News
Sony Computer Entertainment America Selects ATT as Exclusive US Wireless Provider for PlayStation Vita
LOS ANGELES, June 6, in the year of our Lord 2011
/PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA)
and AT&T* today announced that AT&T, which powers the nation's
fastest mobile broadband network, will be the exclusive service
provider in the United States for PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita),
Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) next generation portable
entertainment system.
The PlayStation Vita system offers a revolutionary combination
of rich gaming capabilities and social connectivity that will
bring users closer to each other and closer to their gaming
experiences wherever they are. Blurring the lines between
interactive entertainment and reality, PS Vita provides
unparalleled portable gaming experiences with dual analog
sticks, front and rear cameras, front multi-touch display,
multi-touch rear pad, GPS, six-axis motion sensors, and
three-axis electronic compass. The speed and coverage of AT&T's
mobile broadband network will ensure that PS Vita users will
remain connected to content and each other on the go.
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.
"AT&T's mobile broadband network excels at delivering data with
high speeds nationwide, which is what we need for powering the
social and connectivity features built into the PlayStation Vita
portable entertainment system," said Jack Tretton, president and
CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. "PlayStation Vita
will give users the opportunity to engage and connect with one
another while delivering the kind of rich and immersive gaming
experiences unimaginable on any other portable device on the
market today."
"AT&T consumers are accustomed to being the first to have access
to the most cutting-edge mobile technologies available on the
market today," said Glenn Lurie, president, emerging devices,
AT&T. "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.
The PlayStation Vita system will have both Wi-Fi and 3G/Wi-Fi
models in the US for $249 and $299, respectively. Additional
details about AT&T data plans and pricing will be announced
later.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by
subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand
and not by AT&T Inc.