Ben-DutkaThe PlayStation Vita sold over a half million units in three days in Japan. But for some, that's just not enough.
On the flip side, Sony has never backed off on their stance that such a performance is encouraging. In speaking to IGN , SCEA president Jack Tretton spoke at length about their new hardware launch and what to expect in the future.
He also addressed the sales performance of the handheld in Japan, and called the analysis of those sales a "perception" issue. Said Tretton:
"Quite frankly, it scares me if people think that the Japanese launch is struggling. The fact is they sold 500,000 units in three weeks… I would be pleased if we did 500,000 units in the first three weeks here in the United States. I think that's a real healthy number for a new platform launch."
Furthermore, for Sony, it isn't entirely about the raw sales numbers; it's about "mass market penetration," which means they want to go after the core gamers and…well, just about everyone else. As Tretton said, the "young, old, male, female, casual and core." And as for life cycle, he says it's the same as the PlayStation 3:
"Our definition of success is a 10-year product lifecycle, relevant on a worldwide basis with a very dedicated, happy consumer base that is loyal to the brand."
He added that high sales numbers aren't necessarily a recipe for success if you're losing money on every unit sold. For right now, the Vita is readily available at stores nationwide; there doesn't appear to be any shortage, and there are plenty of games to try. As for North American and European sales…we'll just have to wait and see.