PS Vita memory cards priced: $30 to $120
Vita's proprietary memory card format has been priced, and people are not going to be pleased.
One of the biggest hidden costs of picking up Sony's new Vita handheld is the need to acquire a new proprietary memory card. Whereas the PSP Go had 16GB of storage built-in, the Vita comes with nothing. And, unlike the PSP, which used the slightly more open Memory Stick format, the Vita uses a completely proprietary memory card.
Sony has been shy about pricing these cards, which range from 4GB to 32GB. However, new entries on GameStop's website give us a first look at what to expect.
According to GameStop (via CVG), the 4GB card will go for $29.99. The 8GB card is priced at $44.99; the 16GB card is $69.99; and the 32GB card is $119.99.
Anger over these prices will undoubtedly be palpable. The listed prices represent nearly a 300% markup over Memory Stick, and a 600% markup over SD cards, for equivalently sized offerings. By placing such a high premium on Vita's memory, Sony is taking a page from Microsoft's successful marketing of proprietary Xbox 360 hard drives. Like the Xbox 360, Vita doesn't require additional memory, but many core features, like downloading games, will be unavailable without the extra purchase.
The Vita "First Edition" bundle, which launches one week before the "official" Vita launch, includes a 4GB memory card. The $350 bundle includes a 3G system, a bundled game, and additional accessories.
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replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, PS Vita memory cards priced: $30 to $120.
Vita's proprietary memory card format has been priced, and people are not going to be pleased.-
Is it just me? Or does Sony and Nintendo really want this generation of handhelds to fail?
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Sony just wants to fail period, it seems
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They do seem to be trying especially hard... I don't know WTF.
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This is a bit ridiculous. But I am already certain that I will be able to get them cheaper on eBay just like I got the 32GB Stick for my PSP for like $40 last year. Sure the card I buy may be stolen or worse fake. But with eBays buyer protection I won't get duped AND be out of money. The cost will come down eventually, and I can already see the MiniSD conversion kits coming just like the ones that are out for MemoryStick Pro Duo
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What in the world?! $120 for a 32GB memory card? Suddenly $249.99 no longer seems like an acceptable entry price. The Vita may very well have just fallen off my radar.
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They are doing this for a reason, obviously pirating everything has gotten way out of hand and this will most likely hold it off for a while.. :P There will be third party cards no doubt. And everyone saying the Vita will fail, I highly doubt that with the huge amount of cool games coming to it. But then everyone will say the games suck anyways, because they just want to hate... So keep crying!
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Even so, this would deter a large number of people who would have to cover the up front cost and hassle of acquiring one of those readers. I don't disagree with you though.
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Independent of anything else, I'm concerned that every launch game will have stupid controls that force you to use the back touch panel to reload your gun or tickle the spiders attacking you or some other BS. Remember how every PS3 launch game had stupid controller waggle commands that were required to play the game? What was the last PS3 game you can remember that even mentioned motion controls? (Not including the wand games obviously)
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Now is this MSRP or just gamestop's pricing? I could totally understand why gamestop would want to discourage buying games from the PSN store instead of hard copies from their store..
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I have never understood Sony's desire to fuck things up with proprietary media.
The list of failures is getting longer and longer...
Betamax, DAT, Elcaset, MiniDisc, SACD, and UMD all failed. MemoryStick has kind of hung on, but even that is a bit player in the market. The only format that actually worked for them was CD, but that was done in conjunction with Philips who required that the format licensed at a reasonable cost. BluRay hasn't take off, even though it can be licensed, becaus as Jobs famously said "BluRay is a bag of hurt".
So basically, Sony is like 1 out of 10, and the only reason that took off was because its co-inventor stipulated it.
Seems to me, in a down economy, the best way to sabotage the release is to nickel and dime your customers through things like yet another proprietary media standard. Their management REALLY is incompetent.-
I'm no Sony fan. I always thought their stuff was overpriced and I'm not a console gamer but to say that they are only 1 out of 10 is not quite accurate.
Actually, Sony had a pretty good track record of making proprietary formats work. They invented the 3.5 inch floppy disk, co-developed the cd, the dvd, and Blu-ray is doing pretty well.
Betamax may have flopped in the consumer market but derivatives of it were the de facto standard in tv up until solid state storage started to take over.
DAT was also heavily used by amateur musicians. Minidiscs were apparently pretty popular in Asia in were used in the USA by people recording bands and recording interviews.
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They licensed the 3.5. CD, again, was co developed and licensed. BluRay is NOT doing well. Nerds like it, but generally, it doesn't sell well. Betamax flopped big in the consumer market (whcih is what we are talking about), DAT also failed in the market. MiniDisk only sold well in Japan.
As long as they license and a reasonable price, they do okay. But when they try to control the market through high licensing or not licensing at all, they do poorly. Sony just isn't big enough on its own to demand everyone use its media types.
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lol
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More formats!!!!!!!!
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No thank you Sony .. Not sure this was a Day One purchase for me but it may not be a purchase at all now. For those that suggest the price will come down.. You've had a look at the price of the MS Pro Duo sticks yes? Theoretically it should have an advantage over this 'new' format in price as several devices use it.. Well PSP, PS3? and errr.. Sony Cameras if people still use those... History suggests that you'll still be paying a rather large premium for yet another Sony proprietary format for years to come. Maybe the price of MSPD sticks will finally come down now ;-)
