Editorial: How Sony Can Save the PlayStation Vita, Part 1

SonyRumors shares their thoughts on what Sony must do to once again revitalize the PlayStation Vita and get consumers to support the powerful handheld.

[bebitech]

Very interesting read and some good points because it's easy to just say cut price but how! and this seems to answer some of those.

[JoGam]

Sorry guys but do you know the time on feb 20th in which the event starts?

Thanks in advance.

[smashman98]

6pm est

[TongkatAli]

Drop the memory card prices. I need a 32 bad.

[claterz]

They must be missing out on so many digital sales because people don't have enough space on their cards. I know I've seen a lot of stuff on the store that I wanted but chose not to download as it would take up too much space. No way am I spending £60 on a 32GB memory card HAHA.

[juandren]

It's easy for a journalist to just write articles like these. I'm pretty sure Sony has a reason for everything they are doing. Do these journalists think kids are running Sony? It's people with MBA degrees, law degrees, accounting degrees, art degrees. And then a guy who did well in a school paper once just comes out and says "drop the price". These hit-me-please articles are making me sick

[maniacmayhem]

There's no degrees in journalism?

[juandren]

One guy with a degree in journalism surely doesn't know more about business than a whole team made up of people with the degrees mentioned above?

[LOGICWINS]

It's amusing that you think that people with degrees are automatically intelligent.

[asmith2306]

They are highly likely to be intelligent in their field though and in a better position to make a decision. If I was to put my money on a person with a degree in a given subject vs the person without a degree in that subject, I know where my money would be placed.

[GribbleGrunger]

Absolutely agree, Logicwins. I've had this debate for many years with people about the difference between knowledge and intelligence. Most people who pass exams just require the capacity to retrieve information (rather like ROM), while those who are intelligent are people who can hypothesise based on data from experience (rather like RAM).

Intelligence is a combination of imagination and linear thinking, while knowledge is nothing more than memorising data... so it's absolutely no indication of intelligence. I've met people with fantastic memories and I find myself all too often asking them 'yes, but what do YOU think?' They often look stunned by the question because they've become nothing more than computers.

Those people one would call geniuses are the lucky few who can use both processes very well. Those who finally become wise realise that they can't use both processes 'perfectly'. In other words, wisdom is 'not knowing', which of course leads to questioning yourself and what you think you know ... or the ability to evolve and understand.

[LOGICWINS]

@Gribble- Right. Theres a difference between street smarts and book smarts. I have a 3.7 GPA and a Bachelor's in Accounting(getting a Master's in May), but if someone we're to give me logs of their daily transactions for the past 6 months and tells me

"Get to work."

I wouldn't know where to start. Why? Because I have no experience in my field and I get by with memorizing concepts(not understanding them).

@asmith2306- I would put my money on a person who has EXPERIENCE in the field as opposed to a person with a degree that DOESN'T have experience in the field.

[JBSleek]

Well people with those qualifications run our country yet make some pretty idiotic decisions so it's not like the general population isn't knowledgeable for suggestions.

That's a real elitest type of thinking.

[juandren]

It's not elitist at all, it's logical. I have a MBA myself, so I know the amount of formulas there are to what others may deem basic business decisions. It's not as easy as "more of this" and "less of that". Especially considering Sony's financial situation

[CommonSenseGamer]

Every company gets it wrong from time to time even with all the brainiacs as you suggest. Otherwise beta max would have been a blazing success along with the mini disc. Just because Sony's name is on the Vita does not necessarily mean it will succeed.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Yeah we all know you want it to fail:

http://n4g.com/news/1145528...

All juandren is saying is that "saving" the Vita isn't as simple as "drop the price." What if Sony drops the price and it still doesn't fly off the shelves? They just took a further loss for nothing. Sony's main focus should be gaining consumer interest meaning advertising their product better. If there's no consumer interest dropping the price means squat.

[Rohered]

Sony want Save the PS Vita?

They must buy Dragon Quest8's rigths to Square Enix.

[nevin1]

@juandren

1st off, lol@

"And then a guy who did well in a school paper once"

Anyway, a gaming journalist may have a better sense of the market than 50+ year old executives despite their degrees.

[juandren]

Will you elaborate to help me understand?

[nevin1]

The gaming journalist is more like a consumer than a 6 figure executive. The exectutives are thinking more in business terms.

[jakmckratos]

Medevil 3, Ape Escape Million Monkeys Sequel, new Parappa game with more dynamic rhythm action. Boom.

[cleverusername]

Hire the self proclaimed expert who wrote this 'article' as they know better, obviously!

[bebitech]

Curious, is there something on there that you don't agree with? It seemed that the writer gave sufficient reasoning behind his views, as oppose to lets just do these things.

[Capt-FuzzyPants]

JRPG's. Remakes or new ones I don't care. I just want more JRPG's. Although I guess I don't matter since I already have a vita.

[black911]

Offer 4g online gaming for a cheap yearly price. probably $75

[yeahokchief]

1. price cut

2. make more games

3. announce that ps4 trophies will carry over from ps3/vita

[bebitech]

I imagine that the trophies thing is a given

[jlafount]

A couple of great RPGs. Something to really spend your time on.

[Veneno]

I think the real test of a new comsole comes in its second year, So Sony gets the benefit of the doubt for now.

But Sony needs to basically decide between 2 paths:

1) put lots of time, resources, and money and crank out the high quality, system selling games, so that they dont have to drop the price. Not even on memory cards. Will Killzone, Soul sacrifice, Tearaway, etc, be these killer apps? We'll see.

2) if Sony doesnt see itself or third parties putting in major support throughout the lifespan, then simply drop the price. People shouldnt be expected to pay hundreds of dollars on something that only gets minimal support.

So what it all comes down to is what Sony wants for the Vitas future. But I cant imagine Sony spending so much money in developing the Vita for it to only have minimal software support. If they are going to boast the most powerful handheld in history, then they need to go for the gusto and deliver on top-notch games.

But again, the first year of a console isnt the most important if the plan is to have years and years of support. So people are way over analying way too soon. The Vita is not in trouble yet, but if its still slumping by 2014 then it will be.

[tiffac008]

Get the Japanese 3rd party devs to stop making games for the PSP on make them on the Vita and have the well known titles get localized for the English speaking market.