Vita Hype Cooling Off Fast, Big Games Necessary To Rekindle
See Full ImageAs we said from the start, the PlayStation Vita is all about games. It's designed specifically for avid gamers and despite the slickness and bells and whistles, it will be the software that makes or breaks the unit.
Perhaps the best example of this is the fact that the number of headlines citing the Vita has dropped off drastically since its launch in February. New home consoles stay in the news for quite a long time after the initial launch, and throughout much of January and into February, the Vita was a common news and discussion topic in the industry. But now, despite positive reviews and a pretty great opening software lineup, the Vita has slipped off the radar.
Other things have supplanted it, such as the constant rumors surrounding the new machines from Sony and Microsoft, the Mass Effect 3 unpleasantness, and the recent announcement of God of War: Ascension. And traditionally, handhelds just aren't as popular in this country (at least, not in terms of community and forum conversation). However, I'm convinced that if big games had continued to hit the Vita over the past month, it would not only have been in the public eye more, it would've almost certainly sold more. It's a games machine, first and foremost. I can't ever stress that enough.
And therefore, it is only the software that can maintain interest. We've got Resistance: Burning Skies and Gravity Rush coming up, which should be great. Oh, that's the other caveat: It's not enough to have a lot of software; we have to get a lot of quality software. Games that are visible, that get a lot of good press, that make consumers go, "damn, that looks pretty freakin' great...I gotta get a Vita." Sony has stressed the importance of software from the very start of this unit's lifespan in the media and they need to back that up. The good news is that there are plenty of titles in development; over 100, or so we've heard.
But an expansive and top-notch library can't solidify itself fast enough...
Tags: vita, playstation vita, vita games, vita software
4/19/2012 8:51:06 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (68 posts)
Akuma07
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:31:18 PM
That is 1/4 of the handheld price.....
0 up, 0 down
Phoenix
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:37:25 PM
2 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:54:09 PM
0 up, 0 down
Alejandro562
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:17:29 PM
3 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:32:03 PM
Just do as I did to find the deals by signing up for their daily or weekly email ads.
FYI, I just picked up a Sony 16BG Vita cards from Amazon two weeks ago for $49.99($10 off).
And.....somebody else(Buy-dot-com, I think) had the 32 GB cards for $72.20 for brand new on-line sign-up customers, & around $82 for their regular customers(that's a $20 to $28 savings right there).
Last edited by BikerSaint on 4/19/2012 10:35:39 PM
1 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 11:40:58 PM
14 up, 5 down
___________
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 5:02:09 AM
really pissed off $ony central in the city charged me 150 for it just last weekend!
sigh, thats what i get for buying direct from $ony!
2 up, 3 down
Akuma07
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:28:34 PM
Reply
To be honest, I was not all that impressed with the opening line up. It did not contain many 'interesting' titles, or anything that really jumped out at me (except Stardust Delta).
Also, there is a massive gap between releases with brand new consoles. Normally, consoles will launch with a bunch of games, but not receive any new major games (or any) for many many months. The Vita is the same, I am not interested in any games till at least the end of the year.
For the vita to be a huge hit, it needs some first class QUALITY titles FPS (Killzone and CoD), action (GoW, AC), and some great RPG (can't remember any?). These will drive sales hard, and will allow third party devs to produce new IPs on the system.
2 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:28:39 PM
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3 up, 2 down
ZettaiSeigi
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:30:40 PM
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I personally am not complaining as there are still a lot of games I have yet to play (Wipeout 2048, Rayman Origins, Super Stardust Delta, etc.) and there are also those that are yet to release, Persona 4 The Golden easily topping my most anticipated list.
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inkme101
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:39:49 PM
Reply
Last edited by inkme101 on 4/19/2012 9:44:03 PM
6 up, 0 down
Phoenix
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:47:20 PM
3 up, 0 down
Shams
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:10:15 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
bebestorm
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:11:13 PM
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2 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:20:54 PM
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4 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:21:01 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
CrusaderForever
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:26:49 PM
0 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:39:44 PM
I played MH games on a PSP-2000 and when you play it on the Vita, the color looks spectacular. It's like the PSP-3000. Since the Vita screen is bigger than the PSP's, it stretches the picture which makes the polygons more obvious. You will tend to ignore this once you get into the game.
