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[RalchAC]

What makes a portable a "serious gaming platform"? It can't be graphics power because the Vita has already been surpassed by smartphones/tablets. Battery life? The Vita can only play for like three hours.

I don't know why you keep saying smartphones are compromise devices. Name me one way the Vita is superior to the Xperia Z in terms of hardware. Fact is, other than not having built in buttons, the Z trounces it in every way. The Vita is the one that's actually compromised.

Three hours? It lasts at least five. Just turn off Wi-fi (and the useless 3G if you have the model) and try to reduce the brightness a little if you can. It does wonders.

And Vita has dedicated VRAM and its game graphics are not being holded back by the 75% of the smartphone market. And, if you want a "gaming phone" better go to iOS instead of Android. There are lots of games only released in Apple devices.

I suppose defining AAA is a bit important though, right? Your avatar is from Soul Sacrifice, right? I'm playing it now, and in terms of polish, I'd consider it one of those big AAA releases, and I absolutely want more of this. I do hope that if Sony continues the indie trajectory, it doesn't decrease the number of larger third party releases.

Indies and third party publishers are not going to overlap each other. Just support the platform and support the good games that are being released for it (like Killzone, Tearaway, Toukiden...). Then third-party publishers will bring more games.

I assume you mean big budget projects, since Sony has numerous of PSN titles announced for the Vita. And even then you're missing Freedom Wars, which is due out next year, and maybe Over My Dead Body, though I suppose that one may not be big enough for you. (Well, and Invizimals and Vita Pets, though I dunno how "big" they are either, and I suppose kids stuff "don't count".)

Invizimals is big here in EU, at least, and is going to become bigger in the few next months. There is an animation series incoming, for what i've read.

I only bought my Vita one month ago and if it weren't for remote play I probably would have brought it back due to the lack of games. Sony made a great choice with mandating remote play, but I think everyone who mentioned games is right and I hope Sony is listening.

What games do you actually like? I think the Vita has enough games in every genre to fill one month. It has great platformers, good action/adventure games, one of the best JRPGs ever, a couple of racers... the only genres it lacks are actually WRPGs and FPS (Resistance is just ok, and CoD is trash), but Killzone is out tomorrow, so you should get your shooting fix very soon.

 

[2+2=5]

Oh I agree it's a great list, but how many of those are exclusives? How many of those games can I also get on my PS3, PC and in the future the PS4? That is where Sony is lacking with the Vita. They really aren't putting their best foot forward in terms of first party exclusive support and it's hurting the Vita badly. It's a marvelous device but in terms of exclusives it really needs that extra push.

How many of the upcoming ps3 games are exclusive? Most of them are multi with 360, pc or vita, but for some reason people complain only about vita.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Sony's strategy with Vita going forward is probably to give it 1 or 2 AAA, big budget releases every year (think: KZ:M / Tearaway), and then entice players who have bought into the PS+ ecosystem to grab a Vita.

PS+ will be a much bigger deal next-gen for Sony. Obviously hiding multiplayer behind a paywall guarantees that. PS4 is going to be huge when it launches. Out of the gate they are going to have a pretty massive hardcore userbase.

When that userbase sees all the free PS+ content they can grab for PS4, but also on Vita, I think it's going to sway a few minds in a "value-added" way.

At a certain point it's like, why not have a Vita as well? If you're a PS+ subscriber you're amassing tons of games you can't play because you don't own the system...but if it's cheap enough it becomes a companion device. Remote play helps as well, as does cross-play with indie titles and the like.

Exclusive Vita content needs to be more prevalent from Japanese studios, however. For one, Vita probably is going to be a bigger system than the PS4 over there so long as they can secure the right content. Secondly, Japanese studios can make AAA games cheaper on a system like Vita than on one like the PS4.

Overall people shouldn't be expecting to see too many western AAA exclusive titles built for the ground up. From a financial standpoint it doesn't make much sense, especially when those projects will sell immensely more on the PS4. It's why I hope Guerrilla Cambridge move on to PS4 development rather than making another Vita title, as sad as it is to say it. And the same goes for Bend studio.

