vita games Archives - PSX Extreme

Sony Confirms: No First-Party Games In The Works For Vita

Ben-Dutka October 23, 2015 Vita 34 Comments

Well, we've been saying for a while that it's only a matter of time before PlayStation Vita bites the dust.

And perhaps this is the beginning of the end: Sony senior vice president Masayasu Ito confirmed to 4Gamer (as translated by DualShockers ) that Sony has no Vita games of their own in development.

"Currently, first-party studios have no titles in development for PS Vita. Since third parties are working very hard on PS Vita, SCE's own strategy is to focus on PS4, which is a new platform."

Of course, this doesn't mean the Vita dies tomorrow. In fact, Ito added some comments about how the handheld "did not resonate with targets under 20" but younger individuals are starting to notice the Vita a little more now. Furthermore, with lots of third-party games on the horizon and some recently announced new colors, the device might still gain a following.

Back in September, Sony boss Shuhei Yoshida said a Vita successor is "unlikely" and cited an "unhealthy" portable market. Yes, smartphones have really eaten into the possibilities of a dedicated portable gaming device, at least in terms of demographic reach.

PSXE Poll Update: The Vita Is Done

Ben-Dutka October 4, 2015 Vita 12 Comments

Looks like PlayStation fans are pretty convinced that Sony will soon drop out of the portable gaming business for good.

In our latest poll, we wanted to know if you thought we'd ever see a Vita successor, and the answer was a resounding "No."

A good number said Sony should try to make another handheld, but we probably wouldn't see such a unit. Toward the end of last month, Sony boss Shuhei Yoshida admitted the current portable climate is "unhealthy" and that kicked off a firestorm of discussion. Obviously, the implication was that with the explosion of mobile entertainment, it would be exceedingly difficult – and perhaps foolhardy – for Sony to try their hand at a Vita successor. And maybe they should just leave well enough alone.

Moving on, based on the news that Sony might soon discontinue PlayStation 3 , we wondered how the previous generation console would be viewed in the future . In comparison to the other PlayStation home consoles, where would it rank? We said dead last but what do you say?

Sony Says A PlayStation Vita Successor Is Kinda Unlikely

Ben-Dutka September 26, 2015 Vita 26 Comments

As if Sony needed to tell you, the prospect of another PlayStation Vita model is…well, unlikely.

PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida spoke at Europe's EGX gaming event, and he hinted that a Vita successor might not happen. He called the current climate "unhealthy" and again cited the rise of the mobile market as impacting Vita's sales and potential. As reported by Eurogamer :

"People have mobile phones and it's so easy to play games on smartphones. And many games on smartphones are free, or free to start. I myself am a huge fan of PlayStation Vita and we worked really hard on designing every aspect. Touch-based games are fun–there are many games with really good design. But having sticks and buttons make things totally different."

Yoshida added that he hopes the culture of portable games can continue to survive, but the "huge dominance" of mobile gaming makes it tough. On the plus side, when asked about the possibility of another Wipeout (franchise studio Sony Liverpool has closed), Yoshida said "never say never." They definitely should try to make that happen.

As for the Vita, it's only a matter of time. Developer support remains low, Sony hasn't been interested in AAA games for the system for some time, there are only a few Japanese-centric exclusives on the horizon, and most games on Vita are available on PS4/PS3. It's just not working out the way Sony had hoped but indeed, there are culture and market reasons.

Sony On Gamer Reactions To The Vita: “People Love It”

Ben-Dutka July 3, 2015 Vita 34 Comments

There are many who believe the PlayStation Vita won't last much longer.

However, despite the glaring lack of AAA support, Sony still believes the handheld is well worth playing.

During a recent GameReactor interview with Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida, he admitted their first-party focus is now on PlayStation 4 titles, but he still says "there's no shortage of great Vita games coming out from great indies, like Volume or Super Time Force Ultra ."

Added Yoshida:

"People love it. I love it, the way I can play the games on Vita on the go, because I travel a lot. I've been playing Shovel Knight, and that's awesome, but I can continue my play at home on PS4 as well. So we continue to support these efforts, and some Japanese publishers are announcing new exciting titles as well, like you saw the World of Final Fantasy announced by Square-Enix, that will come on PS Vita as well.

So I think PS Vita will continue to be a great platform to play games, and there will continue to be great games coming out on the system as well."

Yeah, well, that still doesn't tell us how the Vita is performing. Not well, of course. And if there are no Vita exclusives to showcase the power of the machine, and all it has are titles that can also be played on other platforms like PS4, then the future might not be very bright.

Even so, I'm keeping mine.

PSXE Poll Update: With Great Software, Vita Could Live

Ben-Dutka May 10, 2015 Vita 7 Comments

We all know PlayStation Vita is struggling. Many don't expect it to last much longer, as Sony has basically stopped saying anything about it at all.

But we wanted to know if top-notch exclusive software could save the impressive portable unit. We may never see that software but if it did arrive, would Sony's handheld survive and maybe even flourish?

Well, the PSXE community is sort of split on this, but the majority do believe great software could rocket Vita to new success. Unfortunately, a lot more also say there's basically no hope; the game is over (pun intended). Sony's system was designed to provide players with the best possible portable experience out there. It didn't fail in that respect…it just didn't deliver the necessary library.

Now, this week's big release is Project CARS , which is already bringing down some impressive review scores (embargo was May 6, if you were wondering). Planning to snag it? Need to see more reviews from trusted sources? Racing just isn't your thing? Let us know.

I Miss The Vita, And It Isn’t Even Dead Yet

Ben-Dutka November 20, 2014 Vita 22 Comments

It seems weird to "miss" a system that isn't dead and what's more, a unit that's really quite new.

Still, there's no other way to describe it when you don't touch the thing for months on end.

When the PlayStation Vita first came out, I actually played it a lot. I was surprised at how often I found myself playing it. I was also surprised at the amazing quality of some of the games; Uncharted: Golden Abyss , Wipeout 2048 , Rayman Origins , Touch My Katamari , Gravity Rush , etc. They were all pretty damn great…the only problem is that all of them were available in the first few months of the Vita's availability. After that, all we really got were a bunch of PS3 ports and digital titles, along with a few mildly disappointing Vita exclusives.

Sure, I loved Tearaway and I still say it's the best game on the system. I also still play Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational from time to time, just 'cuz I love me some Hot Shots . But really, what else is there to talk about? Sometimes I glance wistfully at the Vita, sitting there all charged up and ready to go. I reach for it and then I go, "wait, I've got lots of games that need playing and sadly, none of them are on the Vita." Yes, there are Vita versions of some of those games but seriously, when I'm home, why would I not play those games on my living room TV?

The Vita might not be officially dead just yet but to me, it's already gone. That's kinda sad.