Japanese PS Vita Sales Continue to Set Record Lows

[kanaida]

If course no one would bother buying a handheld when any cheap android gets the same job done... "entertainment on the go". Specs don't matter much compared to the experience, and besides it's just one less thing to carry around. They should have just made a framework for android so game developers could use their tools to make games for the market and some game pad cases. It's not exactly rocket science...

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]molo9000[/nom]$300 plus $40 PER GAME (!) is a huge amount of money for a toy you are only going to be using when you are bored on the bus/train, etc.Especially if you also have a smartphone with games costing practically nothing.Add to that the small game library, low battery life and relatively large size (nothing you can keep in your pocket) and you have a device that nobody wants.[/citation]
Not all games costs $40, only the most expensive games like Uncharted. But then again you don't have this kind of games on a phone or tablet. Most games on phones are just time wasters and that's it. They're a lot cheaper to buy because they're a lot cheaper to make. I've yet to play a game on a phone truly captivates me.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]molo9000[/nom]$300 plus $40 PER GAME (!) is a huge amount of money for a toy you are only going to be using when you are bored on the bus/train, etc.Especially if you also have a smartphone with games costing practically nothing.Add to that the small game library, low battery life and relatively large size (nothing you can keep in your pocket) and you have a device that nobody wants.[/citation]
Also about the battery life. It isn't bad. It's better than smart phones. For example when AnandTech tested the iPhone 4S while gaming it lasted 3 hours. The Vita can last from 4 to 5 hours of gaming.

 

[old_newbie]

[citation][nom]zippyzion[/nom]People act like Sony gaming is all Sony has. Gaming is to Sony as cellphones are to Samsung. They make money but are such a small fraction that if they fail in it the company will not break. Sony can absorb a year or two of the general public being its trendy and retarded self. Look at the PS3. It sucked for a while but now it's a great console.[/citation]
Actually, Sony can no longer absorb these hits, as of late. Just last week thay have cut 10K employees in an effort to bandage the hemorrhaging. Its funny you mention Samsung because it is Samsung's strong sales in home electronics (TV's, disc players, cell phones, etc.) that is now eclipsing Sony as the premier brand. Sony is just seen as too expensive for no reason.
I agree with TheZooLooMaster in that Sony needs to change their marketing strategy to stay relevant. The old model "sell at a loss, make up in games & accessories" is quickly becoming defunct, as proven by the Wii.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]kanaida[/nom]If course no one would bother buying a handheld when any cheap android gets the same job done... "entertainment on the go". Specs don't matter much compared to the experience, and besides it's just one less thing to carry around. They should have just made a framework for android so game developers could use their tools to make games for the market and some game pad cases. It's not exactly rocket science...[/citation]
True that the experience matter, and this is why gaming on a smart phone sucks.

Sony already tried to introduce a framework for android with the Xperia Play and it failed.

 

[Guest]

Replace vita with 3ds and you get 8 months ago

which proves you shouldnt care

 

[IndignantSkeptic]

I'm not surprised Vita is failing. Sony deserves to fail for being stupid enough to make a smartphone that cannot be used for phone calls. Sony could have made an absolute killing with the Vita because it could have been the first smartphone with proper game controls.

 

[julianbautista87]

It's not that their console is bad. their console is excellent, but it's not practical. battery doesn't last long, it's big, games are expensive. those 3 things conform a perfect storm.

 

[ericburnby]

Knew this was going to happen a year ago already. My kids never played on their handhelds (DS and PSP) after I gave them our old iPhones. 20 x $0.99 games from the App Store provides more entertainment than a single $20 game for your handheld. And you only pay that $0.99 once and all devices in your household can use it.

If Apple ever releases a dockable case to put your iPhone or iPod Touch into that gave it real gaming controls then that would pretty much be the end of handheld gaming. There aren't enough of the hardcore gamers that would actually want to play a "full" title on a handheld to justify Sony or Nintendo to continue making these devices.

 

[thillntn]

Funny how all these comments focus on everything but one serious "game changer"....the customer!!! Corporations like Samsung so far have actually listened to their base, and as a result have increased their market share. $ony is stuck in this "we sell you what we want you to have" mentality, which is crippling them. Why limit my games to 2 devices when your competition does not? Control freaks, karma has caught up to you. Piracy is a concern, but paranoia should be as well.

