320°

Sales Projections Indicate Sony is Giving Up on the Vita

VG Republic Writes: After Sony released their sales projections for the current year, it looks as though they have succumb to the same realization most owners of the Vita have already reached; it looks like it's time to give up on the Vita. As reported by CVG, Sony released that their sales projects for the rest of the fiscal year that runs through March of 2014, and their portable sales projections between the PSP and Vita are coming in right around 5 million units world wide. It's a sad truth, but if Sony isn't projecting solid figures, then they obviously know something we don't. Gamers have been curious if this would be the case with the Vita, as the lack of games produced for the system have been either ports or HD remastered titles, providing new experiences that can't be had else where few and far between. It looks like the writing has been on the wall and Sony is taking notice.

Read Full Story >>
vgrepublic.com
NYC_Gamer4034d ago

PSV might be the last handheld released from Sony

Knight_Crawler4034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

You might be right.

I know allot of people on here down play smart phone and tablet gaming but you are blind if you dont see how much smart phone and tablets games have cut into the hand held market.

I said this before Sony announced the VITA and I will say it again - Sony needed to make the the VITA a hand held / smartphone device...we are living in an era where people want an all in one machine.

The PS4 and 720 will also rely heavily on providing more features than just gaming... laugh at MS all you want about them being a cable box/ media hub but MS knows what the majority of consumers want and they want a gaming device that offers tons of social media and entertainment features.

JoGam4034d ago

At E3 Sony should give a clear indication if they are giving up or not.

If they have a bunch of Vita news at E3 I doubt they will be giving up.

BattleAxe4034d ago

With Sony releasing their flagship smart phone the Xperia Z/ZL, I could see them doing more with their phones than the PS Vita. I like what Samsung has done by producing what looks to be a high quality controller for their Galaxy phones, and I think this is the direction that Sony will move in also.

zeal0us4034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

It really shouldn't be that hard for to make the vita's successor a hand held/ smartphone device. Since Sony already made the Xperia Play.

They could a build a modified version of android for the device base off the software was use in the Xperia Play.

Dedicated games could be stored on game cards.

Far as memory goes Sony should stick to mircosd and not those expensive vita memory cards. At then 128gb would be limit instead of 32gb.

SoC,graphics, ram, camera and display should be whatever is standard at the time. Top of the line hardware would be great but at the same time could make the overall device more expensive.

nix4034d ago

Before Vita was going to be released i was saying "please make it a phone + vita" but noh.. instead they shelled out Xperia PLAY (which i bought).

i'm loving my Vita but i still wish if i could make calls with it.

SilentNegotiator4034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

3DS is selling like wildfires burn dry forests.

It's not about the phone/tablet market, it's about price. 3DS cut its price by 33% from $250 (what Vita is at now) and it has sold like flapjacks ever since.

badz1494034d ago

It will suck a lot if only Nintendo is left in the handheld market. Sony is pushing boundaries since the PSP while Nintendo keep it low and play it safe as always thus we get a device a couple of gen behind in terms of power.

The PSP was way ahead of its time and the Vita now too. I believe that there is still life in the Vita and hopefully with more games coming, sale will pick up too

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4034d ago
yeahokchief4034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

I'm not worried. Love this thing. Really solid device. I'd complain about wanting more games, but I kinda have like over a dozen to play on my Ps3...

I was one of those who didn't really want one because straight up i don't travel anywhere, but its amazing for playing in bed. It's taking my laziness to new levels. Cuz sometimes I feel like gaming, but sitting in my recliner becomes too strenuous after 10-12 hours of gaming. The screen is so amazing and bright that you can play perfectly in the dark without needing any light whatsoever. I plan on trying to watch some movies on it later too once I get through all of the free stuff you can download onto it.

Already got over 100 hours sunk into Soul Sacrifice and still playing it beyond the Platinum trophy. The cross game/party chat works PERFECTLY. Used it in 4 player Soul Sacrifice and everything runs smooth as hell.

Looking forward to Dragon's Crown on it next.

It's going to be an interesting 2nd half of the year. A lot of things are still very uncertain with the Wii U, Vita, PS4 and 720.

And to give you a heads up. If you get a Sony Credit card, you can pick one up for $200 with a subscription to PS Plus. And you get an additional $50 the first time you use your card. And if you bought it in April, registered it and signed up for the referral program you could have gotten another $20 psn credit. That's crazy value. There's also a few ways to earn at least another $20 psn card via free sony rewards points if you figure it out.

So basically if you had planned on becoming a member of PS+ later this year you're getting $140 worth of credit for a device you're paying $200 for. I'd say this is the time to pick one up.

One thing is for sure. The worse these things sell, the sweeter the deals get for us who actually own the devices. I have bought 4 quality vita games so far for $10 a piece.

nix4034d ago

tell me about it... i'm so used to VITA and it's advantage of mobility, i want every PS3 games to come out on VITA too.

it's like carrying a PS3 everywhere thanks to it's amazing graphics...

4034d ago Replies(1)
chrismichaels044034d ago

People said the same about the PSP and PS3. How did those systems turn out? Oh that's right, both of those "dead systems" are currently around the 80 million mark each. People act like Sony is new to the video game business. Bottom line.....Nintendo isn't going to stop making home consoles and Sony isn't going to stop making portable systems. These new systems just need time to breathe. Enough with the doom and gloom nonsense. I swear...some people on here spend more time talking about video games rather than actually playing them.

SonyPS44034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

Actually with the PSP you need to factor in firmware hacks. A lot of people bought PSPs to play their SNES roms, and they also pirate their PSP games. Because of this, PSP is one of the most pirated gaming platforms of all time.

