180°

Why is the PS Vita Still Selling so Poorly?

MasonicGamer.com: So it’s come to this, has it? Another discussion about the PlayStation Vita and its less-than-stellar sales figures. I just can’t help it; I’m getting genuinely worried here. It seems that for the last year, the only news concerning Sony’s fantastic little portable is about the disappointingly low amount that have been purchased. We hear about low sales, lowered expectations, and calls for a price drop, but why? Why is the Vita selling so poorly?

First, I’d like to get one thing straight: Before I’m accused of flaming or trolling, you should know that I’ve owned every Sony system and purchased my PS2, PSP, and Vita all on launch day.

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masonicgamer.com
SynGamer4196d ago

Pretty simple logic; lack of good games (until recently) and that $249 price. I am very curious to see how the PS Vita does next week with all of these $199 PS Vita bundles. We also have Persona 4 Golden and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale releasing next week.

From there on out not much is known, but I'm guessing Sony is banking on PS+ for the PS Vita releasing next week and the amazing list of free games that includes will tide people over until early next year.

Furthermore, Sony Bend must be working on something Vita related and surely there are at least a handful of games Sony is waiting to announce...

Ranma14196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

2 words, Software & Price.

Needs more quality software

4196d ago
disturbing_flame4196d ago

In fact it has plenty of games that are very pleasant to play. It has a lot of good games.

I think if it lacks something it has more to do with the press/zines covers

This console is too hardcore for mainstream gamers or iPhone or android gamers. And of course it's not always designed for kids, therefore you can forget the excuse : "ok this game is average, we have played it 500 times, but it designed for kids so it's cool" relayed by a lot of reviewers that don't know anything about gaming and are just reproducing what everyone does.

Yes i think zines and media in general don't do their job as they should, they don't play and finished the games before they writes their articles and furthermore they have already in mind what they should write before beginning their reviews. And of course they don't review all the games taht are released on Vita.

This console is one of the best handheld ever, i think people who have one, just know it's a fact.

hkgamer4195d ago

I guess price in uk is pretty decent. But you do have to shop around online and find the best deal that suits you.
The games selection isn't too bad, but I understand that people buying the system will only find one game they actually like.

@crusadernm
You could get a 250GB X360 with forza4 and skyrim, but what about people that already own a 360 or PS3.

Sony just needs a better PR team, they need to make people think that everyone has/wants that system. then people would start buying because its popular.

Godmars2904196d ago

Lack of advertising of good games you mean.

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

it should be no more than $200. $50 and you can get a wiiU.

It might be hard for them to do it but at $175 it would make a killing.

SynGamer4196d ago

The Wii U costs $300 minimum. Yes, I agree the Vita needs to be dropped to $199 retail, but you're getting a portable console with the Vita. The Wii U is a slight upgrade to the current-gen consoles.

MikeMyers4196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

It could be multiple reasons.

A) Marketing
B) Price
C) Software
D) Competition
E) Desire and need
F) Identity crisis

There's a whole slew of reasons why it may not be selling as well as hoped. My own opinion is Sony has marketed Vita as a partnership with the PS3. So what you have is a smaller market to sell to since many PS3 owners don't really see a need to get a Vita just yet. Promoting PS+ is a start.

Losyak4196d ago

I saw about 7-8 Vita related ads within 2 hours of Smackdown last night (Black Ops Declassified and AC3L), so they're catching up in that department

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4196d ago
ronin4life4196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

Lack of numerous often realeased titles. You can't have months where nothing is coming out. Vita had a large launch but software has been few AND far between ever since.

Based off confirmed and rumored upcoming titles, this is unlikely to change anytime soon.

@godmars
The 3ds has several titles that perform well (different titles throughout different regions) and aid the system that recieve no advertisement.

Godmars2904196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

But that's after the fact of the 3DS's popularity.

JoGam4196d ago

Cause Black Friday isn't here yet...

darthawesome904196d ago

It's the lack of games. And also the fact that the games that have scored well aren't what I would call system sellers or are too similar to console games.

There are very few games above a 8 or 9 in most reviews. The games that have a good score happen to be found on other consoles like Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Little Big Planet, and Plants Vs. Zombies or are very niche.

