Sony Doesn’t Seem Interested in Bringing System Sellers to Vita

GenGAME writes: "Today, Sony doesn’t seem interested in grabbing (or making) games with real potential to become the face of Vita. So far, what are the best-sellers for the system? They’re dumbed-down handheld versions of games that haven’t been super-hot to begin with (I’m looking at you, Uncharted and LittleBigPlanet), dumbed-down third-party multi-platform games that are by that very fact unlikely to become front-line titles for a new system (Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty), or quirky little experimental games. It’s no surprise that they aren’t pulling sales – none of these games is an adequate substitute for real revolutionary game-changers."

[Muffins1223]

Well,there pushing ps3 games on the vita like sly cooper and persona 4 and many other games that have much higher quality and more content than a 3ds game..also killzone mercenary,Little big planet vita, soul sacrifice , and earth defense are just a few other games off the top of my head...

[legendoflex]

Sly Cooper, Persona 4, LBP Vita, Soul Sacrifice - system sellers?

Come on, does anyone know what those look like anymore?

[Kamikaze135]

Clearly you don't.

[LOGICWINS]

^^Either way, Sly Cooper, Persona 4, LBP Vita, and Soul Sacrifice are NOT system sellers. They just aren't.

GTA is a system seller. Battlefield is a system seller. Monster Hunter is a system seller.

[andrewsqual]

Why do people think that Sony have to make all the awesome games for Vita? A fucking third party needs to step in and make something good every now and again. Sony only have so many awesome studios that can make games at once.

[BattleAxe]

The Vita will move once the heavy hitters like Killzone, God of War and Gran Turismo come out. They could use another Uncharted game and maybe even a Heavenly Sword game. I would love to see another Socom game as long as it is done in a style similar to the PS2 Socom games, but that seems highly unlikely at this stage.

For third party games, GTA, Metal Gear, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Battlefield and maybe a real Call of Duty game would really get things going.

[dafegamer]

what is a system seller for you then?

[Pixel_Enemy]

LOL Logic's idea of system sellers are multiplats haha.

[LOGICWINS]

"The Vita will move once the heavy hitters like Killzone, God of War and Gran Turismo come out."

I heard the SAME thing about COD, Liberation, and Golden Abyss. When will you people understand? N4G consistently proclaims that people buy consoles for exclusive IPs right? Yet when it comes to Vita, it's all of a sudden acceptable for Vita to churn out inferior versions of pre-existing Sony IPs.

Hypocrisy at its finest.

"LOL Logic's idea of system sellers are multiplats haha."

You REALLY need to do your research before commenting. The PS3 versions of the multiplats I mentioned outsell PS3 exclusives. The PS3 version of BF3 outsold Killzone 3 2:1. So YES, a Battlefield game(multiplatform) would be a HELLUVA lot better system seller than KZ: Mercenary.

Numbers don't lie :)

[JoGam]

Playstation Plus is a system seller. I know a few people who bought a Vita just for Plus

[LOGICWINS]

^^It would be if Sony actually advertised it.

In early 2011, it was reported that only 100k PSN members we're PS Plus subscribers.

http://www.computerandvideo...

Lets say(being generous) that this number jumped to 500k in the past two years...thats STILL not even ONE percent of the estimated 70 million UNIQUE PSN users.

It's been proven that Sony has dire PR/marketing issues. Why are we sweeping it under the rug and pretending that everything is okay? Hiding behind a disagree button won't make the Vita sell.

[skrug]

@Logicwins

So Battlefield is a system seller and COD is not? Which is released, and I know the game has crap ratings....

Which means only naming these games (GTA, Battlefield, MonHun) does not equal a system sellers or even a good game, because lets be honest COD should be system seller.

And why are Sly Cooper, Person 4 Golden, LBP Vita and Soul Sacrifice not system sellers? I know some people who bought PSV just for Person 4 Golden.

Edit: is the PS+ subscribers world wide? UK only ?

[LOGICWINS]

^^Your forgetting the fact that COD was a bad game that was critically demolished, thus receiving bad word of mouth.

If done right, a Battlefield game with the full FrostBite engine would work wonders on the Vita.

Btw yes, those numbers are worldwide.

[xPhearR3dx]

@andrewsqual

Um, it's not a third parties job to sell another companies system. It's the companies job that made the system to sell it and increase their fanbase to convince the third party they should use their resources to make a game for it.

If a third party felt a console or handheld isn't going to do so well, why would they waste company time and resources to develop a game that might not sell so well? Unless the company who made the system set up a deal with a third party to help funding, it's their job to make a system seller, not a third party.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Talk about being hypocritical.

***"If done right, a Battlefield game with the full FrostBite engine would work wonders on the Vita."***

Why can't that be the case for, to put it in your words, "inferior versions of pre-existing Sony IPs" as well?

The problem isn't that that they are well established IPs. It's that the games just aren't good. A lot of good games on the original PSP were IPs that were established on console, The GTA stories, FF:Crisis Core, and Kingdom Hearts come to mind.

Well known IPs are what the Vita needs, not new IPs that people aren't going to be willing risk $250+ on. Gravity Rush could have had 10s across the board and it still wouldn't have pushed enough units to consider a "system seller."

The games just have to be good. Publishers and developers can't half-ass a game expecting the name alone to garner the sales. People aren't going to be throwing away their money like that in today's economy.

