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Did Sony just beat Apple to the punch?

R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
With the announcement that Apple would be standardizing controller support in iOS, it became obvious what the future plans were for Apple TV ... a 'cheap' gaming device. Everybody has been looking forward to Apple pulling the curtains back on opening up Apple TV to the AppStore, either in full or at least for gaming.


Seemingly out of nowhere, Sony has launched Vita TV ... which now becomes its direct competitor ... before Apple even gave birth. It does media streaming, gaming, and even remote play of PS4. In hindsight this move seems so obvious, but I wouldn't have thought of it in a million years.



Thoughts?







Even more amusingly ... this ends up kicking MS in the nuts as well. They've been going back and forth trying to decide whether to do some sort of stripped down media player that does casual gaming. Now what do they do?
 
P

Pai Pai Master

Banned
It depends on how quickly they get Gaikai Streaming up on Vita. Being able to stream the entire digital PS catalog, PS3 and PS4 included, on that tiny $100 box will be huge.
 
C

Coolwhip

Banned
Uhh not really. Noone knows what a Vita is, everyone knows what Apple products are. And I think you are overestimating how many people are waiting for a standard controller for their games. Touch controls are popular for a reason.
 
D

Dictator93

Member
The one problem that sony has and that apple already has covered is the fact that casual gamers most likely do not associate sony with such opportunities.

Apple already has a flock of obsessed sheep who will buy the next little "hip" device... regardless of its actually quality or use.

Sony does not have this "group" or "affinity" in the realm they just entered.
 
G

glaurung

Member
iTunes selection of media is still king. Sony has a few good years to go before they can compete with that.

Hardware-wise? I'd say Sony is better already (Vita TV versus Apple TV).
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Salvor.Hardin said:
Sony will end up treating it like how it treats all of its non-essential accessories and people will forget it exists.
Click to expand...
It's not an accessory though. Or at least it doesn't have to be.

While its uses as part of the ecosystem are really cool, it functions perfectly well as a standalone device as well. Or have people not read up on it?
 
M

maabus1999

Member
Raistlin said:
With the announcement that Apple would be standardizing controller support in iOS, it became obvious what the future plans were for Apple TV ... a 'cheap' gaming device. Everybody has been looking forward to Apple pulling the curtains back on opening up Apple TV to the AppStore, either in full or at least for gaming.


Seemingly out of nowhere, Sony has launched Vita TV ... which now becomes its direct competitor ... before Apple even gave birth. It does media streaming, gaming, and even remote play of PS4. In hindsight this move seems so obvious, but I wouldn't have thought of it in a million years.



Thoughts?







Even more amusingly ... this ends up kicking MS in the nuts as well. They've been going back and forth trying to decide whether to do some sort of stripped down media player that does casual gaming. Now what do they do?
Click to expand...

Outside of gaming enthusiasts, I don't see this catching on. More expensive then other media extenders, and if the apps are the same as the PS3's, less competitive.

Plus I think Apple has realized "gaming" is more profitable with mobile apps then big screen TV titles, so I don't see them coming out with anything on the TV in the short term. When smart phone processing starts to reach acceptable levels for a TV, that may change.

EDIT: Also, this accessory has to prove its worth with the enthusiasts. Which means the remote play needs to work well, and people accept the down resing of titles to 720p.
 
M

MechaX

Member
If sales are any indication, the only people who know about the Vita for real are gaming enthusiasts.

The Apple audience that far outweighs the Vita audience, let alone most of the gaming audience, most likely does not even know about the Vita and will get AppleTV just because it is a complementary program.

Sony did not "beat Apple to the punch," but this is more about Sony trying to position themselves.
 
J

johnny956

Member
I think it comes down to how Sony markets the device. It could be huge but clearly Sony will have to advertise it well. That 4+ minute video in the other thread is a perfect example.

Seeing a whole new thread on actual remote play when its been supported on the Vita/PSP to PS3 for some time shows Sony needs to work on it.
 
S

Santar

Member
If they market it right and let people know about more features than just playing vita games then maybe it will catch on, but unfortunately I'm not sure they're going to do this.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
glaurung said:
iTunes selection of media is still king. Sony has a few good years to go before they can compete with that.

Hardware-wise? I'd say Sony is better already (Vita TV versus Apple TV).
Click to expand...
Well for people already all-in with iTunes, I don't see them leaving. They're going to continue in the Apple ecosystem.


