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Sony: Indies, third-party games are Vita's focus moving forward

At first I was mad and frustrated, I sat back, grabbed a cold drink.

I'm okay with this outcome. I bought a Vita for JRPG's not for AAA or Western bro shooters.
Indies are best played on my Vita, Hotline Miami plays like crap on PC compared to the god tier experience the Vita offers.

I'm content with Vita moving forward, my only disappointment is that we will probably never get a FF game on the Vita that isn't a port or a MegaMan game :/
 

kuroshiki

Member
At first I was mad and frustrated, I sat back, grabbed a cold drink.

I'm okay with this outcome. I bought a Vita for JRPG's not for AAA or Western bro shooters.
Indies are best played on my Vita, Hotline Miami plays like crap on PC compared to the god tier experience the Vita offers.

I'm content with Vita moving forward, my only disappointment is that we will probably never get a FF game on the Vita that isn't a port or a MegaMan game :/

Dude if we can still get games like danganronpa and dungeon travelers 2, they are AAA games enough for me.
 

wilflare

Member
On the serious note, what Sony should do is turning SCEJ as the powerhouse for vita (smaller, medium size projects) and turn their all western project for PS4.

In terms of technical prowess, Japan is way behind, especially when it comes to programming. A lot of them are still stuck at PS3 era (or can't even take advantage of it) so let them handle vita.

For developers who want to show the next best thing, let them do PS4 projects.

Everyone wins.

makes too much sense for them to consider at this point
 

Suzzopher

Member
At first I was mad and frustrated, I sat back, grabbed a cold drink.

I'm okay with this outcome. I bought a Vita for JRPG's not for AAA or Western bro shooters.
Indies are best played on my Vita, Hotline Miami plays like crap on PC compared to the god tier experience the Vita offers.

I'm content with Vita moving forward, my only disappointment is that we will probably never get a FF game on the Vita that isn't a port or a MegaMan game :/

Vita is getting Mighty No.9 though ;)
 

Seanspeed

Banned
Egh, so the Vita's fate now rests in the hands of 3rd party devs. Not a great sign.
It seems the Vita will still be getting a good amount of indies in the short term, but what about long-term? Surely this vote of no confidence by Sony of the handheld will make developers start to look elsewhere?

"Hmm...should we spend time and effort putting our game on a dying platform that even the people who make it don't want to support it?"
 
It seems the Vita will still be getting a good amount of indies in the short term, but what about long-term? Surely this vote of no confidence by Sony of the handheld will make developers start to look elsewhere?

"Hmm...should we spend time and effort putting our game on a dying platform that even the people who make it don't want to support?"

Sony will continue to push PS4/Vita indie development as much as they can and that should see the Vita getting lots of indie support going forward.
 

Zen

Banned
indie devs have also talked about how healthy the sales on the platform are for their types of games, even with hardware sales being pretty poor, the system is bought by hardcore gamers who want to play a lot of software on the machine.
 
It seems the Vita will still be getting a good amount of indies in the short term, but what about long-term? Surely this vote of no confidence by Sony of the handheld will make developers start to look elsewhere?

"Hmm...should we spend time and effort putting our game on a dying platform that even the people who make it don't want to support it?"

Sony's funding a lot of games that... aren't exactly the most technically ambitious out there. Entwined, Guns Up, Hohokum, Helldivers.

If Sony's reduced Vita efforts include even such games, then Vita truly is dead. But it's hard to read into the context of what they're saying because right now, the Vita context in Sony first-party terms can be divided into 4 categories:

a.. Big budget AAA Vita games : Killzone, Uncharted, Tearaway.
b. Big budget Japanese Vita games : Soul Sacrifice, Oreshika, Freedom Wars
c. Small budget indie Vita exclusives : Invisimals, Big Fest, Murasaki Baby.
d. Small budget indie Playstation exclusives : Entwined, Guns Up, Helldivers.

a is 100% dead. I can see 'c' being merged with 'd' ( as in all former Vita exclusives will now have a console port as well ), but 'b' is still an outlier because Japan still has potential for Vita.
 

AkIRA_22

Member
'Company focuses on successful product, stops supporting failing product'... Shock horror. It's pretty obvious this was going to happen at some stage. I love my Vita, I regularly buy Indie games and well received full priced games. However its been on thin ice for a while.
 
This is a shame because I really wanted one so that I could play games on the wonderful OLED screen. I've held off buying one because I was waiting for more games but now the outlook is bleak.
 

