Nikodemos
Member
You could say the same for rear touchpad, proprietary memcards and OLED (pointless increase in costs).
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A Vita Renaissance: Is It Possible?
- Thread starter Boss Mog
- Start date
Baleoce
Member
Units sold never bothered me anyway.
Or it might be because there's one region where it sells some hardware and some software (of a specific kind)
Tye The Czar
Member
Boss★Moogle;157986181 said:
With just this, and heavier marketing, I think there would be a far greater chance.
FriedConsole
Banned
I used to think this gif was annoying, then I realized it perfectly encapsulates the only type of game still coming out on Vita.
I don't usually like very Japanese games and I have plenty to play every month. Lots of great indie ports. Keeps me busy on the road.
Sony's support has probably been better than the financial realities that would have them pulling the plug.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
So, let's just do a little survey of the field:
- Retail support is at an all-time low in the west. The Vita gets a very small and shrinking amount of space at a small and shrinking number of retailers.
- You need economies of scale to reduce production costs, and the Vita doesn't really have any. Existing costs reductions have occurred by using cheaper components at the expense of product quality.
- Sony has not given significant first-party support in several years. They have released a few titles, but nothing big, and nothing that's a focus.
- Sony has not given the Vita any real attention at media events.
- When Sony does promote the Vita, it's as an indie download machine, as a controller, or as something that can take advantage of remote play.
- Publishers are not generally interested in releasing retail software for either handheld, instead favouring mobile or consoles. As an example of this, Square Enix decides to port a moderately high profile PSP game... and releases it for home consoles and not Vita. Simultaneously, they are making millions of dollars off their very successful mobile ventures.
- Every significant publisher has made it clear that they want to reduce risk by focusing on core opportunities and releasing fewer SKUs.
- No third party publisher save small Japanese firms are releasing software on Vita, and those projects that are announced are generally low-impact projects.
- Sony is closing up PSM, admitting that their plan to encourage cross-platform mobile and Vita development has not taken off and is not worth spending resources on.
- Tearaway, which is probably Sony's last core high profile Vita release, is getting a console port. Gravity Rush has been rated for consoles (perhaps an error, or perhaps an indication of a port).
- Playstation TV, which could have been a productive way of cost-controlling, is generally regarded to be a weak product that has not received market traction anywhere in the world.
- Also, I'd add that third party companies don't pump resources into making hardware a success, they pump resources into successful third-party hardware to capitalize on the success. If Square Enix and Take 2 released the slate of software you're proposing on the Wii U, they'd probably drive sales, but they wouldn't do so because it makes no sense to focus on the Titanic to try to get it to miss the iceberg.
None of this is a comment on the quality of the Vita, which by all accounts seems like a great little handheld, with lots of great indie games, some interesting original content, and what's obviously a very high user satisfaction rate. But I think it takes some pretty bonkers logic to look at the state of the field, and say "well Falcom announced a new game and I don't feel like New 3DS is a big deal... so what if every publisher suddenly started releasing all their big guns and porting their biggest titles and focusing on the Vita even though they didn't do any of this for the last 5 years... couldn't the Vita become big again?" Like, I just don't see how a measured reading of what's going on in the world could lead to the conclusion that the Vita is about to turn a corner.
I'm not saying there won't be games being announced for Vita. I'm just saying that it makes more sense to enjoy the library the platform gets rather than projecting dreams of world domination.
- Retail support is at an all-time low in the west. The Vita gets a very small and shrinking amount of space at a small and shrinking number of retailers.
- You need economies of scale to reduce production costs, and the Vita doesn't really have any. Existing costs reductions have occurred by using cheaper components at the expense of product quality.
- Sony has not given significant first-party support in several years. They have released a few titles, but nothing big, and nothing that's a focus.
- Sony has not given the Vita any real attention at media events.
- When Sony does promote the Vita, it's as an indie download machine, as a controller, or as something that can take advantage of remote play.
- Publishers are not generally interested in releasing retail software for either handheld, instead favouring mobile or consoles. As an example of this, Square Enix decides to port a moderately high profile PSP game... and releases it for home consoles and not Vita. Simultaneously, they are making millions of dollars off their very successful mobile ventures.
- Every significant publisher has made it clear that they want to reduce risk by focusing on core opportunities and releasing fewer SKUs.
- No third party publisher save small Japanese firms are releasing software on Vita, and those projects that are announced are generally low-impact projects.
- Sony is closing up PSM, admitting that their plan to encourage cross-platform mobile and Vita development has not taken off and is not worth spending resources on.
- Tearaway, which is probably Sony's last core high profile Vita release, is getting a console port. Gravity Rush has been rated for consoles (perhaps an error, or perhaps an indication of a port).
