Sony encouraged by strong 3DS sales

By Fred Dutton Published 12 January, 2012

Proves there's still a market for dedicated handhelds.

With Vita getting off to a rather slow start in Japan, Sony is taking heart in the fact that the 3DS is currently flying off shelves.

Speaking in an interview with MCV, SCEE boss Jim Ryan explained that Nintendo's success is a sign that there is still room in the market for dedicated gaming handhelds.

"One of the encouraging things about 3DS's sales performance at Christmas is that it is confounding the naysayers who say that there is no room in the market for a dedicated handheld gaming device," he said.

"And to that extent we were encouraged by how 3DS did over the last month."

Ryan added that the 3DS's success - not to mention the current smartphone boom - doesn't necessarily mean consumers won't buy into the Vita as well.

"There are two distinct markets. The quality, the immersiveness, the richness of the experience that we believe we are going to offer on Vita, way exceeds anything that we believe to be available on any smartphone."

He also directly addressed the Vita's sluggish Japanese launch, insisting that it was still very early days for the new device.

"One of the things we have learnt over a long period of time, is that whether it is PS1, PS2, PSP or PS3, it is dangerous to the point of impossible to take any experience from the Japanese market and try and extrapolate it, and propose upon what will happen in Europe or North America.

"Not withstanding the fact that it is just way too early to make any conclusions. The markets are now just so different, I actually think they are diverging to a greater extent than they were different in the past - if that's even possible.

"It is impossible to draw any meaningful conclusions of the Japanese launch in the context of what will happen in Europe. We are more focused on our stakeholder reaction, whether that is specialist press or the reaction from retail. The key task of allocating the supply that we have to the considerable demand, and just ensuring everything is in place for February 22nd."

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 4 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Eraysor #1 4 months ago

    And the key element here: Nintendo has Monster Hunter now!

  • el_pollo_diablo #2 4 months ago

  • TopKatt #3 4 months ago

    Yep, that's what a big price cut can do.

  • Acquiescence #4 4 months ago

    And let's face it, if the 3DS can sell...anything can!

  • kingmancheng #5 4 months ago

    The 3DS also prints money!

  • billy-beauts #6 4 months ago

    The market can even grow. As people who play with their smartphones realise how fun it can be to play games on the go, but feel a little frustrated by the awkard tocuh screen controls. They will end up buying a 3DS or a Vita. In Europe the 3D on the 3DS has a really bad reputation, so the Vita can easily overtake it and become the number one handheld. Plus, once the West gets COD and Japan gets Monster Hunter the Vita is going to get a huge boost.

  • billy-beauts #7 4 months ago

    @Eraysor I believe they have an exclusive on Monster Hunter 4. Not the whole series. So Sony and Capcom will make something happen.

  • telboy007 #8 4 months ago

    Monster Hunter with smoother controls... it should be awesome.

  • kinky_mong #9 4 months ago

    It sure does prove theirs a market for handhelds, ones with good games from much loved series.


    ...


    Bad luck Sony.

  • FenderMaster #10 4 months ago

    It deserves to sell, it's fantastic hardware. I'll wait for some more interesting games though. I'm not interested in an Uncharted, Killzone, Resistance etc that's almost as good as it's PS3 big brothers (and isn't even developed by Naught Dog, Guerilla or Insomniac!), I either want better experiences or different experiences. Gravity Rush looks like the kind of game that might sell me a Vita eventually, but I don't think Uncharted Golden Abyss or Wipeout 2048 are going to sell many Vitas. Essentially they have the same problem that 3DS had: No compelling software.

    It might not be popular to say this, but Uncharted Golden Abyss isn't gonna sell Vitas in the west for two reasons:

    1. Uncharted is not a system seller for PS3.

    2. Uncharted is a series that relies on spectacle, great dialogue, stunning environments, but not necessarily amazing gameplay, on Vita it looks like it's less spectacular, has less beautiful locations, less amazing set pieces and worse dialogue. Without the amazing presentation to distract you, you're left with good, but not great gameplay. Mario, Zelda and Mario Kart never had this issue, they don't need spectacular set pieces, dialogue or visuals to make their experiences.

