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[jeremy1456]

It is undeniably quality. For the market to realise it, it takes advertisements, which come after the games.

It's subjective.

The screen on mine cracked after taking a fall off of my 3 ft tall nightstand and landed on carpet. Durability falls under quality, and that's not what I would call quality.

Especially since my 3DS and PSP have both taken the same fall numerous times without so much as a scratch.

 

[Byakuya769]

Which stage is "if only they advertised the damn thing!" in the "failure of a personally beloved commercial object" path?

 

[UncleSporky]

I'm almots sure it is. Anyway, still awful

Is "shipped from the end of June" a good thing? People seem to be going "oh, well then that's another matter."

 

[Skyzard]

If a product has undeniable quality it will sell. I also no longer buy people don't know Vita exists. They just don't give a fuck.

They don't know, exactly. It shows you there are a lot of angles Sony can push still for the vita. It's not like they'll be dropping out any time soon.

Nearly everyone seeing the vita IRL will be impressed and that gives them a nice solid base to work with.

It's subjective.

The screen on mine cracked after taking a fall off of my 3 ft tall nightstand and landed on carpet. Durability falls under quality, and that's not what I would call quality.

Especially since my 3DS and PSP have both taken the same fall numerous times without so much as a scratch.

Sorry to hear that, my vita has taken a few 2 foot falls and not been damaged (also onto carpet) thankfully. But that isn't what I meant...most people won't realise they can't replace the battery etc and that it will go down as will the impressiveness of the screen...when they decide to buy it. (unfortunately)

 

[Combichristoffersen]

How bad did Alice do? Currenty playing it and its a pretty neat game so far

I don't have sales numbers at hand, but EA basically sent it to die with fuck all for marketing, so I don't expect it to have sold all that much.

I did my part though, bought the game three times (DD PC version off Origin, PS3 version and retail PC version), bought the marvellous art book (and got a copy signed by American McGee, yay!), bought the Vorpal Blade replica with the official stand w/ Alice logo, bought an Alice t-shirt and finally I bought an Alice poster that I still haven't gotten around to getting framed. I really want another Alice game, but EA killed the viability of the brand by not giving a shit about the game (McGee apparently already has ideas for a third Alice game, but EA's not interested).

 

[8byte]

Price cut and I'll buy it in a heartbeat. I hope the Vita doesnt fail

With tons of people thinking just like this, it makes it all the more likely it will fail.

 

[metalslimer]

They don't know, exactly. It shows you there are a lot of angles Sony can push still for the vita. It's not like they'll be dropping out any time soon.

I'm pretty sure we've had this argument before but retailers are going to basically force them to when they stop ordering systems and giving it shelf space. The biggest shopping season is just around the corner and if retailers fail to order systems than the thing is done.

 

[MYE]

I don't have sales numbers at hand, but EA basically sent it to die with fuck all for marketing, so I don't expect it to have sold all that much.

I did my part though, bought the game three times (DD PC version off Origin, PS3 version and retail PC version), bought the marvellous art book (and got a copy signed by American McGee, yay!), bought the Vorpal Blade replica with the official stand w/ Alice logo, bought an Alice t-shirt and finally I bought an Alice poster that I still haven't gotten around to getting framed.

Yeah, the art book is fantastic. Shame about EA's neglect

 

[Skyzard]

I'm pretty sure we've had this argument before but retailers are going to basically force them to when they stop ordering systems and giving it shelf space. The biggest shopping season is just around the corner and if retailers fail to order systems than the thing is done.

Don't most people buy from Amazon anyway?

 

[KillerTravis]

Takao has returned.

 

[Currygan]

With tons of people thinking just like this, it makes it all the more likely it will fail.

sometimes you've got to cut the tree to save the forest

 

[GraveRobberX]

I don't have sales numbers at hand, but EA basically sent it to die with fuck all for marketing, so I don't expect it to have sold all that much.

I did my part though, bought the game three times (DD PC version off Origin, PS3 version and retail PC version), bought the marvellous art book (and got a copy signed by American McGee, yay!), bought the Vorpal Blade replica with the official stand w/ Alice logo, bought an Alice t-shirt and finally I bought an Alice poster that I still haven't gotten around to getting framed. I really want another Alice game, but EA killed the viability of the brand by not giving a shit about the game.

That is a whole lotta' of Alice

It was EA partners?

If your are EA partners, you are fucking screwed

Not one title emerged to be great from that partnership

KOA: Reckoning
Shadow of the Damned
Alice
etc.

I worry for Insomniac's Overstrike *gulp*

 

[Nemo]

PSP was dead in the west for 2 years before Vita launched. It might have helped in Japan, but in the west PSP was a toxic brand.

You're forgetting US sales after the first two years.

The PSP tanked after the initial hype died down. The brand is basically worthless outside of Japan.

