Sony: No More Original AAA Content on PS Vita

So, when asked point blank about whether Sony would even bother putting original big games on the Vita anymore, they flat out said no, because there is no point.

Their words:

So, it sounds like the Vita is doomed to being a PS Now/Remote Play/multiplat-port-indie trash receptacle for you all. I am sure the people who spent the money on buying it with the promise of a high end handheld experience are very happy with this.

Have mobile titles ever really been AAA budgeted?

Yes? Mobile games, handheld games- the term AAA is not absolute, it is relative to its market. Fire Emblem Awakening is a AAA handheld game, as is Bravely Default or Wipeout 2048.

Well, that's a shame. Sucks to see a nice piece of hardware be treated like an add-on.

It really depends on what this Playstation Support low end "Don Mesa" meant when talking about AAA games (Industry large budget or fans critical reception). He's talking about economics, which makes me think his question in context was about comparing PS3 AAA or big budgeted titles to Vita AAA or big budgeted titles.

I wouldn't believe that support guy as the end all be all for an answer.

Chaz thread.

Nothing but overhype and conspiracy to see here folks.

To be fair, I am sure his answer is from the perspective of SCEA only. I am reasonably sure that Sony Japan will continue to support the handheld, for example.

Unfortunately, Sony's best first party showing comes from SCEA, and it is clear SCEA has all but given up on the system- not that they ever invested any significant effort in it to begin with.

EDIT: Support guy? He plans the software slate for PlayStation platforms for SCEA.

SCEA has mostly been ignoring the vita lately.I know they published some vita games last year, but a lot of them were not AAA handheld games.I do not think SCEA thinks it's economically viable to create AAA handheld games for the vita. They should be supporting the vita more anyway since it builds confidence for the vita and shows the consumers that sony (or SCEA in this case) actually cares about the vita and will support it even if it's not selling that well.

@Wasdie: AAA relative to the market. There are AAA games for handhelds, but when compared to consoles, of course they aren't on the same tier as far as technical aspects go.

Ouch, that's such a damning response that I question as to whether it's even real. Even if it were true, I'd of planned a diplomatic response, something like...

Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately for this time Sony is currently devoting most its internal development resources for PS4 game development. Nonetheless, Sony is committed to collaborating with third parties to bring the best exclusives and multiplatform titles to Sony's handheld experience...

It's real.

Comment #26 and the reply to it.

Very well said my brother

100% spot on

Took the words out of manys mouths

But leave it to Charizard the Playstation hater to spin negative Sony news any way he can

Vita had AAA original content to begin with? Isn't this more of a confirmation that they will just keep doing what they are doing (AKA ignoring it)?

"Posted by Don Mesa on May 06, 2014 // Director, Product Planning & Platform Software Innovation, SCEA"

damn, straight from the horse's mouth

So brofists, where have you been this last year or so? System Wars missed your unique brand of insane fanatic Sony loyalty, bro. The other Sony fans just don't cut it compared to you.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048, Unit 13, Gravity Rush, Tearaway, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone: Mercenaries, all pretty major AAA first party content.

If only they hadn't been stupid about how they handled it.

Those are all second string games (some in second string franchises) by second tier teams. Hardly major AAA support. When they put Naughty Dog or Sony Santa Monica on Vita, that's what I consider AAA content. (this isn't to say those are not good games) Compare to Nintendo who puts their A teams on Handhelds just as much as Consoles (to their benefit and detriment)

Sure, I can agree with you on that. Hence my earlier comment in this thread to the effect of 'well, it's not like they ever tried to begin with'

That sucks. As a Vita owner since a little after launch I was hoping for developed for vita hardware, console like experiences. You, know kinda what they hyped it to be? I thought it was by gamers for gamers? LOL

I have a life.

Been very busy but recently have had some free time

How have you been?

Hey I will take your back handed compliment too Nintendo fanboy!

What happened to you though? Why have you been hating so much on Playstation lately? Finally had a breakdown?

Also, Solid TY pretty much destroyed your thead, took you out back, and put you down. Its over.

Feels like I should sell my Vita since between this thread and the lack of AAA releases this year makes me think it really is dead.

The Vita fanbase doesn't really give a shit. I don't see why Sony needs to. They are fine playing indie games and niche Japanese titles with a medium budget bone thrown in every so often. So be it.

I dont agree with the users post calling something like uncharted vita just decent.It was actually a nice job of getting uncharted on the handheld and making it work.To be honest iv been busy with my vita mainly thanks to jpn devs.Im playing coneption 2 right now and still have demon gaze and others down the line.

Memory card prices are the biggest hurdle for Vita and probably kept lots of people from buying it. They never market it here in America either from what I've seen. Shame because it should have been a big success.

I just bought the Borderlands 2 slim bundle....

yup.They charged an arm and a leg for those dam cards.The priceing of those things were not handled well.

The biggest hurdle for Vita is that its an undesirable product that the masses do not want. Memory cards really don't have much to do with it. Remove that and you still have about 1 million other issues of why its not successful. It's in the same situation as the WiiU. That's why Sony and Nintendo respectively don't really expect shit all from those products.

Actually, not all of them are second string games by second tier teams. Many of them are, yes, but not all. BTW, it's not just a tactic Sony employs, we recently saw Yoshi's latest outing on 3DS (Yoshi's New Island) by a second tier developer, Arzest. I think Sony does this more, definitely, but it's worth noting even big companies like Capcom employ such tactics.

