What do you think Sony has to do to really increase the Vita sells?

More games? Maybe eventually release another version with built in memory and longer battery life with a lower price somehow?

I was so against getting a Vita before, but im getting one for Christmas still because I have Playstation All Stars for PS3 and I want to be able to play that on the go. Also, im sure Little Big Planet Vita will keep me occupied forever since most of the fun I find in LBP is creating. I only play user levels to get ideas. I heard that the average player online on that game at any given time is like 600-1000 lol.

Well yeah, before I get too far off topic,

What do you think Sony has to do to really increase Vita sells?

When do you think it will happen? Will it happen? The LBP Vita community needs to grow :(

I don't think they can. It's dead.

The two most obvious ones would be to drop the price, and include a memory card, or built-in memory.

As much as anyone wants to deny it the PSVita is actually in pretty steep competition against not only Nintendo, but also the Kindle Fire, the Google Nexus, the iPod Touch, and other such devices. Given that the PSVita is currently more expensive than all of them, and has less software support is a big turn off to customers.

Something they can't really change now, but I think would have helped them out big time, would have been full PSP backwards compatibility.

Right now, if someone wants a Playstation handheld, they make the obvious choice of buying the handheld with 150 good games to choose from over the one with 10 good games to choose from with not much on the horizon.

Backwards compatibility would have been a huge plus to those who wanted to transition from their current PSP to the PS Vita, and also the gamers who never had a PSP as it'd have given the PSVita an already-established library when it launched.

I mean look at the 3DS. It actually saw an increase in sales when Pokemon B/W 2 came out which is a Nintendo DS game because the 3DS has backwards compatibility. That game, along with the monstrous DS library, and the 3DS library, have made the 3DS the fastest selling system ever in Japan, and now developers would be crazy to not give it full support.

The PSVita won't get the same benefit.

Lower memory card prices. The Vita is picking up some steam though, the PSP was very successful, the Vita will be too no doubt.

Lower memory card prices. The Vita is picking up some steam though, the PSP was very successful, the Vita will be too no doubt.

ShadowMoses900

Three big things:

1: Price drop, its time!

2: Built in memory/included memory cards. Its ridiculous you can't play games right out of box.

3: Remove their stupid proprietary OS, and put Android on it.

[QUOTE="ShadowMoses900"]

Lower memory card prices. The Vita is picking up some steam though, the PSP was very successful, the Vita will be too no doubt.

ninjapirate2000

More and more people are buying it, it has my interest now and I was origonally going to go with 3DS. PSP was highly successful.

I would cut my losses and abandon the system, and leave the portable gaming market forever, unless they can create something that can compete with tablets and smartphones. Only people that need a portable gaming device are children, otherwise a smartphone will suffice.

1. Sell Vita with a bag of free dog poop.
2. Watch sales rocket.

$90 for a decent memory card. That needs to change.

offer it for free.

Price drop, stronger advertising, better games, games that appeal to handheld gamers. Entirely new game franchises catered to the Vita would really help. If they're really desperate, bundle a killer app with the system, and I mean all systems. It worked for the Genesis.

It can be the price it is now. To shift the VITA, give it a line up of excellent games that you can't get anywhere else. And, make sure these games appeal to a market segment who would buy the product.

I think they should drop it...Come out with a new handheld called PSP 2 and allow it to be backwards with the PSP. I think that the only way they can have a successful system. The longer they wait the harder it will be for this idea to work, because America are very short term fans, they wait to long most in the US market will care about playing PSP games anymore. HarlockJC

I think they should drop it...Come out with a new handheld called PSP 2 and allow it to be backwards with the PSP. I think that the only way they can have a successful system. The longer they wait the harder it will be for this idea to work, because America are very short term fans, they wait to long most in the US market will care about playing PSP games anymore. HarlockJC

I've actually thought that was a good idea for sometime now. In fact I'm sure we've actually talked to each other about it in earlier threads regarding the PSVita's sales.

