PSVita has no love... from gamers only!

I have read many an article mentioning no love for PSVita from Sony, then from developers... but the truth is, the only that do NOT love PSVita are gamers!

PSVita is a beautiful piece of hardware: slick, powerful and with a long list of games that range from hard-core to casual and that easily make its purchase worth. It's also a cool cross-gaming tool for PS3 (and in the near future) PS4 players. At the E3 Sony conference the spotlight was, mostly, on PS4 and related policies. This was also because it's was people wanted to see and know. But on the E3 showfloor there was also much love for the PSVita.

The Sony area (which was wonderfully laid-out and setup, by the way) had six rows for PSVita worth of games: wonderful games.
This is a list of the portable games that were playable on the E3 showfloor:

-- Killzone: Mercenary
- (Guerrilla Cambridge - exclusive) --- rls Sept 2013
If you like Killzone, this handheld version is for you. The scenery, mood and everything screams Killzone and it's incredibly detailed and sharp to look at. I tried an online match, not unlike kill-confirmed and it plays very smoothly, the controls work very well (better than I expected for a game of this kind). I'm still unsure how many people will play an FPS online on an handheld, but if you like the genre it's worth it!

-- Tearaway
- (Media Molecule - exclusive) --- rls. 2013
Extremely beautiful and artful, it's a 3D platform with good controls and that also makes use of the rear touch screen in a friendly, good way (you use it to activate jumping platforms bu don't need to have your finger right behind the very item you want to activate). The setting is rich and unique and as an child-story adventurous feel!

-- Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate
- (PSVita & N3DS) --- rls 25th Oct 2013

-- the Walking Dead
- (Telltale Games - special PSVita edition) --- rls Aug 2013

-- Dragon's Crown
- (Vanillaware - PS3, PSVita) --- rls Jul-Aug 2013

-- Destiny of Spirits
- (Japan Studio - exclusive) --- rls 2013

-- Toro's friends

-- Valhalla Knights
- (K2 LLC - exlusive) --- rls Q3/Q4 2013

-- Muramasa Rebirth
- (Vanillaware - PSVita, Wii)

-- Ragnarok Odyssey
- (Game Arts - PS3, PSVita)

-- Ys: Memories of Celceta
- (Nihon Falcom Corporation - exclusive) --- rls Sep 2013 (NA)

-- Rayman Legands
- (Ubisoft Montpellier / Michel Ancel - multiplat) --- rls 3rd Sep 2013
Stating that it's Raymen should be enough. It's beautiful, sharp and with the usual great controls. I tried a "musical" level and was really engaging. Excellent fast-paced action and the wacky, beautiful mood that is Rayman!

-- Epic Mickey: the power of 2
- (Junction Point Studios / Warren Spector) --- rls 18th Jun 2013

-- Jak & Daxter collection
- (Naughty Dog - remastered collection)

-- Olli Olli
- (Roll 7 - exclusive)

-- 1001 Spikes
- (Nicalis) --- rls 2013

-- Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims
- (dakko dakko)
I tried this because the graphic looked extremely nice and it really is: stylized and colorful. Your objective is to save as many pilgrims as you can shooting at the waves of enemies that threat their lived. The gameplay isn't particularly complex but it's smooth and engaging. It's nice how the pilgrims release love (aka hearts) that you can feast upon and become stronger at defending them: a nice touch!

-- Pinball Heroes

-- Stick it to the man
- (Zoink! - PSVita, PS3) --- rls 2013

-- Men's Room Mayhem

-- Deathmatch Village
- (Bloober Team JSC - PSVita, PS3) --- rls 2013

-- Fieldrunners 2
- (Subatomic Studios) --- rls 2013

-- Velocity 2
- (Futurlab)

-- Spelunky
- (Derek Yu)

-- Limbo
- (PLaydead) --- rls Jun 2013

-- Luftkrausers
- (Vlambeer)

-- Hotline Miami
- (Dennaton Games)

-- Lone Survivor
- (Superflat Games)
A real retro style for this interesting survival game. The mood is indeed scary, that's helped by the limited dark palette!

