metagamers

Playstation Vita: Preparing for launch

Rick Daino — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:32:04 +0000

So the US Playstation Vita is right around the corner and it’s time to ask that all important question… “Should you pick a Vita up at launch or wait?”

Let’s first look at pricing and the different flavors of the PS Vita:

1. PS Vita First Edition Bundle ($349.99) – Includes the Playstation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi system plus a 4GB memory card, a limited edition case, Little Deviants, AT&T DataConnect Session Pass + Free PSN Game and pick up your system one week early. (Release Date: Feb 15th 2012)

2. PS Vita 3G Launch Bundle ($299.99) – Includes the PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi System + 8GB Memory Card + AT&T DataConnect Session Pass + Free PSN Game (Release Date: Feb 22nd 2012)

3. PS Vita WiFi Model ($249.99) – Includes the Playstation Vita WiFi System ONLY (Release Date: Feb 22nd 2012)

Anyway you slice it the Playstation Vita is quite an investment!

Now lets have a look at the titles available on launch day (retail and online download):

Escape Plan (PSN Only)
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
Hustle Kings (PSN Only)
Little Deviants
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Super StarDust Delta (PSN Only)
UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss
wipEout 2048
Army Corps of Hell
Asphalt Injection
BEN10 GALACTIC RACING
Blazblue: Continuum Shift EXTEND
Dungeon Hunter Alliance
Dynasty Warriors Next
F1 2011
EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer
Lumines Electronic Symphony
Michael Jackson The Experience
Plants vs. Zombies (PSN Only)
Rayman Origins
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen
Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs (PSN Only)
Touch My Katamari
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition

Keep in mind Sony has stated that purchasing titles online through the Playstation network will offer a savings on normal boxed retail copies however, using this method of obtaining a game will consume your memory card space faster.

I’ll also mention that while I honestly do not think the PS Vita will fly off shelves on launch day I would not be one bit surprised to see memory cards become the hard to find item since they are only manufactured by Sony and must be purchased separately if not included in a bundle.

My word to the wise: If you are picking up a Vita you should also plan to buy the largest memory card you can at launch to avoid possible headaches later.

So then, back to the original question… Should you buy a Vita at launch? My answer varies so here it goes:

First off I will state that if anyone is planning on picking up a Vita at launch it only makes sense to pick up the Launch bundle or First Edition bundle as both give you the best value for your dollar while including extra items that if purchased separately would exceed the bundle MSRP asking price.

Based on your situation I advise the following:

1. If you are a hardcore gamer, on the bleeding edge and you must purchase everything at launch then obviously this is a day one purchase for you.

2. If you are a casual gamer but see many titles within the launch window that you must have then buy it. The system will provide you with hours of enjoyment and should be worth your purchase.

3. If you are a casual gamer and don’t really see any titles of interest in the launch window then wait, prices will drop and more titles will release that make your purchase at a later time a better option.

4. If you are someone just looking to buy a “hot” item for resale value then skip it, it is really doubtful the Vita will be that hard to find item that commands a premium price.

Finally, I will mention the pricing consideration. I predict we will see a price drop on the Vita this year, possibly around the June 2012 time frame along side the big E3 Expo.

Why? A couple key reasons come top of mind:

1. Expect Apple to release the iPad 3 this year along with the iPhone 5 which will take focus off the Vita

2. Nintendo will release the Wii-U this year

3. The continued erosion of the handheld gaming market by the mobile platform (Android/iOS). iPhone’s, iPod’s, iPad’s and Android devices do much of the same as their handheld counterparts but also offer so much more than just games (HD Video, High Quality photos, applications and much more). Cost of applications and games on mobile platforms tends to be much cheaper than buying games on a handheld device.

So at the end of the day what are we left with? In my opinion we have the most powerful handheld system made by a console manufacturer to date (I’ve seen it in person at E3 and it is near PS3 quality) however, it is also the most expensive. Technology does not come cheap but at the same time until Sony lowers the price of the Vita (I suggest $189.99 WiFi and $239.99 WiFi/3G) they are facing an uphill battle.

Vita may translate to life however, until they can bring the cost down I’m afraid Sony is sucking the “life” right out of their own system.

Soul Calibur V & Final Fantasy XIII-2

Rick Daino — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:16:14 +0000

This week we see the release of two highly anticipated games in Soul Calibur V and Final Fantasy XIII-2 both for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 platforms. After looking at the deals on these games this week it appears Target has the best value for your dollar as they are giving away a $20 Gift Card with each game. Some mixed reports are coming in stating that the gift card is available for use right away so those of you picking up both titles might want to have your purchase done in two transactions to you can try applying the card to your other game.

Are you planning on picking up either of these titles this week or will you wait for the eventual price drop?

CaseCrown’s Polycarbonate Exo Case for iPhone 4/4S Review

Vulcan4770 — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:48:59 +0000

Retail: $28.95   3 out of 5 Stars

Coming from CaseCrown is the Polycarbonate Exo Case for the iPhone 4/4S. This case offer design similar to Speck’s Fitted cases for the iPhone. This case features a nice cutout for the apple logo and offers a two piece snap on design. It also sports a matte finish and textured plastic spine on the back piece for better grip.

Positives

The aesthetics of the case were a nit nicer than what I was expecting. The plastic spine down the back of the case has a nice feel to it and feels good in the palm of your hand. The Exo’s front piece offers a good lay on the table design but can be feel hard on the hand and fingers sometimes. It also comes in a wide array of colors.

Negatives

The matte finish is nice until you start to use the case a lot. It easily picks up finger prints and dust, more than usual for me. The plastic spine I mentioned also gets fibers/hair (thanks to my cat) stuck where it is attached to the back piece (see first pic) I also noticed some prickly spot of plastic on the back that must have been a defect in my sample. Another thing that is annoying to me is the two piece design not coming together fully (you can see this in the second picture near the bottom). This might not seem like a problem but you do start to notice it a lot.

