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[AbortedWalrusFetus]

As a PSP Go owner I approve of the slider design and was extremely disappointed when it wasn't in the cards for Vita. I would have accepted it up to a full half inch thicker if it had a slide design. That would have been plenty of room for the analog sticks I would imagine.

 

[LowEndTorque]

I have a Sony Xperia Play...an its the worse phone Ive ever, EVER, owned.

I really want to get id of it only after having it for the last few months but my wife wont let me yet

I've heard from so many people that the Xperia Play is a total piece of shit.

Sony really half-assed it with their "Playstation Phone." If they are serious about integrating the Playstation brand with their smartphone business they will need a much better effort than that.

I love Sony, but they really are one of those companies that leaves you scratching your head and wondering "wtf are they thinking?" with a lot of their decisions.

 

[Trojita]

Are the people saying the slider looks good high?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

How could he have designed the original Walkmen if the first one was released 32 years ago while he's worked their for under 30?

I think it was Shinichi Ogaswara.

PSP prototype:

What is it with Sony and having superior prototype designs?

I've heard from so many people that the Xperia Play is a total piece of shit.

Sony really half-assed it with their "Playstation Phone." If they are serious about integrating the Playstation brand with their smartphone business they will need a much better effort than that.

I love Sony, but they really are one of those companies that leaves you scratching your head and wondering "wtf are they thinking?" with a lot of their decisions.

A Sony Gaming Phone is quite possible one of the most ingenious ideas ever. Its too bad that Sony quarter-assed it so much, with the right focus and design they would have had a HUGE hit on their hands.

A very untapped market.

That looked so awesome and futuristic, between the Wii U, 3DS and Vita I'm kinda dissapointed in the next-gen hardware designs.

Wii U console design wasn't even close to being done at last E3. Its why they never showed it.

You can't have everything at once, though. The cost of this choice is that the system can't be a slider, and the cost of that is the system is much larger than it otherwise would be.

Now, if I want to take my theoretical Vita around, I have to carry a sack/backpack. It's a portable system that is only marginally portable. That's a big deal for many people, including me.

This. The Nintendo DS alone was bugging me, but the Vita seems ridiculous. I remember bringing this issue up during the Vita unveil threads but got bombarded with people who say "I NEVER leave the house without a backpack!". Then again a lot of them seemed to be European. Male purses?

 

[Parallax]

Nice to see Sony using Sony Electronics guys to design Playstation devices these guys are the best, PS systems used to look like cheap fisher price toys so it's good move from them.

Hope they hire Sony Electronics guys for PS4 too.




*vomit* This thing is ugly as sin.

Also it will sucks since the sticks look garbage like the Go/PSP ones.( and I think it will not work with the touchpad)

i dont mind the design, but the button layout an how cramped it looks(combined with what looks like more of those awful psp analogs) bother the hell out of me.

 

[Totobeni]

How could he have designed the original Walkmen if the first one was released 32 years ago while he's worked their for under 30?

Yeah that was false information..not sure why the articles said that :/

While it probably isn’t entirely accurate that he worked on the original Walkman (since it came before Sogabe’s time), a bio on Sony’s Web site gives him credit for a “See-through Walkman,” and a “Beautiful Walkman.” He also worked on the PlayStation 3 and Sony’s e-reader.

Takashi Sogabe

1960　Born in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
1983　Graduated from Nihon University, Art Department.
1983　Joined Design Center, Sony Corporation.
1996　Assigned to Design Center, Sony Corporation of America.
In charge of a wide range of design projects for over 80 products including mobile audio devices such as the Walkman, Handycam, and car audio systems.
See-through Walkman: WM-504
Beautiful Walkman: WM-EX5
HDD head unit: MEX-1HD
VAIO： type Z
Won the red dot award 2008 Best of the Best award, and IDEA award 2008 Gold Award with the Portable Reader System "PRS-505."
2007 Joined Sony Computer Entertainment. Involved in designing the PlayStation®3 system.

http://allthingsd.com/20111223/what-connects-a-playstation-vita-to-a-walkman-a-designer/

So Walkman: WM-504 ( 1980)

not the original one.


and since 07 he went from Sony Electronics to SCE and was the man behind the PS3 Slim design
http://www.scei.co.jp/interview/interview1_e.html

so yeah....he will design PS4 case for sure then..super oval egg PS4 case confirmed.

 

[ShinNL]

Yeah that was false information..not sure why the articles said that :/






http://allthingsd.com/20111223/what-connects-a-playstation-vita-to-a-walkman-a-designer/

So Walkman: WM-504 ( 1980)

not the original one.


and since 07 he went from Sony Electronics to SCE and was the man behind the PS3 Slim design
http://www.scei.co.jp/interview/interview1_e.html

so yeah....he will design PS4 case for sure then..super oval egg PS4 case confirmed.

Damn, he was the one who made the PS3 Slim? It's one of the ugliest consoles I've ever seen

Adding transparency doesn't say much.

