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[drspeedy]

I love my PSP, blows away the DS for me. But more people know Nintendo- they want the experience that a Nintendo console brings, and that's what the gaming handheld crowd is looking for. Doesn't make the Vita any less awesome (because it is awesome), but the market segment for that is probably 5-10% of the total handheld gaming consumer right now.


In short: Vita is too shootbang/FIFA/"PS3-on-the-go!" for most people. They'll play casually on their phones or Ninty first party games on DS.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

Ok let me ask a simple question.

If 3DS had a rocky start and now is looking into glorius future of handheld domination then why numbers i'm pulling from NPD June thread look like this:

Nintendo 3DS: 155K (+8.4%)
Vita: 75K

3DS is about to get a new model and what may be it's biggest game over it's entire lifecycle, unlike Vita there are extremely positive immediate future prospects. It's June lineup was pathetic, and yet even still it was still the only system seeing YOY gains according to NPD.

Also Japan. It's the region that's always mattered most to dedicated handhelds in terms of software support, and 3DS domination there at the very least ensures a steady stream of games for the platform.

 

[Metallix87]

Don't worry, there'll be an international vita-gaming-heaven two weeks before the release of assassins creed with following announcements:

- pricecut at AC-release
- MHP3rdG releasing this winter
- MH4 release date for first quarter next year, so that everyone knows its coming at the same date as the 3DS-version
- bigger FF spin-off (or FFVII-remake )
- GTA spin-off
- RE spin-off
- GT Vita
- GoW Vita

And a big marketing push for the 3rd-party key titles.

Vita saved.

 

[electroplankton]

?

Originally Persona belongs to Megami Ibunroku series.
With Devil Survivor, Devil Summoner and Shin Megami Tensei IV all coming on 3DS, I'm doubtful we'll a proper SMT on Vita, which still has Persona though.

 

[Metallix87]

Originally Persona belongs to Megami Ibunroku series.
With Devil Survivor, Devil Summoner and Shin Megami Tensei IV all coming on 3DS, I'm doubtful we'll a proper SMT on Vita, which still has Persona though.

Given that a "Persona 3DS" was announced at E3 2010 for the Nintendo 3DS, I don't even think Vita has that series secure for the future.

 

[Bumhead]

As much as I am negative about the Vita, we still should wait until this coming holiday period to see if things improve. If things still look dire, after December, perhaps it's time to wrap things up.

Agreed, but even then the Wii U is coming.

I have my doubts about the Wii U's mass market appeal this Christmas as well but irrespective, its presence definitely makes life more difficult for the Vita.

People have been saying for ages about the Vita "lets see how it is for the holidays" and "wait for X amount of months!", but its going into its first global holiday period with competetion from a still relatively new Nintendo handheld, a brand new Nintendo home console and possibly an even cheaper pair of home consoles in the 360 and PS4. And Sony are showing very little in their strategy thus far that suggests how they can combat that.

 

[Sid]

What the hell do you mean "real weight"? You people are crazy; the Vita had one of the best launch lineups in history, came out at a price that people initially were crazy excited about, and the system overall is pretty well-liked by everyone who uses it. The games they've already released for it include an original Uncharted, a new and awesome Lumines, a new and awesome Wipeout, a great new Hot Shots Golf, a new IP that some (crazy) people are calling GOTY in Gravity Rush, new and awesome downloadable titles like Super Stardust and Mutant Blobs, with still more original software to come, including a new LittleBigPlanet (which looks downright FANTASTIC), Soul Sacrifice (which looks more impressive every time it's shown), an original Assassin's Creed, and a Call of Duty title.

This list only comprises the titles I think people can pretty much agree are good, not even mentioning other titles that are pretty divisivet, or handheld versions of console games (Marvel vs. Capcom 3, PSASBR, Sound Shapes, and Rayman) that some people really enjoy.

