Vita Clawing Its Way Back in Japan

Upon analysis of the latest sales numbers, the PS Vita may have turned the corner in Japan. It's now entered a time when big releases are happening with something resembling regularity, and it's most anticipated titles have yet to be launched. The climb will be slow, but it seems to be getting there.

[dbjj12088]

Imxsure it'll do better once some Monster Hunter lands on the system.

[GribbleGrunger]

who knows. it's far too early to have a headline containing the word 'claw' as if it is either fighting back from a position of extreme unlikelihood or from a long and arduous battle. one title in the top ten does not indicate anything at this point and neither does beating it's younger brother.

yes, i like to see more positive news for the Vita than the gloom and gloom articles that thankfully have disappeared, but this just comes over as clumsy optimism.

i'm 'almost' certain the PSVita will do well and it won't be because of any particular game either. sustaining as average has nothing to do with gaining a spike now and then. we'll just have to wait and see

[darthv72]

it will sell when the consumers feel they are ready to buy. That could be based on a particular game or perhaps price but overall it is appeal.

No doubt it will sell to great numbers as it is the successor to the PSP. Many great games on that platform have nowhere to go but up to the next platform and that is the vita.

doom and gloom are just so easy to side with if you have no desire to own the platform. Therefore any good news will still get marred by those who dont care.

[bozebo]

what darth said.

[GribbleGrunger]

don't get me wrong, i don't underestimate the effect a MH would make in Japan or a COD would make in the West. all i'm saying is that any game, no matter how popular it is, only ever creates a spike and once that spike has levelled out you then have the new average (of sales). averages very seldom rise due to one game. what the Vita needs (and i believe will get) is many games that suit many consumers. that is how you sustained a raised average in the long run

Sony did that with the PS1/PS2/PS3 and will likely do it with the Vita too. they'll aim for a fiscal year target figure and attempt to hit it every year. that figure will rise or fall depending on the diversity of games and consumers. if demand is equal to production then everything is good. if demand outpaces production then that's a problem because it means investing in more factories or higher production from the factories you already have, which of course leads to more costs overall. if this increase in production cannot justify the extra money spent then that isn't a feasible proposition... and a price drop becomes even less likely.

Sony will produce for projected fiscal year numbers. if those numbers increase steadily then they may start producing more Vita's and that may eventually lead to a price drop to help sustain that momentum. but it will take a year or two before Sony can commit longterm to such a strategy.

if Sony offer an official price drop sooner rather than later, then that will be an indication that their fiscal year projections will not be achieved without a price drop. which obviously also means the Vita isn't selling as well as hoped

[Baka-akaB]

nvm

[fatalis95]

yeah a monster hunter would really boost the vita's sales we can only hope one gets released

[rezzah]

I`ve killed you many time Fatalis!

As much as I love MH, I will never buy a portable MH again. Personally I am waiting for another console MH for the PS.

Portable versions is a way for Capcom to make easy money; this is how I see it, despite the enjoyment I get out of each game I`ve played thus far. Making portable games in comparison to console games require less money. Also since MH is a big selling franchise, Capcom will sell a lot and gain a large profite for the price put into it`s creation.

However, what Capcom doesn`t want is the possibility of a large sum of money put into a console version that may not sell as much. Despite the possibility of creating a HUGE and possibly the most diverse (gameplay mechanics and more) MH ever, they would will stick to what they always do with very little change. By very little change, I mean small change in comparison to what they can achieve on a home console.

Of course it all comes down to business over passion, though did Capcom ever have a passion in gaming? Maybe their general success of great games in the PS2 era might of been perceived as a passionate company when maybe, even then, they were always business oriented.

[bozebo]

Exactly rezzah.

Games are released on handhelds just so that people will buy the handheld even though the game could be on the primary home console and be a LOT better. Take, I dunno, Pokémon as an example; imagine a proper Pokémon RPG or MMO... (there is some MMO but it's junk not made by Nintendo)

Handhelds make a lot more hardware profits later into their lifecycle than home consoles (the raw materials for production are vastly cheaper, as you would expect - but of course they still have R&D costs to cover at the start of the product lifecycle) and also there are more likely to be multiple sales per household (imagine a family home with 3 kids, they could get away with 1 console but all 3 will want the handheld...). The upside of this is that the hardware manufacturer is slightly more protected from piracy - they don't absolutely require the game sale royalties to stay afloat because they make more money from unit sales in the long run, and there tends to be a LOT of piracy on handhelds.

Also, there are a lot less good games available on handhelds so people are more inclined to buy X game of a series that they already know to be good on home consoles (resident evil, GTA, etc.) even if the game itself is actually bad in comparison (but costs only slightly less than a full release?).

Anyway yeah. Handheld gaming deserves good games, but business interests will always mean that somebody loses out :(

I for one, will not be buying a new handheld of this generation because I have seen it happen since the gameboy era, second hand though; hellz yeah there are some deals to be had.

[pain777pas]

Lets be honest here people. Would Microsoft love to have Vitas sales #s in Japan? Absofreakinglutely! Right now Vita will pass the 360s lifetime Japanese sales by the end of the next fiscal year in Japan. Be realistic. The Vita is doing just fine. I feel Europe is where the Vita will be strongest this year and following a steady stream of first party titles they will do well in the West. Vita is one price drop away from taking over Japan. The thing is that the DS had many advantages with touch that the PSP could not match. Now, the Vita has everything and more that the current 3ds even with a dual analog redesign just cannot match. The screen size alone that is MULTI touch is going to be exploited and they will release the 3d glasses patch for specific games that you want to use them for. That will be a developer choice. Look... don't worry about the Vita at all the specs are good enough to last a while in the handheld space. Too many opportunities for indie devs to make a name for themselves on the device if they think out side the box. The free AR games like fireworks are an example. Have cool music make it cost 99 cents as a mini and away you go. Vita has versatility that no other gaming system feature wise can match.

