Support NeoGAF

[H_Prestige]

Surely other companies will bring out memory at reduced prices, such as Sandisk? They did with Memory Stick Pro Duos and Wii SD cards.

Only Sony will make the Vita's memory cards. This is probably a big hint that PS4 will not use nonproprietary, user replaceable hard drives.

 

[jeremy1456]

:bow

Sony, free us from the handheld ghetto!

They already did, by forcing Nintendo's hand with the Nintendo DS.

 

[Corto]

Only Sony will make the Vita's memory cards. This is probably a big hint that PS4 will not use nonproprietary, user replaceable hard drives.

PSP had the Memory Stick and PS3 still had that ability though...

 

[KingK]

Promoting Yoshida was one of Sony's best moves in the last few years, IMO.

 

[Mrbob]

Only Sony will make the Vita's memory cards. This is probably a big hint that PS4 will not use nonproprietary, user replaceable hard drives.

Couldn't 3rd parties like Sandisk still make memory cards for the Vita? They just need to adhere to the specifications Sony requires for the memory chips.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

No clue. I'm fully expecting to pay an extra $50 at launch, though.

I'm sure other companies will have their own brands eventually.

I was thinking $29.99 for like the 4GB one and double the cost as it increases. My need of purchasing it, would be dependent on if the PS Vita could play all currently available PSN titles (Im surprised they havent addressed what software is playable on it, Id want to take Shatter on it). Even if its 50$, I hope the stores still sell in bulk online so I can get memory cards for just 75% or so off. My PSP memory has always been under $10 for 4GB.

 

[midonnay]

If Vita is actually profitable then that's some fine engineering work by Sony. Or magic.

they're using mobile phone hardware

its much easier to control costs and utilise economies of scale with standard components....

thats why Nintendo may be in trouble... they went with the bleeding edge technology this time round and may not be as competitive in terms of pricing. (even the gpu seems to be some obscure japanese design)

 

[asdad123]

I was thinking $29.99 for like the 4GB one and double the cost as it increases. My need of purchasing it, would be dependent on if the PS Vita could play all currently available PSN titles (Im surprised they havent addressed what software is playable on it, Id want to take Shatter on it). Even if its 50$, I hope the stores still sell in bulk online so I can get memory cards for just 75% or so off. My PSP memory has always been under $10 for 4GB.

Always less than $10 for 4gb? Lol no. Maybe recently, but when the psp first came out, memory was crazy priced. I remember paying $70 for 256mb.

I think it'll be just like the psp situation. At first, they'll start off pretty expensive (I think it'll be $35 for 4gb, $70 for 8gb, so on) and then in a year or two, drop significantly when Sony allows third parties to make ps vita memory cards.

 

[GhostWriter24]

they're using mobile phone hardware

Could you elaborate, please?

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

I always appreciate how candid Shuhei Yoshida is in interviews.
Good guy.

 

[GhostWriter24]

I always appreciate how candid Shuhei Yoshida is in interviews.
Good guy.

He came off as so unbelievably classy in the Podcast Beyond he did post-E3, kinda guy you'd wanna buy a beer for.

 

[bgassassin]

Here we go.


Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-09-sonys-andrew-house-interview


Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-06-13-sonys-andrew-house-editorial

I think the real take away is that they expect to lose little to no money on the hardware, allowing them to be profitable from the start.

If we're using this to predict Sony's future, this would tell us that the PS4 will sell at or slightly below cost given that the same executives who made the Vita are making the PS4.

Looking at the last part and comparing it to the PS3, I would definitely expect that a loss per console would be under $100 and a target of under $50. That would be a significantly better situation than the PS3. And his statement would help confirm Plinko's concern about the memory cost.

But that's smart on Sony's part and I definitely expect them to copy that direction for the PS4.

 

[Durante]

Could you elaborate, please?

Vita's CPU and GPU are basically 2x and 4x as powerful as the fastest available on high-end smartphones/tablets today, and based on the architectures widely used in those devices.

 

[TheExecutive]

they're using mobile phone hardware

its much easier to control costs and utilise economies of scale with standard components....

thats why Nintendo may be in trouble... they went with the bleeding edge technology this time round and may not be as competitive in terms of pricing. (even the gpu seems to be some obscure japanese design)

Are you speaking of the glassless-3D for Nintendo? The actual power of that machine looks like its lacking. I wonder what it actually costs to build a 3ds...

 

[pharmboy044]

I always appreciate how candid Shuhei Yoshida is in interviews.
Good guy.

Yeah, Yoshida comes of like a cool guy. I hate promoting a podcast but Yoshida was on a recent Podcast Beyond episode where he had a pretty nice chat with some IGN guys.
I recommend people listening to it.