The Vita has hands-down the best first-year lineup of any system in recent memory, but that's not putting "real weight" behind the system? As much as I hate to say it, unless Assassin's and CoD come out and really wow people it's just a matter that people aren't interested in the Vita at all. Period. There is literally nothing Sony can do at this point. I think urging them to keep throwing more money at the wall is pretty silly advice.

Really, if LBP, CoD, AC, Uncharted and Gravity Rush aren't enough to get people to believe in the system, what is? They don't own Pokemon or Mario, or Halo for that matter...

I get that,i personally love the vita's lineup but the sales are poor and if we are talking about system sellers how many people do you think are going to buy ac:l when it releases the same day as ac3 and how many are gonna get a dumbed down version of cod(doesn't even have a proper sp and nhillistic doing the game)?Fact of the matter is sony needs to put more weight behind the vita at gamescom,vita heaven 2 and tgs with lots of 3rd and 1st party exclusive announcements and not continue to ignore it like it did at e3

 

[SilverBullet]

Price drop + new Monster Hunter game! Problem solved.

 

[fabricated backlash]

Vita needs to live for the good of this industry.

If sony is out that would mean less competition and more smartphone power, which sucks

At the current state the product deserves it's fate. And before people jump at my throat, what I mean is that with the effort (or lack thereoff) the Vita currently just isn't fit for the market. Power alone is meaningless if the plattform holder is treating it like dirt.

Sony really needs to be a lot more agressive with both marketing, and release schedules.
It would surprise me if Sony is still as arrogant as they were pre PS3 launch, believing that the world would flock to them by principle alone.
It boggles my mind how a company who was able to turn around the disaster that was the PS3 launch into quite the competitive machine, would repeat the same error again.

 

[michaelius]

3DS is about to get a new model and what may be it's biggest game over it's entire lifecycle, unlike Vita there are extremely positive immediate future prospects. It's June lineup was pathetic, and yet even still it was still the only system seeing YOY gains according to NPD.

Also Japan. It's the region that's always mattered most to dedicated handhelds in terms of software support, and 3DS domination there at the very least ensures a steady stream of games for the platform.

YOY 8% gain you mention is compared to June 2011 before any of major games and before price cut.

If you prefer we can go back to May before LL was annouced:

3DS: 113.5K
PSV: >50K, <56.8K

 

[Cipherr]

Well, it depends on the 3G. Lots of people complained about them choosing AT&T, but their 3G speeds are some of the best. Now, if you were to tether to a Sprint phone......

And, also, maybe their netcode just wasn't the best.

Its not about the speed of 3G, I have tried it on all the major carriers in the US, and the speeds on most except sprint are fast enough. Its 3G latency that laughs in the face of fast pace online gaming. All the speed in the world wont help you if you have a baseline ping of 150-300. Noone wants to play a FPS like that, and dont even get me started on stuff like fighting games.

3G is absolute shit for online gaming unless you are playing checkers or something.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

The Vita has hands-down the best first-year lineup of any system in recent memory, but that's not putting "real weight" behind the system?

Best launch? Certainly.

Best Year One? I dunno, 3DS basically killed in the 2nd half of it's first year (SM3DL, Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus, RE Revelations, Rhythm Thief, Sonic Generations, Tales of the Abyss, MGS3D, Tekken 3D, Ace Combat, Nano Assault, Pushmo, Sakura Samurai, VVVVVV, MSF, Mutant Mudds, Colors 3D, etc, etc). Vita looks comparably much weaker it's 2nd half.

I'd also say that last gen PSP and Wii had better year ones as well.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Vita will never hit off in the west, just like the PSP. Right now it looks like they are trying to get big western franchises on it which will likely be ignored as just crappy handheld side games with little to no fanfare. PSP surviveddue to the Japanese centric successes and right now VITA is lacking that or anything on the horizon that will give it a push in Japan. Even with a bunch of good games, the PSP stuggled in the west.

 

[Criminal Upper]

Will probably pick up a Vita and AC: Lady Liberty when the system is 100$ in a year.

 

[Metallix87]

YOY 8% gain you mention is compared to June 2011 before any of major games and before price cut.

