A couple of days ago, Sony took the stage at an event called Gamescom, and talked about what's coming next for gaming. They went over how the PlayStation 3 isn't dead quite yet, and showed off the upcoming slate of titles. They obviously covered what's coming for the PlayStation 4, and provided a release date. And, as you can expect, they also talked about their mobile PlayStation gaming console, the Vita. The device that, since launch, hasn't really worked as well as Sony would have hoped.
The Vita ended up being a mobile console for the hardcore of hardcore gamers. And even then, I know plenty of gamers who got rid of their Vita pretty quickly. Some still have theirs, but they haven't even turned it on in months. The problem comes in the fact that there's just not much content made for the Vita. I touched on that subject a year ago, and it's the same deal in 2013.
Sony wants to change that, and they've got some big titles for the Vita headed down the pipe. You'll find games like Borderlands 2 and Hotline Miami 2 coming to the mobile gaming console, for instance, plus a lot more. So it looks like in 2013, and moving forward, Sony's finally put some real weight behind getting worthwhile content on their pricey mobile gaming rig.
Of course, there is more to it than that. Especially when it comes to mobile gaming.
Just look at Apple, and the way that Google has begun making serious efforts in focusing on gaming on Android. Mobile gaming isn't just for the hardcore anymore. It's for anyone with a smartphone or tablet, and who wants to kill some time. It's also for the folks who don't want to spend upwards of $40 or more to get a new game.
That's why a lot of questions pop up. Should Apple create a dedicated gaming unit? Should Nintendo just throw in the towel when it comes to mobile gaming? Or, on the other hand, should the company that brought us Mario bring their games to our smartphones?
It's that last bit I want to hang onto for a moment. We all know that Sony has PlayStation Mobile, a feature that allows some Android-based devices access to a digital library of old PlayStation titles. It was a bold move, but the right one, to open PlayStation Mobile to other, non Sony-branded devices, but it didn't really catch on. PlayStation Mobile still exists, but you don't hear it talked about all that often. Indeed, even Sony doesn't mention it much anymore.
But I think they should bring it back, and I think they should dabble in some really futuristic stuff while they're at it. Well, not all that futuristic, but it might seem like it -- if they could get it to work. I'm talking about Remote Play. It's a feature that's currently available on the PlayStation 3 and Vita, but one that doesn't really work as well as it should, or for as many games as one would think.
But that's changing with the PlayStation 4 and the Vita. Sony demonstrated the technology on stage, and it worked very well. What's more, you'll be able to stream any PlayStation 4 title to your PlayStation Vita, so you can just continue playing without missing a beat. It's an awesome feature, and one that many will take advantage of. Some may even buy a Vita for this purpose alone.
And I want it on my phone. I want PlayStation Mobile to step into the future of mobile gaming, and I want it to open up the possibilities on my phone. Really take advantage of PS Mobile, basically. I think it'd be great if I could turn on any Android (or iOS!?) phone, access PS Mobile, and then start running Remote Play. No Vita needed.
The big drawback would be no physical controls, but considering there are so many options to get over that particular hurdle, I don't really see it as a "make it or break it" situation.
What do you think of the idea? Would you take advantage of Remote Play on your smartphone or tablet? Or are you okay with just sticking to the mobile games you download already? Let me know!
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