Sony is mishandling the Playstation Vita
Despite the potential, the PlayStation Vita has a lot of issues right now, and it’s all stemming from Sony.
It’s not from a hardware perspective, as it’s pretty stellar in that area. It’s not even the cost to own one, even though it’s very pricey, despite the handheld’s capabilities. It’s not even the currently lackluster sales, though they are extremely poor.
The biggest problem with the Vita right now can be summed up into one word: games. Where are they?
What sells a video game system are games. Not the hardware capabilities or software features, but games. When the PS3 first came out, it didn’t really matter about the technology backing it or it being able to play Blu-Rays. People avoided it because there was nothing that seemed worthwhile playing, therefore it didn’t seem like it was worth owning. When 2009 rolled around, then yeah, people were more than happy to get one, with the library including a nice variety of both multiplatform and exclusive titles that you could play. More people got one then because it had games that they wanted to play, and right now some people consider it as the “must own” console of this generation just because it has bigger, more varied game library.
Now the PS Vita is released and it’s facing all the problems the PS3 had when it first launched, but worse.
The most obvious problems with the Vita are there. By itself, you can consider the price of the Vita just, but when price of games and the overpriced memory sticks are included, then the whole system itself becomes overpriced. However, no matter how pricey a system is, it can always be justified as long as it has a nice library of games to play. Right? Well, the Vita currently doesn’t have that sort of library.
The majority of the titles right now are essentially games that can be played on the big screen. Whether it’s ports like the Metal Gear Solid Collection and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, or new installments in big series like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Resistance: Burning Skies. We’re not saying these titles are bad, Uncharted: Golden Abyss got glowing reviews stating it was a successful experiment that showed what the Vita can do. However, when it comes to playing Uncharted on my big 50” HDTV or playing Uncharted with my head cranked down starting at a 5” screen, we all know which one is the better, more relaxing option. Despite the “playing console experiences in the palm of your hand” is somewhat a positive to the Vita, at the same time, you would still rather play console experience games on a console.
It’s not only the current software lineup either, but the future software lineup as well. Sony is going all out at promoting the crossplay feature between the Vita and the PS3. Titles that were once a PS3 exclusive are now going to have Vita ports as well and the “save on your PS3 and play the file on the go with your Vita” is being pushed in our faces. That would be nice and dandy, even if you have to buy the game for each system (though I’m hoping that won’t always be the case), but if that’s all the Vita has to offer, then it’s no wonder why people who are paying $250 for the thing are upset.
What Sony needs to do is focus mainly on putting out games that can only be played on the Vita. The cross-platform functionality that Sony is making their centerpiece for the Vita isn’t going to move systems. It would be nice as an extra, a bonus gamers will have if they own both a Vita and PS3, but not as the forefront of the system. What sells systems are games, and more specifically, what sells one system are games that can only be played on that specific system. A lot of people get a PS3 because of the exclusives (Uncharted, Infamous, etc.) while third party titles (Arkham Asylum, Elder Scrolls, etc.) are a really nice bonus.
Gravity Rush, a PS Vita exclusive, is a nice step in the right direction. It’s an original IP that looks nice and can be only played on that handheld. What the Vita has to offer right now are decent but aren’t going to entice people to buy a Vita and are best to be left as side offerings, while games like Gravity Rush should be the main course.
The PlayStation Vita has potential, and if Sony keeps this up, it’ll go to waste.
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This article was written by RawbWB, you can read more of his content at http://rawbwb.blogspot.co.uk/
This makes no sense. All new gaming systems take time to build up a game library. I wish the Vita would start getting more big games too but what do you want? Do you want the games to be rushed? I don’t.
Very bias and mis-informed comment. U cannot compare the catalogue of a console that came out 5 months ago, with the one that came out 13 month before.
No games? No originals game for the Vita?
When you say you don,t wanna play the same game on ps3 and vita, what do you have to say about mario, mario kart, zelda….etc aren’t they not the same game that you ve been playing since 1990.
IS that what you call originality?
( 75% of 3ds games are reharshed ds games).
“When you say you don,t wanna play the same game on ps3 and vita, what do you have to say about mario, mario kart, zelda”
WTH does Nintendo games have to do with the Vita and PS3? LOL Jesus.
“mario, mario kart, zelda….etc aren’t they not the same game that you ve been playing since 1990. IS that what you call originality?”
If you think playing Super Mario 3 is the same as playing Super Mario Galaxy, you don’t know what the FUDGE you’re babbling about here.
But I know, I know… most of the dopes that drag that argument forward always talk about the plotline being the same (save Princess, etc.), but here’s a tip for such dopes: no one plays Mario games for their story (unless is Mario RPG). They play them for their gameplay. Which varies with each edition. Same goes for Zelda. Similar story (not really but let’s pretend they are) yet what saves them are the fact that they have different puzzles, dungeons and goals. And that’s why they sell like pancakes and get high scores from reviewers every time.
Anyway, you obviously don’t know much about the 3DS, so let me help you a bit: The gaming/online experience is BETTER there than on the Wii. It also has many games that are not on the Wii. Even Mario Kart 7 plays differently enough from the Wii version. And there absolutely no Mario game on the Wii that plays exactly like Mario 3D Land.
