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[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

"Vita will be a tough sell to gamers who may already jam smartphones in their back pockets and lug Apple iPads around in backpacks. At $250, it carries roughly the same price tag as a basic Sony PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox."

Love these sentences. I love it cause he forgets to compare the price it with an iPad or iPhone that he so dearly compares it with.

 

[Alucrid]

None of this would be an issue if Gravity Daze was a launch title in NA.

Just sayin.'

True, I'm still waiting for a killer RPG to be announced for the system before I pony up.

 

[Grimmy]

Face it, Sony's target market just doesn't buy handhelds anymore.

Why don't you tell this exact same thing to the people in the other Vita thread?

 

[dreamer3kx]

Seems like people dont want anything to succeed beside Apple mobile, just the way it feels, they purchased all these games for ios and dont want to even look at anything else, I bet most people who knock the Vita have a iphone and game a bunch on it.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

Same old shit, over and over again.

 

[Kusagari]

"Vita will be a tough sell to gamers who may already jam smartphones in their back pockets and lug Apple iPads around in backpacks. At $250, it carries roughly the same price tag as a basic Sony PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox."

Love these sentences. I love it cause he forgets to compare the price it with an iPad or iPhone that he so dearly compares it with.

To be fair, Apple, whether people like it or not, is unlike any other company on the planet. People will gladly pay $600 bucks for a product if it's Apple. That's just the facts.

Bringing up the price of the iPad or iPhone in these comparisons is disingenuous because the mass market don't see the same value in a Sony, or Nintendo or Microsoft, product as they do in Apple's.

The comparisons themselves are shit regardless though.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

None of this would be an issue if Gravity Daze was a launch title in NA.

Just sayin.'

Eh, not really. I don't think a lot of people outside gaming forums have a clue about it.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Why don't you tell this exact same thing to the people in the other Vita thread?

Because this entire board is a small, extremely biased sample to judge the wider market on. The "core" gamer will probably buy this, sure. But this system can't prosper on just that shallow market. They need the sort of gamer who doesn't visit NeoGAF - the CoD players, the Madden junkies - the people who own PS3s, but don't necessarily buy 12 games a year.

That group of people - the one that they are selling the system to - are mostly satisfied with smartphone gaming.

Nintendo can fall back on the kids. Mario & Pokemon sell systems, that's why the 3DS can prosper as it is now. Sony doesn't have a sure-fire audience like that.

 

[guek]

I've always thought it bizarre how people quickly forgot about the 3DS doing gangbusters in every region when it launched last year. It steadily declined afterward due to a lack of compelling software, but the things sold 400k in 4 days in the states. I'd be VERY impressed if the Vita can come close to that.

But you know, myself and many others said time and time again last year to give the 3DS some time and to see how it performs during the holidays. And look! It turned everything around! Of course, the vita has had a mediocre holiday already in Japan, but that's more likely due to the absence of key system sellers than the price. I'm willing to wait on vita to see how its doing a year from now. Catching up to the 3DS is more or less a pipe dream at this point, but that doesn't preclude the possibility of the vita becoming a legitimate success.

 

[Sky Chief]

I bet it would be really popular if they sold it for $1.

 

[vareon]

Here is a better analyisis, IMO:

http://www.pocketnext.com/stories/a-platform-in-peril/

 

[Tiktaalik]

Funny how they didn't mention the 3DS sales revival after the price cut.

Yeah no doubt. Honestly these guys don't do any research at all. They just look around on the bus and see people with iPhones and write an article about how portable handhelds are doomed.

 

[timetokill]

While I do think the Vita will ultimately fail, I do grow weary of these articles. Plug in anything that's not Apple and it's pretty much the same article.

 

[Vinci]

Because this entire board is a small, extremely biased sample to judge the wider market on. The "core" gamer will probably buy this, sure. But this system can't prosper on just that shallow market. They need the sort of gamer who doesn't visit NeoGAF - the CoD players, the Madden junkies - the people who own PS3s, but don't necessarily buy 12 games a year.

That group of people - the one that they are selling the system to - are mostly satisfied with smartphone gaming.

Nintendo can fall back on the kids. Mario & Pokemon sell systems, that's why the 3DS can prosper as it is now. Sony doesn't have a sure-fire audience like that.

This is sort of a gross simplification for how people make decisions on what to buy. I would agree with it if Sony and Nintendo didn't attempt to differentiate the games on their systems from those available on iOS and other mobile platforms, but they are. The question is whether they can hit that combination of differentiation and price that appeals to a larger audience. If not, they'll fail; if they do, they won't.

