Ben-DutkaThe PlayStation Vita has been warmly received by both journalists and gamers alike, but the base $249 price tag may be cause for concern.
And according to Lyle Hall and Matthew Seymour at Heavy Iron Studios, the Vita is destined for hard times. They told GamesIndustry.biz that gamers aren't willing to shell out the big cash for a handheld game device.
"If people aren't willing to pay $249 for a Nintendo 3DS why would they pay $299 for Vita? People don't want to carry more than one thing in their pocket, that's why Android and iPhone have done so well, they are the devices of choice, they offers multiple functions outside of gaming."
Seymour, who has work experience at 2K Games and Microsoft Game Studios, took things a step further by simply saying the Vita launch will be a "car wreck." He also mentioned the Xperia Play, implying that it hasn't been successful. As of now, the Nintendo 3DS has fallen in price and has suffered from a lack of available titles, so everyone has concerns about the Vita. Hall says the biggest problem is that consumers just don't want a device that "only does games."
"The consumer has spoken. We wanted to see that world exist – more players, more opportunities for us, but at the same time people don't want that. Unless there's a super technology paradigm shift it's not going to shift back."
*If* they include a usable browser that support modern standard technologies (including html5 and flash) as well as a virtual machine running Android, well then we definitely are starting to talk here. But this is one major parade of IFs.
Also, I'm not convinced that the market will be persuaded even if what we sketch here becomes reality. Cause even then it's still not much they can't already do on their current mobile phone.
I guess all we can do is wait and see!
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/16/2011 1:19:18 PM
But, beamboom, you're still talking about Vita as if it has to be a smartphone device. There is a whole laundry list of things it can do whether it has Android capability or not. Some things may depend on the capability of the browser, but there's still that long list of things it can do without the browser. There was a statement that the Vita is game only, when it clearly is not. It's a viable media player, camera and gaming device that is more convenient and functional than a pad or tablet in many ways and with a better screen size than smartphones. Everything else is gravy.
It is a big difference in accessing something via a browser interface and a native app. Not so much technically as to how the public perceive things. I'd almost say it doesn't count.
You could say that with Vita – if a decent browser is included – you got an encyclopedia via Wikipedia, an office suite through Google Documents, a calendar app through Google Calendar, your email through your employers webmail interface etc. But it just aint the same. neither will the general public think it is the same.
Regarding the rest of your laundry 😉 let's right away exclude everything that has to do with gaming. There is not a shadow of doubt in my mind that the Vita will be an *amazing* game console. My worry is if that is enough for todays market.
If we look at the PSP I'd say that is a device only usable for gaming. Sure, it had the technical capability of being more, but in reality those capabilities were so poorly executed that it made the device what I'd call a pure gaming device.
A few years ago you could find me at a cafe using the psp to check out my employers message board. It did happen once or twice. But that was before Android – and it was a friggin' hazzle. It would never happen today.
I am *worried* that the same will be the case with the Vita. I may be wrong! Noone knows yet. Maybe Sony has really made a killer environment on the Vita. But I do have my serious doubts.
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/16/2011 2:54:19 PM
I completely disagree with you about the notion that browser based apps are somehow perceived as not as good as discrete apps. More and more people are using their browser as the primary tool for basic tasks. When your data is already online, and you are working on it online, you use a browser based app, not a discrete app. Think the photo editors for online photo sites as an example, or Google's Office apps. These things are browser based. Obviously it depends on the capability of the browser. But I refute the notion that because an app is browser based it somehow counts for less.
I also disagree with you about that PSP being only for games. I use mine on the move for games, pictures and music. The smartphone is used to browse because it's obviously a more powerful devices than the 6 year old PSP. But that 6 year old device destroys the smartphone for games.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 8/16/2011 2:51:02 PM
"using their browser as the primary tool" -> on their PCs/tablets, yes, but not on their small handheld devices with a screen comparable to the Vita – in effect iPhone, SE Arc & co! That is a *significant* difference. I am however worried that Sony think the exact same way as you do. And if so, they will fail. That is my prediction.