I feel their talents aren't being properly recognized due to the platform they are anchored to. I certainly wouldn't want them to close down just because the Vita isn't a massively popular platform.

 

[flatearthpandas]

List wars, "3DS is for kids while Vita is for the cultured adult," and even a helping of "Japan doesn't matter."

Yup, it's a Vita thread.

Scapegoat away. Clearly, handhelds just don't have a chance in today's market against smart phones and tablets.

 

[Mr Swine]

The price drop for Vita and its memory cards would have been good if Nintendo didnt release the 2DS next month. People that are on the fence to buy Vita will do it sooner or later (or now thanks to the price drop). But alas I think the market right now only supports 1 handheld for the time being. If it supported 2 then Vita would have sold gangbusters right from the start

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

The price drop for Vita and its memory cards would have been good if Nintendo didnt release the 2DS next month. People that are on the fence to buy Vita will do it sooner or later (or now thanks to the price drop). But alas I think the market right now only supports 1 handheld for the time being. If it supported 2 then Vita would have sold gangbusters right from the start

I don't really think the two platforms are competing with eachother much (in the west). Perhaps in Japan this is a bigger deal.

You buy a 3DS or 2DS for Nintendo games

 

[jeremy1456]

Sony's strategy with Vita going forward is probably to give it 1 or 2 AAA, big budget releases every year (think: KZ:M / Tearaway), and then entice players who have bought into the PS+ ecosystem to grab a Vita.

PS+ will be a much bigger deal next-gen for Sony. Obviously hiding multiplayer behind a paywall guarantees that. PS4 is going to be huge when it launches. Out of the gate they are going to have a pretty massive hardcore userbase.

When that userbase sees all the free PS+ content they can grab for PS4, but also on Vita, I think it's going to sway a few minds in a "value-added" way.

At a certain point it's like, why not have a Vita as well? If you're a PS+ subscriber you're amassing tons of games you can't play because you don't own the system...but if it's cheap enough it becomes a companion device. Remote play helps as well, as does cross-play with indie titles and the like.

Exclusive Vita content needs to be more prevalent from Japanese studios, however. For one, Vita probably is going to be a bigger system than the PS4 over there so long as they can secure the right content. Secondly, Japanese studios can make AAA games cheaper on a system like Vita than on one like the PS4.

Overall people shouldn't be expecting to see too many western AAA exclusive titles built for the ground up. From a financial standpoint it doesn't make much sense, especially when those projects will sell immensely more on the PS4. It's why I hope Guerrilla Cambridge move on to PS4 development rather than making another Vita title, as sad as it is to say it. And the same goes for Bend studio.

I feel their talents aren't being properly recognized due to the platform they are anchored to. I certainly wouldn't want them to close down just because the Vita isn't a massively popular platform.

Are Killzone: Mercenary and Tearaway really AAA games?

I didn't think either one had a particularly big budget nor do they seem like a big part of Sony's marketing strategy.

I mean Killzone is a relatively small franchise and Tearaway doesn't look like something that would have mass market appeal.

 

[lights]

I assume you mean big budget projects, since Sony has numerous of PSN titles announced for the Vita. And even then you're missing Freedom Wars, which is due out next year, and maybe Over My Dead Body, though I suppose that one may not be big enough for you. (Well, and Invizimals and Vita Pets, though I dunno how "big" they are either, and I suppose kids stuff "don't count".)

Yeah his comment about Sony having no Vita projects sounds like pure hyperbole.

Just from what we've heard about:

Guerilla Cambridge:

Killzone Mercenary


Media Molecule:

Tearaway


SCE Bend Studio:

Unannounced title


SCE Japan Studio:

Freedom Wars
Destiny of Spirits


Novarama:

Invizimals: The Alliance


SCE XDev Studio:

PlayStation Vita Pets


SCE Santa Monica Studio + Honeyslug:

Hohokum


SCE Santa Monica Studio + Bluepoint Games:

God of War Collection


Sony Studio Foster City + HumaNature Studios:

Doki-Doki Universe


SCEA Third Party Production:

Borderlands 2


Other games published by Sony Computer Entertainment:

Murasaki Baby
Flower
BigFest
Rime

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Are Killzone: Mercenary and Tearaway really AAA games?

