Nico Nico API to offer live broadcast on PlayStation Vita

A Nico Nico Douga app was confirmed for PlayStation Vita at Sony’s Tokyo Game Show press conference last week. As far as we knew, that meant we could watch videos from the popular Japanese streaming service on our Sony handhelds. According to a new Nikkei report, it will do much more.

The Nico Nico API will allow the live broadcast of a player’s face recorded by the system’s front camera when it launches this year. Next year, the API will be updated to support live broadcasting of direct-feed gameplay footage.

The feature doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering Sony’s open stance and PlayStation Vita’s support for multitasking. Vita also has its own “Print Screen,” of sorts, allowing players to snap an image of the screen at any time.

The question that remains is: will U.S.- or European-compatible services like UStream or Livestream follow suit?

Thanks, Andriasang.