[Knushwood Butt]

Soul Sacrifice is going to sell Vitas in Japan at least, so yeah, it's a system seller.

Could be a sleeper hit in the west too. It's fast and accessible.

[parkerpeters]

I bought my vita exclusively for LBPV... Then I got a bunch of other fantastic stuff for it :)

[xursz]

Monster Hunter is a system seller,,, in Japan. Don't forget monster hunter games have rarely sold well in NA or Europe.

Oddly enough I think the best selling MH game outside Japan was on the Wii with a few million sold. Correct if I'm mistaken.

GTA has sold 10 million or so on psp despite hacking so that's a feat.

[fatstarr]

clearly if they were system sellers the vita would have 10mill sold world wide.

Enter the logic free zone.

if everyone that disliked these comments went out and bought a vita Sony would have some sales. just fake fans and sony bandwagoners that say all this good talk on the internet but dont deliver lol.

talk is all good but numbers dont lie.

[rainslacker]

@Logic

What sells a system for one person, isn't the same for another. Some games have a bigger fan base and more people may buy a system for it...like GTA, GT, Pokemon, or Monster Hunter for instance. Then there's UC:GA which made me want to get a Vita. If it wasn't that then Gravity Rush may have pushed me to get one as it was very unique. P4G definitely would have pushed me to buy one, and if not that then YS: Celceta would be a 100% buy for me.

The Vita has plenty of games that people might be willing to buy the system for. Just because you have a narrow view, and think you know what all gamers want, doesn't mean that the system is lacking in appealing titles. If they are unappealing to you then so be it, but please stop acting like you speak for everyone. You know why COD wasn't a system seller for many on the Vita...because it lacked almost everything that made a COD game, and more importantly, people didn't have a lot of friends who had a Vita for them to play COD with.

I think one of Vita's greatest strengths right now is it's ever increasing library of games that appeal to more than just one group of people. There is literally a game that everyone could find appealing on the system, and as time goes by people will see more and more appealing games come for it. In fact, that's not just Vita's strength, but Sony's strength since they made the first PS1.

[Heartnet]

Peronsa 4 is a system seller.. if your looking into the right genre market

[kupomogli]

@xursz

GTA sold well on the PSP before(LCS) and around the time it was hacked(VCS.) It's unfortunate that so many people pirated games because there were so many good games on the system that deserved much better sales than they received.

[DOMination-]

Lol. Logic, don't even bother. N4G thinks the last guardian is a system seller when the two previous games sold 300 and 600k worldwide respectively (amazing games though they were).

The truth is, Sony do not own a single IP that can sell handheld systems. Nintendo on the other hand have Mario Kart, Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon and have made sure the big third party system sellers are exclusive. Ie. Dragons quest, professor layton and monster hunter. Then there's silly stuff like Art Academy and Brain Training.

To even suggest that Sly and Persona are on that level is ridiculous.

Sony are quite capable of making these games. LBP i think is one that SHOULD be selling units. Its not that they aren't advertising it, but in the UK at least they advertise it in the wrong way.

[Ritsujun]

and LOGICWINS' not a winner either

[Kurt Russell]

Everyone is getting their grumpy faces on for LOGIC, when really he has made me dream of a handheld BF.

[kupomogli]

Monster Hunter is only a system seller if you're Japanese or one of the few non Japanese fans.

A system seller though doesn't have to be any one specific IP, game, etc. Something that's a system seller to one person might not be to another.

Regardless. It doesn't matter how many system sellers are on the Vita if a lot of people have no interest for some reason or another. Look at the 3DS. Where was its system seller the first eight months of release? While it didn't meet Nintendo's projected sales, the 3DS sold far more than the Vita did during the same time frame and everything good was a port or a remake. Literally.

This is just opinion. You don't have to agree with my opinion, but having both the Vita and the 3DS, I feel that the Vita has, so far, received much more quality content.

The 3DS is finally coming out with more games I'm interested in though. Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate, Devil Summoner Soul Hackers, and SMT4.

@LOGICWINS(reply to a post below.)

"Right. Why the hell would I spend 250 bucks to play something I can already get on a console I already own?"

Uncharted Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048, Unit 13, Gravity Rush, LBP Vita, Ragnarok Odyssey, Shinobido 2, Assassin's Creed Liberation, Escape Plan, Aqua Kitty, etc.

Before you say, I can play "Uncharted" on my PS3, how about this. I can play Mario on my NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, etc. Golden Abyss is a new game, LBP Vita is a new game, Wipeout 2048 is a new game, etc.

The 3DS owners spent $250 for nothing but ports, remakes, and shovelware during the first eight months. You going to go and bash that crowd? I'm not saying go and do so. I'm just saying it'd be hypocritical not to.

[miyamoto]

Price Cut first!

make it more affordable

[andibandit]

Lets face it, games ported from PS3->Vita are NOT going to be system sellers.

A year after release the Vita still dosn't have a Flagship game and i fear it will never get one.

[IMightBeRetarded]

These are some of my favorite games of all time, and soul sacrifice looks amazing. I bough a vita for lbp , so yes it is a system seller.

[Erimgard]

That's the point though...the Vita doesn't need "PS3 games"

It needs interesting, unique, NEW games. Not smaller versions of something people can already get on their PS3.

[LOGICWINS]

Right. Why the hell would I spend 250 bucks to play something I can already get on a console I already own?