Actually, June 2011 saw the release of Ocarina of Time 3D, which some considered to be the 3DS's first system seller, as well as the release of Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D, which was also a successful release.

Meanwhile, what released in June 2012 for 3DS?

 

[JonathanPower]

What if Vita were able to make phone calls ? Would this change anything regarding sales ?

 

[Father_Brain]

What if Vita were able to make phone calls ? Would this change anything regarding sales ?

No. People who want a phone want something that was actually designed to be a phone, not something with six buttons and two sticks that's clearly designed as a gaming device. Ditto for tablets.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

YOY 8% gain you mention is compared to June 2011 before any of major games and before price cut.

The price cut was nearly a year ago, and no "major games"? June 2011 NPD itself included the launches of Zelda OOT 3D, RE Mercenaries, DOA Dimensions and the entire eShop. June 2011 had a significantly stronger schedule than June 2012, and yet 3DS was still up YOY.

If you prefer we can go back to May before LL was annouced:

3DS: 113.5K
PSV: >50K, <56.8K

3DS was up even more YOY (17%) for May.

 

[Metallix87]

What if Vita were able to make phone calls ? Would this change anything regarding sales ?

Probably not. What Vita needs is a system seller, and the only game currently announced for it that, IMO, has the potential to be a breakout hit is "Soul Sacrifice", and even then that's not looking all too likely.

Sony really is playing the entire Vita scenario very strangely. Nintendo was very aggressive with their 3DS push: putting big titles on it, securing big exclusives, cutting the price to drive sales, and releasing lots of colors to entice consumers. Sony seems to be sitting back and just seeing how things play out, as though they don't care at all that Vita could die out completely due to their lack of interest / concern.

 

[BasilZero]

They need to

-Lower the memory card prices
-Focus on marketing (cause the marketing sucks)
-Focus on Bundles and special colored units
-Develop new IPs like Gravity Rush (certain games that appeal to different/all regions)
-Develop/release established franchises (first party-second party)
-Port over some PS2/PS3 games with enhancements such as additional features added to gameplay/storyline/etc
-Establish PS1/PS2 support asap.
-Expand the PSP to PSVita Library support
-Money hat (GASP!) some third party developers in some way (such as making a deal on certain game releases/content etc).
-Expand on Apps since the OS seems to work well with it (maybe)

 

[Duffyside]

I get that,i personally love the vita's lineup but the sales are poor and if we are talking about system sellers how many people do you think are going to buy ac:l when it releases the same day as ac3 and how many are gonna get a dumbed down version of cod(doesn't even have a proper sp and nhillistic doing the game)?Fact of the matter is sony needs to put more weight behind the vita at gamescom,vita heaven 2 and tgs with lots of 3rd and 1st party exclusive announcements and not continue to ignore it like it did at e3

Vita wasn't ignored at E3 by mistake. Sony are cutting their losses, which they probably (sadly) should. They don't "need" to put "more weight behind" it -- in fact, that's the exact opposite of what they "need" as a company. They put a ton behind it originally and people didn't want it. They need to quietly and skillfully bow away, which seems to be exactly what they're doing.

 

[massoluk]

No. People who want a phone want something that was actually designed to be a phone, not something with six buttons and two sticks that's clearly designed as a gaming device. Ditto for tablets.

I'm not sure about that. If there is a Vita sku that also double as an Android phone, I think it would make a bit more splash.

 

[Duffyside]

They need to

-Lower the memory card prices
-Focus on marketing (cause the marketing sucks)
-Focus on Bundles and special colored units
-Develop new IPs like Gravity Rush (certain games that appeal to different/all regions)
-Develop/release established franchises (first party-second party)
-Port over some PS2/PS3 games with enhancements such as additional features added to gameplay/storyline/etc
-Establish PS1/PS2 support asap.
-Expand the PSP to PSVita Library support
-Money hat (GASP!) some third party developers in some way (such as making a deal etc).
-Expand on Apps since the OS seems to work well with it (maybe)

Hardest I'll laugh all day. "Money hat some devs, such as making a deal, etcetera." Clearly Sony should just hire GAF, cuz we really know what we're talking about, hahaha.

