Defending the PlayStation Vita

FrontBurnr: The PlayStation Vita released on February 22, 2012 in North America. You can say that the buzz surrounding it was lukewarm at best. As a person who absolutely loves their Vita, I think it’s time to defend it.

[Rushing_Punch]

Let's be real. The Vita HAS games. They just don't have games that are worth exclusively owning the system... yet.

I am sure it will get better, just like the Wii-U opinion will improve too.

[agentxk]

I have a few games that make my happy I own the Vita. My favorite game for the Vita is PSASBR.

[ApolloTheBoss]

You're kidding, right? Gravity Rush, Persona 4 Golden, and Soul Sacrifice are ALL worth getting a Vita for.

[Theyellowflash30]

It's the price along with the game selection.

If the Vita was cheaper, it would be selling better. But the worst part is the memory card issue. $70 and up for a 32 GB memory card? You've got to be kidding me. I got a 32 GB memory card on my 3DS for 17.99 online.

Plus, all 3DS come with at least a 2GB memory card.

Sony needs to support the handheld themselves more. Look at how many games Nintendo is putting on the 3DS. Sony needs to match that output. Soul Sacrifice and Gravity Rush are not enough.

They need to get God of War and Grand T on that thing ASAP.

I want a Vita, but at the same time, I'm not going to buy one for $250 and have to spend $70 or more on a 32GB memory card.

I like to download my portable games digitally, so I don't have to carry them around with me in a baggie or something.

The Vita is the ultimate digital portable with the PSN, yet there making it really expensive if you want to download a bunch of games.

[ApolloTheBoss]

@Theyellowflash

I agree with you. The memory cards are a little expensive, and I understand if most people wouldn't be able to afford them. I wouldn't even think of getting one for that much. I only have an 8GB memory card at the moment, which might I add came with a Vita I paid less than $200 for, and seeing as I usually delete my games as soon as I'm finished with them, I don't worry too much about space. If you just get physical copies of these games you wouldn't have to worry about getting a card that big anyway, seeing as it would only take up a few MB of memory.

Edit: And if you're wondering, I got my Vita off Ebay. You'll save yourself a lot of money if you buy one from there.

[LOGICWINS]

Maybe, but good luck getting the mainstream to know that these games exist. Outside of Japan, these games BARELY get any marketing. Send me a link to a Gravity Rush commercial in the U.S. How about one for P4: The Golden?

You can't because they don't exist.

If you ACTUALLY cared about the platform, ud see that Sony's missing many opportunities to market Vita.

[Transporter47]

The Vit has good Games, and some amazing ones at that, with Soul Sacrifice i'm goign to keep so busy playing it non stop. : )

[LOGICWINS]

This isn't about YOU, this is about the Vita widening its audience and gaining a larger install base. You playing your Vita "non-stop" isn't helping the situation.

[Salooh]

I'm with Rushing_Punch

Hate how you think guys. You like persona then it's your opinion. But don't make others feel wrong for not liking it. In my opinion Soul sacrifice is good game but not worth buying a vita for me.

Gravity rush is just one game for more then a year and that's not a good thing. You guys know what we mean so don't go around it because you want it too , you just don't want to show it.

I want Tekken, Mirror edge, COD, BF, GT, GTA, inFAMOUS, Rpg's..................... .etc

Disagree all you want but that's a fact. You like these kind of games then good but i don't and i want serious games.

[BeZdaBest]

yea the vita has games but the best games for it are either a port (persona) or a experience you can get on the ps3..
(uncharted .acl. psasbr) some people might get the games or already have the games on the tres(ps3)... gravity rush is a good game that exclusive to the vita and shows some of the capabilities..
but contrary to what people say most people wont buy a console for 2-3 games.. that honestly stupid imo..
i bought mine with 5 games day 1 and i have ps+ so i knew i would be getting them deals.. so thats what pushed me to get it...

now to defending the vita...

as ive said in another article the vita has about 5-7 years of Vita(life) left.. if by this time next your there arent any heavy hitting games then there might be a problem.. most system take 2-3 years to take off just look at the ps3.. horrible first 2 years after they released the first "slim"
its was all uphill from there..

so all im saying is to give it another year if sales dont explode when the nutty games come out than nothing can save it..

[jdeane81]

I dig my Vita, haven't really given it that much time but I am hoping that the integration with the PS4 down the road will give it a nice boost in worth.

