110°

The PS Vita is not dead – Reader’s Feature

A reader takes a look at the troubled fortunes of the PS Vita and argues that it’s not been all bad in terms of games, and that a bright future is still possible.

smashman984193d ago

Very good article and very true Sony has a real winner on their hands here and you won't find a richer more complete on the go experience than you will here

Knight_Crawler4193d ago (Edited 4193d ago )

We will have to wait to see what type of numbers Sony shows after a year to determine if it will have the same fate as the PSP GO.

My only question is what will Sony do if the VITA does not take off this Holiday season? Will they:

Drop the price which will put Sony more in the red because they are already selling the Vita at a loss.

Drop out of the handheld business for good and make Nintendo take all the cake or allow for another competitor to challenge Nintendo.

Redesign the VITA with 3D and relaunch it.

Sony should have delayed the VITA launch for one more year, I know the 3DS forced Sony to launch early but if Sony would have waited one more year they could have gotten more variety of games at launch and sell it for a cheaper price.

As much as we hardcore gamer hate to admit this but the truth is that gimmicks sells and casuals love gimmicks... the Vita has no gimmicks just straight up raw processing power but to the casuals specs mean nothing.

joeorc4193d ago (Edited 4193d ago )

Bundle it with the PS3 because that is where the trends are going anyway!

unlike the PSPGo, there is still a damand for the PSVita small number's but still a demand. unlike the PSPGo the PSVita's design and investment was made for the smartphone market, thats why

A: the PSVita uses smartphone chipsets that developers are already quite familiar with.

b: Sony's main priority is Mobile smartphones, with sales per sales quarter of over 7.8 million xperia smartphones every sales Quarter vs the dedicated Game console handheld market which your lucky to hit 19 million sold every 10 months like the fantastic sales of the Nintendo platform does, but still quite pales in the smartphone market for market share.

IF PEOPLE HAS NOT FIGURED IT OUT YET, PSVita was designed for the smartphone market not the dedicated game handheld market, because they are becoming one and the same! why do you think many mobile smarphones support game pads bluetooth and direct wired to the smartphone and tablet on an OS level. android 4.0 supports USB OTG and bluetooth game pad support right from the get go! if your smartphone or tablet has IOS or Android 4.0 GAME PAD SUPPORT IS NATIVE NOW.

why do you think sony made their Playstation Mobile platform work on not only Sony only made hardware, but other hardware made by other companies.

Sony knows first hand where the trends are moving.
AND HAS KNOWN QUITE A WHILE!

wireless net connected Remote play being worked on ever since the 1st PSP. and now you have Microsoft's smart glass, Nintendo with the WiiU, and almost every freaking smartphone and Tablet with HDMI or using sling box or Use of smart TV's. Come on people

sony purchased Sony Ericsson for over $1.5 billion and now Sony has per sales Quarter over 7.8 million xperia smartphones per quarter , do people really think the PSVita is set to be the number 1 priority product for mobile handheld for Sony? No Thats just the truth, but make no mistake about it Sony is not going to pull the PSVita because the trends of mobile devices connecting to a hub is the next generation of gaming forward by the big three anyway, Sonys PS3 already has the companion for this trend its the PSVita

MasterCornholio4193d ago

How is the rear touch pad not a gimmick?

The problem with the Vita isn't the lack of gimmicks because it has plenty of them. The issue is that the Vita is made by Sony which means no Nintendo franchises. In order for the Vita to be successful it needs games that are as popular as Nintendo franchises otherwise it will never do well in the market.

Motorola RAZR i

Godchild10204193d ago

The problem is that Crash & Spyro are with Activision. And those games would have helped the Vita push sales for the Vita.

Sad day on earth when Activation got their hands on those IPs.

tehpees34193d ago

"Redesign the VITA with 3D and relaunch it."

3D will not pack the same selling point as when Nintendo launched 3DS though. Iwata himself has admitted the 3D boat has sailed and are now relying on the software to move units.

Adding a 3D screen will just make it more expensive and raise Sony's losses further. The power makes the hardware expensive enough. People need to realize Sony cannot keep selling at losses even in their game division.

profgerbik4193d ago (Edited 4193d ago )

Yea they can, they have plenty of money is what many don't understand.

Sony hasn't really be losing much besides with the Vita, PS3 is doing good enough and yea not a first but it picked up big time and they are almost selling more than Xbox now.

The Vita will pick up, ton's of high quality games are going to be coming out and people are going to start hearing more and more good things about this system and find themselves more interested in buying one.

There isn't a single company in this world that probably isn't losing something right now, times are changing and even people like Microsoft are trying to adapt with things like Windows 8 and I am sure have taken losses with that, as it hasn't been well received..

Even Nintendo is starting to lose massive amounts of money now.

Just saying.. It won't stop any of them and it's been a year you can't technically say it has been a huge loss for Sony when it hasn't even been a full year yet.

