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Sony in big trouble with PS Vita, Portable market in perm decline, rotting - Forbes
- Thread starter marc^o^
- Start date
DangerousDave
Member
I don't think that there is a problem with the pricing. Vita will cost less in the next years, and if people don't jump at 250$, they'll jump when the device cost 200$, or 150$.
But if you want to play the newer phone games, you'll always need to pay at least 200-300$. Because the games adapt to the more expensive platform, and now you can't play the latest iPhone games with the 3GS.
The phones goes in a different way than the consoles. You can "wait" to buy a console, but in phones, you have to enter in a dynamic that force you to buy the latest model now, and buy the latest model in two years, when your model is nearly deprecated. Vita will be more attractive each year.
Sony probably got more benefits from each 15.000 yen PSP sold than for each initial 25.000 yen PSP six years ago. If Sony can keep people buying Vita games (that was the problem with PSP, not the lack of hardware sales, the lack of software sales, that scared the thirds), there is no hurry even if hardware sales are low.
Version 3.0
Member
I agree, but saying a system won't be as successful as the best-selling system of all time isn't much of a stretch. The DS was a ridiculous spike in the sales curve. The Wii was, too, for a shorter time. Just like Nintendo's stock, anyone in their right mind would predict that it had to come back down. But between the recession and the ongoing fragmentation of the market, it's hard to say what's normal and what's underperforming.
Personally, it looks to me like every facet of the videogame market (other than arcades) is still viable and probably has many good years ahead.
I don't see why gamers have such a hard time grasping that handhelds are getting less popular.
The iPhone/android market is getting huge and not many people want to carry around a phone and a big handheld. Phones are easier and more convenient. Heck, there are some hardcore games too.
The iPhone/android market is getting huge and not many people want to carry around a phone and a big handheld. Phones are easier and more convenient. Heck, there are some hardcore games too.
Alexios
Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
^ Less popular than somethin else that may or may not overlap all that much in the market field of interest here (and in any article that tries to pit them against each other) doesn't equal a rotting decline, it's really not hard to get why people who tend to game on such platforms and understand their benefits and why other platforms can't eclipse them until they change themselves too (just as handhelds have been far from dedicated gaming machines a while now) are vocal against such rather silly statements/conclusions. Especially when to make such a point they have to latch on the potential and potentially short term mistakes of a given platform holder and then expand it as a suppposed industry wide trend that cannot be worked against under any circumstances. That would be like looking at the N64 and then the Dreamcast and proclaiming consoles are dead and something_else is king regardless of the potential of future systems and of the lack of any tangible proof of a causation by that something_else on top of the correlation.
Pretty much.
Personally I look at the whole "why would you want to carry a phone and a handheld when a phone can do both" argument a bit differently. If I'm not bringing a handheld with me, it isn't because I also have a phone with me, but because I was never planning to game in the first place. I mean is it really about convenience? I would never carry a 3ds/psp in my pocket, and I doubt other people do either. If I wanted to take a handheld with me I'll have a bag with me or something, my pockets are reserved for my phone and wallet exclusively. There are instances where mobile gaming is the only option (e.g. at work), however, I see smartphone games as a supplement to handhelds. Just because I can now play angry birds during lunch-break doesn't mean it is taking away from my handheld time. I was never going to play 3ds/psp at lunch-break in the first place, and for me this has not changed since before the mobile game market exploded.
People carry a phone on them because they are essential in most cases, therefore battery-life is of most importance. There are many high quality games on android/ios, however, because my phone is essential I can't afford to play battery-intensive games. So for me mobile gaming is relegated to small 2d games like angry birds and doodle jump. Games like Dungeon defenders and Riptide GP heat up my Galaxy s2 and drain it's battery.
Version 3.0
Member
I don't see a whole lot of argument against the idea that phones are competing for the same dollars, or that a phone is the smart bet win in an either/or scenario. But the scenario that's being put forth isn't "less popular than a few years ago". It's "the sky is falling, handhelds are dead", and that's simply not true.
