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[patsu]

If this is the case (and some of SCEA's actions imply it could very well be) then maybe it's time Sony shakes up SCEA. It's the only market where PS3 is a distant third, and the one market where PSP never saw any kind of rebirth*.

All they need to do is to have SCEA, SCEE, and SCEJ sit at the same round table, and plan out Vita marketing properly. They should challenge each other like we do now, until they have a clean and simple picture.

If they don't do that, people like us will do it for them. 8^P

Kawano's first Heaven event, and Koller's random interview are badly planned and executed.

 

[schuelma]

The Vita is suffering in Japan mostly due to the success of the PSP. PSP games still sell really well and there hasn't been any software to drive that demand to the Vita platform.

I think that is a gross oversimplification. It lacks compelling software for the market, just like everywhere else.

 

[goldenpp72]

That's why some Vita games are buy-once-play-on-both-PS3-and-Vita (The other version is essentially free). ^_^ I like it !

Koller should also highlight exclusive Vita games.

Which games exist where you buy one and the other is free?

 

[jman2050]

I think that is a gross oversimplification. It lacks compelling software for the market, just like everywhere else.

The bigger problem seems to be that it's not getting any of that software any time soon.

 

[patsu]

Which games exist where you buy one and the other is free?

Go to the PS store (PS3 or Vita) and see for yourself !
Or you can google.

That's why Sony marketing sucks @_@
Everyone hears the bad news, but not the good news.

 

[coldfoot]

This is the upcoming lineup of titles funded by SCEA for Vita:

Sly: Thieves in Time
Guaccamelee
Sound Shapes
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Warrior's Lair

Tell me if you see something in common.

Spoiler

They're all also on PS3.

I was eating guacamole while reading this post...

 

[goldenpp72]

Go to the PS store (PS3 or Vita) and see for yourself !
Or you can google.

That's why Sony marketing sucks @_@
Everyone hears the bad news, but not the good news.

A link would be helpful, I'm curious what ones can be played, as so far, things like sly 4, or battle royale, seem to require a double purchase, and I can't think of a lot of note worthy ps3 games that have released on vita so far.

 

[Agent X]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I have no problem at all with portable conversions of home console games...as long as they're faithful renditions. I don't want some watered-down garbage with huge amounts of content missing. If it's going to bear the same name, then it should be the same game.

I also like the fact that games like Sly 4 and PASBR have cross-compatibility with the PS3 versions. If they're going to bother producingl the same game on both systems, then they really ought to do this as much as they can.

I do also believe there's a need to balance the library out with a good selection of original games that you can't get anywhere else. I don't know if you're going to see very much of these at retail, but maybe it's time for gamers to start looking toward the downloadable space.

Fun fact: there is literally not one retail Vita title scheduled for release in the US in between Lego Batman 2 (June 19) and Ragnarok Odyssey (August 21). At least Sound Shapes is in that window...

Well, that's awful. Although many of us here are astute enough to follow the market for downloadable games, I have a hunch that some people could become highly irritated if there's nothing new on store shelves in the span of two months.

Sony may want to consider selling downloadable vouchers in the stores for games like Jet Set Radio, Sound Shapes, and Retro City Rampage. Yeah, I know that some stores already sell vouchers, but perhaps they should take it a step further, put them in the little blue PS Vita boxes, and display them alongside the game cards. Of course, they also need to clearly label the packages to identify the contents as vouchers and not cartridge media. They tried this with the initial release of Patapon 2 for PSP, and even Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for PS3 got this treatment. I don't know how successful those experiments were, but if they had any success at all then maybe it's a good time to revive the idea.

 

[Man God]

The Vita is suffering in Japan mostly due to the success of the PSP. PSP games still sell really well and there hasn't been any software to drive that demand to the Vita platform.

I don't think this is all that true anymore as the PSP is really starting to wind down in Japan.

 

[Takao]

the problem is, like a lot of Sony's consumer electronics, that while I'm sure it's a high quality and ambitiously designed product, it's targeted at a market that no longer exists.

As much of a disaster as it would make the Vita look like, I think the smart move would be to quietly kill the system and no longer waste any resources (potentially diverting them away from PS3 and PS4) on it.

