Support NeoGAF

[jeremy1456]

Whenever I've had friends over, even those who casually game they usually spot my Vita on the coffee table. I have been surprised on numerous occasions when they're like 'what's this? Is it a PSP?'

Today I was at a friends house and their junior high age kids heard I have an Xbox One and PS4. When they asked about the consoles I said I also have a 3DS and Playstation Vita. That was followed by 'what's a Vita?'

Has anyone else noticed how Sony can't market their handheld at all?

 

[Vysetron]

Sony has a new handheld?

 

[L~A]

That thing sold 10k last month in the US... is that really surprising?

Try asking them if they wanna play the Wii U.....

 

[Eusis]

Does leave me to question if a stronger marketing push would actually make it, if not catch on, at least be known among people. Seems kind of crazy for it to fail only for it to turn out to be mainly because people didn't even know it existed outside of the hardcore that either snubbed handhelds anyway or would've grabbed it regardless.

 

[ricelord]

its like Sony want the vita to die in the US.

 

[Surface of Me]

The junior high kids just laughed at me when I asked them if they wanted to play with my Ouya.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Wow, that's really bad. If it's going to die, it should at least be mourned by people outside of gaming forums.

Vita means death

 

[jeremy1456]

That thing sold 10k last month in the US... is that really surprising?

Try asking them if they wanna play the Wii U.....

A few friends haven't recognized the Wii U, but at least some have. Nintendo Land is still the go-to with my main group of friends.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Sony doesn't have a handheld. They have an optional PS4 controller with a screen.

 

[Freaky Fred]

anecdotes =/= problem.

I've only ever seen 1 person with a 3DS, and I know two other people with a Vita. Sony is doing just fine with their marketing.

 

[Nibel]

Tell your friends that they should use their Wii U internet browser and googl--

Wait

 

[Deleted member 125677]

anecdotes =/= problem.

I've only ever seen 1 person with a 3DS, and I know two other people with a Vita. Sony is doing just fine with their marketing.

obivously

I mean 10k last month in the world's largest video game market speaks for itself, right?

 

[adamantypants]

Sony has a new handheld?

lol

The only marketing I ever hear for the Vita these days is "remote play on PS4 with your Playstation Vita!"

 

[FaintColt388301]

I almost made a that about this before too. I'd take my vita out of my bag in class or the gym or whatever and any time somebody commented on it they'd say oh cool a psp.

I'd tell them no it's a vita and they just look at me, not knowing what I just said. So I'd have to tell them it's a newer more improved version.

At least 5 different people have done this

 

[Flandy]

I had someone think it was a PSP once during a family picnic
They asked what games I had on it and I said Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, Gravity Rush, WipEout etc. They told me that they sounded like weird games

 

[BocoDragon]

I got that with Gamecube too occasionally. Some people are just casual as fuck.

 

[sphagnum]

On the other hand I know two other people at work with Vitas.

 

[Laughing Banana]

anecdotes =/= problem.

I've only ever seen 1 person with a 3DS, and I know two other people with a Vita. Sony is doing just fine with their marketing.

You are using anecdotes to counter "anecdotes =/= problem"....??

 

[Foshy]

I had someone think it was a PSP once during a family picnic
They asked what games I had on it and I said Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, Gravity Rush, WipEout etc. They told me that they sounded like weird games

Should've said CoD and Assassins's Creed

 

[P. Fembot]

Last week I broke my vita charger.

Called Eb games (Australia's Gamestop), and 5 other gaming stores and department stores. None of them had any in any of their stores and didn't know when they would be getting them it.

I thought this was really weird!

Ended up having to get one on eBay.

Surely a Vita charger shouldn't be that hard to find.

 

[friskykillface]

RIPlaystation.......vita

also had a similar situation , i was playing my vita then left it on my desk and my cousins came over and thought it was a psp/didn't know what it was

welp they are in high school

 

[Eusis]

Sony doesn't have a handheld. They have an optional PS4 controller with a screen.

Nonsense, it's definitely a handheld.

That only has Japanese games.

And some indie games... that are probably styled after Japanese games.

Spoiler

It's perfect for me.

 

[SmokyDave]

obivously

I mean 10k a month in the world's largest video game market speaks for itself, right?

I like how one month at 10k has become 10k a month. Just shows important perception is.

 

[whitehawk]

You are using anecdotes to counter "anecdotes =/= problem"....??

/sarcasm

 

[Takao]

SCEA hasn't run a Vita ad on TV since 2012. They dun care, so it's no surprise that the general public doesn't either.

 

[Ushojax]

Last week I broke my vita charger.

Called Eb games (Australia's Gamestop), and 5 other gaming stores and department stores. None of them had any in any of their stores and didn't know when they would be getting them it.

I thought this was really weird!

Ended up having to get one on eBay.

Surely a Vita charger shouldn't be that hard to find.

The Vita is a dead console, so I guess that's why.

It's a shame that Sony never took the Vita seriously, it's a nice piece of hardware but there's barely any first party software.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Is the Vita an add-on accessory to the Wii U's Gamepad?