And when you say "not many people", answer me this: how many of the, oh, 30 million or so people who've bought a handheld in the last couple of years already had a phone with games on it? "Not many?" I don't think that's likely. There's a hell of a lot of co-existance going on out there.
DCharlie
And even i am moderately surprised
i'm just going to come out with it :
the business model of iphone low cost games is a fucking NOOSE around a number of game developers. This whole idea of "well, 99c and everyone buys a copy" is utter bullshit and the move to that model will see a ton of devs in even more trouble than they are now.
It's BULLSHIT.
I recently had a conversation about a theoretical Monster Hunter on iOS and figures of 40m copies at $10 as FACT came up - but people are out and out motherfucking dreaming. Ask about the controls? "oh they'll figure that out" - huhhhh?!
Online will of course will be buttery smooth and, dont forget, that one game that is KINDA like MH at 0.49p sold X million copies and blah de blah blah blah.
The iOS model has it's in points but the championing of it as the be all end all of all problems is literally the suicide pill being offered to a number of developers.
Nobody develops 1 dollar games anymore. Freemium is where it's at. And why would anyone want Monster Hunter ported to iOS, you need games that are designed from the ground up for touch UI. Maybe a new version of MH, but dear god, no-one wants to see virtual sticks anymore.
Exactly, there are positives and negatives to appstore-like ecosystems on mobile. It has helped the smaller developers that would have failed during the then crowded ds software market. However, now that ios/android apps have become huge successes themselves, these markets are now facing an ever downwards price collapse due to intense competition. This isn't like itunes where the music industry is basically controlled by four music publishers and thus a higher singles price could be forced on Apple. The app store environment means that no one person/company can influence market prices (other than Apple themselves) and this isn't ideal for some. In the console market, first parties set the standard when it comes to pricing so publishers don't have to worry about getting into a price war.
To be fair, F2P is not an answer to everything either - it was born and proven as THE way to defeat piracy, but it doesn't entirely eliminate viability of other business models.zoukka said:
But yea, I have little doubt it will dominate all platforms (including "big" consoles) before long.
AranhaHunter
Banned
Vita's main problem in Japan right now is the lack of big games that appeal to the Japanese. 3DS has new games from ALL the million selling JP franchises from the past generation, Vita has none.
For Y25000 you can get a Vita or you can get a 3DS with Mario Kart 7, SM3D, and MH3G. That's not even taking the memory card into consideration.
For the west, I think the 3DS is underperforming even after the MAJOR price cut. It's REALLY hard to compete with iphone and android gaming (i mean GTAIII released on it and Max Payne will release on it soon for 5 bucks a piece), but we'll see if COD takes off on it, the R* games (possibly exclusive GTA game?), and possibly more. They have some of the WWS working on it, Motorstorm RC looks like a fun game, but if it's full priced, it'll bomb.
I agree with the article that Sony is DELUSIONAL by pricing Uncharted GA at $50. It's not as bad as Nintendo pricing Steel Diver at $40, but it's close. I'll remind you that Uncharted GA does not have any multiplayer, at least not at launch, and I believe the ceiling for portable games should be $40, and that's pushing it.
If Sony is any smart, they will have the Vita phone SKU ready to roll worldwide next fall. I mean that's the main reason they're buying SE in January and renaming them to Sony by mid 2012....isn't it?
IMO, there's a chance that the Vita will be the biggest bomb in Sony's videogame history. The Virtual Boy of Sony if you will (I don't count the PSP GO as that's just a redesign).
For Y25000 you can get a Vita or you can get a 3DS with Mario Kart 7, SM3D, and MH3G. That's not even taking the memory card into consideration.
For the west, I think the 3DS is underperforming even after the MAJOR price cut. It's REALLY hard to compete with iphone and android gaming (i mean GTAIII released on it and Max Payne will release on it soon for 5 bucks a piece), but we'll see if COD takes off on it, the R* games (possibly exclusive GTA game?), and possibly more. They have some of the WWS working on it, Motorstorm RC looks like a fun game, but if it's full priced, it'll bomb.
