Sony showcases Vita's Discovery Apps

By Fred Dutton Published 10 February, 2012

PSN freebies Frobisher Says and t@g explained.

Sony has unveiled the first two "Discovery Apps" bound for Vita later this year.

Theses apps are "designed to showcase the unique features of PS Vita through innovative interactive experiences," according to a post from Sony product manager Mayumi Donovan on the PlayStation Blog.

First up, Frobisher Says is a "surreal party game" in which you have to obey orders barked by the titular "strange little man". There are 50 minigames in total, utilising all of the Vita's various features.

Take a look at the trailer below - we challenge you to make it all the way through to the end.

Then there's t@g, which lets you graffiti virtual tags all over the real world using the system's GPS functions. You'll be able to track down other Vita owner's tags, pick up points and rewards for being particularly prolific and attempt to climb online leaderboards. You'll need a 3G-enabled Vita to enjoy this one. Again, trailer below.

Both apps will be free to download from the PlayStation Store in May, though Frobisher Says will be available as a pre-order incentive from 22nd February.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (10) Latest comment 3 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Lexx87 #1 3 months ago

    Clever business having unique 3G Vita features, but, I can't see t@g being very effective anywhere but Japan.

  • dadrester #2 3 months ago

    that add for frobisher says is awful. I had a go at the demo and it seemed like a carbon copy of wario ware, in a good way. I did have the sound turned down mind, so that might have made a difference.

    [edit] as in i enjoyed the frobisher says demo. it was fun
    Edited by dadrester at 11/02/12 @ 04:34

  • Whitster #3 3 months ago

    Tag looks largely pointless, although probably a fun diversion if you have the 3G model, as mentioned though most of the fun over here will actually be trying to find a tag. Frobisher Says looks like a laugh in a Warioware vain, glad I preordered for that.

  • funkateer #4 3 months ago

    Not sure that I'll be relentlessly shaking my Vita in the plane because a strange voice told me so.

  • Gama_888 #5 3 months ago

    Tag looks great, considering i am planning on getting the 3g version too.
    i think lotsa people will have to have a vita for it to work well though

  • Spazgadget #6 3 months ago

    I'll admit it: I actually think T@G looks kinda fun. May not change my world but it seems a clever implementation of the Vita's capabilities, and will probably do a good job of making me look like a fool as I walk through the streets of San Francisco with my Vita pointed at buildings.

  • onezeonx #7 3 months ago

    frobisher says is a silly game but shockingly really good to play :D

    plus everytime the guy says "frobisher sayssss" its actually funny!
    good little game if its under £20

  • Ajent #8 3 months ago

    @onezeonx it's free. Says so at the end of the article. Enjoy :)

  • zedzee #9 3 months ago

    Never mind showcasing, how about simply DELIVERING on what the Japs are getting, in terms of being able to xfer their PSP games onto the Vita?

    Sony continues to cheese off the very same LOYAL consumers who have supported the PSP in the past.

    Why not offer them the same features? Why not provide us with a FREE xfer facility, so we can enjoy playing our PSP collection AND eventually move onto investing in Vita-only games?!

  • KrazyFace #10 3 months ago

    Had my first go on the Vita today and came away feeling depressed about it. Sadly (and this is a personal thing) after playing Uncharted for not more than 10mins, I felt that horrid hand-cramp I get with the PSP due to the controls being so close to the edge of the machine. The OLED screen was also wasted on me as they still had the protective plastic on it. I asked if I could remove it and was told the manager didn't want grubby mits all over "his" screen. So all I could really see was a bubbly, reflective mess.

    Wipeout must be a brighter game coz I could see it better, but it never got the chance to blow me away as others have proclaimed.

    My issue with the controls are the deal-breaker for me though. A massive let-down really as I was SO looking forward to getting one, but if I'm going to have the same problem here as I do with the PSP then I'd be better spending the money on a 3DS when it gets more than just a Zelda re-make.

    I know I'm going to get negged for my comment here, but hey, I can't argue with the pain in my hands.