If he wasn't there we would've had a better looking PS3 Slim

Slider in OP looks awful, I want a Vita that looks more like a PSP (which is gorgeous hardware design). Vita looks toy-shaped in comparison to the PSP.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

This. The Nintendo DS alone was bugging me, but the Vita seems ridiculous. I remember bringing this issue up during the Vita unveil threads but got bombarded with people who say "I NEVER leave the house without a backpack!". Then again a lot of them seemed to be European. Male purses?

I can understand this. For me personally, I would never want to put an expensive piece of equipment into my pocket. Hell, my iPhone has to have a shell at LEAST before it goes in there.

 

[FreeMufasa]

That's exactly what I wanted the vita to look like. An evolution on the GO. I need a go

 

[ShinNL]

I can understand this. For me personally, I would never want to put an expensive piece of equipment into my pocket. Hell, my iPhone has to have a shell at LEAST before it goes in there.

I can never understand this. Didn't you buy the iPhone for the amazing form factor? I have a different phone (Xperia Ray), but if I had an iPhone I would just slap a screen protector on the front and maybe the back because of the glass nature and put it in my pocket.

 

[Johnny]

The slider design only makes sense for something like the Xperia Play in which gaming is a secondary function and overall size takes precedence. Anyone who's used a PSPgo knows just how uncomfortable it can be. A dedicated gaming device should strive for comfort over size.

 

[Deleted member 74300]

Gah playing the PSP Go at some Best Buy was awful. No thank you to this similar design.

 

[CrankyKong]

I remember reading somewhere that the slider Vita prototype kept overheating, thats why they went with the super oval.
Probably in one of the many leaks before it was revealed

 

[Totobeni]

Gah playing the PSP Go at some Best Buy was awful. No thank you to this similar design.

Yeah, PSPgo ( and Xperia Play) are shitty beyond believe,button layout and size gave me hand cramps and awful to hold and play for more than half hour(unless you have baby smurf hands),they almost as bad as that overrated POS called GBMicro.

Vita brick design gave better control with the sticks and grip, and that what is important to me (more important than slightly better portability)

 

[Unknown One]

No thanks. It looks like the controls will be heavily compromised. The current Vita is great as it is.

 

[Augemitbutter]

glad they went with the final design. i prefer sturdiness.

 

[Coolwhip]

They should make a handheld that fits to your hand like a Gamecube controller. Fuck looks. Like anyone will ever look cool playing a handheld gaming console.

 

[DukeTogo1300]

So glad they went with the final design. I may never buy a slider product.

 

[radioheadrule83]

The shape and open screen are not to my taste, but they're not a dealbreaker.. I'd be more amenable to a clamshell design or something more pocketable that came with a protective case.. like those leather and rubber ones made for smartphones and tablets.

 

[Catalix]

If they had went with the slide model, I'm guessing a lot of games would be designed with a more streamlined control scheme, exclusively for when the slider is closed.

When all the "intimidating" face buttons and analog sticks are hidden away, players would only have to worry about the front/back touch, gyroscope, camera, and the L/R buttons.

 

[theBishop]

They should make a handheld that fits to your hand like a Gamecube controller. Fuck looks. Like anyone will ever look cool playing a handheld gaming console.

I can believe people still defend that controller. Not only is it ugly and "uncool", its also just a terrible controller. That awful right stick, that awkward shoulder button, the giant Win button in the center. This thing cannot be redeemed.

And I'm not even especially picky about controllers. I liked all 3 xbox controllers, and all dual shock variants.

 

[-PXG-]

That prototype PSP design still impresses me. Too bad they never used it.

 

[neptunes]

That PSP prototype seemed like a good starting off point, glad they never kept that silver bezel around the thing.

The corners on that thing looked like it would have dug a hole in the center of your palms (getting memories of orig DSPhat)

If they had went with the slide model, I'm guessing a lot of games would be designed with a more streamlined control scheme, exclusively for when the slider is closed.

When all the "intimidating" face buttons and analog sticks are hidden away, players would only have to worry about the front/back touch, gyroscope, camera, and the L/R buttons.

So you basically mean controls similar to iOS games?

 

[Gravijah]

prototype psp looks absolutely unplayable.

 

[Catalix]

So you basically mean controls similar to iOS games?

Basically. With the slider closed, the system would be an ipod touch with a larger screen, and a few extra inputs.

Then if you wanted to play a super-hardcore-traditional-console-experience-gamey-game, you'd slide out the extra controls. Front touch is still readily available. Utilizing back touch would be a little more tricky, so it'd most likely be relegated to a L2/R2 replacement.

But the final design we ended up getting lets us seamlessly use every interface at once (with actual protruding sticks). This way, game developers are uninhibited during the design process. Functionality was clearly Sony's top priority when choosing the flat brick model. Unfortunately, I think it all lacks elegance and easy portability. I hope an unforeseen compromise is in the cards for later.

