[MOG728]

The problem with Sony is they don't think out of the box when it comes to hardware. Their two big moves to combat Nintendo was Move and the Vita. People didn't want a HD Wii, so the move didn't appeal to too many people. The Vita is a beautiful piece of hardware, but what about the software? I have a iPhone, I'm used to my games being under $5 on my phone or free. Why would I want to pay $40 for Uncharted or MLB 2K12 when I can play that on my TV? The problem isn't the price of the hardware. It is the price of the software.

The reason the 3DS will succeed is:

A) Parents will get their kids a Nintendo console because it is family friendly, and has a nostalgic factor to it.
B) The "wow" factor when little kids and their parents pick up the 3D screen for the first time.

It's the same reason why Kinect worked over Move. Kinect wow'd people and gave them an experience they never had before. It astonished them that their video game console could track their entire body.

90% of the population doesnt want a portable PS3. Doodle Jump and Angry Birds is much more satisfying for a couple bucks than a AAA experience for $40. The software is too expensive and there is no wow factor.

And please don't say the touch screens and the specs are "wow" factors. They are natural progressions of hardware. Not something mindblowing or unique.

[GCX]

He must like the PSP since that's essentially what the 3DS is, 5 years later.

This thread is incredible.

[fallagin]

Cheesus Rice! This thread is annoying. Why cant all the fanboys take a time out and sit in the corner? I know I don't a have to read this thread, but even having it bumped to the top of the forum is a nuisance.

[FieryBalrog]

"When we launched the 3DS hardware we didn't have Super Mario 3D Land, we didn't have Mario Kart 7, we didn't have Kid Icarus: Uprising," he said. "We were striving to have all of these ready for the launch, but we weren't able to deliver them at that time. "We were kind of hoping that people would, nevertheless, buy into the product, find 3DS hardware promising, but looking back we have to say we realise the key software was missing when we launched the hardware."

"We were kinda hoping to gouge early adopters"

[amtentori]

Holy crap this thread.

Lot of people with hurt feelings before even reading the whole damn interview.

But Vita is a great product because I like it and 3DS sux!
Get over it. LOL

3DS has yet to prove itself. doing well in Japan, but pretty mediocrely elsewhere. Also needs more games and some other improvements i wont get into...

"We were kinda hoping to gouge early adopters"

Definitely. The response to the 3DS reveal was amazingly positive. People were expecting it to simply catch on fire and take over the world. Nintendo got caught in the hype. Almost a PS3 level blunder. Except they could actually bring down the price :P

Some other thoughts. It is interesting that Nintendo does a good job of having Portable franchises or portable version of games that are usually distinct from console counterparts. Pokemon, fire emblem, advance wars, etc. are dedicated handheld franchises. When you buy a nintendo handheld you know what types of experiences you are at least guaranteed to have.

Sony on the other hand makes B versions of their star franchises for their portables. That is what needs to change as I think third parties might not be enough this time around. Besides monster hunter, what franchises from the PSP have brand appeal that define the Sony portable experience? Loco Roco and patapon are franchises Sony could build upon.

[flintstryker]

He must like the PSP since that's essentially what the 3DS is, 5 years later.

are you by any chance crying right now?

[odd_morsel]

He's right to an extent. If the Vita was a strong product, it'd be selling.

It's missing something for a larger appeal. I love mine but I find it hard to recommend it to my friends. I don't want to be responsible when it's collecting dust because they only ever bought one game.

[VanWinkle]

I bought a vita and a 3DS and I play the vita most days. I really like it, but I understand it isnt for everyone. I am still waiting for something on the 3DS to really grab me, but I am sure something will.

I am in the same situation. I still play my 3DS, but not often. I just think the hardware is very sub-par (not the graphics power, but the external hardware). I think I need a game like Mario Kart 7 or something.

I don't know, I believe Vita is a much better piece of hardware and more fun to use. However, I guess I can see why the library might not be everyone's cup of tea at this moment in its lifecycle.

