Ben-DutkaWell, no beating around the bush for this guy.
We know sales for the PlayStation Vita haven't been brisk; in fact, they've been deplorable. A significant lack of AAA software seems to be the main culprit, although many consumers still point to the high price, which is prohibitive.
Sony will continue to push the Vita with upcoming PlayStation 4 connectivity, but analyst Michael Pachter says Remote Play can't save the slick new handheld unit. In his latest Pach-Attack show , the Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst elaborated on the dire situation:
"The only thing that’s going to sell more Vitas or compelling software. God, I shudder to tell you how many units of Vita were sold this month, but the answer is ‘not very many’. The Vita is dead, it’s over. It’s a really great device that nobody thinks they need so no one’s buying it."
He did add that it's "really slick" and that if you buy one, "you will like it." Unfortunately, his testimony – and the praise of many journalists and gamers worldwide – really isn't enough. Killzone: Mercenary is due out in September and we really love the look of Tearaway . But the Vita needs a lot more, and it has to go beyond digital titles that are also playable on the PS3. We're just not seeing it.
I'm closing to purchasing one very close. I just think there needs to be a price drop or if it's bundled with the PS4 I'll defiantly get one.
Target next week, $199.
I remember a time when PSP wasn't doing well in the U.S and in Japan it was selling like hotcakes.
U.S is not only market for Vita,NO other handheld system in the world can deliver console style game in the palm of your hand.
At this point, if it were possible, you could have Vince from the Shamwow commercials with Billy Mays promoting the PSVita and it still wouldn't sell.
Too much money for too little value for me. Don't need to spend that on yet another system to buy games for (I got 4 already: PS3, XBOX360, WiiU, 3DS), especially when games I want will be few and far between. A promo for the Vita with 1 of 4 games of my choice offered me no games I actually wanted.
The Vita's not dead until Sony pulls the plug. Sales may be downright horrible at the moment, but I'm sure Sony has more patience with the device than Michael Prachter and they're in no hurry to get rid of it.
In a year or two their resources won't be stretched so thin. They have three platforms to deal with and while it looks like they may have bitten off more than they can chew, I think they'll eventually push the Vita harder as the PS3 is phased out.
Vita is still constantly outselling the Wii-U, so there's that. I have faith Sony will come through when it matters, they always do, hell Sony's been doomed since after the ps2 era according to these guys early predictions.
Games are still releasing and selling on the Vita – and as Marty rightly points out, it's still selling better than the Wii U – so I think calling it dead is just Pachter being a media tart again. He's got to sell himself, and any publicity is good publicity…..
Personally, after having one since launch, it's proven time and again to be the best portable gaming device available, with some pretty damn good games on it as well. Looking forward to KZ:M and Tearaway, and a bunch of the smaller games that are coming (or have recently released but I haven't had a chance to play yet) as well.
Yes, it's niche, and it's not selling like a PS3, but it's also priced pretty high (for a handheld) – once they can cut manufacturing costs (something Sony has a good record with) and drop the price, then it's likely to get a second wind (particular as the games keep coming – to a new Vita owner now, there's a heap of available games).
I wouldn't put too much stock in what this guys says, however Sony really needs to make the memory cards more affordable (how much could they really cost to manufacture, it's got to be pennies on the dollar for Sony).
I'm really disappointed how Sony's handled the Vita so far, with the 3DS bombing in the first year, it was Sony's golden opportunity to steal the handheld market from Nintendo. The thing was only $50 more than the 3DS, if I recall, but the damned memory cards quickly killed any incentive to buy the thing over the 3DS. Now, all these great games are coming to the 3DS (i.e., SMT 4), and I refuse to buy one.
I agree, the memory cards comes into to play big time and they are pricey for what you get.
It's up to Sony to dig Vita out of the dirt; third party developers are avoiding the Vita like Wii U. It's gonna take time so in the mean time start pumping out ports or something. Old favorites like San Andreas with a little extra would be cool. Port the PC version so it looks a little better or something..MOVE IT!
It will be fine but the PS4 focus has had to slow down things on the handheld side I figure. After PS4 has a good library and people see the Vita in action linked to the PS4 they will be attracted by a price drop. Then, finally, some better software for Vita itself should arrive.
Honestly though I'm leaning toward never getting it now unless I get rich.
I wish I could say that I felt compelled to own one, but I don't. It may be an awesome machine, but I go to school mostly from home, work from home, and my consoles and PC are already (you guessed it!) at home.
And at $250+taxes (which is a big deal in Canada), it's simply too expensive. I can get a Nexus 7 (that's far more powerful and multipurpose) for less. If Sony wants me to buy one for the paltry few games I have ANY interest in, they need to drop that price here in North America–by a lot. Otherwise, I'll just wait.
Last edited by Cabalavatar1 on 8/12/2013 12:23:02 AM
Oh and the proprietary storage just makes me angry. That's one of the few times where I have to say f*** you, Sony.
Software is the only thing that'll keep selling the VITA. For goodness sake it's a portable gaming console not a smartphone.