[zebramocha]

@erimgard that's the stupidest thing I ever heard,nintendo does it and never got called out on it,one excuse someone remark was,"they make their console games work on a handheld",I don't see the problem,if the game translate well from console to handheld then why complain?if people can discribe tablet games as having console quality but not complain if the game doesn't match cod,then why for Sony it's wrong?I understand if the game didn't capture the mobile experience in a genre.I think people do want the console type games on a handheld but get up set when Sony does it.

@logic so nintendo gets away with it because they're nintendo,then that means every reviwer excluding pro Sony sites should not make a vita review because they'll wright it off as a port.

[LOGICWINS]

"that's the stupidest thing I ever heard,nintendo does it and never got called out on it"

^^Because its Nintendo! Everyone and their mother owns a DS or at the very least knows a person that owned a portable Nintendo handheld at some point in their lives. Nintendo could start selling water guns and they would sell out if priced correctly.

Sony has NOWHERE near the same clout in the handheld gaming space, hence why Nintendo can afford to get away with rehashing 20 year old IPs.

@zebramocha- When reviewed, Vita ports should be held to the same standard as their PS3 counterparts. Sony said the Vita was a "console" in your pocket, so it should be held to console standards.

[Erimgard]

@zebramocha

Yes and no. Nintendo counts on remakes/ports of classic games on their handheld systems, but you never saw them releasing Wii and 3DS versions of the same game at the same time and expecting people to go out and buy a 3DS because of it, just as Sony shouldn't expect that if they release a Vita/PS3 game that people are going to buy the Vita for it when they already own a PS3.

[Blastoise]

Logicwins
GTA is a system seller but I dont know about Battlefield
As for Monster Hunter It only really sells in Japan. I think people are understimating Soul Sacrifice & Phantasy star online 2, I reckon they'll shift a few Vita's over there. Soul Sacrifice is a game Sony are actually putting a bit of marketing behind for once lol. Heres hoping anyway

edit: Meant to reply to legendofflex above, woops

[skrug]

@Logicwins
"Right. Why the hell would I spend 250 bucks to play something I can already get on a console I already own?" -LOGICWINS

"^^Either way, Sly Cooper, Persona 4, LBP Vita, and Soul Sacrifice are NOT system sellers. They just aren't.

GTA is a system seller. Battlefield is a system seller. Monster Hunter is a system seller." -LOGICWINS

WAIT A MINUTE....
So which is it?

[zebramocha]

@logic the vita is technically a console just not of the home variety.

@erimgard not all vita games have a cross buy function to them,it makes sense for specific games.

[Irishguy95]

Skrug...Read the ****ing comment. He is not saying they aren't good games, nor is he saying BF3 is better than Killzone games. He is saying they aren't System sellers. Not commenting on tehir quality. Jesus some people are stupid.

I agree with you logic anyway, Gravity Rush is one game. Lbp portable = Why the **** would I want it if I have Lbp 2 already? Golden Abyss doesn't hold a candle to the console versions either. Why would I want it? There is nothing like Gravity Rush on Ps3. So I WANT IT. Now I have it/ Along with Ps+ other games. Sly cooper people keep saying, i'd much rather play it on console.

edit-----------
Skrug...are you LISTENING? I never said Gravity Rush is a system seller, it most certainly is NOT a system seller. it is a good game that I want/have and is unique to PsV. You have to Read again....everything. Find out what a system seller is. Especially for a new console. The new call of duty in Novenber..sells Ps3's and 360's. MGS'4 was a system seller. Cod Vita was complete crap compared to the console version.

Again, find out what a system seller is before you start confusing 'good games' with 'system seller'. Dark souls is my fav game this gen...it will not ever sell systems.

Just because something is multiplat does not mean people will not buy systems for it.

There is no opinion on system sellers. To be a system seller, a game's release must suddenly sprout the selling of gaming systems regardless of Multiplat or exclusivity. There is no opinion on what sells systems. They either do sell them or they don't. Numbers don't lie.

[skrug]

@Irishguy95

He's being contradictory. He says he wants new IPs, but lists multiplats as system sellers. At the same time says Soul Sacrifice is not a System seller.

You say Gravity Rush is a system seller, but is it a system seller to Logicswins? I mean he did say Soul Sacrifice is not a system seller, in such a case, is Gravity Rush a system seller?

Edit:
Just read that Ragnarok Odeseey shipped some 250k copies across Japan, Asia and North America.
http://thesilentchief.com/2...

[ILive]

The vita definitely needs new tips, not these so called system sellers. Why have a vita if that is all you are going to get. The vita needs new ips plain and simple. To be honest, I really don't know how they manage to sell so many psps when they did not support it right. They can sell the vita but they must support it vigorously.

[ps3_pwns]

nsmb wii- Nsmb2 3ds
mario kart wii- mario kart 3ds
fire emblem wii- fire emblem 3ds
monster hunter wii- monster hunter 3ds

Lets not be freaking hypocrits here guys. hyprocrits are the worst gamers and vita and 3ds are doing the same thing right now.

Tired of haters and liars on here who dont know what the freak they talking about.

[IAMERROR]

The game people had hoped to help Vita sales was COD and it got panned in reviews though it still sold well on the platform. If they can somehow secure another Monster Hunter that would be a HUGE system seller in Japan. Launching that Killzone game on the same date as GTAV is a horrible idea, game it going to sell horribly.

Get SE to heavily support the system like they did on the PSP. Sony needs its own "pokemon" and what I mean by that is to have an extremely fun portable multiplayer experience that would help define the platform. eh well that's what I think.