I didn't think either one had a particularly big budget nor do they seem like a big part of Sony's marketing strategy.

I mean Killzone is a relatively small franchise and Tearaway doesn't look like something that would have mass market appeal.

For handheld games, absolutely. They're far ahead of every handheld game out there in terms of production values. Budget, I'm not sure of, but to achieve their level of production they most certainly aren't cheap -- they're likely significantly more expensive to produce than most handheld projects.

I'm not talking about sales potential, but rather quality.

 

[Frodo]

Are Killzone: Mercenary and Tearaway really AAA games?

I didn't think either one had a particularly big budget nor do they seem like a big part of Sony's marketing strategy.

I mean Killzone is a relatively small franchise and Tearaway doesn't look like something that would have mass market appeal.

Tearaway is the most interesting thing to grace Vita so far, in my opinion. But it doesn't seem like Sony is really pushing it as a seller, which is a shame. The game has a unique style and it looks like it uses the Vita as no game has used before. It is the game that is making me consider to buy a Vita.

 

[Jac_Solar]

A Vita with HDMI output and compability with DS4 for doing remote play in TV will be cool. It will truly be a PS4 in your pocket. Imagine going (for example) to a hotel and being able to play in your room's TV every game you want. It would be amazing.

Not sure what you mean here -- do you mean PS4 games as well? The Vita won't be able to run any PS4 games, most likely.

 

[ari]

a more smartphone oriented product would not please me, but for indie games.

I really dont know how or when indie games became a thing. But I'm already sick and tired of hearing about them. Just give me games like the ps2 era and the beginning of the wii era and not something the equivalent of a flash game or gameboy advance game.

 

[JonathanPower]

The price drop for Vita and its memory cards would have been good if Nintendo didnt release the 2DS next month. People that are on the fence to buy Vita will do it sooner or later (or now thanks to the price drop). But alas I think the market right now only supports 1 handheld for the time being. If it supported 2 then Vita would have sold gangbusters right from the start

Well, I think that a Vita model with an LCD screen, SD card support, and launched at the same price of the 3DS could have sold gangbusters right from the start.

 

[plantedunicorn]

Japanese market is small. Their buying habits are irrelevant to global trends. The psp and even the vita do pretty well over there.

It might be irrelevant globally but for a handheld like the Vita or the 3DS, Japan is probably the most important region. The PSP would not have lasted as long as it did if not for the Japanese support it kept getting.

 

[metalslimer]

Well, I think that a Vita model with an LCD screen, SD card support, and launched at the same price of the 3DS could have sold gangbusters right from the start.

No it couldn't have because Nintendo franchises are really the only thing propping up the 3ds.

 

[tim.mbp]

I'm a 3DS owner so a potential vita consumer. If sony thinks indie games and IOS ports are going to convince me to buy the handheld then they are beyond out of touch!!

As a 3DS owner who just bought a Vita, I would disagree. Indie games are nice and I like the fact that the 3DS and Vita have very little overlap.

Sony's strategy with Vita going forward is probably to give it 1 or 2 AAA, big budget releases every year (think: KZ:M / Tearaway), and then entice players who have bought into the PS+ ecosystem to grab a Vita.

1 or 2 a year seems rough, can I get 1 a quarter?

 

[Atolm]

Are Killzone: Mercenary and Tearaway really AAA games?

I didn't think either one had a particularly big budget nor do they seem like a big part of Sony's marketing strategy.

I mean Killzone is a relatively small franchise and Tearaway doesn't look like something that would have mass market appeal.

Killzone has had a 3 year development. If that is not an AAA I don't know what it is.

 

[Man God]

Nothing on the upcoming schedule excites me and if PS4 streaming doesn't engage me like the Wii U off screen play has I'm afraid 2014 will be another dust gathering year for my poor Vita.

 

[Yasumi]

Well, I think that a Vita model with an LCD screen, SD card support, and launched at the same price of the 3DS could have sold gangbusters right from the start.

But it did launch at the same price as the 3DS, initially. The 3DS price drop just happened to be announced about a month after the Vita's price was set in stone.

