New Playstation cross buy program.

[duffmanth]

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/08/17/sony-talking-with-third-parties-about-cross-buy, basically if you buy a first party PS3 game, you get the Vita version for free. Pretty cool idea, it'll be interesting to see if Sony can get 3rd party publishers on board?

[heybtbm]

Free games? Reminds me of the Saturn's last gasp.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Free games? Reminds me of the Saturn's last gasp.

Yeah it's not like computer game publishers and developers have been offering extra free copies of their games for other OSes already, right?

[heybtbm]

Yeah it's not like computer game publishers and developers have been offering extra free copies of their games for other OSes already, right?


You lost me.

[substantial_snake]

Surprisingly EA\Criterion has said that they are looking into offering a cross buy option for NFS Most Wanted and the shots they have released for the vita port look gorgeous.

[kupomogli]

It's good for the fans, but even if some third party developers do this, I guarantee it'll mostly be exclusive to first party titles or first party published titles. With Sony recently starting to release every PS3 game that comes out both physical and digitally through PSN, it also makes me doubt that they'll include some sort of voucher in physical copies and this deal will only be for digital purchases.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Maybe I'm mis-reading inflection on responses, but are people ... complaining about the potential to pay one time for a game and get it for both PS3 and Vita?

Seriously?

[Kitsune Sniper]

You lost me.A bunch of computer game companies (mostly indies but some European companies too) have begun to sell both PC and Mac versions of their games in one bundle. Some stores that do this are GamersGate and Steam. Hell, you know who's been doing this on Steam? LucasArts, UbiSoft, Sega, 2K Games, Telltale Games, and Rockstar Games.

Granted, Windows and Macs are not the same as a Vita and PS3, but the concept is the same. Buy one license (on Steam), get the game for Windows and Mac.

Hell, back in the Windows 3.1 / 95 / 98 days it was super common to have both Windows and Mac versions of the game on the same disc. Companies stopped doing this as they ceased in-house Mac development, and outsourced ports to other companies like Aspyr Media & Macplay. But it was commonplace back in the day.


Maybe I'm mis-reading inflection on responses, but are people ... complaining about the potential to pay one time for a game and get it for both PS3 and Vita?

Seriously?Apparently thinking about giving folks a convenient bonus means the company is doomed. DOOMED OH GOD DOOMED.

Wrap yer head around that one.

[The 1 2 P]

Maybe I'm mis-reading inflection on responses, but are people ... complaining about the potential to pay one time for a game and get it for both PS3 and Vita?

Seriously?

I don't see anyone complaining(atleast not yet). Heybtbm just said it reminded him of another program from the past but thats hardly a complaint.


Granted, Windows and Macs are not the same as a Vita and PS3, but the concept is the same. Buy one license (on Steam), get the game for Windows and Mac.

Steam did in fact do this for the PS3 version of Portal 2. If you bought the PS3 copy you would get a voucher for a free copy on PC or Mac (http://www.gamespot.com/news/ps3-portal-2-buyers-get-pc-version-free-6286433).

[Kitsune Sniper]

Steam did in fact do this for the PS3 version of Portal 2. If you bought the PS3 copy you would get a voucher for a free copy on PC or Mac (http://www.gamespot.com/news/ps3-portal-2-buyers-get-pc-version-free-6286433).

PC AND Mac. :P

I didn't mention Valve, but they started selling their games crossplatform on Steam first.

[Tanooki]

Hardly anything to equate to an insulting last gasp. Vita has been suffering badly but at Gamescom it appears there's some good stuff finally coming down the pipe which is good as I was thinking of offloading mine. The fact Sony is willing to adopt a tried and true method of license sharing to get more people into their hardware I think is a good idea. I'm kind of a fan, but really if I wanted the game on vita I'd hate to have a lacking real rights download only copy of it. Seen enough shenanigans from Amazon and their kindle to TMNT1 being jerked off the VC on Wii not to trust things to be safe for good as someone can just pull the plug if it suits them. I still see this as being a good draw for some who have both systems as it's almost like a buy one get one free setup, and those crossplatform games can share save files too so you can just pick up and keep going.

[duffmanth]

Hardly anything to equate to an insulting last gasp. Vita has been suffering badly but at Gamescom it appears there's some good stuff finally coming down the pipe which is good as I was thinking of offloading mine. The fact Sony is willing to adopt a tried and true method of license sharing to get more people into their hardware I think is a good idea. I'm kind of a fan, but really if I wanted the game on vita I'd hate to have a lacking real rights download only copy of it. Seen enough shenanigans from Amazon and their kindle to TMNT1 being jerked off the VC on Wii not to trust things to be safe for good as someone can just pull the plug if it suits them. I still see this as being a good draw for some who have both systems as it's almost like a buy one get one free setup, and those crossplatform games can share save files too so you can just pick up and keep going.

Yeah I wouldn't dump your Vita, there's definitely some cool games on the way, and this cross buy program just makes everything more attractive for the Vita. This stuff should've been announced at E3, oh well, better late than never. The only thing that might make me get a Vita in the near future, is if Sony releases some nice bundles where the system, a memory card, and a game are included.