[showtimefolks]

GT could be a system seller

The new KZ game looks sick and has a lot of attention from gaming media so that could help

My under rated pick for system seller is soul sacrifice, it's these kind of games that could turn into big hit.

It takes time, I don't know how many times Sony has to say it it's not a race it's a marathon, games are coming out in 2013 and VIta will steadily grow but who am I kidding this in N4G where ts always Foom Articles for hits

VIta launched with 25 games how come none of the authors ever say that?

Wiiu and GTA will be fine in the long run.

[stuna1]

Logic I understand what your saying and all, but how can you argue 2 year old statistics with now? Especially considering that playstation plus was pretty much new at the time. I have 93 people on my friends list, and out of them 34 of them have ps+ including me! That in itself kind of disproves your 500,000 figure.

Also didn't sony just recently address what steps they would be taking to push the sales of the Vita as far as support and advertising!?

[CalvinKlein]

wait till this big event. FF7 HD remake on VITA!!!

Gravity rush 2, and warriors lair will hopefully come out this year too.

[Mounce]

The problem is, what IS a system seller, what can make a system seller? PS3 didn't even have 'system sellers' in my honest opinion.

PS3 had tons of exclusives and none of them were System Sellers, specific ones can be DELICIOUS but what PS3 had going for it was a fuck load of GREAT GAMES....However, how this generation is? Great games don't equate to system sellers. What are this generations system seller? GTA-series....COD Series....Halo series....Pokemon.... Sony and PS3 had made a lot of new IP's, a lot of great 'AAA' titles, a lot of memorable new franchises. However, none of them were like ZOMG PS3's GOING THROUGH THE ROOOOF!!....

PS1 had system sellers, PS2 had system sellers, but what each Playstation console had that PS3 also has? A great range, a great variety of quality games that can't be competed with.

[blastcorp64]

Clearly you never played kid Icarus or fire emblem

[Gimmemorebubblez]

There are many good games on the vita but a price cut and more advertising would help a lot.
If the sales pick up more system sellers will come.

Edit:Killzone Mercenary, Tearaway, Soulsacrafice are all potential system sellers.

[Erimgard]

Tearaway definitely has some potential. Not 100% sold on the other two, but Tearaway is a big step in the right direction.

[Dylila]

i wont even click on the article because im quite sure that the body of it is riddled with misinformation.

" They’re dumbed-down handheld versions of games that haven’t been super-hot to begin with (I’m looking at you, Uncharted and LittleBigPlanet), "

this sentence alone nullifies the whole article even if it states that the sky is blue.

[MmaFan-Qc]

like if the LBP vita game was the same than the ps3 lbp games, its pretty obvious that the article is full of bullshit

[remanutd55]

its even better, LBP vita is the best LBP game in the series.

[TheFirstClassic]

Yeah lbp Vita is supposed to be the best lbp yet. Uncharted GA wasn't dumbed down, the original Uncharted only had a story mode. GA was an awesome game which was, in my opinion, unfairly criticized for not having a multiplayer mode.

[Anon1974]

You know what? The article was a decent look back at some serious system sellers across consoles. Then, for no reason whatsoever it takes that ridiculous, trolling swipe at two fantastic titles in it's conclusion. Who does that? It just strips any credibility from the article.

The author had an interesting point and provided some food for thought, and then completely slaps gamers in the face at the end by marginalising two of the finest games to ever make their way onto a mobile platform. It's at this stage that you realize the author has probably never even held a Vita, let alone spent enough time with one to offer a valid opinion on what they're doing right or wrong.

A big ole vote down for this article, and for this site. Ridiculous.

[JD_Shadow]

Yeah, it would've been a lot more creditable if they didn't go down that route. Regardless of what you might think about the games or the system they were exclusive for, the thing is that those games generated a lot of great reviews and sales figures. Even in the day when the PS3 wasn't doing so hot (like in 2007, the worst year for the Playstation franchise's history), people still looked at the first Uncharted as a great game that people would actually want to play and buy the system for.

It's a dumb statement to make, not just from the notion that it makes the author sound like a complete fanboy, but it also insults people's intelligence. Why he would make it is beyond me!

[remanutd55]

Sony needs that price cut i dont know if as big as the Nintendo handheld got it in the first year($80) but i think a $50 price cut would do a good job and those memory cards need price cuts too asap.

[Trunkz]

It's not the price it's the games. I have a 3DS, I would love to get a Vita but theres nothing that interests me ATM to get it. FF6 Remake for Vita would be an instabuy for me, tho seeing them on the 3DS makes me think it might go there but FF6 is so awesome I'd love for Vita or PS3/PS4 to pick it up.

[remanutd55]

Its simply the price, games there are a lot worth buying the system for but sony needs to lower the price ( as i said before i dont know if as big as $80) but sony definitely needs to make a price drop ASAP. And memory cards as well.

[akaakaaka]

Well it needs more games a price cut and a real competitive price in the memory card!
who the f$%@ inside sony decided to make a new exclusive memory card for the Vita* Sony seam to learn their mistake and their new cameras accept SD memory cards but I was wrong, Vita proves Sony have not learn..

I bet I'm not the only one who skip buying a vita because of the stupid over price useless new memory card and those who force themself to buy a memory card did not did it with a smile and a piece of mind.
If a next vita model comes with options for SD cards I may be tempted to get one plus it will have more games to enjoy in it and better screen and etc..

