200°

Judging Vita before its first Christmas is "preposterous" - Sony

Sony admits that it would "love to be further along" with sales of PlayStation Vita, but believes that "judging [the] console before it has had its first Christmas is preposterous".

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videogamer.com
Frankfurt4250d ago Show
GribbleGrunger4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

This is absolutely true, but don't make the mistake of thinking success means 'beating' the 3DS this Christmas. It won't happen for a long time (if ever). Success will just mean a better average and sell through targets met. 3rd party devs will be watching the Vita very closely this Christmas. If it doesn't reach 6 million by March 2013, you can expect low support from 3rd parties for another year. I'm going to be interested in seeing how PS+, PSMobile and Gaikai effect sales in the coming months. It's not beyond comprehension that HOME could be streamed to the Vita via Gaikai too.

There is no doom and gloom here, I'm just being realistic.

jujubee884250d ago

Eh, I guess the VITA is still suppose to beat the 3DS?...

~_~ It makes me feel creepy when people say the 3DS should be beating the VITA or visa-versa, because I live in the real world. So, if I see a kid with a 3DS, and I am playing on my VITA I get anxious and want to scream "FANBOY!" as a first shot fired tactic. All because I read what the internet has to say and the way they paint stories.

One thing is for sure, 3DS and VITA are the last of a dying breed. Even though they have a heck of a lot more years in front of them, it is safe to say the era of a device doing just one thing well is over. That's why smartphones and tablets are things people want to carry in their pockets.

GribbleGrunger4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

What are you talking about? Take that flea out of your bottom, tis making you cranky. And is your comprehension that bad that you can't understand that I'm addressing the very people you condemn me of being with that rather flimsy 'Eh, I guess the VITA is still suppose(d) to beat the 3DS?.' Lick your fetlocks flat and relax, that keyboard can be a gracious device.

chrisarsenalsavart4250d ago

Can you play properly on a tablet?
No

SilentNegotiator4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

"That's why smartphones and tablets are things people want to carry in their pockets"
"tablets are things people want to carry in their pockets"
"TABLETS...carry in their POCKETS"

Are you a kangaroo?

jujubee884250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

@GribbleGrunger:

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I c. :)

@silentnegotiator:

:3

GribbleGrunger4249d ago (Edited 4249d ago )

Posted in the wrong place! Darn it!

@SilentNegotiator, below:

Yes, of course Sony was talking about improved sales, but as I pointed out, they're not talking in terms of 'beating' the 3DS. The problem here is largely semantic and you'd have to be particularly pedantic to twist it into some sort of fanboy face-off.

The Vita WILL NOT beat the 3DS this Christmas but that doesn't matter. What matters is for the Vita to sell 'well'. That's all that Sony are asking the media to report on. 6 million is always the first milestone for garnering further 3rd party support (10 million being the next), so Sony will be keen on meeting their targets for this Christmas. They're not interested in meeting Nintendos targets, just their own.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4249d ago
SilentNegotiator4250d ago

Fair enough....but I want to know if Sony really has the plan to make the holiday turn things around.

They had better market, market, market Vita. They have the first twin-stick portable COD game...and they had better milk that for alllllll it's worth.

guitarded774250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

They have AC bundle, CoD bundle and Madden bundles.

I'll pull out my Vita in between classes at university, and I'll get so many people interested in it. I know the interest is there, but there is little knowledge. So I agree, marketing would help a bit.

I've had people tell me they haven't bought yet because memory is expensive. If they buy a $250 Vita, and a 16gb memory card they are already up to $300. I think the bundles will get more buying with a game and 4gb memory card all for $250. The device is worth far more than $250 for all it does, but some are still affraid to make the investment... but when they see my Vita, and play it, they really want one afterward.

360ICE4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

You sir, should get a Nobel's peace prize. Thanks for writing well reasoned and interesting posts.
Your posts remind me of my own posts, except that your posts are reasonable and interesting posts.

@jujubee88
And you sir, are worse than Hitler.

Danbruno13104250d ago

Does it pay to troll? Do you have to pay a toll?

mafiahajeri4249d ago (Edited 4249d ago )

But the vita was released in ASIA last December so technically it has had its first christmas or maybe santa clause couldnt get them to the west? xD

mossman4249d ago

GribbleGrunger - I'm curious about your comments regarding the 6m and 10m milestones. Can you share where that information comes from? I'm always fascinated by the video game marketplace, so my question comes from that curiosity.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4249d ago
Lvl_up_gamer4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

"To start judging a console before it has had its first Christmas is preposterous, really

So...does that mean there should be no more criticizing of the WiiU?

http://www.digitalspy.ca/ga...

According to Sony, Sales are an indication of product quality. Stating not to judge the Vita until it's Holiday sales.....

