Sessler's Soapbox: Here Comes The PS Vita

G4TV: With the disappointing sales for the Nintendo 3DS some people think handheld gaming is on the way out. Sony disagrees, and are about to release their next handheld console, the PS Vita. Adam Sessler recently got his hands on the Vita and decided to spend this week's Soapbox discussing its high points and low points. Sure the tech is impressive, the graphics are amazing, and the screen is gorgeous, but is that enough anymore? Find out why Adam thinks the Vita has an uphill battle on its hands in this week's Sessler's Soapbox.

[blusoops]

Adam seems to be excited for vita, but at the end he brings up the point of the size and how man purses don't do well in america...BUT right before that he says he has a phone and an IPAD.....

last i checked the ipad is way bigger than the vita. I don't see how people who don't have a problem carrying the ipad around complain about carrying the vita around.

Good view none the less.

[smashcrashbash]

That is exactly what i said. People have no qualms carrying bags around to drag their tablet everywhere but strange enough the size of the VITA always comes up in mentioning.

[moparful99]

What about people that drag their lap tops everywhere.. Thats an even bigger and heavier object to lug around.. It's hard to go anywhere without seeing everyone with some kind of carrier esque bag or a backpack and I forsee someone sliding their vita in the bag and off they go.. I know me personally I have a ghost of sparta psp in an acrylic case that triples the size of the psp and I carry it all over the place and I'm ok with it.. It just sounds like people are looking for things to use as a negative.. Once word of mouth starts to spread from the early adopters and the general public gets a chance to play a vita then sales will follow..

[fear88]

I agree with the stupidity of that argument. I feel that the Ipad is fairly useless if you have an iphone especially with how people use the Ipad to game.

That being said, I feel Sony's primary task to make this successful is to market the hell out of it and not let up. The products first year on the market MUST have a heavy advertising campaign in order to carry its life on the market. Just like Sessler said, if sony decides to just advertise during the launch and let that fall off in april, no one will retain any interest in the device year round.

No one is going to keep thinking of the vita if its not advertised and most people won't even remember it exists during the summer and fall when other companies are heavily advertising their products.

Sony NEEDS to advertise this as though its the second coming, like the Kinect was advertised. Regardless whether it is true or manages to deliver on those advertised promises of being better than sex and bacon, they need to shove this device into the public's eye and keep it there and mention it everywhere.

[MmaFan-Qc]

@moparful99 "It just sounds like people are looking for things to use as a negative.."

indeed.

[JoGam]

How many people contradict themselves when it comes to the Vita. I heard many people praise the Ipad or tablets in general but complains about the size of the Vita saying its too big. They must have a "Special folding Ipad" that slips right in your back poctet. s/

Maybe people need to take off the magnifying glasses when looking at the Vita. People just find anything to complain about. Damn People!

[Blaze929]

I think his point was that he has no room for any other devices as he HAS a phone and iPad. Most people already have a phone + 1 or 2 extra devices, maybe a tablet or laptop and it's not like we can carry much (as males) with just or pants pockets.

So not so much a problem carrying around the vita but a problem of no more room for any more devices.

On a side note: 3:55

"We're in late jan. Comes out late Feb...no one knows it exists."

Funny, I said the same thing and everyone disagreed with me:

http://n4g.com/news/917676/...

[GodHandDee]

well saying 'no one' is wrong. As Sony have already said before, at the beginning the device is aimed at the core gamers. And usually they don't really need to see it on the tv to know it's coming out. I agree they need to market it a bit more but saving majority of the marketing money until the holiday season might not be a bad idea.

[THILLREBORN]

@Blaze
Even if that's his point the logic is still flawed. To carry an iPhone and and iPad everywhere you go you will be using some sort of backpack or carrier case which would leave room for the Vita.

Every time the size arguement comes up both the iPad and iPhone are brought into the conversation and then there is a logic break down.

If the arguement was I have a phone it fits in my pocket and a Vita won't...well that makes sense. Problem with that is the new Samsung Galaxy are not much different in size and they fit in pockets perfectly fine...

[GribbleGrunger]

the thing that is always overlooked is the consistency of the production line. clearly with Zipper, Naughty Dog, Media Molecule and Insomniac on the Vita Sony are aiming the Vita (initially at least) at those who are already hooked on the PS3 games.

Sony are counting on a quick sell through in the first month but they wouldn't want that sell through to exceed production. if people are keen on buying a handheld for travel or just for their kids, lots of people may opt for the 3DS if they turn up at the game shop and find the Vita sold out.

by advertising late, it guarantees the avid PS brand fans the first pick with some more astute gamers, who are willing to research on the net, also jumping aboard. slow and steady has always been Sony's mantra, which is why i don't have any concerns with the Japanese launch either.

as many have said, and has been proven by Nintendo, it's the games that will sell the Vita, but always remember, all Sony are concerned with is that what they ship, they sell. they have projected figures for the year and attempt to hit them... it's as simple as that. only fanboys and zealots overlook this in favour of sensationalism in the short term. they are serious business people, not two kids shouting abuse at each other over a fence.

[moparful99]

Sony has the ability to expand production as needed.. Its one of the ways they shave costs, they are marketing the core because the core are more knowledgeable on the current state of games then casuals.. Therefore they rely on the core consumers to then expand recognition through word of mouth and use... It has worked for sony 3 generations running.. They may not sell out every store but they have consistent sales and usually improve YOY... Its just a different marketing philosophy...

[GribbleGrunger]

spot on. all departments of Sony are taken as a separate business and so have to show year on year profits. one thing Sony won't do is let one department carry another. this is the reason they have been a successful hardware manufacturer for so long.

Once the core consumers have been catered for (and remember there are more of them now) then Sony will drop the price and attack the bigger market. the problem is that fan/fanboys just don't have the patience or staying power and worry even after two weeks of sales. another problem is that no one seems to be able to shrug the 5/6 year lifecycle thinking. they just don't seem to understand that Sony's strategy caters for a 10 year lifecycle.

@etheral: Sony will market the Vita with a campaign bigger than anything they have attempted before, but it may not be aimed at your region. don't expect microsoft sized advertising though. like i said, Sony don't throw money at something to be first (only to lose profit), they invest in a product for steadily growing profit.

[yabhero]

3Ds hasn't had disappointing sales in a couple months... since around black Friday time.

[Ethereal]

Couldn't agree more on his points outside the Vita's size. Really looking forward to new ways to play in a few weeks =) Sony market the hell out of this thing! It deserves it!