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back to article FTC: Sony told big fat WHOPPERS in its PlayStation Vita ads – and now it has to pay

Sony will dish out cash and vouchers to PlayStation Vita gamers following allegations its ads for the handheld console were lies. Commissioners at US trade watchdog the FTC voted five to none to approve the refunds after it was claimed the toy's ad campaign in late 2011 and early 2012 was misleading. The Vita went on sale in …

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  1. dan1980

    All day long . . .

    The problem with that ad is not that it's loaded with innuendo, it's that it's shit.

    At the end, when the great gag is revealed, it looks like she is mocking what people look like playing a Vita. "You sit there all day tapping on that thing, eyes glued to the screen . . . "

    1 0 Reply
  2. Youngone Silver badge

    Yay!

    Once again my total boycott of Sony pays off.

    6 1 Reply
    1. John Tserkezis
      Reply Icon

      Re: Yay!

      The boycott loses some of its shine when the company behind it just isn't even trying anymore.

      Ahh for the good ole' days when Sony release half-decent audio gear, not regular massive fails like now...

      0 1 Reply
  3. J. R. Hartley

    I am reminded of the famous CD32 billboard..

    Outside the Sega headquarters.

    "To be this good will take Sega Ages"

    Genius.

    0 1 Reply
    1. dan1980
      Reply Icon

      Re: I am reminded of the famous CD32 billboard..

      Amusing but of course wildly inaccurate, considering that the CD32, though more powerful than the Megadrive, was starved of titles that actually used that to produce superior experiences and most games for the system were ones that had already been released on other systems - including the Megadrive.

      Those that did get changes got, what, some crappy FMV?

      I feel sorry for Amiga because that console pretty much ruined them.

      2 2 Reply
      1. J. R. Hartley
        Reply Icon

        Re: I am reminded of the famous CD32 billboard..

        Dan that's nonsense. The CD32 was the best selling CD game platform at one stage (bigger than PC CD). Sales were really good considering it was only on sale for under a year. They literally couldn't make enough of them in time for Christmas 1993, then Commodore got a sales ban due to a patent dispute on some XOR patent. They weren't allowed to sell it in the USA, then they went bust. Unfortunately most of the games released were just shovelware conversions from A1200 games. Some of the exclusive CD32 titles were awesome, but alas, it was too little too late.

        So sad :(

        0 1 Reply
        1. dan1980
          Reply Icon

          Re: I am reminded of the famous CD32 billboard..

          Nonsense how, sorry?

          I never said it wasn't a good unit and yes - it was popular. The whole 'couldn't make enough' speaks to that popularity but also poor practices.

          You have pretty much said exactly what I have - "most of the games were shovelware". They were older titles that they ported and added some crappy FMV or similar triviality to show off a bit of what the CD32 could do that the other platforms couldn't.

          It took a while before people really started to use the increase in space provided by the CD format to improve the games themselves, rather than just shoehorn in some video cutscenes.

          That some titles were exclusives and excellent is great but very much the exception and not the rule.

          The dispute you are talking about and the problem they had with pre-made consoles ready for a market that they couldn't enter is one of the big reasons the console contributed to the downfall of Amiga.

          So what part of my post, exactly, is 'nonsense'.

          0 0 Reply
          1. dan1980
            Reply Icon

            Re: I am reminded of the famous CD32 billboard..

            It's worth noting, of course, that other platforms like the Mega-CD suffered from similar problems - most games on the system were available for the vanilla Megadrive and the improvements for the CD version just weren't significant enough. Some were and there were exclusives but on the whole, just not enough.

            A friend had one while I just had a Megadrive and so was jealous but there really wasn't anything worth it, though I remember terminator being good. Can't remember if that was available on the Megadrive or not.

            0 0 Reply
  4. Charles 9

    Now if the FTC would just crack down harder on ads that are anything less than completely factual or at least conservative in claims. I'm getting sick of all these "results are atypical" claims and such. I want ads with typical results instead and lowballed claims.

    1 0 Reply
  5. Sir Barry

    Never mind about Sony, that Sega advert is pure class, made me feel like I was 15 again.

    0 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    "reassures the viewer in sultry"

    Sultry, thats in Essex isnt it??

    1 0 Reply
  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh Dear

    Another promise made by Sony that turns out to be hot air.

    I have never forgiven them for the PS3 Linux fiasco. Nor the Root Kit...

    Not because i like linux especially, but simply because they removed a feature that was included at the time of sale on the pretense of security.

    Bullshit.. Cracking the PS3 is still a massive job and ODEs are now just about redundant on it due to firmware changes.

    So 4 years later, the PS3 still HASNT been "hacked" to the degree of the other consoles...

    Despite Sony's protestations that the linux ability was the reason. Even the secure keys that were retrieved have had no massive effect on piracy on the PS3.

    1 1 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oh Dear

      By using custom firmware you can play any game you like no problem from a hard drive. The PS3 is and has been fully hacked for many years. I don't know what you define as hacked.

      0 0 Reply

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