Sony on Vita sales: "we do not think we have any problems"

By Robert Purchese Published 3 February, 2012

"We had a very - a good start."

Sony reckons PlayStation Vita got off to "a good start" in Japan, and doesn't foresee "any problems" selling the handheld in February.

Life-to-date Japanese Vita sales are 535,423, by Media Create's working. The handheld looked to be off to a flyer after posting first-week sales of 321,407 units.

But Vita quickly ran out of steam, and sales slumped as low as 15,000 units a week. Vita only managed to claw back higher seven-day sales than PSP last week. And they were a far cry from Nintendo's 3DS total, which has been more than four-times Vita's tally in recent weeks.

kaz

Sony's fearless new leader, Kaz Hirai, slamming his hand down on the table.

"Now the company has not publicly announced the units of shipping and sales. At the appropriate time, we would do so," Sony's chief financial officer Masaru Kato told analysts on an earnings call this week.

"Including software and hardware, we are carrying out the sales promotions and we do it to boost the sales, and we do not think we have any problems."

Masaru Kato, chief financial officer, Sony

"But as far as sell-through, three weeks have passed and our sell-through is 500,000. This was announced on the 10th of January. So as a start, I think we had a very - a good start.

Kato added: "Including software and hardware, we are carrying out the sales promotions and we do it to boost the sales, and we do not think we have any problems."

PlayStation Vita costs (Wi-Fi) 24,980 yen (£207), and (Wi-Fi and 3G) 29,980 yen (£249) in Japan.

Nintendo's 3DS, after its massive price cut, costs 15,000 yen (£124).

PlayStation Vita launches in the US and UK on 22nd February.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (90) Latest comment 4 months ago

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  • saintedd #1 4 months ago

    Think i will still wait till the price drops although i do want one.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #2 4 months ago

    Mines preordered although wish i hadnt paid a deposit, or i would of switched to the Amazon bundle, which is quite frankly amazing.

  • Vanmunt #3 4 months ago

    Got mine pre ordered.. really looking forward to it as well.
    Edited by Vanmunt at 03/02/12 @ 09:36

  • StooMonster #4 4 months ago

    Here's Sony's problem with handheld consoles:



    @TrilbyG

    Revenues, i.e. size of pie, were $2.7bn in 2009 and $3.3bn for 2011E

    So, for Sony's portion of the pie:

    11% of $2.7bn = $297m in 2009

    6% of $3.3bn = $198m in 2011E

    I'll probably buy a Vita, but I'm under not illusion that Sony don't have any problems in the handheld market.
    Edited by StooMonster at 03/02/12 @ 10:15

  • landlock #5 4 months ago

    As the games are aimed at the US/EU they won't have a problem selling them here I think. Of course the PSP had a great release the biggest in UK history at the time and look how that went.

  • TrilbyG #6 4 months ago

    Half a million sales in one, admittedly technologically enthusiastic, territory doesn't seem all that bad, particularly when that territory has taking such a savage beating in recent months with the tsunami and thoughts are likely to be elsewhere than latest gaming hardward.

    The proof is in the US and European sales.

  • TrilbyG #7 4 months ago

    @StooMonster Has the size of the market remained the same? 36% of 500 million is better than 70% of 100 milion.

  • X201 #8 4 months ago

    Can we have this discussion again after Monster Hunter is released?

  • X201 #9 4 months ago

    @TrilbyG

    I think you should read the last word in the source on that graph.

  • NathanMc2 #10 4 months ago

    Just wait for another year when the new players such as windows mobile platform gain more and more in the market and then you will truelly get the the definition of epic fail!

  • erv #11 4 months ago

    @X201 have capcom announced a monster hunter for vita? If so, I'd better start saving up...?

  • StooMonster #12 4 months ago

    @TrilbyG That's absolutely true that the market size is growing, however, it's apparent there is a sea change going on.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #13 4 months ago

    @NathanMc2

    But windows mobile sales are falling each month. It's a good platform, but its not gaining any traction, unless you mean Windows phone is going to be an epic fail. Which is a bit harsh.

  • JahB #14 4 months ago

    that's what you get for releasing a psp without monster hunter. that game alone carried the psp in japan, and the fact that sony didn't throw everything and the kitchen sink at capcom to make an MH launch title happen shows how out of touch with reality they are.

  • Kanselier #15 4 months ago

    That is one fantastic photo.