 

[Anticitizen One]

Vita is the best deal in gaming right now though. For $250 you get a cutting edge handheld game system and a full library of free games.

 

[RoninChaos]

But it did launch at the same price as the 3DS, initially. The 3DS price drop just happened to be announced about a month after the Vita's price was set in stone.

What kind of logical twister is this?

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

As a 3DS owner who just bought a Vita, I would disagree. Indie games are nice and I like the fact that the 3DS and Vita have very little overlap.



1 or 2 a year seems rough, can I get 1 a quarter?

Granted, that 1-2 a year is just AAA stuff...there's plenty of indie/cross platform games that will get released in the meantime.

1 a quarter would be preferable, but I doubt Sony puts the financial resources into it. 1 a quarter seems more of their PS4 goal.

 

[Harlock]

The memory card price still a big no go.

 

[Man God]

Vita is the best deal in gaming right now though. For $250 you get a cutting edge handheld game system and a full library of free games.

Err, only if you've been paying for PS+ all along. Also the price was just recently cut and you can't do squat with the system without a non included memory card.

Now if you've had PS+ the entire time since they've started Vita games and get it with the price drop and get the 32 GB card you're looking at what you described for 270. That's a lot of ifs though.

 

[Yasumi]

What kind of logical twister is this?

I misread it thinking he meant there should've been a $170 Vita model for its initial launch, in reaction to the 3DS's price drop. My mistake.

 

[Tygamr]

I can't really believe that they didn't anticipate the current market. They even acknowledged the mobile phone market in their latter day PSP ads.

The Vita was in development long before then though.

 

[oconnomiyaki]

Fruit Ninja is like five times the cost on Vita. Same deal with Plants vs Zombies. They need to fix that shit.

 

[MANGOD]

Amazon are selling a 32gb card for £39.99. I'm gonna have to bite as I want the digital goodness

 

[lights]

Amazon are selling a 32gb card for £39.99. I'm gonna have to bite as I want the digital goodness

For people who don't mind a 8GB, Currys have it going for £12.99:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/gaming...ony-ps-vita-memory-card-8gb-12338306-pdt.html

 

[jrDev]

If all their bringing us Indie and freemium games, they should've dropped the price to $100 to compete with the ouya or something...what is coming out to even push the price drop besides killzone?

 

[Metalmarc]

September 2013:

Killzone: Mercenary
FIFA 14
Atelier Meruru Plus: The Apprentice of Arland
Rayman Legends
Lone Survivor: Director's Cut
KickBeat
Cloudberry Kingdom
Atomic Ninja
Dragon Fantasy Book II
Valhalla Knights 3


October 2013:

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
WRC 4
Angry Birds Star Wars
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Invizimals: The Alliance
Gunslugs
Dragon's Crown (EU Release)


November 2013:

Tearaway
Ys: Memories of Celceta
Malicious Rebirth


December 2013:

Supermagical



2013 TBA:

1001 Spikes
A Virus Named Tom
BigFest
Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse
CounterSpy
Dead Nation
Doki Doki Universe
Fieldrunners 2
Final Fantasy X HD
Final Fantasy X-2 HD
Forgotten Memories
Frozen Synapse: Tactics
Lemmings Touch
Luftrausers
Metrico
N++
Oddworld New 'N' Tasty
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD
Olli Olli
Proteus
Rainbow Moon
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
Snapshot
Soul Saga
Starlight Inception
Stick it to The Man
Terraria
Toukiden
TxK
Worms Revolution Extreme
Zrun
Muramasa Rebirth (EU Release)
The Walking Dead (EU Release)


2014 TBA:

Assault Anroid Cactus
Avoid Droid
Borderlands 2
Cosmic Star Heroine
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Demon Gaze
Flame Over
Gravity Crash Ultra
Guns Of Icarus
Helldivers
Hohokum
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Joe Danger
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
Kick & Fennick
Murasaki Baby
PlayStation Vita Pets
Rainbow Skies
Rogue Legacy
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
The Lego Movie Videogame
Volume
Wasteland Kings


Release date TBA:


Destiny of Spirits
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z
Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Duke Nuke 3D: Megaton Edition
Fez
Flower
Football Manager Classic 2014
Freedom Wars
God of War: HD Collection
Great Little War Game
Minecraft
Road Not Taken
Mutant Mudds
Phantasy Star Online 2
Samurai Gunn
Switch Galaxy Ultra
Zone of the Enders HD Collection
VVVVVV


If this list that someone posted isnt enough then just sell your vita... Cause this bs urban legend of it not having games is retarded. I have so many i have a backlog of vita games.