-- Stealth Inc.
- Curve Digital

-- Hohokumu
- (Honeyslug - Ps3, PS4, PSVita) --- rls 2014

-- Runner 2
- (Gaijin Games) --- rls 2013

-- Kick beat
- (Zen Studios) --- rls 2013

-- Dragon Fantasy Book 2
- (Rippon - PS3, PSVita)

So, honestly, there IS LOVE for PSVita from Sony, there IS LOVE for PSVita from the developers and there is a wide range of games (FPS, adventure, platform, time-wasters) and prices to satisfy any gamers.
There's nothing wrong with the system, maybe gamers are just not too interested? I don't know as I bought a PSVita a few months back, I'm playing a lot of nice games (bought or free from PLUS) and I'm really loving it!

Game On!
Ivy

[Aery]

I can't TOTALLY wait for Tearway. It's simple stunning.

Yes, KZ Mercenary is awesome too.

[PopRocks359]

The problem with your list of software is hardly any of it is exclusive to the Vita. Batman? It's on 3DS. The Walking Dead? It's also on PS3.

Vita HAS games; good ones at that. But like the Wii U it needs strong titles that are unique to the system. It can't coincide with the PS3/PS4 if its entire library is practically the same as the its home console brethren.

Cross-platform is a great thing, but if it's the Vita's main feature in front of hardly any exclusive titles, then the Vita will have shaped into little more than a $300 PS4 controller.

[IcyEyes]

I don't disagree with you, but:
Batman on Vita it's a superior version (ok, it's almost the same game after all)
The Walking dead its a special edition only for Vita.

Tearaway and Killzone alone are worth the system. Well, and there are many other awesome exclusives (Uncharted, Gravity Rus etc.) that weren't at this year E3.

I love Vita, but I think this system it's pretty doomed for a lot of reason that I prefer to avoid to list now (I need some sleep!)

In the end, Vita need more sales and sales may come from a price cut, and a couple of system sellers like Angry bird (yes, a very casual game) and an exclusive new blockbuster IP (yes, I don't think either Tearaway and Mercenary are system sellers, even though they are AMAZING games).

[PopRocks359]

No it isn't. They are the same game. The 3DS has 3D and the Vita version has sharper visuals. They're the same experience.

Tearaway is great, but I'm not much of a Killzone fan. Plus most fans of the series are anticipating the newer one on PS4. It's likely you can play that on Vita, but you need the PS4 for it first.

The Vita is hardly doomed. It's just that Sony is handling it improperly.

[IcyEyes]

"No it isn't. They are the same game. The 3DS has 3D and the Vita version has sharper visuals. They're the same experience."

Sorry, I didn't say its a different experience.

And ... no, Killzone Mercenary have not much to share with Killzone Shadowfall. It's always an FPS, but mercenary it's a different experience, mostly for the online, that appeal all the killzone fan (included me).

"The Vita is hardly doomed. It's just that Sony is handling it improperly."

I disagree again here because Sony it's not the same "Sony" of 2/3 years ago. They really work hard to expand the game library. For me Vita is doomed (talking about the sales) because there isn't any real flagship that everybody want, from casual to hardcore. Vita may have legs, but will never do the same sales of the 3DS. I hope i'm wrong anyway ...

[TongkatAli]

Ys: Memories of Celceta is Vita only. I heard that whole franchise is very high quality and underrated.

[Automatic79]

Asking developers to force all ps4 games on the vita sounds like a gimmick. They need exclusive must have titles. I am debating on whether to trade it in if it is going to become a downloadable system. As the memory cards are expensive. I bought the system for excellent retail powered games not downloadable games. I will make a better decision after Gamescon and TGS

[Garrison]

I think the real problem with the vita is that sony has practically done NO MARKETING whatsoever for it. I have a vita and it's an amazing piece of hardware. Amazing games available for it and quite an extensive library thanks to it's amazing exclusive games like gravity rush, uncharted, little big planet as well as psone and psmobile games.
Most people when they see me playing the vita get stunned right away when they see the games but they honestly didn't even know what the vita was. "Is that the new psp? What is it called?"
As far as winning over gamers the vita has won over only real gamers which are few. I'm talking about gaming fanatics who actually have a broad taste of gaming genres.