  • funkateer #16 4 months ago

    "Just wait for another year when the new players such as windows mobile platform gain more and more in the market"

    WP7 will chip away from the other smartphones' market but it will not really affect dedicated gaming handhelds:
    People will choose between WP7, iPhone and Android. Not between a WP7 phone or a Vita.

  • onesandzeros #17 4 months ago

    @StooMonster WTF! Might be old news to some people, but I find that pretty nuts.

  • Darren #18 4 months ago

    The PS Vita looks like a fabulous piece of hardware and I'd really want one... if I could actually see some games I actually wanted that I haven't already played in some form on my PS3! Of the launch line up, only Uncharted is of mild interest but then I have yet to complete Uncharted 3 on the PS3 so I really don't want another.

    I had exactly the same problem with the PSP. I convinced myself to wait until there were some games worth buying it for... several hardware revisions and a number of years later I was still waiting and I never actually got around to buying one!

  • Acquiescence #19 4 months ago

    The thing is selling like hotcakes on amazon.co.uk right now, due no doubt to the bundle offer they've got going on (free 8GB memory card!). It's been at the top of the video games charts for the past week now.

  • Brakara #20 4 months ago

    WTF is up with that loud Aliens ad? Please stop with that crap, Eurogamer.

  • X201 #21 4 months ago

    @erv

    Yep

    http://www.computerandvideogames.com/333844/monster-hunter-vita-scheduled-for-the-coming-months/

  • miiiguel #22 4 months ago

    It's going to be a huge success. The price might even go up.

  • redcrayon #23 4 months ago

    @StooMonster

    That chart (put together by some marketing goons) has been widely debunked as terrible. It doesn't take into account the size of the market growing at an exponential rate to accomodate mobile games, nor does it include the 3DS in 2011, just two portables that are nearly 7 years old.

    If I recall correctly, it also took numbers for iOS and Android by counting App downloads, effectively comparing millions of free/low cost downloads by thousands of developers with millions of games sold by tens of developers at 20-30 quid a pop.

    There isn't any doubt that more people have smartphones than portables, and that their market share is growing fast, but that chart is still rubbish.
    Edited by redcrayon at 03/02/12 @ 10:14

  • levitate #24 4 months ago

    He's the Bagdad Bob of videogames industry.

  • pramath #25 4 months ago

    Look, I want the Vita to do well, I really do, but as it stands right now, it is a system slated to bomb horribly. It's overpriced, it lacks any placement in a highly competitive market, and worst of all, it has bombed entirely in what should have been its strongest territory.

    Sony, the first step to solving our problems is to admit that you actually have them- denial gets you nowhere. Nintendo missed its first month projected shipment total of 4 million units by 400,000 units, and Iwata started sounding the warning bell- way back in April 2011, before the 3DS started losing steam. Here on the other hand we have the Vita, which has had one good week at retail so far (the launch week, no less, and even then it was outsold by the 3DS), and Sony chooses to close its eyes to the problem.

    Honestly, this doesn't give me much hope or confidence for the future of the system. Sony needs to be as dynamic and as conclusive in their response to the Vita's struggles as Nintendo was to the 3DS's, if not more.

  • NathanMc2 #26 4 months ago

    The whole dedicated gaming consoles market is shrinking at an alarming pace for sony. Most people dont tend to carry two devices in their pockets. In addition Vita is a bit bulky as well. This is gonna be the last portable gaming console from sony and bearing in mind the expensive tech is put into this baby, they will sustain heavy losses by finally having to drop the price to keep their heads above water in this exceedingly comptetive market.

  • NotSoSlim #27 4 months ago

    @JahB Capcom will make one so why stress? PSP still sells so Japan is not central to Vita success the West is key

  • callum9999 #28 4 months ago

    @Acquiescence Ah I hadn't seen that - very tempting... (I thought you HAD to buy the game for £15 as well, but you can just get the console + 8GB memory card for £219).

  • redcrayon #29 4 months ago

    @pramath

    Exactly, the market is changing so fast that a 7-year console cycle is incredibly slow these days, what pretty much all hardware releases this gen have shown is that platform owners need to be constantly thinking on their feet to keep their machine relevant, it's not enough to sit back and think that the work is done once the machine is out the door.

  • callum9999 #30 4 months ago

    @NathanMc2 Figures kind of dispute your "must people won't carry 2 devices" line don't they. People have been saying that for years, yet the DS (and at least until recently, the PSP) have been selling well regardless, and lets not even mention the iPod...

    People DO and ALWAYS will if not carry, own, more than 1 device.

