Japan sales: Sony shifts less than 800k PS Vita units in six months

Less than 800,000 PlayStation Vita units have been sold across Japan in the past six months, new data suggests.

A new look at sales of Sony's latest handheld - provided by Japanese magazine Famitsu - suggests that the system has sold about 790,000 units.

[mike1up]

Awww cute kid... Even a Nintendo Fanboy like myself cannot resist that face. "Yes junior, Daddy will buy you a Vita... *sigh*. Are you sure that you don't want Mario instead?".

On Topic:

I don't own a Vita, but it's strong tech. Black Friday is just around the corner, and the white Vita bundled with the AC exclusive will boost the numbers. A lot of cheapskates, like myself, will even wait until after the holidays to buy the more expensive items.

[omarzy]

I go home with a 3DS XL(bought my regular one a few months ago) and a Vita on Black Friday. Persona 4, Gravity Rush, Kid Icarus, Mario, and RE:R should keep me busy.

[NewMonday]

I feel 200$ is a psychological barrier many buyers won't go beyond with things like the Kindil Fire and Google nexus tablet selling for 199$, they make the Vita feel expensive

[Ult iMate]

@newmonday
Agree. I'm a diehard Sony fan, bought a PSV almost at day one. But I really think Vita needs a pricecut to $200 to boost sales and increase install base.
As for now, Sony make major pricecuts for PSV games.

[zeeshan]

@newmonday: I agree! To be honest, when I first held PS Vita in my hands, I was very, VERY impressed. It feels, looks and works like a solid piece of machine. One that is actually quite cheap (only $250) compared to mobile phones and high-end tablets but you NAILED IT when you said that $199 is psychological barrier or at least becoming one real fast. I am sure that with some additional and original software support and a price drop to $199 or below, VITA will do just fine.

[omarzy]

@newmonday. Yup! $200 is my sweet spot for handheld gaming, and as you said, for many other as well. It is incredible really. $250 is too much, but i am willing to wait and wait for a simple 50 dollar price drop. If i am going to spend 200 then i can spend 250, but i won't lol. You can have as many exclusives as you want, but give me a reason to think i can afford the machine.

[TheTwelve]

This is how all Sony consoles begin. We know how all Sony consoles end up. Yes, this happened even back in the beginning of the legendary PS1. --12

[TheTwelve]

Sure. But it was still considered to be in trouble until FF7 ---12

[Autodidactdystopia]

I think its a lack of advertisements.

I saw playstation3 trailers up the ass at launch and i still do.

to this day i havent seen a single psv trailer that i didnt look for myself.

they need to advertise the thing.

show it in a good light you know what i mean?

edit: so they are advertising it up the ass?

[ABizzel1]

I kind of agree, but it's more than just that.

The advertising just isn't there. I've seen the commercials, but they aren't good ones. They don't make me want to get up and go buy a Vita, or for that matter even remember the handheld (Even though I already have one and love it).

But the biggest problem with the Vita is the lack of games. The Vita has games, but the problem is they lack big name franchises, and this holiday season should help with that, but what happens afterwards.

US- Call of Duty, GTA, God of War, Uncharted Golden Abyss 2, Killzone
Europe- Gran Turismo 5, Assassin's Creed, Fifa, Battlefield, LittleBigPlanet,
Japan- Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, MGS

Those 15 games will send the Vita's sells into the stratosphere, and easily push the Vita past 10 million sales by year's end if they were out.

Little Big Planet, Assassin's Creed, and Call of Duty are on the way, so sales in the US and Europe should pick up quite a bit for the holidays, but what about Japan. Sony needs to get these 15 games out by holiday 2013 if they want the Vita to get a large enough install base for developers to happily support the platform, because honestly those 5 games are what those regions buy the most (Europe also plays COD, GTA, and Assassin's Creed).

When people see the games they know and love then they'll pick up the Vita, and then you can focus on new and unique experiences for the Vita.

[edgeofsins]

What they really should do is have a bunch of great games and not show the Vita and most people won't realize it isn't on a home console because the graphics on it are strong and then it zooms out and shows hands holding it. Something like that.