The problem with Sony is they don't think out of the box when it comes to hardware. Their two big moves to combat Nintendo was Move and the Vita. People didn't want a HD Wii, so the move didn't appeal to too many people. The Vita is a beautiful piece of hardware, but what about the software? I have a iPhone, I'm used to my games being under $5 on my phone or free. Why would I want to pay $40 for Uncharted or MLB 2K12 when I can play that on my TV? The problem isn't the price of the hardware. It is the price of the software. The reason the 3DS will succeed is: A) Parents will get their kids a Nintendo console because it is family friendly, and has a nostalgic factor to it. B) The "wow" factor when little kids and their parents pick up the 3D screen for the first time. It's the same reason why Kinect worked over Move. Kinect wow'd people and gave them an experience they never had before. It astonished them that their video game console could track their entire body. 90% of the population doesnt want a portable PS3. Doodle Jump and Angry Birds is much more satisfying for a couple bucks than a AAA experience for $40. The software is too expensive and there is no wow factor. And please don't say the touch screens and the specs are "wow" factors. They are natural progressions of hardware. Not something mindblowing or unique.

I think Vita should not even be compared to the Move. They're completely different approaches. I've shown my 3DS and my Vita to a bunch of people (usually if I'm playing at work or a friend's house or something), and everyone (or at least most everyone) is always wow'd by the Vita. Mostly they are wow'd by the screen, and a many by how nice the device or the dpad and analog sticks feel. The 3DS wow'd me and one of my friend's I showed it to (for the 3D effect, obviously) but a lot of them didn't really see the big deal. I would say it is because of how similar it looks to the DS.

All completely anecdotal, of course, but it's just to show you that this complete lack of a "wow" factor for Vita is not quite true.

Also, many people are still willing to pay $40 for a handheld game. It's all in how much it warrants the price. I can't tell you how many dollar or two dollar games I've bought for my phone and tablet, the vast majority of which I never played more than an hour (and some of which I haven't even played at all!). Now, you can still find real duds in the $40 dollar range for handheld systems, but it definitely doesn't speak to the whole. And why are you used to your games being under $5 or free because they are on iPhone? I expect my phone/tablet games to be under $5 or free, but the expectation disappears if I'm not playing on those devices, because I'm aware of the vastly different experiences they can offer.

I mean, I just bought Mortal Kombat for Vita. It was $40, and I feel like it was way more worth it than at least 50% of the cheap games I've bought I'm my phone.

[Emily Chu]

Lets look at it like this

2004-2006 I had a PSP 1001 and I loved it, did everything I wanted it to.

2007-2012 I had a _______ insert smartphone here I loved it, did everything I wanted it to

Just not seeing any compelling reason for me to buy a vita when I got a Galaxy Nexus atm if ever.

[staticneuron]

90% of the population doesnt want a portable PS3. Doodle Jump and Angry Birds is much more satisfying for a couple bucks than a AAA experience for $40. The software is too expensive and there is no wow factor.

That isn't true at all. I have played my vita in public alot and it certainly "wows" alot of people.

[chickdigger802]

Might just be me, but I spend more time searching for psp gems I missed on psn then vita games =/

Fuck... if only I give a more damn about fighters...

[odd_morsel]

Might just be me, but I spend more time searching for psp gems I missed on psn then vita games =/ Fuck... if only I give a more damn about fighters...

It's not just you. I've played twice as many PSP games than I have Vita. Just needs more software.

[Phoenician_Viking]

Sony on the other hand makes B versions of their star franchises for their portables. That is what needs to change as I think third parties might not be enough this time around. Besides monster hunter, what franchises from the PSP have brand appeal that define the Sony portable experience? Loco Roco and patapon are franchises Sony could build upon.

Fucking Ridiculous. GT was developed by PD. Wipeout by the original studio. LBP PSP in cooperation with MM. Killzone by GG. HSG by SCEJ.

FYI Bend is in no way, shape or form a B tier studio.

[chickdigger802]

It's not just you. I've played twice as many PSP games than I have Vita. Just needs more software.

