After Nintendo Direct’s wonderfully impressive showing last night, Sony better be preparing themselves for their upcoming Vita Gamer Heaven. Either that, or they’ll be preparing for a long, arduous journey for the future of the Vita.
When Sony first presented their Playstation Vita Game Heaven, reactions were mixed. The event itself was tasteful enough, showcasing various new projects and collaborations with renowned members of the industry; in the short presentation, Dokuro, Phantasy Star Online 2, Super Robot Wars, Soul Sacrifice and more were all on display, with many other smaller announcements detailed. However, many gamers felt like the new system was already in need of those games, not just teasers of teasers,and that it didn’t help the current situation of the Vita at all anyway.
Obviously, many are still feeling this way after Sony’s lackluster E3 performance, specifically in regards to the Vita’s disheartening amount of support. While the show floor itself was bustling with Vita game videos and demos, Sony didn’t seem to care all too much about that during their highlighted presser, instead opting to “wow” it’s hardcore fans with tidbits of information about Vita games we already knew about, and way more time spent on the PS3′s Wonderbook than approximately one hundred percent of Playstation fans wanted to see.
And then, we were promised another Vita Game Heaven this June. Expectations, obviously, were low, though it was nice to see Sony dedicating some alone time to the fledgling system. It was said that this would be a full-on event, not just a video montage with mediocre bits of information thrown about: it’ll include developers working on Vita games to get the most profound and interesting take on new titles and how they’re developed for the Vita, something that surely interests many fans. Okay, it wouldn’t be anything as grandiose as an E3 press conference should be, but who cares? It’d be nice to gain some new information and a new perspective on Vita development.
PSO2 was announced at the last Game Heaven… for 2013. In Japan.
How does this affect our beloved Playstation brand? That should be obvious. Sony really needs to focus on what’s best for their portable powerhouse. If their upcoming Game Heaven, promised to come by next weeks’ end, follows in the footsteps of the first, it would be embarrassing and certifiably awful in the wake of Nintendo’s showing last night. I’m not here to ponder why Nintendo gave its fans such a breath of fresh air, whether it was to intimidate Sony or to please its fans and shareholders or whatever else. I’m here to implore upon Sony to appease its patient fanbase and put on a show that’s as pleasing to the viewer as it will be to the sake of it’s newest, nearly struggling handheld.
Brief teasers of games still very early in development won’t cut it this time. Mere screenshots of logos for games, likely not even in development yet, definitely aren’t going to win any new customers over. It’s imperative that Sony comes in, all guns blazing, with a vast array of news and gameplay footage for the games we already know about and are not part of some far-off reality, but that of a game readying itself for launch soon. We’ve been told that over 60 new games will be coming to the Vita this year; how many can you name, right now, off the top of your head? How many can you claim to have seen footage of? Most would be hard-pressed to name more than 20, and a lot of those are likely multi-platform titles.
Sony doesn’t want a repeat of the PSP this time around. And, disappointingly, the Vita is doing even worse sales-wise than the PSP did, worldwide. What they don’t get is that brief shots of games are never enough to sway a consumer to buy a system (and often times, as in the case of The Last Guardian, proves to be a terrible consumer purchase). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve become hyped for a game, only to gradually lose interest as time passes due to it being announced too early, delays, etc. Capitalizing on that initial excitement is one of the most beneficial things a gaming company can do.
Of course, consumer interest is directly related to how well a system will sell, and hype that’s far from fruition isn’t worth as much as confirmed games that a potential buyer can go out and pick up soon. It’s a win-win situation; Sony sells more units and builds reliable excitement behind future games, and the consumer be comforted in knowing their purchase wasn’t a waste, as well as access to a catalog of games that are perfectly good, just not quite system sellers. I mean, who bought a Vita for a WipeOut or a Hot Shots or an Uncharted? Many, I’m sure, but far more would stave off these franchises for more ripe and interesting fruit. I’d argue that Gravity Rush is the first of these elusive “system sellers,” though its mass appeal is yet to be seen.
More of this would be great.
Now, the 3DS certainly experienced a severe drought that, some would argue, is still going on to this day; hell, their hardware was selling just as poorly as the Vita’s, more or less, in its first few months on the market. Yesterday’s showing, though, proved that the future is looking bright for Nintendo’s dimension-hopping portable, and though the Vita may have an incredible lineup coming, uh, sometime, we really don’t know all that much about it’s future.