[f789790]

I'm sure the remote play on all games will be worth it (assuming the stupid devs implement it!)

BF4 on the toilet!

[chadboban]

I'm worried about how devs will implement it though, the Vita has the standard PS button layout including a second analogue stick but it is missing a few buttons, namely L2,R2,L3 and L4.

Now I'm not saying that there can't be ways to work around this seeing that the Vita has a touch screen and a back touch panel. But devs these days are so damn lazy I don't know if they'll be willing to do things like change up the entire user interface for the sake of remote play (unless Sony offers to come up with ways to do it for them).

I see can see Sony and their first party games not having much of a problem getting remote play as Sony themselves will be doing it, but I'm really worried if third parties will be willing to put in the effort.

[Sithlord-Gamble]

Excellent article. Kudos to you & I agree with you 100%.

[BuffMordecai]

This platform better get the attention it deserves at E3, the dismal display last year was pathetic.

[Salooh]

It is what it is. No need to defend anything. If you like what it provide then buy it . If you don't then don't . It's that simple. I regret buying it so far.

Hope E3 is a start of serious gaming in vita. For me it's like playing mobile phones right now. I want greater because it can. Come on sony show us great games and you will get the money you want, It's that simple in my point of view.

[Williamson]

I game more on my vita than ps3. To be able to play console quality games on the go and in small bursts before putting the vita to sleep is amazing.

[r21]

Good read, people who say the vita aint got games just plain ignorant. There are tons of vita games out now and a variety of them too.

[CommonSenseGamer]

No one is disputing the fact the Vita has a solid games library but they just don't have wide enough appeal to attract people to buy a vita at its current price point. The fact that its performing so poorly reflects this. Question is, can Sony turn it around? Why should the mass consumer start to take notice of the Vita?

[r21]

Hopefully E3 this year, Sony has some plans for the vita. Games are there but with a world wide price drop, the sales could easily go up. Just like how Nintendo did with the 3DS.

[Hicken]

First off: MANY people dispute the Vita's library. Just look at the comments above you, or ANY Vita article, including your own comments. People categorically REFUSE to believe the Vita has any worthwhile game.

Second: it's been said- to you, even- before, but the Vita isn't FOR a wide audience. The majority of marketing, features, and games are all aimed at a small part of the core gaming market. It's true that the Vita didn't meet their expected sales, but I'd put that on the market not being as large as Sony expected.

Again, and I can't stress this enough: THE VITA IS FOR THE "MASS CONSUMER." It's not going after the same people as the 3DS, or as smartphones, no matter how much you want it to.

Now, IF Sony wants to go after the "mass consumer," they'll have to do things differently, particularly in the marketing department. But there have been ZERO indications that that's what Sony wants for the Vita.

Why do you and others keep pushing that point?

[yesmynameissumo]

Price is a barrier. When its price drops, its sales will increase (as with anything). Unfortunately, we're in for YEARS of doom and gloom stories.

[BeZdaBest]

the system is priced good for 250$..

the memory is not..

50 bucks for the "better*" games is kinda foul..
*i put the asterisk cuz cod cost 50 an that game is trash..

more crossbuy/play/whatever

an maybe so sort of dnla/upnp.. i mean ps3 has it why not Vita..

ill love to watch my movies on that lovely screen..

[Jac5al]

I hope Sony announces a GTA and GOW for the Vita at E3.

[LOGICWINS]

Yup, thats coming.

[sherimae2413]

hey i agree with you,
i think we both know that sony's key franchises will come to the vita eventually, like you said they need to do it ASAP ^_^

besides uncharted, lbp, wipeout, sly is already there
and killzone is coming
they release new ips like gravity rush, pasbr, soul sacrifice and tearaway and i know there is more in the works ^_^

we are waiting for gow, infamous, gt, among the popular franchises
and atleast we can expect another ac and cod this year ^_^

[LOGICWINS]

^^Agreed. I'm excited to see if Sony will bundle the Vita/PS4.

[izumo_lee]

I don't understand gamers sometimes.

When we talk about consoles the majority of us want better graphics. We want consoles with more power. We want consoles with more features. Stuff like that.

However when a handheld is doing what we want from consoles we all of a sudden turn a blind eye. The Vita was designed to be a gamers handheld. Big screen, 2 analog sticks, fancy graphics, tight controls. Things that made consoles great but at the palm of your hands. I know there are some flaws but the positives outweigh the negatives.