I agree with the article that Sony is DELUSIONAL by pricing Uncharted GA at $50. It's not as bad as Nintendo pricing Steel Diver at $40, but it's close. I'll remind you that Uncharted GA does not have any multiplayer, at least not at launch, and I believe the ceiling for portable games should be $40, and that's pushing it.
If Sony is any smart, they will have the Vita phone SKU ready to roll worldwide next fall. I mean that's the main reason they're buying SE in January and renaming them to Sony by mid 2012....isn't it?
IMO, there's a chance that the Vita will be the biggest bomb in Sony's videogame history. The Virtual Boy of Sony if you will (I don't count the PSP GO as that's just a redesign).
famousmortimer
Banned
Yeah... and the 3DS was going to be the next virtual boy and now it's doing fine.
Overreaction is a key emotional state of the internet, but goddamn it can get annoying sometimes.
The Vita has issues. The market has changed. But the Vita is also awesome and people like awesome things.
It was the same thing with the 3ds. It had issues (lack of games, overpriced) and it launched in a different market than its predecessor... but the thing is that it's fucking awesome, and the software eventually caught up with that, and now people want it, because it's awesome.
Anyone who is writing off the Vita right now is talking out of their ass. Plain and simple.
Dorfdad
Gold Member
The VITA is doomed regardless of what we on GAF think unless SONY drastically fixes some issues.
#1. Battery Life is horrible from all accounts. What good is a portable system when you get 3 hours of full gameplay on it before requiring 3 hours of charging?
#2. Price $250.00 seriously in this economy and After Christmas? oh and I need 50.00 a least more for a memory card so $300.00 when 360 and ps3's offer much more value at $199.99
- Vita needs to be under $200.00 to have a chance and a 4 gb card packed in.
#3. No games are system sellers. Most Vita games are spin-offs of PS3 games Resistance and Uncharted look nice but not worth $50.00 and the 300.00 investment to play them. Games need to be 39.99 FIXED for all titles.
Regrettably the article was on point. the iPad and iPhones have changed gaming forever. $.99 to 5.99 apps are the norm now. I have played some iOS games offering more value at $1.99 than a $50 console game. No there not the same as a vita or as powerful but no one cares about that stuff it's the games and their pricing.
Sony Vita is a console which SONY should have released 3 years ago not in today market. I was excited at first than I decided it's just not worth it at launch. I will wait for a year and see what happened.
The inevitable 2nd edition with better components and battery life, game prices reduced to used status so again developers get screwed but IM not paying 40+ for a portable game when the tablets and 3DS now offer compelling titles for cheap.
Sony overestimates the market and thinks they are like apple. They can raise the price of everything and people will buy it. However apple has established itself as the must have tech company and Sony still thinks this is the walkman days.. Wake up SONY or it's over..
#1. Battery Life is horrible from all accounts. What good is a portable system when you get 3 hours of full gameplay on it before requiring 3 hours of charging?
#2. Price $250.00 seriously in this economy and After Christmas? oh and I need 50.00 a least more for a memory card so $300.00 when 360 and ps3's offer much more value at $199.99
- Vita needs to be under $200.00 to have a chance and a 4 gb card packed in.
#3. No games are system sellers. Most Vita games are spin-offs of PS3 games Resistance and Uncharted look nice but not worth $50.00 and the 300.00 investment to play them. Games need to be 39.99 FIXED for all titles.
Regrettably the article was on point. the iPad and iPhones have changed gaming forever. $.99 to 5.99 apps are the norm now. I have played some iOS games offering more value at $1.99 than a $50 console game. No there not the same as a vita or as powerful but no one cares about that stuff it's the games and their pricing.
Sony Vita is a console which SONY should have released 3 years ago not in today market. I was excited at first than I decided it's just not worth it at launch. I will wait for a year and see what happened.
