Sony Settles With Federal Trade Commission, Will Refund PS Vita Gamers

Not a good thing to have in the spotlight coming up to holidays.

The PlayStation Vita is a great little handheld gaming system, it offers a selection of great games on the go plus access to many PlayStation Classics, I myself have played Castlevania many times on it. But beyond that, there isn’t much you can do with your Vita that’s practical.

Sony were brought to bear by the Federal Trade Commission over claims that they had knowingly misrepresented the Vita and exaggerated its capabilities in their advertising for the device which has been in constant competition with, and constantly losing to, Nintendo’s 3DS.

The Federal Trade Commission specifically took umbrage over the claims that players could pause any PS3 game and continue to play at any time they wanted on the Vita by way of Cross-Save, a feature that’s only supported by a select group of games. This was compounded by failure to mention that both a PS3 and Vita build of the game were required to use the function.

A Sony spokesperson said, “The advertising at issue in the FTC inquiry went to market more than two years ago at PS Vita’s launch in February 2012. Although we have a strong difference of opinion with the FTC as to the message that PS Vita purchasers took from that advertising, we decided to settle the FTC’s inquiry in order to focus on the PlayStation 4’s momentum into this holiday, where PlayStation Vita continues to play an important role.”

Sony has since settled the case with the settlement terms being that Sony will not make misleading claims in the future (presumably across the board) and will also refund anyone who purchased a Vita before June of 2012. The refund comes in the form of $25 or credit. Or a voucher worth $50 that is reserved for use on merchandise. If you’re eligible for this Sony will reach out to you.

[Source]

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