Those who love gaming in general as opposed to 1 genre only playing simpletons who's words "vita has no games" resonate with those who can't fork over the money for one and thus agree so they can ease their minds about not having one.

The vita will be just fine, sony will eventually start moving units and are actually doing great with software sales. Jack T even announced that the average PS VITA owner has about 10 Games.

I just find it amusing to see that almost all gamers were crying about portable's not having 2 analog sticks and not being powerful enough and yet when the most powerful and gorgeous system with amazing games comes out most don't put their money where their keystrokes where at.

[SweetIvy]

I agree with you.
I can't talk about advertising, as I can't judge that, but I think your analysis about the rest is spot on!

[ABizzel1]

Vita problems:

1. Marketing. I haven't seen a Vita commercial since launch, nor games commercials for the handheld. Also PS+ offers an amazing line-up of games in the instant games collection for the Vita so advertise that in the commercials, buy a Vita get 8 free games.

2. Price. $250 is a good price, but it needs to be $179 - $199 for mass market appeal.

3. Memory card prices and size. 32GB for $99 is insane, thankfully I got mines for $60 since Best Buy matched a dealnews.com ad, but my 32GB is now full thanks to PS+. Drop the price 40% - 50% and make a 64GB and 128GB card.

4. New model. Add 4G, HDMI out, NFC, and allow dual memory slots for up to 64GB now, and possibly 256GB with newer cards. And with 4G you can subsidize it with mobile carriers like they do with tablets.

5. AAA games and unique and innovative exclusives. The Vita has a good line-up of games, it's just lacking a huge quantity of them from quality and established IP's as well as new Vita exclusives.

[Garrison]

Excellent post. All of these are great steps that sony can take to get it's handheld were it should be.

[ABizzel1]

@Garrison

Thanks, I hadn't played my Vita in a while, but I decided to pick it up after E3 and browsing the E3 Sale on PSN (bought AC3: Liberation), and then I went to PS+ and saw all the games on there I hadn't downloaded, and now I've been using my Vita everyday.

It's a great handheld, Sony just needs to get a clear message out there for consumers on why it's so great, have a price drop on the handheld and memory, and push out a great line-up of games.

[ksa-sh8sh8b8]

don't forget

1:: final fantasy X Hd and x-2

2:Warrios liar

[SweetIvy]

I agree that many titles are multi-platform, but, honestly, no system has hundreds of exclusive WORTHY titles and I think PSVita exclusive library is already pretty good: http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

Personally I bought it when Gravity Rush released, knowing I would also get Uncharted, LBP, Assassin's Creed Liberation and other games.
PSVita exclusive library is quite hard-core, that could be its "problem" given that an handheld is more for casual gaming?!

Also, many PS3 - PSVita games are more suited for the handheld and I also prefer to play on PSVita the PlaystationMobile games. Right now I'm addicted to RYMDKAPSEL (great little game!).
Anyway, the list of exclusive is growing but I also think that PSVita lacks a system seller (a pokemon, for example a game that sells a lot of DS 3DS).

Personally my wishlist for PSVita games includes new: LocoRoco, Patapon, Ratchet and Clank (something exclusive to Vita).

[pixelsword]

The Vita gets no love for one odd reason:

When a handheld is too techy, it does bad, except when it's a phone, then it can't be techy enough.

It's weird, but it's true; this goes back when the Nintendo handhelds were being whipped on a technological scale, but it sold many times more than it's competitors. I guess in some odd way people expect less (somehow) from their handhelds, and like it that way.

[BillytheBarbarian]

Has the vita been hacked to play emulators yet?

[e-p-ayeaH]

I think the problem is that people arent really into handhelds nowdays and just prefer to play their games at home and kill time playing simple games on their smartphones while their out.

PS Vita is probably Sony´s last attempt on handheld gaming and that´s probably for the best. Every game developer that produces games for handhelds can put it out on PS4 instead why make it exclusive for an handheld in this day and age?

If games like FF7 Crisis Core, FF Dissidia, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush were released for PS3 the sales numbers would be way higher. It really doesnt need big graphical upgrades just higher resolution and refined controls amoung other things.

[Railgun-9X]

finally something