So what? What if the Vita sells 10 million units on Christmas? Does it mean that it's suddenly a worth while handheld to own? Does it mean it's better in the eyes of those who first decided NOT to buy one due to the amount of sales the Vita had?

I thought Sales don't matter?

Could it be because sales drives the industry forward? Could it be that sales delivers more support?
Could it be that sales increases the size of the community?

Could it also mean that sales IS indeed a sign of peoples perception as to what quality is worth in terms of spending their hard earned money on a product at a certain listed price?

Sony, I don't care HOW many units you sell, I know it's an awesome handheld. I just want you to lower the price so that I can buy a VITA as well.

givemeshelter4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

What you just posted is factually correct and the reason why you got so many disagrees.
People cannot handle the truth on N4G.COM when it comes to this issue.
The hard truth is SALES DO MATTER to the industry for game support.
If the device is stellar and lacks the sales, game developers will not create games for it as a system selling more units overall. That's just business.
It's the way the console industry has been since 1979.
Sales drives support. This will never change because this is a BUSINESS first and foremost

I am a troll for actually stating the truth? Oh sorry i apologize...I keep forgetting that's this is N4G.COM for 12 year olds with absolutely no business concepts whatsoever.
And anywhere in my post did I mention the Vita's hardware? Passing judgement on hardware?
I mentioned how SALES drive support. If you don't believe that then ask yourself why consoles and handhelds that sold less then the leading systems ALWAYS had less 3rd party support going all the way back to the early 1980's...
If telling the truth about sales and support is classified as TROLLING then so be it. Enjoy your ignorance with not reading my ENTIRE POST.

SilentNegotiator4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

Sony is talking about not judging Vita's ability to SELL, not judging hardware.

He's not getting disagrees for talking the "truth"...he's getting them for being an angry fanboy with a lack of logic. But don't worry, I marked you both for trolling (as you both are) so that you can both be the martyrs that you so desire to be.

SilentNegotiator4250d ago (Edited 4250d ago )

LOL, oh please. You added 98% of that text AFTER I commented, in a poor attempt to make it look like you had a perfectly logical connection from the start.

The fact remains; Sony was talking about sales, Lvl_Up tried desperately to make out a "hypocrite" moment that wasn't there, and you ranted about how people disagreeing with his comment were not accepting the "truth" of his poor connection skills.

zebramocha4250d ago

Your comments makes little sense as the link doesn't talk about sales but how the wiiu tablet gimps the system and the article is talking about unnecessary criticism of the vita because it is some what new.

Outside_ofthe_Box4250d ago

Let's use a bit of common sense here...

When Sony says "judging before Christmas" they don't mean the hardware itself... They mean by determining whether or not the Vita is in fact a failure/flop... which is totally different than criticizing something for lack of a processor...

4250d ago
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150°

Sony shares big new PS Plus stat, but not the one we want to see

PlayStation Plus has improved the split of PS4 and PS5 players on its priciest tiers, but Sony continues to hide total subscriber numbers.

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theloadout.com
mandf4h ago

lol acting like it’s equivalent to ms numbers

Mr Logic4h ago

Uh...They're definitely not equivalent.

"Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service now has 34 million subscribers."

"the total number of PS Plus subscribers across all tiers was 47.4 million"

darthv724h ago(Edited 3h ago)

That PSN number seems like it should be much higher... especially when you consider that PS4 alone has a sell through of over 117m. To not even be at least half that is rather interesting.

To the XB side, having 34m to an install base of roughly 50m (XBO sell through) or even 85m (360 sell through) is a greater percentage of unit to member ratio than PSN.

bloop22m ago

That's not the "gotcha" you think it is Darth.

shinoff21833h ago(Edited 3h ago)

What. Definitely more os plus subscribers but that makes sense due to actual console sales

Darth the difference between the bases are huge your right but you gotta think. Ps players buy more games, where as the Xbox base relies on gamepass for their gaming. So it makes perfect sense

darthv723h ago(Edited 2h ago)

What makes perfect sense though? You say PS players buy more games... so then logically there should be more PS+ subscribers given the increased number of online multiplayer games in the PS4 generation alone. The PS4 was the first time that + was required for online play much like Gold was for 360 users.

Keep in mind we are talking subscribers, not simply XB/PS users. I assume you meant to say offline single player games, which is most likely true as well. That gen also saw a significant increase in games with an online component comparted to the previous gen.

victorMaje2h ago

I for one will be going back to essential at the next renewal. When I feel a game is good & right up my alley, I’ll check trusted reviews & just buy it.

jznrpg1h ago(Edited 1h ago)

I have the top tier until 2028 as they gave me a massive discount for all the years I had left but I’ll most likely go to essential as well. I buy my games but my kids do use the service occasionally. They do prefer to own their games as well since any game can leave the rental service at some point and they don’t like that idea. They mostly use it to demo games then ask me to buy games if they really like it.

meganick50m ago

I would like to see Sony add a fourth tier of PS Plus for people who just want to be able to play games online without any of the perks like monthly games, store discounts, or anything like that, and it should cost $20 annually, $30 maximum. There’s no way I’m paying $80 just to play games online. Even the original $60 fee was too much, and I would often wait for sales to re-up my subscription.