 

[Sid]

Vita wasn't ignored at E3 by mistake. Sony are cutting their losses, which they probably (sadly) should. They don't "need" to put "more weight behind" it -- in fact, that's the exact opposite of what they "need" as a company. They put a ton behind it originally and people didn't want it. They need to quietly and skillfully bow away, which seems to be exactly what they're doing.

Putting a gt and gow would boost the sales significantly,letting mh go was a mistake,the launch lineup was way too front loaded and moneyhatting 3rd parties is what sony doesn't care about for the vita apart from ac and a dumbed down cod

 

[BasilZero]

Hardest I'll laugh all day. "Money hat some devs, such as making a deal, etcetera." Clearly Sony should just hire GAF, cuz we really know what we're talking about, hahaha.

I didnt know how else to put it, making a deal on publishing/releasing certain exclusive content on releases, who knows. Posted edited to avoid confusion and l0l comments like this in the future.

 

[Metallix87]

They need to

-Lower the memory card prices
-Focus on marketing (cause the marketing sucks)
-Focus on Bundles and special colored units
-Develop new IPs like Gravity Rush (certain games that appeal to different/all regions)
-Develop/release established franchises (first party-second party)
-Port over some PS2/PS3 games with enhancements such as additional features added to gameplay/storyline/etc
-Establish PS1/PS2 support asap.
-Expand the PSP to PSVita Library support
-Money hat (GASP!) some third party developers in some way (such as making a deal etc).
-Expand on Apps since the OS seems to work well with it (maybe)

I'm going to respond to each of your points:

- The memory cards are likely Sony's only way of turning a profit or even breaking even on the Vita right now. As much as we want them to drop the price, they likely can't afford to.

- Sony hasn't been good at marketing their products in nearly a decade.

- Bundles and special colored units will help, sure, but the price is still a HUGE obstacle.

- Gravity Rush is a pretty poor example, I think. Sony needs to develop new IPs, sure, but they need to develop ones that will appeal to more consumers. Honestly, and I know this may sound a bit absurd to some, but I think they need a new, child-friendly mascot platformer to go alongside Ratchet and Sly moving forward. Appealing to kids is far more important than appealing to adults in this case.

- They are releasing their established franchises on the system. The problem is, aside from Gran Turismo, none of their franchises are really system sellers. They sell well because they appeal to gamers who bought Sony systems for other franchises.

- Ports are NEVER the solution, especially after the first year of a system's lifespan.

- PS2 Classics support will never happen, just give up on that dream.

- Yes, I agree, more PSP games NEED to be added to the PS Store, specifically big titles like Crisis Core and Birth By Sleep. Sony doesn't seem interested in this, though, unfortunately.

- Sony's not really in any position to money hat for exclusives. Their system is flat-lining, they're likely spending tons of money on R&D for the PS4, and realistically, it would be a gamble on whether said exclusive(s) would save the Vita, so there may not even be any real return on the "investment". Heck, third parties might not even be interested, because 3DS is looking so much more stable for their releases moving forward.

- People have phones for apps. Vita is not a phone, so all the apps in the world won't help.

 

[Schobeleth]

I really don't understand how vita can do so bad, one thing is sure, you deserve it when at the most important gaming event of the year you give more time to that shittybook than to your new handled that is in difficulty.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. They promised a Vita Heaven 2, which never had a solid schedule, and now with Gamescom and TGS looming even closer who knows if they're even still doing it. We're pretty close to Gamescom so hopefully Sony pulls out all the stops and really pushes Vita, learning from their mistakes at E3.

I mean I understand they have investors to please or whatever so they push that garbage out but... the Vita was so unwanted in that conference. HEY HERE'S AN ASSASSIN'S CREED TRAILER... HEY HERE'S THE NAME FOR THAT CoD GAME! Um... ok? Why not just do an actual demo of a game like Soul Sacrifice?

