News - Sony PS Vita struggles, sales targets get slashed

[HEXUS]

Though the company as a whole just posted a modest operating profit.

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[Gunbuster]

The Vita feels like the Zune did. The best hardware of the day as the solution to yesterday's problem. To be honest though it is about the games. Though I don't think I would buy a console again just for Valkyria Chronicles 2 like I did with the PSP.

That said the PSP must be a Dreamcast style bargain by now, probably quite nice to give a littlin to play with.

[Stringent]

The games are just a tad too expensive for a portable console. I have a Vita and think its an excellent piece of kit, however I do not like the menu system that Sony have done for it. Thing is, portable consoles face an uphill battle against iPhones, Android devices which people have and 'casually' game on the move more so now.

I enjoyed Uncharted, StarDust and Wipeout on the Vita though. Excellent titles.

[krazy_olie]

I just don't know when I would play it tbh.

[Gunbuster]

I've discussed this with friends and the key is a commute by public transport. I guess that is why they are so popular in Japan. Anyone that goes by car, foot, bicycle has no time for portable consoles.

[TooNice]

There are some pretty fun titles available in the domestic (Japanese) market too, targeted towards anime fans. Basically some insane cross overs. The best known series in the West is probably the Jump! Star series on the NDS, but there are many more both on Nintendo and Sony platform. I like them a lot more than what I've found on the smartphone mobile platform. And, interestingly, people do game outdoor. I do not mean like in events like Comiket or Tokyo Game Show, but I have seen a square in Aki(ha)ba(ra) with benches where people just sit and game, presumably against each other.

[kingpotnoodle]

The Vita feels like the Zune did. The best hardware of the day as the solution to yesterday's problem.

I have to agree. I've got a Vita but it does nothing my Nexus 4 and other smartphones cannot and cost a similar sum with memory cards etc. factored in, I use it for train gaming and also films purely so not to drain my phone battery. The only real advantage over Nexus is buttons, I haven't got any friends so the social gaming ecosystem is pointless, the browser is pants, the maps are same Google, I could rent films from Play, I can get music from Amazon... the Vita really does nothing that unique, in that respect it has less selling points than the Nintendo 3DS, which at least has the 3D gimmick and price on it's side.

Mobile gaming would be well served by a controller add-on for smartphones which integrates a booster battery and works with a downloadable game client like Steam. I can't see portable consoles sustaining their own private ecosystem much longer and "Playstation" (or indeed any other brand) will need to become a software service more than a console. Sony already tried it with the Xperia play, Microsoft are going down the road with XBox - Nintendo are the laggards at the moment.

[Sc0rian]

I had one. For sure the biggest killer was the price of the games on that newly invented micro memory card, well done Sony.

[Scribe]

The DRM is a pain in the butt but the Vita is an amazing piece of hardware, great visuals, true dual analogue sticks, improved psx emulation it's a crying shame is got caught in the never-ending cycle of chicken before the egg... Customer "Not enough games!" Developer "Not enough customers!". I can't agree that it's like a mobile, just the sticks and the way it's held alone make it a true gaming console and I've had a great time with it but alas, there's just no new content.

[benegerton1985]

Don't even know why they are bothering anymore, specifically made handheld consoles are never going to work again now mobile phones can do everything. I see it this way, (and I'm sure that most hardworking members of the public with bills to pay do too); Why should I get one? If I want to play games I have my main games console or PC and if I'm bored whilst out and about I have my phone that I can play games on, browse the internet, do my social networking, listen to music on or even plain old text/call someone. This same philosophy also works for portable music players and cameras too and leads me to one final conclusion, there is no point in making specifically made products made for one purpose anymore.

[TooNice]

^ I can see it happening, but I can't say that I like it. Home consoles are more powerful, but if you prioritise gameplay, handheld can be just as good. There are also less hassle as you do not need the console and the TV in the room. Whereas mobile phones may match handheld hardware, but hardly any games has impressed me much. If console games are overpriced, I think that mobile phones games are restricted by the budget. The graphics are fine, but they lack depth. Given that Joe Public has replaced CDs with MP3s, I can believe that they will also ditch the Nintendo/Sony for iOS/Android. But can't say that I like it.