[blue7_7]

Well when it came out I saw a lot of commercials for it so I don't know what you are talking about. Yeah sure they don't advertise it anymore like when it first launched I'm guessing because they don't want to spend millions on advertising when they are not seeing the returns for it. So I'm guessing that's why they stopped they themselves know it's not doing good so why bother throwing money away.

It's smartphones that happened it's not about games or advertising the PSVita had a decent amount of games at launch and it still did nothing same with advertising.

People are just no interested in dedicated handheld games anymore when you can play games on your phone. Sure they are not as deep as dedicated handheld games but still they are fun.

[Nimblest-Assassin]

Misleading title

it's japan sales: vita sells under 800 000 K

suspected as much from Frankfurt, you know mr. Ps3 exclusives don't sell/ ps3 multiplats are terrible/ etc

vita needs software that appeals to the Japanese. Vita is geared more to na and Europe with cod and ac

nintendo has the advatage as their franchises are geared to everyone.. That's fully acknowledged by the Mario kart 7 commercial they air, where the American adults keep losing to 10 year old Japanese girls

that hatsune miku game might shift some units, but I guess Sony knows what they are doing

I think

[HammadTheBeast]

You got that rigt. Its sold around 1.2 Million in North America, not to mention Europe and the East sales.

[Ult iMate]

Sega is doing great in Japan at advertising its Project Diva f. I hear some news or new details about the game at least twice a week. I hope that will help to boost sales of the game and Vita aswell.

[zeeshan]

ops double post!

[Jdoki]

Needs more games before I will get a Vita. I know there are some good titles already, but I felt burned after the comparative lack of support for PSP and am concerned the same may happen for Vita.

I have a feeling Sony will make a big Vita push when PS4 launches, and we'll see a lot more integration between the two platforms. That might be the time I buy.

[Knushwood Butt]

PSP is still pretty strong in Japan, and Sony are still behind it.

Regardless, Vita needs more big titles. Hatsune Miku should do well.

[andibandit]

Yeah, the PSP is actually doing better than the Vita, kind of scary

[murkster-dubez]

The Ps2 was outselling the Ps3 for ages.

[Knushwood Butt]

Well, not scary for Sony, as the PSP is very profitable for them at this stage in its life. Bear in mind that it is more expensive to but a new PSP than it is a 3DS in Japan.

As such, they are very smart to keep on supporting it, and it still does well here. Third parties are also keen to keep supporting it.

So their strategy for Japan is to keep the PSP momentum going while slowly building up interest in the Vita.

[tehpees3]

It needs a price drop. I can't see why this is even being debated any more. It has been proclaimed as having one of the best launch lineups ever so if games aren't the problem then what is? I say the price. Thats really what is stopping me getting one.

[greenpowerz]

It's not games or price. The handheld market moved to casual. Nintendo's stratedy is geared towards the casuals end of the spectrum. PS Vita is suppose to be some "cool guy's tech". Grown a$$ men don't carry around toys in their pockets anymore. Women and children tend to use handhelds more, outside of the loyal hardcore crowd. Most adults use Home Theaters for gaming, the novelty of mobile consoles has fizzled out universally. Most already carry around hardware that they can use for a quick gaming sessions. Only people buying handhelds are people wanting to play simple casual games but are unwilling to invest in a console. This demographic is huge but we already know the casual crowd is much bigger.

I know lots of people that will disagree with your opinion over the launch lineup. Doesn't matter what games come out for vita. The group most likely to buy a handheld dont see it as a simple pickup and play device that has the franchises they like.

Image is another overlook factor. DS is simply and cute(can match color of purse) Vita is some huge bulky man nerd device that needs maintenance(firmware updates, does all kinds of console like crap they don't have time for or care about)

[sonic989]

i agree with your theory mostly nice thinking but the 3ds didnt start its momentum until the right games got released i know about their casual focus but for casuals mobile phones ipod ipad are their systems for the vita sony can steer the wheel as they want they can focus on both sides hardcore and casuals at the same time and completely nail it you know why cause the vita has more tech than the 3ds it just needs the right software for that targeted market and i see them being very benefited from that and yah release a pink vita and as much colors as possible btw as much as i hate those colors but sony must cater to all tastes
so i would say its more about how they advertise the system release the right games with the right advertisement ( very impotant ) because being better technologically is never a bad thing but how they monopolize it and make it look relevant for the average person

[greenpowerz]

Vita could copy DS games or do them Better(or something original that gets much praise). The Vita would run into the hardware image issue.