I don't really know how much resources are being diverted. SCEJ is only going to get worse with the move to stronger hardware so that's a write off, and studios like Sony Bend don't want to get big to actually tackle console games.

How are things any better in Japan?

SCEJ and SCEA Vita's problems are similar but different. It all eventually comes down to games, but the difference is key. SCEJ can't get any big name games because they're almost all on 3DS and only on 3DS. SCEA can get some big name games, if they're ports of ones on PS3. SCEJ's situation is actually worse than SCEA's but at the same time I feel confident that they'd be able to turn it around eventually simply because they seem to care about the platform. SCEA on the other hand has no confidence from me.

1) Because a portable version would be nice. But because:
2) They don't strangle-hold third parties to bundle their handheld port with the console version it's a question of:
3) Why should I pay $350 + whatever for the memory card in addition to paying TWICE for the same damn game just to game on the go when I already own a PS3?

"We're targeting PS3 owners," that's nice, but I'm not buying a $350 controller just to play Marvel on the go.

I haven't been following SCE's bundles, because half their stuff doesn't appeal to me. But I do know those three you listed were bundled. What else has been bundled? Wipeout HD+Fury and Wipeout PSP2 would be nice to have as a bundle for the sake of the Wipeout HD maps being cross-play online, but that isn't a bundle.

Strangling third parties into bundles would (IMO, can't say if it's true) kick-start support because just look at the 1-3 above. Why should I buy the system for PS3 ports if I'm buying the same damn game TWICE for that purpose? I'm not going to do that, and third parties should know that. Sony needs to MANDATE a bundle because it's the only way they're going to get horses like me to drink from their PSP2 river.

I'm not against bundles, but I don't think their strategy should solely be one of ports with bundles.

Oh, and by the way in the future WipEout 2048 (Vita game) owners will indeed get the tracks from WipEout HD and Furry for free granted they own the games on PS3. That was announced prior to launch, and Liverpool hinted it's coming soon.

 

[patsu]

A link would be helpful, I'm curious what ones can be played, as so far, things like sly 4, or battle royale, seem to require a double purchase, and I can't think of a lot of note worthy ps3 games that have released on vita so far.

It's all over the place. That's the problem !

That's why Sony should not rely on hardware marketing. May be this is the digital marketing folks' problem too. But they should just appoint 1 guy to handle the overall hardware and software (digital or retail) marketing.

If you look at Takao's list, SoundShapes is one of them (coz it's a day 1 for me). You pay once and play it on PS3 or Vita anytime.


Perhaps, Shuhei is able to communicate Vita's goodness better because he's a contents/software guy.

 

[grimshawish]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw6OwJQDCoM&feature=related

 

[Bgamer90]

Like the PSP before it, Koller says that the Vita currently "over-indexes" for an "urban" population, which translates, from marketing speak, to the fact that, in America, the Vita is exceptionally popular with black and Latino gamers who live in cities.

LOL, hilarious.

Looks like Sony doesn't get the portable gaming market at all.

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

I get the feeling that SCEA is just banking on the holidays to pull them out of this rut. It is possible there are a lot of retail releases at that time even if some are ports of PS3, however, AC3 Liberation bundle could be a big deal for people. Not to mention having exclusive games of the two biggest 3rd party games on the system has to help. However, none of that is enough without a price cut. They need to get this thing to $199 before November, even better if they can sell that AC3 bundle for $199.

10 million still sounds like a reach, but if that really is the goal then they have to HAVE TO be planning a price cut this year. No other way.

 

[Thoraxes]

Which games exist where you buy one and the other is free?

Portal 2.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I don't really know how much resources are being diverted. SCEJ is only going to get worse with the move to stronger hardware so that's a write off, and studios like Sony Bend don't want to get big to actually tackle console games.

Not sure exactly how Sony is structured, but I wonder if they could move some of the smaller teams to Mini/Mobile/PSSuite stuff, and move some of the stronger teams together to work on next gen stuff.

 

[outunderthestars]

I don't think this is all that true anymore as the PSP is really starting to wind down in Japan.