Does Sony need to drop the price of their portable to help give them the break they need, like Nintendo was effectively forced to do? I don’t think so. Does it need to revise the Vita’s hardware in order to garner more sales? Not at all. In my opinion, that’s something Nintendo revealed even though there really isn’t a need for a revision. While a bigger pair of screens is nicer, I suppose, who’s going to pay $200 for that and a negnegligible amount of additional battery life? The true revision needed involved adding the second analog stick Nintendo originally Frankensteined onto the 3DS; without that built in, I’m hard pressed to say it’s worth it.
I think gamers are merely sick of the promises and lack of attention that Sony has given their impressive new portable, and need some form of commitment from them. If people who already own your system are thirsting for more content and information, how can you expect to sway onlookers into getting in on the action? We need more information on the stellar games already in development for the Vita. We need revelations on launch dates for many of the games supposedly “coming soon.” We need to know that your entire SCEA lineup of games does not incude JUST PS3 ports/cross compatible titles(Which are nearly the same thing during development, right?). We need to know that you care, Sony. Is that too much to ask?
We’ll know soon enough what Sony’s been preparing in disturbing silence for the Vita in the coming days. Let’s all just hope they’ve been paying attention to the keys they have to success right in front of them: their competition and their fans. Without triumphing over one and impressing the other, the road ahead is long and weary.
Similar Posts:
- Vita Game Heaven Coming June 28th
Over 60 New Playstation Vita Titles Coming
Ubisoft: “It’s definitely too early to say that Vita’s not going to be a success.”
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@Rendermonk I totally agree with you! vita needs rpgs, if only sony and bamco would cooperate and release western versions of tales of rebirth,tales of destiny 2,tales of phantasia x ,and all of the other untranslated tales games that would be so awesome
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LikeI think the fact that we have trolls really shows how far the website has gone since it started/
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LikeWas it really necessary to put "goddamned mind?" This is highly offensive! I am a Christian. You don't even deserve to be a writer!
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LikeWhat a coincidence! I'm a Christian, too. I'm not offended, though. Guess I better turn in my official writer certification documents, renounce my literacy, and never utter even the slightest sound again. I apologize for exercising freedom of speech!
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LikeThe Vita (yeah right) IS DEAD. Call of Duty will do nothing for it. If people cannot accept it, then the device will be nothing but a money pit for them. It is a colosal failure! Sony = overhype and underdeliver ALL THE WAY and that is why they are in such a poor financial state right now.
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LikeWhat the Vita is lacking is RPG's. Period. End of story. Typically RPG's are what people like playing on their handhelds, and/or what seems to sell systems. What does the Vita have in the way of RPG's? Dungeon Hunter Alliance, (Which is a CRAPPY EXPENSIVE port of the original, not worth the purchase) Disgea: 3 Absence of Detention, (Which is more for a niche crowd, I personally don't like the series, and for me it's a non-purchase) and Sumioni (Which I wouldn't consider an RPG, but that's what it's listed as).
That's it!! One PORT not worth purchasing, one niche strat/RPG that's not for everyone, and a platformer masquerading as an RPG. So in essence there's no RPG presence on this beast of a handheld. When I think back to my PSP days, 90% of the games I owned/played on it were RPG's. If Sony wants to bolster the Vita, they need to get the RPG front up to speed with the rest of the genres available on Vita. Just look at how well Persona4 turned things around in Japan!!! They went from selling about 3-8K systems a week to 33K the week of Persona4 launch in Japan. If that's not a clear message, I don't know what is. Just look at it logically. If the Vita has everything else, the sleek design, the power to perform, the OLED screen, the front/rear touchscreen, and every genre of games BESIDES RPG, and it's not selling well........PUT THE ONE MISSING GENRE ON YOUR SYSTEM!
Here's a list of RPG's that are either out in Japan and/or Coming to US. If we had these games now, or spread out over time, starting from a April, till the end of summer....the Vita would NOT be having these problems:
Ragnarok Odyssey
New King Story
Persona 4: The Golden
Final Fantasy X HD
The Legend of Heros: Zero no Kiseki Evolution
Tales of Innocence R
Ys IV
Phantasy Star Online 2
RIGHT!!! Instead, we've seen NONE of these, and it's still MONTHS off, before we'll even see 1 of these titles get a US release. Great article by the way to the author. I agree with you, as most will. The Vita is a great system, it just needs some RPG's. It had a big list of launch games, and if there truly is 60 games coming out by years end, they better get to releasing them.....and they better include RPG's.
