DAILY MANIFESTO

Maybe I Shouldn't Import the PlayStation Vita

Posted on Monday, September 19 @ 10:19:28 Eastern by Anthony Severino

As soon as Sony confirmed that the PlayStation Vita was region-free, everyone turned and looked at me. Mainly because I've got a few screws loose, and I can't stand waiting for new gadgetry. You see, I'm the type of guy who upgrades his phone every six months and has to have the newest version of everything.

New TV? I went out and bought a 3DTV right away. New tablet? I sold my old one to get the new one. I've even developed the perfect strategy. As soon as the newer model is announced, I sell my current model. That way the value is still high enough to where I can put the money I get to knock a solid chunk off of the new one's price. It's just what I do. I've got it down to a science.

Part of it is because I love gadgets—a category that the PlayStation Vita falls into. The other part is because I'm impatient, and I can't stand the thought of other people getting things before me, I'm a spoiled brat like that. Knowing that the Japanese public will get the Vita before me... doesn't sit well with me.

I'm no stranger to importing video game products, either. The last thing I imported was a few years back now. It was the original PSP. I picked one up because they ran 1.00 firmware instead of the 1.50 firmware on US PSPs. I won't get into the reasons why I did that (though I will say I've never pirated a game in my life).

However, that PSP taught me that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant changes between different regions can affect you. Which is why when Sony's Shuhei Yoshida—the same guy who confirmed the Vita to be region free—said he didn't recommend importing the Vita, I had to agree.

Yoshida cites minor "nuisances" or inconsistencies between the two region's hardware, namely the actions of the X and O buttons being swapped. This may not seem like a big deal, but I experienced this first-hand with my imported PSP. It just plain sucks. In Japan, circle means "yes" and X means "no", hence the swap. I found myself instinctively press X for "yes", which would take me back a screen or cancel whatever action I wanted. I couldn't get used to it. No matter how hard I tried to pay attention, years of pressing it "the right way" was burned into my brain, and there was nothing I could do about it. You just can't forget something like that. It's like learning how to ride a bike, then being forced to pedal backwards instead. It just doesn't work.

So, think twice about importing a PlayStation Vita. You may regret it, and it ain't a cheap purchase to have to regret down the line. Especially when Yoshida promised an updated launch date for other regions "soon".

Now, if I can only talk myself into taking my own advice. I'm a stubborn prick, and I'll probably still end up importing, then regretting it.

Tags: PS Vita, Sony

Comments

tinymhg
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 11:54 am
Must be nice to be so rich.

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Anthony_Severino
Joined: Oct 2010

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Rich? Hahahahahahhahahhahahahahahahhahahahahaahahahahahahhaahahahha.
AAAAaaahahahahahahhahahahahahahhhahahaahhahahahahahhahahahhahahahha.
Hahahahahhahahahahahahhahaahha.

I sell my body for these things.

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Anthony_Severino
Joined: Oct 2010

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Speaking of which, do you need any company tonight, sweetcheeks?

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xxmrcyanidexx
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Anthony is really just that Chinese kid who sold a kidney for an Ipad 2. I'm on to you, Zheng.

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tinymhg
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Dear Mr. Severino,

Rich is a relative term. To a starving child in Africa, my small apartment with its cupboard full of canned goods would make him think I was quite well off, but he would look at you with your house, your car, your 3D TV, and all your other possessions and see a very wealthy man. You are rich enough to buy yourself any gadget that comes along, and that is what I meant. So stop rolling on the floor laughing, and get back out on that corner, because I hear the iPhone 5 is coming soon.

Yours truly,
tinymhg

PS: I’m in to women.

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troznov
Joined: Mar 2007

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 11:56 am
I got used to the O/X swap with Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation. Maybe because they were the first games I really loved, my brain was wired to be ambibuttonous.

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Bras
Joined: Jul 2008

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
After all, you can only press 1 button with each hoof

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Rinnon
Joined: Nov 2005

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Hey, as far as I'm concerned, putting CFW on any device you own isn't in any way morally wrong. I had to jailbreak my damn iPhone (before I got an android) just so I could put my own custom Text Message tone on it.

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TheJx4
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
I once played a Dynasty Warriors PSP game.

Controls were total mind****ery. I couldn't get used to the X/O swap either.

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MrrClean
Joined: Aug 2010

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Why the hell would they even program such a stupid little difference in in the first place? How does that make even the slightest bit of sense?

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ironlotus
Joined: Aug 2011

Posted: Sep 19th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
"In Japan, circle means "yes" and X means "no", hence the swap." hmmm i wonder.....

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