Sony Exec Confirms Vita's 10 Year Life Cycle

The PlayStation brand is in an interesting period of flux right now. PlayStation Vita is failing to pick up significant momentum, but PlayStation 3 -- led by a new, hard drive-heavy model -- is slowly closing the worldwide sales gap with Xbox 360. And a slew of PlayStation-exclusive games, long the strength of the brand, are on the horizon even as Sony has significantly truncated its roster of first party studios in 2012, from 15 to 12.

[JBSleek]

A ten year cycle for a mobile platform? Well that's a first.

[-Mika-]

Ya im not buying it. I don't think it actually going to be 10 years...

[HebrewHammer]

If Rockstar Leeds would develop a damn GTA title for it, that'll add a good two years.

[3-4-5]

PSP is going to get a 10 year life cycle in Japan.

[theEx1Le]

Hebrew i think you mean Rockstar North no?

[deletingthis34675334]

Rockstar Leeds was the other developer for the PSP GTA spinoffs.

[knowyourstuff]

lol Sony has a funny way of doing business. Instead of perhaps updating the Vita like Apple does with the iPhone, they promise some overly long lifecycle where the technology will be outdated a year at most after its release. The iPhone 5 already has amazing capabilities, it just so happens that no developer is going to spend millions of dollars to make a AAA game for it, however Sony should seriously start doing what actual successful companies are doing with handhelds - update the system more often to get more horsepower. Gamers will just buy the next one just like iPhone users happily spend 700 bucks or more on the next iPhone or iPad. Sony doesn't learn from successful companies and because of this, they are doomed to fail with the Vita. Get your act together Sony!

[Army_of_Darkness]

But what if I want to play real games, good games!? You know, something the iphone doesn't have.
Btw, the 3ds is graphically outdated by the vita but that ain't stopping people from buying it....

[AIndoria]

PSP is getting the support because People in Japan still play the damn thing :P

[TotalHitman]

Game Boy disagrees.

[fermcr]

"Sony Exec Confirms Vita's 10 Year Life Cycle"

Just like the 10 year cycle the PSP is having... oh wait, where the hell are the PSP games ? Where the hell are first party games for the PSP ?

Sony completely abandoned the PSP.

[ronin4life]

It's still pretty heavily supported in Japan by 3rd parties.

Better than the vita is in fact.

[fermcr]

Unfortunately I'm not from Japan, and i don't speak Japanese to import the games... and where are the first party games from Sony?

In relation to my comment above, everybody knows i'm right, but they still disagree. Nobody can say anything against Sony in N4G... /sigh

[ThePsychoGamer]

The line I don't speak Japanese to import the games is extremely stupid.

Very rarely it it actually required to understand the language to be able to pick up the mechanics of a game, and even if you can't figure it out, there is an importing community that have people who do speak the language and will make guides to help people who don't speak the language.

I can vouch for this personally, not speaking Japanese has not stopped me from playing

Yakuza Black Panther 1 and 2, Akiba's Trip, Atelier Violet, and several other gems that were never released in the west.

[fermcr]

@ThePsychoGamer
"The line I don't speak Japanese to import the games is extremely stupid."

That must be one of the dumbest thing I've heard.
Yes it must be fun to play a JRPG in Japanese without understanding a word... or watching a anime in Japanese. Aren't you the smart one. /s

[ThePsychoGamer]

Again a stunning fail in the field of logic.

Two problems with your comment

1: Not all games that don't make it overseas are JRPGs, in fact (Sengura Kagura for example, of course who would play a fighter id they couldn't understand the intricate stories this genra brings /s)

And two, JRPGs are not anime, if the gameplay is good, then guess what, you're still going to enjoy the game. Yea maybe not as much, but the entertainment is still there.

[CalvinKlein]

I have a vita and it is great but it will be really outdated in 10 years if it makes it that long.