  • Nismo400R84 #31 4 months ago

    i have the htc titan wp7 is good but it is not android if you was offer me a swap htc titan for a vi ......see even before you finish the offer i would have swapped

    wantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwantwant

    who knew a piece of tech could turn a 27yrs old man into a 7yrs old boy

  • JonFE #32 4 months ago

    Actually, Sony would be saying exactly that right now. What did you expect? To come out and declare PSV sales a disaster? Do you remember Nintendo's tune in the early days of the 3DS? Let me remind you a couple of articles from this very site:

    Fastest selling Nintendo portable ever.

    Fastest-selling Nintendo console ever in UK.

    Global (3DS) sales just over 3.6 million.

    It wasn't until June that Nintendo finally admitted 3DS sell-through problems.

    Only time (and games) will tell the full story...

  • miiiguel #33 4 months ago

    I remember PSP launch, at least here we had limited pre-orders, it was sold out everywhere, everyone was trying to get one, when it came out ppl couldn't help themselfs but to ask to try it for a bit.

    Now, stores almost beg for a pre-order, and, honestly it just lost some appeal to the masses, I think.

  • PeacockDreams #34 4 months ago

    In regards to me getting a Vita early, Sony are really unlucky because its only because of my experiences with other consoles that i wont be getting this straight away. I have been stung to many times being an early adopter, with the Wii (no games), PS3 (they bring out the slim 4 months after i got my Phat Ps3) and the worst of all the monumental fuck up that is the 3DS, i buy it for 220 and then a month later they announce the price cut but far worse they then bring out the Circle pad which will almost certainly be in the 3ds lite, dont get me wrong, i love my 3ds for what it is, and my son adores it, i just cant bring myself to get the Vita early because of these past events, and god knows i will need strength to avoid getting it, it has a decent launch line up and the features sound great. Plus side is that when i do eventually get it, it should be cheaper and the 32/64gb cards should be available, 16gb is a touch to small

  • StooMonster #35 4 months ago

    @redcrayon I added the revenue numbers, that "take into account the size of the market growing at an exponential rate". Even if you ignore the iOS/Android portion and look at the Nintendo and Sony sales — which are from NPD data — they are in decline in USA.

    2011E is an estimate, will be interesting to see what the actual numbers are ... especially if it's true what you say about 3DS. But then consider the massive loss that Nintendo is taking, I imagine it's not far off the truth.

    Also, this chart is about software sold not hardware units. Were there that many sales of 3DS games in 2011?

    Sony are going to have to shift an awful lot of Vita software to get any kind of increase in market share of handheld games software sold.

  • RoOhDaMite #36 4 months ago

    To me the 3DS is simply the better proposition for portable gameing.
    If I want to play the big console blockbusters with HD graphics I rather do so on a stationary console with a big screen.
    They should have implemented an HD-out-port so you would be able to connect the Vita to a big screen in your living room, then you would have got almost the same experience the wii u is about to offer + a portable console.

  • Widge #37 4 months ago

    @NathanMc2 Why? They are still going to have the same failings as iOS and Android gaming. This is unless more manufacturers adopt an Xperia Play hardware style and Playstation Suite expands out to multiple platforms.

    Also the bar on these gaming platforms has been set so low that you just do not see premium grade gaming experiences on them. Not saying that the cheap and cheerful gaming experiences are bad, just that you want that home gaming experience when you get a bit jaded from Temple Run etc.

  • manic_mouse #38 4 months ago

    @GamesProgrammer Yeah I swapped to that from my Game pre-order. £265 for a Vita, 8Gb memory card, Wipeout and Rayman Origins. Bargain.


    EDIT: And to add: The Vita should be a huge success if there's any justice in the world. Amazing hardware at a decent price, far better launch line-up than pretty much any console I can remember.
    Edited by manic_mouse at 03/02/12 @ 10:38

  • Widge #39 4 months ago

    Its anecdotal, but the amount of people on the EG forum who are actively pre-ordering and generally stating incredibly positive vibes (bar mem card costs - offset by bundle deals though - and that danged account swapping) is really encouraging. I just don't have the cash but really want one, especially as I can barely get my PS3 on the TV without objection.

    Where the 3GS has been blighted somewhat by the hardware gaffe and the "where are the games" syndrome, this has all you want for a dedicated portable gaming system - functionally sound and heavily supported (EG is full of Vita games announcements recently).

    I don't really care if the device doesn't infringe on the iOS market, or even if it doesn't have that iOS mass market appeal. Thats the point, its not for that market.