300°

Sony Says The PS5 Is Its “Most Profitable Generation To-Date"

During Sony’s recent business segment meeting and investor presentation regarding its game and network services, the PlayStation company revealed that PlayStation 5 is the company’s “most profitable generation to-date.”

It’s the top slide of the presentation, showing that in its first four years, the PS5 generation has already hit $106 billion in sales, having almost caught up to the PS4’s total $107 billion generated.

Operating income for the PS5 generation has also already surpassed that of the PS4, having now reached $10 billion.

ApocalypseShadow1d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

I wouldn't doubt it. They released a high quality system. A lot of high quality games from themselves and their support of 3rd party developers and indies. They released many high quality remakes and remasters. They released a high quality GaaS game going against the naysayers thinking Sony would abandon single player games. And they most likely are profiting a lot more than PS1, PS2 PS4 and the loss leading PS3 that drained all their profits.

Now, I'll wait to see what's cooking tomorrow. But can you use some of those profits to better support your high quality VR headset? Because, by supporting it, you can sell more games and more systems and make more profits?

jznrpg1d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

I want RPGs for PSVR2! Good ones of course

shinoff21831d 17h ago

If it had some rpgs I would buy right fking now. It looks dope and alot of fun, but it's biggest game resident evil 4(maybe) I've got no interest in. I'm not a fan of racing games, even with that metro game coming i was never much into that series. Rpgs would be fantastic.

MrNinosan1d 15h ago

Lemme know if ya wanna play some Zenith 🙌
Bought it at release, but haven't played it more than 1-2 hours but for sure on my "todo list".

Cacabunga1d 14h ago

Normal when they released mostly cross gen games so far. That’s a lot of money saved..
We haven’t seen what PS5 can do yet. 4years in and PS4 games still look great to me. The gen leap isn’t quite there yet.

--Onilink--1d 16h ago

The interesting metric for me is the $106billion in operating income/profit (not sales as mentioned in the article) reaching the same as the PS4 did with only half the consoles sold.

In particular because they all are supposed to be making the most per hardware sold after a few years when manufacturing costs are down.

So even putting inflation aside(and the higher console price), it is interesting that they could reach PS4 $ with just half the consoles sold.

Maybe there is more to the metric thats whats seen at face value, but they have clearly been making a lot more money than before on the software side (with also less games released I suppose, given its only been half the generation so far)

VersusDMC1d 16h ago

The bulk of the money has to be coming from the 30% cut on all games and microtransactions. Especially on all the free to play juggernauts like genshin, apex, fortnight, etc.

--Onilink--1d 13h ago (Edited 1d 13h ago )

@Versus

They are definitely making a lot on that for sure (which the $70 price increase factors into as well), but its not like many of those games werent around for the PS4 too.

They might be counting the gen as a whole and not just PS5 itself (so extra profit from PC sales, whatever that may be)

PS+ price increase and different tiers probably amount to part of that too.

But in general, its still quite a surprising metric. Half the time, half the consoles sold, less first party games released so far and still already making more of a profit than last gen is quite something, and as mentioned, there is probably more to it that we dont know, after all, since we are talking about operating income, all the expenses they have also factor into it, so it is also possible that they have found ways to significantly reduce that + all the means of increased revenue that appear to be factoring into the equation

All in all, just an interesting situation from a business perspective

porkChop1d 12h ago

It's for the whole generation, so it would likely be including PC. They also make much more profit on digital sales vs retail, and digital is far more prominent these days. The generation also started at the height of COVID when everyone was home, spending far more money on gaming/hobbies. It makes a lot of sense for this gen to be more profitable.

Abnor_Mal1d 18h ago

This will surely shut up all the new trolling accounts trying to spread lies and non facts in other articles comment sections before this article is posted.

Hofstaderman1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

Obscurely, those trolls or troll will not show in these articles as the truth is contradictory to his or their orchard-sized daily dose of copium and hopium.

Tacoboto1d 16h ago

Or... They're intentionally trolling you guys specifically. Because they know it upsets you so easily.

Name-dropping Orchard, after this many months? How long has it been and he's still in your thoughts?

Elda1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

I'm quite sure the individual is reading these positive comments downvoting & seething at the same time. Edit: It just downvoted my comment...lol!!