[miyamoto]

“When you look at the consumer for the PS3, it remains someone who’s a fairly heavily engaged gamer. There’s a lot of research showing that the PS3 consumer spends the most time of any consumer on the console. The PS3 consumer also spends a lot. They spend a lot of time and they spend a lot of money. It’s a consumer that’s very valuable. For us, we certainly regard them very highly.”

well ain't that a fact?

PS3 gamers keeps the industry alive. From hardware makers, software makers, bloggers , websites etc. with out PS3 gamers gaming is boring.

You can tell from many articles and comments here on n4g or any websites with gaming involved.

Sony is very lucky to have such loyal customers.
The "arrogance" myth is therefore busted.
That is why they cut their PR & Marketing budget.
Nice strategy Sony got there.
No need to spend millions on ads when you know their is a loyal fanbase.

[ritsuka666]

10 years? Great! When will they start the support for Vita?? '-'

[Blaze929]

i never even knew they intended the Vita to last 10 years...this should be interesting to watch

[ConstipatedGorilla]

Good luck. As much as I hate to admit it, smart phones will have crushed the Vita well before the 10 year mark.

[DivineAssault]

i thought vita was doomed.. well 9 1/2 yrs left for ppl to say it i guess.. i know im getting over 10 games for it from now through march..

[Bell Boy]

^^impossible Vita as no games....lol

By the way I own a Vita with 11 vita games 6 psp and 5 mini games..Vita as plenty of games but heh the haters gota hate

[NastyLeftHook0]

look at the ps2, this is sony were talkin bout man! they can do it.

[Dovahkiin]

Nothing against the Vita, I'm a fan of Sony, but the Vita isn't quite the achievement the PS2 was.

[NastyLeftHook0]

how so?

[Bell Boy]

Yes because every console launches with a 100 million plus owners....

PS2 got plenty of doomed articles upon launch and was given no chance of out performing the dreamcast...

That's why the old dreamcast fanboys still to this day drool at the prospect of a Sony failure occuring

[TheFinalEpisode]

The sad thing is that the Vita isn't realizing its full potential and gamers are already dubbing trash because of a lackluster first year. Does that ring the bell? PS3 anyone?

[Captain Tuttle]

Vita ain't no PS2. Why? No third party support. PS2 had tremendous third party support even before it launched. Vita has very little. Hell, Sony can't even get Naughty Dog to make a game for it, why should third party companies bother to?

[chrisarsenalsavart]

How do you know that?

[Captain Tuttle]

Know what? That ND isn't making games for the Vita? Just Google Naughty Dog Vita
https://www.google.com/sear...

Then why doesn't Sony make ND make a game for the Vita? It certainly could use their talents.

[Bell Boy]

Again PS2 was touted as dead cert failure when it launched...it too was said to be to expensive and would not have 3rd party support as dreamcast was cheaper and easier to create games for

[TongkatAli]

It seems you can tell the future.

[DivineAssault]

ND is probably busy w Last of Us & Possibly a nx gen title right now.. Maybe theyll do a vita game later on after the hard work is over.. The ppl who did uncharted on vita did a good job for a 1st attempt & they might be working on a sequel or a last of us spin off.. who knows? i bet when the major projects are completed, theyll squeeze in a few great vita titles... As well as 3rd party.. Right now its limited support will sustain it as it has the best 3rd party offerings compared to 3ds.. All they have are 1st party games w less support than vita despite having a much larger install base

[BusterFang]

Lol you do realize that google link you provided also links to Sony confirming that all of their studios will be releasing a game for the Vita.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

Just scroll down a bit on the results and you'll see it.

Also, Naughty Dog never said they would never work on a game for it.

"We're not working on anything for PS Vita," the Naughty Dog man said. "I won't say never, ever, but there's no plans for it right now - we've always felt that consoles play to our strengths as a studio the best."

That quote can be found right here:
http://www.computerandvideo...

Soooo...

EDIT: By the way, that link also came from your google search.