Overall

The Exo turned out to be a interesting design and I like the textured spine on the back I’d like to see CaseCrown try using this in a different or modified design. There were a lot of little things that bothered me about this case. This case also is just too pricey and I would rather pick up one of their slider cases instead of this one.

If you would like to buy ones check out their website here

Thanks to CaseCrown for the providing the sample

Magpul’s Field Case review for iPhone 4/4S

Vulcan4770 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:57:35 +0000

Retail: $9.95!                5 out of 5 stars!

Tired of paying $20-$50 for a decent iPhone case? How about $9.95? This case comes from Magpul, the makers of popular magazine grips for assault rifles. Today I will be a reviewing their Field Case (see review below for the Executivel Field Case review).

Positives

If you liked the Executive Field case you’ll love the Field Case. This case also offers the same slimming design without sacrificing protection however, I did notice that this version of the case is slightly thicker than the Executive Field Case. This case uses a similar design to their AR grips, this version features longer ridges around the case for better grip sporting the Magpul logo in the middle. The material is similar to TPE and is excellent for sliding in your pocket without being too slippery while offering a grip. The case also covers the lock button and covers the volume buttons making it resemble a rocker switch for volume which is nice. It also feels great in the hand on offers slightly more grip than the Field Case. The edges do offer some lay on the table design and you can still fit a screen protector on it without getting air bubbles! It also comes in a good array of of great colors.

Negatives

None

Overall

In addition to the Executive Field Case (see review below) this is also a great everyday case. Thanks Magpul for making a great product that they could have charged $50 for. Thanks again to Magpul for providing the product. If you would like to buy one check out their website here.

Stay tuned for more reviews coming!

Magpul Executive Field Case for iPhone 4/4S Review. A MUST BUY!

Vulcan4770 — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:24:12 +0000

Retail: $9.95!                5 out of 5 stars!

Tired of paying $20-$50 for a decent iPhone case? How about $9.95.I decided to pick one up. This amazing case comes from Magpul, the makers of popular magazine grips for assault rifles. They decided to make their own iPhone cases after being tired about how expensive cases were costing, what resulted was a great product at a great price.

Positives

This case offers a slim fit without sacrificing protection. Using a similar design to their AR grips the case features the same ridges around the case for better grip. The material is similar to TPE and is excellent for sliding in your pocket without being too slippery while offering a grip. The case also covers the lock button and covers the volume buttons making it resemble a rocker switch for volume which is nice. It also feels great in the hand. The edges do offer some lay on the table design and you can still fit a screen protector on it without getting air bubbles!

Negatives

None!

Overall

This case is a MUST buy. I do not have a reason to tell you otherwise. This is a great everyday case and you won’t want to buy another case! Kudos to Magpul for making a great product that they could have charged $50 for.

pick one up at their website by clicking here

SeeThru iPhone 4S Case Review

Rick Daino — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:22:42 +0000

While it may not be as protective as the Speck CandyShell it comes very close with the added benefit of being Ultra Clear! Check it out:

My iPhone 4S story

Rick Daino — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:43:50 +0000

So the iPhone 4S is officially available for pre order and as of 11am (Pacific) you can still go to http://store.apple.com and grab your selected model for October 14th delivery in the USA.

In case you were wondering I did stay up to pre order mine just in case demand was greater than supply.

Here is what I experienced:

 Logged on to iChat about 2 hours before midnight and hooked up with my buddy from http://www.photofriday.com to pass the time while we both waited to secure our new devices

 At about midnight reports came in from http://forums.macrumors.com that Verizon and Sprint preorders were up. Still no sign of orders going up on http://store.apple.com as the store was still showing closed.

 At about 12:40a (Pacific)  http://store.apple.com came online but for the next hour or so both myself and my friend were unable to get past the carrier eligibility page. HTTP errors, timeouts and “Sorry we were unable to process your request” messages.

 Around 1:40a (Pacific) the ability to pre order an iPhone went down and stayed down for about 10 minutes.

 Around 1:50a (Pacific) both myself and my friend were able to “Reserve” our iPhones. Apple seemed to remove the carrier check at this point and simply allowed you to reserve your phone. Got an email from apple stating they would contact me when it was time to finish the process of ordering my phone.

 Around 3:30a (Pacific) I got my email from Apple and successfully finished my order for my iPhone 4S

Overall I am really happy with the way Apple handled the situation this time. In my opinion it was much appreciated that they took the store down to change the pre order process to a reservation system. Not only did this tweak in the process save me some stress but it also let me catch some sleep as opposed to staying up all night hitting refresh.

How about you? Did you pre order an iPhone 4S and if so what was your experience?

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Rick Daino — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:30:02 +0000

Thank you Steve, you will be missed. 

iPhone 4S video wrap up

Rick Daino — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:23:37 +0000

Looking for a wrap up video of what took place at the apple press event this past Tuesday October 4th 2011? Check out my video below where I sum up all that took place.

iPhone media event less than 24 hours away

Rick Daino — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:58:51 +0000

Less than 24 hours away from Apple’s official iPhone media event and the rumor mill is in full swing!

Will Tim Cook’s first presentation (without Steve Jobs) fufill iPhone 5 dreams or shatter them with the announcement of a supercharged iPhone 4s? Your guess is as good as mine. If you asked me last week if we would see both an iPhone 5 and 4s this year my answer would have been yes however, with the recent press and early leaks (no mention of iPhone 5) it really has me wondering.

If you plan to update to the next gen iPhone will you still go 4s if it is the only option or will you hold out for an iPhone 5 release?

I’ll let you know my thoughts after we learn more tomorrow.