 

[mrklaw]

The shape and open screen are not to my taste, but they're not a dealbreaker.. I'd be more amenable to a clamshell design or something more pocketable that came with a protective case.. like those leather and rubber ones made for smartphones and tablets.

yeah would have preferred a clamshell or at least a simple way of attaching a front screen protector. I end up buying a bulky case. Something like the iPad 2 smart cover, attaching to the bottom loops could work

 

[watershed]

Would have been interesting to see the clamshell design. Clamshell is great for portability but would they still have had the analogs and would the system still have been as wide? I assume not.

 

[spwolf]

prototype psp looks absolutely unplayable.

i was wondering whats wrong with people saying its good... maybe to look at, certainly not to play.

 

[To Far Away Times]

The slider version looks nice.

 

[Dash Kappei]

And yet it went with the worst of both worlds yay!

No clamshell = not portable
not portable yet no hdmi out

THANKS YOSHIDA

 

[Acrylic7]

Gah playing the PSP Go at some Best Buy was awful. No thank you to this similar design.

... yeah, because playing a handheld on a mounted/iron leash is totally comfortable.

try playing one that's not bolted to a wall. Its great.

 

[Hellion]

So is this Vita slim?

re-re-re-re cancels pre order/

 

[twinturbo2]

The guy who designed the original Walkman designed the PS Vita? Damn.

I really want to hear this guy, he must have some interesting stories to tell about working with Sony for three decades, to see the evolution of the company with his own eyes.

 

[infinityBCRT]

You are kidding, right?

The Xperia cannot play Uncharted or Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 last time I checked. It doesn't have the power or library that the Vita will have.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Anyone hating on the GO is a hamfisted bro-ape. The GO is the best iteration of the PSP, hands down.

 

[Wazzim]

The real design is better.

 

[east of eastside]

The Xperia cannot play Uncharted or Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 last time I checked. It doesn't have the power or library that the Vita will have.

OnLive, the pioneer of cloud-based gaming, announced Thursday that its free OnLive app for Android has been updated to support the slide-out game controls on the phone. This means the phone's owners now can enjoy almost all OnLive games, including the latest AAA console-class titles.

 

[[Nintex]]

Yep OnLive is awesome, can't wait for it to hit mainland Europe.

 

[Takao]

still can't play uncharted bro

 

[Totobeni]

still can't play uncharted bro

Was Xperia Faily even supported by SCEWWS?

 

[Solid warrior]

slider, clamshell? poor design choices if true. thank god for the current vita design.

 

[Takao]

Was Xperia Faily even supported by SCEWWS?

PlayStation Suite was supposed to be their support.

Too bad Suite launches in 2012, bwahaha.

 

[yurinka]

Was Xperia Faily even supported by SCEWWS?

Obviously not. But PS Suite will be there in addition to in Vita, in PS3, and in all the main Android devices.
But don't expect major SCEWWS games here, it will be like Minis on steroids + apps + PS1 games.

 

[infinityBCRT]

Good luck trying to play that on a train or even an average internet connection. And once again, still doesn't play Uncharted or UMvC3.

 

[JWong]

much much better. They can also use the design in next sony experia play phone

You have no idea how shitty it actually is.

 

[Blue Submarine No. 6]

I think it was Shinichi Ogaswara.

PSP prototype:

Thanks for posting that; I (very) vaguely recall reading that article many years back... It's hard to believe that I've been playing the PSP for nearly seven years now! I still have my original 1001 NA launch system, as well as a 2000, a 3000 and a couple of PSP Go systems (one to run CFW 660Pro). The PSP has been my favorite and most used system of this gen, and has been jockeying with my PSX, Dreamcast and TurboDuo/Express for the "my fave system of all time" slot. I'm so hyped for the Vita - if I get one fifth the play out of it I've enjoyed with my PSPs, it will be money well spent.

Yeah, I kind of feel like the Go was pretty much a triumph in design. The right size, the right weight, the sliding looked great, two colours. Significantly better industrial design than either the Vita or any of the prior PSP models. I'm sure there were engineering challenges as well as design ones leading them to use the brick design in the end, but it's a pity.

Agreed... the PSP Go is probably the best portable handheld design ever manufactured, afaic... I'm sure I'll be using mine even after I have my Vita - the Vita (or 3DS for that matter) isn't nearly portable enough for me; I like to have a "go everywhere" system I just keep in my pocket, and the PSP Go meets that criteria in terms of form-factor beautifully... With it's healthy allotment of internal storage and running CFW (and the emulators it affords), I can discreetly carry more great games with me than I could have dreamed possible even ten years ago!

 

[boi]

FORGET the slider and clamshell version if you want good analog sticks!

Can't the analog sticks just pop out when you slide the device open? I'm sure something like that could be possible.

 

[magawolaz]

I think it was Shinichi Ogaswara.

PSP prototype:

Sexy.

 

[sixteen-bit]

how would the d-pad work on that PSP prototype?

 

[MikeE21286]

I REALLY REALLY wish there was a way for the analog sticks to be recessed within the system.

Would have been much more multi-functional