[remnant]

It's not the hardware sales, but software sales responses. Likely there were quite a few more digital sales on the Gundam retail sales which may show a solid first week for a vita game. Third parties will look at this week and next and see that there is an active market waiting for games for the device. They may still be willing to develop for the system. It also shows that regular releases may push the vita to acceptable hardware, but more importantly, software levels that will strengthen support further. Next week we'll see what back to back solid releases can do for the system,something it hasn't had since launch. With MGS also releasing later this month, it will show what consistent support can do. But I've interrupted the vita is doomed meme with optimism....apologies.

It's one week. What publisher is going to devote resources for 1-2 years based off of one week's data?

No third party gives a shit about this.

[DGRE]

it could happen. 4m for pal, 3.5 million for north america, 2.5 million for japan

2.5 million for Japan is a mathematical impossibility. We can only speculate about the other numbers, but I can say that you gave me a very good laugh.

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Not a surprise really.

[M_Night]

Nuclear Muffin, post if you're okay!

[staticneuron]

How quickly the doomsayers forget... Sony has proven itself adaptable and capable of turning misfortune around. From "$599 US Dollars" to where they are now. They won't let Vita wither away and die. The Vita hardware is already great. As many have said in this thread: build more software and they will come.

This is to be expected. Games releasing may increase sales and doomsayers have to lay it on thick before a steady stream of titles appear. This seems to be the habit for the past gen.

[Box of Bunnies]

This is to be expected. Games releasing may increase sales and doomsayers have to lay it on thick before a steady stream of titles appear. This seems to be the habit for the past gen.

Yeah, the steady stream of Gundam, Persona 4 and...

[outunderthestars]

I wonder how long it will be until there is a Vita Monster Hunter game to get people playing....

[AniHawk]

I wonder how long it will be until there is a Vita Monster Hunter game to get people playing....

probably sometime later this year.

[demigod]

Sony needs to kill off the PSP for the Vita to gain a bigger boost or bring out a new MH!!!

[chickdigger802]

When a gundam seed game and a port of a (stellar) ps2 games are the games that boost the vita...

I'm glad... and kinda sad. Kinda like OoT 3D last year lol.

[cw_sasuke]

Sony needs to kill off the PSP for the Vita to gain a bigger boost or bring out a new MH!!!

PSP is pretty much dead and killing it faster would probably mean more 3DS support.

[Matt]

Again, I would think of it as a (really great) peripheral. Not only would they make money on the device itself, but it would also get people more involved in their ecosystem, more likely to buy games because "well, I don't have the time at home to play this game, but I do have time at lunch and in commute, so I guess I will buy it actually," etc. And to the 10 million projections; I'm not saying this was their plan two years ago when they first decided to go down this road, or even at release in NA. I'm thinking they have adjusted their strategy upon seeing the market reaction, which is also why I don't think they'll have a price cut this holiday.

The money they spent developing and marketing the Vita, plus the manpower put into the entire operation that could have been spent in other, profitable areas, makes this argument a poor one.

[Taurus]

How quickly the doomsayers forget... Sony has proven itself adaptable and capable of turning misfortune around. From "$599 US Dollars" to where they are now. They won't let Vita wither away and die. The Vita hardware is already great. As many have said in this thread: build more software and they will come.

Xbox 360 ports kept PS3 alive when it was struggling. Sony had nothing to do with it.

What's gonna save Vita? 3DS ports? Not gonna happen, not worth the effort.

[Piggus]

The money they spent developing and marketing the Vita, plus the manpower put into the entire operation that could have been spent in other, profitable areas, makes this argument a poor one.

WTF? It's easy to say that in hindsight but if Sony expected the Vita to not be profitable, they wouldn't have made it in the first place. The thing isn't even a year old so it's pretty silly to be calling out doom and gloom at this point. But hey, that's Gaf for you.

[Izayoi]

All of that is presuming it'll be decent, by Call of Duty standards.