The inevitable 2nd edition with better components and battery life, game prices reduced to used status so again developers get screwed but IM not paying 40+ for a portable game when the tablets and 3DS now offer compelling titles for cheap.
Sony overestimates the market and thinks they are like apple. They can raise the price of everything and people will buy it. However apple has established itself as the must have tech company and Sony still thinks this is the walkman days.. Wake up SONY or it's over..
We need to reanimate your avatar specifically for this thread. Its the perfect response to this article.
What?
Sony Ericsson, not Square Enix.
Always-honest
Banned
Do people even know there is a vita?
FairXchange
Member
Your numbers are all off. Even with wifi, bluetooth, 3G all on, with the screen brightness on max the Vita still clears 4 hours (or more) of gaming in many tests. My 3DS dies after almost 2 hours and 45 minutes in the same conditions.
You don't need "at least $50" for a memory card, you need at least $20.
And for me, even if a game like Flight Control amazes you with its price/value, a game like that is no where near my radar in comparison to Escape Plan or LBP Vita, where all the devices inputs are utilized to interact with the game and designed for the best experience possible.
Not in America. They better have an amazing ad campaign planned.
pieatorium
Member
1. Battery Life seems to be the one thing going for Vita. Not sure where your all accounts are coming from but what I have seen this is one thing the Vita has in it's corner over the 3ds.
2. This is a point but you should be comparing to 3ds not home consoles
3. Agree there is no big games and agree that 50 bucks for recycling HD assets to the Vita is too expensive but disagree that there should be a fixed price. That just eliminates the chance of mid teir or even smaller scope IOS style games at prices that match their market.
IOS vs Handhelds has been done to death so I won't bother on that point
Sony is selling Vita at a small loss, Apple sells products at a markup I don't see how you can even make that comparison
Opus Angelorum
Member
It's a good point. In the UK I've seen next to nothing about the PSVita, even in game stores.
The only way a phone can work is if specs are updated every year, completely removing the reason people buy dedicated game systems in the first place. An in-between device can't work. Either handhelds and consoles stay separate, or gaming as we know it dies. It's completely black and white.
And no, "play new games at lower settings" won't work. Generations cannot be longer than 2 years if this route is taken, simple as that. Besides, we know that Nintendo would be out of the market within six months of this switch, and if Sony's the only one making a portable gaming device aimed at the core, nobody wins. (Same goes for Nintendo clearly after what happened with 3DS, but Sony at least has a shot in such a market.)
SirIgbyCeaser
Banned
I'm sorry gaf. But how is this bad news for sony?
The console is new, and like all of sony's hardware it will be a slow build to good sales.
The psp is still selling today is it not? So the 3ds is outselling it, awesome I saw that device for 99 dollars this winter. That's 1/3rd the price of vita.
As if this console was a mistake, in a world of tablets and gadget materialism the psv will find its audiance.
Unlike the 3ds the psv will have a lot more northern developer support and build a new market. Portable call of duty? How could gamings most selling franchise not going to be a system seller? GTA 4 stories? Who knows what people will release for this system. The fact that some games will be exclusive to
Give it a couple years and just like the ps3 things will make more sense 2 years down the line. Gaf's lack of attention span and looking immediate results is very short sighted.
Have any of you ever heard of the digital distribution future? The 3ds isn't prepered for it. The psv is and 5 years down the line sony will be making cash money selling most its games online instead of at retail. You lose money before you make it, businness mang.
The console is new, and like all of sony's hardware it will be a slow build to good sales.
The psp is still selling today is it not? So the 3ds is outselling it, awesome I saw that device for 99 dollars this winter. That's 1/3rd the price of vita.
As if this console was a mistake, in a world of tablets and gadget materialism the psv will find its audiance.