- Playstation TV, which could have been a productive way of cost-controlling, is generally regarded to be a weak product that has not received market traction anywhere in the world.
- Also, I'd add that third party companies don't pump resources into making hardware a success, they pump resources into successful third-party hardware to capitalize on the success. If Square Enix and Take 2 released the slate of software you're proposing on the Wii U, they'd probably drive sales, but they wouldn't do so because it makes no sense to focus on the Titanic to try to get it to miss the iceberg.
None of this is a comment on the quality of the Vita, which by all accounts seems like a great little handheld, with lots of great indie games, some interesting original content, and what's obviously a very high user satisfaction rate. But I think it takes some pretty bonkers logic to look at the state of the field, and say "well Falcom announced a new game and I don't feel like New 3DS is a big deal... so what if every publisher suddenly started releasing all their big guns and porting their biggest titles and focusing on the Vita even though they didn't do any of this for the last 5 years... couldn't the Vita become big again?" Like, I just don't see how a measured reading of what's going on in the world could lead to the conclusion that the Vita is about to turn a corner.
I'm not saying there won't be games being announced for Vita. I'm just saying that it makes more sense to enjoy the library the platform gets rather than projecting dreams of world domination.
TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared
Member
Its sadly dead. So much potential, I bought mine on launch day, and Sony abandoned it.
Trigonometrize.
Member
I'm frankly sick of this tired argument. Take away Microsoft software support of the Xbox 360 and what do you get?... still an amazing system. 360 didn't survive because of Alan Wake and Crackdown. Vita doesn't need Sony's shrinking western studios to make the Vita great.
Most non-indie vita games are very niche Japanese games, though.
CaviarMeths
Member
Expensive proprietary memory cards are definitely an issue.
I still think the biggest issue though is Sony not understanding the audience for handhelds. There aren't really any games on the Vita that are both widely appealing and "belong" on a handheld. Not many people actually want to play AAA console games like Call of Duty and Uncharted on a handheld, even if Declassified wasn't hot garbage. 5 minutes of wrestling with those thumb sticks is going to have any console-orientated gamer itching to be holding their full size pad and playing on the big screen.
Sony made the mistake of marketing the handheld to console gamers when it was already fairly clear towards the end of the PSP life that it wasn't going to be a successful formula. Ghost of Sparta for example greatly undersold any other God of War game. But Sony pressed on. If you take away bundled games, I'm pretty sure Persona 4 is the best selling Vita game. That should have told Sony how they should market their device, but it didn't. They launched the Vita 2000 with Borderlands.
Nintendo's handheld line has always been massively successful because they specialize in games that are built with a handheld audience in mind and play to a handheld's strengths. I don't believe that Pokemon would be quite the lucrative phenomenon it is today if it had always been a console series instead.
I love my Vita. It's one of my favorite systems ever. I really want to see another handheld device from Sony. I would love Sony to come out in full force next gen with a handheld that still pushes the same sort of hardware design philosophy as the PSP and Vita, but launch with a few killer apps that really appeal to people who actually like handhelds. Eg, more Gravity Rush, less Resistance: Burning Skies.
I still think the biggest issue though is Sony not understanding the audience for handhelds. There aren't really any games on the Vita that are both widely appealing and "belong" on a handheld. Not many people actually want to play AAA console games like Call of Duty and Uncharted on a handheld, even if Declassified wasn't hot garbage. 5 minutes of wrestling with those thumb sticks is going to have any console-orientated gamer itching to be holding their full size pad and playing on the big screen.
Sony made the mistake of marketing the handheld to console gamers when it was already fairly clear towards the end of the PSP life that it wasn't going to be a successful formula. Ghost of Sparta for example greatly undersold any other God of War game. But Sony pressed on. If you take away bundled games, I'm pretty sure Persona 4 is the best selling Vita game. That should have told Sony how they should market their device, but it didn't. They launched the Vita 2000 with Borderlands.
Nintendo's handheld line has always been massively successful because they specialize in games that are built with a handheld audience in mind and play to a handheld's strengths. I don't believe that Pokemon would be quite the lucrative phenomenon it is today if it had always been a console series instead.
I love my Vita. It's one of my favorite systems ever. I really want to see another handheld device from Sony. I would love Sony to come out in full force next gen with a handheld that still pushes the same sort of hardware design philosophy as the PSP and Vita, but launch with a few killer apps that really appeal to people who actually like handhelds. Eg, more Gravity Rush, less Resistance: Burning Skies.
WickedLaharl
Member
I recentley picked up a n3DS because I wanted to secure a ID name P) for the future and that more than reasonable Dragon Ball fighting game localization but I cannot even play that console, after years of playing a Vita I found it so unconfortable and dated.