The DS name itself, has over time became a brand that nullifies the dying taboo of adults playing video games. No other brand in the industry has made more progress in this regard.

So I guess 3DS finally acquired all the things I mentioned above when you said it took off(Image, simplicity, franchises people love)

[Hisiru]

@greewpowder
Your theory is wrong because core games like Revelations, Kid Icarus and even Super Street Fighter IV 3D (which sold almost 1 million) are doing just fine on the 3DS, which means we have a good number of core consumers on the 3DS. Third party core titles are selling much better on the 3DS.

Plus, the 3DS is selling better than the DS at the same period.

The handheld market isn't the problem. The problem is that Vita needs more exclusive games (games you can only find on vita) from popular franchies in order to attract fans like Revelastions, Kingdom Hearts and many others did for the 3DS, this gives more reason for fans to buy it. People want to create a lot of excuses but it's simple: Vita needs more exclusive reasons to make people buy it. If there is a Resident Evil spin off on this thing I will probably buy it because I am a fan of the series (just to give you an example, I already have a vita).

Appealing games like God of War, Halo, Resident Evil Revelations, Mario and some others will never lose market for cheap games on iOS (if you really want to have a deep gaming experience).

Let's put a brand new God of War/Final Fantasy/Grand theft Auto title on vita and lets see if it won't sell. Then people like you will say what? "oh oh oh it seems the handheld market has no problems right now because casual players are becoming hardcore players" lol. It's clear to mee the problem is just games, not the handheld market because the 3DS is doing fine (hardware and software) and Vita will have more exclusive games in the upcoming months.

[dcbronco]

Green I have to disagree with you on who is playing handhelds. The average gamer is over 30 now. And the DS appeals to a lot more than young girls and kids. When the DS first launched it was common to see older business people, especially women on the subway with one. And the games they played with brain training games and now Sudoku. Not cute kid games.

Wait...what?

I didn't see older people with DSs on the subway?

[Hisiru]

@greewpowder
Also, it doesn't matter if it has kids, adults or girls. You shouldn't discriminate any player. What really matters is if there are GAMERS on the 3DS. I know a lot of gamer girls, I know a lot of gamer kids, and I know a lot of gamer adults who plays on the 3DS, so we shouldn't discriminate any gamer just because they are kids/adults/girls.

Being a kid won't stop you from playing games like Resident Evil Revelations (even if it's t/m rated) and being an adult won't stop you from playing games like Mario. Because in the end, it's all about being a gamer/player and have fun playing your device. A gamer woman/girl won't have less skills than you just because they are women.

Why are you discriminating those players? Do you think a girl/woman/kid can't be good enough to play certain games?

[miyamoto]

greenpowerz you nailed it completely with your analysis.

Its the PSP scenario all over again but this time Nintendo has encroached on the PSP's core market- JRPG and its console gaming on the go experience.

Sony is doing nothing & let Monster Hunter go.

You are right that the handheld market is LARGELY comprised of casual kids and Sony is not making games for this type of gamers.

Converting console gamers to the handheld is not very compelling to me. Console experience is best experience on the big screen with their PS3.

But then again, Sony is like the Neil Young of gaming it does not give spit what franchises comes and goes on its PlayStation platforms. They will stick to their plans no matter what.

This may be very frustrating to PS fans getting clobbered in the sales figures arguments but Sony will discipline you that sales figures is not the true essence of PlayStation gaming.

[victorGma21]

@axelstone
Very well said, it's the PSP all over again, except the 3DS now has more core games like Resident Evil Revelations, Kingdom Hearts, Monster Hunter and some others.

3DS will be a giant monster in Japan with Monster Hunter 4 + Brand new Pokémon (in the main series) + proper Dragon Quest title.

I hope Sony has some nice games to announce at this year's TGS. Also, Vita seriously need a Monster Hunter/DQ game.