But yes, I love my PSP games and I fully expect the Vita to be an *amazing* games machine – just like the PSP has been. All I say is that I doubt it is enough for the mass market. I'd love to be proven wrong though.
… But dude… If you use your PSP as a mp3 player then you are a more serious case of nerd than I expected. 😉
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/16/2011 3:06:04 PM
I have my PSP with me for my games, I'm not going to kill my phone's battery by making it play music, so the PSP handles it, plus it doesn't need speakers or headphones. Great for relaxation music overnight and such.
Man it warms my heart to see you still use the PSP that much. I used to do the same. I really did love that little buddy. Before a holiday I would fill it up with new episodes of a favourite radio panel game series of mine, "Just A Minute" from BBC and listen to them underneath an exotic sun.
Today, wherever I am I just use my mobile and connect to the streamcast sent from my apartment (stream beatradar com:8007). Not as cosy. Just a lot easier. 🙂
Here's hoping that prior to launch something about the Vita is revealed that will make me go "omfg, *THAT* is pretty darn awesome!1!111!!".
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/17/2011 7:18:37 AM
one thing sony could do to make the vita really solid is allow access to the android store and make it compatible with the apps.
have good cross compatibility support between the playstation phone.
that way the playstation phone would be what it should of been!
id buy it in a heartbeat if it had the hardware a iphone 4 had!
add android capability, then your basically opening up the device to endless capabilities!
one thing we REALLY need is a find my vita app.
thats the best thing about the iphone, and is why its so popular, simply because its limits are only set by the apps store.
open the vita up to the android market and your opening it up to a whole new world, and a whole new use!
not only is it now a gaming device, but its now also like a mini tablet.
i doubt they would do that, but if they did, it would literally cement the vita for the next few years!
allot of people are saying dedicated handheld devices are dead, they cant compete with smartphones.
well, what better way to deal with that, then to work with them?
You'd have to pry my PSP from my cold dead hand before I'd give it up….until I get my Vita of course…LOL!
Mr. Underline,
There's one thing I hope that Sony does, but after the issues with the PS3 I heavily doubt they will do, and that is allow Android to run in a virtual machine so that it can do exactly as you're suggesting. That's one of the things that BeamBoom and I are talking about, but I honestly think that the impact of the hacking on the PS3 will limit the possibility of that happening to about a 0.1% chance.
Yeah with the news that the Vita will have Facebook accessibility via a PSN store app the chances of an Android engine just dropped to *zero*.
It ain't gonna happen.
I think they fail to see the Vita might become the *true* extension to your home gaming. If they really push on that dual release of PS3/Vita titles then they will rule the UNIVERSE! 😀 And now with autocloud you don't even need to bother uploading your saves (if you are a plus member).
The mobile devices blow. I am using my phone for text/google maps/call people/agenda. Anymore than that is stupid and just drains the battery life too much. That is why a real second gaming device is needed. I have the 3DS at the moment but I feel its days are numbered as the Vita is coming closer. In the end my 3DS will be my pokemon/mario platform while I'll be able to play my *real* games on vita with full trophy support 😀 (yes I am a trophy hoar lol)
Not to mention the Vita will blow any phone away in specs when it comes out. We will probably have to wait till Iphone 7 for similar specs and still it won't be a dedicated gaming machine and won't have real *controls* (and anyone who says he will carry a bluetooth controller to play his iphone can go die cuz I will never put my iphone on my lap while holding a controller in public transit, thats the best way to get it stolen in 0.5 sec in montreal lol) (plus it looks stupid)
Last edited by Neo_Aeon666 on 8/16/2011 7:34:46 AM
Well, I'm not saying anything that hasn't already been said, but I still gotta say it.
I really, really don't understand this sudden backlash. It seems like just yesterday we were all applauding Sony for their slick new handheld and $250 launch price. WTF?