[smashman98]

sony came out a few days ago saying they need to make the system more appealing this article is a little late i wont even bother giving it a hit

[kenshiro100]

It just needs a pricecut. Nothing more, nothing less.

[fluffydelusions]

I totally agree but Sony seem to be on board with the idea...

[TheGrimOfDeath]

Didn't they say that a price cut is coming this year?

[fsfsxii]

Soul Sacrifice and Tearaway & KZ mercenary are the game that gonna make me buy the Vita

[TheGrimOfDeath]

You should buy one right now man! Get the ACIII:L bundle and get that awesome white Vita! And so many games are great now!

[fsfsxii]

AC games are gimmicky!
What i want from that bundle is the White Vita alone, like my psp, i got it with FFVII Crisis Core, the only game i bought it for lol, since 2008 till now, i havn't bought any new game for the psp.

[bothebo]

Lol yeah, all of these games are gonna drain me of money though. But hey, I'm more than looking forward to them. I also can't wait to see what Sony has for us at E3.

[AO1JMM]

KIllzone Mercenary isn't a system seller?

[fluffydelusions]

I don't think KZ games were ever considered system sellers just going by sales alone. I've enjoyed the games but a Gran Turismo is a system seller IMO. I think a GT on PSV would move some units.

[dafegamer]

killzone 2 sold 4 mio according to guerrila games,
and was one of the first big titles to land on ps3

[fluffydelusions]

^^ Well that is good news than but from what I've dug up KZ3 did about half that number which tbh isn't very impressive as a "system seller". GT on the other hand sells like nobody's business and something I'd classify as system seller.

[Krew_92]

Ignore everyone else for a moment and look at system sellers like this.

System sellers are games that make YOU want to buy the system to play it. You know that word objective? Yeah it's the word that means people have different tastes and likes and wants. Well, now that we know that, we can come to the conclusion that... Any game can be a system seller to anyone at any time.

For me, for example, when I saw the gameplay compilation trailer for LittleBigPlanet Vita, Killzone Vita, and other games at E3 when the Vita was announced, I just HAD to get a Vita at that moment on. So for me LittleBigPlanet Vita and Killzone: Mercenary ARE system sellers, and I know of others who want to try them out too.

Just like GTA, some people HATE Grand Theft Auto, so for them that isn't a system seller.

Yes at the end of the day GTA might sell more, but it's not about everyone else it's about you and you only. Gaming is a hobby, you aren't supposed to do what everyone else does, develop your own tastes and any game can be a system seller.

[dafegamer]

"The One That Sold Millions and Millions

I’m talking about Wii Sports, the current best-selling game of all time and the game that drove Wii to two solid years of sell-outs almost everywhere."
Lost me right there. Im pretty sure that Wii Sports wasnt a systemseller, and was bundled right from the beginning with the Wii

[Erimgard]

I think the point being made is that Wii Sports was the game that showed off what the Wii's specialty was (cheap fun for casual gamers) and attracted a specific audience

[Hicken]

Then why wouldn't they say that?

They talk about system sellers, then say Wii Sports as if this game sold the Wii; in actuality, the Wii sold the game since, as dafagemer says, it was bundled with every system.

A system seller is a game that makes people WANT to buy the system. A game that pretty much comes in EVERY box doesn't really qualify.

That said, if you're a gamer, I'd think the Vita's library is either full of them, or that the library itself qualifies to be one. There's certainly more worth playing a year into its life than there has been for any other system I can think of. Just seems like a lot more people want to pretend the games don't exist, for some odd reason.

Which is why we have this article.

How many people bought a Vita for P4G? Gravity Rush? Uncharted? How many will buy one for Soul Sacrifice? Tearaway? Killzone? PSO2?

The author, like many Vita detractors, assumes that, because these games don't appeal to him, they don't appeal to anyone. And they assume that a library of such games can't be as worthy- and in my eyes, MORESO- as a single "must-have" game.

[extermin8or]

@Hicken well I know I bought my vita for Uncharted, Gravity rush, AC:liberations- I'm really enjoying NS:MW atm, MGS HD collection was a nice addition to my collection, Rayman is so much fun and I really hope legends makes its way to the device :) I for one know I will be bying Soul Sacrafice, tearaways and KZ- my little bother bought a vita shortly after me; he has lbp which I really like, and I forget the other games he's gotten lol but there are several. Also @Logic I'm pretty sure some figures about ps+ subscriberswas released in september/october and they were "20+million/70million psn users up fromt hat 1/2 million figure in only 3/4 months.

Also as an owner of a GB, GBA, GBA SP, NDS lite, PSP 3000 handheld consoles I can quite safely say the Vita has more games out/coming out I genuinly really want than any other handheld since the GBA I had like 10 years ago when I was a kid. So that in itself is an achievement :p plus it has all these ps1 classics and I'm certan it will get ps2 classics in the notso distant future as the device is more than able-not to mention the inevitable ps4 connectivity.

[legendoflex]

The fact that Wii was flying off shelves with Wii Sports bundled kind of proves it was a system seller, no?

[blastcorp64]

Well yeah, that was the point of bundling wii sports to sell systems. Casuals and parents didn't want a wii for the potential of motion controls; they wanted it to play bowling and the other gimmicky games on wii sports. Why are people on this site so dense and hold such convoluted thoughts especially when it comes to Nintendo?