Unlike the 3ds the psv will have a lot more northern developer support and build a new market. Portable call of duty? How could gamings most selling franchise not going to be a system seller? GTA 4 stories? Who knows what people will release for this system. The fact that some games will be exclusive to
Give it a couple years and just like the ps3 things will make more sense 2 years down the line. Gaf's lack of attention span and looking immediate results is very short sighted.
Have any of you ever heard of the digital distribution future? The 3ds isn't prepered for it. The psv is and 5 years down the line sony will be making cash money selling most its games online instead of at retail. You lose money before you make it, businness mang.
It's hitting stores just about now, after Xmas. Right after Christmas a full-shelf promo for Vita and the preorder bonus boxes appeared in my local Game, at the front of the store too. A promo shelf appeared in the local HMV also. Both weren't things knocked together by the local staff, they look like 'official' signage etc. so I'd guess it'll be appearing across those chains. They feature that pop-out Wipeout artwork.
I'm guessing retail didn't want to distract people with it before Christmas...but it's rolling out now for sure.
-Amon-
Member
The day they'll start questioning prices of iphones i'll start thinking that they do not have one.
True. Why even pay for games in the first place when amazon gives them away for free? I've cut down heavily on ios purchases ever since I bought my android phone. Amazon has a free app every day. Received Where's My Water and Fruit Ninja Puss in Boots for free this past week!
DCharlie is right though about development of these cheap apps. It isn't a sustainable model got everything, even with the freemium aspect. Has to be a scary time to be a portable/mobile developer if you aren't in the top 10.
What , what crack pipe are you smoking, I'm hitting 5~6 hours on uncharted playtime with low brightness (which is still brighter than a my 3DS at setting of 3).
There are alot of "if"
DarkoMaledictus
Tier Whore
I can understand, personally I have 0 use for any type of portable platform. When I m outside i m definitely not playing games...
Me neither but it's still my favourite way to play games.
SirIgbyCeaser
Banned
If the psv continues to sell as it does its doomed.
If the psv sales grow slowly like a snowball it'll be alright.
If the market condition change in time, is like saying "if the sun rises tomorrow".
So we're all working with if. I'm just not a pessemist, and I think sony playstations are sucessful in the end. And that's not an if, that's proven history.
Fafalada slamming down the truth at GAF since the old days, bow down folks
I personally think AAA games will be very episodic and subscription or DLC funded, anything not AAA will be either F2P or ad supported...indie games will be suffocated into a small niche by 2015
$1 dollar games aren't challenging the existence of games like Uncharted - they're challenging their existence on separate and expensive portable devices.
You may never be able to play a game like Uncharted on your phone, but do you really want to? I think there's simply not much demand for games like Uncharted on portable platforms.
When you consider most super-successful portable games games you see that most are not derivatives of console experiences, and as such will fit right in on a phone. Tetris and clones? Check. Pokemon with push notifications, network play everywhere and IAP? Unlimited cash for Nintendo. Mario Kart? Check. Animal Crossing? Megacheck. Turn-based strategy and RPGs? Check. Adventure games? Check.
Even 2D Mario is perfectly playable on a phone in my opinion, though I agree that Monster Hunter might be a bit of a stretch seeing as its difficult to control even on PSP.
So basically smartphones make handheld platforms a bit redundant. As someone that has played mostly on handhelds, I am personally not planning to buy a 3DS or a Vita until they are dirt cheap and have enough games - meaning 3 years into their cycle. Hell, if smartphones start getting late ports of 3DS/Vita titles I might never buy them.
You may never be able to play a game like Uncharted on your phone, but do you really want to? I think there's simply not much demand for games like Uncharted on portable platforms.
When you consider most super-successful portable games games you see that most are not derivatives of console experiences, and as such will fit right in on a phone. Tetris and clones? Check. Pokemon with push notifications, network play everywhere and IAP? Unlimited cash for Nintendo. Mario Kart? Check. Animal Crossing? Megacheck. Turn-based strategy and RPGs? Check. Adventure games? Check.
