This was the picture that set the internet ablaze on Tuesday: an apparent photo of the upcoming Playstation phone. A lot, which is something of an understatement, has gone on since then, but don’t worry. You won’t have to trawl through various articles to piece together exactly what this thing is; that’s what I’m here for. Let me take this bag of snakes and lay ‘em out straight for you.
PS Vita debuted in Japan to 320K unit sales over the first two days of sales. Despite the impressive 5 inch display and a huge roster of launch games, this fell 50K units short of what Nintendo’s 3DS sold during its debut. Are we entering the end game for the mobile game console industry? Are the dirt cheap smartphone and tablet games in the process of toppling the entire proud industry based on selling $200 consoles and $40 games? Yeah, pretty much.
If Tablets and Smartphones take over handhelds then I am out.
I cannot standing gaming on those things. Trying playing a game like Shinobido or BlazBlue on a smart phone.
writing this on my vita, sorta wanna change this purplish keyboard thing, id like to add some friends to see how video chat works on this, i got over the whole screen being to Hug le to reach across, it sorta comfortable with those indentions on back, so far this was worth the $600 to me, everything is so smooth
That why Nintendo and Sony need to team up and destroy this market you call Tablets/Smartphones... I was born with a controller in my hands, and these hands will die with a controller playing the greatest games from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
sure games like angry birds, tetris or plants vs. zombie will sell well since it's made for the causal players and requires a much lower budget, which makes it much more affordable for any income.
So if developers try to make a big budget game game that sells at say, $30 I highly doubt that they will sell much at all... not against $1-$5 games anyway.
The vita probably didn't sell as much is because people these days don't have the extra cash for luxury items anymore, only necessities, unless you make big bucks... lucky bastards.
@Bull5hifT
how is the browser?
dose it support flash?
is their a youtube app?
did you get 3G? if yes, is it worth it?
vid chat using Skype?
@newmonday: A gamer doesn't need any of the things you mentioned. We want to play good DEEP games, not superficial games and be able to browse the web. We want our device to be the master of one thing, not a jack of all, like a smart phone.
Speak for yourself because I want it all. And with a Sony product (over its competitors) it is the best option out there. You know you will get the games AND get the functionality that neither of the other 2 even attempt to offer you.
I can't wait to get my hands on a PSV 3G for what it will be able to do from the start and with firmware updates/upgrades over time!
Ipad games are progressively getting better. I have an Ipad, and though I am not a "Hardcore" gamer on it, it does have spme pretty well made games. Check out Modern Combat 3 for Ipad, It's basically MW3 for mobile. The online play isn't that bad either.
I know it's a REAL pain using touch controls also, but I do hope someone at apple uses their small brain to collectively find a way to get a controller to hook on the Ipad.
I don't think Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft would ever develop for an ipad or android device though. This is my problem. Without a 3ds or vita, how am I supposed to get my Mario/Uncharted fix on the go?
The iPad supports blue tooth. So it's possible to hook up the Wii remote but you can't play games with it
you know, these sites can live on wishful thinking all they want, i really believe that the consumer will make them look stupid in the end. the Vita is far too compelling to be stopped by a few bitter individuals who try to pass themselves off as journalists.
I love how 320k units in two days spells DOOM AND GLOOM for the industry.. Sensationalism at its worst.. Wait till february, we'll see how DOOOMED sony is.. Stupid article is stupid, smh...
what the heck is up with all these Sony vita doom and gloom articles. didn't the same kind of crap journalism happen with ps3 launch. and now look, the best library of games on any system is on ps3
@moparful99, remember when the PS3 debuted? It's sales were less than stellar and that supposedly marked the end of the console era. Look at it now.
I wasn't planning on getting a Vita, but after seeing how awesome it is I've been putting money away each week for one. I really can't wait.
This article is PATHETIC, how can you judge the future of portable gaming in 2 days of VITAS sales.
And we're only talking about Japan here.
I'm pretty sure the VITA will succeed. It has the potential, iPhone is for casual gamers, VITA is for hardcore gamers.
compared to the most recent Nintendo portable. Nintendo has pretty much dominated the portable handheld market for about 20 years. Falling just 50k short of Nintendo in that market (Japan), in that industry (portable console gaming) in a launch window of just TWO DAYS, really isn't much. I'd definitely say this is grasping.
Also not to mention the reported shortages, which no doubt had an effect on debut sales numbers. But yeah, whatever. Deh Vita Is Doomed! Just like Deh PS3.