How many people are honestly expecting something that isn't a shoddy port?

This is fucking Activision. I think people forget.

[Matt]

WTF? It's easy to say that in hindsight but if Sony expected the Vita to not be profitable, they wouldn't have made it in the first place. The thing isn't even a year old so it's pretty silly to be calling out doom and gloom at this point. But hey, that's Gaf for you.

?

I'm saying that, if Sony were to change their view of the Vita from its own dedicated console to some sort of PS3 peripheral, that would mean the program would represent a massive loss for them. Not that the Vita is necessarily dead.

[M°°nblade]

Xbox 360 ports kept PS3 alive when it was struggling. Sony had nothing to do with it. What's gonna save Vita? 3DS ports? Not gonna happen, not worth the effort.

Is it really that much an effort to port a 3DS game to Vita hardware?

Basically, the survival of the Vita depends on it. Ofcourse, with the 3DS sales Nintendo could play hard and reduce royalty fees for 3DS exclusive titels to prevent multiplatform handheld releases.

[AniHawk]

Is it really that much an effort to port a 3DS game to Vita hardware? Basically, the survival of the Vita depends on it. Ofcourse, with the 3DS sales Nintendo could play hard and reduce royalty fees for 3DS exclusive titels to prevent multiplatform handheld releases.

in a weird twist, i think it's in nintendo's best interest that sony's handheld finds some degree of success. this isn't like 5 years ago where they'd be able to just go on autopilot like they did with the gba if sony dropped out. if sony was forced to drop out, it would indicate a huge wane in interest for dedicated handheld machines, and nintendo's would be next.

[Piggus]

? I'm saying that, if Sony were to change their view of the Vita from its own dedicated console to some sort of PS3 peripheral, that would mean the program would represent a massive loss for them. Not that the Vita is necessarily dead.

Ah, sorry. I see what you're saying. I read your post out of context. >_<

[Hanmik]

I can see Sony execs getting ready.,..


and we are off..

[Mr Swine]

probably sometime later this year.

With Vita around 750-800k units in Japan compared to 6m 3DS units? I don't think it's enough to satisfy Capcom now that MonHun has sold almost 1.5 million on the 3DS

[davepoobond]

I considered starting a new thread for this, but figured I'd test the waters first. See if there are any "DUH, about a million people have already said this, dumbass" comments. Anyway, what if Sony's plans with the Vita aren't what we all have assumed? What if they were never hoping to sell 70 million units over six or so years, but more like 20 (million, jerks.)? They've clearly shifted the Vita to now be an extension of their home console rather than its own individual experience, what with so many PS3 games coming out on both, and much-desired exclusives like Sound Shapes moving the other direction. So, is that their strategy, then? "We can't compete with 3DS and Smartphones, but we can be the only real home console on the go." Even if, in the end, the Vita just becomes more like a peripheral than its own device, so what? If they always sell at a profit, what's there to lose?

this is an interesting prospect, but its a funky model.

i think you can argue that the PSP was the "PS2's companion" in similar fashion. It was a companion for current gen hardware up until the point where the PS3 came out and the PSP started to pick up all the left over PS2 games that were being made for it but didnt want to scale up to the PS3.

Its sort of like a "catch-all" net for that group of PS2 development, i suppose. I don't know how much of a point it is or how well it actually did in that regard, but its interesting to think about nonetheless. For a while we were seeing Wii -> PSP ports, right?

so maybe we'll see Wii U -> PSVita ports as well. Sony is competing with Nintendo but not in the handheld realm -- they're in the "portable home console" market.

[grandjedi6]

I know a lot of people in both real life and on the internet who are unaware of the VITA's japanese sales and just assume that the system is going to be a bastion for japanese games like last generation. But I can't see that happening with how the system is currently doing.

A lot of people also assume that a Monster Hunter game is definitely coming to the VITA, which isnt assured either.