I dunno the sales numbers of US but I can see why they changed it to capture that market. Still tho, that name is bad

 

[Lumination]

Why make a high-end, sleek handheld device and try to market to the younger audience? Seems like the natural demographic would be young adults, especially when you look at the price. Then again, I suppose any marketing at this point would be nice.

 

[P90]

How to get the Vita off life support and breathe on its own?

Some ideas:

1. Slash memory card prices and make larger capacity cards
2. Moneyhats, lots of them. Offer to pay SquareEnix all production costs for a FF Vii Re-make or sequel. Offer to pay LucasArts all production costs for a KOTOR 3. Same type of deal for Sega to make aPanzer Dragoon, Skies of Arcadia 2, and a Sega character kart game. An exclusive Skylanders game. If Sony can copy SSB, why not Pokemon and Animal Crossing?
3. Promote P4G like P4A was promoted.
4. Help get games that were announced actually produced, like Dragon's Crown, etc.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

That is a whole lotta' of Alice

It was EA partners?

If your are EA partners, you are fucking screwed

Not one title emerged to be great from that partnership

KOA: Reckoning
Shadow of the Damned
Alice
etc.

I worry for Insomniac's Overstrike *gulp*

I thought it was an EA Partners release too, but according to this Wiki list it was not. Either way, it was a great game that deserved a better fate than what EA gave it.

As for Overstrike, I frankly don't care about it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it bombs (at best I expect mediocre sales). The only thing Insomniac has made that I care for is the Ratchet series.

 

[Conflict NZ]

Here in NZ most shops are dropping the price of the 3G version. One of the stores my mate works at ordered 20 3G versions at launch. Until the price drop they had only sold 2 of them. They actually made them $10 than the wifi version just to get rid of them and aren't going to order any more.

 

[Currygan]

Why make a high-end, sleek handheld device and try to market to the younger audience? Seems like the natural demographic would be young adults, especially when you look at the price. Then again, I suppose any marketing at this point would be nice.

because young adults showed scarce interest, and now Sony's drifting towards the audience that pays the most

 

[metalslimer]

The whole 3G model is one of the worst thought out and business moves I've ever seen in the industry

-No Multiplayer through 3G
-More expensive than the regular model (even though you have to pay a bill on it)
-AT&T
-Antiquated technology with much faster options now.

It's like Sony looked at cell phones and were like "Hey 3G is cool on those phones we should throw in Vita because then it can compete with cell phones!!!" I've always thought this even though many at Gaf last year seemed to think this would be a #gamechanger

 

[Lonely1]

A quick way out for Sony is to port Android to the device and say that they are "consolidating the device into the wider Sony Mobile initiative". They would save face.

 

[freddy]

Sony needs all its teams to be working on console games at this point. I'm sure they have an exit strategy in the handheld region ready to go but with the blunders recently who knows. Maybe even push for a Sony games phone where 3rd party devs carry the slack. Time to tighten up the ship and cut the fat.

 

[GraveRobberX]

How to get the Vita off life support and breathe on its own?

Some ideas:

1. Slash memory card prices and make larger capacity cards
8GB should be a throw-in, 16/32/64GB should be priced in the $29.99, $49.99, $69.99

2. Moneyhats, lots of them. Offer to pay SquareEnix all production costs for a FF Vii Re-make or sequel. Offer to pay LucasArts all production costs for a KOTOR 3. Same type of deal for Sega to make aPanzer Dragoon, Skies of Arcadia 2, and a Sega character kart game. An exclusive Skylanders game. If Sony can copy SSB, why not Pokemon and Animal Crossing?
Too late now, even if they did all this it would take a year+ just to get it ready for release. That is why you get shit set-up way before, not wait and see approach

3. Promote P4G like P4A was promoted.
Not only P4G but most of the Vita titles, why only pick one

4. Help get games that were announced actually produced, like Dragon's Crown, etc.
They would but most titles are getting pushed back, not because they want to polish, more of the will it survive, need to move to another platform

My take

 

[Sean]

The whole 3G model is one of the worst thought out and business moves I've ever seen in the industry

-No Multiplayer through 3G
-More expensive than the regular model (even though you have to pay a bill on it)
-AT&T
-Antiquated technology with much faster options now.

It's like Sony looked at cell phones and were like "Hey 3G is cool on those phones we should throw in Vita because then it can compete with cell phones!!!" I've always thought this even though many at Gaf last year seemed to think this would be a #gamechanger

Yeah, I'm not really sure why they even bothered with a 3G model. It's little more than a bullet point and I doubt it's sold much at all. I'm guessing it'll be discontinued by the end of the year or whenever they do their first price drop.

 

[MYE]

Why make a high-end, sleek handheld device and try to market to the younger audience? Seems like the natural demographic would be young adults, especially when you look at the price. Then again, I suppose any marketing at this point would be nice.