    Would love to have seen what Microsoft could have brought to the portable hardware market, but they are clearly going after the iOS crowd with WM7. Looking for OS dominance across many hardware platforms (somthing that they are rather good at).

  • wez_316 #40 4 months ago

    @miiiguel

    This is because people now know what the PSP was like. The PSP was just a PS2 in your pocket. PSV is a PS3 in your pocket. To say Sony claim to have learned from their PSP mistakes... I don't see much change.

    Tiny analogue sticks, bulky console, odd triggers, poor battery life, launch lineup of games that you get on PS3 already. It does have improvements over the PSP but I just don't think it does enough to convince people that it will not be just a "here we go again" purchase.

    They either need original, exclusive games that can craft their own place in the market or they need to give people incentive for buying the same game from their PS3 on the PSV again. If they pulled of those they would be on to a winner.

  • MattEdWithCheese #41 4 months ago

    That pic makes him look like Lance Henriksen XD

    I think Kaz would make an excellent evil genius:
    Plotting schemes behind a bank of monitors while he's chillin' on the deck...

  • roz123 #42 4 months ago

    Its doing very badly in Japan but I am more interested to see how it will play out in the west where the launch games are a bit more appealing.
    PSP did well in Europe off the back of the Playstation brand and there was a lot of anticipation to see what Sony could bring to portable gaming, turns out it wasn't as well supported as most people hoped. I think lots of people feel PSVita will be the same, you just have to look at the flagship game Uncharted being made by a B team of developers instead of Naughty Dog. Maybe it will get lots of ports and the lucrative FIFA and COD crowd will take notice.
    Edited by roz123 at 03/02/12 @ 11:02

  • manic_mouse #43 4 months ago

    @wez_316 Well games are being released that you buy once and can play on both Vita and PS3 - even taking your saves across. Motorstorm RC works like that.

    So there's your solution to that problem.

    PSP sold 70 million, into a market where every other competitor to Nintendo crashed and burned. Sony have done pretty darn well and I never understand the negativity towards the PSP. It was a great console, for the ability to play PSone games like FFVII on the go alone. It also had plenty of great games like Locoroco, Patapon etc which are exactly what mobile games should be alongside monster hunter, disgeia, ff tactics, MGS.

    Great wee console, no matter what anyone says.

  • alcides #44 4 months ago

    I want WipEout 2048 but the console is too expensive at 250€ ++ the heavy cost of external storage. Not mentionning the cost of the game itself. They chose to compete with Apple's iPod touch with the asking price, but there is a lack of internal storage. In 2012 I think this should come out-of-the-box.

    People don't like hidden costs (call it what you want, expansions, optional shit, accessories, DLC..), it makes them feel like they're being reeld in and gutted if they bite once.

    I am also put off by SONY's strategy in trying to replace (for now it seems) synchronous online multiplayer with asynchronous competition and leaderboards for some games. Although they might strongly believe in their approach, I think this comes through as a lazy makeshift solution to a problem nobody was aware existed, since they are not openly saying what exactly is the direction they're taking.

    I think I know... They're afraid of Apple and Facebook so they try to ape them in the hope that players will come back. So advanced features like online seem redundant when copycatting social networking and phone apps.

    With the launch of a product, I think you should make sure all your first-party lineup checks all the same boxes, and let it be clear that what gamers get might be something else than they expect. You also need to be sensible in choosing directions. No online multiplayer on Modnation or Motorstorm, for instance, is bewildering.

    Compulsory use of PC-only (what a joke), SONY-developped software for media management is unattractive too.

    I think this is SONY's biggest problem, they have educated us to expect blundering strategies made-up on the go without having really thought things through.

    Now this time, things might be different, although I highly doubt it.

  • trebellk #45 4 months ago

    what happened to the 700k pre-orders the news sites reported?

    seems healthy enough for a costly but quality bit of kit.

    Not the best time to launch a premium price handheld really so it's never going to shift massive numbers.

    @acquiescence Does look healthy on amazon but to be fair it's hard to read from that if that equates to much in the way of numbers. It's near launch at a dead time of year for sales. We'll soon know though. Might be a massive hit here in the UK (though i'd be surprised in the current climate but Sony have a massive amount of brand equity here).
    Edited by trebellk at 03/02/12 @ 11:13

  • andy25801 #46 4 months ago

    iOS/Android is not and never will be a serious gaming platform.To compare software for these things with the PSP/DS is ludicrous. iOS etc devices are phones first and foremost with a bit of gaming abilty. They can only be compared with PSP/DS if they actually bring out a gaming only handheld which runs iOS/Android,and who in their right mind would buy one of those.