Vita marks the continued health of handheld gaming. Media outlets have been absolutely clueless about the whole thing, repeating the same old, tired "mobile gaming is going to destroy handheld gaming" nonsense like they're paid to do it, despite the fact that the DS/PSP generation have not only been the highest-selling handheld generation of all time, but THE HIGHEST-SELLING GAMING PLATFORM GENERATION OF ALL TIME.
Stop.
Read that again: the DS and PSP - together - form the highest-selling gaming platform generation of all time. Pound-for-pound, there isn't a single gaming generation that has sold as many videogame platforms as the DS/PSP generation. 150+ million DS systems sold and still selling. 70+ million PSPs sold and still selling.
How in the WORLD can that mean that handheld gaming is dying? The Vita has a great launch lineup so far. Even the 3DS - a system I hate because Nintendo is being so bone-headed about it - is also doing incredibly well.
And while people love to flaunt the sales of a handful of iPhone games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, the reality is that other than these few games, gaming on smartphones is utter, utter shite.
I'm buying a Vita. Two, actually (one for me, one for my wife). I'm buying a 3DS after the eventual hardware revision. I'm buying another PSP and possibly another DS.
Handheld gaming is dead? Right...
I hate gaming on smart phones it just doesn't feel right i hope handled gaming continues
Support your favorite handheld. Money talks. If majority of the gamers refuse to spend that $40 for that vita game then producers won't produce. For some gamers money is tight but if we don't support what we like (not by bootleggin') it won't be there in the future.
In short, you get what you pay for.
So the logic of this is because the VITA sold 50K less then the 3DS that automatically means the smart phone and tablets are taking over? So far no one has any solid proof that this is happening. All I hear this coming from is the smart phone/tablet people trying to convince you to buy them and the people who own them trying to justify their purchases.
I am a GAMER. The phone games people play are not comparable to portable games like on the VITA.A 10 for Angry Birds is not the same 10 for portable games.It isn't comparable in any way to UC:GA, Gravity Daze or Dragon's Crown.Bring me more proof then 'Angry Birds' sold 100 million copies'. If Sony sold Gravity Daze for 99 cents it would sell a hundred million copies too.The portable game system isn't going anywhere any time soon.Just because $hit is cheap doesn't mean I am going to pick it up and buy it.
There are some great games on Android and iOS devices. I swear, I've never heard so many people moan beyond their years because something doesn't have the same controls.
Touch screen gaming is here to stay and Sony knows it which is, wait for it, why the Vita has a touch screen.
Sony also knows that gaming is best done with actual physical controls, which is... wait for it... why the Vita has buttons.
Touch screens are an additional feature to gaming; they won't be the primary method of gaming for at least another 20 years, when they can properly simulate the controls we have now.
I mean, really. What sense would it make for us to move from one button and a joystick in arcades 30 years ago to the multifunction controllers of today, and THEN just get rid of all the buttons?
@hicken: the point is that a lack of physical controls does not mean less demanding games. Everyone stereotypes touch devices with Angry Birds which is just plain ridiculous.
Why the Vita has a touchscreen and PlayStation suite. Basically PlayStation suite is a cheap pp development that allows you to develop games for PlayStation certified devices and the android platform. So due to this I expect a lot of cheap indie games like Sounds and Shapes and Alien Spydey.
I think that the Vita will do a much better job with its library than the PSP and other handhelds.
XperiaRay
@CloseSecond: Name a SKILL touch game that you can control AS WELL as a handheld or console with buttons. You can't.
You see, for gamers, the mystique of "OMG I'm playing a game!" as the sole benefit of doing it passed about 25 years ago. Casual audiences are just experiencing that and they're still willing to pay for shovelware that has no depth and is bullshit. The controls on touchscreens are HORRIBLE. They respond like a controller that is broken and works only 90% of the time. When a gamer encounters a controller that only works 90% of the time, they buy a new one.
no, like home consoles, they'll just evolve into multi-function devices. and, as long as battery tech is still lagging, smartphones are more important as phones rather than gaming devices. no one wants their phone to run out of juice due playing games...
100% agree with you here, Batteries need to be stronger in order to have an all in one device.
Also, who is your Avatar? I have seen that picture before.
I was wondering when this stupid article would pop up. Saw it on gamefaqs first. The comments in the article speak for themselves. Its bullshit
The 3ds is crushing ds first year numbers in terms of hardware and software
The vita doubled up on psp launch numbers
you cant spin that badly/
I like how they don't consider the fact that maybe people in Japan happen to like the 3DS more than the Vita.