Kids love ipads dont they?

 

[Gorillaz]

Should have kept the original holiday release date imo...could have had a better launch.

 

[GraveRobberX]

Kids love ipads dont they?

Parents love their iPads/iPhones, which they give to their kid to keep them busy, not bother them

 

[1-UP]

$149 or bust.

 

[iammeiam]

Why make a high-end, sleek handheld device and try to market to the younger audience? Seems like the natural demographic would be young adults, especially when you look at the price. Then again, I suppose any marketing at this point would be nice.

I think the idea is that Sony was aiming for young adults and young adults didn't really give a shit--they also didn't give a shit when Sony wanted them to consider the PSP Go a viable iPod Touch alternative, and they didn't buy in to the PSP as PMP idea back when the PSP first launched. It seems like they may have finally realized that building your entire handheld business around targeting people who aren't the traditional handheld audience, while ignoring the younger set, is ultimately a bad call.

 

[delta25]

Pessimistic?! It's looking more and more realistic by the day.

I agree with the comments, It seems Sony think COD will save the Vita, just because it's huge on consoles.

Why not try and focus on the positives, truth be told the vita is calk full of them, doing this would go along way in helping the vita through a good word of mouth. Gamescom 2012 showed us that the future for the vita could very well be a bright one as long as Sony's willing to play ball.
I'm not denying that the vita is in trouble, but after seeing all the Vita related stuff from Gamescom, Sony knows they have an amazing handheld on their hands and regardless of having a slow/poor start in regards to sales Sony isn't going to give up on the vita anytime soon.

 

[Robertto]

My take, it all comes down to games, it always does. think about whenever you caved and bought a console after launch, it was likely because a game pushed you over the edge.

versions of wipeout, LBP and a crappy off-shoot of a 2 year old cod wont do it. it has to be something original that looks amazing or the continuation of a story that people are really invested in. whatever irrational makes (one day) may do it.

But i do think the cross buy feature is smart, because ps3 gamers who dont have a vita, will slowly accrue a library of games for the thing, each new game they add making the vita slightly more attractive.

 

[urge26]

I know GAF is hardcore, but if you've bought a Vita and are worried then you have problems. System has more than enough at this point to justify the purchase, then add, LBP, Persona 4, Criterion Burnout, sf v. tekken, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, jet set, retro city rampage, tearaway, you're fine.

Sony can go bankrupt at this point and I don't give a shit, there is enough on my Vita to justify the 200 bucks I've sunk into it. Once it's hacked and can do homebrew, then it's the ultimate handheld.

 

[bigace33]

Looks like I'll be getting a Vita at a reasonably low price this Holiday. That's if the Sony big wigs are serious about selling this thing.

 

[metalslimer]

Why not try and focus on the positives, truth be told the vita is calk full of them, doing this would go along way in helping the vita through a good word of mouth. Gamescom 2012 showed us that the future for the vita could very well be a bright one as long as Sony's willing to play ball.
I'm not denying that the vita is in trouble, but after seeing all the Vita related stuff from Gamescom, Sony knows they have an amazing handheld on their hands and regardless of having a slow/poor start in regards to sales Sony isn't going to give up on the vita anytime soon.

Everything Sony has shown so far for Vita has been in development since before the thing even released. We have had reports Media Molecule was making a Vita game for a while now and Killzone was shown in January 2011. Not saying Sony has given up but they've shown nothing that indicates they have started new projects since Vita actually released and they got these figures

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Which stage is "if only they advertised the damn thing!" in the "failure of a personally beloved commercial object" path?

Stage one: Games will be announced, those will save it.
Stage two: If only they advertised the damn thing!
Stage three: There's got to be a price cut around the corner, just a few bucks off and we'll get that momentum.
Stage four: The system is so good that it will magically get itself back on its feet. It has to. I believe.
Stage five: SYSTEM-MAKER IS GARBAGE WAAAAHHH.
Stage six: Did you guys know that replaying this never-expanding game library is really fun?

 

[Byakuya769]

Stage one: Games will be announced, those will save it.
Stage two: If only they advertised the damn thing!
Stage three: There's got to be a price cut around the corner, just a few bucks off and we'll get that momentum.
Stage four: The system is so good that it will magically get itself back on its feet. It has to. I believe.
Stage five: SYSTEM-MAKER IS GARBAGE WAAAAHHH.
Stage six: Did you guys know that replaying this never-expanding game library is really fun?

Haha. As real as it gets.

 

[delta25]

Everything Sony has shown so far for Vita has been in development since before the thing even released. We have had reports Media Molecule was making a Vita game for a while now and Killzone was shown in January 2011. Not saying Sony has given up but they've shown nothing that indicates they have started new projects since Vita actually released and they got these figures

Shit takes time I guess, I think the Vita at TGS is going to hand out a lot of crow for better or worse.