Hofstaderman1d 16h ago

No I'm entertained by this individual. I love unhinged people, they are so interesting lol.

repsahj1d 17h ago

Wow! I am super impressed that in just 4 years, ps5 already caught up to the PS4's. Congratulations.

JackBNimble22h ago

That happens when half of your games are cross platform. I'm still waiting to see what the ps5 is capable of, because they sure haven't pushed any limits.

And where are all these ps5 exclusive games?

sagapo1d 17h ago

Not really surprised as Sony barely has any competition at the moment.

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150°

Sony CEO says although AI "has been used for creation," it's "not a substitute for human creativity"

"AI is not a substitute for human creativity. We position it as a technology that supports creativity. Creativity resides in people. We will continue to contribute to people's creativity through technology," the CEO said.

Read Full Story >>
gamesradar.com
1nsomniac8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

...not yet but 100% within the next 10 years!

..Then Sony will use it like the drop of a hat. They're no different to the others.

isarai8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

They used to be 😞 sure it was always a business, and money's always the priority, but they used to have a very strong stance on supporting artists and creativity. "Dont f#@k with the artist" was a phrase they touted a few times back in the ps1-ps3 era, a philosophy carried over from their music branch PlayStation was created from. It's not COMPLETELY gone, but it's barely there compared to what it was back then, i just want them to return to that.

Eonjay7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

I am highly encouraged by their statement about human creativity. "Dont f#@k with the artist" is exactly what they are saying. But at the same time, I don't think people understand that Sony is a corporation. If they don't realize growth, they don't get to exist. When you say 'Sony', you are talking about a bunch of investors. To speak about them any other way is a illogical and incorrect. They haven't changed. They have been a group of investors since they became a public business.

isarai7d ago

Ugh, i really wish people would stop gambling people's livelihoods by turning a project/game into their political soapbox. Im all for statements and having your own opinion, but there's more people working on this than just druckman, ham fisting your political beliefs onto just seems inconsiderate for everyone elses job security when it can result in a failure due to people avoiding it for that reason.

I play games for escape, im so tired of nearly every AAA game blatantly dragging real world issues to shove in my face when I'm trying to take a break from it all. They don't even bother to be subtle about it, quite the opposite, it's blasted and force fed to you and it's just getting exhausting

Einhander19727d ago

People are taking a whole interview and cutting it down to clips that make him look bad and take what he actually was saying out of context. For example he also said things like this AI has "ethical issues we need to address"

-Foxtrot7d ago

@Einhander

Why defend him at this point?

It’s not taking things out of context, he said what he said.

Old ND would never talk about soulless AI taking over so many creative things they are well known for. The whole “ethical issues” is just a good PR spin people who push this crap fall back on to make their statements not seem as bad. So many AI lovers do this.

AI has no place is so many creative based things.

Einhander19727d ago

Well yeah, because everyone else is using it so they need to stay competitive. It's the same as paid online, they didn't want to go that route but their competition was making so much money they needed to add paid online just to keep up.

RaiderNation7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

AI will never replace humans in game development in terms of conceptualizing new games. Humans still need to come up with the ideas and what they want to implement. However much of the day to day menial coding could be AI driven to reduce production time and team size. I could also see AI being used for bug testing/optimization that could lead to better quality games at launch. I'm actually very optimistic about how AI can positively impact game development.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 7d ago
XiNatsuDragnel8d ago

Good statement but hopefully this holds up

NotoriousWhiz7d ago

People that aren't software developers just don't understand the benefits of AI. People who's only exposure to A.I is the Terminator movie and other related sci fi films won't understand the benefits it provides.

It's not about replacing human labor. It's about making human labor easier.

Many years ago, I had laser eye surgery done. It was performed by a robot. The doctor took my measurements and calibrated the machine to make sure it would do what needed be done. And then the robot corrected my vision in 10 seconds.

15 years later and I still have 20/20 vision.

Eonjay7d ago

AI in and of itself is not a 'bad'. Money is bad. Money is evil, and corporations will do whatever they can to get more of it. They will find ways to implement AI to replace as may jobs as possible. This isn't even up for debate. It is the charge of the corporation to maximize returns for the investors. They have no choice. I'm a developer and I know that my job will absolutely be replaced. Therefore, I have decided to become an AI dev. AI has a lot of potential to help us solve problem on a scale most can't even imagine. The issue, as ever is that our monetary system only ever allows us to focus on greed and fiscal growth.

But I am a pragmatist. Perhaps an AI model can be built to help protect us from our most dangerous instincts and habits. And perhaps Congress can pass laws to protect us from people who would use AI to manipulate and control us (spoiler: they wont).

RaiderNation6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

Progress is inevitable. Nobody driving cars today is complaining that the horse and buggy is no longer around. Yes, some jobs will be lost but guess what? With innovation comes new job opportunities. It's how the cycle of the job market works.