[riverstars86]

Someone's been drinking a little too much of the Kool-Aid if you know what I mean.

[Carni]

Well im very happy to know this because im gona buy ps vita this holiday! i want AC3L!

[HebrewHammer]

A good choice sir! I'd recommend Gravity Rush as well.

[mt]

I am playing Gravity Rush right now. I gotta admit it feels so fresh just like the first time I play Kingdom hearts 1. the game has cool ideas and good usage of the touch screen. I love it.

[nevin1]

lol@ JBSleek

[tweet75]

this is the norm for playstation the first year or two are slow on great games than it kicks in . Vita has a great life ahead. ITs like the ps3 in that it seems like it can be updated in so many ways during its lifetime.

[HarvesterOSarow]

It can at least pull 6 to 7 years before Sony even has to mention another handheld. Then, just like the PSP (in Japan at least) it can spend the next year or two getting "final run" games, and that in no way means they're lesser quality. Some of the best games come at the end of a systems life cycle because,
1) Developer experience
2) Lower production cost
3) Drive to be unique creates original IPs

Live on Vita!

[RubyToTheMax]

I already knew of this since I laid my hands on my PSVita on Februrary 15TH 2012...

[dafegamer]

nice Daxter 2 basically confirmed and Ratchet and Clank Size Matters sequel might also be announced in the near future.
They were the Top psp platformers

[Griffin4871]

Ten years on life support is different than ten years of health.

[Hicken]

herp derp.

[Captain Tuttle]

I'd be surprised if Vita is around in 2015 let alone 2022.

[chrisarsenalsavart]

I heard the same thing about ps3

[Captain Tuttle]

Kaz (and it was all Kaz) had to spend billions of dollars (price cuts) to save the PS3. He really turned it around, riding that edge between affordability and profitability until the first parties could get ramped up. Masterful. The problem is that Sony doesn't have billions to spend anymore and they don't have Kaz directing the Gaming Division, he's moved onto bigger things.
Edit: Plus the mobile gaming market went and changed right under Sony's nose and they didn't seem to notice.

[joeorc]

" The problem is that Sony doesn't have billions to spend anymore and they don't have Kaz directing the Gaming Division, he's moved onto bigger things.
Edit: Plus the mobile gaming market went and changed right under Sony's nose and they didn't seem to notice. "

really, the mobile market changed right under Sony's nose and they did not seem to notice? you are going to sit right there and claim that?

ok sparky for a company that did not notice the change, Sony sure as hell made some changes.

for one Sony is selling over 7.4 million xperia smartphones per sales Quarter! that is more smartphones per sales quarter sold than even Microsoft's market share is for windows mobile. which by the way Microsoft had over 60% of the mobile smartphone OS market share 4 years ago an now they have less than 3%, all the while Sony has increased their market share, not lost it.

As a matter of fact Sony purchased all of Sony Ericsson, and moved from feature phones to only smartphones now, something of which Sony Ericsson did not do.

don't have billions to spend anymore, really?

"Masaaki Tsuruta, CTO of Sony Computer Entertainment, says that the company is working on a system-on-chip (SoC) to underpin the product for "seven to 10 years".
The PlayStation 3 will be at least seven years old by the time its successor arrives, but is generally considered to have lasted longer than was originally expected. A firm launch for the fourth generation console - not to be called PlayStation 4 - was pushed out again late last year.
Its designed-in longevity is largely a matter of economics. The Cell Broadband Engine that powered the PS3 cost $400m to develop; the main SoC for the incoming console is likely to be a 3D stack incorporating thru-silicon-via technology and could be the first $1bn hardware design project."

"be the first $1bn hardware design project"

right there the playstation 4 or what ever they are calling it could have a $1bn hardware design project!

So yes they sure as hell cannot spend that much money right? they sure are hurting as a company right?

so much so that the 10,000 or so investor meeting that showed up in japan last month all confirmed the seats on the board to stay the same. that includes Sir. Howard and Kaz!