Nintendo seems to have already found the right pricing for the level of differentiation it's brought to the table, whereas Sony seems - at first glance - to be struggling. That doesn't mean Sony is doomed; rather, it suggests that they need to get more diverse, high-quality types of software on the platform. Otherwise, they need to drop the price to bring it to the level of what they do (and can) offer.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

I am starting to think smartphone companies have a lobbyist for the media to kick all other gaming devices while they are down

funny how 3DS does good and gets no hype from these guys so if SONY turns VITA around I doubt they will praise them for overcoming the "Smartphones / iPad huddles" SMH

 

[Platy]

Except for the fact that the 3DS is mainly being bought by the pre-teen market - which Sony isn't even trying to go after.

Oh no you didn't ....


I mean ... fighting games !

 

[MegaByte]

Sony Corp's Vita hits the United States on Wednesday, the latest in a long line of mobile gaming gadgets in the spirit of Nintendo's Game Boy and Atari's Lynx.

I think this says something.

 

[Averon]

Another "anything that isn't iOS/Apple is f*cked" article? These articles all sound the same at this point. If your device isn't an i-something or, to a lesser extent, and Android, gtfo!!!

 

[Cipherr]

Funny how they didn't mention the 3DS sales revival after the price cut.

Believe me, the article references the possible death of these devices at least 3 times. They looked, and they saw what happened with the 3DS. There's no way they wrote that article and didn't look for as much supporting evidence for that as possible. They just chose to leave it out, and we all know why.

 

[Mushroomer25]

This is sort of a gross simplification for how people make decisions on what to buy. I would agree with it if Sony and Nintendo didn't attempt to differentiate the games on their systems from those available on iOS and other mobile platforms, but they are. The question is whether they can hit that combination of differentiation and price that appeals to a larger audience. If not, they'll fail; if they do, they won't.

Nintendo seems to have already found the right pricing for the level of differentiation it's brought to the table, whereas Sony seems - at first glance - to be struggling. That doesn't mean Sony is doomed; rather, it suggests that they need to get more diverse, high-quality types of software on the platform. Otherwise, they need to drop the price to bring it to the level of what they do (and can) offer.

The fact they even priced the device at $250 after seeing the 3DS situation hints at a serious case of delusion. Sony can survive if they do a serious price drop, and are willing to settle with the barely-there status that the PSP stood on for its' entire lifespan. From a business standpoint, I doubt they will even make a profit.

 

[DiscoJer]

I think the idea of the Vita could work. But it needs console quality games. Sexy, popular ones.

Like today, Borderlands 2 was announced coming out for the 360, PS3, PC, but not the Vita. Borderlands 2 would be awesome on the Vita. One of the top selling games for the PSP was Star Wars Battlefront II, I think Borderlands 2 could be a big hit on the Vita. But it's not getting it, apparently.

Sony needs to start convincing third parties to make Vita versions as well. But it seems like most multiplatform announcements don't have a Vita version, unless they also have a 3DS version. It needs to differentiate itself from the 3DS (and iOS), justify the $250+ price tag

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Expert analysis

80 bucks? I'd buy 2 at that price.

 

[KingJ2002]

Wow... the start of that article screamed that the vita is a dead platform.

in all honestly... the system like the vita can do very well... sony just needs to find a way to get subsidized pricing... maybe through 2 year contracts from cell phone providers.

but smartphone gaming stinks compared to dedicated handsets... both can co-exist but it's clear handhelds need to offer more than just gaming if they want to still exist.

 

[Vinci]

The fact they even priced the device at $250 after seeing the 3DS situation hints at a serious case of delusion. Sony can survive if they do a serious price drop, and are willing to settle with the barely-there status that the PSP stood on for its' entire lifespan. From a business standpoint, I doubt they will even make a profit.

Price drops are not something you lightly suggest. Deciding on them is dependent on too many variables. For example, I could easily suggest that they should in fact raise the price. This would lower their sales, but it would also get them more from each unit and perhaps allow them to cut production costs (since they would have to make less). Say they drop the price: The quantity demanded goes up. Do they potentially take on additional costs subject to a need for larger capacity in order to fight for market share? Can they afford that?

Nintendo was able to tank the 3DS's price so aggressively because of its current financial position. Sony may not be able to do that, at least not to the same level.

