The Federal Trade Commision has recently claimed that the early advertisements for the Playstation Vita were a little too far from the truth.
When the Vita was revealed, consumers were promised cross-platform gaming, the ability to play games from, pause, and play any ps3 game from anywhere using the “cross-save” capability of the handheld. However, once the console was released, the function only worked with a minute selection of ps3 games, and that varied between releases.
Another issue with the advertising was that Sony also failed to mention that in order to use the cross-save function, you have to own a copy of the game on BOTH the ps3 and the Vita.
Following this claim, Sony and the FTC have come to a settlement preventing Sony from making misleading claims again in the future. The terms also say that the company must refund $25 in cash or credit, or a $50 merchandise voucher to anyone who bought a Vita before June 1, 2012. Sony will send an email to all eligible owners.
Along with the false promise with the cross-saving functionality, Sony claimed that gamers could use 3G wireless on Vita in order to play live multiplayer games. The problem is, that function never actually worked.
“As we enter the year’s biggest shopping period, companies need to be reminded that if they make product promises to consumers — as Sony did with the ‘game changing’ features of its PS Vita — they must deliver on those pledges,” FTC director of consumer protection Jessica Rich said. “The FTC will not hesitate to act on behalf of consumers when companies or advertisers make false product claims.”
The full FTC complaint is available here.