 

[Sushigod7]

I got my Vita a few months ago now debating on selling it. Not seeing anything in the pipe I really have to have, played the games I like so far. The lack of support on the PSN and retail is kind of crappy. If I take the loss now it's probably easier I can get most of my money back I bought during a 200 promo. I love the hardware I'm sad it's not getting any love besides one game this fall (Persona 4). Even games like Malicious and Wizorb can't get Vita support despite being on the PSN already for the PS3. I know it's "coming soon" but that seems to be said everywhere now.

 

[foogles]

- GT Vita

See you in 2016, brah.

 

[orioto]

Did i really read that 3ds sold almost the same as the psp last year ? How can it be good....

As for the Vita, i don't really know anymore... At least at this point, the positive aspect is that 3ds didn't take psp's place and there are lots of users waiting to upgrade.

As i was saying before its release, psp had a late boom cause it was filled with lots of rpgs and stuffs. And that's the kind of thing that takes time. Now i'll say it again. Before actual big original rpgs are released, they have to focus heavily on ps2 ports. There is no shame into that and again, a ps2 game at 544p at 220ppi, with some AA.. doesn't look like something old on a portable. It's actually quiet impressive. Lots of PS2 game could be almost released as brand new on Vita. You'll tell me ok, maybe one remake of this kind won't seel millions of Vita, but at some point if you're looking at Vita softs and you see lots of games with great value that you didn't specially played already, it counts.

 

[Iron_Scimitar]

I plan on buying the white vita in October.

Im doing my part Sony!

 

[ShinNL]

What the hell do you mean "real weight"? You people are crazy; the Vita had one of the best launch lineups in history, came out at a price that people initially were crazy excited about, and the system overall is pretty well-liked by everyone who uses it. The games they've already released for it include an original Uncharted, a new and awesome Lumines, a new and awesome Wipeout, a great new Hot Shots Golf, a new IP that some (crazy) people are calling GOTY in Gravity Rush, new and awesome downloadable titles like Super Stardust and Mutant Blobs, with still more original software to come, including a new LittleBigPlanet (which looks downright FANTASTIC), Soul Sacrifice (which looks more impressive every time it's shown), an original Assassin's Creed, and a Call of Duty title.

This list only comprises the titles I think people can pretty much agree are good, not even mentioning other titles that are pretty divisivet, or handheld versions of console games (Marvel vs. Capcom 3, PSASBR, Sound Shapes, and Rayman) that some people really enjoy.

The Vita has hands-down the best first-year lineup of any system in recent memory, but that's not putting "real weight" behind the system? As much as I hate to say it, unless Assassin's and CoD come out and really wow people it's just a matter that people aren't interested in the Vita at all. Period. There is literally nothing Sony can do at this point. I think urging them to keep throwing more money at the wall is pretty silly advice.

Really, if LBP, CoD, AC, Uncharted and Gravity Rush aren't enough to get people to believe in the system, what is? They don't own Pokemon or Mario, or Halo for that matter...

Just have Sony beg Bethesda for a Skyrim port? Then I'll buy one. Then add stuff like Dark Souls and maybe Diablo III and the future is set. Saying everything is fine makes you part of the problem. It's not fine. The hardware is fine. The games out there right now doesn't appeal to me one bit except for Soul Sacrifice, which is not enough for me to buy one. Long lasting gritty games though, something not capable before on a handheld, now that's a game changer and perfect for handhelds.

 

[Loghorn150]

AFAIK 360 sales is 48% down this year or something equally as daft. Sony's probably seeing similar figures on the PS3. As I said, everyone's falling flat on their faces.

I agree. Those who say that the 360 &/or PS3 is still going strong aren't living in reality. And things aren't going to get better for them next year, either.

Everyone's tired of this gen; it's saturated, & it has gone on longer than the usual 5 to 6 year generation mark.

 

[Gustav]

All the PSVITA needs is a Bethesda open world game.

Spoiler

For me.

 

[nubbe]

I think playstation suit will save Sony.
they need to get it out and focus on android.