Fredrik

Member
But why?? They seemed to almost relaunch it when PS4 arrived. And now this. Why not give it some first party love and take it to the next level? Sony could rule handheld gaming with this device, it has everything, seems like such a waste that the only core gaming portable console powerful enough to run AAA games is only used for indies + a lackbuster 30fps off TV streaming functionality. :/
 
SCEJ is still doing good things though - stuff like Freedom Wars, Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines...yeah I'm into stuff like that. I got a Vita for Japanese titles and it should be fine for the next couple of years on that front. Hopefully we also get Gravity Rush 2. The indie stuff I see more as a bonus.

If only I could get San Andreas Stories, though ;_;
 

Jimrpg

Member
Pretty disappointed at Broshida's (and Jim Ryan's) comments about where the Vita is at going forward. I've had my vita for the past year, and of the PS4, PS3 and the vita I've spent easily the most time on the vita. For one, its just so accessible, I can pick it up and not worry about other people using the TV.

Their comments to me, pretty much spell the end of vita development at least from western developers. I noticed LBP3 didn't get announced for the vita, but just PS3 and PS4. The Vita needs both Triple A titles and indies, that's what made the system so good. The fact they didn't even bother to name the Playstation TV, Vita TV like they did in Japan shows they have no faith in it anymore.

The problem is, Vita was just about to hit its stride, I really think they pulled the plug a year or two too soon. We've just started to get great PS Plus games on the system, and the more people that are on plus, the more people will buy a Vita. As most of the PS4 owners who also have PS Plus have probably realized, they've just started getting a decent collection happening, so they are probably looking to get one. By the end of one year, PS Plus owners will have 24 games to choose from. That's a big advantage to have when deciding on getting the 3DS or the Vita. But with the recent news, they know Nintendo probably won't quit on the 3DS like Sony have, so they will probably buy a 3DS instead.
 

JoJoSono

Banned
But I like watching big stories and cinematic on portables.

Indie games are ok, but my favorite games are those long and involving single player epics. The Vita really has none of those. People say keep talking like the Vita is a must own for jrpg fans. How? What amazing jrpgs are on the system? Persona 4? I played that game years ago. FFX? Same and I can get this HD version on my PS3(I have both). What else? Sorry I'm not interested in those otaku niche things like Neptunia. Ys is the only exclusive jrpg I've enjoyed on the system and it seems to be the actual only one.

The Vita is a pretty awesome system. It's sleek. It's decently powerful. It just does everything I'd want a modern Playstation portable to do. Thats what makes it's situation so terrible. Hell, at this point I'd just take PS2 ports, but we aren't even getting those like we did with PSP and it's PS1 ports.
 

Kings fan

Member
Vita, the most powerful handheld on the market.

Interested in playing good games? Indies will do you just fine.

How about RPGs? Well there's ps1 classics and psp classics to play of course.

What about actual Vita games that utilize it's power? Sorry buddy, but hey at least you have the above right?


Thanks Sony for crippling the Vita with games that are inferior to 3DS standards. What good is my powerful Vita when all of the future software doesn't use most of it? And to add insult to this load of bs we are expected to buy proprietary memory at a 3x mark up Vita tax.
 

Nikodemos

Member
Zomgbbqftw can probably correct me, but I think the Vita 2000 is nearly about as cheap to build as a 3DS XL. Now that they've dropped the OLED, the most expensive part of the system is the stacked dedicated video memory on the SoC. So they could presumably drop the price while still keping a decent margin on the device itself.

They need to fookin kill the price on those memcards, though.
 

RalchAC

Member
Interested in playing good games? Indies will do you just fine.

Did you buy Toukiden? Danganronpa? Soul Sacrifice? Rayman Legends? Tearaway? Killzone? Uncharted? Gravity Rush? There are plenty of good games in the system that are not indie.

How about RPGs? Well there's ps1 classics and psp classics to play of course.

Ys: Celceta? FFX Collection? Persona 4 Golden? Atelier stuff? Do you have Tales of Hearts R preordered? Are you buying Oreshika? There are RPGs and more are coming. Since they 60-80 hours long I doubt you play more than 4 or 5 a year. At least that's my case. And I'm going to guess you have other systems with RPGs releasing that are worth your time. So you don't need a dozen on the Vita every year.

What about actual Vita games that utilize it's power? Sorry buddy, but hey at least you have the above right?

There were games that utilize its power. They bombed. Sony didn't market and that's their fault but let's not act like they have no reason to act that way.

Thanks Sony for crippling the Vita with games that are inferior to 3DS standards. What good is my powerful Vita when all of the future software doesn't use most of it? And to add insult to this load of bs we are expected to buy proprietary memory at a 3x mark up Vita tax.

After reading this, sell your Vita and keep / buy a 3DS. Mem card prices are inexcusable, but having a big memory card only makes sense if you go digital. And going digital without a PS+ subscription doesn't make sense.

If you have PS+, you should have recovered your investment in two months. Especially becuase most 3DS games stay at ful price (40€) for years while they are "gifting" stuff to you every month.