To be fair 70% of the hours on my 3ds are ds games.

Now, excuse me, back to yelling at the clouds.

[B.O.O.M]

Vita will still have more and better games than the 3ds had if you compare the time periods they were in the market.

[tch]

Yeah. Kid Icarus sure is a shining example of system defining game

[staticneuron]

Fucking Ridiculous. GT was developed by PD. Wipeout by the original studio. LBP PSP in cooperation with MM. Killzone by GG. HSG by SCEJ. FYI Bend is in no way, shape or form a B tier studio.

Sony can't win. I have seen it run the gamut from calling their games watered down versions of their console counter parts, yet saying that the "type" of game doesn't suit the small screen. Then complaints about the type of gameplay or length of play session despite the vita and its predecessor literally having a hibernate function.

I played Uncharted GA on the handheld and that it was a fun experience. Something that reminded me of the original uncharted in terms of graphics and music, yet still was distinct as a new entry in the franchise. I have seen posters say that U:GA was not a good game because it doesn't compare to Uncharted 2 or 3 and at the same token imply that the type of game "shouldn't" be on a handheld anyway.

Truth is, I doubt anyone would have judged U:GA the same if it was on the console and personally I don't feel that there is any genre should not be on a handheld. But the more I read this stuff the more I get the impression that this mentality bleed unto other people because despite logic I see the same inane arguments being brought up over and over again.

Even if a game was considered a better fit for a console, I purchase a handheld for the times I am NOT at home to enjoy my console. So when I take a trip or caught somewhere boring for a while, I could enjoy the experience that I prefer best. I really don't see how talking points like that are even thought up unless people play their handhelds at home alongside their consoles, which I don't understand really.

[Dapperk]

That isn't true at all. I have played my vita in public alot and it certainly "wows" alot of people.

I always think that the Vita looks impressive when I see one. Unfortunately I have no desire to buy one. I guess if Sony could only turn "wows" into sales somehow they'd be in a better position.

[Nibel]

People need to start reading the article and not just the thread tittle.

This is true and embarassing

[A Twisty Fluken]

This is true and embarassing

If this sentiment didn't come out in this thread it would inevitably have come out somewhere else. GAF needs to exercise its prost-hate.

[enzo_gt]

Oversimplification of things, but Miyamoto is pretty much saying what we all already know. The Vita is in a complicated position in the market during a transitional kind of phase in the industry. And there's no big software push to be seen, so it makes it difficult for the consumer to drop money on an investment that is supported by an empty promise.

[Soneet]

Lets look at it like this 2004-2006 I had a PSP 1001 and I loved it, did everything I wanted it to. 2007-2012 I had a _______ insert smartphone here I loved it, did everything I wanted it to Just not seeing any compelling reason for me to buy a vita when I got a Galaxy Nexus atm if ever.

It doesn't seem like you're interested in a gaming portable in the first place. You just want a media gadget device. Nothing wrong with that, but your comment is basically useless. "I like to bake pie and heat up pizza, so I don't think I'll be buying a dedicated microwave." No shit, Sherlock.

[ScreenSplitter]

It doesn't seem like you're interested in a gaming portable in the first place. You just want a media gadget device. Nothing wrong with that, but your comment is basically useless. "I like to bake pie and heat up pizza, so I don't think I'll be buying a dedicated microwave." No shit, Sherlock.

And Microwaved Pizza never tastes as good as from the oven. Continuing your little analogy there...

[Raitosaito]

Sony's biggest franchise takes forever to develop "GT" and the even bigger one "Metal Gear" isn't even theirs. Nintendo is lucky to have all their system sellers in house, while Sony pushed out a Vita without a big name attached to the launch. Yeah, Nintendo did the same thing, but they paid the price for it big time and made a price cut. Now they came back with a vengeance for the handheld market and Sony has no contingency plan.

At the very least I hope the Vita is like the PSP in that they continue to give me mass amounts of niche JRPG.

[GCX]

Yeah. Kid Icarus sure is a shining example of system defining game

Yeah, it's the best game on 3DS.