15 of the top 50 games in Japan last week were PSP games....

 

[goldenpp72]

It's all over the place. That's the problem !

That's why Sony should not rely on hardware marketing. May be this is the digital marketing folks' problem too. But they should just appoint 1 guy to handle the overall hardware and software (digital or retail) marketing.

If you look at Takao's list, SoundShapes is one of them (coz it's a day 1 for me). You pay once and play it on PS3 or Vita anytime.


Perhaps, Shuhei is able to communicate Vita's goodness better because he's a contents/software guy.

You simplify the problem by being consistent, not all over the place. Make it so all first party ps3 games are also free downloads on Vita if applicable, and you solve the problem for people like me. I would have kept my vita if I knew that any ps3 game I buy would also allow me to enable playing it on the road. This would aid sony for someone like me as well, as I plan on buying jet set radio on xbla, but had it been on ps3 and vita without the need to buy it twice? No brainer.

Portal 2.

Portal 2 on my Vita? That would have been pretty fun! Too bad you mean playing on the pc which is pointless to me. The prospect of playing on a big tv or a portable device is pretty drastic change, going from ps3 to computer monitor, not so much.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

The main thing is that it's a portable system for core-games. Believe it or not, that's what makes Vita different. Neither mobile systems or 3DS can do do justice to core console games, and Vita can. It also has a great online service. The portable competition can't touch Sony on PSN (unless MS or Valve step in...).

Ignoring (legitimate) cost concerns, are gamers really against this idea?

It's one of those situations where devs say 'we'll wait and see' then gamers say 'we'll wait and see' and then not much comes out for it and it dies. Also, some of the best games for it have been digital-only so they have no retail presence at all like Motorstorm RC, Super Stardust, etc which I'm sure doesn't help.

What I love about the machine, it has the potential to do any type of game, and the power to back it up - on paper, it's the best handheld ever made. It's a shame most people don't see it that way. Still, it just doesn't feel to me like Sony are putting their full push behind it - I wonder if Father_Brain is right about a divide between Sony JP and US as in, SCEA isn't really interested in pushing it.

Even the 'big' games use their B-teams, the marketing stinks, and they didn't even bother showing anything about it in their E3 conference, which has been discussed to death. I wonder if it's just a relic of 'Old Sony' and they're gonna start positioning it as a PS3-companion device and not much more (going by the Vita/LBP2 connectivity thing in their conference + the doubling up of ps3/vita games coming up).

I still wonder how they hell they projected those millions of Vita's sold given the current sales figures.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

I'm not saying they aren't, but this is just PR. I'm sure Sega PR reps were saying the same things up to the day the Dreamcast died.

I get the PR thing but this is a little different. Dreamcast was under a black cloud cast by the 3 preceding failed Sega boxes. The Vita isn't in a situation as desperate as that...not even close.

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

Even the 'big' games use their B-teams....

I would love to see a legit Naughty Dog or Sucker Punch Vita title.

 

[patsu]

You simplify the problem by being consistent, not all over the place. Make it so all first party ps3 games are also free downloads on Vita if applicable, and you solve the problem for people like me. I would have kept my vita if I knew that any ps3 game I buy would also allow me to enable playing it on the road. This would aid sony for someone like me as well, as I plan on buying jet set radio on xbla, but had it been on ps3 and vita without the need to buy it twice? No brainer.

Yeah... They have to agree, plan, budget, and package it properly to get the ball rolling, and communicate it clearly and loudly. Spelling it out in PS blog articles is not marketing. It's just copywriting.

Portal 2 on my Vita? That would have been pretty fun! Too bad you mean playing on the pc which is pointless to me. The prospect of playing on a big tv or a portable device is pretty drastic change, going from ps3 to computer monitor, not so much.

You'll be surprised. I'll repeat here. Playing on Vita can be more entertaining/cozy than playing on a bigscreen TV or a monitor. I have tried all of them. Being able to play in bed, or anywhere, is a big plus. This is why many people are watching TV/movies on iPad these days. It's a hassle to rush home to play sometimes.

