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vita sold out everywhere?

O

Occam

Member
Fun fact*: Vita 2000 (PCH-2000) still isn't available in most of Europe (except for the UK).

*Not that funny. Probably deserves a topic of its own.

Additional fun fact: 64GB memory cards still aren't available, either, which forced me to import one from Asia last week.

Good going, Sony!
 
N

NinjamicWZ

Banned
Goldenroad said:
The reason retailers sell consoles/handhelds is really so they can sell the software as well where they make a little more of a profit margin. The problem with the Vita is that Sony has primarily positioned it as an indie game device/digital game device and most of the best games on the system (Luftrausers, Hotline Miami, Terraria, etc), don't even have retail versions out there. Sony has flat out said that they aren't producing any further first party games for the Vita and that development will be left up to indie devs and third parties (and obviously third parties are staying away)...so maybe with this change in strategy/focus for Sony, retailers are realizing there is no way for them to make money off Vita software, so why bother selling the hardware?

This is pure speculation btw...I have no inside sources or anything, but it kind of makes sense that a retailer is not going to sell a system that a manufacturer is actively trying to cut them out of the market of selling software for....if that makes any sense.
Click to expand...

I think many retailers kind of helped position it that way by barely stocking games early on, at the first hint of sales stagnation... and offering digital games for $5 less than retail probably brought on their arguably undue ire as well.

Even on GAF, where people are informed and "hardcore" the idea of buying physical games seems extremely niche, even despite some of the pros to going physical whenever available. PS+ had a hand in that as well, and ended up being a double edged sword in some ways.

Occam said:
Additional fun fact: 64GB memory cards still aren't available, either, which forced me to import one from Asia last week.

Good going, Sony!
Click to expand...

It's nice to be able to buy things through your usual channels, but it would still cost an arm and a leg if it was released in the west.
 
S

Sacul64GC

Banned
ClearData said:
It seems even Polygon has picked up this story. Sony blames the shortages on strong demand and that they are working to replenish stock in time for the holidays.
Click to expand...

If they are claiming shortages they are manufactured. There has been zero stock surplus since before even the borderlands bundle came out.
 
T

TriGen

Member
I've noticed the same thing online. I recently was thinking about getting a 3DSXL (traded-in my OG one a while ago) so I started looking online to see if there were some deals and I noticed Walmart offering a $50 gift card with an XL purchase, so I went to my local store and they still had the ALBW bundle, so I got that. Well, I've recently had the same urge for getting a Vita that lead to me getting the XL, but there's nothing on any website, which makes it harder to find out if there's any deals for it as well.

I'm hoping retailers get a little more stock in time for black Friday or something.

Edit: I would also like to point out that on Walmart.com, when you go to the Vita section, they are advertising PSTV hard for pre-order, but the only Vita handhelds they show are out-of-stock.
 
N

NinjamicWZ

Banned
I just thought, too, since OLED stock was bled to bring in the Borderlands 2 Slim bundle, and Vita TV is being re-branded as Playstation TV... maybe part of the drought is another artificial supply drainer by SCEA for the NA market, to bury the brand before November, on top of the other reasons retailers don't order stock. Seems like a dumb idea, but this is SCEA and Vita we're talking about.

As much as I love my Vita, I'm almost curious to see how it's lamented when the Dreamcast effect hits it, since I was much younger back then, and we weren't so in the information age to see what people think of things.
 
Cornbread78

Cornbread78

Member
TriGen said:
I've noticed the same thing online. I recently was thinking about getting a 3DSXL (traded-in my OG one a while ago) so I started looking online to see if there were some deals and I noticed Walmart offering a $50 gift card with an XL purchase, so I went to my local store and they still had the ALBW bundle, so I got that. Well, I've recently had the same urge for getting a Vita that lead to me getting the XL, but there's nothing on any website, which makes it harder to find out if there's any deals for it as well.

I'm hoping retailers get a little more stock in time for black Friday or something.
Click to expand...


Everyone hoped they would have a black Fiday deal this year as well, but they had nothing
 
S

Sandfox

Member
ClearData said:
It seems even Polygon has picked up this story. Sony blames the shortages on strong demand and that they are working to replenish stock in time for the holidays.
Click to expand...

That's a long time to wait. I can understand why there's a shortage now, but did Sony just shut down production hoping these would last a while or something?
 
Infinite Xero

Infinite Xero

Member
Seems like SCEA has officially abandoned Vita. The borderlands bundle has been out of stock from major retailers for over a month now.
 
J

Jomjom

Banned
Sony is making a big mistake if they suddenly produce a huge number of these. I believe that initial sales surge were just from people who were already Vita owners, just looking to upgrade for the better battery life, the weight, and the overall comfort of the new design. If they took last month's NPD as some sign that the Vita is now highly desirable, they are going to end up sending a bunch of Vitas to retailers to collect dust on the shelves.
 
P

PMS341

Member
That is done on purpose, sadly, so Gamestop can push their web-in-store function.

Source: I've been an ASM for GS for roughly seven years.
 
L

Lupin the Third

Member
Just talked to a rep with our games distributor. Reportedly, Sony is not making them available to US retailers at the moment. Not the Borderlands 2 bundle, nothing. So it's not that retailers won't stock it. It's that they can't.

Word on the street is that Sony's trying to satisfy strong international demand first. I'm not sure if that's Sony's official excuse or not, as I had a hard time hearing him clearly.
 
O

Occam

Member
So yeah, the correct title of this thread should be:

Vita Mishandled Everywhere.*

*(Except for Japan, maybe)
 
K

KimonoNoNo

Member
Lupin the Third said:
Just talked to a rep with our games distributor. Reportedly, Sony is not making them available to US retailers at the moment. Not the Borderlands 2 bundle, nothing. So it's not that retailers won't stock it. It's that they can't.

