I don't know why it bothers me so much, but all this doom and gloom around the launch of the vita really pisses me off. Yeah, I think the market has changed, sure a dedicated handheld probably can't be as successful as they have in the past, but it can carve out its own profitable corner, it looks like an amazing system in its own right, and projecting utter failure at this point is not only irresponsible, it's ignorant.
As someone who has an iPhone, iPad and 3DS, here's how I think it all breaks down when it comes to OMG DOOMED when it comes to the Vita.
iPhone and iPad people by and large are extremely defensive about their devices because the games aren't taken "seriously." So they overcompensate for this by talking about how it's changing the world and everything else was doomed. THE 3DS WAS DOOOOOMMMEMD! Except then it wasn't, and that got explained away with "well, of course nintendo will make their money but everything else is dooooommmmmeeeddd"
I can sympathise with the fight to legitimize gaming on your phone or tablet, I do it all the time and some of these games are absolutely amazing. But the pushback by some of those people is too much.
The 3DS people are just in the typical console wars fanboy stance. Competing system, I don't want it/can't afford it so it must suck, it's doomed, why does it even exist? They are more concerned about market share though. The iOS people have no worries about sales, the iphone/ipad sold more last Q than the Vita will sell in years. The iOS folks are fighting for mindshare, the 3DS people are fighting for marketshare.
And then there's probably a few people who are just trolling. Or a few people that may even be sony or even PSP fans that just don't like the way this system is headed.... and that's fine.
But you combine all these guys together and you get a shitstorm around the Vita, and while most of the time I think those of us excited about remain excited about it, there are times when you see post after post saying "ITS DOOOOOOOMMMEEEDDD" where you just want those people to shut the hell up. They won't, of course, but we can want them to.
Personally, as someone who owns all of the above i think Sony has an amazing piece of hardware, the money and the studios to pump out good games and the resolve to wait this thing out. Which is good because Im guessing the launch is gonna be slow. And the OMG VITA IS DOOMED is gonna pick up. But, over time, prices will come down, more people will try it, and I think it will do well. Is it gonna sell 75-100 million units? Nah, probably not. But can it be a successful platform? If sony is patient with it, and it doesn't get hacked like the PSP, yeah i think it can be - even in the west. Meanwhile the 3DS will do great and iOS will continue to be a positive force for indie gaming. We all win. Unfortunately we all don't seem to be on the same team.