Has Gamescom Saved The PlayStation Vita?

Nobody can deny that Sony’s PlayStation Vita has been experiencing more than its fair share of troubles. A less than stellar launch, a distinct lack of games and even flailing support in the system’s motherland of Japan has plagued the system for months. The Vita centric Gamescom press conference aimed to change all that. But did it succeed? Read on as two Vita owners shoot the shit on the current state of the Vita and discuss what’s next.

[GribbleGrunger]

If people really think that Gamesom saved the Vita then I pity their short-sightedness. I bought it because I know it will get the support. I don't need an event OR the media to inform me.

[Xof]

That certainty isn't based on reality, though. It's faith. Faith is irrational. That makes you a fanboy, I'm sorry to say.

Their are plenty of Sony gamers out there who aren't fanboys. Gamescon was a real thing, and they want to be able to read something in it of the Vita getting better, because right now it looks like Sony has completely forgotten it. They don't have blind faith to sustain them, just a big chunk of glossy black plastic they want to play games on, and few games in sight.

[FriedGoat]

It's not faith it is obvious. Just because he chooses to ignore the influx of irrational vita is doomed articles, doesn't make him a fanboy. It makes him sensible.
I've had a vita since launch, I don't think Sony has forgotten it BECAUSE I ACTUALLY BUY GAMES. Currently at 16 retail games and counting (not including turd like little deviants etc), much less forgotten than my 3DS was at this time in its lifecycle.

[CommonSenseGamer]

Its not obvious at all. A list of upcoming games is one thing but an actual release of those titles and having them live up to their potential is another.

Resistance for Vita was proclaimed last year as a must have title. Yet it was a pretty run of the mill fps that only achieved greater heights because of a lack of other Vita fps games on the market. Its not a system seller. The Vita will sell when the listed titles are released and they live up to the hype. Too many high profile duds could just as easily sink the Vita.

[Jihaad_cpt]

What a troll. Awesome so because he chose to be patient and wait for support that makes him a fanboy?

[GribbleGrunger]

I'm a fanboy because I trust a company that has never let me down? WOW, the definition is getting unavoidable it seems. Commonsensegamer calls Resistance a run of the mill shooter... Just how many shooters on the Vita has he played to label it run of the mill on that handheld? Or perhaps by accident he's acknowledging that the standards expected from the Vita are the same as the PS3. No wonder some people are disappointed. You expected PS3 standards of games from the Vita in it's FIRST year?!

What was the standard for the 360 or the Ps3 for their first year?

[ABizzel1]

I wouldn't say Gamecom saved the Vita, but it put a lot of doubt to rest in the eyes of gamers and the media. They naysayers have nothing to say, and if it does get the sales it deserves then it will continue to get the support (both first and third party) that it deserves and go on to be a successful platform. This is the Vita's FIRST WORLDWIDE holiday season, and with all the new announcements and bundles for the holiday the Vita should see the spike both Sony and third parties want.

[Matangt6]

This is starting to make me sick. Every 10 minutes or less thire is a new "how to save the vita" or "the vita is dead"..
The vita is not dead or need to be saved. its a new console and you cant expect like 500 games with the release.
And about Gamescom well now I evem more happy that I have that console :)

[Xof]

Well, if the Wii is dead, the Vita is dead, too. If the DS is dead, the Vita is dead, too.

Well, maybe a coma would make for a better metaphor.

...

I do agree with you about all these awful articles. Anyone who owns a Vita knows exactly what it needs: at least three games released each month, retail, and digital content made available through the PSN weekly.

That's how Sony "saved" the PS3, and it's how they could "save" the Vita--if only they would remember it!

[Matangt6]

I agree but I hate to see that someone that not even have a vita is sain its a dead console after 6-7 month. I think the vita launch was better than the PS3 launch when its come to games. But there always be some one who love to complain..

[GenericNameHere]

Well, that's why PS1 support is finally coming out next week, to give Vita owners more games. There are people who are gonna say "Those don't count, you fucking retard!", or something like that, but they're still games for the Vita. Games that will make people keep that Vita for at least a little longer until a new game comes out.

[CommonSenseGamer]

The PS1 back catalog won't do much to generate new Vita sales but it will mean Sony can claim there are a lot more games avail for the Vita come xmas.

Now, I wonder if Sony will make it completely obvious you need to buy a memory card in order to play them.

[chazjamie]

the vita is dead. the new monster hunter game was just announced exclusively for the 3ds. all these game wont increase sales, they wont move units. thats why we have shit like declassified, burning skies, ps 3 ports and mediocre exclusives. Im sorry, but if you actually played a vita, you will realize something is off about it (there is no need to own it, there is nothing addictive about it).

It offers apps (but does it so poorly), its offering games that nobody really wants. Its just so unsure of itself. It needs jrpg's, it needs platformers. It doesnt need any of the games that have been released up til now.

[Matangt6]

So,You are saying the vita is dead only becuase 1 game? You sir just made me laugh.. COD is pretty bad but its only first trailer. Rasistace was a mistake so killznoe will not do the same mistkae agigan I hope.
When you said mediocre exclusives did you mean games like uncharted and gravity rush becuase those two for me at leat are for more fun then any other monster hunter game...

