What bothers me the most is the software and I'm not talking about the games. Both the Vita and 3DS are modern hardware ruined by clunky, outdated and awful designed 2004-ish software. As multimedia platforms they're useless. People that keep saying, "It's a gaming device first and foremost!" What complete and utter rubbish. Both have video/music player browser and some other apps so it's more than fair to treat them as multimedia devices otherwise they wouldn't have added such features. Half-arsed attempts are not an excuse! If you think console apps on the 360 and PS3 are puke-inducing bad, oh boy, are you in for a surprise. I know Sony and Nintendo aren't software companies but how on earth is it even possible to make apps worse on a device with touch screen compatibilities compared to gamepad controlled ones. It sure takes talent to do so.
Also, it's almost 2013, nobody wants a "one-purpose-device", especially when there are tablets out there like the Nexus 7 for 200 bucks. Granted, you don't built a device like the Vita overnight and it took at least 2 years of development from Pre-Production (researching, planning, predicting future trends etc.) to the final product. As soon as new console hardware ships people already starting with the next gen development. But what makes it so baffling is that Sony is in the smartphone & tablet market and they have several years of experience in those fields so this is inexcusable! I read in some other thread that these devices like the tablets, Ipod touch and Vita don't compete against each other, at least that's what most of gaf said. Well, Apple has a whole section on their Ipod store page dedicated to gaming where they pride themselves of having created the
best selling portable "game player" and I'm seriously considering replacing my second gen ipod touch with the 5g and selling my Vita. I can guarantee you that I'm not the only one who thinks that way. So take that as you will.
For starters, you contradict yourself severely in these paragraphs.
Secondly, of course Apple praises their device as "the best portable game player"--it's their device! Any gamer worth their salt will tell you that 95% of the gaming software on iOS is crap, and, of the decent 5%, 4% of them are hampered by the touch-only interface. The proof of all this can be evidenced by the nearly complete lack of "hardcore" games that come to the platform (um, Rayman Jungle Run, anyone?).
Third, smartphones require a cell carrier's subsidy to be even remotely affordable to the mass market, and, even then, you're looking at a minimum monthly spend of $90 (phone plan + data plan) just to be able to use the device at its potential. Until Vita/3DS carry these requirements, they're not competing devices. Who gives a shit about truck-loads of $1 shovelware when you're paying almost $100 a month just to access them???
Yes, many arguments can be lobbied against the overall demand for dedicated portable gaming devices by the mass market, especially since iOS devices have become the new home for cheap shovelware that the mass market flocks to, rather than the Nintendo DS. However, as portable gaming devices go, there's nothing that even comes close to rivaling the Vita in terms of horsepower, controls, and features; so, let's not start discounting the Vita as an awesome gaming device.
Also, try spending some time with the Vita's UI without your iOS-colored glasses, and you might just see the truth: the Vita's interface is built around providing the best gaming experiences possible, which is why it mimics and, in some cases, rivals the features of services like XBox LIVE, Steam, and PSN. Persistent friends list, Cloud saves, cross-game chat, party chat, in-game Skype, custom soundtracks, auto-updating "Live Area", cross-game texting, full-fledged Trophy system, background downloading, multi-tasking, screenshots, location based gifting (Near), etc. What the hell else do you want for your
gaming device, man?
I get so frustrated by all the Vita hate b/c, quite frankly, it's pretty much a gamer's dream come true for handheld gaming. Heck, not even the 3DS gets this much hate, and it's antiquated hardware built around gimmicky features that even Nintendo barely support, and its future software library in the US looks about as dim as I've ever seen. I have a 3DS XL, and I can't even think of any future "must-have" games until 2013... yet I look forward to playing my Vita every friggin' day.