Monster Hunter is not a game for everyone. It also is best played with friends. It was one of my first PSP games but I never got into it until my best friend bought a copy and we played together. If you liked Demon Souls, you will feel at home with Monster Hunter's difficult bosses.
Monster Hunter is quest based. It does not have a story aside from you are a hunter helping the village. It also is a grind fest. You fight the same monster over and over and over again just to build the weapon or armor you want. MH is also skill heavy. You will get pounded on as a beginner but in time, you will be able to run around G-rank(highest difficulty) monsters.
1 up, 0 down
CrusaderForever
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:24:39 PM
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There are some really great games on this system though. I just bought Mutant Blobs Attack for $7.99 and it's an amazing game! I highly recommend it.
It's going to be a tough year for the Vita no doubt. The 3DS has Kingdom Hearts 3D coming out so that will sell millions. Vita just needs some AAA titles soon. So far, very pleased with the games and looking forward to buying some more. Sure is nice sitting on the couch playing my Vita while the wife watches her shows! :)
3 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:47:41 PM
2 up, 0 down
JackDillinger89
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:25:42 PM
Reply
5 up, 0 down
Shams
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 12:03:12 AM
But to address your point and Bigrailer's regarding the redundancy, or, lets be frank, even expected mediocrity of the hand held experience, what I can tell you is that certain pick up and play titles lend themselves even BETTER on the hand held. When I find the time to sit in front of my bedroom tv, I'm more inclined to play certain titles, rather than switching between pick-up-and play ones. Fighters and racers, when I have 5 minutes here or there, are far more accessible on the Vita, and uncannily comparable experiences to their console counterparts. Moreover, if you travel, it certainly beats lugging your gaming laptop or ps3 around. I know this from experience.
But was even more surprising to me than this, is that even the ones that are not so much pick-up-play, like Uncharted:Golden Abyss, still offer a surprisingly engrossing full-on console experience. In short, if you like pick-up-and-play games, Vita is the place to go. But, if you're fan of games in general, the Vita still offers plenty of quality software that are worth getting a Vita to play.
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:14:31 AM
5 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 10:57:12 PM
Reply
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/19/2012 10:59:18 PM
4 up, 0 down
Jed
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 12:06:11 AM
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I really hope we can get some badass games to start coming out consistently to make the experience even better, and to reignite the hype for the Vita.
2 up, 0 down
inkme101
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 12:24:02 AM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
Palpatations911
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 2:59:08 AM
1 up, 0 down
inkme101
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:16:54 PM
1 up, 0 down
Pandacastro
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 12:36:28 AM
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Jawknee
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:12:23 AM
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Pandacastro
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 3:30:28 AM
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 9:33:15 AM
2 up, 0 down
Pandacastro
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 5:39:57 PM
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Beamboom
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 2:49:16 AM
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This is not me being "anti Sony" or anything, I'm just being realistic. I know there has been quite a few of you who has expected the Vita to "fly off the shelves" if only this or that was in place, but I'm afraid that will never happen. It never could.
But if you all adjust your expectations for it to sell well *enough* to not cause the stream of new games to completely dry up then I think you should be pleased, and continue enjoying your very special piece of hardware.
4 up, 0 down
Ultimadream
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 4:29:03 AM
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1 up, 1 down
Excelsior1
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 4:32:26 AM
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I've heard excuses from Sony fans ranging from blaming the recent ecological disasters in Japan to blaming the weak Japanese currency. Okay, but we have the 3DS breaking sales records in Japan so I don't think those excuses have a lot of merit. Japan has substantial and thriving handheld market. I remember back in December Nintendo sold 483,000 3DS consoles in a single week which set an all time record by the way. The 3DS has been outselling the Vita 8:1. Sorry, if you can not sell a handheld to the Japanese then something is wrong. That's just how I feel about it.
