PlayStation Vita is AT&T Exclusive
Sony made sure to put on a good press conference this year. They made a lot of big announcements. First, the NGP was officially named as PlayStation Vita, and secondly, the 3G carrier was announced.
AT&T will be the only carrier for PlayStation Vita in the United States. If you want 3G, you will need a AT&T contract. Sony has released a press statement in which it says, “PlayStation Vita customers with an AT&T service plan will also have free access at more than 24,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide.” The press release then goes on to say what type of services a user will have access to under AT&T’s plan.
AT&T consumers are accustomed to being the first to have access to the most cutting-edge mobile technologies available on the market today. We are thrilled to continue this legacy as the exclusive provider for PlayStation Vita in the U.S. market. By pairing the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network and the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network with this highly anticipated portable gaming device, PlayStation Vita users will experience a new era of portable gaming that will connect their entertainment and their lives more closely than ever.
AT&T wireless connectivity will enable infinite possibilities for PlayStation Vita users to “encounter,” “connect,” “discover,” “share” and “play” with friends on the go. Within the device are a range of social networking features that provide unique, next generation portable entertainment experiences, including a new application called “near” and an interactive interface called “LiveArea™.
Developed specifically for PlayStation Vita and pre-installed on each system, “near” will allow users to find out what other PS Vita users in their vicinity are currently playing and what titles are most popular in the area. Users can meet with friends and new players virtually – regardless of what games they are playing – simply by sharing their game information across PlayStation®Network on the go via AT&T’s mobile network, or when they’re at a Wi-Fi hotspot. “Near” also enables location-based gaming features such as “gifting,” in which a user can access virtual game-related items that other users are sharing, through checking in at geographic locations that others have also visited. The virtual items can include content unlocked from games, such as character costumes, weapons and treasures. Sharing these items between users adds a unique dimension to the portable gaming experience on PlayStation Vita while enhancing the social connectivity among the PS Vita community.
LiveArea™” is an interactive space for each PlayStation Vita software title in which users can access the latest information for games through PlayStation Network. Additionally, users will be able to view an “Activity” log that is constantly updated with accomplishments from users who are playing the same game, which in turn can trigger active real-time communication among users. The AT&T wireless network will enable “LiveArea™” users to connect to their games on the go.
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12 Responses to “PlayStation Vita is AT&T Exclusive”
I have a normal AT&T Cell Phone contract so will I need a NOT UNLIMITED LIMITED Data contract???
Wondering the same thing. Currently a 2gb a month subscriber, never reach the cap. But with the ngp, i’m sure I will easily. The other question is, att subsidies? Ngp for 199.99 with a 2 year contract?
having 3g is not that important for me. I’ll be going for the wifi only version.
I know. There is no way in HELL I am paying monthly fees for internet connection on my portable gaming device when I have a perfectly fine over seas version of my phones firmware that allows me to tether devices and a perfectly good internet connection with wifi, and the fact that I rarely leave home because I don’t like people very much.
Hopefully they’ll offer plans that are reasonable for what this thing is capable of doing. I can see people downloading games on the go and playing online constantly, should the battery allow it. Here’s hoping
I was hoping for a all neutral carrier device but i guess not. Funny tho when Sony said AT&T is the fastest mobile carrier everybody was laughing but they stop when they realized Sony was serious lol.
can’t speak for everyone, but my at&t 3g is faster than my daughters verizon 3g. could just be the area though. and, if the fcc see’s fit to okay the att take over of t-mobile, then it’s all good in the 3g hood. what does surprize me though is it’s 3g and not 4g. also, not everyone was laughing.
oh well.
what with Europeans? no 3G?
I remember him saying they would announce providers for other areas “later” or something, and I didn’t hear it later in the conference so check the blog sometime I guess.
Thanks! i want the 3G version so badly
no 3G for me… I dont do business with AT&T. at least the system will have wifi that I can tether to other devices or my home network.