Above all the Vita needs its own games that set it apart from other consoles and handhelds. PS3 has Uncharted, Xbox has Halo, Wii has Zelda and Mario, and the DS has Pokemon. When I look at the Vita all I see are remasters, niche games, and portable versions of console games (Most Wanted, Call of Duty).

ATi_Elite4196d ago

It doesn't have a Proper Phone app!

Give it Cell Phone Service and watch the sales take off!

You can thank me later......Sony!

porkChop4196d ago

We have smartphones for a reason... why the hell would someone buy a Vita to use as a phone, instead of for the awesome games? Doesn't make sense, so I don't think Sony will ever be needing to thank you.

hardcorehippiez4196d ago

as much as i dont agree with some of your posts i think your spot on here. yes it has skype but if it had cell phone capabilities it would fly off the shelves. i already have 3 games consoles this gen so splashing out for a games machine only is a steep call. im in need for a new phone , if vita could give me that function id buy it now. as it stands i have to wait to it gets cheaper.and i am a sony fan not fanboy.

ginsunuva4196d ago

One word: Battery life.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4195d ago
DarkBlood4196d ago

im still waiting on the red vita i know i saw some images while back and i liked it so yeah

Godchild10204196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

Unless you live in Japan, that is the only region they are releasing the blue and red system in. Unless we get a God Of War or an infamous on the Vita next year, here in the States or anywhere outside of Japan.

DarkBlood4196d ago

true well i do have a god of war red psp, but yeah i think they should release more colours i have no problem waiting longer if i must it can only be a good thing for me

porkChop4196d ago

Could always just get 1 of the many skins available online. Lots of nice red ones.

Zodiac4196d ago

"First, I’d like to get one thing straight: Before I’m accused of flaming or trolling, you should know that I’ve owned every Sony system and purchased my PS2, PSP, and Vita all on launch day"

I don't like that people have to say this stuff to avoid being bashed just for talking about sales or analyzing any problems that the hardware faces.

pinwheelherman4196d ago

Yeah, me too, but I've posted slightly negative sales articles before and been hounded by commenters who accuse me of trying to start a flame war.

At least this way it's clear that this isn't a Microsoft fanboy who's glad the Vita is doing poorly, but a genuinely concerned gamer who just can't help but admit the truth.

shammgod4196d ago

It's a love fest between you and zodiac

joeorc4196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

" but a genuinely concerned gamer who just can't help but admit the truth."

the truth is: the system may be struggling, but as for being worried about its viability in the market is pretty moot. the reasons are very freaking simple.

Sony's not going to pull the PSVita!

the reason is once again very simple:

WiiU is a connteted tablet controller to a game console Hub.

Microsoft surface is a tablet controller connected to a game Hub.

Apple Iphone,Ipad,Ipod touch can be a controller connected to Apple TV as a game Hub.

Android Smartphones and Tablets connected to a smart TV as a game hub.

notice a freaking theme here people?

Sony has had the PSP with remoter access to the PS3 , the PSVita has cross platform play and remote access. now PS+ will work both on the PS3 and PSVita at the same time only one account needed for both. do you think for one sec.

That The PSVita is not going to be put into the box shipped with the PS3 as one package in the future for one low price?

"Take Your Game on the Go"

cross play
cross buy
playstation Mobile

are people just not getting it?

worrying about the PSVita's ability to stay into the market as a viable game handheld is pretty freaking Moot, one the price for production goes down a PS3+PSV SYSTEM BUNDLE WILL GET RELEASED IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME ITS NOT IF IT WILL ITS ONLY A MATTER OF WHEN IT WILL, WHY BECAUSE THAT IS THE TREND'S OF THE Gaming MARKET GOING FORWARD! many say Nintendo sets the trends right?

if Sony tablet controller connected to a gaming hub is a new trend right? Nintendo starts trends everyone else copy's right?

ITS SO GOOD an IDEA NOW THAT MICROSOFT IS GOING TO OFFER xboxlive ON WINDOWS SURFACE AND WINDOWS PHONE.

You do not think Sony will pass up another chance to copy Nintendo right just like they did with the Wiimote, right?

sarcasm/

knifefight4196d ago

Sadly, the nature of the internet means you have to cater to the lowest common denominator. You can't post "Hey, the system sales are low" without someone calling you a hater and a troll, just like you can't give a game a 7/10 without people erupting in rage at your "bias" and "ignorance".