[sonic989]

if i learned anything about the japanese market its that they respond very very well with the game releases of their most loved franchises like final fantasy dragon quest monster hunter and mario somehow i guess
sony needs one of those games or create their own japanese cult hit i hope soul sacrifice can become a hit
btw even the 3ds struggled without the japanese favorite games so its logical that the vita well have a hard time
up up sony
btw its not about the price since the average income for the japanese worker is quit probably the best in the world so its about the games my guess

[frankiebeans]

wow and everyone was telling me I was wrong when I said this thing was doomed before it came out. a lot more portable technology now then when the first psp came out and that didn't do very well then. you're kinda a fool if you buy a psv now I would wait till ps4 comes out to see if maybe it has some type of wiiu type functionality before you go out and buy one.

[sonic989]

doomed its still too early to judge that
and since when the wii u became a mile stone in gaming why not they make something better since the wii u is already announced
the 3ds is very weak compared to phones and the vita so it was all about the games nothing more led the 3ds to this advantage

[1nsomniac]

PSP was the biggest selling console launch in the world. Do some research. The Vita will hit its stride soon enough.

[frankiebeans]

I see nothing about that and like I said mobile technology was just beginning when the psp came out people were still using Motorola razors now we have tablets, thin and light computers and smartphones everywhere you look its a whole different ball game now.

[Wintersun616]

PSP has sold +70M units, how is that not very well?

Also we're talking only Japan here, if those numbers for Vita in Japan = doomed, then the Xbox 360 is already gone I presume. Flawed logic is flawed.

[sonic989]

yes i agree with you completely a different region with different culture playing with different taste
the psp is still selling very well btw and in terms of sells the psp was and still a success
i mean for fanboys if your system of choice sold 1 billion units and your competition sold 990 million units they say it has done poorly or not great

[clrlite]

The 3DS is doing fine among that other technology. Only, Nintendo spends money advertising and promoting their product.

Sony probably knows what they are doing with the vita. If not, they may be in trouble because what needs to be done is plain as day.

[Kingnichendrix]

Yeah, that's true and I got a feeling that sony is up to something. Ohh here is a thought I haven't read many articles but maybe they are gonna do something with that gakai on the vita? that would be interesting.

[frankiebeans]

like I said mobile technology was just beginning when the psp came out people were still using Motorola razors now we have tablets, thin and light computers and smartphones everywhere you look its a whole different ball game now.

[Wintersun616]

So if that's the reason why Vita's sales are slow, then why is the 3DS doing so well? There is a market for dedicated gaming handhelds because they have their advantages over laptops, tablets and smartphones. These advantages might not be so important to the casual crowd. And of course there are some people who will be happy with a phone or tablet for gaming, but there still exists a large enough market for Vita and 3DS to exist and do well.

[frankiebeans]

look at the price of the ds now and look at it at launch its a huge difference they had to drop the price lower then anything that can compete with it and sales are still nothing compared to the first ds and psp because back then it was pretty much your only option for the experiences they were giving. it might have a market but nothing close to what it was without all the competition. its fact I dont talk out my backside like most people do on this site.

[extermin8or]

I'm sorry but your point on tablets is as stupid as the device themselves, overgrown phone/half a laptop -_- they really aren't useful for anything practical if you wanted that level of gameplay and have it reasonably portable you'd own a gaming laptop or a vita/3DS, sony themselves said BEFORE THIS LAUNCHED ANYWHERE that they were targeting the smaller hardcore market for the moment and didn't expect record breaking sales; that 2/3 years down the line they'd have a lower price and should still be pretty high up in terms of it's capabilities compared to rival tech and it'll have a large library of games both hc and casual and then be a lower price...

[DiRtY]

what a flop the Vita is.

[Kingnichendrix]

790,000 in japan alone isn't a flop in any standards, try and work out how much money that is alone. However compared to the competitors yes thats really not great. However its only been 6 months, wait till COD comes out or wait even till next year im pretty sure it will sell a lot more by then.

[g-nome]

My Vita suffers from a serious lack of Zen pinball , come on guys. Other than that will get MGS collection soon since I never player either. Good console though , enjoying it.

[Fishy Fingers]

Impressive.

The way they market their devices I'm surprised 800k people even know what a Vita is.