 

[metalslimer]

Haha. As real as it gets.

I know GAF is hardcore, but if you've bought a Vita and are worried then you have problems. System has more than enough at this point to justify the purchase, then add, LBP, Persona 4, Criterion Burnout, sf v. tekken, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, jet set, retro city rampage, tearaway, you're fine.

Sony can go bankrupt at this point and I don't give a shit, there is enough on my Vita to justify the 200 bucks I've sunk into it.

A few steps were skipped.

Shit takes time I guess, I think the Vita at TGS is going to hand out a lot of crow for better or worse.

Perhaps, I would certainly love to be wrong as playing PS1 and PSP games on OLED and having an alive system would be nice. There's just no real indication that Japanese developers actually care about the thing when it's getting outsold 10:1 on a weekly basis.

 

[metareferential]

Poor Vita.

I really like the concept, the hardware, everything: bought it at day-one and loved Lumines (Just like I did with the og psp).

But it's dead. Worse, it's basically a lone zombie no one wants to kill, unable to scare or menace anything on earth, left wandering in an empty parking lot.

It's sad.

And it gets worse: iPad mini (yeah I know "no buttonz" etc., but it will murder anything come this Christmas: any little bastard on this planet will ask Santa for that, and you know it).

 

[Kusagari]

Does anyone have Dreamcast figures for a comparison?

 

[rpmurphy]

Oh wait. I remember seeing one of these ads just a few days ago. Not this one, but similar

Yeah

Not very memorable...

Might as well make infomercials if they want people to change channels watching them. PSP launched with those Take Me Out ads and those were quite good, showing off various games, the music/video feature, the XMB UI without boring people to death with a long narrative. What the heck happened to TV advertising?

 

[Supermanisdead]

The whole 3G model is one of the worst thought out and business moves I've ever seen in the industry

-No Multiplayer through 3G
-More expensive than the regular model (even though you have to pay a bill on it)
-AT&T
-Antiquated technology with much faster options now.

It's like Sony looked at cell phones and were like "Hey 3G is cool on those phones we should throw in Vita because then it can compete with cell phones!!!" I've always thought this even though many at Gaf last year seemed to think this would be a #gamechanger

Really, lol? The ads show people playing online with the 3G. So shady.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

A few steps were skipped.

That comment is already in the final stage. You come to terms with the library not growing and become satisfied with where the library is at that moment. It is acceptance.

Notably enough, all gaming consoles will end up in that realm eventually, no matter how successful. So it's not an illogical notion. The Vita in particular will be helped if it ever gets hacked by fixing the "there's not enough games" problem with emulators and homebrew, which could be astoundingly vast.

 

[Byakuya769]

Really, lol? The ads show people playing online with the 3G. So shady.

Noooo. They're not playing multiplayer online. They're playing single player and immediately being notified about how their stats match up to their bros' through the power of 3G!!!! Don't you need to know that immediately? I do.

 

[Metallix87]

Really, lol? The ads show people playing online with the 3G. So shady.

 

[alfredofroylan]

Might as well make infomercials if they want people to change channels watching them. PSP launched with those Take Me Out ads and those were quite good, showing off various games, the music/video feature, the XMB UI without boring people to death with a long narrative. What the heck happened to TV advertising?

This one??. Anyway the movie/music features on the Vita are pointless right now, Smartphones, ipods and pads have taken those elements. Not to mention the absurd prices of the video store.

 

[Currygan]

Does anyone have Dreamcast figures for a comparison?

I would like to know this as well. LTD sales were 10.6 millions, I believe

 

[Glorified G]

You have a misguided view of how things work. Just because you think something is quality does not mean the actual market does.

Good thing you'll be the top poster in the next Vita sales thread to remind all of us & regurgitate the same posts.

 

[entremet]

The Vita is just a machine without a viable audience right now.

Kids have Nintendo/Apple
Non gamer adults with passing interest in gaming have smart phones/tablets and Facebook
Bros have PS360PC

That leaves a very small audience willing to shell out at least 300 bucks when you count game plus memory card.

 

[Father_Brain]

Unless I'm completely wrong about the impact CoD/AC/LBP et al. will have on Western holiday sales, TGS really is Sony's final shot at proving Vita has even a chance at becoming commercially relevant in even one territory. Period.

 

[metareferential]

Unless I'm completely wrong about the impact CoD/AC/LBP et al. will have on Western holiday sales, TGS really is Sony's final shot at proving Vita has even a chance at becoming commercially relevant in even one territory. Period.

Considering how cheap a 360 can be (or even a ps3, if the new model comes around this holiday season) no one will buy a Vita for CoD.

And as I already said, the gift every kid will want this year (provided it's true) it's the iPad mini (since it will be priced just like Vita).