I mean they must not have any confidence in the current leadership that they did not vote them out! even when they have the prime chance to do so. but yet did not do it.

but..but..the stocks are only one above junk bond status...lol

people better not quit their day job's here on N4G..lol

[Grenade]

In ten years time the weakest smartphones will be four or five times more powerful than the Vita is now, and the better phones will probably rival the next gen consoles (PS4, XBOX720).

[TheFinalEpisode]

And yet they won't play nearly as well as consoles or the Vita do

[ALLWRONG]

How do you know what Smartphones will do in 10 years? That's ten years of technology advancement. Technology moves forward, never back.

[TheFinalEpisode]

@Allwrong
In tech and power smartphones will probably have the Vita beat, but there's much more to it than just that. Have you ever tried playing deep action and shooter games in a phone? The on screen controls are awful! Unless a device is made for gaming like the Vita and 3DS it won't be the same experience.

Phones only work well with short arcade-style minigames like Angry Birds or Tilt to Live. Other games like Battlefield and such are unplayable on smartphones.

[dafegamer]

yeah it sounds all good but where is the funny part?
Thats right folks still no buttons ;)

[Grenade]

@ disagrees
LOL, you people are in denial.
The ONLY thing that's stopping handhelds from being completely destroyed is the fact that phones don't have proper controlls yet.
When they do, devs will flock to phones and it'll be the end of handhelds.
Sony knows this, that's why they created PS Mobile.
After the Vita (or next year, whichever comes first), Sony will create their own phone, so they created PS Mobile to have a huge headstart on mobiles before other companies like Microsoft and Nintendo start to focus on phones--and they will focus on phones, sooner or later.
If you can't see this happening, you must be a blind, insecure fanboy.

[DA_SHREDDER]

Damn Grenade. I thought I was the only one on n4g that realized that? Im glad to see there are at least some people who realize that the Vita was obsolete before it was ever released to the public. If it actually had all the buttons of a dual shock 3 then it might have been able to last a few years. But there is no way in hell the Vita can do the ten year cycle. I think Sony dropped the ball at the worst time with this one. BTW. Gravity rush is boring as hell. You guys on n4g are all hypes. This sux.

[jetlian]

not denial phones will never get games like consoles!!! I ll tell you why too

no game maker will spend 15+ million on a phone game that will be replace in 12 months. They would have to be forward thinking when it comes to game design which isnt possible.

And by forward thinking to make a 15+ million dollar game takes 3 years. Now where is and what is in a iphone 8? Thats the problem with phones

Phones have graphic abilities like console but infinty blade is simpler than 20 year old streets of rage

[BusterFang]

There's nothing to be in denial about lmao. Of course phones will be more powerful in 10 years, they better be since technology progresses constantly, or people won't be buying them. But the question is whether they will have the developer support that consoles/handhelds get. And Sony already has phones o_O...

http://www.sonymobile.com/u...

[joeorc]

That's also exactly why Sony used the same cortex SOC's that 97% of all smartphones and Tablets are also using. that is also why just as you said that the Playstation Mobile was being made. its not something that "IF WILL HAPPEN"

ITS ONLY A MATTER OF WHEN! I do not see how anyone cannot see that, Developer's know its no longer is the case can be made that the hardware that goes into smartphones and Tablets are not upto the task to handle advanced games that game consoles were only able to handle along with of course the PC.

the Hardware in smartphones and tablets and hell pretty much any consumer electronic's even MP3 players are having such powerful hardware they can run full desktop OS's when your MP3 player is running on dual core 1 GHz processor's with a 3D accelerated GPU that can handle DirectX 11.0 or higher or as an example:OpenGL ES 2.0 shader development on your iPad. the only thing missing is dedicated control's. that was until all the new mobiles have wired and bluetooth game pad support. all it needs is a game pad dock like the wikipad, or built in control's and your set to go. Its only a matter of time.

