Sony slashes PS Vita sales forecast once again - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/186206/Sony_slashes_PS_Vita_sales_forecast_once_again.php#.URPysKU0WSp"]SOURCE[/URL] [quote]...The company put this down to "the slow penetration of the PlayStation Vita," adding that it [B]recognized the poor sales of the device as a "particularly important issue."[/B] As a result, it now estimates that the [B]PS Vita and the PSP together will sell 7.0 million units[/B] during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013. This forecast has been cut multiple times over the last year -- originally Sony estimated it would sell 16 million Vitas and PSPs during this fiscal year. This was then cut down to 12 million, and then once again slashed in November to 10 million.[/quote] Drop the price of the system. Now. Don't wait for the Holiday Season (You missed your chance last year). Even waiting for E3 seems a bit late. Also, start fucking advertising your shit. Sly Cooper Thieves in Time came out Tuesday (US, sorry Europeans!), and practically no one knows about it, let alone that it's also on Vita. Sony, I love your IP and systems, but goddammit: DO SOMETHING THEN YOU FUCKING MORONS!

A great device that could have been, but isn't, because has anybody even seen an advertisement for this thing?

I'd have bought one, as there are a few games I'd like to get for it, but the price is just too high right now.

I don't think it helps with this announcement in a couple of weeks, like why would I wish to buy a vita for £200 onwards if the PS4 is coming out soon.

For the hardware in it, it's a reasonable price. Compare to other devices with similar specs that cost 2x. They should really lower the price of the memory cards though.

Price is too high, and the system is also too locked down. Homebrew & indie games could help them move more consoles.

It seems like it would be a great device for emulators and such but I have just never got round to buying one.

[QUOTE=TonyP;39507028]A great device that could have been, but isn't, because has anybody even seen an advertisement for this thing?[/QUOTE] But it is a great device, in my opinion, it's just Sony not knowing fuck all how to sell it or respond to customer's demands. They've made some good moves to please current owners like bringing Playstation Plus to the platform, the cross-buy and cross-play initiatives and there is a small handful of exclusive games coming out for it this year (Tearaway, Killzone Mercenary, Soul Sacrifice), but that's not enough to entice anyone to pick up the system that hasn't yet.

They still think they have Apple's style of userbase where everyone knows of the product and its offerings before anyone else does. Problem is that people they don't have that userbase so they push products out and we never hear of them.

Mobile gaming is essentially 100% smartphones nowadays, releasing the Vita was almost as dumb as releasing a point and shoot camera or standalone GPS.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;39507101]Mobile gaming is essentially 100% smartphones nowadays, releasing the Vita was almost as dumb as releasing a point and shoot camera or standalone GPS.[/QUOTE] Yeah I never even see anyone with a Nintendo DS any more let along a huge bulky PS Vita.

I love my Vita, it fits in the hands quite well, and the few games there are, are pretty good, the Uncharted game is great, albeit short, and the remake of Persona 4 is the definitive version of the game, especially considering it is like, what, 1.5x as long? But I can see why people hold off, I only god one because of a ridiculously downplayed Black Friday sale.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;39507101]Mobile gaming is essentially 100% smartphones nowadays, releasing the Vita was almost as dumb as releasing a point and shoot camera or standalone GPS.[/QUOTE] If someone made a gaming device the price of an iPod Touch with a decent video card and cpu in it running android I feel like that could actually gain some traction. Basically the Android equivalent of an iPod touch with sticks and shoulder buttons.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;39507101]Mobile gaming is essentially 100% smartphones nowadays, releasing the Vita was almost as dumb as releasing a point and shoot camera or standalone GPS.[/QUOTE] Sure a Smartphone offers a conglomerate of many features, but it doesn't really excel at any of them. You're right of course, but a point and shoot camera is almost certainly going to take better photos then the phone on your camera, just like a dedicated handheld is going to play better games. My point is that there's definitely a market that exists for these standalone products still: It's why the worry over casual games replacing hardcore games is not so concerning. The thing is, to convince any one else to pick them up is going to be a bitch. Realistically, few people are going to invest in something with better performance if their phones are able to do the same function; I guess I'm one of those people who'd rather own a digital camera.