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LikeRendermonk The only thing that Vita needs is.... a $150 price tag. It's a dying handheld that is waay too overrated, heavy and poor battery.
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LikeThat's such an illiterate comment to make. To say that a 4 month old Sony Handheld is a dying system. Sony has experience in the handheld market, is a big brand name (Sony) and is in it's infancy of life cycle. Just because Nintendo dropped it's price early, doesn't mean Sony needs to. The 3DS was overpriced, and they knew it. Vita is not.
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LikeRendermonk Fantastic comment, sir. And, you're spot on-- most gamers would look at that list, get extremely excited, and then have their hopes crushed when they realized 90% have no release date for North America, let alone any real information. I don't necessarily think that RPG's will save the Vita, but I do know that the last generation of portables was a godsend to RPG fans, and I'm hopeful that the Vita becomes the next bastion for beautifully done role playing experiences. That list above? It's a great start.
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LikeRendermonk The hell are you talking about? RO is projected for August. New Kings Story is supposed to come out later this summer, P4 is coming out in October (confirmed, just like many other Vita games coming out in October), and ZnK got pushed back, but it's still coming out this year(won't be localized till the 22nd century, but whatever). I can't say anything about Tales. I thought Bamco was announcing something about it sometime this month, but I haven't seen anything. Ys 4 is confirmed for September in Japan. Considering what XSEED said about it when it was announced, we'll likely be getting it soon after. PSO2 was around 10% when they showed it. We'll be waiting a while.
Anyway, I do agree that the Vita needs more RPGs. I don't think we'll have a problem past year 2, though. Japanese devs are just starting to make the transition from the very profitable and easy to develop for PSP to the Vita. We can see this in the new Danball Senki game. Just give it some time.
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Like@Xenoeon @Rendermonk uh, when was Ys 4 hinted at by XSEED?I know they owe another game or two because of a contract with falcom or something but I never knew they mentioned bringign 4 over
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LikeXenoeon
What the hell are YOU talking about!! Ragnarok Odyssey is not firm release date, August may or may not happen, most likeyly it wil be pushed back. That time frame, is a RUMORED timeframe, and hope. New King Story is in the same boat as Ragnarok Odyssey, nothing confirmed, just hoping for late summer window. Persona 4 is the only one that will most likely come out at the end of Oct. And like I said, of that list of RPG's, MAYBE one will see a release and that's still months off (Being Persona 4, in late october, which is over 4months away, almost half a year.)
Not sure why you decided to start your post response off in an attacking manner, when you end it by saying, yea, you agree with me on the issue that Vita needs RPG's. That was my whole purpose in my Original Post, was to say that the Vita is great, but some RPG's are lacking, and would bolster sales big time. Everyone plays the genres they like, but Role Playing Games are huge on handhelds. PSP was a power house for em. If you don't think so, just go on the PSN and count how many PSP RPG's are up for sale right now. Most gamers who own a vita, are craving a good RPG they can sink their teeth into right now, but the only thing they can do is wait...and it looks like they'll be waiting until at least late summer.
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LikeRendermonk Nah, I'm not attacking you. I just got the impression that you thought we had no info when we've been getting a good amount lately. You should look on the bright side. We're getting PSX games soon. Just gotta play your Old Games Portable until later this year.
Aces, there was an article floating around last year about XSEED's interest in localizing Ys 4. I can't find it, but considering XSEED and Falcom are as tight as peanut butter and jelly, it's most likely coming.
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LikeXenoeon
Ok cool. Yeah, we've been getting info on games, just wishin they were here now, instead of later. I still play my Vita all the time though. I rotate through Hot Shots Golf, Rayman, Chess, PvZ, Gravity Rush, and Escape Plan. I could play PSP RPG's, but most I've already played through on PSP, and I want a "Vita RPG" experience, think you know what I mean by that. :)
Anyway, My original post and most subsequent comments were my personal feelings on what the Vita can do to garner more users, and more sales. You gotta admit, what Persona 4 has done for sales in Japan. They clearly feel the same way I do about the Vita and RPG's. I think millions of Americans and Europeans for that matter feel the same way. Watch the sales jump here too when RPG's get released in these territories.
