Sony's PS Vita Already Doomed? Devs Bailing Out?

nice!
this thing needs to be priced around $120-150 at launch.
smartphones cost more, but they also do more. psv is aiming for a niche market without even knowing. sony shouldn't expect high sales numbers from it.

"He goes on to say that the comment was largely exaggerated"

You're not denying it, so there must be some truth behind it. Where there is smoke...

It would sell far better if the 3G version was also a fully functional phone, at its price it might aswell be a phone/portable console.

Hold on hold on... There's something wrong here.
"Sony said it remained hopeful due to the success of the Nintendo 3DS"
AH! There it is...

I think the Vita will do fine when it comes to games, obviously Nintendo is going to be with the vast majority of games like it did when it was the DS vs PSP but the Vita is going to end up with notable exclusive games and a decent library to back it rather than a onslaught of games with good games but they mostly come from obvious franchises to expect while most of the rest will be nothing memorable.

I advise just waiting about a year. Wait till the next holiday season when a bunch of new games will be coming out and there will already be a list of games that are known for their quality. This will also providing it's expensive accessories like the memory cards for less and likely get a bundle deal with the console itself.

They need to stop wasting time on these stupid hand-helds, especially Sony since they don't seem to sell well ever. With the path tablets and phones are taking, this type of device is hardly demanded. The marketing is off too, the name is just weird and isn't catchy.

Wish they'd focus on the NG so PC games stop suffering.

Vita should have been a smartphone/handheld on steroids.

Sony missed the boat... AGAIN.

Totally. In the UK ( I guess in the US too) people are willing to sign up for two year contacts for a phone that also play games - Why not a console that also does calls. I play games more than I make calls and I can get bluetooth head sets so its not awkward to use as a phone. I'll not carry both and I need a phone.

Why should it be cheaper than a iPod Touch? Also the only thing that the PS Vita doesn't do that smartphones do is calling and texting. Does this account for the price difference? No.

PS3 had a very slow start as well.

For the PSP, I waited until the early models (heavy, faulty drives, expensive) gave way to thinner units with better screens. Then I picked up a PSP-3000 for half the price at launch and actually had good games available. My plan is the same this time. I will get the PS Vita Slim when there's actually something fun to play on it. Maybe others are waiting too?

Hey, Hey Sony.

I've got an idea.

Make a peripheral for Sony/Ericcson phones. It plugs into the usb, it clamps to the phone, and it gives the phone 4 button and a 4 way digipad. (and you can take it off when you're done, so you're not lugging around a brick that occasionally plays games)

Result: Univeral availability, no need to purchase a 'gaming' phone, mass game developers heading your way, then take your pound of flesh for using your format.

Would probably boost your lacklustre phone sales too.

Just put COD on it and they will sell millions! BOOM I should just work for Sony since they have no idea what they are doing!

because it is a Gaming device, it SHOULD not have the same battery life as a smartphone. Put on a 24hours gaming without charging.

The only thing limit me on phone gaming is the battery life.

Maybe the lack of advertising? I didn't hear about it until a month or two ago...

Then you didn't watch E3.

Is it hackable

True, gamers and people into tech know about it. But to the general population, this thing just doesn't exist! I live in the UK and I haven't seen a single advert for it.. and it launches in 5 days!

Sony's very bad lack of marketing will be Vita's downfall. There's 3DS adverts on TV all the time.

vita is so fail, so marketing will no help here
sony fucked up with its factories in Thailand,
they have no money.
no money - no marketing, no game devs, no success.
I know what I saying. if I'll can buy vita for

As if anyone uses their smart phones as phones anymore.

I honestly have no clue why people are so willing to leash themselves onto 2 year contracts with companies that treat them like trash and charge whatever they feel like. Then again, there's the non 3g model for people like me. All they really need is a VoIP client like Skype to handle calls.




Sony doesn't own CoD to put it on anything. So I agree, you'd be perfect for working at Sony.

It pains me to do it, but I agree with Sony. Some anonymous claims that 3rd party titles are being canceled? Which titles, which companies, any further info to justify the claims? Otherwise it really is just smoke.

That's just on those claims though, Sony is still screwing up majorly. It isn't in the price like you cheapskates want it to be either, it's in the functionality. If you're going to release what is supposed to be a multifunction device, it needs to have those functions out of the box. At release, the Vita should have music, movie, VoIP, messaging, and other popular apps out of the box. It should also have the choice to get your own apps. Otherwise it isn't comparable with any other Android based system. And how many titles are out on the "PS Suite" that's also a selling point here? If it isn't over a hundred, don't even bother calling it a feature. Sony isn't delivering the selling points of the system on release, and that's why they will fail. Sony in general has been run for years on brand name alone, with people buying Sony because they know Sony used to be a good brand. You can only fool people for so long before your reputation is lost, and it's a lot harder to get it back.

lassik

"True, gamers and people into tech know about it. But to the general population, this thing just doesn't exist! I live in the UK and I haven't seen a single advert for it.. and it launches in 5 days!

