Another blow to Sony's struggling handheld console
Sony is set to reimburse customers who bought its PlayStation Vita after complaints that a TV advert for the handheld console made false claims.
The ad said the cross platform facility allowed users to start a title on the larger PS3, pause it and "pick up right where you left off" on the handheld. It also said it allowed them to take part in a two-person multiplayer game in which each player would use a different one of the two devices.
It added that the remote play option allowed consumers to "tap into" the PS3 to let them play one of its titles via the Vita while "on the go", providing access to more complex games than the Vita would otherwise be able to run.
However, the FTC took issue with these claims, saying:
- The cross platform feature was only available to a few games, and not all of them as implied
- When cross platform was offered it was more limited than shown. For instance in the baseball game MLB 12: The Show, the option could only be triggered after finishing an entire nine-inning game, rather than mid-action as the ad depicted
- The ad failed to make clear that to make use of cross platform, the user needed to buy two versions of the same game
- Multiplayer gaming using both devices together was in fact impossible
- The remote play facility only worked with some games, and the one used to show off the facility - Killzone 3 - was not among them. In fact, "very few, if any" PS3 games of similar size and complexity could be played on the Vita
In addition, the regulator said it was unhappy that Deutsch sent a company-wide email to its staff asking them to post positive comments on Twitter using the hashtag #gamechanger.
To qualify for the pay-out, users must live in the US and have bought a Vita before 1 June 2012. Those affected should be able to choose either a $25 (£16) cash or credit refund, or a $50 voucher, which can be spent on a selection of video games or other services.
http://www.bbc.co.uk...nology-30212921
Anybody on here effected by this?
I find this interesting because I saw on another forum that someone had posted "pros and cons" of 3DS vs Vita and they claimed you did not need to buy the same game for each platform to allow cross play on vita. They said purchases were transferred between the two consoles, unlike Wii U and 3DS.
Edited by Hunter, 26 November 2014 - 03:26 PM.