PSP wasn't successful at all outside Sony's backyard. The handheld market is monopolized by Nintendo.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4034d ago
dedicatedtogamers4034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

It's tough to imagine why Sony would do this. I hardly think that they're giving up on the Vita. Sony can't afford to give up on the Vita any more than Nintendo could afford to give up on the launch-flop of the 3DS, and look how Nintendo turned that ship around.

I would wait until E3. I know the PS4 is going to be on display. I know the PS4/Vita cross-functionality is going to be talked about. However, IF and only IF Sony seems to ignore the Vita at their own conference, then we'll know if the system is on its way out.

4034d ago
moegooner884034d ago

SCEE's Senior manager said something about a big title coming to the Vita, I am guessing it will be announced at E3.

http://n4g.com/news/1251606...

Root4034d ago

Well I'd rather have them focus on the PS4 to be honest....thats just me anyway.

I'd rather them go all out for a separate smaller show for E3 just for the PSV. There's too much PS4 stuff to be revealed, I wouldn't want time at their E3 show being wasted on the PSV.

KrimsonKody4034d ago

Well,
The Vita DOES exist, & it is Sony's product.
I think there's room to showcase both.

Root4034d ago

At the same show.....

Nope....rather have a full show focused on the PS4, Nintendo had a separate 3DS event I don't see why Sony can't do the same with the PSV

hulk_bash19874034d ago (Edited 4034d ago )

@Root

At the PS4 reveal they were really showcasing the connectivity features between the PS4 and PSV. So yeah, it's a good bet they will be highlighting both the PS4 and PSV in their conference.

Also, as a PS Vita owner, I truly hope Sony doesn't just give up on the platform. Because it does have a lot of potential and some great games for it.

MikeMyers4034d ago

Of course there's room for both. Sony would also want to utilize E3 to advertise Vita more. What Sony has also done, that Nintendo doesn't do with the 3DS, is market how Vita is a supportive device with the console. Does the 3DS have remote play? Does the 3DS have cross-platform play between that and the Wii U? Does Nintendo have a service like Playstation Plus that has free games for both the handheld and the PS3 tied to the same price model?

Tultras4034d ago

I'm sorry you're not interested in the vita, but 5 million other people are ( including me ).

But launching a product means that you support it.

Show all comments (76)
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
1nsomniac2d ago (Edited 2d 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.

isarai2d ago (Edited 2d 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.

Eonjay1d 18h ago (Edited 1d 18h 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.

isarai2d 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

Einhander19721d 20h 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"

-Foxtrot1d 19h 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.

Einhander19721d 20h 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.

RaiderNation1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h 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 1d 17h ago
XiNatsuDragnel2d ago

Good statement but hopefully this holds up

NotoriousWhiz1d 19h 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.

Eonjay1d 18h 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).

RaiderNation1d 5h ago (Edited 1d 5h 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.

150°

Sony Patents To Prevent You From In-Game Harassment By Reading Your Emotions

A new patent recently published by Sony wants to gather biometric data of gamers to track whether one is being harassed using AI tools.

Profchaos31d ago (Edited 31d ago )

I hope this is one of those patents that never comes to fruition.

I already dislike the fact you can pay a significant amount for a online service buy associated games and content on said service and get banned from that service over potentially a misunderstanding the bans are already handed out for flimsy reasons

I'd rather see money invested in a ban that simply removes the offensive players ability to communicate with unknown players allow them to continue party chats with friends but not with Joe blow on cod.

exputers30d ago

Agreed. Blizzard recently banned a college Overwatch 2 player who's dependent for saying "shit." Pretty harsh.

Profchaos30d ago (Edited 30d ago )

How rediculas really. You can't say a word that's allowed in most PG films and prime time TV but the game is based around killing the enemy team using guns, explosives etc.

It's just backwards.

just_looken30d ago

What your talking about is called block list

In 2006 a spaceship dropped of the playstation 3/xbox 360 i say that that generation was the last great gen with game functions/tech that has yet to comeback

Anyhow the playstation 3 if you block listed a id they could not talk to you in chatroom with either text or voice. But that was pre mind fucked 2018 when people were more human than sheep.

But hey gta 6 is coming out billion dollar budget without a single player custom character creator and without singeplayer coop off/online something saints row 1-3 had on the xbox 360.

z2g30d ago

Take my social security and bank account numbers too! Here’s a picture of my wife and our address.

phoenixwing30d ago

Cmon where's the pictures of your children. Don't hold out on them.

H930d ago

At this rate I feel Sony will eventually sell a room to play games in it where they can monitor your every breath

jambola30d ago

I genuinely get a bit worried sometimes when a friend says something that could be offensive In a party
Because I have no trouble believing some bans would happen when in a private party for saying something wrong

SegaSaturn66930d ago

I want them to censor erotic content by measuring my groin temperature so i dont get too distracted while playing black ops 2.

Popsicle30d ago

Terrible idea. Not only do I not consent to providing my biometric data, the potential for mishandling biometric data is almost a certainty. Positive stress and negative stress can produce similar changes in biometrics. Interpreting the precise emotion a person is feeling is not only invasive but could be easily misconstrued. I hope this never comes to fruition.

Show all comments (14)
130°

Sony Could Increase Your Game's Difficulty If It Sees You Complain About It

Sony has recently published a new patent that wants to dynamically handle the games' difficulty and gameplay based on the player's emotions.

jznrpg31d ago

This is something I might use. Sometimes I play some good games but they don’t have difficulty option and are a little too easy.

Profchaos31d ago

Souls games will be like that players struggling make it harder

PassNextquestion31d ago (Edited 31d ago )

I think if used correctly it could work well

jambola31d ago

cool idea
cool idea for horror games especially
the way it's explained here sounds like it could never be forced hopefully, so that's ok with me

Show all comments (8)