  • redcrayon #47 4 months ago

    @StooMonster

    Fair enough, I don't know how many 3DS games were sold, but I do know not to trust charts that somehow manage to miss off the only portable console released in the last 7 years when comparing them to the combined total software revenue of every smartphone on the market.

  • Toothball #48 4 months ago

    I plan to get a Vita, but not on launch. I don't mind the price and would be quite content playing Lumines and Everybody's Golf, but unfortunately my car needs attention first this month.

  • NotSoSlim #49 4 months ago

    <quote>wez_316 wrote:
    @miiiguel

    This is because people now know what the PSP was like. The PSP was just a PS2 in your pocket. PSV is a PS3 in your pocket. To say Sony claim to have learned from their PSP mistakes... I don't see much change.

    Tiny analogue sticks, bulky console, odd triggers, poor battery life, launch lineup of games that you get on PS3 already. It does have improvements over the PSP but I just don't think it does enough to convince people that it will not be just a "here we go again" purchase.

    They either need original, exclusive games that can craft their own place in the market or they need to give people incentive for buying the same game from their PS3 on the PSV again. If they pulled of those they would be on to a winner.</quote>

    Well Gravity Rush says hello. Labelling it with non original games is laughable to be honest but the way media has reported on the console its no shock original gamed are getting ignored

  • StooMonster #50 4 months ago

    @andy25801 iOS/Android is not and never will be a serious gaming platform.To compare software for these things with the PSP/DS is ludicrous.

    It's what marketing people call "share of wallet", people might choose to spend X amount of their disposable income on 'handheld games'. The assumption is that to most people they are the same.

    iOS etc devices are phones first and foremost with a bit of gaming ability.

    Is an iPad or Kindle Fire a phone? My kids have DS and 3DS and I have a PSP they can use, but what do they spend most of their time playing games on? iPad.

  • chaywa #51 4 months ago

    Better battery life with 2 PSN Vita Game downloads and an 8GB Memory Card for £200.

    Do it Sony and you'll be absolutely fine (and get a sale from me)

    Although part of me reckons that Android should've been the main OS so people can still play the Smartphone Apps they've grown to love on it side by side with Vita games.

  • Widge #52 4 months ago

    @StooMonster which is great for your kids and the market iOS is targeting. Not the same market as those wanting proper console grade experiences on a portable.

  • Widge #53 4 months ago

    @chaywa that's what suite was meant to be for, Sony need to pull their finger out and get that rolled out to the rest of the Android platform.

  • 00.00.01 #54 4 months ago

    @Widge
    "...especially as I can barely get my PS3 on the TV without objection"... Are you not better of just investing in a nice 3d monitor?

  • wez_316 #55 4 months ago

    @manic_mouse

    I definitely agree with you that the PSP had a lot of great things about it but Sony marketed it very poorly and made it come across as nothing but a gimped PS2. If Sony had made a big fuss about portable FF7-9 they would have had a lot more people on board. They really should have had a PSP console bundle with all 3 of those games on a PSN voucher and pushed it to the moon. LocoRoco and Patapon should have had massive ad campaigns to get the brands out there.

    Also @NotSoSlim... Gravity Rush? Seriously? That has already been axed from retail and moved to PSN only to be left to die. I was not pressing on the fact that the PSP (or PSV) have nothing original... it's just that Sony are terrible at marketing it in that fashion. They always seem to be chasing at a market that aren't really after a portable.

  • JamieR #56 4 months ago

    The price diffrance between 3ds and vita are pritty big. im not surpised. i got a 3ds and have no plans to buy a vita for a while now. but i like the vita more :S so i think price is a big issue.

  • manic_mouse #57 4 months ago

    @wez_316 I love Patapon, I bought the third but gave my PSP away last week so I have to wait until the Vita arrives...

    The one bad thing about the Vita for me is the lack of PSone support but it'll come eventually.

  • weebl #58 4 months ago

    @TrilbyG Sony's market share hasn't grown with the market in the same way as Nintendo and Apple, and that is the problem.

  • StooMonster #59 4 months ago

    @Widge Agreed, but the market size of those "wanting proper console grade experience on a portable" appears to be shrinking.

  • BeardofZeus #60 4 months ago

    I've pre-ordered and cancelled about 3 times now. There's a lot to like about a Vita but I think I'll wait and see how things go over the next 6 months first, especially since none of the launch titles really floats my boat or I have a version of already.