[heybtbm]

A bunch of computer game companies (mostly indies but some European companies too) have begun to sell both PC and Mac versions of their games in one bundle. Some stores that do this are GamersGate and Steam. Hell, you know who's been doing this on Steam? LucasArts, UbiSoft, Sega, 2K Games, Telltale Games, and Rockstar Games.

Granted, Windows and Macs are not the same as a Vita and PS3, but the concept is the same. Buy one license (on Steam), get the game for Windows and Mac.

Hell, back in the Windows 3.1 / 95 / 98 days it was super common to have both Windows and Mac versions of the game on the same disc. Companies stopped doing this as they ceased in-house Mac development, and outsourced ports to other companies like Aspyr Media & Macplay. But it was commonplace back in the day.

Completely different scenarios. As far as companies giving PC and Mac versions of the same game, this was done historically because retailers generally refused to carry Mac software. An extra $0.02 CD-ROM in the case was the software companies solution. The same principle carries on to this day (via downloadable versions). It's just a nice convenience for everyone involved. It has nothing to do with trying to sell more Macs.

The Sony model is one of "priming the pump" i.e. giving away something free in hopes of increasing sales down the line. There's nothing wrong with doing this...free games are cool. It just reminds me of Sega's "Buy 2, get 1 free" deals during the final days of the Saturn. That's all I was saying. Defensive fan-boys can wring their hands all they want. Not my problem.


Apparently thinking about giving folks a convenient bonus means the company is doomed. DOOMED OH GOD DOOMED.

Calm down.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

The Sony model is one of "priming the pump" i.e. giving away something free in hopes of increasing sales down the line. There's nothing wrong with doing this...free games are cool. It just reminds me of Sega's "Buy 2, get 1 free" deals during the final days of the Saturn.

I think a B2G1F is a bit different than what's going on here.

B2G1 is a much clearer indication of loss leading on software, quite literally throwing out physical media/burning potential profits in an effort to get people on board.

I think that this "cross-play" is more of a bit of pragmatic marketing on Sony's part, perhaps stemming from fans/consumers being ULTRA ULTRA critical of identical UMD vs. Digital PSP software with required double dip buying/no transfer program and the fallout that surrounded that.

If the Vita can support equivalent or limited to no scaling in development on PS3 and Vita software, it's smart to offer it all for one price with a universal download, and if they can get developers on board to lock in digital rights on that early on, it'll probably make digital rights transfers easier in the future.

Yeah, there's some element of pump priming but it's kind of the reverse on what you typically see - ie, buy the hardware and get deals on software. In this case it's actually the universal software that's the incentive to buy either a Vita or PS3 (or both) knowing that a lot of software may work on both at a single price.

There's no fist shaking going on, just confusion about the intent of your statement. Seemed that you were making the leap that this program is some kind of desparate last-gasp effort for Sony because the Saturn was all but dead in the water at the time that they were making those deals. If that wasn't your intent then I mis-interpreted.

[BlastProcessing402]

Frankly, if game companies want to spout out about stuff like "you're not buying the game, you're buying a license to play the game" then you should be able to play it on any platform it's out for instead of having to just pick one and live with it.

[Tanooki]

Yeah I wouldn't dump your Vita, there's definitely some cool games on the way, and this cross buy program just makes everything more attractive for the Vita. This stuff should've been announced at E3, oh well, better late than never. The only thing that might make me get a Vita in the near future, is if Sony releases some nice bundles where the system, a memory card, and a game are included.

Yeah for now it's on life support, but if it keeps sputtering it's going to be WiiU trade bait probably. I don't like Assassins Creed, LBP is ok but not a must have for me, and most of the other pre-Gamescom stuff listed with dates or quarters for this year, not one title looked fun at all so that's why I'm considering it.

That said, like you I was waiting on the obvious upcoming bundle, I did it with PSP too buying it like 2years late. I got lucky locally as this contractor for the USMC had one he used all of like 5-6hours due to obligations. He had it at $300. Wifi version in the box with the ar cards, travel carry case (flap on each side for system one one, games etc other), car charger, power cord/usb combo it comes with, screen wipe, clear plastic game case holder for 32, uncharted, utl marvel vs capcom 3, and a 4GB memory card. With tax and it all I saved like 100-125 or more I can't remember exactly, used the savings and picked off Hot Shots with that, then ended up getting Lumines new for $10 and finally bagged Katamari for 20. That's all I have and not much invested vs value. So if I do ditch it, I can get my money back.

[BricatSegaFan]

Free games? Reminds me of the Saturn's last gasp.

Except Saturn was better than the ps3

[Collector_Gaming]

Except Saturn was better than the ps3

its just sad the sony fan boys failed to see that back in the mid 90s :/

[BricatSegaFan]

its just sad the sony fan boys failed to see that back in the mid 90s :/

True that! I wish the saturn had all the Japanese titles brought over here, that would have definitely leveled the playing field.