It has games but nothing major apart from batman and Killzone and gow collection jump out from that list really, oh hotline 2 i guess.

 

[eyeball_kid]

What they should've done with the Vita is cross-platform compatibility with the PS3. You buy a game, you can put it on either system, much the way most vinyl records come with a digital version of the album now. This would be great for gamers like me who don't want a portable system. There's many Vita games I would've bought if I could play them on my PS3, but as I don't want a Vita, they've lost revenue and I've lost gaming experiences.

 

[Sendou]

What they should've done with the Vita is cross-platform compatibility with the PS3. You buy a game, you can put it on either system, much the way most vinyl records come with a digital version of the album now. This would be great for gamers like me who don't want a portable system. There's many Vita games I would've bought if I could play them on my PS3, but as I don't want a Vita, they've lost revenue and I've lost gaming experiences.

Maybe I'm missing something but this is already happening. Do you mean like porting Vita games to PS3?

 

[Glorified G]

How many of the upcoming ps3 games are exclusive? Most of them are multi with 360, pc or vita, but for some reason people complain only about vita.

I wonder how many people are not going to buy Call of Duty on the 360 this fall knowing there is a ps3/ps4/xboxone/WiiU sku available and the much superior PC version.

 

[TechnicPuppet]

Sony's strategy with Vita going forward is probably to give it 1 or 2 AAA, big budget releases every year (think: KZ:M / Tearaway), and then entice players who have bought into the PS+ ecosystem to grab a Vita.

PS+ will be a much bigger deal next-gen for Sony. Obviously hiding multiplayer behind a paywall guarantees that. PS4 is going to be huge when it launches. Out of the gate they are going to have a pretty massive hardcore userbase.

When that userbase sees all the free PS+ content they can grab for PS4, but also on Vita, I think it's going to sway a few minds in a "value-added" way.

At a certain point it's like, why not have a Vita as well? If you're a PS+ subscriber you're amassing tons of games you can't play because you don't own the system...but if it's cheap enough it becomes a companion device. Remote play helps as well, as does cross-play with indie titles and the like.

Exclusive Vita content needs to be more prevalent from Japanese studios, however. For one, Vita probably is going to be a bigger system than the PS4 over there so long as they can secure the right content. Secondly, Japanese studios can make AAA games cheaper on a system like Vita than on one like the PS4.

Overall people shouldn't be expecting to see too many western AAA exclusive titles built for the ground up. From a financial standpoint it doesn't make much sense, especially when those projects will sell immensely more on the PS4. It's why I hope Guerrilla Cambridge move on to PS4 development rather than making another Vita title, as sad as it is to say it. And the same goes for Bend studio.

I feel their talents aren't being properly recognized due to the platform they are anchored to. I certainly wouldn't want them to close down just because the Vita isn't a massively popular platform.

How does me buying a Vita to download free games help the Vita or Sony exactly?

 

[eyeball_kid]

Maybe I'm missing something but this is already happening. Do you mean like porting Vita games to PS3?

Right. There'd be a PS3 binary and a Vita binary, but they'd share the same basic codebase. So for instance, I'd be able to play Persona 4 Golden on the PS3. They should have thought about this as part of the Vita design (IMO).

 

[RanoNL]

Sony needs to skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.

 

[Sendou]

Right. There'd be a PS3 binary and a Vita binary, but they'd share the same basic codebase. So for instance, I'd be able to play Persona 4 Golden on the PS3. They should have thought about this as part of the Vita design (IMO).

Sounds like less reason to buy a Vita to me if that happened. It's good that they share some games but it shouldn't be every game in my opinion. Something like Tearaway wouldn't even work on PS3.

 

[eyeball_kid]

Sounds like less reason to buy a Vita to me if that happened. It's good that they share some games but it shouldn't be every game in my opinion. Something like Tearaway wouldn't even work on PS3.

