PlayDevil: Was the PS Vita released too soon?

Has Sony made a mistake in launching the PS Vita before 3rd parties had any decent games lined up?

Here is a snippet:

"It is now six months ago that PSVita had its European launch and in this time the flagship Sony handheld has received somewhat mixed publicity thanks in no small part to the slow game releases which have been drip fed rather than being released in vast numbers."

[Nutsack]

Aren't you talking about the 3DS at its launch?

Pretty sure the PSVita had around 40 games at launch including 3rd party. Ofcourse, it needs more games to further build up its library, but looking at the titels, it was once of the better console launches compared to others with the games available at launch.

[MadMax]

Man, are you way off! I have em both and Vita has been sitting here with a small handful of games. Nothing is coming out, i dont get it. I shouldve learned from the psp perhaps. 3ds has got a much bigger library.

[Nutsack]

No YOU are way off.

I was talking about BOTH THEIR LAUNCH (WINDOWS)

Aka, 3DS right after its launch about 1.5 years ago had NOTHING. 3DS got its pricedrop in fall 2011 and then also started to get some games. I am NOT talking about the situation at this moment. OFCOURSE the 3DS is out 1.5 years now it has a larger library than a system thats out just half a year in USA/EU!!!

The PSVita certainly had the upperhand at launch. Sure, now Sony needs to push out more games. Better is to do a pricedrop like Nintendo did with the 3DS, so the installed base of users grows faster and 3rd party has more reasons to bring out games for PSVita.

[MadMax]

Makes no difference, 3ds had more games than the vita at half a year in. Dont get me wrong, i love my vita, i just wanna see games coming out and right now there is still nothing! You are still wrong my friend.

[IanBear]

Annnnnnd nothing much since though? It was all launch, not launch window.

[Protagonist]

It has not been that bad and most PSVITA games are just about to get released.

These are the games that has been released within the launch window.

Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention -
Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted -
Mortal Kombat -
Resistance: Burning Skies
Gravity Rush
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
The Pinball Arcade
Puddle
Sound Shapes
Madden NFL 13

Upcoming PSVITA 2012

Zen Pinball 2
LittleBigPlanet
The King, The Demon King and the Seven Princesses: New King Story
FIFA 13
WRC 3
Street Fighter X Tekken
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Jet Set Radio
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
DJMax Technika Tune
Spy Hunter
Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game
Ratchet & Clank QForce
Ragnarok Odyssey
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Persona 4: The Golden
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

[CernaML]

DJMAX! WOOOOOO!!!

[raWfodog]

Valid opinion piece but that's all it is. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are happily busy with their systems while others are clamoring for a constant influx of new content. Bottom line is you will always have naysayers and yaysayers but it usually seems that the naysayers are more vocal. Personally, I'm waiting for some hardware and accessory price reductions before I take the plunge. There are a few titles that will keep me busy for a long time, like Persona 4 Golden and Disgaea 4, and that will hold me over until more stuff comes.

edit: just made some grammer corrections

[Hicken]

I'm not sure that I really consider it a "valid" opinion, in the face of the actual number of games that were available at launch and soon after.

People claim there weren't enough games- and still say so- and mention maybe three out of the ~30 games that were available. You could say their disregard of the other titles was because they had no interest, but most of the people complaining about a lack of software STILL aren't happy, now that the total number of games is more like 60. That's about half the size of the 3DS library in a third the time, and with more worthy titles during the same time period, to boot.

And that upcoming roster....

Hatred for the Vita is really just about the hatred itself.

[raWfodog]

Great point you bought up about people claiming there are a lack of games when it's really a lack of games that interest them personally. I think they jumped in when they saw a couple of games that they liked, played those, and are now waiting for more of their type of games to drop.

The Vita is a pretty big investment up front and they are now experiencing buyers remorse because they are 'bored' with it. Maybe restraint would have been a smarter move in their case. I always take a wait-and-see approach when new games/systems come out but that's just me.

[Mustang300C2012]

I think it released too late vs too soon. It is clear the market is getting smaller and consumers are looking to spend money on more diverse devices that provide them more than just games. Sony even ignored the mistakes they made with both the PSP and PSP Go and still repeated some of those mistakes. Their problem isn't games and price but people even know about the device outside of N4G and game sites. They advertised the device for a niche group and more money is going to be spent to now market to an every day person if they can afford it.

[g-nome]

Let it rest now , there is enough games and enough coming soon.

[miyamoto]

Sony execs just realized they under estimated the younger gamers market that was their mistake. Make games for that market and everything ( the right prices, right quality & quantity of games, the right types of games, right salws) will fall in the right places with out compromising the hobbyist mature gamers.

They should learn from the PSP. Piracy did not kill it. The DS
was just as pirated as the PSP but its the gamws for the right market that made the difference big.

Thank goodness Jack Tretton is right when he said "they got the hardware technology right & more than capable. Technically its future proofed. The innards rivals with the new iPad.

Just like the PS3's case, the right sofware support will turn this baby around in no time. When they get the balance right pwople will notice.

Stop the half assed attitude towards PS Vita. Put out the big guns support. Your best game makers like Nintendoes. Miyamoto's 100% support of 3DS is very ceucial to its success. Get your BEST geniuses on the Vita. Naughty Dog not Sony Bend! Get Insomniac not Nihilistic. Give ample funds support your Japan Studios to make your MarioSonic killer! Change your attitude towards Vita & watch peoples attititude change too.

[Mustang300C2012]

They can't underestimate a younger audience they were not marketing to. They were clear Vita was marketed for the hardcore average 25yr old gamer. That was a mistake. Now they arevtryingbto market to the younger crowd

[miyamoto]

You can't say " They can't underestimate a younger audience they were not marketing to."

