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[Opiate]

That doesn't remove the smartphone as competition, though.

What they need to do, and they are taking steps towards this, is follow the old adage, "if you can't beat them, join them".

They should have put far more effort into the Xperia, and made that the new PSP, officially. They can still release a non-smartphone version, but it should be the same hardware otherwise.

Playstation Suite and PSP phones should be their entire focus, not a side project.

I agree, that would have been optimal. Or, they could give up on convergence devices and blaze their own trail, as I suggested earlier. That might mean a renewed focus on consoles, as the console space has become less intense as the world has moved portable. Or maybe Sony can come up with something totally different -- perhaps hardware built in to their TVs that made their TVs a game machine/TV simultaneously, in one form factor.

I don't really know, I'm just throwing stuff out there off the top of my head. My real point is this: the race for convergence is so intensely competitive that it is not something one can do half heartedly. You cannot make a game machine, then throw extra stuff in there and call that your convergence device -- even if you do the "extra stuff" very well, as it seems Vita has done. It's not going to out-compete a very intelligent company like Google or Apple who is putting 100% of their effort in to this "convergence device" process. Sony has to also be in 100%, or they should get out and find oceans that are at least slightly less red.

 

[Averon]

Why would they remove the touchpad? The other things I can see, but if games already support the touchpad, removing it would cause more problems.

Yeah. I doubt the touch pad cost all that much and as you said, it's integral to games that uses it (which I imagine would be a lot). Also the touch pad is one of the key features that helps differentiate the Vita from other portable devices. The OLED screen and cameras are far more likely to get cut that the back touch pad.

 

[Averon]

I don't even think SCE wanted the Xperia play. It was Sony Ericcson that was begging for a Playstation phone wasn't it? And the Xperia play was the compromise.

 

[Agent X]

Your ignorance is fascinating. Hopefully, Sony researched the "non-obvious" competition extensively.

Check these games out: (FYI, You can use PS3, Wii joypads on Android)

8MM
GTA 3
SummitX snowboarding
World of Goo
DeadSpace
Minecraft
ROC
Sleepy Jack
Cody
Sonic CD
Chu Chu Rocket
Need for speed
Real Racing

I understand your point, and it's a pretty good one, although having to use a PS3 or Wii joypad to use with an Android game would largely defeat the purpose of playing a portable video game.

While many people frequently carry their smartphones everywhere they go, they don't have a tendency to tote their game controllers with them. In this regard, dedicated portable video game systems still have the upper hand. They already have the requisite joypad controls built in. Every game developed for the system can utilize those controls, since every single owner of the system has access to them.

 

[Psychotext]

What the hell are people playing on their phones that replaces what dedicated handheld systems offer? I didn't think Angry Birds or Cut the Rope were that engaging.

Doesn't need to be particularly engaging (for me at least). The reason I wont ever buy a vita or a 3DS is that my phone / tablet does enough to keep me mildly entertained when I'm out and about. I don't really want to carry / charge / maintain another device that does most (but not all) that my other devices do.

Maybe it would be different if I spent a couple of hours a day on a train or something, but I don't, so no more handheld consoles for me.

 

[patsu]

I agree, that would have been optimal. Or, they could give up on convergence devices and blaze their own trail, as I suggested earlier. That might mean a renewed focus on consoles, as the console space has become less intense as the world has moved portable. Or maybe Sony can come up with something totally different -- perhaps hardware built in to their TVs that made their TVs a game machine/TV simultaneously, in one form factor.

I don't really know, I'm just throwing stuff out there off the top of my head. My real point is this: the race for convergence is so intensely competitive that it is not something you can do half heartedly. You cannot make a game machine and throw extra stuff in there and call that your convergence device -- even if you do the "extra stuff" very well, as it seems Vita has done, by most reports. It's not going to out-compete a very intelligent company like Google or Apple who is putting 100% of their effort in to this "convergence device" process. Sony has to also be in 100%, or they should get out and find oceans that are at least slightly less red.

They need to consolidate their platforms. They have released so many platforms along the way, and risk running out of resources/ambitions/ideas half way (e.g., PSP Minis, PS Home, PS Suite, native Xperia, native PS3, native Vita, native PSP [UMD vs PSN]). It's confusing to figure out what's compatible with what.

