For fans of memory cards that act as more than just memory cards, Sony has released a new video that is seemingly teasing an upcoming PocketStation announcement.
Although I do not speak a lick of Japanese, I was able to somewhat figure out what is going on. Our intrepid reporter teams up with another man in order to investigate the rumors of a new Sony device. Together they follow a giant truck and spy on Sony mascot Toro all in the name of journalism. The full story will apparently be revealed come November 5th.
If you are unfamiliar with the Sony PocketStation, there is no need to be alarmed. The portable system was only released in Japan and featured support for a few titles such as R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 and The Legend of Dragoon. Although there were plans to release the system in North America (Final Fantasy VIII had PocketStation functionality in its localized version), SCEA would eventually scrap those plans.
The best comparison to the PocketStation that we got would be the Sega Dreamcast’s VMU. Both portable devices functioned as memory cards for their respective systems and both had LCD screens on them. They were released primarily to provide additional content for home releases. Although I have no clue what the PocketStation did for the titles it supported, I do remember using the VMU to increase the stats of my Chao in Sonic Adventure. It was basically like a slightly better Tamagotchi.
I doubt that we are getting a full-scaled revival of the miniature device though. There is a reason it was discontinued in 2002 and was never supported outside of a handful of PlayStation 1 titles. Destructoid threw out the idea of it possibly being an “App for the Vita” which makes much more sense to me.
We will bring you the news on what Sony announces about the PocketStation come November 5th.
