For a while now i've tried to figure out exactly why Sony would project a 5 million console shipment for the psp and vita this year. What strikes me is not the prediction itself, but instead the honesty involved.
See, in business, honesty is not usually the best policy. Hence, behind the prediction is probably not a new-found philosophy as much as a strategy.
Lets see...if you admit to this number then you've basically just told every AAA publisher to go away..far away..and dont ever look back ...dont call me i'll call you...its not you its me....you get the idea.
What i want to desperately take away from this is not that they've give up on the vita. I dont see Sony surrendering on a piece of hardware that easily..especially gaming hardware. These are the same people that supported the beta max till 2002 (seriously).
Instead, it may point to a different strategy. See, Sony now has to bring the software to the vita. The third parties never really came. This takes investment, serious investment. It would be unfortunate to start setting up studios for games and then have them lost in the launch calendar as 3rd party games flood in IF the console catches on. You also cant refuse these publishers if they show up with games cause you need them for the PS4. What you want to do is have them lose interest.
What this 5 million console projection means is that the AAA game market on the vita is the sole responsibility of sony for the next 3 years. No new quality games are gonna be approved this year by the larger studios and any in development will likely be shelved. Its them (sony), indie games and remote play. This is what i think the new strategy seem to be.
One thing that worries me is that, unlike nintendo, sony has dipped its toe into the gaming scene on other mobile devices. They've already beta-tested a gaming phone and are likely to bring a successor soon. Could it simply mean that they are truly shifting focus to other platforms, leaving the vita as a niche console for certain types of games?
That might not necessarily be a bad thing. If you told me that i would get 2-3 platformers and some quality JRPSs on the handheld every year, then that would in itself make my purchase worthwhile.
What do you think? Has sony taken a page from a certain competitor and sought to protect its development investment by thinning the software herd? Or have they given up on dedicated handhelds in favor of other platforms?
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There was an article recently that stated that Sony is going to be allowing remote play for ALL PS4 games right out the box. I would think that these sales projections may have something to do with that. I could be wrong though.
Look i understand many keep looking at this in the way you are, but you are really missing the underlining point. Sony is not just looking to rely on just the PSVita by itself as the only Handheld platform they are offering in the market. the move of the living room Hub and the mobile device connected to it for entertainment, was just getting started for a while, and now is in full swing but not by just Sony but pretty much every freaking consumer electronic's company are making their Mobile device: directly connected to a Living room Hub.
why do you think Smart phones and Tablets have HDMI out? Nintendo WiiU , Microsoft SmartGlass, Sony PSP was such first movement by Sony into this trend and it is continuing with the playstation Vita. People think it seems to only Look at the PSVita on how well its doing in the market, not how well the business plan for its viability Long term is developing. one of the thing's many seem to overlook about this is its not just about the here right now. Think about it, is Microsoft is just now getting to developing smart glass, and Samsung and Apple and Google are making remote access Application store fronts for the Mobile devices direct connected to the living room Hub. ie: topset box or smart tv.
DO YOU REALLY THINK SONY IS GOING TO ALLOW THEM Other companies no contention for the living room for the main mobile device for entertainment streameing from the living room to the mobile device, and that they want that to be "playstation" see that is the point the PSVita is not all by itself it is a "Playstation" playstation Mobile is a "Playstation" platform. its about the ECO System not just one single device out of that ECO system. Sony's making and has been now for several years a unified playstation platfomr not just the hardware being able to run all the same software but also a unified connected , unified play, and a unified share centric platform. if you cannot see that is the direction Sony has taken than i do not know what to tell you.
its not just about the PS3,PSVITA,PS4,PSM all by themselves its about a unified front as a unified platform that is
"Playstation"