 

[Metallix87]

I think playstation suit will save Sony.
they need to get it out and focus on android.

Isn't this essentially saying that going third party will save Sony?

 

[PopcornMegaphone]

In my opinion nothing can save the Vita. Not a price cut, not a type of game, not marketing. Vita's problems are so deeply structural that Sony should just cut their losses and move on.

 

[Duffyside]

I didnt know how else to put it, making a deal on publishing/releasing certain exclusive content on releases, who knows. Posted edited to avoid confusion and l0l comments like this in the future.

There's still no real detail. Who should they "money hat"? To make what? What software will save the system? How much should they spend? And why do you all presume that publishers will even want the money hat? The Vita is in such bad shape that putting out a title on it might not only not sell, but could actually damage a franchise's image in the long term. I bet Activision and Ubisoft are having some small regrets about making their deals.

letting mh go was a mistake

What do you know about this situation? What do any of us know? For all we know Sony happily walked into Capcom's office asking about MH and its future on the Vita, and Capcom said "there isn't one," and Sony's jaw dropped and they tried to write them a HUGE check, the biggest they've ever written, and Capcom still said "nah," because they felt the Vita was doomed to failure and that the 3DS was destined to succeed.

We have no idea if they "let it go." We also have no idea how much it would have cost to keep it, and it's pretty silly to say that no matter what the amount was they should have spent it.

 

[Metallix87]

In my opinion nothing can save the Vita. Not a price cut, not a type of game, not marketing. Vita's problems are so deeply structural that Sony should just cut their losses and move on.

This is actually a very bad idea. If Sony completely abandons ship, it'll send a bad message to third party developers and investors, and likely end up hurting their prospects with regards to the PlayStation 4.

 

[jondabomb]

I just hope that the Vita sells well enough to justify Sony supporting it in the future for us that have it and enjoy it

 

[Ponn]

I love my Vita, and if no new Vita games came out for it beyond whats already been announced I would still be happy with its library and BC. That being said I want it to succeed so I get more and more games which is why i'm so angry with Sony's mishandling of the system.

They really screwed the pooch in NA. Yes they have the possibility of making it up at Gamescom and TGS but these are still foreign pressers and completely hinged on US journalists covering it for regular NA consumers. Next year is going to be all PS4. They had a one year window to support this thing and the timing wasn't bad for them to do it, no PS4 this year, PS3 fine to do its own thing, didn't even show off the super slim or price cut so what else you going to show? If your Sony you are almost forced to mainly market your new handheld system but nooooo, here comes Wonderbook.

You have one stupid ass commercial of a guy walking down the street with a Vita that you show barely a week before launch, maybe a month or so after and that's it. Zip, zilch and nada since, Vita what? People are screaming for a price drop now when they cheered when the original price was announced because the hardware is superb and the price is reasonable. It's not the price, they could cut the price and get a short jump in sales but it will go right back down because of the piss poor marketing and confidence.

Sony needs to advertise and market it much much better. People need to know what the hell it is and see it on TV, just like any other console they have to be shown they need it and want it. They need to instill confidence in a purchase of a Vita and show they are supporting it, not treating it like some disowned kid. Drop the memory card price, that will help a little but give the system a push. Give me a reason to go the PS Store every week on it, get some damn PS Plus support on there. Hey look, you buy a vita and PS Plus and you will have some free games to play, what a deal!! Push AC Liberation and CoD Vita hard this holiday. Throw some marketing money out there and get commercials up on every damn channel every half an hour for those two games and push bundles for both.

 

[nubbe]

Isn't this essentially saying that going third party will save Sony?

But we would get phones with controllers.
it's a win win!

Sony Xperia play 2 please.

 

[PopcornMegaphone]

This is actually a very bad idea. If Sony completely abandons ship, it'll send a bad message to third party developers and investors, and likely end up hurting their prospects with regards to the PlayStation 4.

I think investors would rejoice. It would signal Sony is ready to move on from their 10 year old gaming playbook that is no longer relevant.