    Ideally I'd like at least 32GB storage to go the download only route with a Vita, and I'm just not willing to pay the premium price for that on day one.

    Plus, iPad 3 is supposedly imminent and while Apple has similar ridiculous costs on storage, it'll be broadly more useful to me and I can therefore at least justify that as a business expense. So thats more likely to be my gadget choice.

  • Widge #61 4 months ago

    @StooMonster True, when in comparison to that big app style market... I hope we continue to get catered for, even as a minority.

  • addugg #62 4 months ago

    @StooMonster No idea why you've been negged for speaking facts?!

    On Topic: I'm not buyinga Vita. Either Sony send me one or it won't get coverred.

    That's not some misguided attempt at payback. I just can't risk spending that kind of cash on a console at the moment.

    Other expenses in life come first, plain and simple and I'm sure there's a lot of people out there in the same kind of predicament.

    Maybe after (an expected) price drop there will be more interest. There will be from me anyway.

    /Rant

  • NotSoSlim #63 4 months ago

    <quote>wez_316 wrote:
    @manic_mouse

    I definitely agree with you that the PSP had a lot of great things about it but Sony marketed it very poorly and made it come across as nothing but a gimped PS2. If Sony had made a big fuss about portable FF7-9 they would have had a lot more people on board. They really should have had a PSP console bundle with all 3 of those games on a PSN voucher and pushed it to the moon. LocoRoco and Patapon should have had massive ad campaigns to get the brands out there.

    Also @NotSoSlim... Gravity Rush? Seriously? That has already been axed from retail and moved to PSN only to be left to die. I was not pressing on the fact that the PSP (or PSV) have nothing original... it's just that Sony are terrible at marketing it in that fashion. They always seem to be chasing at a market that aren't really after a portable.</quote>

    Its retail on the US and Japan but PSN in Europe so how is that left to die?

    Almost everyone knows about the game as major US sites are doing big previews on it detailing what a great game it is

    Near perfect scores in Japan as well. You also have Escape Plan but all alot sites concentrate on Uncharted when EG for example could have a preview of both Gravity Rush and Escape Plan.

    Gravity Rush will shock alot of people sales wise and thats not fanboy speak but game is getting great coverage just through word of mouth.

  • Dangerous_Dan #64 4 months ago

    Well I think the Vita is a great piece of tech but Sony are in a predicament. Is the audience they are aiming for big enough to sustain the high costs of this tech and the relative high costs of the software development?

    Imho: Sony should not try to win the tech arm race, they should make it descent, yes, but everything within limits and concentrate on their unique IPs which are a little different from other games.

  • DavidBoring #65 4 months ago

    @StooMonster

    So, for Sony's portion of the pie:

    11% of $2.7bn = $297m in 2009

    6% of $3.3bn = $198m in 2011E

    mmh, i dont see the problem. their market shar decreased, but they managed to raise their reveneu although the psp's hardware was 6-7 years old by that time

  • jasondonervan #66 4 months ago

    After sitting on the fence for some time, I finally put my pre-order in at Gamestation this week. The recent news surrounding trouble at t'mill for GAME had me wavering, but I decided to risk it and with some nifty trade-ins, they're paying me to take the unit (my games/memory card are pre-ordered online).

    As much as I love iOS gaming and the many ways it has revolutionised portable gaming (price of games, convenience, unique gaming experiences), I can guarantee that like practically every other portable gaming device I've owned, my Vita will rarely leave the house. Reports of short battery life don't bother me, because a charging adaptor is always only a few steps away.

    My iPhone is my truly 'mobile' handheld - that's the device when I'm out and about that I'll pull out of my pocket for a quick burst of Jetpack Joyride, Carcassonne, or any one of the CAVE shmups (and most recently, the fantastic Ghost Trick). As for the Vita, I look forward to the gaming experiences it brings that iOS doesn't offer (praise be for the analogue goodness).

    Most of all though, I'd be a lot happier once Atlus inform us that Persona 4: The Golden is confirmed for a Western release!
    Edited by jasondonervan at 03/02/12 @ 13:17

  • BigDannyH #67 4 months ago

    @GamesProgrammer
    You are a hero. That Amazon deal is great!

    I've just parted with £235 but not bad for a game and a memory card too considering the RRP for the Vita was £230.