To see it struggle to find an audience is confusing to me. The 3DS is a great handheld from a company that knows the market. Yet it is clearly not in the same league specs wise compared to the Vita. Why is it that when we talk about consoles the specs matter but when we talk about handhelds it doesn't, that confuses me.

5 years from now the current Vita will probably still hold its own cause with firmwares it is able to adjust to the changing landscape in technology. Can we say that about the 3DS as well or how many versions will it receive when Nintendo is done with it.

Right now the 3DS has the upper hand with the Nintendo 1st party games that for over 20 years has been in the mindset of gamers that never tire of them. However one is foolish to count out the Vita cause it will get the games once developers see the advantages it has.

If people say that the Vita is a failure than they will have to say the same with the Wii U...or that doesn't count cause Nintendo made the Wii U.

[Theyellowflash30]

I would say the majority of portable gamers want really good games. The gap between the PS Vita and 3DS in specs is not enough for people to overlook how many more games the 3DS has than the Vita.

The price is too high, and the memory card solution is a joke. It costs almost $100 for a 32 GB memory card.

As long as Nintendo supports the 3DS, it will continue to prosper. Even 5 years from now. The games look great. Shin Megami Tensei IV, Pokemon X and Y, and Resident Evil Revelations all have comparable graphics to Vita games like Gravity Rush, Sly Cooper, and Soul Sacrifice.

It doesn't blow 3DS out of the water. Plus, if you turn on the 3D feature, a lot of games look really good. better than console games at times.

The Vita has been on the market for over a year now. Sony has had plenty of time to get games on it. The Wii U has been on the market for less than a year, but its killing the Vita in worldwide sales believe it or not.

The Wii U also has huge system sellers lined up for the this fall, with Mario Kart, 3D Mario and Zelda. So the Wii U is bound to overtake the Vita in sales this year, in far less time on the market.

[Protagonist]

Always the same argument: mario, zelda etc...what you said about the PS Vita could be said about the wii u: too expensive, buying a hardisk to an already overpriced console and on top of that a console that has no games. I dont know who you are trying to convince, but I can tell you that it is nintendo fanatics like you that makes me never wanting buying any nintendo products.

[sherimae2413]

your comments show how bias you are....

you always compare the wii u sales to vita a handheld in sales? well i think you know the vita is kicking the wii u in japan right?

the wii u is barely keeping up with ps360 in terms of 3rd party support and you cant deny that!
dont even dare to say the wii u doesnt need it, because even nintendo admit that the lack or few 3rd party support is not good hence the software drought in this past few months

even the 3ds doesnt have a proper open-world game,
can you even name 1 game huh oni-chan?
a game with the same calibur as gravity rush, ac liberation and nfs most wanted ^_^

hey i almost forgot the 3ds in its 2 years doesnt even have a single fps game *chuckle* ^_^

when it comes to fighting games which do you think has more games and better in multiplats ^_^

i dont have anything against the 3ds or nintendo but the problem is... like you always coming here in a vita article and talk shit
you can check my comment history and you will see that i rarely go to a 3ds or wii u channel and talk shit about them..

[Salooh]

It is a console handheld but sony didn't give us the games we want. It's a failure from sony side not the vita. I want the games i mentioned above. I don't want persona or ps1 games or mobile games or psp games. I want something shock me or at least fun >.<. They could release early ps3 games to show it's power and to get a boost in sales so others see the potential of the vita and start making games for it. That's just an idea. I don't care what sony will do i just want the games im interesting in not silly games..

[ErzaScarlet]

Vita is such a great system. I love it as a matter of fact. I love the OLED screen..

[tiffac008]

The Vita does not need defending, its a great handheld BUT Sony needs to start making some changes on their current strategy.

- Price cut for the Vita will help.
- Price cut and larger memory cards will help.
- Stop supporting the PSP in Japan and get those developers on the Vita will help.
- Help localize Japanese games with a western market that will definitely help.
- Support more Indie games and make sure they are Cross Buy.
- Do not forget to advertise/market the games. This is important because I did not even knew "Guacamalee!" was Cross Buy, if I did not check it out myself. Minor things like this can definitely help.

I love my Vita, I actually purchased PS1 games on it and never did once on my PS3 but I feel like Sony is not doing enough to break it out on its current slump. Will it beat the 3DS? of course not but at least make it as successful as the PSP.