It's so sad but sony does not care about Vita, they don't even want a new portable device. They seem done with handheld market, was good while it was. JStars and if it really releases Revelations 2 could be its two great last experiences.
Big wasted potential.
P) for the future and that more than reasonable Dragon Ball fighting game localization but I cannot even play that console, after years of playing a Vita I found it so unconfortable and dated.It's so sad but sony does not care about Vita, they don't even want a new portable device. They seem done with handheld market, was good while it was. JStars and if it really releases Revelations 2 could be its two great last experiences.
Big wasted potential.
Mass_Pincup
Banned
That's a weird statement to make.
Why remove a part of it's library? Why stop at indie games, why not remove game by big publisher too? That way you could safely say that the Vita only have niche Japanese games.
Should have been first post. I use my as a remote play device for PS4 mainly now. Go buy freedom wars too Vita owners
Except Freedom War's online is dead last I heard. Why should people buy a game who's main function/selling point is a ghost town?
You conveniently left of Forza, Gears and Halo all of which were cornerstones in the 360's library (even if they became the sole cornerstones late in its life.) That's not really the point though, the point is that MS producing content on the system gave other publishers confidence in the platform and its sale. Enough to produce their own content. This just isn't the case with the Vita.
OLED is actually of benefit, and I wouldn't mind paying extra for it, but you're correct about the proprietary memory. I'd have already bought one if I could use a standard microSD card.
I think this is a great way of explaining it.
Not true, I just bought it last week and have been playing online without any issues rounding up a random party
because it's usually the non-indie games that push people to buy consoles? You don't hear people rushing to buy a PS4 to play Thomas Was Alone, they go to buy games like COD, TLOU and Forza.
The Broken Ska Record
Member
A renaissance? No. I just want the damn memory card prices to come down and more PS1 support for the thing.
Otakumegane
Member
Even less likely than a WiiU one.
Dragonslayer_023
Banned
The Vita has been dead for years, and yet games come out pretty much every week and it's still my most played system by far.
RIP.
RIP.
The memory card prices still being high are an indication that Sony doesn't give a fuck about selling vitas anymore. Hell even Nintendo reacted to the market when the 3ds launch was lukewarm
Mass_Pincup
Banned
That's not what Cyan said though, he said that those were the only type of games on the system which is ridiculous. There's dozens of game that aren't either indie or niche Japanese game.
cosmicblizzard
Banned
Nah, it's pretty dead unfortunately. Sucks because it hinders the growth of and may outright jeopardize the future of the Danganronpa franchise.
Nope, I have no problem getting into a game for Freedom Wars (or Soul Sacrifice Delta).
Yeah. Still, it would be nice if it got better variety. The 3DS is in a similar situation, though with Nintendo supporting it it isn't as bad.
I used to think this gif was annoying, then I realized it perfectly encapsulates the only type of game still coming out on Vita.
Then you're probably several times more delusional than the author of the OP.
TheSadRanger
Banned
Maybe they should bring back this guy
Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
I love my Vita and the support it gets, but I think it's done. The only way they could (artificially) boost sales like crazy is by giving them away free with every PS4 and we all know that's not happening.
In my humble opinion, it's one of the few systems that fullfilled its potential among all newer-generation computer entertainment systems so far.
Haha same.
Keep your peasant eyeballs off my OLED screen. You can take the rest though.
It's a shame the best portable hardware ever has been left out to dry by Sony, but every new Vita owner still gets to undergo their own personal portable gaming renaissance.
GhostTrick
Banned
Excuse me but, the reception in West was overwhelming at first. Someone clearly failed their communication, but as for the media outlets, they were all ready to declare PSVita as a clear winner.
BrendanSinclair
Member
I think it could stick around quite a while if Sony re-positions it as a niche/luxury gaming device, sort of the equivalent of turntable sales. Hope this isn't frowned upon too much, but I did write out some thoughts on it that might be relevant here:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-01-29-ps-vita-could-be-the-first-post-retail-system
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-01-29-ps-vita-could-be-the-first-post-retail-system
spons
Gold Member
I just hope they'll keep the servers online for the years to come because I went full digital on this one. Not that I have a choice: there's almost no physical games to get anywhere in the region. The situation is abhorrent. The games available are fantastic though, and there's still stuff getting released, not forgetting backwards compatibility either. Great device.
Even if they don't, I'm sure someone will eventually crack the hypervisor and allow people to strip the DRM off their stuff to archive.
What? I've not heard this. Would love it to be true but seems very unlikely.
Anyway, for a dead system im playing it a lot. I love the Vita.
Exactly.
I'll call the PS Vita 'dead' when mine won't out anymore. That is what I would call 'dead'. Until then it's going to be alive for several a decade or something and I think I'll keep playing games on it for a good long time.