Word on the street is that Sony's trying to satisfy strong international demand first. I'm not sure if that's Sony's official excuse or not, as I had a hard time hearing him clearly.
Click to expand...
All I can say is if that's true, where in the world is soaking up all the Vita production. The 2k hasn't launched in mainland Europe yet and we know Japan only sells about 60k a month. Sony must of massively cut back production if they're selling all they can produce.
 
M

Magwik

Banned
MiniBossBattle said:
Do you think its the Minecraft effect? My nephews heard Vita might have online Minecraft on it.
Click to expand...
Yes Minecraft Vita has online.
Cornbread78 said:
If they don't make a Minecraft bundle and don't stock it, then you know they just don't give a fuck anymore...
Click to expand...
If they don't make a Minecraft bundle, especially with that sweet White/Lime Green Vita 2000, then it is the single biggest missed opportunity for the Vita ever.
 
T

TargetDummy81

Neo Member
It took me a bit of searching around here in northwest Arkansas for one.

I was going back and forth on getting one or waiting for the Playstation TV since I knew there were good Vita games I would like to play. Eventually I reasoned having one would be handy since I could steam games off my PS4 while my son was watching Netflix and I could rack up PS+ games.

Target, Best Buy, and Gamestop locally were cleared out but a Walmart here had 3 or 4 luckily. I went for the Borderlands 2 bundle since Wifi / LED screen was good enough plus I wanted the 8 GB card as a back up.

Keep searching and I am sure one will show up somewhere for you also OP.
 
Y

Yoday

Member
StaticJam said:
Yes Minecraft Vita has online.

If they don't make a Minecraft bundle, especially with that sweet White/Lime Green Vita 2000, then it is the single biggest missed opportunity for the Vita ever.
Click to expand...
I agree. A $200 Minecraft Vita bundle would give a significant surge to sales that could have a lasting effect. Get a Vita with Minecraft into the hands of a kid, and that thing is going to spread like wildfire. However, I feel like the real question at this point if if Sony even cares about selling Vitas anymore.

This shortage could be a number of things, but between the poor performance of the Vita, and lack of support outside of indies, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony just quietly lets it die and transitions to the PlayStation TV. The PlayStation TV is a much easier sell due to price and functionality, they just have to market it properly (or at all). The Vita just might not be worth the shelf space to them anymore, and I'm sure retailers have little to no interest in it as well.

Of course, I'm probably wrong and they simply thought their initial stock of BL2 bundles would last longer than they did. Time will tell.
 
T

To Far Away Times

Member
I'm not even sure why a Vita 2000 even exists. Sony gave up on the platform long ago. And the recent announcement by the head of Sony Worldwide Studios that the Vita's graphics were dated and that Sony were scaling back game development on the platform was pretty blunt.
 
G

Glittering Crux

Banned
To Far Away Times said:
I'm not even sure why a Vita 2000 even exists. Sony gave up on the platform long ago. And the recent announcement by the head of Sony Worldwide Studios that the Vita's graphics were dated and that Sony were scaling back game development on the platform was pretty blunt.
Click to expand...

It's probably cheaper to produce the 2000. That + memory cards = more money.

There are still a lot of Vitas at Best Buy when I go to it. All the Wii Us were sold out in comparison and had twice as much shelf space.
 
K

keyserbjj

Neo Member
TargetDummy81 said:
It took me a bit of searching around here in northwest Arkansas for one.

I was going back and forth on getting one or waiting for the Playstation TV since I knew there were good Vita games I would like to play. Eventually I reasoned having one would be handy since I could steam games off my PS4 while my son was watching Netflix and I could rack up PS+ games.

Target, Best Buy, and Gamestop locally were cleared out but a Walmart here had 3 or 4 luckily. I went for the Borderlands 2 bundle since Wifi / LED screen was good enough plus I wanted the 8 GB card as a back up.

Keep searching and I am sure one will show up somewhere for you also OP.
Click to expand...

I used the store finder online to find a rural Wal-Mart that had the bundle still. Multiple smaller walmarts had them still in stock my state.
 
M

Massiah

Banned
This probably isn't a good time to buy one anyways, so it might be for the best. These things will probably take a nosedive in value very soon. I'm going to try to sell mine before that happens
 
S

Shanlei91

Sonic handles my blue balls
BPoole said:
Go to a store and check the back shelf behind the PS4 and XB1. It should be there, next to the Wii Us
Click to expand...

vPUNLJB.gif
 
D

"D"

I'm extremely insecure with how much f2p mobile games are encroaching on Nintendo
Good thing I held onto my OG Wi-Fi/3G Vita. Dunno why but I feel like later on the prices for it will skyrocket
 
T

TheRealTalker

Banned
likely Sony understocked the Slim models believing demand would be poor

now that it is somewhat modest they are planning to increase stock sent
 
P

petethepanda

Member
I was thinking of giving my 1000 to my sister and buying the slim BL bundle, but I think the shortage might get me to cave and instead pre-order the red/black Super Value Pack coming out in Japan on the 10th.
 
JetBlackPanda

JetBlackPanda

Member
crazy.. 3 of my friends picked up vitas this week. There only reason was to play the PS+ games they get for free and to use it as a remote play device for Destiny.

They both said they had to order them because they were sold out everywhere.
 
Alboreo

Alboreo

Member
I bought one earlier this week and had to drive about 40 miles to get one. Everywhere I went was out of both models.
 
The Lamonster

The Lamonster

Member
Sounds like the Borderlands bundle is out of print and Sony is slowly preparing that new adventure bundle. It's already been announced for Europe.
 
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