I got my 16GB memory card for 30€ 9 months ago and it's good enough for me. And I have PS+. I have to delete stuff but it's ok, no problem. It should have been cheaper, but I feel I've recovered my investment.
 

IvorB

Member
I'm still so pissed off about this. Sony's really in my bad books right now.

I tried to embrace this future. I went to PSN and downloaded Hotline Miami (everyone said it was good right?). It just doesn't work for me. Carrying around and using a piece of kit like the Vita just to play something that looks like a feature phone game is just ridiculous. It's just not my thing. No disrespect to indies but if I had known Vita was going to become the Indie Machine I would have kept my money in my wallet.

And the way they choose to say it seems like such a casual slap in the face to Vita owners like me that have actually been trying to support the platform. Third-parties they say? Yeah right. What third-party is gonna make games for Vita now after Sony signals this to everyone?

I think Sony needs to brought down a peg or two. Seriously, I didn't think arrogant Sony would return so quickly. It's one thing to make such a decision internally but the fact they thought it was okay to come out and say that just blows my mind.
 
It's one thing to make such a decision internally but the fact they thought it was okay to come out and say that just blows my mind.

Do you seriously believe that? That a 'behind-closed-doors' and executives pretending like their output didn't somehow diminish compared to previous years is better than an honest admission that they're scaling back?
 
Can't even front. I'm highly disappointed. I was hoping for random final Fantasy games, tales games and other things. Surprise.. Sonys been trying to hit us with a 52/50 for the longest anyway. Talking about games* are coming. Never specifically mentioned which type of games lol. I might as well get a better router. This is my remote play machine.
 

IvorB

Member
Do you seriously believe that? That a 'behind-closed-doors' and executives pretending like their output didn't somehow diminish compared to previous years is better than an honest admission that they're scaling back?

Yes, in this case I would rather have corporate fudging than a soft kill. It's about the message that the platform holder is sending out. It's one thing for people to assume they are scaling back and it's another to come out and say: we can't be bothered supporting our platform any more. Or if they have to say it then message it a bit better for Christ's sake. We're not gonna support this anymore but it's cool because: thank god for indies right? What the hell?

So if they can't be bothered making games for it then does anyone really believe they will spend any time and effort attracting third-parties to develop on it?
 
So if they can't be bothered making games for it then does anyone really believe they will spend any time and effort attracting third-parties to develop on it?

Less games =/= no games. And then this as well.

"And we continue to make games cross-platform games, especially on digital side."

So if they can't be bothered making games for it then does anyone really believe they will spend any time and effort attracting third-parties to develop on it?

Er... yes, because Sony's 3rd-party teams and 1st-party teams are different parts of the company? Adam Boyes and Gio Corsi doesn't walk over to WWS telling Shu to make less games because they secured Grim Fandango, just as Shu doesn't walk to TPP and tells them to not secure No Man's Sky, because reasons.
 

IvorB

Member
Less games =/= no games. And then this as well.





Er... yes, because Sony's 3rd-party teams and 1st-party teams are different parts of the company? Adam Boyes and Gio Corsi doesn't walk over to WWS telling Shu to make less games because they secured Grim Fandango, just as Shu doesn't walk to TPP and tells them to not secure No Man's Sky, because reasons.

They're part of the same company, dude. I'm sure Yoshida didn't wake up one morning and decide to stop supporting the Vita. It's obviously part of a wider corporate approach. So if Sony as a corp has decided not to spend any dev resource on Vita what makes you so sure they haven't cut Vita support in other areas of the company.
 

Nikodemos

Member
I guess that depends on how we define meaningful success. Nintendo could probably put out another successful console. Sony could too but shouldn't until they're ready to support it.
Nintendo will definitely try again, although with something a lot less flashy than the 3DS. It'll quite likely be a device along the lines of a 2DSi (more RAM, more powerful everything, same form factor).

Sony will not produce another standalone handheld ever again. At the very most, and with a rather low chance of actually happening, they'll adopt the stacked video ram configuration of Vita's SGX543MP4+ GPU for their 'gaming enhanced' line of Xperias (along with an official gaming grip for the phone).
 

Zen

Banned
Nintendo will definitely try again, although with something a lot less flashy than the 3DS. It'll quite likely be a device along the lines of a 2DSi (more RAM, more powerful everything, same form factor).

Sony will not produce another standalone handheld ever again. At the very most, and with a rather low chance of actually happening, they'll adopt the stacked video ram configuration of Vita's SGX543MP4+ GPU for their 'gaming enhanced' line of Xperias (along with an official gaming grip for the phone).

I think they will try again, but something that is universal to their phone lines with official button addon clip and a game first version of it that might not even be a phone.
 