[clrlite]

That may be the effect of their "word of mouth" marketing technique.

[ksense]

marketing works best when the price is right. sony are not in a position to be doing panic price drops like nintendo. they always go in for the marathon. first they go in for the hardcore crowd and for that you dont need massive marketing budgets. when they can get the price down to 199 or 179 they will market it because at that price people might start considering it and buy it once they see games for it. right now sony focus is probably in building good library so when the time comes they can market a system which has good games, has good word of mouth and a good price.

[extermin8or]

finally someone else that paid attention to what they were saying/doing :p

[stuna1]

@ksense
Well said! Sony never expected record breaking sells! They have always relied on the hardcore crowd to sell their systems, because if you think about it, it usually the hardcore gamer that are the most vocal!
They have followed a formula that has been pretty successful if you ask me, by catering to me as a core gamer, I'm more than likely going to tell others of my experiences.

[OmniSlashPT]

I guess japanese prefer remakes of N64 games rather than new IP's. And in western no one cares about handhelds anymore.

PSVita - new IP's, new AC, new CoD, incoming Killzone, Bioshock.....meh

3DS - mario, paper mario, and that other mario...OMGzNINTENDOIzGOD

yeh, that's pretty much it nowadays

[boybato]

dumb people keep on forgeting that the console business ain't a 500m dash. It's a 10k run.

though i'll admit that the vita CANNOT catch up to the 3ds, it'll still win its own race...

[Pillville]

New IP's - Gravity Rush and....???
AC - Not out yet
CoD - Not out yet
Killzone - Not out yet
Bioshock - Not out yet

mario - Available in stores now
mario kart - Available in stores now
zelda - Available in stores now
kid icarus - Available in stores now

I own both, and I enjoy both, but Vita needs more games in stores and less on the "coming soon" list.

[killerhog]

Out now:

New IPs
Unit 13
gravity rush

New games (not ports)
Uncharted: golden abyss
Resistance: burning skies
Wipeout (racing)
Asphalt (racing)
Mod nation racers (racing)
Hot shot (arcade golf)

Go get yourself any of those games and don't bring up "well I can play those on consoles" argument, because the same could be said for the Nintendo list you wrote.

Also some vita games (whether new IPs or spin-offs) are only sold on the PSN store so might wanna check that too. I got motorstorm Rc (vita) for free.

[Wintersun616]

Escape Plan, Soul Sacrifice, Sound Shapes, Unit 13. And those are only the new Vita IPs I personally care about. Do your homework before you imply there are no new IPs on Vita.

[Pillville]

I know there are new IPs "COMING" to Vita.
I'm only talking about what's in the store RIGHT NOW since we are talking about why sales are slow RIGHT NOW.
No one buys a system based on what is coming out in the future.

Also, Escape Plan, Sound Shapes, Unit 13 are not system sellers. Sony doesn't even bother to advertise them.

killerhog said:
[don't bring up "well I can play those on consoles" argument, because the same could be said for the Nintendo list you wrote. ]

Ha. You couldn't think of other arguments against what I said, so you had to make up things for me to say.

Stop being so defensive and have a sensible conversation (i know that's impossible here if there's even a slight hint of negativity towards Sony).
Vita needs a killer app/game. Something that gets people (not just the niche hardcore gamer) talking and buying.

[Coming from someone with a PS2/PS3/PSP/Vita, Sony Stereo, Sony Bluray player, VAIO laptop, and my Sony VCR from 1997]

[killerhog]

Those games I meantion are out.

Oh okay, so dismiss a game because it wasn't heavily advertised? Or not a system seller so (by your logic) don't exist?

Yup I did, why? Because you are completing (for some reason) dismissing a lot of games. So I figured, once I shoved released games down your throat, you'll go running to "well I can play those on consoles". Why? Because you trolls think alike that it has become trite and conspicuous to read.

I don't know why you added Sony products but I'll do the same

Sony
Ps1
Ps2
Ps2 slim
Ps3
Ps3 slim
2 psp
Psvita
Sony cd player
Sony Walkman
Sony headphones

Nintendo
SNES
GB
GBC
GBA
DS

The vita is fine and has lots games I'm enjoying. I don't need to buy games based on how many people bought it like you or else id have all CODs. Also 4 of those (vita has no games) I got for free from Sony promotions.

