Was Nintendogs just too low-fi to satiate your unstoppable HD pet-sim cravings? Did you find yourself wishing you could take your canine friends someplace less lame, like a dark gritty mine or a “spooky graveyard?” Is tossing the Frisbee in the yard like every other pet owner just too mainstream for you? Well, apparently the gamer I just described does exist, and Sony’s got his or her back with its upcoming game PlayStation Vita Pets.
The announcement comes to us via the European PlayStation Blog, and creative director Kevin Oxland is clearly very excited. From what I’ve been able to gather, the game aims to combine the staples of your run-of-the-mill pet sim — walks in the park, doggy tricks, providing meals and giving baths — with some newer adventure elements. The explorable area available to you and your furry friend is called Castlewood Island, and its environments will range from “massive forests” to “spooky old mines and graveyards,” as mentioned.
Additionally, Mr. Oxland was quick to point out that the power of the Vita is really what makes this game possible.
Making humans walk and move realistically in videogames is one thing, but creating truly convincing dogs for today’s demanding younger gamers, really is something else. This, we felt, could only be achieved using the power and features of the PlayStation Vita.
I’m sure the game will be very pretty and impressively fluid, so there’s definitely something to what he’s saying – I just can’t help but feel that this is a very bizarre time to be offering up a prettified Nintendogs. Is that really what’s going to save the Vita?
On the other hand, it can never hurt to tap into that eternal blue-ocean dollar, so maybe this will prove worthwhile for Sony after all. PlayStation Vita Pets launches across Europe next year, so get your pooper-scoopers ready.
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