 

[goldenpp72]

I get the PR thing but this is a little different. Dreamcast was under a black cloud cast by the 3 preceding failed Sega boxes. The Vita isn't in a situation as desperate as that...not even close.

In my mind it's in a much worse position than that. Sega at least managed to make the system desirable to over 10 million people by releasing good, exclusive games on it. The Vita does not win on any angle right now. If you want little mini game downloads, most of us have a smart phone for that, if you want to play core or awesome games? Somehow, the 3ds has managed to best the Vita even there. Resident evil, Super mario land 3d, mario kart, luigis mansion, mario tennis, paper mario, new mario bros 2, kid icarus, download games like pushmo, virtual console portable, etc, all manage to fulfill gaming needs the vita is not.

Kid icarus was the first step in me selling my Vita, as much as the Vita hardware absolutely pisses on the 3ds (god is it beautiful), that game made me realize something, the Vita will likely never have a game this interesting, big, or unique. Oddly, the game would work BETTER on the vita than it did on the 3ds from a control perspective. Instead, Vita has a decent looking gravity rush, and uncharted golden abyss? Games like wipeout, hot shots, and a bunch of ports don't exactly make people rush out and buy your platform.

Unfortunately, uncharted is probably the only reason the system even saw signs of life in the US, right now the Vita has to compete with an onslaught from Nintendo in retail, and an even bigger onslaught from phone competitors like google and apple on the download space. However, sony has shown its platform is a weird mutant, potentially amazing at everything, but even the company that output the device has shown almost no future support for it in games. Does sony have one announced Vita exclusive hitting retail in 2012 from here on? It's the first parties job to either make the games, or buy out the support to show what your system can do. It's not in other companies best interest to splinter the market more and more, it's sonys job to powerhouse their system. Instead they lose games like monster hunter and don't bother pressing for games like resident evil, while replacing them with.. nothing. The vita launch is almost identical to the psp launch, but this time the PS brand is hardly as relevant and the future support much more bleak, as well as far harder competition.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

This is just sad. The writing was on the wall for the last year (basically), but it's sad to see the ugliness actually become a reality for the Vita.

I'm sitting here enjoying the hell out of Gravity Rush, and I'm wondering, how in the hell could I even of considered getting Good People Die/Time Travelers on the 3DS over Vita? Then I come back to reality and see the negative path Vita is going down, and now I know why the back of my mind keeps on saying "3DS version"*.

*Just to clarify, I'll still be buying the Vita versions (assuming the content is the same) as long as the 3DS versions don't have some revolutionary streetpass content/3D is amazing.

 

[Takao]

Which games exist where you buy one and the other is free?

Sony published titles:
Hustle Kings
MotorStorm RC
Sound Shapes
Top Darts
When Vikings Attack
WipEout 2048 (you'll get HD/Fury DLC for free eventually)

Third parties:
Foosball 2012

Retail wise MLB 12: The Show had a $20 discount when someone bought both the PS3 and Vita SKU. Games like Sly, Warrior's Lair and PSABR will probably have the same happen to them. Guccamelee is PSN so that might also have the buy once get both.

 

[AniHawk]

Like the PSP before it, Koller says that the Vita currently "over-indexes" for an "urban" population, which translates, from marketing speak, to the fact that, in America, the Vita is exceptionally popular with black and Latino gamers who live in cities.

this makes me wonder if this is the reason why they had that marcus campaign for the psp and only the psp.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I would love to see a legit Naughty Dog or Sucker Punch Vita title.

Which I think is part of the problem.

Naughty Dog, at least, does not seem to want to make a Vita title. A lot of western studios see handhelds below them. A lot of Sony's best studios are western.

 

[jett]

Well this is nothing but spin. Maybe Sony really is glad with how the Vita turned out as Koller says, but I seriously doubt it.

 

[outunderthestars]

this makes me wonder if this is the reason why they had that marcus campaign for the psp and only the psp.

They also had the Hispanic dirtballs, and the black squirrels.

 

[Father_Brain]

this makes me wonder if this is the reason why they had that marcus campaign for the psp and only the psp.

