If this is true, it may put a broader context on Sony's plan to sell proprietary memory cards for the PlayStation Vita at jacked-up prices. A rumor reported by the site Thrifty Nerd says the PSN downloadable versions of Vita games will be discounted 40 percent off their retail counterparts. This information, unconfirmed by Sony, was attributed to a company spokesperson at "a recent Vita event."
The way the math works out, after about eight downloads of full games, the $120 32-gigabyte card will have paid for itself. It assumes there are eight games a Vita user will want in, say, the first six months of release; it also means a combined spend of more than $550 (Vita, memory stick, games) on a handheld. That's how it works with "the more you spend, the more you save." You're still spending more.
But there are smaller sticks, too. from 4 to 16 gigabytes, costing between $30 and $70. The tradeoff, of course, is you can't trade in digital media. Which again points to why Sony may be laying out incentives to go digital.
I've emailed a Sony rep to ask for confirmation or denial of this rumor. It's the weekend though, so we may not hear anything before Monday.
Update: A Sony spokesperson declined comment, saying SCEA will not comment on rumor or speculation.
Vita Games on PSN to be 40% Less than Retail? [Thrifty Gamer]