When has quickly reiterating ever turned out good in console hardware biz? Just look at SEGA. The Vita might not be doing so hot but I don't think dumping it this early is a good idea. If Sony really works on it I think the Vita can be turned around. I mean, just look at the PS3. If not, then dump the vita and wait like four or five years for the sting to go away. Non one's going to want a new portable Playstation so soon after this.vashkey

I don't think the PS3 ever got to the point of irrelevancy such as the PS Vita has gotten.

The Vita has practically no brand awareness, the software sales are just absolutely abysmal in comparison to other products, and look at Japan! It sold 5% of what the 3DS did last week.

SEGA damaged its brand through expensive addons with minimal support. After they released the Saturn it saw the same fate as the PSV now and that was just total irrelevancy. Sega took the drastic measure of launching the Dreamcast much sooner than everyone else, and had the most successful launch of any console up to that point.

The concept of the Dreamcast was mostly flawless, and its failure had less to do with SEGA, and more to do with the fact that EA didn't support it (cuz they are evil), and it had insane piracy rates.

Sell it for 150 bucks and start making games that actually provide a reason to purchase a Vita.

Uncharted Vita wont do that.

Nintendo couldnt get away with charging 250 for the 3DS, so what makes you think Sony will get away with it?

Just put the SONY logo on it in a bigger font, because we all know Sony is synonymous with world class gaming. Heil68

Just put the SONY logo on it in a bigger font, because we all know Sony is synonymous with world class gaming. Heil68

That would have worked on me in the late nineties / early 2000s!

What is currently stopping me from buying a Vita is the insane memory card prices and the fact that they only released the black version over here. I want to get a white one with a decently priced mem card and PS+.

I can't speak for everyone but I think the fact that they sold those memory cards seperatly for that high a price stopped a lot of people from buying one.

Just put the SONY logo on it in a bigger font, because we all know Sony is synonymous with world class gaming. Heil68

Yes ! Put it all over the screen so everyone can see it all the time, even when playing their games !

[QUOTE="Heil68"]Just put the SONY logo on it in a bigger font, because we all know Sony is synonymous with world class gaming. R4gn4r0k

Yes ! Put it all over the screen so everyone can see it all the time, even when playing their games !

I should have wrote better advertising, but are you actually saying that a price drop, whether it's a short-term solution or not (I think it's a long-term one) would be less viable of a solution than dumping the system entirely? Especially after it's sold nearly 4,000,000 units? I can't actually take that as legitimate reasoning. Also, games that are like Need for Speed Most Wanted that are like their console brethren need to be closer to them than they are now, where there are much less cars in a race, graphics being severely reduced quality-wise. I think this is a matter of time, not power, and when devs learn how to use the power of the Vita like they did with the PSP. Also, I'm not saying all games should be like their console versions.Games like Black Ops Declassified, as bad as it may be, work toward the handheld factor of the Vita. Since the devs of the aforementioned NFS MW wanted to copy the console versions and sell it as so, they need to do that better. I do wish it was called the PSP2 though, that would have been so much better on the advertising and grassroots front when it comes to word-of-mouth.Blabadon

In most cases a price drop only helps short term, because you need something else to keep the console or handheld moving forward than just prices. History full of handhelds/consoles that have had price drops and still failed. The PS3 in a way can be seen differently because the price was so very high from the start. But Sony still was able to back it up with better games, but even a price drop has never made it anywhere near as successful as the other playstations.

The problem with saying it will take time to find the power of the vita. Game development is done in cycles, even the largest companies have people up top you make investment desions. If Vita does not come out of this holiday season with good sales, you are going to see a lot of their games start to dry up even more from large companies. Games like the Bioware Vita game have already been canceled for close to this reason. The companies have to see that their is enough systems on the market for a chance of a good return, or they will spend their money elsewhere.

This has already started to happen however in the case of the Vita. Which is why Sony asking everyone to wait till after christmas before to judging the system. The problem facing both Sony and Nintendo "not so much yet" is that most gaming companies are spending their money making games for cell phones over handheld systems.

What is currently stopping me from buying a Vita is the insane memory card prices and the fact that they only released the black version over here. I want to get a white one with a decently priced mem card and PS+.

I can't speak for everyone but I think the fact that they sold those memory cards seperatly for that high a price stopped a lot of people from buying one.