[Soneet]

And Microwaved Pizza never tastes as good as from the oven. Continuing your little analogy there...

Pizza = movie player.

I want to melt chocolate fast, heat up coffee = games.

...

I had to think for that one, you almost ruined my analogy.

[MoogleWizard]

Nintendo sure talks a lot like they know what they're doing, yet there stock is down like 50,000% in recent years. Kind of reminds how Sony is forever restructuring and forecasting profitability just around the corner...

It took Nintendo more than three decades to report their first losses ever as a public company and they're already turning the ship around, they know their business better than anyone else in the industry...


I think it's hard to disagree with Miyamoto on the Vita, but what he said isn't exactly rocket science, it should be clear to anyone but the most die-hard fans by now, just look at the sales numbers.
The hardware is gorgeous and undeniably better than the 3DS, but when was the last time a system sold on awesome hardware alone? Right, never.

[itxaka]

Sony can't win. I have seen it run the gamut from calling their games watered down versions of their console counter parts, yet saying that the "type" of game doesn't suit the small screen. Then complaints about the type of gameplay or length of play session despite the vita and its predecessor literally having a hibernate function. I played Uncharted GA on the handheld and that it was a fun experience. Something that reminded me of the original uncharted in terms of graphics and music, yet still was distinct as a new entry in the franchise. I have seen posters say that U:GA was not a good game because it doesn't compare to Uncharted 2 or 3 and at the same token imply that the type of game "shouldn't" be on a handheld anyway. Truth is, I doubt anyone would have judged U:GA the same if it was on the console and personally I don't feel that there is any genre should not be on a handheld. But the more I read this stuff the more I get the impression that this mentality bleed unto other people because despite logic I see the same inane arguments being brought up over and over again. Even if a game was considered a better fit for a console, I purchase a handheld for the times I am NOT at home to enjoy my console. So when I take a trip or caught somewhere boring for a while, I could enjoy the experience that I prefer best. I really don't see how talking points like that are even thought up unless people play their handhelds at home alongside their consoles, which I don't understand really.

Maybe they think they aren't good games because they are not suited for a portable console.


I like Uncharted GA. But I play it at home, not on the move. Same with Ninja Gaiden. They are games more suited to play more than 15 minutes and a portable usually is used while moving around, 15 minutes here 15 there. That is why phone gaming is also taking off, because games start in 10 seconds and are suited (or restricted by hardware) to be played in short sessions.

Also, game changing in phone is easy as hell. Fucking vita sleeping sessions suck. They suck. I want my vita to sent game to a sleep state, all of them not just one at a time so I can jump between them. :P

[Cygnus X-1]

Miyamoto sometimes should shut up. Vita is a great product with lot of value. Period.

I agree with him just on one point: Vita is right now not recognized as an unique product by the mass market and fails to stand in the crowd of handheld products - smartphones included. This is a problem.

[ScreenSplitter]

Miyamoto sometimes should shut up. Vita is a great product with lot of value. Period. I agree with him just on one point: Vita is right now not recognized as an unique product by the mass market and fails to stand in the crowd of handheld products - smartphones included. This is a problem.

Learn to read. Also, clearly the sales don't represent the Vita as a great product right now, whether you like it or not.

[Luigiv]

Maybe they think they aren't good games because they are not suited for a portable console. I like Uncharted GA. But I play it at home, not on the move. Same with Ninja Gaiden. They are games more suited to play more than 15 minutes and a portable usually is used while moving around, 15 minutes here 15 there. That is why phone gaming is also taking off, because games start in 10 seconds and are suited (or restricted by hardware) to be played in short sessions. Also, game changing in phone is easy as hell. Fucking vita sleeping sessions suck. They suck. I want my vita to sent game to a sleep state, all of them not just one at a time so I can jump between them. :P

That would require internal memory.

[Conor 419]

Miyamoto sometimes should shut up. Vita is a great product with lot of value. Period. I agree with him just on one point: Vita is right now not recognized as an unique product by the mass market and fails to stand in the crowd of handheld products - smartphones included. This is a problem.