They may want to sell just one Playstation experience for both Vita and PS3. e.g., For PS Suite, port it to PS3 also to jumpstart the market. In the process, roll PSP Minis, PS Home, and much of PSN into the same program. Mandate all Sony devices to have PS Suite run-time from day one. Kill one-off projects like the Tablet P, Vita clock and doodling apps, and realign the resources behind flagship projects. Port Near, LiveArea, etc. to PS3 so that Vita and PS3 owners can play together.

For native programs, focus on exclusive games.

For Sony's internal developers (e.g., Software Division #2 who did Vita frontend). Put some real product people inside. Their Vita UI looks really bad even though it's functional. Their "loose" apps (the clock and doodling pad apps) are completely useless/meaningless from business and user perspectives.

I don't even think SCE wanted the Xperia play. It was Sony Ericcson that was begging for a Playstation phone wasn't it? And the Xperia play was the compromise.

That's probably because Sony-Ericsson and SCE are not under the same umbrella. Now that Sony owns Sony-Ericsson fully, we may see a different focus.

 

[Somnid]

Sony has a large media network of Movies, Music and Games. However it's all disjointed. Apple and Google produce no real content but they setup nice stores that became one-stop shops for digital media. That's the power of their devices. Amazon was also smart to realize this unlike every other Android tablet maker. Sony could have had a ton of leverage being the source and courting others to join them but instead of cohesion it's all separated between and bunch of services and a bunch of devices. I think if they were focused on a few devices with a lot of synergy like Apple they could do a lot better.

I completely disagree with Tobor. Xperia was the distraction because they kinda wanted a PSP phone and kinda wanted a tablet. It was a complete waste and as a platform nobody gives a shit about it because Sony devices have no leverage in that market.

 

[Kilrogg]

I agree, that would have been optimal. Or, they could give up on convergence devices and blaze their own trail, as I suggested earlier. That might mean a renewed focus on consoles, as the console space has become less intense as the world has moved portable. Or maybe Sony can come up with something totally different -- perhaps hardware built in to their TVs that made their TVs a game machine/TV simultaneously, in one form factor.

I don't really know, I'm just throwing stuff out there off the top of my head. My real point is this: the race for convergence is so intensely competitive that it is not something one can do half heartedly. You cannot make a game machine, then throw extra stuff in there and call that your convergence device -- even if you do the "extra stuff" very well, as it seems Vita has done. It's not going to out-compete a very intelligent company like Google or Apple who is putting 100% of their effort in to this "convergence device" process. Sony has to also be in 100%, or they should get out and find oceans that are at least slightly less red.

Kinda-sorta unrelated, but given that the article starts off with a comparison between the price of the PSV and that of the Kindle Fire, what is your feeling about 1) the pricing of the system, 2) the price of dedicated (or near-dedicated) handheld gaming systems? For instance, can you imagine, in today's context, a situation where the pricing of the PSV won't be much of a hurdle?

In other words, can dedicated gaming handhelds still propose $150-250 worth of utility today, or will people in general really start to compare them to similarly-priced convergent devices like the Kindle Fire?

 

[Agent X]

Playstation Suite seems strategic. And yes, they need a killer device for PS Suite to fly though. Unless Sony jumpstart the PS Suite footprint by spreading its own devices (Vita or Xperia or Bravia or PS3), no one would want to license PS Suite.

When PlayStation Suite was first announced alongside the PS Vita in January, I thought it was an excellent idea. The problem is, 11 months later, PS Suite has borne virtually no fruit. Maybe there's a lot happening behind the scenes that we don't know about, but by and large, PS Suite is forgotten by everyone except for a few ardent gamers like ourselves on forums like this one.

If PS Suite is going to ever become a serious contender, they need to push it hard, starting immediately. They cannot afford to waste any more time. Each passing day brings it closer and closer to complete irrelevance. Developers aren't going to wait for Sony to get their act together.

I haven't been keeping close tabs on the Sony tablets that were released a few months ago, but I remember that the tablets were able to download some PlayStation 1 games from "PlayStation Store". The Xperia Play did the same thing, but they made the critical mistake of having a separate store for PS1 classics on Xperia Play, meaning that it didn't tie into the existing PS3/PSP PlayStation Store. Did they fix this with their tablets (meaning sharing the PS1 classics with the ones on PS3/PSP), or did they repeat the same mistake?