    Wasn't neccesarily going to get Rayman but was the obvious choice out of the games on offer. Usually in these bundles there's no games that remotely interest me but I've been tempted with Rayman on the console so was an easy choice.

    Roll on 22 Feb!!!

  • FortysixterUK #68 4 months ago

    Too expensive methinks...and as for the cost of the games...well...simply no thanks.

  • Rodster #69 4 months ago

    @StooMonster Which is exactly what I have been saying. It's only going to get tougher fro Nintendo and Sony from here on out. Android and iOS will continue to grow at a faster pace.

  • alexbulluk #70 4 months ago

    I still want one. As long as it has quality games and doesn't make the same mistakes the PSP did, then there's no reason it shouldn't succeed (albeit, with the smallest market share).

    Still, I don't think I'll preorder. I want to wait for LBP Vita to come out first.

  • StooMonster #71 4 months ago

    @Widge Not disagreeing with you at all, but consistently through the thread I have been saying that it's not a case of "no problem" that Sony claim.

    Them saying there is no problem, when there clearly is one, is a problem in itself.

    Maybe the Vita can turn it around, it certainly looks like a fantastic piece of kit ... but it may end up being niche rather than mainstream.

    Which is fine ... niche is not a bad place to be, so long as your pricing is right.

  • StooMonster #72 4 months ago

    @DavidBoring i dont see the problem. their market shar decreased, but they managed to raise their reveneu

    They did not raise their revenue:

    $198m < $297m

    That's a decline of approximately a third over two years.

    Still, as you say, that's not that bad for sales of software for a seven year old piece of kit.
    Edited by StooMonster at 08/02/12 @ 10:37

  • kirinnokoshin #73 4 months ago

    When many people bring up the pros and cons of ‘console quality gaming on the go’ they seem to miss the point entirely, raising questions as to whether they’ve ever done much gaming on a dedicated handheld.

    Games on dedicated handhelds need to be designed for the ground up for a portable system due to the form factor, screen size and the simple nature of the feedback coming form a dinky little device rather than a big TV screen. The ‘I never leave the house argument’ doesn’t mean that AAA handheld games can be designed like home console games. Even if the tech inside both is similar, the experience will never be the same.

    This is something Nintendo have been aware of from the beginning and why they have been so successful in running a home and portable console business side by side, with neither negatively impacting the other.

    I haven’t clue about the science of games design, this is purely my opinion and I’m speaking from the perspective of the consumer but for me a great modern example of a AAA handheld experience is Super Mario 3D Land. Super Mario 3D Land and Wii big brother Super Mario Galaxy are both fantastic 3D platform games rooted in the same fictional universe with very familiar tropes, however neither offer the same experience. SMG would feel totally compromised on the 3DS. Too many far away objects, too many objects on screen, too many different colours and levels being too long. The fluid planet spinning perspective concept would also be out of place on a little screen (you want to feel like you are in outer space after all, and space is a BIG place). Likewise, SM3DL wouldn’t work anywhere near as well on Wii, the perspective would feel far too close on a large screen, the levels would feel too short and the lack of 3D would result in the courses needing redesign to make them interesting to the standard that most expect from a Mario game.

    Interestingly the same thing applies to Mario Kart, a series which is criticised for being the most samey and derivative of all Nintendo’s franchises. The controls and tighter, narrower courses in MK7 are built to fit perfectly with the slide pad and small 3D display. Likewise on Wii the courses are wider and obstacle rich to maximise the use of a large display and the steering looser to fit the tilt controls (should you choose to use them). Both games are similar, but neither feels like a compromised version of the other. This approach might go some way to explaining why there is so much variety in peoples’ preferences for their favourite Mario Kart.

    The same approach surely needs to apply to a big seller for Vita. IMO, COD or any other big selling franchise on Vita won’t sell like COD on the consoles if it’s designed the same way. This is regardless of whether it’s a brand new game or a port. It will not matter if it’s ‘home console quality’ as that isn’t good enough for dedicated handheld. Vita needs big ticket games that are ‘dedicated handheld’ quality like SM3DL and MK7.

    Rant over

  • FatalHybrid #74 4 months ago

    They have done pretty well. So many media outlets have been comparing sales of the Vita to the 3DS as if Vita was going to beat it easily. What counts is Vita's launch was up on the PSP launch by a considerable margin.. You also have to factor that many of the Vita launch titles were not Japan friendly as games like Uncharted don't do well there. I do believe the system will be more popular in North America and Europe as the games thus far are very western friendly.

  • PixelPirate #75 4 months ago

    Its not out yet and we have already started running the "ITS FAILED" news stories?

