Sony Confirms Downloadable PlayStation Vita Titles Will Feature Discount

As Sony is taking their newest handheld, the PlayStation Vita, into the modern age of gaming, they are doing something pretty revolutionary: offering games in both hard copy and downloadable form at launch. While doing so not only helps sales for publishers and for 3G versions of the Vita, it has even greater implications for the consumer.

The Vita’s already been out in Japan for over a month, and gamers there have been enjoying a little extra bonus for purchasing the game in downloadable form: a discount. Perhaps as a result of the game media Sony chose for the Vita, or simply as an incentive for visiting the PSN Store, Sony has made the downloadable versions of games significantly cheaper. But the question remained: would that same discount hit the states?

Thankfully that answer is a wholehearted yes, as it has been confirmed to Shacknews that Vita titles in the States will be discounted when downloaded rather than purchased in store. There’s no official standard for this discount but currently titles like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and MLB 12: The Show are offering a 10% price cut.

To make the deal even sweeter, though, Sony is also offering redeemable codes for these games, much like Microsoft does for XBLA titles, which will be similarly discounted. So, for those who, after the PSN hack, are still wary about providing their vital information to Sony this is a suitable option.

Obviously, there’s an inherent risk involved with purchasing a game that only exists in the digital space, but with the advent of each console’s downloadable marketplaces, that risk has decreased significantly. It was only a matter of time before a publisher followed Steam‘s suit and started incentivizing these online purchases.

There’s still no word on whether or not this discount will be a universal convenience or if it is something Sony is hoping to set a precedent for. If it helps move more titles for the handheld, which is already sporting a pretty steep price tag, then we hope all publishers follow suit. According to the statement from Sony, an official announcement regarding the discount is coming soon.

Are you picking up a Vita when it launches next month? Would you be interested in purchasing digital versions of any of the Vita launch titles if they carried a 10% discount?

Source: Shacknews