 

[X26]

If the vita isn't being sold at a loss I can only imagine that by comparison the 3DS must be making nintendo $230 a pop after component cost and shipping is taken into account, give or take $5

 

[Durante]

Are you speaking of the glassless-3D for Nintendo? The actual power of that machine looks like its lacking. I wonder what it actually costs to build a 3ds...

iSupply estimated ~100 USD IIRC.

 

[Vinci]

If the vita isn't being sold at a loss I can only imagine that by comparison the 3DS must be making nintendo $230 a pop after component cost and shipping is taken into account, give or take $5

Depends on the components used. And yes, I know that seems "Well yeah, duh shit," but it's not a simple matter of saying, "Well, this is stronger than that, so it must be more expensive." Sony made some very wise decisions when it came time to design the Vita. They basically ignored everything they did with the PS3 and made something with off-the-shelf components and likely a ton of room for further cost reduction.

Nintendo may not have been as wise.

 

[TheExecutive]

iSupply estimated ~100 USD IIRC.

Thats fucking rediculous. Well, it shows I guess. Thanks Sony!

 

[midonnay]

iSupply estimated ~100 USD IIRC.

interesting! never heard about that before...

then why are Nintendo selling it at 250 US? *facepalm*

 

[Vinci]

interesting! never heard about that before...

then why the are Nintendo selling it at 250 US? *facepalm*

Because folks splooged all over the damn screen in E3, and they figured it could sell for that. It just ended up not working out in this case - they got overzealous. But that's how companies should operate - not pricing things for even-steven or a slight profit, but pricing things at what they can sell them for. And to be fair, Nintendo has sold a decent number of these things even if it's under expectations.

 

[bgassassin]

iSupply estimated ~100 USD IIRC.

http://www.isuppli.com/teardowns/news/pages/nintendo-3ds-carries-$100-71-bill-of-materials-ihs-isuppli-physical-teardown-reveals.aspx

 

[Allonym]

I think Im finally going to take the plunge and invest in a Vita within the coming months but I think I'll withhold my buckaroos until some more compelling software emerges onto the horizon, not to say what's on display isn't impressive but I want some Syphon Filter with HD PS3 graphics that Bend seems so intent on not delivering on PS3.

 

[Corto]

I think Im finally going to take the plunge and invest in a Vita within the coming months but I think I'll withhold my buckaroos until some more compelling software emerges onto the horizon, not to say what's on display isn't impressive but I want some Syphon Filter with HD PS3 graphics that Bend seems so intent on not delivering on PS3.

Bend already has something on their hands at the moment.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Yeah, Yoshida comes of like a cool guy. I hate promoting a podcast but Yoshida was on a recent Podcast Beyond episode where he had a pretty nice chat with some IGN guys.
I recommend people listening to it.

Nice. Ill give it a listen.

 

[Jinko]

Nice, if they are profitable from the start, seems like Sony have their ducks in a row this time round.

 

[Cromat]

Seeing as pretty much all consoles are bought with at least one game, if the loss on every Vita unit sold is less than $40 (as implied here), they would be profitable on every unit sold.

 

[Ebenezer]

I'm not really surprised hearing that PSV will sell at little to no loss. I think the only tiny bit of surprise I felt is because it's easy to forget how absolutely ridiculously criminally overpriced the 3DS is since that's the natural PSV comparison and it's also $250 but has absolutely no right to be. I'll definitely be picking up a PSV and I have to agree with a lot of others, I'm more excited about it than I have been about any previous handheld including the OG Gameboy.

Safe to say Iwata: *cries*

 

[sublimit]

It will be crazy if they manage to sell this thing at no loss...Even if they sell it with a small loss it will be quite an achievement.

 

[zero_suit]

Safe to say Iwata: *cries*

It's way too early to say that.

 

[Kaako]

Yeah, Yoshida comes of like a cool guy. I hate promoting a podcast but Yoshida was on a recent Podcast Beyond episode where he had a pretty nice chat with some IGN guys.
I recommend people listening to it.

Did not know that, thanks. *downloading*

 

[The Faceless Master]

they could both be right.


Yoshida could mean they aren't taking a loss on hardware, while Kaz could be counting the entire R&D budget, not just hardware and assembly costs.

 

[rollingstart]

I'm not really surprised hearing that PSV will sell at little to no loss. I think the only tiny bit of surprise I felt is because it's easy to forget how absolutely ridiculously criminally overpriced the 3DS is since that's the natural PSV comparison and it's also $250 but has absolutely no right to be. I'll definitely be picking up a PSV and I have to agree with a lot of others, I'm more excited about it than I have been about any previous handheld including the OG Gameboy.