    C'mon EG i thought better of you, give the thing a damn chance.

    There is no story here at all.

  • manic_mouse #76 4 months ago

    @kirinnokoshin In all honestly I completely disagree. Some of the best games on all portable consoles have been ports of home games, or backwards compatible home games in the case of the PSP.

    People always harp on about how handheld games need to be different - but never give a compelling reason why. You say screen sizes are different, but they're not really. The Vita has as good as resolution as a SD TV, so were "real" games unplayable before HD TVs? With sleep modes the idea of having bite sized gameplay between saves is rendered redundant too. So, simply because the screen is attached to the device rather than being separate the games have to be completely different? Sure, there will be more of a market for bite sized games, but saying proper games don't work on handhelds is really stupid - especially based on what games are hailed on handhelds.
    Edited by manic_mouse at 03/02/12 @ 15:07

  • SpaceMonkey77 #77 4 months ago

    Vita will do fine, despite its early apathy in Japan. Once more western games grace it, sales will be good. I'm still buying but will wait a few months. If I buy in April of May, game prices might have dropped a bit.

    I love my iOS games as much as the next guy, but a dedicated system is always a better option.

  • kirinnokoshin #78 4 months ago

    @manic_mouse

    'Some of the best games on all portable consoles have been ports of home games, or backwards compatible home games in the case of the PSP'

    Which ones are these exactly? And more pertinently, which ones have been a major success on a dedicated handheld (success is what Vita is looking for after all)?

    'People always harp on about how handheld games need to be different - but never give a compelling reason why.'

    I've already given you reasons above as to why I feel they need to be designed differently re Mario and Mario Kart. Did you bother to actually read my post?

    'You say screen sizes are different, but they're not really. The Vita has as good as resolution as a SD TV, so were "real" games unplayable before HD TVs?'

    Oh dear...Screen SIZE is completely different and yes it's a significant factor (as detailed in my post), not screen resolution. And are you really serious? Do you play your home console on a 7" display?
    Did you read my post? (again)

    'saying proper games don't work on handhelds is really stupid - especially based on what games are hailed on handhelds;'

    I never said 'proper' games don't work on handhelds, I said AAA games need to be designed specifically for the system to truly excel and create system sellers. Did you read my post? (again x2)

    Are you feeling ok today?

  • Biker_Bob_1971 #79 4 months ago

    Post deleted at 16:59:10 06-02-2012

  • des #80 4 months ago

    Vita is competing with big consoles,not smartphones.That is the problem.

  • Inmediasress #81 4 months ago

    @jerryfrost

    Your step aunt has a rather steep price range if I may say so.

  • Widge #82 4 months ago

    @Biker_Bob_1971 and what is that? Fabrication is the best form of attack?

  • Bonders99 #83 4 months ago

    @Biker_Bob_1971 Bob you go on about an "Already Failed" console. May I be so bold to ask what definition you are using to determine this ?. Do you use some sort of industry standard or the "Biker_Bob_1971 standard ?

  • CamberGreber #84 4 months ago

    Why I think Vita Does look Very Cool.

    Sony would be better offering a Android Powered phone with dual Analog sticks and triggers.

    That way You only have to carry one Device.

  • CamberGreber #85 4 months ago

    Carring around a Iphone and a VIta at the same time sucks.

  • zedzee #86 4 months ago

    @JahB: Do you want to know how out of touch Sony really are?

    The Vita is an ARM-based device, running Android, so why not open it up to the Android Market (or at least, a specific market, set-up by Sony) and allow users to download some of those very same games in that very same mobile market that they're competing against?!

  • Snake_2011 #87 4 months ago

    this site loves trying to mock Sony with stupid pics.

    bob love the way you pop up on every article trying to push your anti Vita crap :)

    sub par have you read the reviews? have you played it even? time will tell soon because the rest of the world will have it, your basing all this on 1 country & your local store you go to.over half a million units good start really.
    Edited by Snake_2011 at 04/02/12 @ 04:44

  • Biker_Bob_1971 #88 4 months ago

    Post deleted at 16:59:10 06-02-2012

  • Nephirion #89 4 months ago

    Simply too expensive ..

  • shuyin131 #90 4 months ago

    @JahB fail. Capcom did not release another MH on Vita because MHp3 is fresh in people's minds. It was recently released on PSP and given how long people play those games, it didn't make much sense to release another one. It's on the PSN and new players can buy it on the Vita anytime they wish.