For what it's worth, I did see more people playing PSP on the subways near Harlem when I lived there than in other parts of NYC.

I didn't think much of it at the time, though, and it might have just been me.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

In my mind it's in a much worse position than that. Sega at least managed to make the system desirable to over 10 million people by releasing good, exclusive games on it. The Vita does not win on any angle right now. If you want little mini game downloads, most of us have a smart phone for that, if you want to play core or awesome games? Somehow, the 3ds has managed to best the Vita even there. Resident evil, Super mario land 3d, mario kart, luigis mansion, mario tennis, paper mario, new mario bros 2, kid icarus, download games like pushmo, virtual console portable, etc, all manage to fulfill gaming needs the vita is not.

Kid icarus was the first step in me selling my Vita, as much as the Vita hardware absolutely pisses on the 3ds (god is it beautiful), that game made me realize something, the Vita will likely never have a game this interesting, big, or unique. Oddly, the game would work BETTER on the vita than it did on the 3ds from a control perspective. Instead, Vita has a decent looking gravity rush, and uncharted golden abyss? Games like wipeout, hot shots, and a bunch of ports don't exactly make people rush out and buy your platform.

Unfortunately, uncharted is probably the only reason the system even saw signs of life in the US, right now the Vita has to compete with an onslaught from Nintendo in retail, and an even bigger onslaught from phone competitors like google and apple on the download space. However, sony has shown its platform is a weird mutant, potentially amazing at everything, but even the company that output the device has shown almost no future support for it in games. Does sony have one announced Vita exclusive hitting retail in 2012 from here on? It's the first parties job to either make the games, or buy out the support to show what your system can do. It's not in other companies best interest to splinter the market more and more, it's sonys job to powerhouse their system. Instead they lose games like monster hunter and don't bother pressing for games like resident evil, while replacing them with.. nothing. The vita launch is almost identical to the psp launch, but this time the PS brand is hardly as relevant and the future support much more bleak, as well as far harder competition.

A. In no way would Kid Icarus control better on Vita.
B. Gravity Rush is just as big, innovative, and unique as Kid Icarus (IMO).

Everything else I pretty much agree with/don't have a problem with.

 

[Agent X]

Sony published titles:
Hustle Kings
MotorStorm RC
Sound Shapes
Top Darts
When Vikings Attack
WipEout 2048 (you'll get HD/Fury DLC for free eventually)

Third parties:
Foosball 2012

Retail wise MLB 12: The Show had a $20 discount when someone bought both the PS3 and Vita SKU. Games like Sly, Warrior's Lair and PSABR will probably have the same happen to them. Guccamelee is PSN so that might also have the buy once get both.

For third-party games, there's also The Pinball Arcade, and Zen Pinball 2 when that comes out.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Which I think is part of the problem.

Naughty Dog, at least, does not seem to want to make a Vita title. A lot of western studios see handhelds below them. A lot of Sony's best studios are western.

I guess that's the difference - Sony has these 'first party' studios but can't actually push them to make games for particular platforms, unlike Nintendo.

Also can't blame other people for not really investing in the platform when the platform owner doesn't really seem to be going all out to promote it.

 

[AniHawk]

They also had the Hispanic dirtballs, and the black squirrels.

they created that first one and wrote almost 4 minutes of material for it. jesus.

and that second one is about as good as that one mcdonalds banner.

 

[outunderthestars]

they created that first one and wrote almost 4 minutes of material for it. jesus.

and that second one is about as good as that one mcdonalds banner.

There are about 4 minutes of the black squirrel ones too. I always thought they should have gotten more grief for that campaign.

 

[goldenpp72]

A. In no way would Kid Icarus control better on Vita.
B. Gravity Rush is just as big, innovative, and unique as Kid Icarus (IMO).

Everything else I pretty much agree with/don't have a problem with.

Kid icarus would have benefited in its design phase by having 2 analog sticks in my opinion. While the 3ds scheme allows for nice precision, I would see myself really enjoying the flight segments using the rear touch pad to aim, and the option for dual analog control or using the same analog/touch pad to aim would have worked pretty well, it would also have looked infinitely better. This might work better in my head than in practice though, but I see the potential.