Safe to say Iwata: *cries*

the 3DS at that high price plus wild expectations did Sony a favor

I mean, it's pretty amazing that $250 is considered a low price now. People were assuming $300 would be the minimum, going as high as $400, because Vita looked that much better than the $250 3DS. But really, $250 is still a lot of money.

 

[Scalemail Ted]

the 3DS at that high price plus wild expectations did Sony a favor

I mean, it's pretty amazing that $250 is considered a low price now. People were assuming $300 would be the minimum, going as high as $400, because Vita looked that much better than the $250 3DS. But really, $250 is still a lot of money.

$250 dollars is alot of money!

This is anecdotal

My girlfriend's DS lite broke last summer and this summer we wanted to upgrade it with something new. But after looking at that $250 price tag we just ordered a replacement DS from Amazon instead. Its disappointing that handhelds had gotten so high.

 

[Paches]

they could both be right.


Yoshida could mean they aren't taking a loss on hardware, while Kaz could be counting the entire R&D budget, not just hardware and assembly costs.

That is how I interpreted the situation.

 

[KingK]

the 3DS at that high price plus wild expectations did Sony a favor

I mean, it's pretty amazing that $250 is considered a low price now. People were assuming $300 would be the minimum, going as high as $400, because Vita looked that much better than the $250 3DS. But really, $250 is still a lot of money.

Yeah, I agree. $250 is still a ridiculous amount for a handheld system, IMO. I won't be getting a 3DS or a Vita until price drops. I do hope to get both eventually though, because the Vita is really surprising me with how good its looking, and the 3DS will have Paper Mario and the inevitable Pokemon game that I'll have to buy.

 

[yurinka]

Great move. To start without looses, or even having a minimal loose but having profit from games and memory cards. Impressive.

As Patcher said, Vita is dead on arrival. Sony is doomed, for sure.

 

[AranhaHunter]

Yoshida: I was surprised to see the final product for what Nintendo was showing. It's pretty close to what was being rumored. Lots of media had different interpretations of the rumors, and something I thought Nintendo might be doing was like a giant DS in your house. I was expecting them to do some demos, like Nintendogs coming from the big screen to the small screen where you can then pet the dog on the tablet controller.

He just gave Nintendo a great idea, what a guy.

 

[Vyrance]

Yoshida's been the best thing to happen to Sony in quite a while! Vita's looking great so far.

 

[AranhaHunter]

I'd like to see the context of that Kaz comment.

I think it probably actually went something like this. "Will Vita take as long as PS3, 3 years, to become profitable on hardware?" "Kaz: (laughs) No, it will take less than that"

Which isn't the same as 'it'll take 3 years to become profitable'. IIRC he, and others at SCE, also said that at the very least, as a business (software+hardware), it would be profitable from the start.

Yoshida seems to be saying that they are aiming for hardware profitability, and though he can't give a certain answer right now, that's the projection.

Yoshida, Rhodes, and the SCEE boss all said it'll be profitable from Day 1, or close to it IIRC.

Kaz said it'll take 3 years for it be profitable.

Kaz is above all those other guys' paygrades, but the chances of him being misquoted or wrong is higher than average IMO.

 

[disco]

I don't believe them.

 

[apana]

It's probably break even with a small profit or maybe even loss depending on what you include as part of the cost. Just as I expected.

 

[ULTROS!]

So the development cost of the Vita titles are the same as the PSP ones eh.

So I guess it's going to be really cheap to develop on the Vita?

 

[chubigans]

He came off as so unbelievably classy in the Podcast Beyond he did post-E3, kinda guy you'd wanna buy a beer for.

Listening now, and man, this guy is awesome. Lots of respect to him.

 

[yencid]

now that someone mentioned patcher, i remember him talking about the Vita being expensive before the price announcement. Did he ever talk about it after the price reveal?

 

[hamchan]

interesting! never heard about that before...

then why are Nintendo selling it at 250 US? *facepalm*

Because they can, well, at least they thought they could.

 

[MalboroRed]

Having a software guy like Yoshida involved in the process is a big plus, they really made huge strides in terms of collaborations since Kutaragi left, I think Yoshida is a better head of SCEWW than Phil ever was.

 

[chubigans]

Because they can, well, at least they thought they could.

It prints nothing.

 

[Kagari]

So the development cost of the Vita titles are the same as the PSP ones eh.

So I guess it's going to be really cheap to develop on the Vita?

Loads of JP support incoming.

 

[Kunan]

I too wanna pimp out the latest Podcast Beyond with him in it. Was actually listening to it a few minutes ago.