[clrlite]

one thing....

"And in western no one cares about handhelds anymore. "

The statistics say they are as hot as ever thanks to the 3DS.

The Vita will do well if Sony manages to advertise it correctly.

[-Alpha]

Killzone, AC, Bioshock, and COD are not new IPs.

[1nsomniac]

Who cares what the Vita sells in Japan!

They dont like the xbox either but that sells by the million load everywhere else & it's only the minority that have any interest in japanese devs/games coming to any of our consoles in the rest of the world.

[TheLyonKing]

Even if Sony are making 1yen profit (which they arent) it is still a profit.

Say they make 2 dollars of profit on the vita, for just japan, that's over 1 million. Sony could with more games for the vita but that will come.

Still selling at full retail unlike Nintendo.

[CanadianTurtle]

This is why I never buy consoles or hanhelds until a few years in it's cycle because thats when actual good games come out.

[TemplarDante]

Wow whats with that picture? Have the Vita's become self-aware?

[supremacy]

well things will only get worse if the ps3 does get a prce drop next month. I know the ps3 and vita are two different devices and all. But right now The ps3 has the games and soon enough the price difference in its favor.

What i am saying is Sony needs to take hit now and go head to head with Nintendo. The games are coming for sure, but there are long gaps between releases.

Vita in my opinion has little to no marketing. Sony needs to sign deals with 3rd party publishers and get the games that will help them move units, you know the games people want. Them kingdom hearts,dragon quest, final fantasies,monster hunter, grandtheftautos and such.

Also what i feel whats happening is Sony probably busy assembling the ps4 and thus are moving resources in that direction. The same thing happened with the psp and ps3.

To avoid this, i think it will be simple to just remaster a few ps2 heavyweights exclusively for the vita. Think of the 2 ps2 kingdom hearts remastered in hd with trophies, and the ps2 dragon quest games and on and on just to fill that Gap and maintain the vita afloat.

just my two cents.

[Captain Tuttle]

That's too bad, it's very impressive hardware.

[greenpowerz]

pinnacle of handheld tech...

[Hisiru]

It means nothing if it doesn't have proper software (like the 3DS)

[ipe]

I dont see how s this strange.

There re like 0 zero things on it that sell good in japan.
Persona was first of them, and sales spiked.

It needs maybe smaller price and few big ips like ff, monster hunter, to sell hot.

No wonder its selling better in west , comparing taste libraries.

[SpecialK]

I wonder if its because of smartphones and tablets?

Like some people have said, when the original psp launched mobiles couldnt really do decent gaming, now however for way less than a vita you can get a smartphone or tablet that will do games easily good enough and films/ music to keep your attention during car and train journeys.

So when youve already got a home console, and a smartphone to hold your attention out and about, maybe demand has dropped?

Obviously there will always be people who want something more than what a smartphone can offer right now, but i reckon a lot of causal gamers are happy playing Angry Birds and tilt racers and streaming content.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

Love my Vita! :) Not to make this an inflammatory post, but my friend is currently using my 3DS. There just aren't any games to play on it right now. :/

I play my Vita to death!

[imXify]

Who cares ? Last year 3DS sales wasn't even impressive...just give it time !

[Sgt_Slaughter]

Even then it was selling 3 times as much in the same time span so there goes that theory...

[Hicken]

And selling off the Nintendo name, and the DS library, with which it was compatible. A lot of uninformed people thought normal DS games would be in 3D, and a lot of people simply didn't want to spend the extra on 3DS games when they could get DS games to play on the system.

Sure, sales were better, but it's not like it was on the strength of the system, itself.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

Yeah, every single backwards-compatible system has use it to drive sales in the beginning... Sorry that the Vita couldn't use the UMD's from the PSP but it doesn't mean you can drag down another for BC XD

[kingofe3]

But they were three times better.

[mochachino]

So Patcher was right after all.