And that’s what the Vita needs. Game experiences that they CANNOT get anywhere else. So far, it barely has any of that.
What it does have, is a lot of butthurt fans that spent above $350 on the thing. And who get all worked up when an article such as this one, points the obvious: The Vita is on life support. Deal with it.
and they wonder why the only 3 games i own is asphalt shinobido and modnation racers, and since the launch i have used it more of a mp3 player , sony needs to do the following or leave the handheld market all together
1- get top notch exclusives-like they had for ps2 and ps1-which are there most succesful consoles! dont give us this ps3 crap -obviously cause ps3 failed and so did psp in comparsion to the two i mentioned before hand
2 -lower the price of these damn memory cards!
3 lower the price of the system to 199.99 -thats the most id pay for a handheld -even though i did foolishly buy psp and 3ds and vita at 250 – at least the later 2 had games i knew id like , vita on the other hand is still missing driver gta nascar 007 my mainstays not including the nintendo titles which would never end up on vita
3 hmm how about better battery life -like the 3ds xl !
and if they do not do these fast i asure you sony who are waiting til 2014-2015 to release ps4 , —is going to be in deep trouble , same for ms to a smaller degree why because well wii u will be 3 yrs into its life
and i dont think it takes a mastermind to know nintendo runs 5 yr life cycles , they beter get ps4 720 right or it will be a bust for both of them
@Mike.
You must have the worst taste in games. asphalt shinobido and modnation racers. I mean I like Sony but come on man. those game suck ass big time. I own Uncharted blazeblue disgaea3 touch my katamari plants vs zombies & super star dust. Any one of those out beat all the games you own the the vita. I played the demo to the games you have the & they are just bad games… I lol when I seen battery life like 3ds xl. its not even out yet & the vita still has better battery life then the crappy 3ds. All i have to say about the Wii U is that it’s going to just like the wii. sale alot but no one will be playing it.
1-PSVita and games are not expensives but memory card are PSVita has a great technologie and games are at the same price as 3DS and don’t tell me smartphone games are 1 this games have shit graphic and no button.
2-Not everyone one has a ps3 so i want play Uncharted and Resistance in my PSVita.
3-You say PSVita need games witch are not home console experiences but in PSP all best selling games has console experiences.
4-You want to make the illusion that the PS Vita has only Rush Gravity as a new IP Sony has annonced more then Gravity Rush they annonced:Reality Fighter,Soud Shape,Smart As,Escape Plan,Sound Shape,Unit 13,Dokuro,Broken,Dragon’s Crown,Frobisher Says!,Kickbeat ,Orgarhythm,Sumioni and Soul Sacrifice and the majority play well in handheld we can add also the AR games and LBP Viita is the best exemples of a game in a serie creted in home console.
PSVita has spin off,port,new ip,smartphone like games(Playstation suite),ps1 games all what you need the only problem is the timing of release of games.
The Vita was always going to fail. It was very clear before the device even launched that this was going to happen. It’s Sony we’re talking aobut here. They’ve been dropping the ball for the entire past decade.
The potential will never be realised as many, if not most developers are already looking at it with great scepticism. The money just isn’t there.
Vita’s doing just fine, and has a _very_ solid lineup for this stage in any console or handheld’s lifecycle. The only thing that’s new to the Vita’s launch from the PSP and the PS3 is that the world’s just a bit more ADHD. There are already more must-have games from my perspective on the Vita than on the considerably longer-on-the-market3DS (Ninty’s game design doesn’t do it for me). Hell, I don’t think the 360 had this good a catalogue at this stage in its life, and I know the PSOne, N64, Gamecube and PS2 didn’t. So top points for having no sense of history – believe it or not, it takes time to build good games, for _any_ system. Hell, the 3DS still has a pretty limited library, and has to rely fairly heavily on remakes of old games!
As for games that can only be played on the Vita – is an Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock and CoD at least a good start? I note that your article didn’t mention any of these titles. Nor original games like Sound Shapes, Orgarhythm, Kickbeat, Tales from Space, and a bunch of others. Unit 13, Gravity Rush, Resistance and Uncharted are all solid, Vita-only games (and yes, Uncharted _is_ a Vita-only game).
And then there’s the point that you’d rather play your Uncharted on your 50″ TV. Sure, most people would rather play _most_ games on a larger screen – the whole point of a portable system is that you can’t always carry that screen with you, and it’s nice to be able to game on the go. If you always have access to a large screen, you probably don’t need a portable at all, and are somewhat missing the point
. An Uncharted on the Vita is excellent, and the game itself is also excellent, and for when you can’t put the 50″ TV into the back of your station wagon, handy to have around, lol.
@ Raw
How many opinion pieces with the same topic about the Vita is going to flow out like this.
This kind of articles bore me to death like a broken record.
How long have you been gaming?
You argue that the Vita “has no games” is what keeps it from selling bazillions but I will argue that its not THE reason.
Just look at the PSP.
Did you do a case study on the PSP?
You will find the questions, the problems, the answers and the solutions on the PSP.
The problem isn’t the cost of the vita but Sony didnt live up to what they said it was going to be able to do. What happened to remote play? Or the other functions they claimed it was going to be able to do. The vita is turning into another PSP with higher graphics. It feels as though Sony took advantage of everyone who purchased a vita.