Gravity rush I played the demo of and was pretty happy with it, but it seemed like a game that would not stick with me as very memorable, despite being unique. It was however the most interesting looking Vita title in 2012. Mostly because nothing else looks interesting, gravity rush and monkey ball were the only ones on my list.

 

[elcapitan]

Sony needs to whip their first parties into making exclusive Vita content and prove to third-parties that Vita is a viable platform. The negative feedback loop of waiting for more software vs bigger install base can only be solved with a significant first-party push. I wonder if Sony has any Vita projects under wraps or if they're content with making multiplat titles.

In my opinion, Sony should launch a Vita-exclusive Socom. It'll be a good chance to rebirth the franchise and show off the system's network features.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Sony needs to whip their first parties into making exclusive Vita content and prove to third-parties that Vita is a viable platform. The negative feedback loop of waiting for more software vs bigger install base can only be solved with a significant first-party push. I wonder if Sony has any Vita projects under wraps or if they're content with making multiplat titles.

I think if they were going to do that, we'd know about it by now.

 

[Takao]

In my opinion, Sony should launch a Vita-exclusive Socom. It'll be a good chance to rebirth the franchise and show off the system's network features.

Sony shut down the studio that created Socom earlier this year after launching the Vita exclusive Unit 13.

 

[ProfessorMoran]

He says vita has a strong fall lineup then lists a slew of ps3 port, how fucking stupid can Sony be? I want original experiences!

Did you get Gravity Rush?

 

[Foffy]

"Let there be no mistake," he said. "This is console gaming on the go. And that's what almost every consumer has said when they come in: I need to see a game that to me makes me feel as if this is a console game on the go. And that is really how it will be sold as we go forward."

This fucking thing is doomed. This mentality is what killed the PSP outside of Japan.

 

[goldenpp72]

Sony published titles:
Hustle Kings
MotorStorm RC
Sound Shapes
Top Darts
When Vikings Attack
WipEout 2048 (you'll get HD/Fury DLC for free eventually)

Third parties:
Foosball 2012

Retail wise MLB 12: The Show had a $20 discount when someone bought both the PS3 and Vita SKU. Games like Sly, Warrior's Lair and PSABR will probably have the same happen to them. Guccamelee is PSN so that might also have the buy once get both.

So a few small dlc games, and one retail title with the dlc coming at some point in time (in which case, the content wipeout 2048 gains is from a psn title), and the ability to pay 20 dollars on top of 60 to play one game on 2 devices, is what the Vita currently offers. No one sees a problem with that business model?

Forcing people to pay twice to play one game is something you might get away with as a feature at best, as something that is meant to justify an entire system, you'll find this is not something most will buy a platform for. Worse yet, what happens when a PS4 hits and the Vita can no longer reasonably cross the games on a visual level? Sony needs to be offering exclusive function and games to the system now, and throughout 2013 and beyond in order to make this thing survive.

 

[elcapitan]

Sony shut down the studio that created Socom earlier this year after launching the Vita exclusive Unit 13.

I know, but they haven't made a good Socom since 2.

 

[OldJadedGamer]

Which I think is part of the problem.

Naughty Dog, at least, does not seem to want to make a Vita title. A lot of western studios see handhelds below them. A lot of Sony's best studios are western.

I never thought of that but that is very true.

 

[outunderthestars]

I know, but they haven't made a good Socom since 2.

Have you played Unit 13? They also have Resistance and Killzone on the platform. How many first part shooters does a platform need in the first year?

Which I think is part of the problem.

Naughty Dog, at least, does not seem to want to make a Vita title. A lot of western studios see handhelds below them. A lot of Sony's best studios are western.

I really don't think the vast majority of consumers know which studios make the games they enjoy. It's the franchise that matters, not the developers.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

Hopefully it starts performing. I would hate to see it die off I love it and have been more than happy with the games available. I don't know if people only have vita and nothing else but I have no time for 5 games a month or whatever. I have ps3, 360 and pc that I play games on too.

