide for the future, most console makers launch their new devices around the same time.
If you were following the Consumer Electronics Show last week, you know that several TV makers showed off some of the most exciting technologies we’ve seen yet. LG offered up an ultra-thin OLED TV that, years ago, seemed at least a decade away. The company followed that up with the announcement of its first 4K resolution TV. If you haven’t heard of 4K resolution, it’s a technology that delivers — are you ready for this? — four times the resolution found in 1080p.
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