I really wonder how this is all going to play out.

[Matt]

A lot of people also assume that a Monster Hunter game is definitely coming to the VITA, which is assured either.

Yeah, I just don't see how this would be a good move for Capcom. MH3 has sold almost twice as many copies as Vita has sold units in Japan. Why would they choose to put such a low limit on the number of copies they could sell? Even if MH helped to push Vitas, it could never push enough to make up that difference.

[AniHawk]

With Vita around 750-800k units in Japan compared to 6m 3DS units? I don't think it's enough to satisfy Capcom now that MonHun has sold almost 1.5 million on the 3DS

if they do anything with it, it'll be something they had in the works before launch and is only ready to show now. they probably had two tests ready, one for the vita and another for the 3ds.

[Matt]

Ah, sorry. I see what you're saying. I read your post out of context. >_<

No worries.

[Little Green Yoda]

I wonder how long it will be until there is a Vita Monster Hunter game to get people playing....

Maybe MH Vita will have more compelling monsters than some underwater rocks...

[outunderthestars]

Yeah, I just don't see how this would be a good move for Capcom. MH3 has sold almost twice as many copies as Vita has sold units in Japan. Why would they choose to put such a low limit on the number of copies they could sell? Even if MH helped to push Vitas, it could never push enough to make up that difference.

I would assume that work began on the game long before the Vita even came out.

Maybe MH Vita will have more compelling monsters than some underwater rocks...

Well played. :)

[Matt]

I would assume that work began on the game long before the Vita even came out.

Then where is it? And if that is the case, why not just move those assets and work (or at least, as much as they can) over to MH4 for 3DS?

[grandjedi6]

I would assume that work began on the game long before the Vita even came out.

if they do anything with it, it'll be something they had in the works before launch and is only ready to show now. they probably had two tests ready, one for the vita and another for the 3ds.

If this was true Sony would have shouted to the rooftops about it ages ago, even if all they had to show was a logo. Chances are that Nintendo bought off Capcom a long while ago and the 3DS>Vita sales just sealed the deal.

[electroplankton]

I know a lot of people in both real life and on the internet who are unaware of the VITA's japanese sales and just assume that the system is going to be a bastion for japanese games like last generation. But I can't see that happening with how the system is currently doing. A lot of people also assume that a Monster Hunter game is definitely coming to the VITA, which isnt assured either. I really wonder how this is all going to play out.

They'll probably be happy with Persona ports and some Falcom /NI stuffs, though.

[kyo27]

I think it'll be closer than most people think. Depends on when Call of Duty Whatever comes out (and how good it is). September would be killer, but ACTVI won't let that happen. If it comes out in December, it is sent to die. Beginning of March? Might work out. All of that is presuming it'll be decent, by Call of Duty standards.

Why do people think Call Of Duty will be the Vita's savior? I can't see the CoD crowd dishing out $250 for a portable version of a game.

[davepoobond]

Why do people think Call Of Duty will be the Vita's savior? I can't see the CoD crowd dishing out $250 for a portable version of a game.

they dish out 60 dollars a year on it already. and a lot of them subscribe to call of duty elite.

[Mr Swine]

they dish out 60 dollars a year on it already. and a lot of them subscribe to call of duty elite.

But paying 320 dollars (console, memory stick and COD) just to play a spinoff?

[Matt]

But paying 320 dollars (console, memory stick and COD) just to play a spinoff?

It's not going to happen in large numbers, to be sure. I don't really know why anyone thinks otherwise.

[AdventureRacing]

Sony needs to kill off the PSP for the Vita to gain a bigger boost or bring out a new MH!!!

See that's kind of the problem with being completely reliant on a 3rd party to save your platform. Sony can't just release a MH.

[Spanish Wrath]

Vita is saved

[kyo27]

they dish out 60 dollars a year on it already. and a lot of them subscribe to call of duty elite.