And yes, there is a possibility that Sony should never have produced the system as it is. But we don't know that's a fact yet.

but smartphone gaming stinks compared to dedicated handsets... both can co-exist but it's clear handhelds need to offer more than just gaming if they want to still exist.

The 3DS's current sales say hello. It's unlikely its current success has anything to do with functionality outside of gaming.

 

[jrDev]

Well, they got the pricing argument right atleast. Only a fraction of Internet people will be buying the device at that price. I sure won't be touching one until it hits below $200 (way below) just like what I did for the 3DS before it...

 

[Vinci]

That's the reason why Apple is better at being a business.

Apple is better at business for a HOST of reasons.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

I am starting to think smartphone companies have a lobbyist for the media to kick all other gaming devices while they are down

funny how 3DS does good and gets no hype from these guys so if SONY turns VITA around I doubt they will praise them for overcoming the "Smartphones / iPad huddles" SMH

Sony turns VITA around? The Vita just launched in the west.

 

[commish]

Article is 100% right.

 

[frAntic_Frog]

Why limit yourself like that? What if Apple came out and said the next iphone was made for 20 year old males?

think about what ur askin for here....you really want a vita that targets a *sigh* "casual" demograph with shovelware/99cent games?

 

[frAntic_Frog]

The fact they even priced the device at $250 after seeing the 3DS situation hints at a serious case of delusion. Sony can survive if they do a serious price drop, and are willing to settle with the barely-there status that the PSP stood on for its' entire lifespan. From a business standpoint, I doubt they will even make a profit.

vita lunch price was announced waaay before the 3DS price flop (which was absurd it was even priced at $250 in the first place given its technology and games)

 

[ShdwDrake]

Yeah it kinda is expensive. I have a PS3, PC, Transformer, and an iPhone. And the games are console and PC priced so why wont I just get games on there ya know.

Console $199. Games $9.99 - $24.99 (for premium titles). Is how the pricing should be.

 

[Vinci]

vita lunch price was announced waaay before the 3DS price flop (which was absurd it was even priced at $250 in the first place given its technology and games)

Pricing is actually very hard for new products. It's not as simple as, 'Hey guys, here's the components in the thing and some of the games - lets price it at cost plus 20%!' In the case of the 3DS, Nintendo took early indicators from different events where the system was shown as extremely positive. As such, they tacked on a pretty high premium for the system - which makes sense, from a pricing perspective.

Their early indicators were just inaccurate. It happens.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Sony turns VITA around? The Vita just launched in the west.

So you are saying there is no reason for the media to be poopooing it? I agree

 

[LCfiner]

I fucking love that the Lynx deserved a mention in the leading paragraph of that article, lol. and more laughs at the $99 pricing suggestion. jeesh.

I’m jumping in and grabbing a vita at launch. 250 seemed OK to me. I don’t expect it to fly off the shelves, to be honest, but I think it’ll do OK.

there will probably be a price cut via aggressive bundling by Xmas.

 

[GK86]

Expert analysis

No wonder they get paid the big bucks! They have amazing insight.

 

[polyh3dron]

Reuters: Vita will fail, because Angry Birds lol

 

[Dany]

Reuters: Vita will fail, because Angry Birds lol

You don't think that is a valid reason?

 

[Christine]

Their early indicators were just inaccurate. It happens.

They weren't that far off. They asked for too much, but they could have asked for more than the post-correction price, especially if they hadn't launched with such soft first-party support and/or managed the 3DS/3D DS brand confusion issue more wisely. However, Nintendo and Sony have both contributed to an increase in the cost and price that the market accepts and desires in its portable game systems.

Vita isn't unacceptably high considering, but it will require serious software support in a very short time frame in order to build momentum. If I see a problem with Vita's pricing, it's really in the cost of games and Vita memory sticks.

 

[Effect]

Funny how they didn't mention the 3DS sales revival after the price cut.

Doesn't fit the narrative they are trying to build. The success of the 3DS shows they don't know what they are talking about.

 

[Medalion]

Reuters: Vita will fail, because Aliens

 

[Erethian]

Here is a better analyisis, IMO:

http://www.pocketnext.com/stories/a-platform-in-peril/

It's not bad, except for the part where they try to co-opt its Japanese sales to fit into a western-market narrative.

 

[commish]

Reuters: Vita will fail, because Angry Birds lol

It's actually a pretty valid argument. We play games to be entertained. If I can spend 99 cents and be entertained for hours, it's hard to justify $40 to $50 for that same entertainment. The Vita's pricing model is extremely outdated.