[QUOTE=Van-man;39507073]Price is too high, and the system is also too locked down. Homebrew & indie games could help them move more consoles.[/QUOTE] sony doesn't try to make money off of the consoles, they try to make money off of the games they sell the ps3 at a loss and the vita at next to no profit

[QUOTE=koeniginator;39507242]sony doesn't try to make money off of the consoles, they try to make money off of the games they sell the ps3 at a loss and the vita at next to no profit[/QUOTE] Sony's problem either way.

Once they get a Monster Hunter game on the Vita, then they can have my money

I don't understand why Sony doesn't make a PS Phone that doesn't suck balls like the Xperia Play did. All they would have to do is stick some buttons on the Xperia Z.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;39507101]Mobile gaming is essentially 100% smartphones nowadays, releasing the Vita was almost as dumb as releasing a point and shoot camera or standalone GPS.[/QUOTE] Most of my gaming time is when I am home, so why would I downgrade to a lower end device and screen?

[QUOTE=i-am-teh-sex;39507267]Once they get a Monster Hunter game on the Vita, then they can have my money[/QUOTE] It will never happen. Sony's ignorance is responsible for this and losing Capcom to Nintendo. I like the Vita. Bought it 2 days ago and Uncharted and Little Big Planet are really fun. But the prices for the memory cards are too fucking high. At least more promising games are coming out for it like Sly Cooper, Killzone, Soul Sacrifice and Tearaway.

I own one. The extent to which Sony is mishandling its marketing and pricing schemes is really disappointing, although the hardware itself is incredible. I'm wondering how long Sony can keep this up, it scares me a bit to think they might pull the plug next generation like Sega did back in the Dreamcast era.

I got one over new years at a lowish price and I'm glad I got one. Especially glad I didn't get it at launch, cause I get a years worth of games and instant game collection. The screen is beautiful and works magnificently for PS1 games and Vita alike, but Sony seem to have no actual plan for the future of this cool as heck piece of hardware. It's been such shambles with releases across borders with Sly not coming out for another 2 months in EU, Ratchet and Clank FFA having missed it's release date without even a word acknowledging this (which is odd, they haven't even mentioned the fact they just didn't get it out), missing some PSX classics and there's barely anything announced coming out in the next year. They need to just come up with a roadmap and announce some stuff or they aren't going to sell any consoles. I just want PS2 classics/remade like MGS 2 and 3 were on the vita.

I have one and it's a technological masterpiece, but games are expensive, the console itself was expensive, it uses proprietary standards for everything and the entire system is completely locked down. I've been using it almost exclusively to play PS1 classics and PSP ports (aside from Skyping). EDIT: And yeah, where the hell are is the advertising? Only Vita advertisement I ever saw IRL was a poster at Gamestop.

I literally was at Target the other day just dicking off in the electronics section when I saw a PSVita stand with one attached, and I literally said "wait what is this". I didn't even know it existed.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;39507101]Mobile gaming is essentially 100% smartphones nowadays, releasing the Vita was almost as dumb as releasing a point and shoot camera or standalone GPS.[/QUOTE] Point and shoot cameras still sell well and standalone gps too because as mentioned below smartphones are a jack of all trades but a master of none. Gaming without physical buttons is just painful. [img]http://www.android-hilfe.de/attachments/android-news/102661d1341296521-sony-xperia-play-nun-doch-ics-upgrade-8bf2c__sony-ericsson-xperia-play.jpg[/img] this phone had the right idea but it still sucked

Give us a price drop in either the system or the memory cards and I would buy one right now.

[QUOTE=Van-man;39507073]Price is too high, and the system is also too locked down. Homebrew & indie games could help them move more consoles.[/QUOTE] Often consoles are sold at a loss to make it back with games, so if people don't buy your licensed games you lose money even if you sell consoles. Pretty sure that's why a lot of devs are so reluctant to include homebrew functionality.

sony doesn't sell handhelds because they don't understand that your handheld gaming experience should be different from your console one

they should get a brand new MGS ( Metal Gear Solid ) game for it kick it from $250 - $150 have it come with a free 16GB Memcard and say MGS Game with case for PSVita and maybe get some more games for the thing then maybe I might grab one

[QUOTE=Van-man;39507073]Price is too high, and the system is also too locked down. Homebrew & indie games could help them move more consoles.[/QUOTE] .. both of which add no real revenue towards Sony, in effect making them lose even more money. PSP Vitas are sold at a loss already; it is the games and accessories that Sony makes a profit off of. I don't feel sorry for Sony at all; they got themselves into this mess by producing something that is so expensive that the general population doesn't want, yet cost Sony money each time one is purchased.