If they repeated the mistake, then this does not bode well for PS Suite. If users cannot share their purchased PS Suite games between PS Vita and Android devices (buy once and play everywhere), then there's not much incentive for developers to write games for it. The concept of buying a game once and using it on multiple devices (like a Kindle e-book) is incredibly appealing to users, but if users don't have that luxury, then that defeats much of the purpose of PS Suite existing in the first place.

 

[patsu]

I completely disagree with Tobor. Xperia was the distraction because they kinda wanted a PSP phone and kinda wanted a tablet. It was a complete waste and as a platform nobody gives a shit about it because Sony devices have no leverage in that market.

If they focus on Playstation Suite, then it doesn't matter whether it's Xperia or other phones.

However if Xperia Phones are based on the same hardware and software architecture as Vita (like iPhone, iPad and AppleTV sharing the same OS and CPU family), then they may be able to draw advantages from each other.

 

[flyinpiranha]

I read your gripes about Sony hardware to and found it baseless. I grew up in a household of Onkyo, Pioneer, Denon, Nakamichi, Kenwood, Sony, Yamaha etc etc.
There different lvls of prestige my friend and Sony has receivers that can trump many in the list. Not sure what you're trying to mortar and brick into this thread but hey. Goes to show if you had money to burn you wouldn't even be typing all that since you would understand the high end marketplace. Sony is one of the few companies that actually calibrate their sets before shipping[maybe the others do now]. Gorilla glass screens also. You do know why Sony high end line is costly and why MAC is also right?
Studios even approach Sony to buld cameras just for their movies [You should check that little pro magazine name high-def]. SDDS is also in every f'ing theatre if you forgot. Ever heard of their MDR7520's headphones?
The VITA is a great piece of hardware for gamers. Whether or not it sells is up to Spny and how they showcase it. Your Kindle fire comment is retarded.

I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say and I apologize. He mentioned Sony having products in many lines and I mentioned that there are many alternatives that are better than the lines he was mentioning. That's it. I have nothing against Sony and have no idea about their professional filming cameras, I assume they're fantastic since they have a movie studio.

Again, I'm not sure where you thought I was derailing, I was just answering another's post that interested me.

Honestly, what you wrote seems like you are just offended by people who don't purchase Sony products or think they are "the shit".

The Kindle Fire comment is perfectly reasonable. It's an electronic device that is a possible purchase for many people. Along with many other electronic pieces. When it comes to what I may spend my money on (whether I have money to burn or not) it will be a choice.

Calm down bro, you seem pretty pissed that people buy products not made by Sony.

I hope the Vita is successful, I don't want to see phone gaming take over the handheld market until the devices mature and the games offered are better in general.

 

[Tobor]

Sony has a large media network of Movies, Music and Games. However it's all disjointed. Apple and Google produce no real content but they setup nice stores that became one-stop shops for digital media. That's the power of their devices. Amazon was also smart to realize this unlike every other Android tablet maker. Sony could have had a ton of leverage being the source and courting others to join them but instead of cohesion it's all separated between and bunch of services and a bunch of devices. I think if they were focused on a few devices with a lot of synergy like Apple they could do a lot better.

I completely disagree with Tobor. Xperia was the distraction because they kinda wanted a PSP phone and kinda wanted a tablet. It was a complete waste and as a platform nobody gives a shit about it because Sony devices have no leverage in that market.

The Xperia was handled as a distraction, for sure. That doesn't mean it was the wrong idea. Had they put the full weight of SCE behind a PSP phone, they could have had a compelling platform, and as I said, still released a non-phone version. It could run on Sony computers, tablets, Sony everything. Really, what I'm getting at, is that they need to transition "Playstation" from a device into a platform/service, that can run on any and all Sony hardware.

Sony is spending valuable money and time developing Software to sell just the Vita, when all of that work could be put to use on software that sells Sony as an ecosystem.

 

[patsu]

When PlayStation Suite was first announced alongside the PS Vita in January, I thought it was an excellent idea. The problem is, 11 months later, PS Suite has borne virtually no fruit. Maybe there's a lot happening behind the scenes that we don't know about, but by and large, PS Suite is forgotten by everyone except for a few ardent gamers like ourselves on forums like this one.