[zero_cool]

Sony needs to offer 3g connectivity across other major carries networks as well & it's carriers need to offer an unlimited 3g plan.

P.S..These are a must or they might as well not have that model because it's not worth the money!

Cheers Gamers & Happy Gaming!

[DC1980]

HOORAY VITA!!!!

[cervantes99]

What? I thought the Vita was discontinued after week one sales. Wow this is unheard of. Who would of thought the system could last past it's first week after all the doom and gloom articles.

/s

I expect LOGICWINS in here any minute to say something negative and illogical.

[rezzah]

overall it is best to takes the view of both sides, and even if you agree with one over the other you do not dismiss the possibility of the opposite. Especially at a time like this when people can only make assumptions on what they feel to be "right".

Time will tell as we will learn the sales of Vita in America and Europe. Also it would not mean the conclusion of a price drop, nor how soon it would arrive.

It would depend on the decision of Sony if they wish follow in the footsteps of Nintendo (70 price drop, within weeks/months [forgot] which), or hold to the price as this did with the PS3 and lower it next year.

The more likely answer would be in the tactics of how Sony deals with price drops in previous systems.

[cervantes99]

I was just talking tongue-in-cheek. I always consider both views in any discussion - I was just being feisty :)

It just seems like every new piece of tech today is bashed before it has a chance to prove itself because some group feels it is not necessary for some reason or another (usually price related).

As far a LOGICWINS goes, he is good entertainment but does seem a bit cranky when it comes to Sony Tech. Don't get me wrong, Sony has made A LOT of mistakes this gen, but I think they are doing some good things to rectify that with the Vita. Price is too high for the MAINSTREAM, but that doesn't mean the tech is bad because many can't afford it.

Good rational comment - have a bubble.

[rezzah]

Before he changes his name to Logicwins he had another name starting with D.

Or at least I believe LogicWins is the name he changed his old account to.

Back then this person gave strong opinionated reasons for their beliefs, but it was easy to pin point a somewhat dislike in almost anything Sony. Basically they appeared to be a fanboy with great sense of reasoning.

When D went away for some time, Logic came in and I noticed a similar style of reasoning/comments. The difference was that Logic`s comments were more non-bias at first, however overtime the form of reason seems to slowly revert back to the `D` person. I even remember someone pointing Logic out to be the same person (D) in a old article many months ago.

Despite all this I do understand that people have a personal choice over the various others. So it isn`t wrong to dislike another option for differing reasons.

Though what I hope for is that he is not hiding behind the image of Logic, being that logic implies truth. Therefore with the name Logicwins, it would imply that he uses logic behind his reasons. This can covert his true meaning/personal feelings within his opinionated words; which I am sure many do not fail to notice.

One last thing I would like to point out is that we tend to seek the negatives in the things that we dislike, usually ignoring the possibility of positives. The same goes for the positives in things we like. If you are going to use logic, do not blind yourself or others from the possibility (negative/positive) of the other options.

[Solid_Snake37]

Now im curious, D? :D

[moparful99]

@cervantes99 To be fair I would say all three made some major mis steps this generation but they all had the means, whether financial or fanbase to overcome them..

Back on topic, It's so easy to get defensive whenever there is a flood of negative articles that pour in one after another.. Whenever someone who is mostly subjective feels like they have to defend a product it sets off a chain reaction that leads to that dreaded F word label...

It has become an aggressive environment where people are conditioned to be on the defenisve at all times instead of being honest yet subjective...

Not to create a marytr nor scapegoat but the media must shoulder most of the blame.. Picking sides and proceeding to sway opinions all for the sake of hits to gain marketing dollars...

EDIT: P.S. bubbles for you both, I do enjoy intelligent conversation :)

1 Timothy 6:10 "For the LOVE of money is the root of ALL EVIL."

[solidjun5]

"Now im curious, D? :D "

Logicwins is formerly Deadreckoning666.

I'm surprised he didn't come in and say "you guys are obsessed with me."

[MasterCornholio]

Judging by his last comment on Sonys E3 2011 press conference he will probably make some crazy claim that Sony hired people to buy the Vita in order to boost sales numbers.

:-D

XperiaRay

[cervantes99]

You are probably right :)

Yeah that comment about the E3 Press Conference made my jaw hit the ground - just wow.

[Solid_Snake37]

Wait, what comment lol?

[moparful99]

@solidsnake He made a comment about how sony cherry picked sony fanboys from the media to attend their E3 presser to give them a more favorable public opinion.

[klecser]

Good news for handhelds in general.

[FrigidDARKNESS]

That's awesome news

[Ddouble]

Looks to have stabilised around 18K. It should be like this until devs move on to the Vita. The release schedule for the PSP is still a lot at the moment.

Once they move on to the Vita I can see it doing 30K a week.
Also Gravity Daze is out tommorow in Japan so that should be another game in the top 10 for nexts week's sales.

[rexbolt]

gravity daze looks sweet :o

[Llcoolchay]

Cannot wait til the 22nd, i need my vita now, hope it sells well here cos i want it to succeed, im glad i can unlock trophies on a handheld, my 3ds will become a dust collector im afraid, well until snake eater 3d of corse

[Pintheshadows]

Is it a race?