 

[funkystudent]

Also photographers will stop buying DSLR's because the iphone has 8MP camera this year.
Audiophiles will stop buying expensive headphones because there iphone comes with a pair of headphones and graphic designers will stop using photoshop because there iphone has some random photo editing app on it.



There will always be room for the dedicated device. The iphone does a lot but it isnt the best at most of it.

Maybe Sony and Nintendo need to rethink there strategies next time.

IMO the next sony handheld should be a tablet. The vita is already half way there being not very pocket friendly. Go all the way and make it 7+ inches and give it a lot more multimedia stuff.

 

[OrangeGrayBlue]

It's actually a pretty valid argument. We play games to be entertained. If I can spend 99 cents and be entertained for hours, it's hard to justify $40 to $50 for that same entertainment. The Vita's pricing model is extremely outdated.

I don't think Uncharted and your average iOS game are "that same entertainment". Both are games, but totally different experiences. It's like asking why anyone would spend weeks reading War and Peace when they could burn through Captain Underpants in one sitting.

 

[Vinci]

They weren't that far off. They asked for too much, but they could have asked for more than the post-correction price, especially if they hadn't launched with such soft first-party support and/or managed the 3DS/3D DS brand confusion issue more wisely.

Oh, I agree that the cut was more aggressive than was likely necessary, but that was probably more of a strategic decision than anything else, especially with the Vita releasing. Nintendo will likely do an analysis of the impact of the price cut and determine that they could have cut the price to $199 or so and done better, profit-wise.

At which point, the revision will come out at that price.

Vita isn't unacceptably high considering, but it will require serious software support in a very short time frame in order to build momentum. If I see a problem with Vita's pricing, it's really in the cost of games and Vita memory sticks.

The price is only a problem if they're unable to provide software that appeals to the audience and sells them on the value the system offers. I mean, that's an obvious statement, but there's really little else to discuss in that respect. The more Vita games ape one or another type of hardware's game types, the less valuable it is. At which point, dropping the price of the system and/or its games will be an important strategy. I'm not as concerned about the Vita memory sticks. If Sony can get people to want the system for what it offers, games and price, then having a high margin on memory sticks is probably sustainable.

It's actually a pretty valid argument. We play games to be entertained. If I can spend 99 cents and be entertained for hours, it's hard to justify $40 to $50 for that same entertainment. The Vita's pricing model is extremely outdated.

Measuring entertainment by hours rather than content is a clear sign that there is little differentiation within the offerings and that price sensitivity is the core decision factor, and that's definitely at the heart of the mobile audience. To suggest that the audience is all-encompassing, however, is a pretty big stretch.

 

[KingJ2002]

The 3DS's current sales say hello. It's unlikely its current success has anything to do with functionality outside of gaming.

price drops and nintendo releasing franchise titles over the holidays helped a ton winning over consumers... but i'm more concerned about the future... how will these systems fare 2-3 years down the line... apple updates their phones yearly... while handhelds are 2-3 years tops.

business models will have to change to keep apple from taking over with fad smartphones and tons of shovelware games.

 

[Castor Krieg]

Josh Calixto, a 22-year-old video editor in Los Angeles, said he hadn't bought a portable gaming device since the Nintendo DS Lite three years ago.

Fuck yeah, let's put random 22-year old dude in the article. Shouldn't you be in school, son? You better start saving for that tuition credit, instead of buying an iPad.

 

[commish]

I don't think Uncharted and your average iOS game are "that same entertainment". Both are games, but totally different experiences. It's like asking why anyone would spend weeks reading War and Peace when they could burn through Captain Underpants in one sitting.

That analogy doesn't quite work for obvious reasons, but I know what you are trying to say. I simply disagree. Sure, W&P is a fantastic novel, but I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed W&P more than I did a Harry Potter book. And you're really underestimating IOS games these days.

 

[commish]

Measuring entertainment by hours rather than content is a clear sign that there is little differentiation within the offerings and that price sensitivity is the core decision factor, and that's definitely at the heart of the mobile audience. To suggest that the audience is all-encompassing, however, is a pretty big stretch.

And I suggested this where?

 

[zoukka]

I'm kinda wanting a Vita just for the tech, but then reason kicks in and I realise I would never lug it out with me so it would remain as a curiositet and an expensive one to boot.

It's pretty funny to remember how I played all day long with my imported PSP and Lumines/Wipeout combo back on the day... Exactly the same games I would like to have on a Vita.