Sony cuts PS Vita and PSP sales forecast, Introducing attractive software lineup

Sony Computer Entertainment released their Q3 earnings report on Thursday morning, giving people an updated look at the sales of PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Portable.

[LOGICWINS]

"Originally, Sony hoped to sell 16 million PSP and PS Vita during the fiscal year, this figure has now been reduced to 7 million -- it was previously 10 million last quarter.

Sony recognizes the slow penetration of PlayStation Vita and is looking to address this problem by offering an attractive lineup of software."

Good. Thats what your supposed to do. Realize you have a problem and attempt to find a solution.

[Abash]

Sony is doing a great job with the first party Vita games, but the problem is third party support. And this is an issue with western developers on both 3DS and Vita, they are far too invested with mobile gaming and slowly shunning handhelds all together

[bicfitness]

3rd party support is fine, actually, if you keep an eye on Eastern releases and sites like Siliconera. The problem is that Sony is doing next to nothing to entice these developers to release their games in the West. Vita has plenty of software, including recognizable IP such as two Tales games, but getting those games overseas is another matter entirely. They should focus on supporting secondary publishers or at least enticing them; not just their 1st party stuff.

I still firmly believe that a Vita XL (or whatever you want to call it) with built in storage and a larger screen - think a larger, better version of the Razor tablet - and a broader access to Google Play would be and should be where Sony is headed with the brand. Their tablets aren't selling well enough to justify their existence, and neither is the Vita really. Just merge the two product lines and save some $. And of course, keep the standard Vita as an "entry" level product.

I've been slammed before for proposing the above, but I think it will become a reality if Sony really wants to salvage/ sustain their mobile brand.

[FriedGoat]

indeed, I'm still pretty happy with the first year software lineup for the vita, much better than what I had for my 3DS in the same time period.
Persona 4 soon! Comeone Europe!!!!

[Kennytaur]

@ bicfitness, I think a cheaper model is more likely. But no matter, storage should have been built in from the start.

[rainslacker]

Vita's Japanese line up is really good IMO. While we've gotten a few great games from that, with more possible if NIS and Atlus pick up some more of them, I can see the Vita being like the PSP with it's JRPG support in the long run. I think the lack of announced titles in the West is somewhat lackluster, with only a few big names in the mix throughout the year, and that is something they definitely need to work on.

There have been plenty of games so far though to really make it worth while to pick up. It's just these long periods with nothing being released that are making the system look like it has no games, even though the library of available games is pretty impressive for a handheld.

[GraveLord]

Glad they're finally being realistic. But where is this attractive software line-up for Vita?

Killzone Mercenaries and Tearaway? Is this supposed to be it?

[insomnium2]

Vita has all the games that any gamer might need but what Vita needs is a high profile game. They really should've put more effort into COD.

There isn't really a great high profile game on the platform that would make people make the jump.

I'm talking about games as big as MGS, GT or Final Fantasy. COD would've been good but they effed it up apparently. The reviews have GOT to be there too.

[Blank]

A reason I personally disagreed with your comment is that persona 4 golden is a high profile game look at the international love.

[smashman98]

No its not quite as popular as any of those games even if it is better

[Blank]

@smashman

To me a high profile release is a popular game in its genre releasing like a new GTA console release you cant deny GTA as a high profile game now as for persona 4 it is high profile for JRPG fans whether they bought it day one or are planning to buy a vita to experience or reexperience persona 4 maybe my fanboyism for persona is showing but you cant deny the work this remake has going on, its not a capcom hd release

[Oh_Yeah]

It's obvious it needs some good rpgs like monster hunter. Also needs a few platformers/ hack and slash games like god of war. Once it saturates those genres with good titles it'll take off,especially in Japan where the handheld market is biggest.

[maniacmayhem]

I'm sorry but as high of profile you believe the Vita needs still won't convince people to buy it. Especially when those same games you mentioned are available for home consoles.

Sony has already recognized that most people are just not interested in a high end gaming device only. Which is why we saw all those articles in the past about Vita competing with iPhone/Smartphones which mostly everyone here on N4G dismissed and laughed at and yet here we are.

And the Vita has a great number of high profile games already. It's really time to stop making excuses for the system, we all know what it needs to do become a factor in the handheld business. It has nothing to do with more advertising and it has nothing to do with more high profile games.

Nintendo already did it and there 3DS is taking off.

[xXtremeHDGamerXx]

The PS Vita needs Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Stories.

[noobfromindia]

The Vita is a really good piece of hardware, now all it needs is a price cut and some exclusives. But i admire SONY, they realized their mistake with the ps3 and now with Vita, atleast there is someone who cares about the consumers.

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

There's no joke that if you've got yourself a Vita... you sure are dying for something new to play!

[Jopple]

I am not have had it since release and oddly I still haven't even finished playing all the free PS+ games.

[profgerbik]

Same.

[Knushwood Butt]

Yeah, I've got a fair sized backlog of stuff to play already, and use the Vita every day..

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

My bad, I totally forgot you could play PS+ stuff on it... I was mainly speaking of Vita Exclusive titles though!

I only own a PS3 no Vita here...