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LikeRendermonk Xenoeon I'd play more PSP games if they were cheaper. I mean, super-cheap-- I bought both Super Ghosts & Goblins and Power Stone Collection just because they were $5. But $20? Not worth it to me for games I'd likely never finish once the Vita picks up steam.
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LikeGood read here Adam. Can I just say I'm glad to read a respectable opinion than just one full of pure bias. When Vita was announced I saw people saying the likes of games like UMVC3 were AAA system sellers but the thing is I can play that on my PS3. Sorry if that sounds harsh but I agree with what the author says.
Ports might be good to entice people but they aren't system sellers. Outside third party franchises Sony's only true system seller is Gran Turismo. The system sellers people highlight on the likes of gamespot get me scratching my head because they are all games you can get on other systems. Thats exactly the problem PSP had in the first place.
They are all games you can get on consoles which are cheap ports intended to make a quick buck. Few take playstation handhelds seriously. Yet people insist Sony learned their lesson? Maybe a small group might be interested in these games but when you can get them on consoles people would rather play them on those than have the hassle of battery power running out on them.
Assasin's Creed 3 and Call of duty are luckily versions unique to the system and hopefully they sell the system and wake lazy developers who port stuff up. But I still feel it needs a price drop. And yes, Vita needs spin offs and unique versions of games to justify it. I honestly think people looked at the lineup this time and didn't get as fooled as they did with PSP. Adam you are so right. It needs more unique games like Gravity Rush. And also a price drop.
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LikeColinTosh Thanks, Colin! I think the whole reason we're seeing an exclusive, full-fledged Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty are due not only to the Vita's significant leap in power over its predecessor, but because Sony, and 3rd party publishers, realize the need to differentiate themselves from experiences that can be gained elsewhere. While I disagree with you on the price drop aspect, that's my opinion- obviously, a price drop would draw in tons of potential buyers and open them up to the library already available while making the Vita's future that much more appealing to devs and publishers. I just think that, if they really focused on advertising the system and the fantastic games it yields, it'd be in a different boat right now.
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Like$ony is going to bankrupt, avoid to invest in $ony's devices. It's getting old real quick. We're living in 'touchscreen' ERA now, anything 'buttons' will be *a laughing material*.... A HOT, slimmer and sleeker device is a new trend, not a traditional bulky handheld like Vita. On paper Vita looks good, but it ain't enough to dictate people's wallet because people are smarter than Sony. Not to mention lack of interest from 3rd party developers that $ony has to try harder making/porting 1st party games. Even at home in Japan, Vita isn't that popular compared to Nintendo 3DS. It tells you that high-specs don't always mean better gaming experience, casuals population >>> core population.
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LikeSee thats the thing that most people dont realize or understand. The system is just as powerful as a full fledged console right? So wouldnt logic dictate that developers would need the same turn around time as they need on a full console? Console games usually have a dev time of a year and a half to sometimes 3 years. So these full console games for the Vita may not be seen until the end of 2013 or beginning or 2nd quarter 2014.
If anything, Resistance: Burning Skies should be a perfect example of rushing development just to get something to market. And honestly, how many of you are really going to care about this cross platforming gimmick? If both games are in development at the same time how much more do you think devs will put into the Vita version.
Im sorry but it will be awhile before you get another quality game the likes of Gravity Rush and UC. And whats sadder is you dont know what this COD declassified is going to be. Hopefully a good game and system seller but I remember 3 COD MW games coming out for the Nintendo DS and...what...2? For the PSP? and they were still set in WW1 and 2 I think.
The real question will be how long can Sony continue to support the system while still hemorrhaging money from the other side of the company?
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LikeYarinoma You make some excellent points. The dev time is almost assuredly longer for high-quality Vita titles, and this goes particularly well with the mention of Gravity Rush: It started out as a PS3 game, which likely was the reason we're seeing it as a launch game in Japan and a "Window" title in the West.
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Likei guess part Of life involves dealing and hearing hate spewing assholes as yourselfs
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Like@mek1ner -Gay picture with your collar popped -bitch, ho, and asshole said liberally -grammar a 12 year-old would cringe at I usually don't care but affirmative action really bugs me sometimes
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LikeJohnnyDinosaur mek1ner hating fags like u bother me. r u hating on me cause u lack good looks and no one wants your ugly ass is that why u hating on my pic
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Likemek1ner JohnnyDinosaur Ladies and gentlemen, mek1ner: truly the penultimate human being. I mean, how can anyone argue with "i bet i get more pussy than u?"
