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Sony Says A PlayStation Vita Successor Is Kinda Unlikely

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.

It’s Too Bad PS4 And Vita Couldn’t Be A Killer Combo

I don't think anybody expected PlayStation 4 to do quite this well in the new generation.

But wouldn't it have been that much more exciting had PlayStation Vita acted as the perfect complement it, by all rights, should've been?

I can't remember the last time they announced a Vita game that wasn't coming to consoles, or wasn't a niche Japanese game. It's as if Sony has completely given up on the handheld, which is a shame because it had a truckload of potential. It even won me over when it first came out, and I'm no portable lover. For a while, I was definitely playing; I had fantastic games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss , Wipeout 2048 , Gravity Rush and Tearaway cemented my collection.

And then everything stopped. And it really sucks because imagine just how potent the PS4/Vita duo could've been. I'm willing to bet Sony was banking on that for the long-term and it really would've been a gigantic boon. But when Vita sales kept fizzling and Sony said they wouldn't support it with AAA games anymore, I knew the dream coupling wouldn't happen. These days, it's hard to give away a Vita but PS4s just keep selling . Well, one out of two ain't bad, I suppose.

When Will Sony Formally Announce The Demise Of Vita?

Let's get one thing straight: I love the PlayStation Vita.

I always have. I'd probably play it quite a bit if they actually made games for it (and when I say that, I mean games I can't play on PS3 or PS4). It always needed exclusive software that it just didn't get after the first year.

Anyway, the handwriting has been on the wall for ages. Sony never even talks about the unit anymore; it was barely mentioned at last year's primary industry events, and they haven't released any numbers or sales updates in forever. No new exclusive games have been announced and any game that does come to Vita seems to be available elsewhere. The bottom line is that Vita simply isn't in the news any longer; developers, publishers, and Sony aren't talking about it at all.

It should be obvious that Vita won't survive much longer. I'd honestly be surprised if they were still producing the thing at full capacity by the end of the year. There's really nothing to be done, either; if you can't get designers to really focus on the system and tap into its substantial power, it'll never stand out. Early on, games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Gravity Rush proved what the Vita was capable of, as did a few later titles like Tearaway . But clearly, developers aren't interested in only focusing on a failing platform.

Whenever it goes, I'll be sorry to see it. This is by far and away the best portable true gaming device in existence.

Sony: Vita Is “Trucking Along”

Will the PlayStation Vita survive?

Gamers have been asking that question for months but in fact, Sony isn't totally unsatisfied with the portable's position.

Sony UK boss Fergal Gara tells Eurogamer that the Vita is here to stay, and the upcoming release of Minecraft could really help the unit's bottom line:

"It's trucking along. It's currently in year-on-year growth and enjoying a healthy year, and it's about to hit its biggest and potentially most powerful release of the year, which is Minecraft. That could be an extraordinary release for Vita."

The PlayStation 4 has also helped to boost Vita sales, as Gara says they're "seeing a bit of reflected glory from PS4." Remote Play is helping but despite rumors that a PS4/Vita bundle is in the works (and Sony hasn't shied away from the idea), there's nothing official yet on that front. The increase in Vita sales isn't entirely due to Sony's next-gen console, though.

Added Gara:

"It's just found its niche. It's not the biggest niche in the world, and we've been fairly open about talking about it entered a crowded landscape with many other devices providing some sort of handheld fulfillment. But for those who want that more specialist device and a more specialist experience, it does a damn good job, and therefore it trucks along quite nicely."

It's clear that the Vita isn't the runaway success everyone hoped it'd be. But perhaps with time, and with enough software, it will do okay. The problem is that Sony says they won't be pursuing too many AAA blockbuster productions for the system, which could be problematic…

Combined PS4, PS3 And Vita Sales Pass 100 Million

We've got the official overall number, but you'll have to do some guess-work to determine each individual number.

Sony released a new promotional video for the PlayStation brand (see it below) and in it, they say the combined worldwide sales of the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and Vita have surpassed 100 million units.

The video was designed for third-party manufacturers who are thinking about creating peripherals for PlayStation. As for the stats, we've heard the PS3 has sold around 82 or 83 million, and the last official tally for the PS4 was 7 million (as of April 2014). However, a recent report indicates that PS4 sales may have hit 9 million…so what's that leave for the Vita? You go ahead and estimate.

We'll have to see if Sony can maintain their lead during this generation.

Woah, Has Sony Already Given Up On PlayStation Vita?

This doesn't appear to be good news.

The PlayStation Vita was virtually nonexistent during Sony's E3 press conference last month, which is telling in and of itself.

But now, as reported by Hardcore Gamer , Sony's portable has suddenly become hard to come by. You can't really find it at some of the major retailers out there; all Vita models and packages, including the recently released Borderlands 2 bundle, are no longer available at Amazon, GameStop, Wal-Mart, or Target.

I noticed it myself when I was out and about a few days ago. Where once I saw Vitas I don't see them anymore. Is it already time to bid a bitter, disappointed goodbye to the handheld with the most potential any portable gaming unit has ever had? Or rather, is this just a lull, and Sony intends to keep pushing with a possible PS4/Vita bundle later this year?

What do you think?