I got my VITA for $150 with an 8gb vita card, case, 2 screen protectors, and armored shell on craigslist. It was just a great deal.
I have only 2 games on it however which I absolutely LOVE: Gravity Rush and Touch my Katamari.
This whole strategy of putting PS3 games on the PS vita won't sell the it – it won't. You gotta get exclusive software for the VITA which shows what the VITA is capable of. USE THE GYROSCOPE, TOUCH SCREEN, AR and what not – because the games are damn FUN.
Sony needs more of their 1st parties making games like Gravity Rush. And moreover they need to get a Monster Hunter on it quick – so it can at least do well in Japan.
I was pumped for the Vita before launch, now it doesn't really feel very interesting.
I am interested in the Remote-play feature, but, it's not enough to make me spend that much cash on it.
As a Vita-exclusive owner, I can say that it is not dead. I play on it since it's release and there are plenty of games still to play and still to come I believe.
It died the day it lost all 3rd party support. Sony can't pull that wagon alone.
Maybe it will be kept artificially alive as a PS4 accessory for rich kids, but Vita as the kind of unit it was intended to be, is dead.
I'm sorry Sony, but it's just too damn expensive for me!
Hypothetically, if every game on the ps3 was on the Vita and vice-versa, would that make the Vita redundant? Not in my mind. It's portable, and allows me to play the games I love on the go. Some of these games are even better on the go, like LBP, Super Stardust HD, Velocity Ultra, Guacamelee (and even Dragon's Crown according to some). But aside from these, the Vita does have terrific exclusive titles like Gravity Rush and Wipeout 2048, and Uncharted:Golden Abyss, not to mention a legacy library of psp titles one may have not a chance to play through before. Of course, the majority of my gaming time is spent at home, so I don't need a portable library as vast as my ps3's. But when I am on the go, the Vita's got me covered and it beats having to lug my ps3 or gaming laptop around. As a gamer or a consumer, I am satisfied. From a marketing perspective, sure. It could use some help.
I just have yes to see any appealing games on the Vita. Gravity Rush doesn't seem bad and Tearaway looks very promising but they're hardly system sellers…
The PSP suffered from the same problem, over half my games for the PSP are ports of older games. I mostly use it to play my PS1 games I got off the PSN. I just haven't seen any reason to get a Vita over my PSP yet, if I didn't have a PSP I would consider it but there just inst much there.
A title that would really gain my interest would be Final Fantasy Type-0. A PSP game we never got to see the light of day. The thing is The 3DS already has a lot of strong franchises which are exclusive to the portable systems, it doesn't just rely on Nintendo's main console franchises and makes spin offs. The Vita needs to do the same thing, but in all honesty I cannot see it happening.
$ony really need to focus on bringing unique cool experiences to it, we need so many more tearaways and gravity rushes for the system.
indies will help carry some of the weight, but $ony really needs to put their foot down and say ok enough, no ports for the system, and lets balance out the amount of dam sequels of near identical games on the ps3.
tearaway and gravity rush are what the vita needs, people want totally new experiences that the ps3 does not offer so they need to exploit that.
the vita is the perfect small platform to do those risky quirky weird unique titles, so why not utilize that?
also a perfect way to bring back oldschool franchises.
medievil, jack and daxter, the getaway, syphon filter, all IPs $ony still owns and never have appeared on the ps3.
why?
because their respective developers have their hands full on other titles.
so why not utilize smaller external development studios to bring said franchises back to the vita?
ps3/4 would be too high a risk, and also require a much larger dev team.
vita is the perfect stepping stone to bring back some of their library, yet $onys more interested in giving us titles the ps3 saw the year prior!
thats the biggest reason why the vita is dead, $ony is more interested in bringing us last years ps3 game, portableized than they are giving us a unique quirky title built for the vita!
If you really liked the Uncharted series on the PS3 then I would go as far to say that Golden Abyss is worth a Vita purchase. There isn't any U4 coming to the PS3 so GA is the next best thing to U3 dlc.
For sure Gravity Rush is another AAA quality game and if you like old school classics the Vita is (imo) the best model. Better than the PS3 or PSP.
I guess there are lots of reasons for better sales, but the turning point might not be until a price drop or the PS4 compatibility ramps up.
Either way the Vita is not dead. This guy is just coming off as pessimistic, if you ask me.
I'd have an easier time accepting a deathly fate if there wasn't so many examples of consoles doing poorly in the first couple years of existence only to rise from the deep as development becomes more affordable.
You can never be sure in the world of electronics, though. It's why ill never invest in electronics companies.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 8/12/2013 9:11:50 AM
I love the Vita. But I will NEVER buy another handheld again. I am sticking with consoles only. You shouldn't be playing games on the go anyways, you should be playing the game of life and talking and mingling with peeps. Heh.
But I do love playing old rpgs in my bed late at night with my Vita. However, I could just add a tv in there and play it the way it should be played.
Isn't this guy always wrong?
He's mostly captain obvious, that's more like it. 🙂
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/12/2013 2:37:14 PM
I take what he says with a grain of salt.