I have bought 7 vita games and 9 psp games and I've only finished rayman, sotn, and mutant blobs. I can't complain with people wanting more games but I'm not going to jump on the "vita got no games!" bandwagon when it doesn't apply

 

[goldenpp72]

Have you played Unit 13? They also have Resistance and Killzone on the platform. How many first part shooters does a platform need in the first year?



I really don't think the vast majority of consumers know which studios make the games they enjoy. It's the franchise that matters, not the developers.

It's more important to get relevant shooters than mediocre ones (which unit 13 and resistance would be viewed as by most). Call of duty is one Vita wild card that could work out if handled correctly.

Hopefully it starts performing. I would hate to see it die off I love it and have been more than happy with the games available. I don't know if people only have vita and nothing else but I have no time for 5 games a month or whatever. I have ps3, 360 and pc that I play games on too.

I have bought 7 vita games and 9 psp games and I've only finished rayman, sotn, and mutant blobs. I can't complain with people wanting more games but I'm not going to jump on the "vita got no games!" bandwagon when it doesn't apply

SOTN is available on ps1, ps3 and xbla, most of us have beaten that game to death, but having it on the go is cool. Rayman while amazing, is also available on every system on the planet in glorious 1080p, and importantly, co op if you have a friend or lover. That leaves mutant blob which I think is exclusive (and has been there since day one if I recall). If the Vitas main perk is that it can impress people who have barely played games before, I suppose that could work on some people.

 

[theBishop]

It's one of those situations where devs say 'we'll wait and see' then gamers say 'we'll wait and see' and then not much comes out for it and it dies. Also, some of the best games for it have been digital-only so they have no retail presence at all like Motorstorm RC, Super Stardust, etc which I'm sure doesn't help.

What I love about the machine, it has the potential to do any type of game, and the power to back it up - on paper, it's the best handheld ever made. It's a shame most people don't see it that way. Still, it just doesn't feel to me like Sony are putting their full push behind it - I wonder if Father_Brain is right about a divide between Sony JP and US as in, SCEA isn't really interested in pushing it.

Even the 'big' games use their B-teams, the marketing stinks, and they didn't even bother showing anything about it in their E3 conference, which has been discussed to death. I wonder if it's just a relic of 'Old Sony' and they're gonna start positioning it as a PS3-companion device and not much more (going by the Vita/LBP2 connectivity thing in their conference + the doubling up of ps3/vita games coming up).

I still wonder how they hell they projected those millions of Vita's sold given the current sales figures.

I don't buy that SCEA isn't pushing it. Golden Abyss is the biggest production on Vita by a big margin. Assassin's Creed Liberation is almost certainly the biggest 3rd party exclusivity deal. If it's not, then Call of Duty probably is. So SCEA is a pretty big factor in Vita's success.

SCEJ is definitely getting behind it with two full-budget new franchises (Gravity Daze, and Soul Sacrifice). SCEA hasn't been quite that aggressive, but they're still pushing the system in a way that makes sense.

As for the "B-Team" thing, I think we saw on PSP that some smaller studios rise to the occasion. Nobody gave a crap about Sony Bend, and nobody had heard of Ready at Dawn before PSP. Naughty Dog is a huge team with a production workflow around pushing PS3 as far as it can go. I'd love to see Naughty Dog make a Vita game, but Vita needs teams who are going to stick with the platform for its life cycle. We definitely saw with Metal Gear and God of War on PSP that the 2nd and 3rd generation games brought substantial improvements.

 

[mujun]

Are people seriously happy with portable versions of PS3 games or are they just happier with that than they are with nothing at all?

Seems to me that the Vita would be much more awesome with it's own unique games and that Sony would also be able to avoid cannibalizing their sales by having unique games for both systems.

I also don't understand how people can bitch and moan about nothing new at say, an E3 press conference and then go on to be excited when a portable version of LBP Karting or something like that gets announced.

 

[Father_Brain]

I really don't think the vast majority of consumers know which studios make the games they enjoy. It's the franchise that matters, not the developers.

Which to some extent is definitely true, but Sony has rarely even attempted to market handheld titles as "real" entries in their respective franchises, regardless of their actual quality.