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LikeGamePlox JohnnyDinosaur first of all i was not talking to u. my comments were not directed @ u they were directed at all the ppl making dumb comments about the vita. i dont think i said anything rude or disrispectable towards u. your points are very valid and constructive so gameplox i apologise if u felt like i was attacking u. i come here regularly and read the articles on your site. i just got tired of all the haters in your comments section. i read the article and commend u on a good read regarding the state of the vita. so again i apologise
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Likemek1ner JohnnyDinosaur I get that you're tired of opposing viewpoints and people bashing the Vita. It's inevitable in a post like this; most people see the title, head to the comments, and say whatever they want without even bothering to read the actual article. Thanks for browsing our site and don't let that dissuade you from coming back!
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LikeGamePlox JohnnyDinosaur thanks for understanding and as long as your site has interesting articles i will keep coming back.
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Likemek1ner Glad to see a $ony saint in white collar getting mad and sad, try harder licking $ony's balls, ho.. yo're so f*ing hilarious.
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Likei bet i get more pussy than u
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Likeposted that comment with my vita ho's
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LikeUm dont hate on vita bitches
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Likemek1ner I suppose you're illiterate, judging by your three comments that lack any cognizance. This article champions the Vita, and is merely pining for Sony to pay attention to the system rather than cat-and-mousing with consumers and potential buyers like they so often do. Had you bothered to read it, you'd know it's quite supportive of the Vita!
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LikeGamePlox i did read the article the article, the vita is only couple a months old. my three comments had nothing to do with the article and alot to do with the hater comments below me so i think u r illiterate.
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LikeNintendo was playing possum at E3 with 3DS. Hopefully Sony was too with Vita.
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Like100 dollars for 32gigs of memory. That's more than a ssd. (I don't care that it's fast, it doesn't need to surpass a class 6 for most purposes, and certainly doesn't need to be priced at double the rate of class 10)
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LikeI never thought to compare them to an SSD, though that's kind of interesting, I suppose.
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Like@niggertom what a COLOURFUL name
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LikeReasons why VITA sucks:
Own Proprietary Memory Card that costs 50% more than it should, horrible overpriced online store, games being unable to save on their own memory even tho they're on Memory Cards... Yeah, no idea why the Vita is doing badly. Sorry Sony, even if you'd like to be, you're not Apple. Gamers won't fall for your overpriced pice shit.
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Likerukia666 I'm usually not too critical over stuff like this, but you're full of shit. Yeah, ok, the 16GB and 32GB cards are pretty costly and not too fast, either. But you're not a smart shopper if you pay full price for them. You can get a 4gb for $8+, 8gb 20+, 16gb 35-45+, and 32gb as low as $75 if you know where to look.If you don't want to dish out too much for a stick, get a small one and manage it. I've been rocking a 4GB since February, and I've got 3 PSN games, 2 demos, and 6 PSP games on it.
Downloadable Vita titles are generally $5 cheaper than physical copies upon release, PSP games are cheap with a few exceptions, but the pricing is set by the publisher. Sony can recommend a price but, they have shit all in the final say. If I recall correctly, PSX games don't even go above $10.
I really don't know where you're trying to go with this. I don't mind if you dislike the Vita, but at least be more informed about it before you argue something.
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LikeI wouldn't say that I regret my purchased yet, but after yesterday's nintendo presentation I sure am thinking more and more about a 3ds.
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LikeJohnnyDinosaur Even with 2 analog sticks the Vita cannot repeat PSP's success, a device with just 1 analog stick. Lesson should've taken that 2 analog sticks doesn't equal profit. PSP, DS, and 3DS say HELLO. Even OLED and COD won't cut it.
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LikeDo you seriously think 2 sticks is the only thing the Vita has going for it?
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LikeXenoeon Do you "sillyously" think that the Vita can beat 1 stick handhelds in terms of profit? High-specs are nothing without sales. I've also mentioned OLED, not just 2 sticks. Reading is key, $ony ho.
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Likethree words for Vita : Piece_Of_Crap
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Like