Isn't most of their profit coming from the games? My point was, with more games being available for PS3, they'd get more revenue from game sales. Why make Vita and PS3 compete against each other for games by having platform exclusives? It's all part of the same company. If you want to play your games portably, cool, pick up a Vita. If not, don't. Either way, they get a sale on the game since they would work on both devices. (And obviously yes, some games wouldn't work)

 

[IvorB]

It will be a sad day if we can't have quality handheld machines like the Vita because everybody is playing Angry Birds on Galaxy phones.

 

[sugarman]

I still don't see any killer apps with the Vita

 

[IvorB]

I still don't see any killer apps with the Vita

Soul Sacrifice.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

How does me buying a Vita to download free games help the Vita or Sony exactly?

PS+ memberships, and by that time you now have a Vita and will be more likely to buy new Vita software.

 

[Wynnebeck]

Sony needs to skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.

Nintendo needs to heed this as well.

 

[Warm Machine]

It will be a sad day if we can't have quality handheld machines like the Vita because everybody is playing Angry Birds on Galaxy phones.

The cell phone controllers are pretty good and smart phone power is ever increasing. The Vita will be eclipsed in less than two years by a phone and will have controller flexibility and a good online ecosystem.

 

[HueyFreeman]

So strange. It was perfectly clear when the vita was coming out that that mobile gaming had completely changed - it was clear in the final days of the PSP.

Regardless the quality of the vita - which is high, and people can have a great experience with it - I just think the days of dedicated gaming handhelds are over, for better or for worse. And it's almost impossible to believe that Sony didn't see that when designing the vita for release. This whole "revelation" doesn't ring true to me.

 

[Anticitizen One]

Err, only if you've been paying for PS+ all along. Also the price was just recently cut and you can't do squat with the system without a non included memory card.

Now if you've had PS+ the entire time since they've started Vita games and get it with the price drop and get the 32 GB card you're looking at what you described for 270. That's a lot of ifs though.

What? Doesn't the Vita come with a memory card? I bought mine on Black friday for $200 and it had a memory card already in the system. I got PS + and have been enjoying games ever since.

 

[IvorB]

The cell phone controllers are pretty good and smart phone power is ever increasing. The Vita will be eclipsed in less than two years by a phone and will have controller flexibility and a good online ecosystem.

Problem right now is: the best games are on iOS but iPhone is useless for gaming. So this means iPad which is hardly portable. Even then the gameplay experiences that match a full fat Vita game are few and far between. My time with Android gaming would suggest it is a no-go.

I have yet to see any of these controllers that are useable and look good.

 

[Clear]

The cell phone controllers are pretty good and smart phone power is ever increasing. The Vita will be eclipsed in less than two years by a phone and will have controller flexibility and a good online ecosystem.

No it really wont.

Attaching a controller to a phone is something the mass market will not adapt to easily; its a weird counter-intuitive munging together of two very different products. Its hard to tell people to disregard the primary interface (the touch screen) of a device where that form-factor is a key selling-point.

And most importantly, the economics of the software scene on smartphones/tablets is a far more constraining factor than the power of the hardware.

The Vita, as I've suggested in the past, does have a future as a portable indie-gaming device, because its something that can be clearly marketed albeit at a niche audience, especially when acting as a "second-screen" for PS4.

 

[RSLAEV]

I still can't believe they didn't put a UMD drive on this thing. You've got psp owners in Japan who ( I assume) would have bought the Vita right off the bat if they could just stick their old games in it to play while waiting for Vita development to pick up, but somehow they thought they'd just create a whole new damn market for themselves and they'd be selling to PSP Owners, Vita Owners, PS3 Owners and eventually PS4 Owners. Oh and not only can you not use your old UMDs but we'll be charging out the butthole for the memory cards that you'll need to do *anything*

They could have used the Vita to phase out the PSP and keep what portable gaming foothold they had but they got greedy and arrogant (again)

Rip out the rear touch, add a UMD Drive for full PSP backwards compatibility, add HDMI out and I'll think about it.

edit: This is my personal desire, it probably wouldn't help save the Vita