Yes, it feels like development and negotiation have been s-l-o-w. But to be fair, what we saw in the PS Suite demo is very full featured. They are actually ahead of my expectation on the technical front. During the tech presentation, the speaker claimed that many developers have already been seeded, and are using it actively. The PhyreEngine framework also works on PS Suite.

In the short term, we may want to forget about PS Suite licensees. Sony need to focus on building their own success stories first. It should be a no-brainer to decide to bring PS Suite to PS3 regardless of the development difficulty. Vita and Xperia should be next. And there should only be one Tablet. No point releasing Tablet S and P at the same time.

PS Suite should launch at the same time as or before Vita, with a solid selection of apps.

 

[Somnid]

If they focus on Playstation Suite, then it doesn't matter whether it's Xperia or other phones.

However if Xperia Phones are based on the same hardware and software architecture as Vita (like iPhone, iPad and AppleTV sharing the same OS and CPU family), then they may be able to draw advantages from each other.

The don't need a line of phones, that's the problem. They need a single phone with a clear upgrade path and focused support.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

They need a single phone with a clear upgrade path and focused support.

Indeed, it works for Apple.

 

[Tobor]

The don't need a line of phones, that's the problem. They need a single phone with a clear upgrade path and focused support.

Wait, I thought you said you disagreed with me?

 

[patsu]

The don't need a line of phones, that's the problem. They need a single phone with a clear upgrade path and focused support.

Over time, the old phone will be superceded by newer one(s). It will naturally become a family/line of phones (Old phones will be free with contract !). iPhone has different storage capacity too.

If you're referring to the price discrimination Sony expertly practises for its products, then I agree they should reduce it. There is no need to introduce more than 1 million SKUs in Asia (That's a real number a few years ago, including colors and styles).

 

[Mihos]

You know who this really sucks for?

Me.

I have a iPhone... I have a Tablet... gaming on it fucking sucks. Stop trying to tell me it doesn't, I am right here.

 

[gutter_trash]

I don't even know what this is supposed to be. Surely you're not implying that only Nintendo fans care about sales and are the only ones crapping up sales-age threads? From my viewpoint, it's been an equal-opportunity threadcrapping.

traditionally on GAF, Nintendo fans have always been bigger on Sales-Age then any other fan

when a software shortage happens on their platforms, they divert to Sales-Age discussions

 

[Vinci]

You know who this really sucks for?

Me.

I have a iPhone... I have a Tablet... gaming on it fucking sucks. Stop trying to tell me it doesn't, I am right here.

Stop playing bad games then. There's plenty of good ones on the iPhone.

 

[gofreak]

I agree.

Why could the PSVita not be more like the DS, focus entirely on the gaming experience. Forgot about additional functionality, just create a pure gaming device.

It would remove all the issues people have with the current design:

1. Cheaper to produce
2. Have much better battery life
3. And most importantly, have a very clear selling point

Isn't that what Vita is doing?

Every hardware decision seems to have been based on what would be best for games first and foremost.

The screen size is optimised for playing games, not for the portability your all-in-one, carry-always device would require.

Ditto the form factor - it's designed for comfortable gameplay, not for the portability this cited convergence device would need.

Ditto the cameras - designed for framerate, not for taking pictures.

Ditto the input choices.

Ditto the trade off of battery life for processing power - your go-to pocket device is going to want long battery life for certain core functionality. Sony tipped Vita's processing vs power consumption formula to favour advanced games playing.

Ditto the target price - it is a traditional games device price, not the same (ex contract) price of their tablets or phones.

Vita is not an attempt at the go-to all in one pocket device. Sony doesn't need it to be precisely because they already have efforts elsewhere in that particular space, that also involve Playstation. If Sony intended to design such a device, they failed miserably. If they intended to design a great pure gaming device, they succeeded.

I think it's as pure a games device as you'll find - certainly 'purer' than PS3 or PS2 for example - it just happens not to necessarily be, right now, on the cheap end of that category. I think you're asking for a simpler, less advanced system, rather than a purer one.

 

[iceatcs]

I don't even know what this is supposed to be. Surely you're not implying that only Nintendo fans care about sales and are the only ones crapping up sales-age threads? From my viewpoint, it's been an equal-opportunity threadcrapping.