Hopefully at Gamescom or another event maybe TGS? They will show a lot more Vita Games, the Vita is an awesome piece of tech for a handheld device. You can talk to people on Skype and play a game at the same time, which is really cool.
Also, they should release a Monster Hunter game for the Vita if possible, I think that would help boost some sales. Especially if they add more co-op online for most games, Phantasy Star Online 2 is pretty amazing, I was watching someone on Youtube play that Online with PC players as well as Vita players and the game loads up very quickly and the online looks really smooth, now that's pretty amazing (in my eyes) for a handheld to be capable of doing.
The Vita has amazing potential, I hope Sony takes advantage of that.
Last edited by Clamedeus on 8/12/2013 11:01:14 AM
Sony's unwillingness to pony up for 3rd party is gonna hurt it further.
Vita is competing against mobile phones, most people would rather invest for a better phone that also play games. Mobile gaming is on the rise, sony needs to capitalize on that much more, like what they are doing with the PS4 where you can access the your PS4 with a mobile app.
Vita is a novelty, most games that are available for Vita are available for mobile, it just makes more logical sense to put your money towards a great high powered phone that does just the same or even more than what a Vita can do.
This isn't a knock on the Vita, I am sure it's great but it would be money not well spent
I agree about the market preferring phones in NA.
Me personally, I hate gaming on my phone. I got an SNES emulator on it, but I can't fracking play half the games because the touch screen is just not as good as buttons. Seriously… trying playing super mario all-stars on a touchscreen… ugh.
I'm not into the mini downloadables, so for mobile, vita is more up my alley. But when I got PSP, I was playing varsity sports in university and we would travel for hours on end. There was a use for a PSP. Now that I'm all settled down, I have almost no use for mobile gaming at all. 🙁 I'd love a vita, but I'm not sure I'd use it, is all. If I was still traveling a lot, I'd buy one in a heart beat.
i think the biggest issue is that almost everyone has a smartphone now a days and they are more than capable of playing some pretty cool games. Sure, they don't play games like uncharted or killzone but they do play games. I know that at my age, if i do game on the go, its only for a few minutes. Time constraints just don't allow me to game on the go as much as i would like. It's unfortunate but he kind of has a point. I had a vita and it was really cool. Got rid of it after a couple months because i just wasn't playing it. The price is also a big negative. i mean it only plays games… it doesn't make phone calls or really even browse web really well. As cool as it is, it's just not practical. At least for me its not…
As a proud owner of a Vita, I can say that the Vita is far from dead…
It's literally been 2 years since its debut. How can consumers expect AAA titles to roll out each month? Yes, more support is needed for the system, that much is apparent. A 10 year life cycle was planned, and by God I have faith in Sony they'll deliver.
Expensive? Really? Even if I were to pick up the cellular version with a 32 GB memory card, it'd come up to 399 before taxes.
That's the equivalent of a 16 GB iPad. However, I suppose games for the Vita are more expensive, as a concession.
But that's not the point. The point is, you're paying for a core gaming experience on the go. If people can drop hundreds on new tablets and smartphones every year, why hold the Vita to a double standard? It even comes with functionality like a browser, apps, etc.
This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, and the Vita is that chummy guy lagging in the back, waiting for its opportunity to zoom ahead. The PS4 will only facilitate this growth (Sony better have that bundle).
I suppose I'm cautiously optimistic. I played handhelds more than consoles in my gaming life, so it's only natural I support them.
Well, if Pachter thinks that the Vita is dead, then the opposite will come true. Considering that his prediction that the X-One will outsell the PS4 got disproved instantly before the consoles even got released, the Vita will catch on eventually.
Last edited by Aura7541 on 8/12/2013 6:50:30 PM
i hate to say it but i think the xbox is going to sell like crazy. Especially since they've pretty much 180'd just about every single policy they initially announced. Now kinect isn't required to use xbox, yet they say you still have to purchase it. LOL. People are so blind by this PR disaster and just eat up every little tidbit from MS. While Pachter is wrong on a lot of things. I think he's pretty close on the xbox statement. Now for the vita, i think he's a little off. Although he has a point that there really isn't any AAA software or system sellers (games). I hope the release of the ps4 helps the vita out of the rut its in. Just speaking from my point of view. I'm getting up there in age and i just don't have any time to use it, probably like alot of other middle aged gamers. There just aren't enough hours in the day anymore. *sigh*
The PS Vita isn't dead, but it's on life support.
Sony needs to rally Third party developers,or it's game over.
Waiting for Gamescom…
(Old timey news bulletin noise)
(Old timey news voice)
This just in…
Michael Pachter is a moron, and is almost never correct with regards to his predictions!
(Normal voice)
The PSP did HORRIBLE the first two or three years after its launch, and then out of nowhere, (really, it was a price drop to place it in the handheld butter zone, and great software releases) the PSP sold like hotcakes.
I expect the Vita to do about the same, but it may take another year before it happens.
But for now, can't we just ignore what that clown Pachter says and pretend he doesn't exist?
Last edited by JROD0823 on 8/12/2013 11:31:59 PM
Sony needs to cut the prices on them god damn Vita Memory Card!!