People who don't factor pricing when judging a product, are not capable of judging a product.

[Drek]

"We were kinda hoping to gouge early adopters"

Which is what the Vita is doing now. Hence the fairly soft marketing push and minimal title reveals, even for things we know are coming. This is very much a "soft" launch.

Though to a somewhat lesser degree as Sony did at least show up with great new games like U:GA, WipEout 2048, Mutant Blobs, etc..

For any system launch it has a pretty damn compelling lineup. But then no system has every really launched with a lineup worth spending $250 on hardware alone, plus $30 or more for a memory card. Its always people interested in the tech who subsidize launches.

Sony obviously has at least a few Vita "headliner" type games on the way, we see the first of these offerings with Gravity Daze. The software component isn't the problem early on, 3rd parties will throw it a few bones and Sony can deliver a good amount of quality first party content themselves.

The big dilemma for the Vita is it's price. At $250 plus more for a memory card it, much like the 3DS's initial price point, does nothing to entice consumers.

If Sony can price aggressively, say $200 with a 4GB memory card included, the system would have significantly more appeal. Judging by what sales have been at already I think this is a very likely price point for the system to be at come the holiday season, when Sony will likely actually start marketing it more aggressively. With portable versions of Madden and Call of Duty to push along side it.

[itxaka]

That would require internal memory.

PSVita 2000, now with a microSD slot :D

[Drek]

Maybe they think they aren't good games because they are not suited for a portable console. I like Uncharted GA. But I play it at home, not on the move. Same with Ninja Gaiden. They are games more suited to play more than 15 minutes and a portable usually is used while moving around, 15 minutes here 15 there. That is why phone gaming is also taking off, because games start in 10 seconds and are suited (or restricted by hardware) to be played in short sessions. Also, game changing in phone is easy as hell. Fucking vita sleeping sessions suck. They suck. I want my vita to sent game to a sleep state, all of them not just one at a time so I can jump between them. :P

This is why the Vita has games like Stardust, Mutant Blobs, Lumines, etc.. Those are all very good games that take mere seconds from system wake to game play and are designed to work perfectly fine in short bursts.

The Uncharted and NG:SP type games are there to offer the "console experience" on a handheld.

Sony is marketing to both worlds, and this is what the post you quoted is pointing out. Sony has very good games that fit the traditional "handheld" style some ask for. They have games that fit the "console quality" style some ask for. Since the system isn't focused exclusively on one or the other people act like it has neither, when it really does have both.

This isn't a marketing and image problem for Sony. The best path for them is a better multimedia marketing campaign that splits the two sides of the industry and markets to both independently, with the appropriate titles.

PSVita 2000, now with a microSD slot :D

Will NEVER happen after the PSP/memory stick ordeal. Proprietary cards are here to stay with Sony's handhelds.

[Cygnus X-1]

Learn to read. Also, clearly the sales don't represent the Vita as a great product right now, whether you like it or not.

You learn to read. Not me. Miyamoto stated that the combination of software and hardware right now doesn't make it a strong product. I disagree. The value is there, just it is overpriced and it is not mass market oriented at all. Its capabilities point to the mass market, while its games and its price do not. This is the problem, not the intrinsic value.

[DCharlie]

The value is there, just it is overpriced

... spinningfacewhutwhut.gif

[Drek]

Learn to read. Also, clearly the sales don't represent the Vita as a great product right now, whether you like it or not.

Beta was a superior format to VHS, why didn't it sell better? Licensing, marketing, etc..

Happens all the time with technology. The best tech doesn't always win. You could argue that it rarely does, as the people with the best tech are often the ones least grounded in the reality that tech doesn't mean shit if you can't peddle it.

[Cygnus X-1]

... spinningfacewhutwhut.gif

It may not be overpriced for the core gamers. But in the last years, as pointed out recently, the competition - direct or indirect, you decide - caused the mass consumer to be a lot less willingly to pay the price it payed before for dedicated handheld games.

