When Sony's press conference began with Jack Tretton coming on stage, little did the audience know what was in store for them. Apart from some major game titles being revealed, there were interesting announcements with regards to the PS Vita and the PlayStation store.
Firstly, he announced that PS1 classics like Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy were on their way to the Vita with other titles to follow soon. He also revealed that PlayStation Plus members can now access full PS3 titles at $5 a month which launches today with 12 free games. Some of these include: Infamous 2, Virtua Fighter 5, Just Cause 2 and LittleBigPlanet 2. Tretton added that new games will be added rotationally each month. Audiences were extremely happy when he announced a free one year PlayStation Plus membership to those at the event.
Moving on, he stated that Journey is the best-selling PSN game of all time and that about 200 PSN games will be released over the next 12 months. 60 new Vita games will also be released this year.
Coming back to the Vita, Tretton mentioned that a new Cross-controller DLC for Little Big Planet is in the works. This will make additions in the form of stickers, more features and make use of the Vita's touch screens and motion controls. The controller will facilitate cross play between the Vita and the PS3. Players can play, create and share games and experience dual-screen gaming in single player mode.
Cross play can be experienced with up to 3 players, who will also be able to cross save their games, which means they can continue saved games on their Vita/PS3 from where they left off. Cross play will also enable simultaneous multiplayer that will give each player their own in-game controls and perspectives. There is no confirmed release date or pricing yet.
However, just when fans thought there's nothing bigger than this, they were in for another big treat. This time Tretton amazed audiences with gameplay footage of Assassin's Creed III Liberation. The game which features a female assassin for the first time will offer players an open world experience with touch controls on the Vita. What's more is connecting Liberation with Assassin's Creed III will unlock Connor's exclusive character skin tomahawk and other ammunition upgrades. Liberation will also be part of a new PlayStation Vita bundle offered with a crystal white version of the Vita and a 4GB memory card. The game is set to release on 30th October 2012.
Apart from Assassin's Creed III Liberation, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified will also debut on the Vita later this year. Not many details for the game were revealed except that the game is a spin-off in the Black Ops series.
Besides games, many apps are also set to release for the Vita. Sony had recently launched YouTube for the handheld. But Tretton announced at the conference that Hulu+ and Crackle are set to follow suit.
Also see: Sony unveils Beyond, The Last of Us, God of War Ascension at E3 2012