 

[Guest]

i love my xperia play greatest portable emulator ever

 

[sirencall]

Handhelds should never cost anything close to 300 if it wants to be dominate the market. If they cant make a handheld for 200 with PS3 graphics, than set your bar lower. I was going to buy a PS Vita until I saw the price of memory and realized I could just emulate PS1 games on my android. I spent 500 for my phone last fall and it plays PS1 games wonderfully, and yeah its not PS2 graphics but I am also not having to pay 100 bucks for a 32 gig memory card. Sony seems to be still working with this mindset of high prices means that it will make the product highly desireable. The PS3 suffered weak sales as a result of this for a long time until they slashed the price down to 300 with the slim line. Also lovking you into a contract with ATT for the data on the 3g model is a horrible

 

[Guest]

its not because of the price its because there are no games for it. why would a person buy a console that has no interesting games. where is monster hunter where is dragon quest what about FF

 

[maverick knight]

[citation][nom]zippyzion[/nom]People act like Sony gaming is all Sony has. Gaming is to Sony as cellphones are to Samsung. They make money but are such a small fraction that if they fail in it the company will not break. Sony can absorb a year or two of the general public being its trendy and retarded self. Look at the PS3. It sucked for a while but now it's a great console.[/citation]

Sony as a company and brand name may not be in big trouble but this still affect them big time. Sony expands to the gaming industry with a certain capital and the expansion must make profit out of that capital. If it does not make profit then Sony consider it a liability thus terminating the expansion. If the expansion is terminated then lots of jobs are gone, a market wasted and gamers unhappy.Sony will only loose the initial capital however, I am pretty sure they already made much more profit to not consider it a loss.

I believe that as long as there is a strong market for handheld gaming then Sony can recover (remember the PS3 launch). The Nintendo 3DS must succeed for the market to be strong and the PS Vita to have a chance. This is why the article mentioned the 3DS success.

I also believe that consumers are spending too much money in technology lately, therefore affecting any new hardware. People are spending 300+ dollars in smartphones, tablets, consoles, games, subscriptions fees and TVs. Handheld gaming platforms now a days need to justify the extra cost.

I had a debate on which one to get; the 3DS or the Vita. I chose the 3DS because for the price of the Vita I could get the 3DS and two good games (Metal Gear Solid 3 and Ace Combat) and had some money left to go eat with my wife after. The Vita would have cost me well over 300+ with just one game and one memory. Also, the Vita does not have any more AAA games coming soon whereas the 3DS have some good AA games out now and some coming up soon. In addition, the 3DS has the DS library with very good games available. This is the kind of stuff Sony is facing.

 

[Guest]

Guess I'm in the minority here but I really like the Vita, despite it's two major issues.

The memory cards being priced as they are is silly, and will only hurt Sony in the long run. I got a 4gb memory card with mine, and due to needing to watch how much space is used, I'm way less impulsive with my SEN store spending than I would have been otherwise, I'm surprised they didn't factor this in, selling cheap cards would have probably improved the digital sales way beyond what they make back on the cards.

4-5 hours battery is fine with me, although not being able to swap it out is a let down.

Those two issues aside, I think it's great. For me there is something special about playing real games on a portable even when I'm at home and it does so much right. Good weight, controls are conformable, I like the size, the screen looks amazing. Now I just have to hope the games keep coming....

 

[hoofhearted]

[citation][nom]ericburnby[/nom]Knew this was going to happen a year ago already. My kids never played on their handhelds (DS and PSP) after I gave them our old iPhones. 20 x $0.99 games from the App Store provides more entertainment than a single $20 game for your handheld. And you only pay that $0.99 once and all devices in your household can use it.If Apple ever releases a dockable case to put your iPhone or iPod Touch into that gave it real gaming controls then that would pretty much be the end of handheld gaming. There aren't enough of the hardcore gamers that would actually want to play a "full" title on a handheld to justify Sony or Nintendo to continue making these devices.[/citation]

Agreed. Plus it is just a matter of time before the 'real" developers move over to these platforms and start putting out the $20 to $40 real games. And the lack of proper controllers seems like nothing that can't be fixed after the fact (whether bluetoothing an existing 6-axis or wifi-ing something to your favorite iThing)

 

[hoofhearted]

I don't see cost as the bigger issue, but rather the lack of many genred games to choose from. If Sony would find some way to give their dev kit out to all of the top developers (maybe even pay them) and have a larger selection of games then I think they would do well. Isn't his waht they did with their PS1? I seem to remember something called a net yarozee or somthing like that.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]ericburnby[/nom]Knew this was going to happen a year ago already. My kids never played on their handhelds (DS and PSP) after I gave them our old iPhones. 20 x $0.99 games from the App Store provides more entertainment than a single $20 game for your handheld. And you only pay that $0.99 once and all devices in your household can use it.If Apple ever releases a dockable case to put your iPhone or iPod Touch into that gave it real gaming controls then that would pretty much be the end of handheld gaming. There aren't enough of the hardcore gamers that would actually want to play a "full" title on a handheld to justify Sony or Nintendo to continue making these devices.[/citation]
To bad your kids will never know the feeling of really playing a fully developed game.

And I could buy 100 $0.99 games from the app store and I would still prefer a good 20$ game. Quantity doesn't equate quality.

 

[impreza]

It's time for sony to move their gaming efforts to smart phones, I'm not paying $50 for a mobile game when I can get something just about as good for under $10. The days of dedicated adult focused portable consoles are just about done, smartphones have got to powerful for people to justify buying a separate device just for gaming and for some reason can't even browser the web as well as a fairly cheap phone.

 

[Guest]

Why people pay $500 for a phone is beyond me.