 

[Papercuts]

anecdotes =/= problem.

I've only ever seen 1 person with a 3DS, and I know two other people with a Vita. Sony is doing just fine with their marketing.

Hahah, well played.

 

[Verelios]

Sony definitely needs to work on their marketing push. At least if not for the system then for the games. That'll get some people interested in exactly what console the campaign is talking about.

 

[Laughing Banana]

/sarcasm

Oh.

Need to fix my detector ASAP.

 

[Flandy]

Should've said CoD and Assassins's Creed

Well they were asking specifically what games I had on it. At the time I didn't have CoD and if I did have Assassins Creed at the time it would have been deleted by that time because it's a bad game

 

[Benzychenz]

anecdotes =/= problem.

I've only ever seen 1 person with a 3DS, and I know two other people with a Vita. Sony is doing just fine with their marketing.

anecdotes =/= no problem

Seriously wth is this post lol

Edit: It's sarcasm? I don't get it, is it a parody of some 'famous' post or what?

 

[Eusis]

SCEA hasn't run a Vita ad on TV since 2012. They dun care, so it's no surprise that the general public doesn't either.

I wonder if they could've revived promoting it heavily along with the PS4's launch? There probably would've been some synergy in such an effort, you get people excited for the PS4, and while you have their attention you highlight the handheld they can even use with the PS4.

 

[Guess Who]

Is the Vita an add-on accessory to the Wii U's Gamepad?

Nah, it's a PS4 accessory so you can play your PS4 games on the go.

 

[Blitzkreg18]

I got that with Gamecube too occasionally. Some people are just casual as fuck.

Wii U sounds like it's just a wii like a PSP 2000 or an xbox 360 phat so that's forgivable. Vita has poor marketing and is largely unknown. But the gamecube? How do these people live their live having never played double dash or melee?

 

[SadamBober]

Days without a Vita bashing thread: 0

 

[ZeroX03]

Mario 3D World and Kart 8 were enough to get my friends to recognize the Wii U, but the Vita's been a tough sell.

My best shot so far has been referring to it as a "portable Final Fantasy X machine".

 

[Guess Who]

Mario 3D World and Kart 8 were enough to get my friends to recognize the Wii U, but the Vita's been a tough sell.

My best shot so far has been referring to it as a "portable Final Fantasy X machine".

"Portable Persona 4 machine" imo

 

[licktheenvelope]

I like my Vita.

 

[jeremy1456]

I like how one month at 10k has become 10k a month. Just shows important perception is.

How much did it sell the previous month? I can't remember.

 

[syphilosaurus]

Your friends need to be more like Frank Underwood.

Maybe we'll get some more marketing with the borderlands bundle?

 

[Infernal Monkey]

Last week I broke my vita charger.

Called Eb games (Australia's Gamestop), and 5 other gaming stores and department stores. None of them had any in any of their stores and didn't know when they would be getting them it.

I thought this was really weird!

Ended up having to get one on eBay.

Surely a Vita charger shouldn't be that hard to find.

Yeah, Vita was completely DOA in Australia. Most retailers refused to stock it at launch, and even EB don't bother with most new releases for it anymore.

 

[jeremy1456]

Days without a Vita bashing thread: 0

Thanks for contributing. I like my Vita and the only thing I was bashing is Sony's marketing.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Days without a Vita bashing thread: 0

If you bother to read the OP, it's more of a shot towards Sony rather than the Vita itself.

 

[nhlducks35]

There's a point at which no amount of marketing can save a product that is undesirable

 

[Papercuts]

I wonder if they could've revived promoting it heavily along with the PS4's launch? There probably would've been some synergy in such an effort, you get people excited for the PS4, and while you have their attention you highlight the handheld they can even use with the PS4.

I think it would have helped, I'm surprised they having pumped their chest about the remote play stuff more in general. Though at the same time, being an accessory to an already $400 machine is still not going to break out of a small niche.

 

[Guess Who]

There's a point at which no amount of marketing can save a product that is undesirable

From what I've seen, the Vita is pretty loved by people who actually have one. Problem is hardly anyone has one.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

I like how one month at 10k has become 10k a month. Just shows important perception is.

Come on, Dave, you know the story in the NA. So last month it was maybe 20k, and the month before that around 14k. Does it really change anything? Is Sony doing just fine marketing this thing?

Edited my post for precision anyways

 

[ZeroX03]

"Portable Persona 4 machine" imo

Nah, Persona isn't mainstream enough. FFX works because "it's a game you know is good, but on the go!".

Between them they're my two favorite games on Vita though. Probably throw in Danganronpa at third.

 

[zeopower6]

I think the Vita has yet to really have anything that makes it UTTERLY desirable (killer app basically) while the 3DS at least has the usual staples from Nintendo so... :/ There's nothing like Pokemon/Animal Crossing on the Vita anyway at least from what I've seen but it'll be hard for that to happen with so much PS3/Vita going on... and eventual PS4/Vita.