The way the Vita has performed in Japan has surprised me because Japan was very supportive of the PSP. In 2010 the PSP was best selling handheld in Japan. That was the first time Nintendo had ever been beaten in the handheld sector in any region. Naturally, I thought the Vita was going to be even more successful but it just has not turned out that way. I think Sony needs to aggresively address this or they risk further erosion of confidence in the product and also risk losing developer support. There have already been reports coming out of Japan that developers were abandoning the Vita in favor of the 3DS. Those reports were controversial here because they used unnamed sources but it's still something no Sony fan wants to hear. It's also interesting that one of the main reasons Nintendo cited when they slashed the 3DS price is they needed to restore confidence in the product or risk losing developer support. When weekly sales are that bad in region that loves their handhelds I tend to think it's more than just the games. Consumers just are not biting on the Vita at its current price point.
I do think there could be a way out of this and there are some interesting similarities between the way the 3DS kind of struggled right after its launch. Gamers were saying there were no good games and it was overpriced. The gaming press kind of beat up the 3DS for poor sales in Japan in a similar way. It looks like the Vita had a better launch line up than the 3DS. It was definitely more robust. I guess the real question is whether there are really any system selling games for the Vita in Japan. Software does drive sustained sales so I think there is some evidence the game line up might be a problem for the Vita. It could also be the price of the unit itself. So to address both problems, just follow Nintendo's example. An aggressive price cut combined with a better system selling games saved the 3DS back when it was faltering. Just cut the Vita's price and release a Monster Hunter game. Problem solved...at least for the Japanese market which I think is a bigger concern since that region has a much larger handheld market. Most PSP sales occured in that market so I think it should be addressed first. The sooner the better.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 4/20/2012 4:37:23 AM
3 up, 0 down
MyWorstNightmar
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:57:06 PM
Nintendo got it right. As you mentioned, the 3ds did not have a the best lineup to begin with but you could always play your ds games on it. So not only did they get people wanting the 3ds just because it was a 3 d s, but they could also get people wanting to buy a ds as well. My son has a ds and a 3ds. 2 weeks ago he stepped on his ds and broke the screen. No problem because he can play all his ds games on the 3ds. However if he only had the ds, and then broke it, I could certainly feel confident in buying the 3ds and know that I won't be abandoning all his library of games.
Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 4/20/2012 1:59:58 PM
2 up, 0 down
Palpatations911
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 7:22:33 PM
It makes no sense because in Japan they are able to transfer their PSP games to Vita for 5 bucks. Over here you have to buy it off their store. Sony thinks Americans and Europeans don't want that so they didn't bother giving it to us. They believe we would prefer to only have the option of buying it at full price on the PSN store. Silly Sony.
1 up, 0 down
Palpatations911
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 7:22:36 PM
It makes no sense because in Japan they are able to transfer their PSP games to Vita for 5 bucks. Over here you have to buy it off their store. Sony thinks Americans and Europeans don't want that so they didn't bother giving it to us. They believe we would prefer to only have the option of buying it at full price on the PSN store. Silly Sony.
0 up, 0 down
Gordo
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 4:48:54 AM
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Thats not bad for a handheld that I have only had for a month.
Looking forward to Gravity Rush and Resistance. Think the Vita is in a marathon not a sprint.
The Vita is a superb piece of kit. Well worth the money (even for us in Australia). It really does feel like I am carrying my PS3 around in my bag. I can't understand all the negative press that it is getting.
If Sony could start porting some good PS2 games over to the Vita like Shadow of the Colossus and get a good few JRPGs for the Japanese market and Killzone/God of War and COD for us trigger happy westerners then it should definately take off.
2 up, 1 down
___________
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 5:09:05 AM
but theres zero point turning up to the race 20 years after its finished!
you cant release such a ridiculously overpriced system then release no new games for it for 3+ months!
not to mention after the big releases of may and june when are the next vita games releasing?
probably not till november when COD and AC release, thats another 5 month wait!
$ony really needs to spread their releases out better!
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 5:19:32 AM
1 up, 0 down
JackDillinger89
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 9:56:17 AM
1 up, 0 down
___________
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 5:06:51 AM
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i mean its bad enough that its MORE expensive then the ps3 with TONS of accessories!
MORE expensive then a 360 with TONS of accessories and games!
TWICE the price and some then a 3Ds with TONS of accessories and games!
but that was not enough, they had to delay all the games till late may at the earliest!
so anyone who bought it has to wait 3 months till any new games come out.
a friend of mine who bought his on release day has been nagging me for months when theres new games coming out!
driving me nuts!!!!!!
not to mention the ridiculously overpriced accessories!
its almost as if $ony want the vita to flop!
