So much for a smooth roll out. Sony launched its PlayStation Vita handheld console in Japan over the weekend and is already being inundated with phone calls from frustrated gamers dialing in to complain about various issues from system crashes and lockups, to unresponsive touchscreens. The number of complaints doesn't bode well for the Vita.
When the Nintendo announced that 3DS sales weren’t living up to expectations, 3D skeptics were quick pile on. The company responded by sharply cutting the price, and while I have to admit even we were skeptical, it seems to be 
Sony’s PlayStation Vita handheld console is just a couple of months away from making its Japanese debut, with its release scheduled for December 17, 2011 in that country. Gamers elsewhere, however, will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the PlayStation Portable (PSP) successor. But just how long a wait will it be? Hit the jump to find out.
Nintendo is as guilty as anyone of buying into the 3D hype, not because it released a 3D handheld console, but because it grossly overestimated how much mobile gamers would be willing to pay to see Mario and Co. jump around in a third dimension. There exists a market for the 3DS, just not a very big one at the $250 launch price. But what about at $170?
Have an old Nintendo DS handheld console laying around? Are you planning to upgrade to the upcoming Nintendo 3DS when it comes out? If you answered 'hell yeah' to both of these questions, Target says you can bring your dust collecting DS into one of its stores and trade it in. Even if you only answered 'yes' to the first question, you can still trade in your DS and receive up to $50 towards the purchase of anything Target sells in the form of a gift card.
Online reports suggest Nintendo's upcoming 3DS console may be able to detect when users try to play an illegal flash cart on the device. In such a scenario, Nintendo could implement special firmware that would disable the console from working, basically bricking your $250 mobile gaming system. More than a theoretical possibility, at least one website is reporting that's exactly what Nintendo intends to do.
When it comes to electronics, we love good old fashioned teardowns just like serial killers can't enough episodes of Dexter. The tech equivalent of Showtime's pathological superstar is iFixIt, the online source for do-it-yourself repair guides and parts. Their latest victim is Nintendo's 3DS handheld console, which they expose not only for our voyeuristic pleasure, but also to learn how easy or difficult it might be for the average Andy to perform in-house repairs.
Sony's PSP Go might be the red-headed stepchild of handheld consoles. The reason we say that is because Sony just permanently slashed $50 off the price of the PSP Go, which now carries an MSRP of $150, but the console maker did so without making a peep. No fanfare, no ballyhooing, not even a curt press release. That's in stark contrast to Sony championing
Turns out Nintendo's upcoming 3DS handheld console has a few more tricks up its sleeve. In addition to a 3D display -- the 3DS's flagship feature -- Nintendo announced two upcoming collaborations, one with AT&T that will allow the 3DS to automatically connect to more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots, and another with Netflix to stream movies and other content on the gaming device. Suddenly the 3DS looks a lot more appealing.
Sony over the weekend dropped the price of its PSP handheld console from $170 to $130. At the new price point, Sony is hoping the PSP can finally topple Nintendo's DS in weekly sales, a feat that should be possible with the 3DS just around the corner. In addition to the price cut, Sony also added a handful of new titles to its "Greatest Hits" and "Favorites" libraries.Connect with MaximumPC
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