Well, I'm not saying how do fans their way to post on the threads. I just said MC thread nowadays has improved lot more posts like it was Wii/DS year because we have nice comeback 3DS. MC threads were dying when PSP and PS3 comeback.

I notice quieter thread always better to read, because of there are some seriously discussion, like no too much of a fantasy future plan how to save. That's why I'm looking forward if it is a way.
Sometime I suspect popular might kill one day sale data.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

I have a iPhone... I have a Tablet... gaming on it fucking sucks.

I was going to attempt to counter this point, but then I kept reading.

Stop trying to tell me it doesn't, I am right here.

Clearly, there is no point in attempting to rebut this irrefutable claim.

 

[Somnid]

Wait, I thought you said you disagreed with me?

Yes, they need a hardware platform. There is only one viable software platform, the Web. If they want to go that route then go that route but it has downsides and this isn't what they are doing. Software can't be thrown around like movies, music and books (check out what the PSX emulator looks like on Xperia). This is the Nintendo difference right there. Software depends very heavily on hardware, your inputs, your outputs. If Sony wanted a Playstation phone they should have started with PSP or Vita and built a phone into it rather than straddle Android and PSP and create some weird middle platform. Trying to span laptops, tablets and portables with one piece of software just isn't going to work.

 

[patsu]

Isn't that what Vita is doing?

Every hardware decision seems to have been based on what would be best for games first and foremost.

The screen size is optimised for playing games, not for the portability your all-in-one, carry-always device would require.

Ditto the form factor - it's design for comfortable gameplay, not for the portability this cited convergence device would need.

Ditto the cameras - designed for framerate, not for taking pictures.

Ditto the input choices.

Ditto the trade off of battery life for processing power - your go-to pocket device is going to want long battery life for certain core functionality. Sony tipped Vita's processing vs power consumption formula to favour advanced games playing.

Ditto the target price - it is a traditional games device price, not the same (ex contract) price of their tablets or phones.


Vita is not an attempt at the go-to all in one pocket device. Sony doesn't need it to be precisely because they already have efforts elsewhere in that particular space, that also involve Playstation. If Sony intended to design such a device, they failed miserably. If they intended to design a great pure gaming device, they succeeded.

The problem is convergence is not a 0 (none) or 1 (all-in) measurement. It's a continuous scale.

Vita is built for future-proof over a few years. It can perform other functions like PS3 too.

What's more, gaming itself will evolve. Some games may integrate with other media (e.g., SingStar + DanceStar + VidZone + Music Unlimited). It may not be possible to separate them cleanly too.

EDIT: However, it is quite clear that Sony is focusing on gaming in the short term. They always bring up the games in their official communication. They leave it to the users to talk about the side services. In fact, the apps (e.g., web browser, Near) are not very good yet.

I heard Near has rather obscure UI too, like other Sony apps. If true, I think they need to redo Near. ^_^

 

[verbum]

I bought a first generation PSP at launch. I was pissed off at that time that I had to buy a fairly expensive Sony exclusive Memory Stick to add memory to the PSP. And UMD movies were the final straw.
When I saw the Vita required a fairly expensive Sony exclusive memory card, I thought to myself, "Fuck Sony, not again".
With a memory card or starter kit and one game, would the "out the door" price be $350? Too expensive.

 

[hyp]

gaming on my nokia dumbphone is the shit, fuckin snake for life bitches.

 

[RoninChaos]

Stop playing bad games then. There's plenty of good ones on the iPhone.

And hardly any are remotely comparable to what you can get on a portable system. That's what these dumb fucks writing these articles don't understand.

What these articles are doing is the equivalent of a car magazine complaining becuase a Ferarri doesn't fit 9 people and a Winnebago won't go 185 mph. It's ridiculous. Portable phones that can play games, and portable game systems offer completely different experiences and a portable game system shouldn't be knocked because it doesn't have 99 cent fart apps.

The biggest issue that I see about the vita is the same issue that the psp had; sony's own proprietary formats. The PSP had the expensive memory sticks and UMDs, and the Vita has this bullshit with the new memory cards. The memory cards are fucking ridiculously priced.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

@ gofreak

I understand your point.

Would you agree then that the PSP Go (on paper) was a purer gaming device, by design?