Show be a game like peace walker, ghost of Sparta, monster hunter, r&c, brave story....etc then I will somewhat change my mind about console portables. Until then Vita is king and here to stay
GAME has slashed the price of brand new PSP 3000 consoles to just £39.99, according to members of deals website HotUKDeals.
It's because most stores won't have them. They were discontinued ages ago and any any remaining stock is likely display models. Nice deal though if you can find them!
Love my PSP 3000, so if that price is for real, then holy crap!!
Even so, VITA is dead in my sights come next year.
These sub £40 PSP 3000's are like rocking horse crap to find. My Psp 2000 analogue nub broke at the weekend and Sony wanted £66 for a refurbished one so I decided to search the web for a decent cheap deal. I found the sub £40 PSP 3000 offer and tried to find one. I've rang most game and Gamestation stores in the north east and none of them have any stock they only carry the new E-1000 models for £89.
The problem is Sony discontinued the 3000's 3 months ago and now GAME and Gamestation are trying to clear out old stock ready for the Vita stock arriving early next year. The truth is that although this offer is genuine there is no real stock left to make it worth while.
GamerXChange: "With the PlayStation Vita’s release getting closer, it’s almost hard to think that anyone will pick up a PSP for the first time. What’s more, some PSP games are being remastered in HD for the PS3 and 360. I can guarantee you though, someone will get a PSP this holiday season and will need some games to play on it. If you are that lost soul with the PlayStation Portable in the palm of your hands for the first time, you may want to make that purchase a worthwhile one. So as we continue covering must have games to get for different systems, here are ten games that you might want to look into if you are new to the PSP."
Dissidia is good but personally I think there are other games that I would play on the system long before I looked at Dissidia. Those games include many of the FF games though. :3
They got Crisis Core, Birth by Sleep and the god of war games on that list. I say that's a win in my books ;).
I know right? Dissidia Series is the SHIT!!!!
I bought both, played the mess out of Duodecim and clocked in over 300 hours into that game. All of my characters are at least level 100 and I now focus on mastering all their moves and allocating them best.
I think dissidia was a well crafted fighter/rpg hybrid which added a lot of value. The story was a bit convoluted but the dynamic of all your fav FF characters meeting up and battling each other is to good to pass up.
P.S. I will say though.....Cloud of Darkness is a BITCH!!! I hate her so much, her moves are highly unpredictable and she cheap shots you a LOT. Golbez is only slightly better. And Emperor has moves that seemingly last the whole match...
Seems kind of RPG heavy though. Aren't the GTA games supposed to be really good?
The GTA games are good on the system. I wouldn't consider them the best though.
If you're looking for good GTA games, Vice City Stories, Liberty City Stories, and Chinatown Wars are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head.
Good list overall. HOWEVER! It is missing the best game available on psp (in my opinion), which is greatness known as Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.
On another note, I really did enjoy the socom series on psp, I always like games where you could give orders to your team.
yea, good list, but missing metal gear, monster hunter, GTA chinatown, dissidia 2
woah, they ripped out the GTA gsmes and put Socom on the list, no MGS Peace Walker neither.. Persona 2 is a sweet addition in the PSP libary but I don't think it is on the top 10 greatest PSP games of all time.
It's not a top 10 list and it's not a top ten of the all time greatest either.
For me I would choose Crisis Core, Persona, KH, and hmm, God of war maybe. But I am such an RPG buff, and the psp excels in delivering quality graphics with regards to its rpgs..
They should have taken out the arrows and added a thin analog stick or something. Also as an Idea... The Iphone has the ipod touch which is the same thing with out the phone. Who's to say this won't bt the same way. we could be looking at the PSP2 and the PSP Phone at the same time
I think Sony need to be careful here.
IF they market this as a gaming orientated Android phone - it could be a hit.
But IF they intend to try and carve out their own niche, then it's gonna fail, hard!
Unless Sony DRM the heck out of the phone, and introduce their own app store / game store, then there's no reason why any other Android users would not be able to play the games. Do Sony really want their Playstation brand associated so strongly with Android?
If they call it the PSP Phone, people are going to expect the PSP library to work with it - but that's unlikely looking at the rumoured specs.
If they call it the Playstation phone, people are going to expect it to have all the Playstation IP's appear on it - but as I said above... Unless they phone is heavy on the DRM (which goes against Androids open principles), then anyone with an Android phone will be able to play those games.
Also, there's the market message... Is this predominantly a phone or gaming device? Is it competing with other Android devices? Or the Nintendo DS (or worse the 3DS)? Or with the iPhone?