The iSheeple are willing to drop $400+ on an MP3 player, or $750 on a godam phone just because it has a lowercase 'i' in front of it. But a full featured powerhouse of a gaming console with touch and hardware controls priced at a fraction of that is too much? GTFO!
"My phone plays games" … Seriously, we've all tried to play games with touch controls. They work great for small gimmicky games like angry birds but real games, real games need REAL controls.
I eagerly await my first encounter with a phone gamer who thinks the Vita is an overpriced flop after I get my Vita. They can stumble around their crumby racing game, or awkwardly controlled mediocre adventure game. I'll bust out some Uncharted, or LittleBigPlanet, or Mortal Kombat. Lets see your 3x more expensive super device play games like THIS!
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 3DS…
I disagree. I think mobile gaming will continue to push more innovative ways to make the experience more interesting. Cell phones will continue to have simplicity games but I for one want something alot more
Personally i will be carrying Xperia Play and the PS Vita at the same time!
No one can stop me! When Vita battery runs out I can play a game on my phone, don't see whats the big deal is.
Haha, $299 for Vita doesn't scare me one bit. Getting 3G version for sure.
Last edited by BlinkBoy on 8/16/2011 10:14:49 AM
The thing is, all the gnashing of teeth about single use devices, what good is a phone for gaming? It has no analog sticks and no buttons. I can't begin to tell you how many column inches were squandered complaining about the PSP's lack of a second analog input. Well, iPhone and other smartphones have no analog input and no control buttons, just a big, flat touch surface. Personally, I think that the design of smartphones limits their use for anything other than being a phone/PDA-lite.
And now Crytek is crying the "Woe is me" hand-held blues too…
Crytek: Dedicated handheld consoles "losing ground" to tablets
Crysis developer Crytek has said that dedicated handheld games consoles are losing ground to multifunctional tablet devices in the portable space.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, the developer of hardcore shooting games said that it has no immediate interest in Sony's PlayStation Vita, despite the team's willingness to adopt and experiment with new, high-end technology.
Full story here:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-08-16-crytek-dedicated-handheld-consoles-losing-ground-to-tablets
Crytek like Microsoft, what does anyone expect?
There is an Unreal engine for iPhone now… Oh man what if Crytek made an engine for the Vita. How awsome wouldnt that be…!
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/18/2011 3:33:52 AM
The fact is, people would much rather carry one do it all device than multiple one devices, it's a fact, that is why I want Vita to be able to make/receive at least simple calls and texts even if it's only with headphones or a bluetooth headset, have apps for everything and all the other handy things smartphones can do. But if Sony does a good job with Vita not just on quality hardcore games, but with everything, than Vita will fine because for hardcore gamers that want a portable device, Vita is their only choice, Vita is fine because of that fact until smartphones or maybe even tablets have dual analog sticks.
A way Vita can be completely good and have guaranteed success is if you can play your PS3 games on Vita and vice-verse without the PS3 or Vita being connected to the internet or the disc having to be in the PS3 or either device being in a "stuck" mode which means you can't do anything like how the PS3 is currently when you use Remote Play. That is a dream and like someone said, PlayStation would rule the universe.
Another way is if Vita can make/receive calls and texts and all the other things I mentioned above.
Of course having both the last two paragraphs is a 100% guaranteed SUPER success.
EDIT: You could even have one SKU with no phone capabilities and another with phone capalities, etc. Sony also needs to have casual titles to get non hardcore gamers and match the price of titles that are on other devices even the ones priced at free.
Last edited by amonte on 8/16/2011 6:06:37 PM
I say the reason why people don't want to buy the 3ds at 249.99 was because of the lack of support from devs. I've said this before and I'll say it again, it's not the price that sells the device, is the support behind it that does, well that and the features it carries. I just don't get why people keep comparing the vita with the 3ds, as if they were in the same category. Vita is in a category of its own.
The original PSP is actually a great demonstration of exactly what you say. Dev support and software matters more than price for these things. The PSP suffered particularly badly from an extended game drought. Sony has to ensure that Vita launches well and has a continued supply of good, high profile, games.