You can't kill what's already dead.
Seriously, every time I see the small Vita section at a given retail store, it has this pathetic and untouched appearance, like it hasn't seen any human interaction since launch with its thin selection of titles, surprisingly large numbers on price stickers, and generally abandoned look. I'd be surprised if retailers didn't essentially do it in by getting out of their contracts with Sony for support since the space might be better used for reselling iOS/Android devices or expanding the Wii U section. Deader than a door-nail now and probably a memory this time next year...that is, if anyone did know it actually existed, which it seems like many non-forum-dwellers don't. Sony would have to essentially re-launch this whole thing with a 3DS-equaling price drop, a string of big, exclusive, and broadly-appealing titles, and an expensive ad campaign. The chances of that happening are pretty slim.
A lot of Vita's fun and interesting titles are PSN only. You won't be seeing them on the store shelves, but rather the PS Store.
Besides, during the first year of the 360 and PS3, and the PSP, and the DS, and every other gaming platform that has ever existed, titles on store shelves were rather small. I remember going to Gamestop during the 360's first year, and sighing at the rows and rows of King Kong, Perfect Dark, Kameo, and Call of Duty 3. Sure, those games may not have been terrible games, but let's not fool ourselves, they were launch fodder through and through. It wasn't until the end of that first year, when Gears of War hit, that the 360, at the least, showed that it was the real deal as far as a next gen platform goes.
By comparison, the Vita has games like Rayman: Origins, Uncharted: GA, wipEout 2048, LittleBigPlanet, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Gravity Rush, PlayStation All Stars, Ragnarok Odyssey, Zero Escape, Assassin's Creed 3: Lib, Unit 13, and quite a few others on store shelves, and some really cool downloadable titles.
I think the Vita's real problem is pricing and advertising. The early adopters have adopted the system. They are the folks that were willing to pay $250-$300 on the Vita.
Sony's strategy hasn't changed in the 17 years they've been producing gaming hardware: Step 1:They launch at a premium price. Early adopters and tech junkies will be the first to buy the product, at that premium price.
Step 2: No price cut during the first year, but will provide bundle deals. We've seen this with every PS console.
Step 3: First half of year 2 is when we see more impressive titles from the system, and an inkling of what the system is really capable of. Again, the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP all went through this process, as more and more developers started wrapping up the titles that could not release during the first year.
Step 4: By the end of it's 2nd year, we'll more than likely see a small price cut. Anywhere between $20-$50. We'll also see some additional bundles, but mostly of titles that have been on the market a while anyway.
Step 5: By year 3, the console is in its groove, and more titles have been released, with more revealed. Year 3 is the sweet spot for hardware, as the developers that have stuck with it are, at the least, working on their 2nd batch of titles for the hardware (think Uncharted Vita 2, Gravity Rush 2, Ragnarok Odyssey 2, LBP Vita 2, etc).
etc, etc. This is the same thing Sony has been doing for generations. Sure, the PS3 isn't the number one selling console, but it has reached a significant userbase. The gaming world is different than it was before in previous gens: We now have balance. The Wii, 360, and PS3 have managed to survive and sustain themselves in the console space. All 3 have done remarkably well, and there isn't an overwhelming sense of imbalance. The Wii U is simply Nintendo entering the HD space. Which is welcome in my book.
For handhelds, there was always just Nintendo. Other portables could barely breech the 5 million sold mark, let alone the 100 million that the Game Boy platforms reached. The PSP managed to sell 70 million units. It proved that Nintendo doesn't have to be the only option in the handheld space.
The mobile phone market has carved a large piece of it's own pie, but don't just assume that everyone wants to game on a mobile phone. There is still a significant portion of gamers that want a more traditional handheld gaming experience that a smart phone just can't provide.
Now, tell me, do you really want just one handheld gaming experience? I wouldn't want the Vita to be the only dedicated gaming device out there. I didn't want Nintendo to be either. Now, we get both. The 3DS and Vita do different things, and similar things. I think they're both cool, although I went with Vita.
For a gaming enthusiast site, the cynicism on display towards the Vita is baffling to me. No, don't support something just because it exists, but I find it almost impossible to believe that there isn't at least a few titles on the Vita that make you consider getting one.
There are a few 3DS titles that certainly have my attention, and I'd like to get one, but I've already bought a Vita, and a new PC, so I just can't buy another gaming device at the moment. I'll get a Wii U at a later date as well, for the same reason.
You'd think none of us have ever weathered a console's first year before.