[Soldierone]

Instead of a price cut on Vita, they should just toss in internal storage, and then price cut the dang memory cards. People go to buy a Vita, the employee says you HAVE to buy an overpriced memory card, and the person loses interest. Ive seen it several times now.

I know this is where sony is making up money, but come on. We live in an age where memory cards have gotten dirt cheap, its misleading.

More sales = more games coming our way.

[Cam977]

1) Bring more HD trilogies to the Vita.
2) Price cut!
3) Give Vita it's standout game.
4) Annihilate the competition with a brutally unforgiving marketing campaign.

[GribbleGrunger]

This is getting stupid. Sony have the Vita and the PS3 on the market and the PS4 to come. They're making games for all three. Microsoft have 1 console on the market and have very little 1st party support for that at the moment. Which studio needs a kick up the arse? Sony are the only company that DO actually continue to support their products after next gen has released. Games don't come off a printing press, they take months and months of development. You're knocking the very company you should be holding up as the model to follow. Give it a break already.

[MikeMyers]

Halo is a system seller for Microsoft. Gran Turismo is a system seller for Sony's console. What game is a system seller for Vita? Nintendo has many games that are million sellers on the 3DS.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 – 5.96 million
Animal Crossing: New Leaf – 2.73 million
Mario Kart 7 – 7.73 million
Super Mario 3D Land – 8.0 million
Paper Mario: Sticker Star – 1.83 million
Mario Tennis Open – 1.07 million

Once could argue Uncharted was to be that game. Not sure how well it actually sold. Call of Duty did not capture the audience from console to Vita. Tearaway from Media Molecule could be that game. It looks fantastic.

You know what is getting stupid on the N4G forums? Each time some article puts down Sony the natural reaction seems to be to put down Microsoft.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

***"You know what is getting stupid on the N4G forums? Each time some article puts down Sony the natural reaction seems to be to put down Microsoft."***

You do realize that gribble is the only one to bring up MS on this article thus far right?

What is getting stupid on N4G are the people that jump the gun on a few comments and use that as their bases for their generalization.

[GribbleGrunger]

Give me a break, son. I've put the idea into perspective, that's all.

[SAE]

All it needs are these things :

) Memory price cut
) Huge games such as real cod,battlefield,gta,gt etc...
) Lower the price of the games. the games almost have console games price but really really low content compared to them -.-
) Put more freedom. Thinking about the limitations of the vita is like thinking about politics. Annoying as hell. I almost changed my mind for buying vita..

[smashcrashbash]

Or here is a thought. You are just confused and find it fun to reject every single game that appears on the VITA. I mean no matter what kind of game that is announced for the VITA everyone has a problem with it. They say here is this and you say why not this and then they bring you that and you say why not that.I am not sure anymore what people think as system sellers for the VITA or what kind of game it will take for you to be satisfied. They have just about every genre covered and yet you still go on.

[Kane22]

Thank you. it seems no matter what game comes out on the vita its never good enough. and don't get me started on everyone talking about a price cut. cause then they'll still complain that it isn't cheap enough.

[joeorc]

BOTH OF YOU ARE SPOT ON, i MEAN WHAT THE HELL DO GAMER'S EXPECT TODAY? Really, Port's if they even played the PSVita games they call a Port, than they would know that they are not a d@mn port!

and as for Price, not one other handheld game system has 128 MB of dedicated GPU ram! today other than maybe the Nvidia shield! aside from that the PSVita's graphic chip has dedicated 128 MB or ram just for it alone, vs' the Nintendo's 3DS of 6 MB! vs' the Smartdevices having 64 MB of VRram, but yet the PSVita is over priced?

the memory cards are there to slow down piracy! why do you think there is no direct access to the 4 GB of onboard flashable ram on the PSVita! because if there was there would be loads of Piracy , just like the PSP..look what happed to that handheld, great system but 3rd party developer's stop making games for it in the west because of UMD dumping online. Did you think Sony wanted a repeat of said Piracy, look i know Nintendo's Handhelds get pirated, but the games made for Nintendo's Hanhelds in budget vs' budget is not contest, name one freaking game on the 3DS that has a budget like TearAway, Or killzone M: do you think 3RD party developer's want to invest that much resources than just get their game pirated and dumped online?

ROI, many games on the 3DS may look and play fantastic but the cost in developing for 3DS in tool's and APi's is much cheaper than than what it is for the PSVita if you are going to take advantage of said hardware and not just a Mini, or a Playstation Mobile game experience!

these games take time and Money, yes you can turn out fast easy to play games for the PSVita like you could for the 3DS, but there already is a platform for that its called the freaking 3DS!!

Sony's main idea about the PSVita is just as it's always been with the PSP a living room console experience on the go, which from what i have played on the PSVita its making that in spade's in my Opinion.

[Tetsujin]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

OT

The biggest problem I've seen is too many people ask for something, then when it comes out they have to find something wrong with it, then make countless blogs and stories about how the Vita is "failing" to live up to the potential. I currently own a Vita, and my only real complaint is it cramps my hands; game wise there's some I like, and some I wouldn't even touch. I'm not gonna doom an entire console just because it's barely a year old and still having games being planned and produced; and to those who argue "a year is long enough" no it isn't; outside the PS2 with GTA 3 (Back in 2001) you can't really name a game that sold high numbers within the first year of the consoles' release date that wasn't bundled together.