1 up, 1 down
Sir Dan
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 7:32:49 AM
Reply
3 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 7:39:25 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/20/2012 7:40:25 AM
1 up, 2 down
Gordo
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 7:02:28 PM
Exactly! Gamers are a funny bunch. They take things too personally. If you like it and have the money buy one. If you think there aren't enough games, costs too much or the memory cards are too expensive then don't buy it. Harping on about it for the next six months. ;-)
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 21, 2012 @ 6:25:25 AM
Noone hates the Vita. Most just don't care for it. It's as simple as that.
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/21/2012 6:26:26 AM
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gumbi
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 8:19:16 AM
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We really need some big names to drop though. And soon.
Also, we need need NEED some bloody PS1 support. That was one of the greatest things about PSP. And PS1 games look great on that little screen. Man, with Legend of Dragoon hitting PSN soon I really need Sony to open up PS1 games on the Vita... Badly. Get it done Sony!
1 up, 1 down
Nestore
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 10:23:13 AM
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Sound Shapes sounds great, I'll give Gravity Rush a shot. Stardust, Lumines, and Mutant Blobs are all amazing titles, but they aren't the kinds of games I want to keep replaying. Uncharted is awesome but I'm not in the mood for an adventure game like that.
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FM23
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 12:08:35 PM
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Everyone knows where I'm going with this. Like I said when I first heard about this device, "This is a very unnecessary piece of hardware". Why is Sony gambling on the handheld market, I mean instead of trying to push the PS3 and developing more exclusives, they are hard at work losing money on the Vita. lol Just saying, getting together Sony!
3 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:09:16 PM
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1 up, 1 down
inkme101
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:19:17 PM
1 up, 1 down
JackDillinger89
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 6:48:52 PM
0 up, 1 down
inkme101
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 11:08:36 PM
Last edited by inkme101 on 4/20/2012 11:11:21 PM
1 up, 0 down
Palpatations911
Saturday, April 21, 2012 @ 1:06:04 AM
Having a COD on the Vita seems like a no-brainer to me.
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Saturday, April 21, 2012 @ 7:50:03 AM
COD of all games, who feature gameplay that demands reflexes to the *extreme* and hundreds of thousands of active players world wide from day one to be of any value at all?
Sorry guys but COD on Vita is probably the worst suggestion of a remedy to the "Vita situation" I've heard so far.
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/21/2012 7:54:10 AM
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Palpatations911
Sunday, April 22, 2012 @ 6:56:46 PM
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Laguna
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 4:27:37 PM
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The epic drought of games, only for people to get the hang of it within a year and start releasing regular content for it.
Like the 3ds and ps3?
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clockwyzebkny
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 5:19:42 PM
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I do feel that the Vita needs bigger titles soon. Can't wait for an Uncharted developed by ND!
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Gordo
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 6:54:25 PM
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Ho hum. Early days. Everybody at my work drools over my Vita. Its a sexy piece of tech.
I don't get those haters that keep saying that "if I wanted to play COD or Uncharted I would just play my console". The Vita is a friggin PORTABLE!!!
Its for sitting on the couch when the wife is watching TV. For playing in bed. Playing in the airport lounge. Playing on the train or bus. Please stop with this "my console is better".
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Robochic
Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 7:33:00 PM
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Palpatations911
Saturday, April 21, 2012 @ 1:03:42 AM
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That was my sole reason for purchasing a vita. :) I hope it pans out
1 up, 0 down
cadpig
Saturday, April 21, 2012 @ 5:37:03 AM
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I have played thru most of my launch title
PS Vita games and i am ready for something new.
1 up, 0 down
Hoagie324
Monday, April 23, 2012 @ 6:27:01 PM
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playSTATION
Wednesday, May 09, 2012 @ 10:17:18 PM
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Phoenix
Reply
Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 9:26:17 PM
Another point that stops me from buying it, is the price. Sure, $250 isnt really bad, but it's the memory card prices that KILL it for me, honestly untop of the $250 I've gotta drop another $100 for only a 32gig card? I think not. Sure you could argue that you dont NEED a 32 gig card, just buy a smaller one, but I'd want to put psp titles on it, movies, music, and all of a sudden even a 32gig isnt much room anymore.