Sony held its PlayStation Press Event at the Los Angeles Sports Arena this year. All eyes were on one thing: the NGP. The device got a new name and an official price tag too. The PlayStation 3 has many new major titles heading its way as expected each year, but Sony also continued to tout the Move controller and 3D capabilities too.

Apologies

The past few months have been rather disastrous for Sony. Hackers made their way into PlayStation Network stealing credit card details, names, emails, addresses, and passwords. Sony Online Entertainment and other affiliated services also faced the same fate. Jack Tretton took the stage and immediately choose to “address the big elephant in the room” as he described the dire situation. He thanked 3rd party developers for standing strong and supporting Sony through the entire ordeal despite having to lose profits during downtime. More importantly, Tretton shared his appreciation to the millions of fans staying loyal to the PlayStation brand.

Uncharted

If there was one flagship PlayStation title in recent years, it is Uncharted. Naughty Dog is back with the third addition to the franchise, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. As with every release, the graphics keeps looking better and hopefully fans can say the same about the game play when it makes a debut.

Although built by another studio, Uncharted: Golden Abyss brings Drake to the new PlayStation Vita for portable experience. For those wondering, this game is a prequel to the Uncharted series for the PlayStation 3. The developers at SCE Bend Studios also took advantage of the motion and touch capabilities the hardware provides for a unique experience.

Resistance 3

Fans of the Resistance series can enjoy yet another title on September 6th. The game now takes advantage of PlayStation Move for those who own the hardware and comes in a 3D version as well. Fortunately, Resistance 3 works perfectly in 2D with a regular controller for those who prefer a traditional gaming experience. A special bundle makes a Move controller, a navigation controller, the PlayStation Eye camera, and the sharp shooter available for around $150.

24-inch PlayStation Branded 3D HDTV

Sony’s CEO emphasized that the gaming industry would push 3D into the living room. To give that movement a much needed kick start, the company announced a PlayStation branded 24 inch 3D display. One feature that stands out is a two-player full-screen mode which makes split screens a thing of the past. And yes, it does support 2D content too. There are also stereo speakers and a subwoofer inside. Most impressive might be the price tag of just $499 which includes a pair of 3D glasses, a HDMI cable, and a copy of Resistance 3 along with the display. Customers can purchase additional 3D glasses for $69 each. For those wondering, the active shutter technology requires recharging these glasses on a regular basis. Apparently a three minute charge provides three hours of use while a 45 minute charge offers 30 hours of use.

Other Games

Sony has Kobe Bryant from the LA Lakers appear to demo NBA 2K12. StarHawk is a follow-up to WarHawk, which was a popular early multi-player PlayStation title. Although not new, LittleBigPlanet 2 will get some enhancements and support for the Move controller. Sly Cooper and InFamous 2 are also making their way to the PlayStation 3. DUST 514 is an entirely new sci-fi persistent shooter. Star Treck, Battlefield 3, and Need for Speed on the Run are just a few more. We also had a chance to see a preview of BioShock Infinite which has been long-awaited. Trailers for Street Fighter x Tekken was a major crowd pleaser too.

PlayStation Suite

I was hoping to hear more about the PlayStation Suite for Android, but Sony oddly remained very quiet. There were no new announcements for upcoming titles or no new details regarding upcoming features. Kazuo Hirai touted how this new platform will open the doors to PlayStation for a whole new world, but they failed to say how. The press event also ended without mentioning any new compatible upcoming devices or even mention the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.

PlayStation Vita

And of course, the Next Generation Portable (NGP) is now the PlayStation Vita. The name alone should be a cause for concern as it is just a letter away from the notoriously infamous Windows Vista. I think going with the name PSP 2 could have been more recognizable. Setting my concerns aside, Sony made one big and bold move with pricing. The PlayStation Vita will retail for just $250 for the WiFi model and an AT&T version with 3G goes for $299. There is no word on contracts or monthly fees for those wondering. This also means that Sony is likely taking heavy losses with each sale which is nothing new to the company’s long-running business model. There was no word on a launch date, but we do know that Sony will begin a heavy marketing push for the device at the end of this year.