I however do agree the price of the memory cards do need to go down; I'm waiting till the 32 Gig sticks drop in price before I pick one up so I can add more games to play instead of deleting/re-adding later.

[Father Murder X]

Could it be that simply the masses are just not interested in the Playstation Vita? Is it possible that the masses just don't give a fuck about a Sony product. You fan boys bitch and moan but if you owned a studio would invest the money to develop a game for the Vita when the Vita is not selling. This is on Sony to get the 1st party games out there and make the system more attractive. It's not Activision's or Rockstar's responsibility to get the Vita to sell. With all those great studios where are the system sellers? There are only a handful of games that sell systems these days and Sony doesn't produce any of them. There is Gran Turismo but that little screen can't do it justice. Sounds like they are screwed.

[smashcrashbash]

No. If i was a studio I would be irritated that my work is not appreciated no matter what I do by ungrateful fanboys that gripe and moan about everything.So of course I would quit making games for the VITA just the same way they will probably stop making Bayonetta and DMC because of whiny fanboys who are confused and keep complaining no matter what you try.And then when the games stop or the studio closes down you pretend you had nothing to do with it and write articles about how it is all their fault.Look at the people who did Ragnorok Odyssey and Soul Sacrifice.They have to listen to the broken record about how they are Monster Hunter clones and how much they are or are not like Monster Hunter instead of shutting your mouth and waiting to see how it turns out or judging the game on it's own merits.

[rainslacker]

@smash

The only people that complain about most of the Vita games not being worthwhile are the people who don't own a Vita. The people that own one generally give props to the good games that exist on the system, often in great abundance.

Since Vita owners are the only consumers for the publishers in this regard, it is only them that they have to care about. Sony are the ones that have to care about the detractors, as they are the ones spreading the FUD.

@Father

It isn't up to 3rd party to make a "system seller" for the Vita. That is up to Sony to get if they feel the need to have one.

What I do see on the Vita is a very diverse library of high quality games that get dismissed just because they are on the Vita. Vita owners however seem to be really loving these games, and state as much more often than not.

To me, the appealing games exist, Sony just hasn't done a good enough job getting that word out to the masses. Their Vita commercials and marketing leave a lot to be desired IMO.

[PopRocks359]

Because the Vita deserves its own exclusive and unique system sellers. More Gravity Rush and Tearaway type games. It doesn't need games people can already buy on their PS3 which is in far many more households than the Vita currently.

[rainslacker]

I don't mind having both. I like choice.:) Ports don't bother me so long as they're well done. I'm looking forward to DOA+.:)

[Knux]

The Vita already has awesome game (both exclusive and non-exclusive). It's the gamers' fault when they refuse to buy a Vita for whatever reason. And it's the third parties' fault for playing devil's advocate on the Vita.

In order for the Vita to sell better, third parties need to support the Vita. But third parties think the Vita can sell automatically better without their support. Stupid reasoning? Of course it is.

But hey, the Vita is at least getting better support when it comes to games compared to the Wii U. And gamers seem to forget that the Vita is getting better support and sales than the PSP did in it's early years.

Also people whining about the Vita not being good or cheap enough are just looking for a reason to whine. At least there are many reasons to buy it unlike the Wii U. Just saying...

[legendoflex]

It is never, ever, ever the customers' fault. Ever.

[Knux]

It is if you refuse to buy a console, handheld, or game for hilarious reasons.

Prime example: Rayman Legends boycott.

[PopRocks359]

Hey, as a consumer it's my money. I'll choose what I want to do with it and I don't want to spend $300+ on a Vita when there are only two or three games I want to play on it right now. I am waiting for the price drop Sony announced and a few more exclusive titles.

As for the Rayman Legends boycott, I by no means advocate not buying the game, but my enthusiasm for it has certainly been lessened. Ubisoft clearly doesn't care, so why should I? There are other, better looking games out there that I can prioritize my money toward. No harm no foul as far as I'm concerned.

[KillerPwned]

Release a Monster Hunter, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and a GTA all for Vita then I say Vita is set for awhile.

[ziggurcat]

obvious troll article is obvious.

downvoted.

[MegaLagann]

Well Ys IV is a system seller for me.

[Studio-YaMi]

Buying that DAY EFFIN 1 ! waiting for it eagerly ! :(

[Tei777]

Every game is a system seller for someone but theres a difference between what personally interests you and what you think will interest millions.

FInal Fantasy
Metal Gear
Grand Theft Auto
Elder scrolls
Ground breaking new IP

Sony's current line up doesn't have any massive systems sellers, although they potentially have a few in Japan with Soul Sacrifice and ps3 multiplatform titles like Gundam and One piece

[ACEMANWISE]

Microsoft doesn't seem interested either

[Knight_Crawler]

Why would MS be interested in making a game for the VITA?

[ACEMANWISE]

They wouldn't. They don't seem to care about handhelds otherwise they'd make their own.

[Lysander91]

LPB Vita is NOT dumbed down. In fact, it's the best LBP game.

[solid_warlord]

Well Sony should admit that PSP Vita is a failure and just let it die in peace

[drsnoopyseussdog]

Damn almost everyone on here is making N4G a Lifetime Movie lmao. Btw Sony switched marketing services the other day so prepare to actually see Playstation advertisements lol:)
Have a good day my fellow playstation fans.

[Protagonist]

"Uncharted and LittleBigPlanet), dumbed-down third-party multi-platform games"

This is article ( if one can call it so ) is laughable BS!