I think the bigger question is the non-iTunes content availability. Apple has been pretty late with a lot of services, but recently caught up to much of the competition. If Sony can at least keep up with them ... I think it becomes a viable competitor in the media streamer category (which up until now, is really just Roku and Apple TV in terms of unit sales).
 
A

AlexMogil

Member
Raistlin said:
With the announcement that Apple would be standardizing controller support in iOS, it became obvious what the future plans were for Apple TV ... a 'cheap' gaming device. Everybody has been looking forward to Apple pulling the curtains back on opening up Apple TV to the AppStore, either in full or at least for gaming.
Click to expand...

Sony has beaten Apple to the punch on gaming but they have a long way to to go usurp Apple TV on media. Right *now* when people think Apple TV they think media and information.

So I guess in a sense, yes and no.
 
D

Devilgunman

Member
First post failed.

Yes, Vita TV is a direct competitor to Apple TV or any other set top boxes but Sony is still far behind in multimedia service and I'm in doubt if they will ever catch up with Apple in that department. On the other hand, Vita TV will be a set top box with the best gaming library and Sony won't even have to try to advertise its strength to general public because everybody knows what Playstation is.
 
B

BPoole

Member
They seem to be set on the games side of things, but the other features are lacking compared to a Roku or Apple TV.
 
C

Canis lupus

Member
A 99 PS device is brilliant, it not only is a great alternative to mediaboxes and Apple tv but also help increase the Vita installbase. It should get as many apps as possible.
 
B

BronsonLee

Member
Apple? No. Sony made this to compete with AppleTV, and they're leveraging their substantial library, and hell, hardware they already made, and retrofitting them to make a play in the streaming box market. Like other people are saying, Roku and Apple have the apps for the most part cornered. It's a long climb up on those.

Microsoft totally just got derped though. Where's that damn 99$ XBox without discs?!
 
M

macewank

Member
I would say no, if for no other reason than the fact that I don't think the Vita TV is going to sell well at all.
 
PuppetMaster

PuppetMaster

Member
I wonder if Indy Devs knew about this Vita TV in advance. Maybe that explains the sudden rush of support for the Vita from indies.
 
G

Gamerloid

Member
Well, I don't know what Apple is planning but its not about being first, it's about being the best at it. It's like how Samaung is said to be planning a Galaxy Gear to combat the unconfirmed iWatch. Even if Samsung is first, will they have the best product? I don't know since both products are non-existent.

I think this Vita TV will be a niche product.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
sixteen-bit said:
Apple isn't known for being first, it's know for being perceived as "best"
Click to expand...
In most sectors. It's a little less clear for media devices. Roku not only sells more, but the perception has been it's a better value/quality as well.

Apple dragging its ass on services and features doesn't always hurt it ... but this is one sector it actually has. Most perceive it as being behind.
 
M

Miker

Member
Raistlin said:
In most sectors. It's a little less clear for media devices. Roku not only sells more, but the perception has been it's a better value/quality as well.

Apple dragging its ass on services and features doesn't always hurt it ... but this is one sector it actually has. Most perceive it as being behind.
Click to expand...

Apple hasn't really put its full weight behind Apple TV. I think they've been quoted that they treat it as a "hobby."
 
I

iammeiam

Member
Can you use a standard remote to control a Vita TV? I don't remember seeing one in the specs sheet, and I honestly believe 'doesn't work with my universal remote' would seriously hamper it's ability to be taken seriously as a media device.

I'm also extremely curious about how people will react to Vita graphics blown up to TV size.
 
R

richiek

steals Justin Bieber DVDs
It's time like this that I wish Apple could partner up / acquire Nintendo. Can you imagine a Wii U Gamepad like device that works as a portable console AND can stream via Apple TV? One can only hope.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
AlexMogil said:
Sony has beaten Apple to the punch on gaming but they have a long way to to go usurp Apple TV on media. Right *now* when people think Apple TV they think media and information.

So I guess in a sense, yes and no.
Click to expand...
The perception in the media community is that Apple TV is behind its competitors though.

It's value is in AirPlay and for people that regularly use iTunes. If you don't have those requirements ... people point you to Roku, etc. Hell PS3 was considered a better solution for quite some time. Arguably still is unless you need HBO Go.
 