On topic: I hope the system sales pick up, and that some more high-quality games come out for it.

frjoethesecond4196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

As a VITA owner I have to say that the price of games is a real hard pill for me to swallow. The market is different now thanks to phone games and I think Sony and Nintendo need to price games accordingly.

boybato4196d ago

So how much should a Vita game sell for, in your opinion?

TitanUp4196d ago

all vita games should be priced at 29.99$ i also have a vita

boybato4196d ago

@Farsendor1

Of course. $35 for AAA titles.

frjoethesecond4196d ago

The likes of Black Ops and Assassin's Creed are at least €/$10 too expensive.

Ideally (from a business standpoint) the price of the downloadable versions of retail games should be low enough to remove (or at least reduce) the temptation to buy a used copy.

If the downloadable games were half price then used game retailers would have a much harder time making a profit on used game sales and the volume of digital game sales would significantly increase.

When you consider that downloadable games turn a much better profit than retail games, because there are less costs involved and you can't trade them, it's madness that this business model hasn't been adopted.

The fact that I, an unemployed 23 year old with no real qualifications can see this says a lot about the people who are fixing the prices right now. They're a bunch of greedy fossils living in the past.

hkgamer4195d ago

Games over the £29.99 point are putting me off at the moment, I just don't feel like splashing that much on a handheld device.

I also think the PSN games are too expensive. Especially after spending £50+ on a 32GB card

heres a couple of examples comparing PSN to amazon...

COD... £44.99; £34.99
SFxT... £39.99; £29.99
AC... £39.99; £34.99
Fifa13... £39.99; £34.99
Modnation... £5.99; £15.66
Ben10.. £13.99; £19.95
f1... £15.99; £21.32
RR... £7.99; £7.00

Ok the last four games were discounted 50% off on the PSN and most of them are cheaper than amazon which is quite a feature. Sony should do these great deals every so often.

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Embeepee4196d ago (Edited 4196d ago )

There's simply no room for the Vita in today's market imo. The boundary between the Smartphone market and the handheld gaming market becomes more occluded by the day, so the PS Vitas fortunes aren't going to turn around anytime soon I don't think.

Also, I don't think people want to play in-depth console-style games like Uncharted on the go. Portable gaming is for Mario and Pokemon type games and simple smartphone apps. Besides, judging from the reviews of some of the games (like CoD Vita) it doesn't seem like the Vita is actually a great console for gaming in general. :/

Anyway, I don't think the Vita has a place in today's market and I think it will sell under 20m units. It may even be discontinued In the next year as Sony cannot afford to bleed money on funding a console consumers don't want. I hope for Sonys sake I'm wrong though...

boybato4196d ago

Hopefully, I am still waiting for IPs such as Metal Gear to be released for the system.

porkChop4196d ago

Black Ops Declassified is just a horrible game. It has nothing to do with the Vita as there are plenty of fantastic games for the system.

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140°

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.

90°

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.

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culturedvultures.com
Vader823d ago

No 7 days to die is criminal

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.

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eurogamer.net
XiNatsuDragnel5d ago

Microsoft had a good idea but fumbled it again.

Cacabunga4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

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

ApocalypseShadow5d 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.

Zachmo1824d ago

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

Rynxie4d ago

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

ApocalypseShadow4d ago (Edited 4d 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.

4d ago
Hereandthere3d 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.

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Notellin4d 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.

4d ago
Hereandthere3d 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.

ApocalypseShadow3d ago

Lying to yourself is unbecoming.

Article link tells you all you need to know in Sarah Bond's own words.

Hereandthere3d 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.

ApocalypseShadow3d ago

At least you and others get it. Note drank the Kool aid and asked for seconds thinking it was refreshing.

Most don't even know how it all played out but it's there in black and white for all to see. Microsoft brought it up for years until the MLB forced Sony's hand. It was a win win for Microsoft. Kill one reason to buy a PlayStation or kill the game by dropping it in a cheap service to kill Sony's sales numbers on PlayStation.

OtterX4d 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.

Cockney3d ago

They chose well, Sony gave them the backing to pursue their dreams with no restrictions even tho their games especially dreams have very niche appeal. Media molecule and Sony deserve respect for this in an age of risk averse publishing.

RNTody4d ago (Edited 4d 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?

Inverno4d 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.

Inverno4d 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.

4d ago
fsfsxii4d 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.

Inverno4d 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?

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