[ajax17]

Let's see here: Story quality: WTF?

[younghavok]

what the vita needs is an identity. Right now it has no real idea what it is. Nintendo always established what their handhelds were about, Sony has not. They aren't portable consoles with watered down console ports, they are handheld systems with a library of handheld games designed around pick up and play in short bursts but still retaining enough depth to get lost in for hours. They didn't create a watered down Kingdom Hearts game, or Mario game, they created entirely new entries that felt more like real new games as opposed to expansion packs. Look at Liberation, it could've been an expansion pack to AC3. Same with Declassified. The Vita is trying to be a jack of all trades master of none and it cant win that way. The 3ds is trying to be a handheld game system, and is stands now is packed with exclusive titles that people want. Its not too late for it, but time is no doubt running out

[brew]

Not much Sony can do other than keep pumping out a mixture of new IP's and their franchises , and drop the price when they can and pick up the advertising some then.

There's just not enough big 3rd parties supporting the system with their big games , and the pool of adults who are willing to game on the go on a dedicated handheld isn't a very large one nowadays. The market has changed with rise of smartphones for adults.

[Studio-YaMi]

I'm surprised that "Logicwins" says Uncharted golden abyss and COD declassified weren't system sellers,of course they won't be ! the first was just like a demo for showcasing what the PSVita can do with the new touch controls and what-not & both of them weren't made by main developers,wait for an Uncharted game made by NAUGHTY DOG or a COD game that's made by TREYARCH or INFINITY WARDS then come back to us and say that these two franchises aren't SYSTEM SELLERS ! :\

LogicWins,lots of times you have no Logic ..!

[PhillipSantanaMusic]

logic needs to just leave Sony and PlayStation alone if he hates this much! i wouldve sworn he wrote the article the way hes all over this and ANY other Sony and PlayStation posts WOW!

I know i own a 3G/WiFi Vita and 32gb card and its full of PS3 spin offs and/or ports as well as unique little and full games as well as GTPSP And others. i know many people with vitas and they play them all the time. i play Tokyo Jungle via RemotePlay, CoD, Hustle Kings,Chess. there are many many games for it period!

its the price more than ANYTHING on why its not selling like it should altho it IS selling.

to say people don't want full console games on a handheld like the Vita, you must be out your mind! according to all the fans crying for Full RemotePlay For Vita to play PS3 games im inclined to say quite the contrary!

the 3ds also didn't fair well till its inferior hardware till it got a price drop.

I LOVE MY VITA!

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Wait until E3 before you pass judgement.

I also want to offer a contradiction to this article. Whether you like these games or not, Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed are both huge franchises. There is no denying their clout and brand power. Now the games may have arrived to middling reviews, but that still doesn't change my point. Sony pushed for these games and even gave them special bundles.

Sony is trying to bring system sellers to the Vita and their actions prove it.

[younghavok]

first we were supposed to wait a full year for the Vita to reserve judgement, now its E3 again? Last e3 didnt the vita get kind of ignored? It is ok to judge the system now. Its had two holidays under its belt and still no million sellers? I believe its a state of emergency for the handheld right now

[rainslacker]

It did get quite a bit of love at the European game show whose name escapes me at the moment. I felt they really stepped up their game with that, but obviously many other people feel differently.

[brave27heart]

FF7 was released a couple years after the launch of PS1 so its no big concern if it hasnt found its crown jewel yet. Also, the NES, Mega Drive and Wii sold well because they were in leagues of their own as consoles. Those games just happen to be the most popular on that platform, doesnt necessarily mean they're system sellers. A system seller is an exclusive game you'd buy a console to play, ala Mario Kart, Uncharted, Halo. Multiplatform games arent system sellers, but new iterations of existing franchises can be, such as FF7 Crisis Core or LBPV.

Vita will get its system sellers, whether its God of War, Gran Turismo or something new. Im not concerned for it.

[jakmckratos]

What? Unchartd was the first game they ever had? It was a luckluster title though..the story and controls left a lot to be desired and the lack of multiplayer or a supernatural twist was weak as Hell. I expect great things from a second Uncharted Vita game though

[Allowen]

The PSVita rules bc it does not only offer quite a few RPG games so far but it also totaly destroy the old Playstation Portable in terms of action games.
/cough Dual analog sticks+ touch scree/pad for the win )

Can t wait to play Soul Sacrifice. Phantasy Star online 2 and FFX among some action games.
Dam, where is that Siphon Filter rumor I heard a few years back from that rapper dude?
It has been a while since one of his videos poped in N4G site.

[B_Rian89]

Sony really needsto advertise a lot more. out of all the people I've showed my Vita to, if they werent hardcore gamers, theyd never even heard of it

[ninjahunter]

SONIC 06 VITA EDITION!!!!

[black911]

Because games won't help it.

[MonopolyRSV]

If you can play a better version of the game on PS3 then it's not going to be system seller people.

[o-Sunny-o]

Notice how much goes into games like Uncharted...Voice acting, high end detail, touch features, and story. Mario 3D Land (just example) doesn't have a blow away story or a lot of voice acting. Ha, Ha ha, its a me Mario, and the voice actor can take a break for the next 5 games. It has nice look to it and minor touch features on Mario 3D Land.

[hadouken007]

Maybe there going the early days of the ps3 route, putting there games on, 3rd party will follow.