[FragGen]

I'm not sure I fully agree with the above but I do think losing Monster Hunter was a big problem for Vita, particularly in Japan. MH single-handedly kept the PSP relevant for a long time. It made it a huge seller in Japan which made it viable as an RPG dream handheld for a very long stretch which was really nice to see in its twilight years. I really wonder why it is Nintendo exclusive and whether Sony can do anything about that.

Now that I think of it, I wish my PS-certified Android tablet had a PSP emu to go along with its PSX emu.

Anyway, I'm a fanboy, I guess. I bought the Vita day one and love it but I am hopeful the pace of development picks up. It makes a system feel "alive" and interesting when there is a lot of new releases happening.

[g-nome]

Anybody who actually owns one knows that it does not need any saving. I am still trying to work my way through the launch titles. Got Wipeout 2048 today , and I see the Fury expansion pack is free since I already bought it for PS3. Great stuff.

[mananimal]

wtf? NO.

[ziggurcat]

can we please get through a week without one of these idiotic doom articles?

[Yangus]

No.

[majiebeast]

Bloggers and game journalist(that term gets thrown around a lot these days):VITA TEH DOOOOOOMMMMMMEEEEEEDDDDD!

Meanwhile we just had Gravity rush 1 of the best games of the first half of 2012. With Lbpvita which from what i played in the beta is amazing around the corner. Vita has enough first party games coming for it the only thing that it lacks at the moment is third party support.

[CommonSenseGamer]

Yep. So many great games already must be the reason its flying off the shelves. Honestly, bundle in a memory card and drop the price and Vita sales problem solved.

[MastaMold]

@ CommonSenseGamer, dont you have any games to play cause all i see is you trolling PS Vita articles you have no common sense and you cant be gamer seeing as how much you troll

Sent from my PS Vita

[morganfell]

Let it go Masta. Go look at his comments. 20 comments on the first page as of this post and 18 of the 20 are criticisms of the Vita. He claims he is a open minded gamer but people can say what they want. Actions define them and those comments paint a pretty clear definition.
At least be honest about a point of view. I have never hid that fact and have openly stated I am a Sony fanboy even though I own 360s.

There is a big difference between being a multi-console owner and being an open-minded gamer or better stated an impartial. Some people do not see that and act as if purchasing suddenly makes them the crown prince of objectivity. It doesn't. But then again I am not going into 360 threads and attacking everything in sight. But then again fear can drive people to say some odd things.

[Agent_hitman]

Vita will have a blockbuster titles coming out next year, just be patient.. It's in development and we can't expect developers to haste it just to pleased the fanboys whos whining right now saying that their vita is collecting dust already...

[IHateYouFanboys]

to the people saying the vita isnt dead - no, its not......but its about as close to it as a new console can get.

2.2 million shipped consoles in 6 months worldwide + an extra 3 months in japan is about as bad as it can get. to put it into perspective, take a look at this graph taken from neogaf:

http://i.minus.com/ibg62VzP...

so at this stage in its lifetime, the Vita is selling about the same as the last 'dead' console, the dreamcast. the PSP, by this time, had sold over twice as many consoles. the 3DS pushed 3 times as many, same with the DS.

the vita is on life support. consoles generally fly out the door in the launch month or 2. the vita? not so much. noone really cared. after 6 months of worldwide sales its sold less consoles than youd generally expect ANY console to sell in its first 2 months on the market. an extra 3 months in japan, the biggest handheld console country in the world, hasnt helped at all either.

one semi decent showing at gamescom isnt gonna change things. whatd they show? a terrible looking COD game with stripped down multiplayer and a terrible developer. a good looking new game in Tearaway, but its not coming out any time soon. Cross-buy? well thats a start, but its going to be available on only first party games, and even then only when there is a vita version of the game to begin with. theres no Last of Us, GOW Ascension, Last Guardian or any other AAA franchises in development for the Vita, so youre sure not getting them for free with a PS3 game purchase.

the vita is in a dire situation at the moment. its not a "slow burn" sales wise, its just not selling. you can shout 'the games are coming' all you want, but what games are coming? if we havent heard about them yet, theyre at LEAST 12 months away. console ports can only carry a handheld so far, and that "so far" is turning out to be "straight to the grave".

[g-nome]

Ah well , gamers must not come crying then when Sony abandons the whole haldheld business and they are stuck playing Angry Birds the whole day long on their cellphones that cost twice as much as a Vita.

[asmith2306]

Sony just needs to market the Vita correctly. If Microsoft's Kinect marketing strategy is anything to go by its that if you market something enough then people will buy bricks. And the Vita is a better brick than Kinect. By a long shot in fact.

[chrisarsenalsavart]

Sony have a lot of ammunitions for the holidays season and they will be a big marketing push for wonderbook, vita and ps3. Knowing they will have to fight halo4, wiiu and 3ds monster hunter4, sony knows that pricing, bundles and great commercials will help them fight the competition.
One of the reasons why sony closed few studios was to raise enough capitals to re invest in PR and marketing instead.

[3-4-5]

When they get more games this won't even be an issue.

They aren't going to stop supporting a hand held especially when they have like 40% of the market.