Sony's very bad lack of marketing will be Vita's downfall. There's 3DS adverts on TV all the time."
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That's true, i'v never seen any adverts of it, or my brothers/sisters talking about it... they should be hitting as many channels as possible - hitting as large a population as possible.

.. Hell even come up with an advert that sticks in your mind... poor marketing IMO

Vita is a test platform for thier next generation smartphone and tablet OS.

The PS3 technically only had to compete with two other devices (Xbox and Wii) as well as maybe PC gaming if you wanted to include that. The handheld market is absolutely flooded with alternatives. Just off the top of my head, some of the Vita's competition: Android, iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, laptops, tablets in general, any flavor of the Game Boy line, and let's include the PSP as well. There're too many options to justify the Vita as a must-have device when the pie is cut into so many pieces. Combine that with a high price, no compelling reason to ditch the PSP, as well as well - the lack of games, why should it fly off of the shelf?

im going for a 7" asus tablet instead the web browser seems half ass on vita and i do a lot of surfing. the only draw back is controlling a game on only a screen is horrible. plz asus make a attachable controller Tegra 3 is great for gaming after all.

The problem imho is that their target market is being eaten away by smartphones. Devices like the iPhone have enough graphic power to show some damn impressive things for a phone (Infinite Blade for example) so there's no need to get a dedicated device.

But in any case, we will see how it fares when it launches. I'm planning to pick up one.

What's funny is that I am a gamer and into tech. But I don't watch E3 though...

Vita's biggest issue is it's price. Should be $200 for the wifi version and $250 for 3G. I know that may sell at a loss at that price (it's hardware specs are cutting edge), but $250-$300 is more than most are willing to spend for a handheld console with the current world economy. I know I want a Vita. It has better hardware overall than the 3DS and a better launch line up as well (not by much, but it's something).

Give me my wifi version at $200, include 8GB of internal memory, and stop using those damn proprietary memory cards, then we'll talk business.

I waited for the price reduction for my 3DS and I'll wait for the price reduction on my PS Vita.

So isn't a better question how can you get Zynga games on Vita and Sony to get a cut of those profits?

Rather less simplistic, how can you get Zynga, Popcap/Playfish and XBLA/XBLIG/PSN devs to make premium versions of free, and free-to-play games and MMOs for Vita?

Obviously some are happy making games for Nintendo because they know they can make a profit, if they don't want to experiment with premium titles on Vita how can Sony expect to pull enough casual and hardcore people to hope for Vita to survive?

Also,

Having asked why devs are bailing, rumour or not, can't Sony entice them to stick around by making playing games on Vita a service where the point isn't buying games, but providing access to games? One that you're likely to consider a PS3 to play a better version on when you get home?

Like Netflix, Unlimited access to all games for a monthly fee, one for access to demo versions and another fee for access to Full games? Which hopefully pushes you to buy a PS3.

Since at least in America where premium mobile gaming isn't as prevalent yet as in Japan, and some Vita owners have and will need a data plan regardless, that data plan should be linked to a content plan.. (just accessing a GPS service, Augmented Reality maps/games, Netflix on demand, may not be worth it to most people if they have no games to play, or limited to what they can afford to buy at a crazy premium, not that Vita has LTE support so you could go crazy downloading or streaming high quality games) why not license several games if not all available games and pay for the right to play versus charging people a premium to buy them for such a huge premium?

It'll have staying power for a handheld. I finally saw a decent commercial about it, like a PS3 in your pocket. Considering there are well over 50 million PS3's out there now that's a large market in itself even if only 20% plan on getting one in the next year. When people get tired of switching phones every year playing the same crappy touch shovelware, realizing they're wasting money, they'll go to a true portable gaming/media device that delivers what they could never give. The problem is the Vita launched at the worst possible time. Japan is pretty much in survival mode, and while the U.S. is better people just aren't willing to spend as much as normal right now. When that changes, and the Vita's in their budget, it will gain steam. No pun, but if it's on PS3 maybe that will also be on Vita down the line.

smaryphones cost in the 6-800$ range when they aren't subsidized.
that said, they are screwing us on memory cost, a needed aspect for this system.




they have to get the idea that its a phone out of peoples heads, otherwise they may end up selling 1 million of them, but they only sell 20-30k for the best of the games.

going half phone half console is a REALLY bad idea. now if the phone aspect of it was an adon... like a headset mic combo, and it use the psp as a go between i could see that working great. you just cant make the console itself a phone.

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i have more to say but will do that after i eat.