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Sony Agrees To Pay Up To $50 Per Customer Over Misleading Vita Advertisements
In the early days of the PlayStation Vita, Sony made a number of claims about the system’s features. One of those was the ability to move seamlessly between the PlayStation 3 and the handheld. As history tells us, the mechanics were a bit more complex.
As we know now, the feature wasn’t available on every PlayStation 3 game and use of cross-save often required the purchase of two versions. In the case of titles like MLB ’12 The Show, the process wasn’t instantaneous, requiring completion of a full game on the PS3 in order to transfer to the Vita.
An early PlayStation Vita advertisement
Sony also came under fire for alleging that Killzone 3 was playable via the Vita’s remote play feature. That title was never supported.
The FTC charged Sony with misleading customers over its claims. Furthermore, the FTC found that Sony’s assertions that depictions of playing with 3G were not true, as the system does only supports remote play via WiFi.
The settlement calls for a $25 cash refund or $50 merchandise voucher for anyone who purchased a Vita prior to June 1, 2012. Sony will be emailing eligible users after the settlement is finalized following the comment period (ending December 29).
[Source: FTC]
Our Take
A number of these promises were eventually realized with the addition of cross-buy and the PlayStation 4, but it’s clear Sony overpromised early on. Watch your email for compensation information in early 2015.
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