Even 2D Mario is perfectly playable on a phone in my opinion, though I agree that Monster Hunter might be a bit of a stretch seeing as its difficult to control even on PSP.
So basically smartphones make handheld platforms a bit redundant. As someone that has played mostly on handhelds, I am personally not planning to buy a 3DS or a Vita until they are dirt cheap and have enough games - meaning 3 years into their cycle. Hell, if smartphones start getting late ports of 3DS/Vita titles I might never buy them.
Considering the fact that Nintendo sold over 300k of those in the US last month in spite of a similarly priced successor, it really was. :/
longdi
Banned
can sony do tie in with telco carriers like free vita for 12 months 3g contract?
this and charge a lower royalty and srp for games can have a chance to save the vita. $35 max for a vita game is acceptable. like someone said, vita games will mostly be hd downport from ps3 assets....
i really dont get why sony is still so stubborn sticking with old business practices, i can understand if they were coming from the ps2 era of dominance but now sony and playstation brand has not much value with average joe. why so arrogant?
this and charge a lower royalty and srp for games can have a chance to save the vita. $35 max for a vita game is acceptable. like someone said, vita games will mostly be hd downport from ps3 assets....
i really dont get why sony is still so stubborn sticking with old business practices, i can understand if they were coming from the ps2 era of dominance but now sony and playstation brand has not much value with average joe. why so arrogant?
Gamecocks625
Member
Can't wait for the PSVita vs iPad 3 articles in the coming months. This place is going to explode.
i think it is pretty symbiotic arrangement.
First of all, if iOS kills mobile 3DS and Vita, it means death of the consoles in the future... That means that Apple TV for $99 will be able to kill PS3, 360, WiiU platofrms.
Heck, it would be easier for Apple TV to kill PS3 than iOS to kill 3DS.
At least with iOS vs 3DS vs PSP it is not JUST about high budget games, main detractors are still controls, battery life, high entry price.
I removed all games from my iPhone because battery life is bad as it is, with games I am not able to use it for half a day, let alone a full day. When PSP goes out of battery, so what? Minor inconvinience... when my phone shuts off, thats like I am dead to the world.
So in reality, if iOS can kill 3DS and PSP, then certainly Apple TV will kill PS3 and 360. Far easier... just sell controller for $49.95 separately, and its free money.
But, lets look at PSVita... how much would it cost if smartphones have not accelerated the development of mobile chips? 2x more? 3x? Maybe completely out of question?
With efficient quad cores readily available, Sony has probably reduced their costs tenfold, when we consider R&D as well as production. Also iOS is promoting gaming to all new audience which will also (partially) get interested in real gaming as well. On the other hand, a lot of devs are using iOS for additional sales of their already completed games, free money, etc... Pretty symbiotic IMHO.
What I can see happening in the future is PSV platform being moved to phone... and you get best of the both worlds, possibly.
First of all, if iOS kills mobile 3DS and Vita, it means death of the consoles in the future... That means that Apple TV for $99 will be able to kill PS3, 360, WiiU platofrms.
Heck, it would be easier for Apple TV to kill PS3 than iOS to kill 3DS.
At least with iOS vs 3DS vs PSP it is not JUST about high budget games, main detractors are still controls, battery life, high entry price.
I removed all games from my iPhone because battery life is bad as it is, with games I am not able to use it for half a day, let alone a full day. When PSP goes out of battery, so what? Minor inconvinience... when my phone shuts off, thats like I am dead to the world.
So in reality, if iOS can kill 3DS and PSP, then certainly Apple TV will kill PS3 and 360. Far easier... just sell controller for $49.95 separately, and its free money.
But, lets look at PSVita... how much would it cost if smartphones have not accelerated the development of mobile chips? 2x more? 3x? Maybe completely out of question?
With efficient quad cores readily available, Sony has probably reduced their costs tenfold, when we consider R&D as well as production. Also iOS is promoting gaming to all new audience which will also (partially) get interested in real gaming as well. On the other hand, a lot of devs are using iOS for additional sales of their already completed games, free money, etc... Pretty symbiotic IMHO.