R4gn4r0k

It would have definitely been nice if Sony just included some sort of memory for game saves rather than requiring a memory card. It doesn't even have to be that big.

PSP came out with a 32mb stick for saves, and if you wanted to do more on the PSP you bought a new memory stick.

It's sad to think that some poor gamer out there got a PSVita for Christmas, that his/her parents saved up for a long time to get, and when they open it they find the game they got with it requires a memory card for saves.

It would have definitely been nice if Sony just included some sort of memory for game saves rather than requiring a memory card. It doesn't even have to be that big.

PSP came out with a 32mb stick for saves, and if you wanted to do more on the PSP you bought a new memory stick.

It's sad to think that some poor gamer out there got a PSVita for Christmas, that his/her parents saved up for a long time to get, and when they open it they find the game they got with it requires a memory card for saves.

Ly_the_Fairy

Idd, I think a lot of people weren't aware and if they make something required it should be included. Same with the AC adaptor of the 3DS XL.

The PSP mem cards also annoyed me but the differences were:

• There was a value pack that included a 32MB memstick, for Vita there was no such pack on launch
• Sandisk also made memory cards, so there was at least some competition. Now its Sony and only them who decide the prices.
• Paying so much money for a 4GB memstick in 2012 is rediculous, this isn't 2005 anymore.

I bought that value pack and later I bought a 4GB memcard when the prices went down.

edit: oh and also PSP go had flash memory. There was no reason for Sony not to include flash memory standard on the system besides wanting to sell their overpriced memory cards to people. That annoys me.

[QUOTE="R4gn4r0k"]

[QUOTE="Heil68"]Just put the SONY logo on it in a bigger font, because we all know Sony is synonymous with world class gaming. Heil68

Yes ! Put it all over the screen so everyone can see it all the time, even when playing their games !

No, you see: even when people play crap like Declassified they will think they are playing quality because they can see Sony!

Here are some things that could help the Vita

• Lower the price of the Vita to 199 or 189 dollars. Make the price more competitive with the 3DS' price point.
• Lower the price of the memory cards.
• Get major Sony IPs like God of War and Gran Trusimo on the system. Those two IPs sold well on the PSP and are some of Sony's biggest sellers.
• When putting Sony IPs on the system, pick the best developers for the job
• Promote the advantages the Vita has over the 3DS. Promote Playstation Plus, promote the PS1 classics, and promote the PSN store.
• Make the system more attractive to third-party developers. Offer incintives to developers to make their games exclusive to the Vita
• Promote the cross-play features of the system. Offer a PS3/Vita bundle that has both systems.
• On the third-party thing, Sony needs to get IPs like Final Fantasy and Persona exclusive to the Vita. Offer Square Enix incentives to remake Final Fantasy V and VI on the platform
• Take advantage of the dual analog sticks that are on the Vita. Right now, this is a major advantage of the Vita that is not being taken advantage of.
• Create brand-new IPs that can't be found on a Sony home console.

at this point i don't think sony can afford a price drop on anything. it's probably up to third party devs to keep the vita alive now, but i don't see much of a future in that either. :(

Go back in time and smack their past selves into realizing it was a horrible business maneuver and they need to plan for some proper killer apps and exclusives, and not just rely on PS3 hand-me-downs. Also, drop the price to compete with the 3DS and release GoWA exclusively for the platform.Zeviander

That's one thing that I don't get. Why was God of War:Ascension not developed exclusively for the Vita? Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta were both successful games on the PSP, and GoWA would have really boosted the Vita's sales and maybe given people the incentive to buy a Vita.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. An exclusive Gran Truismo and God of War game for the Vita would only help boost sales and bring people to the system. The PSP entries of those two franchises sold millions and were some of the few PSP games that sold well.

An exclusive God of War game for the Vita accompanied with a price drop for the system and memory cards would help the system. Get Ready of Dawn to develop the Vita GOW and make it a game that shows off what the Vita can do.

It may not be enough to overcome the bad start, but it might save the Vita and give it a much needed boost.