[smashman98]

Games I own for vita
Uncharted
Gravity rush
Resistance
Persona 4
Ragnarok odyssey
Strangers wrath
Need for speed
Little big planet
Assassins creed
mortal kombat
Marvel vs capcom
Ninja gaiden
Unit 13
Ps all stars

Of these 7 are vita exlusive

[rainslacker]

I have a pretty decent backlog of games to play on the Vita, so I'm not sure what your talking about. There are also 6 games personally that I plan to buy for it through September, with a slight drought between July and August, so yeah, the games are there.

As far as exclusives we have

Soul Sacrifice
Muramasa Rebirth
Valhalla Knights 3
Ys: Memories of Celceta
Killzone:Mercenary

all coming out this year. Not sure about Tearaways release date, but it's also coming among others I may not know or care about personally.

[Good_Guy_Jamal]

Kinda sad really. SONY expected 10 million Vita sales back when their forecast was 16 million handhelds. Now they expect 7 million handhelds sold in total.
So for the love of all that is sanity, will people now stop claiming the VITA is selling within range of what SONY expected? That "low end" of expected range speech was balls. You don't go from 16 million to 12 million to 10 million to 7 million and expect people to believe everything is still within expected range.

[riverstars86]

Sony may as well cut their losses with the Vita. This thing is reaching Virtual Boy status when it comes to sales. Time for Sony to put all their resources toward PS4.

[miyamoto]

I hope they promote Vita with lots of PSO 2 goodies here in NA.

[RuleofOne343]

Am not sold on Vita, what they should have done is had 1st parties make new IPs for the vita. They should have used Vita as hub for their fan base to play PS1-PS2-PSP on it & updated some of them so they look sweet on vita graphics.
Personally I think it needed it's very own games to establish it self. JMT (Even when one's neutral their always seem to be a Parasite fan boy who butt hurt waiting to disagree)

[TheDivine]

Man I was hoping it would be the ps2 portable similar to how the psp thrived from psx games. I had many good times playing psx jrpgs on the go. All they need is to release a ps2 section for vita with all the RPGs from last gen. Instant success. That would buy time until the big games come which they will, eventually.

Also doesn't help only dd psp games work. And its only a hundred or so. All the best psp games don't work on vita. Early on consoles need to rely on a few good new games and a backlog from the last gen. This had neither.

[T3MPL3TON]

They need to stop farting around and price cut it. $169.99. It'll sell like hot cakes.

[TreeFiddy]

Yes sell the PS Vita for less than the 3DS XL currently sells for. You must be out of your mind or never see one in person or actually played one in person.

In terms of hardware quality if you expect the PS Vita for cheaper than the 3DS XL.. You have it all wrong. Completely different league the PS Vita is in hardware wise.

[profgerbik]

It is ok some people just don't know the value of some things. Let them live blindly.

[nevin1]

Alot of the potential core consumers are turned off by the memory card prices. So they should cut the prices on memory cards. This will atleast address the core audience.

Then to bring in the casual audience, slash the prices on the Vita system.

[iNathan]

But gamers dont want it...

Strange, probably because Psp was so bad that people think twice now.

[Hicken]

GAMERS do. Fanboys don't.

The same goes with the PSP. I mean, isn't it over 70-75 million units sold? Is that bad? Is the library honestly bad? I see PLENTY I'd like to play on it.

No, it's not about gamers. They're actually capable of seeing the value in the device. Fanboys don't want it- they don't really care; they're downing it because it's made by Sony- and it doesn't appeal to casual gamers- much like the PSP- so it's seeing less than stellar sales.

Now, if Sony came out and made it seem all friendly and cartoony and good for the kids while having all the stuff those kids want out of their parents' smartphones, the Vita would probably sell a whole lot better.

But that's not what they want the Vita to do. And I, for one, am glad.

[joeorc]

"Vita is a great system
But gamers dont want it...

Strange, probably because Psp was so bad that people think twice now"

And this will be exactly the reason Sony will not make a replacement to the PSVita and move Playstation Handheld Games to playstation Mobile only.

Sony most likely will not invest anymore into a dedicated Handheld game system past the PSVita. People say we want a Smartphone+Game handheld and Would people really buy it? would it fare any better than the PSVita? Sadly the PSP burned too many consumer's in the West because of Software support ground down to a stop pretty much no real 3rd party support. The PSVita will still get support with mainly 1st party software, but as for Hardware production the Price will most likely remain High until parts component prices drop to allow a cost reduction.

Taking a much smaller Niche market share and Mind share is better over all than having no other dedicated handheld in the market except for one companies offering, Since the main consumer wants that , than i doubt Sony will invest into dedicated Game handhelds anymore and move to smart devices.

Sony would still be able to compete just not directly just like apple, Samsung and other's already do. More investment into Sony Mobile from now on past PSVita.

as for PSVit's replacement, Most likely Smartphones and Tablets will be, just the reason why Microsoft has not made a dedicated Handheld Gaming Device. Smartphones and Tablets are taking the lions share of device sales and software sales.

[DivineAssault]

great.. Hope i get tales of hearts localized

[jp_footy2]

Vita doesn't sound like the PSP2. I think this affects the sales. They should've called it PSP2, or NGP.

[Belking]

Vita is still struggling a bit. Sony needs more third party support but first they need to make more people want one. Too few good games on that thing right now.

[kratos17]

The games arent the problem.

Those damn MEMORY CARDS, $100 bucks for only 32gb is ludacris.