Sony, Vodafone seal PS Vita preferred provider agreement

Peter Dinham
Tuesday, 22 November 2011 22:25

IT Industry - Deals

 

Sony and Vodafone have signed an exclusive deal that will see Vodafone as the preferred provider of 3G connectivity for PlayStation Vita in several countries, including Australia and New Zealand.

Under the exclusive carrier arrangement, just announced by Sony Computer Entertainment, Europe, the PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model sold in selected countries will come with a Vodafone SIM card so that users can immediately enjoy social gaming experiences on the go. Customers will also be able to buy PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model direct from Vodafone channels, both online and in store.

As well as Australia and New Zealand, the preferred provider agreement will apply initially with the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and with Vodafone's Partner in France (SFR).

General manager of devices at Vodafone Australia, Ross Parker said today that next year's launch of the Sony PS Vita on the new Vodafone 3G network marks an exciting new direction for the company as it moved into the world of personal mobile gaming.

Parker said the 3G/Wi-Fi model of the PS Vita will be available in Australia for outright purchase from Vodafone for $449, and will also offer an exclusive range of plans, including a $0 upfront payment option on contract for the PS Vita 3G+Wi-Fi model. 'Data plans will be flexible meeting the needs of all users. Additional details about Vodafone data plans and pricing will be announced by Vodafone closer to launch.'

Parker said for Australian users to be amongst the first to find out more about full pricing and plans from Vodafone, customers were invited to register their interest at www.vodafone.com.au/psvita.

Vodafone Australia recently announced its accelerated network and service improvements are delivering a better customer experience, with key milestones reached.  Parker said that 900 sites are now live in new the 850MHz network, which has been built for smartphones, mobile broadband devices and the soon-to-be-launched mobile gaming device.

Vodafone has also confirmed that 2,000 sites in the existing network have been replaced with new equipment, and Parker said that by the middle of next year there will be 1,500 sites in the new 850MHz network and 8,000 sites where equipment has been replaced.

In today's announcement of the preferred provider agreement, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president and CEO, Jim Ryan said with social gaming and connectivity at the heart of PlayStation Vita 'it is important that we partner with a market leading network provider, to ensure users have a high quality 3G experience.'

'Partnering with Vodafone will enable PS Vita users in the selected countries to always be connected with their PlayStation life, friends and games, wherever they are.'

Vodafone's group terminals director, Patrick Chomet, said the company wanted its customers to have 'the best choice of devices and PlayStation Vita', which he said was a great addition to the company's range.

'We know from our application downloads that games are hugely popular with our customers, so we're delighted to be SCEE's preferred connectivity partner for 3G Vita devices sold across Europe and other selected regional markets. Using the device over Vodafone's high-performance network with extensive 3G reach and market leading download speeds bring a reliable 'anywhere anytime' dimension to gaming.'

PS Vita will be launching in PAL regions, including Australia and New Zealand, from 22nd February next year.