Quote:Sony first revealed the new PSP, known now as both NGP and PS Vita, in late January. The company was more than happy to reveal specs for the device, and in June Sony gave it a name. The portable was christened 'PS Vita' and given U.S., European and Japanese pricing. Today, Sony detailed the online modes and social features of the PS Vita.

Eurogamer reports that Sony has revealed official details on the PS Vita's four online modes, which have been dubbed Near, Party, LiveArea and Activity.

Near is described by Phil Rogers, Sony Europe manager of R&D, as "a location-based gifting system" that allows users to 'drop' gifts for each other and see other gamers in their area.

LiveArea is "where you go to launch your PS Vita day" Rogers revealed. LiveArea will have three modes, Index, Live and Game, and will be the landing point when starting any game. It's a place to access information from devs, comment on the activities of others and publish your own messages.

Activity incorporates things like trophies and ratings and is meant as a medium for discussing progress with other players.

Last, but certainly not least, is Party. Party allows for cross-game voice chat that allows you to pair up with three of your friends and chat over PS Vita via voice or text. You can have different Party groups for different games or genres and you can turn off voice when you need to.