    In the west Adults play portable games on phones and kids on handhelds. I can't see much of a market for an adult deedicated gaming handheld unfortunately.
    Edited by FenderMaster at 12/01/12 @ 17:29

  • aidey6 #11 4 months ago

    It does help that they've got some rather decent titles namely Zelda and a certain Mario Kart 7, the latter my 10 yr old daughter loves!! ( she also rather likes Nintendogs) that is what Sony need to develop with their Vita; titles which are long burners ie titles which consistantly sell for months and months....

  • paulf #12 4 months ago

    People buy nintendo hardware to play Mario - it's been going on for quite some time now

  • NotSoSlim #13 4 months ago

    Persona, Gundam and a Tales game all before August in Japan. Vita will be fine

    As for the West? Launch line up is ridiculous in all honesty

  • The-Jack-Burton #14 4 months ago

    I am interested the PSV's compatibility with the PS3. There seems to be some cool possibilities. But where Sony keeps failing, is that they leave it up to others to figure out practical applications their tech.

    Define it motherfuckers

  • Triggerhappytel #15 4 months ago

    It'll sell; it just needs some Japan-centric games first. I'd recommend Dark Cloud 3 and Demon's Souls Vita.

    ...

    Please.

  • geox30 #16 4 months ago

    @FenderMaster
    I am an adult and I own a smartphone,but I can't see myself playing with it more than half an hour.I really enjoy handhelds though as I spend too much time away from home.This is only people's perseption,yours included as it seems,on how adults should behave.
    Edited by geox30 at 12/01/12 @ 17:57

  • The-Jack-Burton #17 4 months ago

    @Triggerhappytel

    I would love that

  • miiiguel #18 4 months ago

    @geox30: nah..., he's right, EGers are exception though, generally handhelds in the western culture are more associated with pre-teens. I'm not saying it looks wrong or any bullshit, it's a free world, but the majority of the target are indeed kids.

  • FenderMaster #19 4 months ago

    @geox30 I'm sure theres alot of adults, myself included who are interested in dedicated gaming handhelds, but you must admit, we are in the minority. I travel on the bus and train quite a bit, and while I see quite a few kids playing DS's adults play almost exclusively on their smartphones, not dedicated gaming handhelds.

  • Mister-Wario #20 4 months ago

    @paulf Well, personally I got a DS to play all the quirky titles I'd never really got the chance to play like Rhythm Paradise and Professor Layton. Much as I like Mario it's just a platformer to me now.

  • Subdominator #21 4 months ago

    @The-Jack-Burton They did the same thing with PSP (remote gaming or using PSP as a rear view mirror in GT) and nothing good ever came of it. Why should a developer put time and money in a feature that a very small fraction (namely those that buy their game on PS3 AND have a PSV) could possibly enjoy?

  • SalarymanDaishi #22 4 months ago

    Glad to hear they're encouraged. Still, I can't help but be a little worried. For some early 3DS adopters that investment was a bit of a letdown (even with those 20 retro bribes thrown on top) whereas those happy now are... Well, already happy.

    Vita looks absolutely lovely indeed. In retrospect I wish I had skipped the initial 3DS hype altogether. With Vita I most likely wouldn't get burned as bad as with the 3DS but that memory of one truly subpar launch is still way too recent and painful. Subconsciously, monetarily, and undeservingly it also works against Vita. A bummer, really.

  • globalisateur #23 4 months ago

    3DS selling well does not necessarily prove there is room for 'dedicated gaming handhelds' as the Vita.
    It may rather prove that there is room for 'dedicated gaming handhelds with glass free 3d'.

    Or 'dedicated gaming handhelds with Marios, Zeldas and Monster Hunter'

  • JonFE #24 4 months ago

    You spin me right round, baby
    right round...

    :champ:

  • geox30 #25 4 months ago

    @FenderMaster
    I will risk saying that the people you meet in public places may very well own a handheld ,but are too embarrassed to use it in front of others out of shame of what others might think of them.I can't see many of the millions of real gamers that use home consoles and PCs being attracted to the kind of oversimplified games that smartphones offer when on the go for too long.I think there is a huge market for handhelds to be exploited,just that the rules that applied in 2005 do not anymore.
    Edited by geox30 at 12/01/12 @ 20:30

  • NotSoSlim #26 4 months ago

    Yes because Sony forcing devs to utilise PS3 is whats needed. Then people will call them on using more gimmicks.

    The first start is allowing you to continue your PS3 save on Vita and allowing certain games to wotk on both.