It is a basic economical factor: lot of competition forces to lower the prices to remain competitive. You can like it or not, but things are like that right now.

[DCharlie]

It is a basic economical factor: lot of competition forces to lower the prices to remain competitive. You can like it or not, but things are like that right now.

My point was to point and laugh at "there's value but it's overpriced" - i understand the angle but as a strategy? I'm assuming not many people will accept the proposition of a Vita without some tinkering with either a) price b) line up c) a+b

[Drek]

My point was to point and laugh at "there's value but it's overpriced" - i understand the angle but as a strategy? I'm assuming not many people will accept the proposition of a Vita without some tinkering with either a) price b) line up c) a+b

What kind of lineup could a handheld possibly have to move it at $250 plus memory card?

The promise of Nintendo's storied handheld franchises couldn't get the 3DS moving at a lower cost of entry.

So I'd say A is an absolute necessity, then Sony can start talking about B. Until the Vita is competitively priced for what it does it'll have a tough road ahead of it.

[MoogleWizard]

What kind of lineup could a handheld possibly have to move it at $250 plus memory card? The promise of Nintendo's storied handheld franchises couldn't get the 3DS moving at a lower cost of entry. So I'd say A is an absolute necessity, then Sony can start talking about B. Until the Vita is competitively priced for what it does it'll have a tough road ahead of it.

They need both A and B. It's not going to start selling because of a lower price alone, they need games many people want to buy.

The 3DS also didn't really start taking off until the two Mario games were released.

[Principate]

You learn to read. Not me. Miyamoto stated that the combination of software and hardware right now doesn't make it a strong product. I disagree. The value is there, just it is overpriced and it is not mass market oriented at all. Its capabilities point to the mass market, while its games and its price do not. This is the problem, not the intrinsic value.

You should really learn to take out your personal bias when your analysing these sorts of things. A strong product is a product that is doing well financially or at the very least through market share to build future profits from, a weak product is one that doesn't do either or one that sells well but there's no real way to make reasonable profits from it.

These are the only facts that matter, everything you stated is completely irrelevant, Vita IS current a weak product, that is a fact your personal bias towards it does not change this. How strong a product is is determined by public it doesn't matter if a few people think it's fine currently as long as it isn't being accepted by the public it's a weak product from a business perspective.

Mass market appeal is a relative thing if everyone knew what that is everyone would be millionaires, we don't know for sure, what Miyamoto said was simply fact. Hell we even have a very similar product to the Vita in the PSP and we all know how that turned out.

[gogogow]

Will NEVER happen after the PSP/memory stick ordeal. Proprietary cards are here to stay with Sony's handhelds.

Memory Sticks were never the problem, the battery was, maybe Sony should've released a handheld without a removable built-in recovery battery. If the Vita is hacked, the proprietary cards aren't gonna stop anything.

[TriGen]

This is exactly why I haven't bought a Vita and didn't get the 3DS until it's big price drop. You need software to buy the hardware like Miyamoto said, it also needs to be exclusive hardware as games that can be played on older tech usually make people hesitant to spend money.

In fact this is my one big concern with the Wii U's launch. I'm personally hyped and have never not bought a new home console from the big three, so I will buy the Wii U at launch regardless, but a lot of people won't if it doesn't have a couple big exclusive games in the launch window.

People want Nintendo to focus on third-party support, but even if they get every big third-party game at launch it can't be considered a good lineup if all the big games can be played on the 360/PS3.

This is true for all companies, people generally don't want to pay for a console and a game that will run them around 500$ when they can just buy the game for an old console for 60$. This was exactly the 3DS and the Vita's problem, just about any game I would want to play on it at launch would be a DS or PSP game, and in this day and age only the huge fans (like me for home consoles) will buy hardware at launch to play games they can play on older cheaper hardware.

[Drek]

They need both A and B. It's not going to start selling because of a lower price alone, they need games many people want to buy. The 3DS also didn't really start taking off until the two Mario games were released.

Is the current lineup better or worse than what the 3DS, DS, PSP, PS3, 360, etc. all launched with in their first few months?

