SONY @ E3 2011 ROUNDUP

The focus of Sony’s press conference on late Monday was of course the unveiling of the next-generation portable, the NGP. But before we could get to that juicy bit, Sony first talked about all their developments in 3D gaming. They plan on having over 100 3D titles by next year. Some titles scheduled for later this fall include Resistance 3, Uncharted 3, Drakes Deception, Ratchet and Crank, KillZone, and God of War.

To seriously push the adoption of 3D, Sony is dropping the prices to entry. They’re offering a 3D bundle that includes a 24-inch 3D HDTV capable of dual-screen play, a 6-foot HDMI cable, the new Resistance 3 game, and a pair of active 3D glasses all for $499. Additional glasses will cost $69.99 a pair.

Sony then moved on to talk about new PlayStation Move titles that include NBA 2K12, Medieval Move: Deadman’s Quest, Infamous 2, Little Big Planet, Starhawk, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Dust 514, and Bioshock. Kobe Bryant even made an appearance to demo the NBA 2K12.

And finally, Sony closed the night with the unveiling of their PSP successor codenamed NGP. It turns out the device is now officially called the PS Vita. It features a 5-inch OLED touchscreen, 6-axis motion sensor, front and rear touch panels, and front and rear cameras for augmented reality games.

New social features to come with the PS Vita include “Party” and “Near.” Party let’s you voice chat with other PS Vita gamers in the same game room no matter where they are. Near lets you connect and play with other PS Vita gamers around you as well as recommend games and compare trophies with them.

Ruin, ModNation Racers, and Street Fighter X Tekken were presented as new games for the PS Vita, which has more than 80 titles in development from major publishers including EA, Capcom, and Activision. The PS Vita will come in a WiFi-only model for $249 as well as a 3G/WiFi model for $299 that is only offered through AT&T at this time. Funny note is that the audience booed at the AT&T announcement. Pricing and information for other carriers will come later.