[Trenta27]

I have had my Vita since launch. I played a few games and got bored with it. I bought a 3DS a month later and I'm having a blast with it. The Vita just needs some new games. I just hope these low figures don't shy developers away and that Sony continues to support the Vita. If they drop support for it, I'm going to be one upset gamer. All I have to blame for that sadly is myself for buying it. Oh well. Here's to hoping some good games are cooking!

[JBSleek]

Cut the price stop playing games loosen that pride and make the thing affordable.

The games are coming but lower prices mean people don't go with the $80 lower device that is is competing with.

The argument of it's tech is way far more than it's worth is not relevant because consumers don't care about that. Or even know the technology inside.

[tachy0n]

retards, retards everywhere.

the PSvita should cost more you know why?

check out its specs.

you should be thankful the PSVita is $250-$300 not $350-$400

[JBSleek]

The Nexus 7 offers a better screen larger size with the same specs actually better but only cost $200 and actually comes with on board memory. I'm not comparing the two in terms of gaming but you referred to specs that will be standard in $200 devices now.

Now saying it should cost more is rather dumb because it wouldn't sell as well. Once again the consumer doesn't care what it "should" sell for but that is over priced as the competition. And I don't find myself retarted by stating something as simple as MacroEconomics 101.

[tachy0n]

@JBSleek

dude,
better? lol the nexus 7 has a typical TFT LCD display with 216PPI - PSVita has an OLED with 220PPI,
the quad core CPU in the Nexus 7 clocks @ 1GHz - the PSvita quad core CPU runs @ 2.1 GHz
(no wonder the PSvita battery life ain't that good xD)

+

in the nexus 7 you are stuck with 8GB of memory, while in the Vita you can go up to 32GB....

[Hicken]

Still on about a tablet?

When you go look at the "pre order" numbers for the Nexus 7 and Galaxy S III, and you can tell me how many of those people are getting these devices primarily to game on, instead of for everything else they do, then your argument might have some weight. If you can show me a poll of how many of them DON'T own and have no interest in owning a dedicated handheld device, then you'll have more weight.

Until then, you're just like all the other followers out there who hear about the next big thing and blindly believe it's some sort of competition for something else.

I'd say you should quit while you're ahead, but that would be a waste of time.

[topekomsi]

Owning a vita for just over a month i must say it becoming long in the tooth already, i want to absolutely love this system, the power it has is incredible,the screen is fluid and responsive, but i'm worried about games and apps, they really need to push this tiny thing called "online multiplayer" more, alot more. /s

The fact that games like mod nation, uncharted, even pure chess lack online play is an abomination.

I've said it before, the psp library is really helping the ship stay afloat right now, and games like gravity rush are cool.I also enjoy resistance as there is little in the way of online shooters.

But the vita needs games and apps. I really think the app market is hot and the vita has some unique features.

[DivineAssault]

Thats because they have their head to far up their CULO

[tachy0n]

who cares about sales? call of duty makes a ton of sales and that doesnt make it the best game in the world.....

[Captain Tuttle]

sales=software support. Without compelling software why would anyone buy one? Sony's First Party (as excellent as it is) can't do everything by themselves.

[joeorc]

"sales=software support. Without compelling software why would anyone buy one? Sony's First Party (as excellent as it is) can't do everything by themselves."

there is still more Games being announced for the PSVita by 3rd parties. So if no one would buy one, why is new games being set for release?

you cannot make that a point of contention if the 3rd party developer's and publisher's are making game's for the system.

Saying Not enough 3rd parties, is based on opinion becsause , How many is enough to say they are getting not enough 3rd parties onboard vs's they are getting enough 3rd party publishers and developers on board..is 10 new games announce not enough? or less than 5 in a month not enough, i mean what is the bar set at to determine how much a platform is getting enough support? it's pretty d@mn subjective. Because there is more games being released for the PSVita being listed to release on the system, than Developer's and publisher's pulling out of support for this platform.