I'd say it is. So I don't see how the "its got no games!" is a unique problem for the Vita. Every system has a limited library out of the gate.

It also has headliner franchises announced for it in the future as well. So again, not a definitive problem. Maybe those games never materialize, but then I think they're more likely to show up if the system is selling at a better clip. That happens with more aggressive pricing.

[DCharlie]

They need both A and B. It's not going to start selling because of a lower price alone, they need games many people want to buy. The 3DS also didn't really start taking off until the two Mario games were released

this basically - Sony need to try and get the price down (or bundle the thing) -and- expand the line up.

3DS had the same issue - the price drop alone didn't resolve the issue, you need to couple it with a stronger line up.

There's a lot of people thrilled to bits with the Vita but they need to decouple their feelings from the wider market/situation - Sony need to act in order to improve the situation. As good as people feel the Vita is, it's not appealing to a sustainable market so action needs to be taken.

Is the current lineup better or worse than what the 3DS, DS, PSP, PS3, 360, etc. all launched with in their first few months?

you are falling into the trap a lot of people are falling into... Yes, for big time gamers the line up is fantastic - but - it's not appealing to the wider audience at the price point and no amount of "bu bu bu look at the games!" is going to change that at this point in time. Vita fans need to be realistic about the situation the Vita is in and accept that regadless of what they feel about the line up and hardware that something needs to be done

[Drek]

Memory Sticks were never the problem, the battery was, maybe Sony should've released a handheld without a removable built-in recovery battery. If the Vita is hacked, the proprietary cards aren't gonna stop anything.

You couldn't create a pandora battery without already hacking the system via a game exploit AND hacked save via memory card.

The open memory format was the point of entry for the majority of PSP hacks, everything else fed off of just how easy that format made getting custom code onto the system.

Now Sony has everything running in separate walled gardens and a proprietary memory card to remove most work arounds.

It'll still get hacked. It just won't be the "so easy a ten year old could do it with a few minutes of googling" level of ease that hurt the PSP so badly.

[gogogow]

You couldn't create a pandora battery without already hacking the system via a game exploit AND hacked save via memory card. The open memory format was the point of entry for the majority of PSP hacks, everything else fed off of just how easy that format made getting custom code onto the system. Now Sony has everything running in separate walled gardens and a proprietary memory card to remove most work arounds. It'll still get hacked. It just won't be the "so easy a ten year old could do it with a few minutes of googling" level of ease that hurt the PSP so badly.

Is it possible to put a hacked save on the Vita cards (I have seriously no idea, not following the hack scene at all)? It seems all they need is a game exploit. Seeing Sony panicking whenever people find exploits in PSP games, it's gonna happen eventually.

[Drek]

you are falling into the trap a lot of people are falling into... Yes, for big time gamers the line up is fantastic - but - it's not appealing to the wider audience at the price point and no amount of "bu bu bu look at the games!" is going to change that at this point in time. Vita fans need to be realistic about the situation the Vita is in and accept that regadless of what they feel about the line up and hardware that something needs to be done

Except I don't expect the system to ever reach a particularly wide audience. I'm expecting roughly PSP numbers.

Also, early adopters are generally big time gamers. Hence why the lineup works well for them. The problem is that even big time gamers have a hard time justifying $250 + memory card + games.

The hardware is nice, but a serious gamer who owns a PS3 isn't going to buy a Vita over five PS3 games or even an Xbox 360. Same for a 360 owner. At it's current price point it doesn't cater to serious gamers, it caters to Sony fanboys, tech fans/universal early adopters, and people who need a handheld but for some reason do not want a 3DS.

That is a pretty niche market. Until the system is at a price where your regular "gamer" can see good value relative to the other options its a tough sell no matter what the library is.

Obviously this stops being a problem if Sony can pull a Pokemon or Monster Hunter with more global appeal out of the hat. But Sony has never been known for that kind of software offering.

Their only path forward is the same slow grind they ran with the PSP, and that only works if you can consistently bring price down to widen the net.