That's a pretty damn lame position for Sony to take. I'm glad there are companies that are actually producing quality content for the system, because it's amazing.
 

Windam

Scaley member
RBlbdXo.gif


B-but Vita means life! :(
 

TsuWave

Member
I'm tired of your shit sony. I'm gonna sell my vita before it's too late and the last game i'll buy will be Persona 5 for ps3 and that's it. Hope sony go bankrupt and F*** yourself.

Now i'm really fed up of console gaming.

woah, them going bankrupt wouldn't exactly boost the chances of vita support, you know that right?
 
You know what I would do? Hire Vector Unit to make a downloadable Jet Moto revival.

$20 game.

12 courses
12 riders

Would handle different than the original jet moto games though.

Really wish this kind of thing was happening:
Indie devs producing small revivals of lapsed Sony IP.
 
Can I get the guys from Bugbear doing a new Destruction Derby please?

Much appreciated.

Yes. Let's get someone making a wipeout remix game as well.
Best of courses and music tracks.

I want more racing games, essentially.

Have an indie make a new Xtreme racing and waterski game too
 

CamHostage

Member
Really wish this kind of thing was happening:
Indie devs producing small revivals of lapsed Sony IP.

Love it. I proposed something similar earlier in the thread -- these indies are doing great work, Sony has these franchises lapsing into dust, and the Vita is starving for attention... make a win-win-win situation happen by opening up those brands to new uses. Follow the Serious Sam Indie Series approach (or your own Pinball Heroes / Fat Princess Piece of Cake games) and work the characters and worlds first, maybe block developers from making games that could be mistaken for "canon sequels" if that's a binding issue, and build up the brands as independent, professionally-produced fan works; then if there's an accomplished developer that proposes to actually do a full-blown sequel instead of a side-game, something that Sony could see publishing and making an "official" part of its brands, that's always an option too. Harmonix's Amplitude license is just the start of what could happen if Sony allowed developers into the vaults. There are good brands in the Sony library, some great characters and some exciting worlds, use it and let developers help expand PlayStation fandom.

If you're not going to do these games yourselves, Sony, give your development friends the keys!

(...Though to vagabondarts ... as a Jet Moto fan, I do have to fight back as always against the idea that making a jetboat-racing game means you can do Jet Moto. It bugs the crap out of me if I even catch a whiff that JM is being thought of as a boat/jetski game when it is SO its own awesome thing that didn't deserve 1001 comparisons to Wave Race and NEVER should be mentioned in the same breath as Jet X2O, which besmirched the good name of "jet"... but that's me pet-peeving. Vector Unit's a good team with good sensibilities, so not a bad choice.)
 
having played the majority of it's library already, this is a sign to not pick up another after I lost my first vita.

godspeed vita. you were a true hero.

They need to fookin kill the price on those memcards, though.

hate to break it to you dude, but this is not the issue.... price drops only matter if there are people who know about the console... the price of this system is a major misconception as the primary deterrent for sales.. in actually the biggest issue is marketing and advertisement. for every person ( not on gaf ) who tells you the vita is too expensive i'll give you 100 who don't know what the fuck a vita is.
 

Zen

Banned
Vita sold within the ballpark as the Xbox One last month in NA, fyi. The sales for the prior months were so low due to channel clearing. These kinds of numbers might not make sense for AAA development (which is why we are seeing smaller projects from Sony) but considering how many games vita owners buy it absolutely makes sense for continued indie support.
PS4 ~ 195k
3DS ~ 87k
XB1 ~ 77k
Wii U ~ 62k
360 ~ 57k
PSV ~ 56k
PS3 ~ 36k
Wii ~ 11k
 
Love it. I proposed something similar earlier in the thread -- these indies are doing great work, Sony has these franchises lapsing into dust, and the Vita is starving for attention...

*snip*

(...Though to vagabondarts ... as a Jet Moto fan, I do have to fight back as always against the idea that making a jetboat-racing game means you can do Jet Moto. It bugs the crap out of me if I even catch a whiff that JM is being thought of as a boat/jetski game when it is SO its own awesome thing that didn't deserve 1001 comparisons to Wave Race and NEVER should be mentioned in the same breath as Jet X2O, which besmirched the good name of "jet"... but that's me pet-peeving. Vector Unit's a good team with good sensibilities, so not a bad choice.)

Agreed. I want all of them separately:
Jetski racing, Jetmoto revival, Destruction Derby, Rollcage, Colony Wars, Wipeout...

Saw someone elses suggestion in another thread weeks back that sounded awesome, combine Jet Moto's out of control rocket racing with Motorstorm's out of control exploding breaking racing and make:

Jet Motorstorm.

I admit it brought a lot of cool images in my head.

Anyway, I'll take my Grim Fandango and TxK and leave it at that, grateful for what we got.
 
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