Portable phones that can play games, and portable game systems offer completely different experiences.

I don't see many people arguing that point.

The success of the smartphone (part of it) is that it can play games, the experience offered is ultimately irrelevant.

 

[Jomjom]

Feel kind of bad for Sony, but now it's looking like there will be an early price drop. I feel bad, but not so bad that I won't wait for a lower price. My wallet is hurting after the holidays!

 

[Tobor]

Yes, they need a hardware platform. There is only one viable software platform, the Web. If they want to go that route then go that route but it has downsides and this isn't what they are doing. Software can't be thrown around like movies, music and books (check out what the PSX emulator looks like on Xperia). This is the Nintendo difference right here. Software depends very heavily on hardware, your inputs, your outputs. If Sony wanted a Playstation phone they should have started with PSP or Vita and built a phone into it rather than straddle Android and PSP and create some weird middle platform. Trying to span laptops, tablets and portables with one piece of software just isn't going to work.

Well, you can go the Apple route and design your own OS, and the games will run on all your devices. You can go the Amazon route and co-opt Android, and use it to sell your content your way.

Either way doesn't really matter as far as my position goes. What you shouldn't do is exactly what Sony is doing, focus development on a single device instead of a platform, while half-heartedly flirting with the idea of a platform as some sort of back up plan.

 

[RoninChaos]

@ gofreak

I understand your point.

Would you agree then that the PSP Go (on paper) was a purer gaming device, by design?




I don't see many people arguing that point.

The success of the smartphone (part of it) is that it can play games, the experience offered is ultimately irrelevant.

I'm speaking directly about why the article is stupid. Is that not clear?

 

[gofreak]

The problem is convergence is not a 0 (none) or 1 (all-in) measurement. It's a continuous scale.

Vita is built for future-proof over a few years. It can perform other functions like PS3 too.

What's more, gaming itself will evolve. Some games may integrate with other media (e.g., SingStar + DanceStar + VidZone + Music Unlimited). It may not be possible to separate them cleanly too.

While that's true, it doesn't change the design intention. No one at Sony is fooling themselves into thinking this is going to be the next big (ho-ho) generalist pocket device.

They've needed Playstations to help carry extra functionality and agendas in the past, but their 'smart' device agenda is being served by Playstation in a different way now, and that has left Vita practically untouched by those concerns, and has given SCE the license to just make a games machine. There is no other agenda evident, at least in any particularly strong way, or in any way that compromises the games side.

I would say Vita is the most focused Playstation yet, at least since the first.

@ gofreak

I understand your point.

Would you agree then that the PSP Go (on paper) was a purer gaming device, by design?

I hadn't considered it as a separate thing...it was part of platform whose outlook, initially at least, was less purely focused on games ('walkman of the 21st century' etc. etc.) It did dump the UMD agenda though. So maybe about the same? TBH, all the Playstations HAVE been pretty focused on gaming, and the need for a compelling games offering, so we're talking in pretty relative terms, but I think Vita is up there with the original PS at least, in terms of the concerns that informed the hardware design anyway.

(Software is a more fluid thing, but even there Sony's presented anything not to do with games in a very low key way so far, and as far as possible in a context of gaming (e.g. share a screenshot of what you're doing in games on twitter, look up a game on your browser etc. What extras are there, aren't there because Sony thinks of this as a 'smart' device, but because little extras like this are kind of expected even in dedicated games machines now. If it was otherwise, for example, the choice of web browser would have been completely different.)

 

[Opus Angelorum]

I'm speaking directly about why the article is stupid. Is that not clear?

You were, I was underlining your point.

 

[Lonely1]

Minecraft mobile is an empty shell of the PC version.

 

[patsu]

IMHO, Sony may be better off not dropping the price. It may incur another negative PR wave because their software library is not there yet. They can introduce more aggressive promos along the way, while building up their library and completing their innovation.

 

[Jokeropia]

traditionally on GAF, Nintendo fans have always been bigger on Sales-Age then any other fan

when a software shortage happens on their platforms, they divert to Sales-Age discussions

Nope, Sony fans were quite active in the sales threads back when PS2 was beasting and in the beginning of both the last handheld generation and last console generation. Presumably they dropped off when it became clear that PSP/PS3 weren't gonna win this.