@ DA_SHREDDER
" Vita was obsolete before it was ever released to the public. If it actually had all the buttons of a dual shock 3 then it might have been able to last a few years. But there is no way in hell the Vita can do the ten year cycle."

what is not obsolete as soon as you buy it? everything is old once you buy it. the fact that the Hardware the PSVita is using is an upgraded SOC of that that's in the iPAD 3. is just as viable as a platform for support, because unlike many here many games that are made for smartphones are not made with multiple cortex processor's in mind, they are made for single core! let alone the newest multiple core SOC GPU's that you will find on the Samsung Galaxy S3, ipad, iphone 5, wikipad PSVita etc. that means do you really think the developer's are going to concentrate on the multiple core GPU's to push better content to take advantage of that hardware on smartphones or tablet's, Like sony or Nintendo does with their platforms?

many times on here you see that claim. its the support that matter's the most and Sony has shown time and again their support cycle is strong for their platforms. Only now Sony has expanded their platform into the smartphone and tablet market with their playstation brand and that same push expansion is still on their dedicated handheld system.

[lategamer]

I use my iPhone for games all the time. From games like Kingdom Rush & Plants vs Zombies to Rayman Run & World Ends With You.

If Sony releases a revision of the Vita, with an increased battery life, lower price, and slimmer form, I'd be all over it.

Games on my phone are great, but it's not exactly the same with out buttons.

[glennco]

no chance. that is hilarious

[TheDivine]

No way not for a mobile platform. 5 years is about right and anything more will be a few gens behind with how fast phones move.

[TongkatAli]

PSP and DS said wassup doc.

[riverstars86]

We are living in a time where mobile technology is simply going to leave the Vita in the dust. I'll be surprised if the Vita gets any third party support 3 years from now, it really needs to have big holiday sales this year for my outlook on the device to change.

[moodgamer]

PSP & DS, are not examples? sometimes i believe that most gamers dont even know how many years they bought their own consoles.

[Straightupbeastly]

Japan 10 yr life cycle USA a 10 month life cycle

[tiffac008]

Well good luck then. Lets see if Sony can prove all the Vita detractors wrong or prove them right.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

This is good news I have a ton of time to buy the Vita before it loses support.

[EffectO]

PSP had like 2 years life-cycle in the West.After first 2 years support totally dwindled.
One decent game per year(maybe) and a bunch of overpriced shovelware is not what I call "supported".

In Japan PSP had luck,MH became a hit and DS was too weak for it.Third party devs simply followed the audience.
This gen MH is in Nintendo hands,just like DQ and bunch of other Nintendo big selling games.
Sony has like...nothing,except hope for some miracle

Pretty amazing turn of events.

[iHeartHelloKitty]

Why would Vita get old. Its like saying ps3 got no support after 6 years. Just wait to see more devs on Vita. Like Rockstar, Bethesda, Santa Monica, Quantic Dream, Bioware, and more.

[izumo_lee]

The potential for the Vita is there clearly for everyone to see. It is too bad that a lot of people (developers too) are too hesitant to give it a chance cause of its price.

Seriously all this doom & gloom articles we have been seeing since the Vita's launch would not be an issue if Nintendo decided not to desperately cut the price of the 3DS.

Unlike the 3DS the Vita has the ability to change over time with firmware updates to add new functions & apps. The PSmobile program will further enhance the longevity of the system with the many talented programmer of the world looking to make a name for themselves on the Vita as well as any Sony certified device.

The Vita will grow over time, of course we will see another version of it down the line which may include internal storage or memory card price drops. I think Sony is waiting to see how well this PS mobile does before deciding on any changes the Vita needs.

So unlike the PSP which here in the west was killed by piracy hence scaring off potential 3rd party support the Vita just needs these same 3rd party developers too take the chance & give the system the support it needs to be successful. It doe not hurt to try at least.