Drop the price of the Vita to $200 and make the memory cards drastically cheaper. There is no reason 32GB should cost nearly $100. My 1.5TB HDD for my PC costed me $75

I don't think it can be saved. The niche and configuration of the Vita is fundamentally flawed and they cannot bounce back unless they change the handheld itself.

Considering this was developed in an attempt to bring a console experience to a handheld, here are the underlying issues as I see it:

1. The Vita is NOT as powerful as a PS3, thus most of the games developed for their flagship console cannot be ported to the handheld.
2. Because of #1, the only existing franchises that can arrive on the Vita are ones that are custom made for the Vita. This means slimmed down, half-assed versions. Think COD declassified and AC Revelations.
3. The handheld further buries itself by incorporating hardware gimmicks like the touch panel, accelerometer, and touch screen. This means even if a game CAN be ported, the additional development to use these features results in half-assed implementation. Seriously, was the log balancing in Uncharted necessary at all?
4. The game uses proprietary memory cards which are severly overpriced. This is more of a barrier to entry than a lock-in strategy at the moment.
5. More broadly, the handheld doesn't try to fill a market gap or offer something that consumers were ever asking for. In a world where tons of handheld gaming is on mobile devices, Sony needs to find a way for consumers to justify owning another electronic device that can do things that a mobile phone cannot do.

I think the Wii U will be in a slightly similar situation but not nearly as severe, especially in the realm of popular third party support.

You cannot fix a fundamentally flawed product without coming out with a new one. Hopefully, they've (Sony) learned from this.

A price drop is inevitable, so they should focus on other things.

1.If they want to compete at all in Japan they need Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts.

2.Make it a must have for the playstation "eco system", They already have done some thing to help with this (PS+, Cross Play, Trophies,) they need to be creative to get the PS3 owners to buy the Vita.

3.Sony Japan, Guerilla, and Media Molecule are making exclusive Vita games, but they need more, A Naughty Dog and Sony Santa Monica game would be huge (They have 2 teams, so they could still make a PS3 game while making a Vita game).

I don't think it can be saved. The niche and configuration of the Vita is fundamentally flawed and they cannot bounce back unless they change the handheld itself.

Considering this was developed in an attempt to bring a console experience to a handheld, here are the underlying issues as I see it:

1. The Vita is NOT as powerful as a PS3, thus most of the games developed for their flagship console cannot be ported to the handheld.
2. Because of #1, the only existing franchises that can arrive on the Vita are ones that are custom made for the Vita. This means slimmed down, half-assed versions. Think COD declassified and AC Revelations.
3. The handheld further buries itself by incorporating hardware gimmicks like the touch panel, accelerometer, and touch screen. This means even if a game CAN be ported, the additional development to use these features results in half-assed implementation. Seriously, was the log balancing in Uncharted necessary at all?
4. The game uses proprietary memory cards which are severly overpriced. This is more of a barrier to entry than a lock-in strategy at the moment.
5. More broadly, the handheld doesn't try to fill a market gap or offer something that consumers were ever asking for. In a world where tons of handheld gaming is on mobile devices, Sony needs to find a way for consumers to justify owning another electronic device that can do things that a mobile phone cannot do.

I think the Wii U will be in a slightly similar situation but not nearly as severe, especially in the realm of popular third party support.

You cannot fix a fundamentally flawed product without coming out with a new one. Hopefully, they've (Sony) learned from this.

drphizzle0

It needs a killer app! FOR GODS SAKE GIVE ME A KILLER APP! I want this piece of hardware already, but have no reason to get it.SaltyMeatballs

if by killer app you mean something like Mario or Halo then you're just asking for the impossible. Games with that kind of popularity like for example Halo was due to extremily lucky timing and that's not something that happens every so often. To create a game like that is more than just being a good game you know. Uncharted is a series that has won many GOTY's and Persona 3 and 4 have gotten incredible scores across the board yet people just ignore them and their sales are lacking compared to something like Mario or COD where each installement sells around 10 million copies.

But if you're asking for good games then the Vita already has plenty of those....

A price drop. It worked for the 3DS, and I imagine it would do wonders for Vita.