    Sony may be spinning but after all the crap about ios taking over the sales prove people want dedicated handheld game but the software is needed. People expecting a price drop in 6 months may be disappointed, more likely to get a game, console and memory card bundle first

  • FenderMaster #27 4 months ago

    @geox30 Oh, I'm sure theres alot of adults who enjoy proper portable games but only play portables at home. Theres nothing better than a game of Mario Kart, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear or Street Fighter in bed or on the toilet! I used to be a bit embarassed to take out my DS or PSP on a bus, but then I just stopped caring, it beats reading the Metro or listening to music while staring at the headrest!

    I just don't think that Wipeout, Rayman Origins or handheld versions of games that rely more on spectacle than gameplay depth (God of War and Uncharted) are going to sell Vitas.

    It might look like they're ticking all the right software lineup boxes, but they really aren't. Mario Kart sells systems. Nostalgic Mario platformers sell systems. Pokemon and Monster Hunter sell systems. Metal Gear and Final Fantasy might sell a million or two systems too, but Wipeout, Uncharted, MvC3 and the like, I just can't see them seling many Vitas east or west. I hope I'm wrong though, Sony and Nintendo portables offer very different experiences, they both have their place in the market.
    Edited by FenderMaster at 12/01/12 @ 22:30

  • NotSoSlim #28 4 months ago

    Its a console launch. How many launch with that one standout system seller? The ticked all right boxes as far as console launches go and thats all they could do.

    Launch line up is ridiculous

  • Rodster #29 4 months ago

    Not good news for Sony, only 43K units in the third week?

    http://www.gamespot.com/events/ces2012/story.html?sid=6348564&tag=newsticker;headline;2

    "The PlayStation Vita posted big numbers upon its December 17 launch in Japan, with Media Create reporting nearly 325,000 units made it to gamers in its first week of availability. However, that number fell off substantially into its second week, selling about 72,500 units according to Media Create, and just under 43,000 units by week three. "

  • DrStrangelove #30 4 months ago

    Question is, is there a market for another dedicated handheld?

  • geox30 #31 4 months ago

    @FenderMaster
    Japan is a different field than the west.Japanese made games appeal to westerners but rarely the opposite.I don't know which games are system sellers for the Vita,but didn't Uncharted sold well there?I agree about one thing,that handhelds need a different aproach than home consoles games.They need games that offer gameplay depth and satisfaction even when played in small doses.Racing,sports and platform games can do this.

  • DurzoBlint #32 4 months ago

    The price is the main obstacle, as it was for the 3DS. The line-up they have is actually alright, and if they can maintain that kind of quality and not allow massive release droughts like the PSP had, it'll be a thing worth having.

  • Snake_2011 #33 4 months ago

    day one for me it is the ultimate handheld.

    Rodster it is called drop of happens with the release of any new hardware yep there screwed sold half a million in less than a month lol.

    plus it seems like a lot of members are so happy at the fact it could fail how sad is that.
    the same ones who said the 3DS is dead now look at it.
    Edited by Snake_2011 at 13/01/12 @ 02:41

  • natureboy #34 4 months ago

    As a fan of gaming, i am pleased with the 3DS and Vita sales thus far. Given Sony's history, the Vita sales will pickup soon

  • linksdad #35 4 months ago

    As the Wii was such a great indicator PS3 sales...

  • Coopster5 #36 4 months ago

    I think Uncharted will sell on Vita - mainly because as an Xbox360 owner, i would be interested to play a derivative of that game on Vita, as i don't own a PS3. Vita is definitely the next gen portable platform of choice, but it will have some big headwinds against it - its initial high price tag, and an eventual introduction by Nintendo of a remastered version of the 3DS.

    I am a keen gamer on the move or at home, but the current 3DS console is a dealbreaker for me as the battery life is crap, and i am not too enamoured with the 3D gimmick.

    However, i do like playing nintendo games, and i expect i will be interested in an updated 3DS, which you imagine Nintendo is working on now to launch in the next 6 months to counter PSV.

    As you know It was introduction of the remastered version of the DS - the DS lite that really took Nintendo stratespheric, and Sony will know Nintendo's tactics being first to market, but will want to avoid the issues that beset the PSP.

    For me it is going to be an interesting 6 months as this all plays out. I will then probably to look to purchase either an updated 3DS console or a cheaper PSV than launch prices.

    My preference is for a PSV, if Sony proactively look too at an eventual savvy price cut to spur market share and to counter any moves from Nintendo with their updated 3DS.

    Any thoughts ?