Third party developers don't give a shit about Vita.

 

[Duffyside]

Just have Sony beg Bethesda for a Skyrim port? Then I'll buy one. Then add stuff like Dark Souls and maybe Diablo III and the future is set. Saying everything is fine makes you part of the problem. It's not fine. The hardware is fine. The games out there right now doesn't appeal to me one bit except for Soul Sacrifice, which is not enough for me to buy one. Long lasting gritty games though, something not capable before on a handheld, now that's a game changer and perfect for handhelds.

Oh, it'll make YOU buy one? Well then, they should totally spend whatever amount of money to guarantee that one sale...

What makes you think I'm saying everything is fine? I'm saying the system is great with lots of awesome software, and it's still floundering. I'm saying nothing is fine, and that Sony should abandon ship.

Edit: I also love how easy everyone thinks this all is; "just get a Skyrim port and Dark Souls and Diablo III, easy-peesy" as if no one at Sony is smart enough to realize that these things would be advantageous. You might as well just "they should just make GTA V Vita exclusive -- hell, call it GTA Vita. Oh, and make Shenmue 3."

 

[Metallix87]

I think investors would rejoice. It would signal Sony is ready to move on from their 2001 gaming playbook that is no longer relevant.

Third party developers don't give a shit about Vita.

Investors would NOT rejoice, because it would mean that Sony just flushed millions of dollars down the toilet on a product that did nothing but tarnish the PlayStation name even more.

Third parties, overall, don't give a shit about Vita, but several key third party developers do, including the likes of Falcom, Nippon Ichi, Gust, and others. Yes, they're small developers overall, but they've always been VERY strong PlayStation supporters, and burning them like that could cause them to jump ship to Nintendo and/or Microsoft.

It's a delicate situation that Sony has placed themselves in. I really don't think killing off the Vita is the right move, and I don't even think it's possible.

 

[Ushojax]

What Sony don't seem to understand is that people buy hardware to play software. Hiroshi Yamauchi knew that, Iwata seemed to forget before being brought back to reality with the 3DS and they are now launching WiiU with new entries in Mario and WiiFit, their biggest franchises.

People do not buy hardware unless there are exclusive games worth playing on it. Asking people to pay $250 to play mostly ports and console spin-offs is never going to work.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

Did i really read that 3ds sold almost the same as the psp last year ? How can it be good....

Shipped =/= Sold.

While 3DS shipments this quarter were close to PSP last year, sales trackers like NPD or Famitsu put it well ahead of PSP last year.

 

[commish]

In my opinion nothing can save the Vita. Not a price cut, not a type of game, not marketing. Vita's problems are so deeply structural that Sony should just cut their losses and move on.

Absolutely. Sony is just out of touch with the portable gaming space and is catching a beatdown because of it. "Hey, let's ignore the vast amount of success enjoyed by the iOS platform - people really just want to take their ps3 games on the road!!"

If you try to sell consumers something they can get elsewhere, or already have, then you're going to fail.

 

[Daydream Sequence]

3DS is about to get a new model and what may be it's biggest game over it's entire lifecycle, unlike Vita there are extremely positive immediate future prospects. It's June lineup was pathetic, and yet even still it was still the only system seeing YOY gains according to NPD.

Also Japan. It's the region that's always mattered most to dedicated handhelds in terms of software support, and 3DS domination there at the very least ensures a steady stream of games for the platform.

If people in the west already dont give a damn about the 3DS at 170 dollars, why are they going to give a damn about the 3DS XL at 200? For a Mario game that's getting mediocre reviews?

 

[KAL2006]

Sony's own fault

No marketing
No killer apps

That said, I still love the Vita, probably the best ever system I have had, the hardware is incredible, even the software so far is pretty good (I already have a backlog)m but there is no killer app to justify a purchase for the average person and non existent marketing, people don't even know the Vita exists.

I really hope Sony switches it up and announces some killer apps, and market the hell out of the system (TV ads, billboard and etc).