I don't expect Christmas or Black Friday to really boost Vita sales but once people stop following what everyone else says and actually sees one or plays it themselves, they will know what they have been missing.

Anyone who has seen mine didn't even know what the hell it was and were blown away every time at the quality of gaming it brought to the table. I mean every time I am out with that thing, people are like what is that?

It also has to do with the fact people are very uneducated when it comes to electronics these days, they just don't care, they just follow trends and whatever smart phone or tablet is said to be the best, they just believe it and buy it without ever actually questioning what is inside the device or what the extent of what it can actually do is.

Most people could probably careless, they are om facebook and twitter all god damn day anyway and that's sadly about all they usually use these expensive ass devices for anyway.

It's no surprise to me seeing the gaming industry trying to compete hard with the ever evolving trend with smart phones and tablets.

Honestly if you don't have a Vita and you are passing up Black Friday, getting one with a free memory card and game for only $200, I will say you are missing out big time.

No better time to buy a Vita honestly because I am sure the price will jump straight back up after all this.

4193d ago
wowguytc4193d ago

We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! ....or at least I hope so to justify my $350 investment

joeorc4193d ago (Edited 4193d ago )

"or at least I hope so to justify my $350 investment"

that very same thing was stated over and over about the PS3, HELL WHEN THE ps2 FIRST RELEASED THE SAME THING.

Doubting any and everyone of the game console companys that make the systems, it seems is like a sport to some, maybe this will be the end of that platform, hmm still not done maybe this will be the year of the PS3, no? next year? how about this year? lol

its at a point it becomes mute and moot. Sony has sold 4 systems over 70+ million now has people not guessed the support will still be there?

PS1
PS2
PSP
PS3

ALL HAVE SOLD OVER 70 MILLION SYSTEMS INTO CONSUMERS HANDS! doubt is one thing anyone can doubt, but doubting the support of their products is another whole ballgame in of itself. like i already stated, over 90+ games has hit the PSVita in under a freaking year! on the market, and still more software support is getting released for next year.

saying this you did

"justify my $350 investment"

makes it sound like you do not really think Sony is going to support the PSvita with software?

if so than that may be your opinion on the matter but i fully disagree with your opinion, if of course your made post and whole point is that as to poke a lil fun at the fans of the PSVita keep doing it , if that gives you excitement than that is just you.

eferreira4193d ago

gamecube, xbox, snes and n64 sold around 20-40 million and those are considered success. People still think the psp was a failure when it outsold some of those consoles combined.

People said the same thing about the ps3 and now it's pulled into second place or tied with the 360.

wowguytc4193d ago

Whoa....first off I'm a big fan of the vita. I got one launch day....hell I got it a week early for preordering the 3G little deviants bundle. I own at least 9 vita games and multiple downloadable games. Add me if you want proof, pistolerros17. I love the little machine. I was never doubting Sony. I was simply quoting a movie (ID4) because I want it to succeed. I love my ps3. I love my 360. I love games period. I just want it to succeed and not be a paperweight if it fails. I agree with you that Sony always supports it's consoles and believe they will with the vita. I meant it more like inspiration than doubting. "Justifying my $350 investment " is something anybody wants with anything they buy. Never even occurred to me that Sony wouldn't support it. I want people to buy it so they can enjoy it like I do. I don't think enough people know about it. One thing Sony can work on is advertising it. They did In the beginning, but don't see much lately. Bottom line, I love my vita. My bad if I came off wrong and looked like another hater.

AnxiousTugboat4193d ago

I think WowGuyTC has a valid concern.

Companies like Sony value everyone's opinions on their products so they can get a broad view of its users feedback. Being a Sony fanboy and accepting everything Sony throws at you as gold and knocking everyone's opinions that contradicts your owns doesn't help help Sony. If you truly are a fan of Sony you'll let people's voices be heard so that Sony can get an idea how the general market feels about its products. You might even consider providing constructive feedback on how the product can improve (even if the sight of your vita distracts you from the naked chic across the room)

Having said that, I think the biggest frustration with vita owners is not that it lacks potential or that it lacks an enjoyable catalog of games. Instead, vita owners are frustrated with the fact that Sony made high expectations for the vita that they're just now beginning to deliver. In theory the vita is a sensational concept but as people began buying them they realized it initially lacked many of the features that made it exciting. So like myself and many people that I know bought a vita, it sat unused collecting dust. As features slowly started to become available people forgot about the vita all together. It was PARAMOUNT that the vita work as promised with all the exciting titles and features like cross play right out of the box on day one. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and I think the reason the vita has had limited success.