Sony did not see or think its an important market nor a good install base or source of income.

They did make games for younger gamers market like Little Deviants, Hot Shots Golf, & Modnation Racers but where was the marketing push?

But that under estimation is as good as neglect.

They did not have the superb treatment of say Super Mario 3D Land or Mario Kart 7.

Their attitude towards younger gamers is counter productive & wrong.

Sony did not realize that mature gamers or hobbyist started as young gamers.

That to me is a great underestimation of that market.

[Tito08]

I think the two of you worry too much about the marketing, why don't you market for Sony & stop complaining, because in reality... Sony didn't underestimated the younger audience nor did make a mistake marketing the device for a 25 year old gamer, I'm not surprised by your comment Mustang300c2012 since you're nothing more than an Xbox fanboy... You can't define casuals & hardcore gamers based on age... I stopped playing the likes of Mario & Zelda at a very early age & opted for the likes of Tekken, King of Fighters, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo & more, yeah there are kids that are hardcore gamers, & are more hardcore than most 25 year olds....

I think the Vita has the right games for it, whether some of you like it or not, BTW, it's too soon in the Vita's life cycle to label it as a failure, & worry too much about the damn marketing, Sony is a very big corporation, so they likely know wtf they're doing, no wonder they have 65 & 76 million PS3s & PSPs sold respectively....

@ axelstone- Like Nintendoes & Miyamoto supports 3DS 100%?? He has always supported Nintendo consoles for the great majority of his gaming career, so of course no one would be surprised by that, but his presence didn't stop the N64 & Gamecube to fail!!!! & I don't think there's anything wrong with Sony Bend when they did a great Job with Uncharted: GA & Resistance Retribution... It's too fucking soon to come up with early conclusions when the Vita isn't even a year old.. If at least 2 years passes by & nothing has changed, then yeah, you can complain, if you're setting Nintendo as an example, then there wouldn't be any need for them to get some exclusivity with Resident Evil & Monster Hunter since those are pretty much hardcore games!!!!!

[Mustang300C2012]

@Tito08

Stop whining over a discussion little boy.
The info is out there. Sony stated they were marketing towards PS3 owners and gamers in their 20s. Regardless who it is that they are marketing it doesn't change the fact that only 2.2 mil has been sold in almost a year and software isn't selling with the current available games now.

Again I think it is too late for the Vita in a shrinking market that has been dominated by Nintendo for the longest.

You do know the Vita is selling worse than the Dreamcast right? You do know they are struggling with support? You do that only one game has sold 200k while the rest of the games have only sold 50k and all worldwide? So whining about our opinions based on facts shouldn't be a concern to you. If you are too sensitive to handle any comments on here I suggest you find something you can feel comfortable with talking about. By the way, PSP sold but software sold like sh*t. Another reason why support from 3rd party is hesitant.

[Tito08]

@Mustang300- LMAO, this loser calling me little boy, like if you think you're a grown man, or a little girl... First of all, you don't know how videogame business works, so stop coming with dumb conclusions & stay supporting your Xbox... Don't be such an ignorant fanboy, cause certainly nobody listens to you....

The Dreamcast sold up to 10 million in 2 years compared to the Vita's 2 million in 6 months, & it was the first console of the generation, but the PS2's popularity plummeted it's sales plus their financial problems, so Sega realized they wouldn't support the Dreamcast any longer & didn't have the resources to compete again, that's why they retired from console business & simply focused on games, you're the one that needs to have your false facts checked!!!!!

There's nothing wrong with marketing a device to an age group, does it bother you because you're a little baby that needs to have some attention?? Why don't you go back to your Xbox cause obviously you're super misinformed, do research before writing crap!!!!!

Software on PSP sold like shit??? LMAO GTA Liberty City Stories sold almost 8 million on PSP alone, Vice City Stories 5 million.... Final Fantasy have sold better on PSPs than DSs.. PSP's Castlevania sold more than the DS ones... The Monster Hunter games saw more success on PSP alone, 3rd party software sucks on Nintendo consoles, a very tiny few sells, cause obviously Nintendo equals Mario & Zelda, & other first party games, 3rd parties are poor on Nintendo compared to Sony & Microsoft...

So who's the little whining boy now, don't say it's almost a year cause 6 months isn't almost a year, BTW Nintendo was in big trouble with the 3DS being $250, in which prompted to a huge price drop, Iwata was mostly the one to blame, the Vita would have destroyed the 3DS if Nintendo kept the price the same, & people would have noticed the difference in hardware & features, so 3DS is selling because of a first launch & early price drop, I don't whine, I state facts, so check your facts little girl!!!

[InTheLab]

If anything, they should have launched the thing last Christmas....

Also, I've never seen a system with so many games released at and around launch get criticized for having no games.

If you don't like the games it launch with and are not satisfied with Vita and it's games, trade the thing in or don't buy one....but for the love of god, stop bitching about it.

[one2thr]

Amen to that!
The games I own right now are keeping me satisfied with the vita, and I had it since launch... And I got the 3G model and still gaining from my investment...

[SirBradders]

These articles are doing my nut in who cares its sold 2m+ already whats the beef when the price drops next year and some core games are out MH etc... the thing will sell like shit on flies. Some people need to get a job and gf so they have new things to talk about jeeeez.

[Protagonist]

A gf? but I just bought Catherine ;o)...

Looking forward to play that game, I just have to finish up a couple of others though. Then in two months time I will play my most anticipated game on my PSVITA, Persona 4;The Golden.

[GribbleGrunger]

oi! Author. Go stick your head in an oven. We're bored with you.