B

BigDug13

Member
Dictator93 said:
The one problem that sony has and that apple already has covered is the fact that casual gamers most likely do not associate sony with such opportunities.

Apple already has a flock of obsessed sheep who will buy the next little "hip" device... regardless of its actually quality or use.

Sony does not have this "group" or "affinity" in the realm they just entered.
Click to expand...

But doesn't this apply to Microsoft as well? They're attempting to compete against Apple for the living room with a $500 huge box while Sony is doing it with a $100 Apple TV sized box that also plays games and doesn't lock media apps behind a subscription.
 
M

meppi

Member
Sorta. But having a large list of games that are not compatible with the device is a huge mistake in my book.
 
C

chronomac

Member
Apple already has an opportunity to take some of the game market. iOS 7 support 3rd party controllers (using an iPhone, for example). So it seems to me that, with a few software updates to the Apple TV, they could allow developers to craft games specific to that setup that could be really compelling.

They have an opportunity and I think they're waiting before they dive in.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Devilgunman said:
First post failed.

Yes, Vita TV is a direct competitor to Apple TV or any other set top boxes but Sony is still far behind in multimedia service and I'm in doubt if they will ever catch up with Apple in that department. On the other hand, Vita TV will be a set top box with the best gaming library and Sony won't even have to try to advertise its strength to general public because everybody knows what Playstation is.
Click to expand...

They are?



Miker said:
Apple hasn't really put its full weight behind Apple TV. I think they've been quoted that they treat it as a "hobby."
Click to expand...
Apple says a lot of things :p
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
I'd like to say yes, but the the media streaming part is still massively underwhelming. I think in the UK we have netflix and lovefilm, and nothing else. No network streaming via DLNA, no meaningful apps.

Assuming Sony make a big push for that, then yes it could be an interesting offer. Especially if they start to build it into their mid-high end Bravias - they could morph this into a nice smart TV platform too
 
B

BigDug13

Member
ElTopo said:
It's a set top box with PSP/PS1/Vita games. I'm honestly not sure why this is supposed to be the holy grail. Can't you do most of that with the PS3, which - at least the "worst" version - is pretty cheap already?
Click to expand...

PS3 is clunky these days in navigation. The store is slow, loading of various apps is slow, the machine takes up a bigger footprint and is still twice the price of this.

$100 is basically direct Apple TV competition. And Vita's own store and apps just load smoother than the aging PS3.

Honestly this just blows Microsoft out of the water in living room domination to me. PS3, PS4, and now PSV as viable living room options for customers of all walks of life. And no subscription required.
 
K

KoopaTheCasual

Junior Member
Salvor.Hardin said:
Sony will end up treating it like how it treats all of its non-essential accessories and people will forget it exists.
Click to expand...

What a terrible first post.

Dictator93 said:
The one problem that sony has and that apple already has covered is the fact that casual gamers most likely do not associate sony with such opportunities.

Apple already has a flock of obsessed sheep who will buy the next little "hip" device... regardless of its actually quality or use.

Sony does not have this "group" or "affinity" in the realm they just entered.
Click to expand...

Now THIS is the problem Sony has. Sony has yet to break into Apple's audience, so this is going to be a very difficult uphill battle for them.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
mrklaw said:
Assuming Sony make a big push for that, then yes it could be an interesting offer. Especially if they start to build it into their mid-high end Bravias - they could morph this into a nice smart TV platform too
Click to expand...
Well that's an interesting thought 0_0
 
LiquidMetal14

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
We will see but there's no denying the device is really cool and opening up potential for an even broader user base here. You will still have your people who game on all the dedicated Playstation devices but then you have this box which plays PSV/PS1/PSP games and streams PS4 games to any other TV and it becomes very compelling. It will basically be a pumped up Roku.
 
B

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
in announcing it? Yes

in releasing it? Somewhere in between "remains to be seen", "sort of" and "not really"

All of the API stuff is already there for Apple TV. All of the mirroring stuff has been there for Apple TV for years. The only thing Sony will beat them on is if Apple doesn't announce an App Store for AppleTV this year.

I mean technically you COULD play a game on your iphone or ipad with a bluetooth controller while AirPlaying it to your Apple TV starting this fall.. but that is nowhere near as clean as what Sony has announced. For Apple to match Sony here they would have to have App Store on apple TV that you could download games directly to the unit and connect a bluetooth controller to it.
 
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