That still doesn't mean they want to play a portable version. Does Madden sell well on portables?

[Raonak]

See. all it really needs is games.

once more games start coming out, sales will pick up.

[electroplankton]

See. all it really needs is games. once more games start coming out, sales will pick up.

Yeah, usually consoles sell because of games, not just for the sake of having the device.

[Taker666]

Next week I'd imagine Vita should do 30-40k fairly easily (with Persona 4)..and the same a couple weeks later with the white Vita.

Hype the sales then...as a 6/7k increase is a pretty pathetic number to hype.

[BishopLamont]

in a weird twist, i think it's in nintendo's best interest that sony's handheld finds some degree of success. this isn't like 5 years ago where they'd be able to just go on autopilot like they did with the gba if sony dropped out. if sony was forced to drop out, it would indicate a huge wane in interest for dedicated handheld machines, and nintendo's would be next.

Did the GC's struggle signify that people weren't interested in home consoles? No, it just means the PS2 can just dominate more. You can bet your ass Nintendo is doing everything they can to make the Vita irrelevant so they can focus on the real threat.

if they do anything with it, it'll be something they had in the works before launch and is only ready to show now. they probably had two tests ready, one for the vita and another for the 3ds.

Yeah and after the Vita's miserable weeks post-launched probably made Capcom hit the stop button immediately.

I'm sure they would have at least considered MH4 for the Vita.

they dish out 60 dollars a year on it already. and a lot of them subscribe to call of duty elite.

Why would they pay extra to play an inferior version?

[orioto]

At this point, seeing as Sony kinda avoided the Vita at E3, i wouldn't be surprised if they kinda drop the ball on this one, and are thinking it will have a new chance with a redesign and a phone version eventually. And not specially a Sony one...

[mclem]

For just one game, this seems like there is much promise in the future whence more games are released.

All they need to do is release a game every single week which is capable of driving hardware to that extent and they can consistently sell at most a third of what the 3DS does.

Or, to put it another way: Bumps happen. They're not signs of a trend.



... all that said, this is a *good* bump, and there's similar system-selling software in the next couple of weeks, so I do expect it to be somewhat sustained. I'll be very surprised if it doesn't drop back to sub-10k levels again after this, though.

[grandjedi6]

They'll probably be happy with Persona ports and some Falcom /NI stuffs, though.

They're kind out of Personas to be ported though. And I'm not sure Falcom is quite willing to ditch the PSP just yet.

That still doesn't mean they want to play a portable version. Does Madden sell well on portables?

Well it did years ago on the PSP. Nowadays I somewhat doubt it.

[famousmortimer]

Why are so many people cheering the for the death of this system? I don't get it.



I mean if you don't want it, cool. And if you like the 3DS and hate all competitors, awesome -- you don't have anything to worry about, even if the Vita makes a massive upswing you'll still be in your coveted first place. And if you love Microsoft... why would you care about a handheld?



I just don't get it. So many people on this forum seem to derive JOY out of the idea that the vita might fail. It seems so.... childish.

[grandjedi6]

Why are so many people cheering the for the death of this system? I don't get it. I mean if you don't want it, cool. And if you like the 3DS and hate all competitors, awesome -- you don't have anything to worry about, even if the Vita makes a massive upswing you'll still be in your coveted first place. And if you love Microsoft... why would you care about a handheld? I just don't get it. So many people on this forum seem to derive JOY out of the idea that the vita might fail. It seems so.... childish.

Who's cheering? You should call out and quote the people cheering.

[mclem]

Why are so many people cheering the for the death of this system? I don't get it.

I've got a Vita. I want good games for it, I want healthy competition in the handheld space. That doesn't mean I can't be critical of how it's performed thus far, or sceptical over its long-term potential.

[herod]

Yeah, usually consoles sell because of games, not just for the sake of having the device.

tell that to the PSP!

[SafeinSound]

So it outsold the PSP by 3000? Great news.