What I can see happening in the future is PSV platform being moved to phone... and you get best of the both worlds, possibly.
Not really. In the first place, people buy dedicated boxes not because their specs are higher or the specs changes. They bought them because of exclusive library and experiences.
In addition, there is no law to forbid dedicated systems from upgrading their specs in a planned and certified way.
There is also no law dictating that dedicated and all-purpose systems must stay separate like black and white. From marketing perspective, specialization is the bread and butter. It is the foundation of product marketing. With the rapid rise of iOS and Android, it also means that people who want dedicated entertainment experiences increase statistically due to various reasons such as battery life, library, ergonomics, performance, etc.
The settings can be automatic. But the concept of generation leap/gap may not apply depending on the ecosystem. iOS has seamless transition but leave the older models obsolete in about 2 years time. OnLive rely on server power to upgrade continuously instead. PS3 guarantees compatibility for 10 or more years.
They can do the 3G tie-in but what for ? There is little gaming need for 3G at the moment unless Sony introduce a popular network game that requires 3G. Then again if they do that, the cellphones are more effective platform for promoting 3G use.
Vita games do not need to be downport from PS3 assets. It can take iOS games, PC games, PSP games, PS Suite games and Vita exclusive games too.
I am getting a 3G model for future proofing... to take any 3G required app from the cellphone world. And to backup my phone for web browsing during long trip (battery life!)
What do you mean by old business practices ? Sometimes, old practices work better than new ones in the long run. Sometimes they falter.
It's more to do with iPhone practically killing the market rather than just shrinking it. I just don't see that to be true at all. Yes, handhelds aren't as popular as they used to be, but they still have their place.
This whole debate just sounds ridiculous to me, it's like people saying laptops are not needed anymore because of the iPad. I mean why not right?
Nobody will buy a phone with inferior specs just to play games on it. Compromise isn't possible. Cell phones must be competitive. Either handhelds and smartphones/tablets find a balance and remain separate, or handhelds die and everything completely switches over Android and iOS, with $1 flash-level games becoming the standard. Gaming handhelds can't compete while keeping gaming as the primary function.
And OnLive? HA! All of the hype over that is centered around the fact that it's a new technology, so everyone automatically thinks "THIS IS THE FUTURE!" despite the fact that internet providers and cell phone carriers are doing everything in their power to make that impossible.
By that logic, you actually declared that dedicated entertainment boxes can co-exist with smartphones. In fact, the very existence of iPad and Kindle proved that they do.
I don't know what you mean by gaming handheld can't compete while keeping gaming as the primary functions. In my family, the top use for iPad is gaming and web browsing. It is a dedicated gaming handheld for us. Despite its form factor, we carry it around.
IOS and Android dominate but there is no reason why Vita can't run Android or equivalent when push comes to shove. For now, as long as Vita offers a different enough gaming library and experience, it will be like the co-existence of 360, PS3 and Wii right now but bigger market.
Ha ha, I have a friend on OnLive. I have tried it in his house. It works as advertised. Period.
I don't care about cellphone providers for OnLive. They are not ready yet. WiFi access to OnLive sounds good enough, and there is no generation gap.
Not saying it will take over the future, but there are ways to differentiate even when iOS/Android takes all. The problem is the average consumers and press need the vendors to show them how. Just like when Apple first got into the cellphone or music market, there were analysts and press that scorned at the idea.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Or you could respond to my points like other posters did on the last page. The stratification of storefronts that we've seen on the 360 is already starting to piss off some indy developers. Sony should be working on condensing options, not expanding them.
On the same note, the PSP to Vita transfer program is a slap in the face to backwards compatibility and the loyal owners of their previous hardware. Why can't these games be linked to your PSN account and transferred over? Was there really any consumer goodwill to be gained by monetizing this feature? Why would anyone pay $50-$200 to transfer over a library of 10 games?