Furthermore, the activity on Sales-Age is related to what's going on in the market (e.g. it's at it's biggest during generational transitions, system launches and major releases, while it dies down a bit when the current generation has gone so far that it's set in stone), and your suggestion that it's connected to software-shortages on Nintendo platforms is quite frankly pathetic.

 

[H_Prestige]

What Sony should have made is a PS phone. Something with the Vita's innards running the latest android and with slide out controls like the xperia play. It would be a smartphone first and foremost but would have better graphics hardware and programming environment, and access to PSN. Then open it up to non-Sony devices that meet the minimum spec.

 

[patsu]

While that's true, it doesn't change the design intention. No one at Sony is fooling themselves into thinking this is going to be the next big (ho-ho) generalist pocket device.

I agree !

They've needed Playstations to help carry extra functionality and agendas in the past, but their 'smart' device agenda is being served by Playstation in a different way now, and that has left Vita practically untouched by those concerns, and has given SCE the license to just make a games machine. There is no other agenda evident, at least in any particularly strong way, or in any way that compromises the games side.

I would say Vita is the most focused Playstation yet, at least since the first.

It is designed with copious developer feedback, and yes it is focused in that sense. In spirit, every Vita feature addition is justified/supported by a game prototype. But I don't think it will be "limited" that way. Jim Ryan has hinted that they want to speed up the mass adoption compared to past Playstations.

 

[Averon]

Feel kind of bad for Sony, but now it's looking like there will be an early price drop. I feel bad, but not so bad that I won't wait for a lower price. My wallet is hurting after the holidays!

Sony's not going to panic and price drop based on two weeks' sales in one region. Sony has shown they are more than willing to have low sales than losing buckets of money (they can't afford to). In any case, they should be able to get the Vita's cost down rather quickly (at least much quicker than the PS3), so a price drop late in 2012 is likely imo.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

What these articles are doing is the equivalent of a car magazine complaining becuase a Ferarri doesn't fit 9 people and a Winnebago won't go 185 mph. It's ridiculous.

This comparison doesn't work. Well, it kind of does, but only when you allow for extremely disingenuous comparisons.

Mind you, I kind of get your point. I really do. Yes, we can make bad comparisons about constructs that ultimately fulfill similar tasks but are geared towards completely different audiences, as you have illustrated. Someone in the market for a Ferrari won't want a Winnebago. That's an astute observation. I can see extrapolating out and suggesting that this is analogous to "I want a beastly gaming machine, not a tablet PC."

However, they are far from equally absurd. Neither of those vehicles are really marketed for mass market consumption, and the products aren't nearly as different as your example. There's not perfect overlap in the demographics, but there's a lot more than in your example.

So, while I understand calling out the article's author, I don't think your post serves very well in championing rational analysis.

 

[patsu]

What Sony should have made is a PS phone. Something with the Vita's innards running the latest android and with slide out controls like the xperia play. It would be a smartphone first and foremost but would have better graphics hardware and programming environment, and access to PSN. Then open it up to non-Sony devices that meet the minimum spec.

The next Sony phone will be interesting to see.

 

[Vinci]

And hardly any are remotely comparable to what you can get on a portable system. That's what these dumb fucks writing these articles don't understand.

Maybe not to you, but to many people, they're pretty damn good. Hell, some of the most fun I've had with gaming recently has come from games I didn't pay a cent for.

 

[Jomjom]

What these articles are doing is the equivalent of a car magazine complaining becuase a Ferarri doesn't fit 9 people and a Winnebago won't go 185 mph. It's ridiculous. Portable phones that can play games, and portable game systems offer completely different experiences and a portable game system shouldn't be knocked because it doesn't have 99 cent fart apps.

Only difference is Ferarri makes crazy profit with each car sold, such that a low number of sales can allow their company to thrive. The PSV makes little to no profit and may even be a loss.

 

[liger05]

I can't see a price drop until at least the fall next year.

When it comes to consoles I'm an early adopter but the absurd memory card prices is what stops me from getting this.

When the new 3ds comes what do you think ninty will price that at $179?

 

[DangerousDave]

I play with iPhone and I still want to buy Vita/3DS and any of the next portable generations.

iPhone can shrink some of the most casual market, but anyone that is used to play videogames won't stop playing with the portable. I play with my iPhone a lot, but in small bursts. I still play my PSP with Trails in the Sky, that is much better than any iOS korean 0'99 rpg (yep, better than Mage Gauntlet).

