Tim Stokes (third left) and Robert Fisser are flanked by event models at the Sony PlayStation Vita media preview held in DIFC, Dubai, last week

By G John/Senior Features Writer

Sony previewed its next generation handheld gaming device, PlayStation Vita, for the Middle East media in Dubai last week.
Leveraging PlayStation’s legacy of delivering deep and immersive gaming experience, the PS Vita is the successor to the existing PlayStation Portable and will be launched in markets globally on February 22. In Qatar, the device will be available for pre-order exclusively through the Fifty One East outlets.
Sleek and lightweight with a stunning OLED screen, the PS Vita will bring to gaming enthusiasts new ways to play through a highly responsive touchscreen, rear touch pad, dual analog sticks, motion sensors, and dual cameras.
The device comes in Wi-Fi and 3G versions, and is tightly integrated with the gaming community through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Skype et al. “PlayStation Vita is an incredible device that offers the best possible portable gaming experience. Its revolutionary mix of features combined with social connectivity, delivers a platform for gamers to play games in a whole new way and to connect with their friends and the world around them,” says Jim Ryan, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). He adds: “We’re very excited to launch a portable gaming device that goes beyond anything available on the market and is positioned to deliver the uncompromised gaming experiences consumers have been asking for.”
Unlike its predecessor, the PS Vita comes at a time when it will face stiff competition from mobile gaming on tablets and smartphones. Says Tim Stokes, PlayStation Vice President of Sales and Commercial Planning: “The mobile gaming space is very different from the time we launched the PlayStation Portable six years ago. Back then if one wanted to have a gaming device it was a Sony or Nintendo or some basic game on your mobile. Now, of course, we have a clutter of smartphones or tablets which offer great gaming experience. We really had to design something with the gamer in mind, whether it’s the content, the user, the whole experience, it’s all about gaming that’s at the core of PlayStation Vita.” 
Software for the PS Vita will be distributed on a new proprietary flash memory card called PlayStation Vita card rather than on Universal Media Discs (UMDs) used by the original PlayStation Portable. PS Vita memory cards will be available in sizes from 4GB to 32GB. However, the device will be compatible with PlayStation Portable downloadable titles, PlayStation minis, PlayStation Suite games, PSOne Classics, videos, and comics from the PlayStation Store. Says Robert Fisser, PlayStation General Manager of Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India: “The launch of a new platform is an exciting time for developers and gamers. We sold 70mn units of PlayStation Portable worldwide, and brought in the years of experience while designing the Vita. We believe the Vita is a true nextgen successor to the PlayStation Portable and offer new and innovative ways to play.”  
One of the key features of PS Vita is the support for Augmented Reality (AR) games. Augmented Reality is considered as an extension of Virtual Reality, where gamers can immerse in a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.
With more than 80 games currently in production from first and third party studios including LittleBigPlanet, Wipeout 2048, Resistance: Burning Skies, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, EA Sports’ FIFA, Activision’s Call of Duty,  and many more, the PS Vita is poised to deliver gameplay experiences unmatched by any handheld or mobile device in the market.

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