I rooted for the vita and I still do but I think Sony has some work to do if they want to make the vita the success that it's capable of being. For example, apps on the vita are sh*t. Most of today's smartphones run software so smooth that it makes using apps on the vita sluggish (the few that are available). I think Sony needs to make this experience better maybe even consider running android on the vita. If the vita was a combination of good quality Sony xperia phone (minus the radios for phone) and a high performing PSP,they'd have people flocking to pick one up. Also, without cross play being executed 100pct and available on mostly all popular titles, the vita is just another handheld. With smartphones becoming more robust with functionality and games its even more important now for handheld companies to be innovative. I want a ps3 in my pocket. I want to be able to pick up my Vita while I'm on the plane and jump online with my buddy back home on his ps3 and play coop with some the top titles available on the ps3. I understand the vita is headed in this direction and slowly titles are supporting cross play but I'm afraid if Sony can't get it together soon...they may lose out on a big opportunity.

Cheers to vitas future.

Brian1rr4193d ago

Sony needs to lower the price of the memmory cards if they want to sell more vitas. I was lucky and got a 16gb from Amazon warehouse for 32 bucks. I hope they keep the price of the vita at $200 after black friday

4193d ago
Show all comments (30)
80°

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night DLC Adds Free Gameplay Modes

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has received a bunch of new DLC, including two new gameplay modes, for free.

70°

20 Best Survival Games of All Time

From base building to swinging willies, here are the best survival games around, which include a couple of less than obvious picks.

Read Full Story >>
culturedvultures.com
210°

Microsoft once tried to nab LittleBigPlanet from Sony after a few drinks

It turns out that many moons ago, Microsoft once had its eye on the Sony published LittleBigPlanet series.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
XiNatsuDragnel2d ago

Microsoft had a good idea but fumbled it again.

Cacabunga21h ago(Edited 21h ago)

Project Spark idea was decent but they quickly gave up ..
LBP was wonderful

ApocalypseShadow1d 15h ago

Microsoft in a nutshell. Always tried to poach Sony employees, games, 3rd party games and devices like the depth camera that was turned into Kinect but was running on PS2 before Xbox 360. Wouldn't be surprised they wanted LBP. Just like they worked behind the scenes pushing the MLB to bring Sony's baseball game to Xbox instead of making their own.
https://www.playstationlife...

They didn't spend years trying to develop their own baseball game. They wanted Sony's game.

They're scum.

Zachmo18219h ago

Microsoft didn't force MLB on Xbox. MLB gave Sony 2 options either go multiplat or risk losing the license.

Rynxie10h ago

And why do you think MLB said that? I believe Ms approached MLB.

ApocalypseShadow9h ago(Edited 9h ago)

Totally ridiculous comment.

The only exclusivity Sony had was to their own creation of The Show. Microsoft could have paid the MLB for the license just like Sony did and made their own baseball game.

Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox. They're worth 3 TRILLION dollars. You think that's not enough money to make their own baseball game? Don't be delusional.

Microsoft spun it like they always do and told the media that they had to trust Sony with their hardware. After they put Sony in that position of not having a choice. Either go multiplatform or stop making one of their successful games. That's a no win scenario.

And what did Microsoft do? They didn't try to sell the game to the Xbox community. They put it on game pass to hurt Sony. Pushing the idea of why buy games that are $70 when you can play them in their cheap service for $10. It was a dirty tactic.

You fell for the Kool aid drink Microsoft served you instead of spitting it out. Hope it tasted good because you were fooled by Phil and the gang.

4h ago
Hereandthere1h ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Bond revealed that MLB The Show “always came up” in conversations between Microsoft and the Major League Baseball organization. “We always said, ‘We love this game. It would be a huge opportunity to bring it to Xbox.'” she recalled. However, when Microsoft’s efforts materialized, it put the company in an awkward situation where it had to send in pre-release consoles to a rival company.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1h ago
Notellin6h ago

"Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox."

Take a nap, conspiracies are rotting your brain.

4h ago
Hereandthere1h ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Hereandthere1h ago

They were too cheap/inept/lazy to develop their own mlb game, so they port begged for years and bribed the mlb to make the show multiplatform. Like i said many times, xbox brought nothing to the table their 24 years, ZERO.

OtterX22h ago

"However, Healey said Media Molecule wouldn't have felt right doing that, adding it would have been "morally corrupt"."

Major kudos to Media Molecule for being an upright studio with principles.

RNTody22h ago(Edited 22h ago)

Great, more stories like this please. Show the last of the zombies holding the line what we've been saying for years: Microsoft is anti competition, anti industry and has no interest in making games at all.

But hey, at least there's an Xbox Games Showcase to look forward to, right?

Inverno21h ago

Well considering SONY just killed the series, LBP would've been dead by now either way. Though MM probably wouldn't exist by now either, so I'm glad they stayed with SONY, hopefully they don't get shut down any time soon or ever honestly.

Inverno19h ago

They shut down the servers, that's millions of user created levels gone. That and dead are pretty much the same, it's also been years since 3 and they cancelled HUB soooo.

4h ago
fsfsxii6h ago

They shutdown the servers because no one was playing, no one in the community cared about the user created levels so why keep them up? Wtf you guys would never succeed in running a business.

Inverno4h ago

Yea dood no one was playing so they shut off the servers. Cause people with enough common sense can't just Google why they were actually shut of, right?

Show all comments (26)