Im just seeing many people trying to write the obituary for both the 3DS and the PSVita. if the obituary they want to write is based on sales..both the 3DS and the PSVita would be in trouble, why because these are really small fry in market share vs the rest of the Handhelds. IE: smartphones and Tablet's. because if you bring in the smartphones and tablets as a negative talking point in how well the PSVita is doing in the market, than you would have to put the 3DS in the same boat. because both are small % of market share vs the smartphone's let alone adding in the tablets too.

thats the main point once again you cannot have it both way's if people are bringing up smartphones and tablets as a viable option over the PSVita in order to say "there is not reason to pick up the PSVita over the smartphone or tablet, than that goes the same for the Nintendo 3ds as a negative talking point , and if you exclude smartphones and Tablet's that still leaves only two companies that make a dedicated handheld game systems in the market.

Sony and Nintendo..so one is 1st and the other would be 2nd place, so How would a 2nd place system not be a viable choice for developer's to support, if they already are?

[Captain Tuttle]

I didn't say any of that. I was merely responding to tachy0n's implication that sales don't matter.

[SecretPsycho]

Could be due to the fact i have literally no seen a single advert XD
That and it might cost bit to much for the younger audience

[NastyLeftHook0]

wow i cant believe they let frankfurt through with this article.

[OMGitzThatGuy]

Who cares as long as Sony keeps pushing craploads of exclusives it does matter if they sale as long as they are giving us games.

/s

[izumo_lee]

Are we still going at this? Seriously do these guys do not understand that the PSP is still a relevant system in Japan. Many developers have not made the shift to the Vita & that is hurting its growth. As soon as these developers decide to make the jump to the Vita the system will begin to grow faster.

If you notice the sales of the PSP & Vita they are so close to each other. Japan consumers are divided cause they are not sure to make the jump from the PSP to the Vita the same as the developers.

[givemeshelter]

The market has changed. Dedicated handhelds will not sell as well as they did in the past with Tablets and Smart Phones eating up the casual gaming market share.
If you look at the demographics for who buys handheld now compared to 5 years ago...it has drastically changed.

You RARELY see the age demographics of 17+ with dedicated handheld gaming devices in public compared to just 5 years ago. That age demographics based on recent data are opting to buy Tablets and or Smart Phones for their quick mobile gaming needs and other features.
Ask yourself. How many 17-40 years old do you see playing Vita;s, 3DS systems on the Subway, Bus, Trains compared to Smart Phones and Tablets now?
It's a trend that has disturbed me as I am worried about the dedicated hand held future....

[Soldierone]

I actually see them everywhere still. I see PSP's still being pulled out, and a ton of DS' everywhere. At college I see people sitting down in corners and playing their DS or PSP.

You have the "adults" using phones, or the wannabe business people using tablets, anyone playing a game on it is normally in a group of people. Who wants to buy a kid a tablet? Just get em a DS. My little brothers couldn't care less about tablets when they see me playing actual games on a Vita, or mario on a DS.....

I honestly never see anyone pull out a tablet to play a game, maybe use the internet or something, but not a game on the go. I see people playing casual little "tetris" like titles on their phones, not actual games or anything from Gameloft.

I'm not saying it never happens, but thats my experience of it, and I'm out and about all the time.

[givemeshelter]

On my trip to work down town on the subway 5 DAYS A WEEK...ALL you see are smart-phones and tablets playing quick style games or surfing the web or watching movies etc. I almost NEVER see 17+ year olds on those trains using a PSP or Viat or 3DS for any of those things as compared to just under 5 years ago when that's all you saw when it came to mobile video consumption.
Just take a look at the recent data. It backs up what I am saying fully.

http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/...

I could list so many sources and charts and data of over sales for all said devices, age demographics etc. I would fill up this thread LOL

Dedicated hand held gaming, video consumption for the 17+ demographics is declining and moving towards Smart Phones and Tablets. It just is.
That was my point initially. The demographics for dedicated hand-helds has shifted.

[sriki007]

i wonder what's gonna happen once COD comes to vita..

[Soldierone]

I'm enjoying the hell out of mine, as long as it sells enough to keep support I'm fine. Call it doomed all you want, I'll go back to playing Mortal Kombat.

[souljah45]

They should also release the sales figures for xbox 360 in that same period.....oh wait it's Japan

[asmith2306]

I know people preach the list of games being pretty big for a launch lineup but thats not the point here. We need some AAA games, thats what I expect out of my Vita. Also, it's not a good sign when PSV owners are crying out for PS1 support (myself included). There simply enough games for it yet.