PS Vita online features - 'Near', 'LiveArea', and 'Party' detailed
Upcoming handheld is online-heavy
Sony has officially addressed the various online capabilities of its upcoming PlayStation Vita handheld, and it's all sounding very exciting indeed.
Each online feature has a special name, according to TechCrunch, starting with 'Near', which will allow you to leave presents such as in-game items and challenges in specific locations in the world.
Other users will then be able to search for your gifts when in that area.
'LiveArea' is the Vita's update and friends system, allowing you to see all the latest games and notifications on your system.
Finally, 'Party' is the name for the Vita's cross-game voice chat. The observant amongst you will notice that 'Live' and 'Party' are both terms used rather heavily by Microsoft's Xbox 360, which perhaps will put a frown on the face of an MS lawyer or two.
Overall, then, it loks like Sony is going all out with the online functionality, especially compared to Nintendo's 3DS platform.