Also, there is some decadence in the iOS gaming. Yes, there are still good games, but most of the good games don't sell. Sales of games like Sword & Sorcery, Galaxy on Fire, etc, are not amazing, and devs are starting to go to the freemium route or the premium one, affecting the gameplay. Things like the IAP on Infinity Blade 2, that force to grind hours, expecting the people to buy the coins with real money, because sales at 0'99 require extra revenues to pay the development costs.

That sense of portable console dying is because we add a market that it wasn't there. Is a little like PC market. PC games aren't dead, there is a lot of people that play PC games, a growing userbase. But if you compare the revenue of the PC games compared with all the money that Zynga and others are doing, you get the impression that PC gaming is dying. But is not, there are as much people (even more) playing PC games. Yes, there are much more people playing facebook games, but people is not saying "Fuck Skyrim, I'm gonna play Castleville". Is simply 2 different userbases that can't be compared.

 

[cametall]

Your ignorance is fascinating. Hopefully, Sony researched the "non-obvious" competition extensively.

Check these games out: (FYI, You can use PS3, Wii joypads on Android)

...

I posted that as a light hearted poke at the discussion.

I think your high horse has given you a wedgie.

For serious discussion:
Nintendo and Sony have probably lost, and will have a tough time regaining (if possible), people who only play games for a few minutes at a time. Time wasters. The same people who use Pogo.

The 3DS and PSP probably won't see the same success as the pervious iterations because of this. They will continue to maintain those interested in the more in-depth portable titles (Pokemon) and sell units to those people.

I don't think portable systems are going to disappear, but they won't have the same success as the DS had.

 

[Figboy79]

While a price drop would be nice, I don't particularly think it's that necessary for the PSVita here in the US.

The handheld seems to be designed with the western market in mind, especially in terms of software.

I have a smartphone. Do I game on it? Barely. I've downloaded a shit ton of free and paid games, and I don't play more than one or two, and that's when I remember I have them.

The app I use the most on my smartphone? Kindle App, since our dedicated Kindle is my wife's, and I have no desire to snag a Kindle Fire anytime soon.

I've been itching for a dedicated handheld gaming machine, and I'm sorry, I haven't been into Nintendo's handhelds since the GBA. The games on the DS aren't bad in any way, as it has a pretty awesome library, but I'm not into the lower res screen, and lack of features unless you hack the machine.

The Vita looks to fit my desires for a handheld, and it has games I'm into. Yes, for me, Uncharted is a system seller for me, and any new IPs that are quality are expected and welcome (the PSP had it's fair share of original IPs that were awesome and seem to get overlooked by many when decrying how "poor" of a handheld it was). The Vita isn't just for casual smartphone gamers, or a grab at that audience. Some of us actually want a machine that won't interrupt our gaming sessions with a phone call. Not all of us are in love with a touch screen only interface (I prefer having buttons to press, and sticks to move my characters around, especially if that means that my fingers won't be covering up a nice chunk of the screen while I try to play).

There's a market for the Vita, and it's going to take a little bit more than two weeks to find it. This mentality of a "Day one success or bomba" needs to end. That's not really how business works.

 

[DangerousDave]

Nintendo and Sony have probably lost, and will have a tough time regaining (if possible), people who only play games for a few minutes at a time. Time wasters. The same people who use Pogo.

The 3DS and PSP probably won't see the same success as the pervious iterations because of this. They will continue to maintain those interested in the more in-depth portable titles (Pokemon) and sell units to those people.

I don't think portable systems are going to disappear, but they won't have the same success as the DS had.

Basically this.

 

[Cromat]

For serious discussion:
Nintendo and Sony have probably lost, and will have a tough time regaining (if possible), people who only play games for a few minutes at a time. Time wasters. The same people who use Pogo.

The 3DS and PSP probably won't see the same success as the pervious iterations because of this. They will continue to maintain those interested in the more in-depth portable titles (Pokemon) and sell units to those people.

I don't think portable systems are going to disappear, but they won't have the same success as the DS had.

I agree.
While 'dying' is a bit much, 'declining' is a good word to describe the market for a dedicated gaming handheld.