In a move reminiscent of the phrase ‘both giveth and taketh away,’ Sony has announced some exciting news for PS Vita owners, and issued an ominous warning to software pirates and users of unauthorised content.

 

On the positive side, it looks like PlayStation Network (PSN) subscribers and those who invested in the company’s underrated but able portable console, the PS Vita, are about the receive their just rewards. On the 19^th of November, the Vita will receive a software update (V2.0) that will bring PlayStation Plus to the console, along with a tempting list of free Vita games.    

 

According to PlayStation Lifestyle, that list is extensive, including games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Jet Set Radio HD, WipEout 2048, Gravity Rush, Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack! and one PSP game: Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions.

 

 

Much like on the PS3, these games would remain available to Vita owners so long as their subscription to the PSN Plus remains active. As with PlayStation Plus on the PS3, Vita users will also be able to take advantage of 1 GB of cloud storage for their Vita game saves, the Vita’s Instant Game Collection, automatic updates and trophy syncing.  

 

PlayStation Plus support – or more accurately, Plus for Vita, is not the only feature being added by the new update. Vita owners can also look forward to a revamped browser and full HD (1080p) playback of videos.

 

The move only reinforces the optimism expressed by why Ster Kinekor’s  chief executive officer, Mario Dos Santos, during our interview with him a few months ago. At that time, Dos Santos indicated that the greatest potential for the PS3 ecosystem’s expansion rested with the PlayStation Network.

 

Indeed, the decision to bring the same degree of tantalising and free content to the portable console as PlayStation Plus members enjoy on the PS3 is certainly a smart, and commendable move, that only increases the Vita’s value to gamers on the go, and even justifies its still somewhat premium pricetag.

 

 

Receiving a comeuppance of an entirely different sort, the company has warned users of unauthorised and pirated content that they could face a stiff lifetime ban from the PSN if caught.

 

In a consumer alert, Sony elaborated that in light of the release of unauthorised software by hackers, consumers were advised that use of the software violates the terms of the ‘System Software License Agreement for the PlayStation3 System’ and the ‘Terms of Services and User Agreement’ for the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network.

 

The company warned that consumers running unauthorised or pirated software may have their access to the PlayStation Network and access to Sony Entertainment Network services through the PlayStation 3 system terminated permanently, and advised that “consumers must immediately cease using and delete all unauthorised or pirated software from their PlayStation 3 systems.”

 

 

What both announcements have in common is that they indicate that the company is taking its PSN and Plus offerings very seriously, rewarding those who invest in the ecosystem, and picking violators up by the scruff of the neck and showing them the door (or in this case, the pavement).