Sony allowed Media Molecule to make the fantastic Tearaway. I'm not disagreeing with the rest of your comment, but rather correcting the oversight on your part to discredit MM who's games are meta-critically recognized as fantastic. Tearaway, btw, was amazing. We spoke in the past of your dislike of LBP and LBP2, but that shouldn't take away from the fact Media Molecule's a now recognized AAA developer for Sony.

Media Molecule themselves made the new IP above,Tearaway. I would also give a Shoutout to Gravity Rush which was made by SCE Japan Studio.

I'm not into handhelds, but it seems to me with limited resources you have to pick your battles carefully. Nintendo divides their resources differently than Sony, that is true. The Wii U, Wii, PS3, and PS4 are all affected by these companies choices in how much resources they throw at their handhelds.

Generalizing on my part (again, I don't think those games are bad or anything, I am big on mid budget games) to some extent I agree. Tearaway is on PS3 though is it not? For the right price I would give it a try.

Anyway, dedicated handhelds are gonna decline even more next gen so might as well take what we can get.

I really can't stand the term "AAA." It's become code-word for "published by a 'big' publisher." It denotes nothing. That being said...it's pretty fucking sad to see even Sony reps pretty much come right out and say that the Vita is all but dead.

witch is werid since the vita is still getting support.

No,Tearaway is just a Vita game (High Metacritic). A Vita exclusive if you will, by Media Molecule, who may end up regretting they made Tearaway if the game never finds legs. You may be confusing Vita's Tearaway with PS3's recent new IP AAA Puppeteer, which was also a nice new IP by SCE Japan, but not made by MM. They both released recently. I think it's hard for companies to justify AAA budgeted titles when these kinds of games release to small fanfare.

I agree with your final sentiment, you gotta take the good when it's around. I would at least recommend you watching a trailer to Tearaway and see if it's something you would ever play. If you knew the game better, you would probably understand why Tearaway is not on PS3.

I really enjoy new IPs, especially when they have a creative spirit. That's not to say I don't enjoy my 3DS and previous Nintendo handhelds because they are great as well.

Here, I'll find a short trailer on just Tearaway for you (1:22 minutes long): :)

Everyone has their own opinion on games, but I would not classify those games as "Second String". They are high rated, fun, and one IS created by "Naughty Dog". http://www.naughtydog.com/golden_abyss/. Uncharted on the Vita is a fantastic game as is many of the others he mentioned. I don't personally like Gravity Rush or LittleBigPlanet, but I would consider them AAA titles.

I was thinking to myself that the Vita doesn't have any "Great" games, but when I think about it there are more than I was giving it credit for.

Great games - Final Fantasy X/X-2, God of War Collection, Gravity Rush, Uncharted, Unit 13, LBP, Killzone, MLB the Show, FIFA, Mortal Kombat (rated best version by many), Sly Cooper, Persona 4, Borderlands 2, etc.

Damn, always thought this was on PSN too. Shows how out of the loop I am these days. I'll probably look into getting a vita when they are super cheap and I can get most of the library for not much. Same plan I am gonna use for the 3DS. I don't handheld game much (okay . . . at all) these days so I would have to jump in late gen. Still though, dunno why I thought Tearaway was on PS3. Also, I am on the same side as you for new IPs. I like playing new stuff and they excite me more than established IPs (as long as its actually something with some sort of unique trait).

In other words, they want to turn the Vita into a PS4 'gamepad'. Oh the irony.

I'm actually not much of a handheld gamer either, but I do have all the handhelds for long trips, hotels, and Dentist visits, lol.

Yes, I would love to see new quality IPs that had unique traits more often...it's a shame most of them seem to come out to die with a few exceptions here and there. We usually see the most new IPs pop up when new hardware is out and a new generation is starting, so maybe E3 will be more exciting than ever.

Vita is my indie station - but any news of less games isn't good news.

Guess I may have to actually consider getting a 3DS at some point.

@Sweenix

#VitaMeansNeglect

Gives me a good reason to not pick one up.

You're taking it out of context, again. Just like when you made that Nintendo thread about a new system coming out. What AAA budget games does 3DS have? Cause no 3DS budget comes even close to console.

yes sony drop it

mobile "gaming" is a disaster for gaming

Looks like iOS, Android, Smartphone games are ripping into Vita and 3DS.

PShita

So SCEA/SCEE simply aren't going to bother anymore. I think we all knew that. There's still Gravity Rush 2 and Freedom Wars and

...

Not surprised. Sony doesn't want to put much effort into their Vita anymore. The last E3s have been pretty clear on that, this E3 will have little room for the Vita as well.

"Streaming PS3 games" now that is just pure BS. There are at most 10 games that you can stream from your PS3. Oh, but let me guess, the games you already own aren't good enough, you'll have to get a PS Now subscription.

Piss off Sony, stop expecting people to pay for the same games over and over and over and over.

A bunch of Japanese games... Hmmm, that reminds me of the PSPs final years.

Goodbye Vita, you were fun while it lasted... which was a couple of months.

Comment 26, the term known around the internet as the official death of the Vita

Indeed. "Interviewing" customer support is'nt exactly solid evidence of anything.

Where does he state, "no more aaa on vita?"

Just like the PS4 then.

Cows are in for a tough gen once they realise you can't play sales.