What is holding back the Vita?

[compl3x]

It doesn't seem to be the hardware; everyone agrees it is good. Is it just the price? Proprietary memory cards? Software library? Dumb name? Are people just uninterested in handhelds? Are people uninterested in a Sony handheld?

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

1. price

2. expensive, stupid, required, proprietary memory cards

3. there are some great games, but not enough.

[MightyJordan]

1. price

2. expensive, stupid, required, proprietary memory cards

3. there are some great games, but not enough.

Bingo. Bingo. Bingo. (Y) (Y) (Y)

If it was sold for, say, ?50 less than at launch (so ?180 for Wi-Fi and ?230 for Wi-Fi + 3G), I reckon there would have been a lot more people queuing up on launch night. But not a lot, due to those stupid proprietary memory cards. They didn't learn their lesson with the PSP and the Memory Stick Duo format. This just makes people hate you for refusing to follow established standard in order to rip your customers off. For example, a quick search on Amazon shows a SanDisk 32GB SDHC card (the worldwide standard format) for ?14. A 32GB SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo: ?54. A 32GB Sony PlayStation Vita Memory Card: ?60. So because of Sony's greed, you're forced to pay more than 400% the amount of an SD card for the same amount of storage in your PS Vita. It's like the original 20GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 (which if, like me, you only had a Core model, would eventually be required, due to the tiny 256MB memory cards); that cost ?60. Proprietary forms of storage are only there to rip you off and squeeze as much money out of you as possible. It's a far cry from the PS3, where you can use any 2.5" hard drive you please for storage. And now in the new 360s, actually (although you do need to insert a bit of foam in there to stop the hard drive moving about).

[Blackhearted]

1. price

2. expensive, stupid, required, proprietary memory cards

3. there are some great games, but not enough.

On number 3 i'd also say it lacks system sellers. There may be a couple titles that are interesting on the vita, but nothing that makes me say "I must buy one of these asap!". And i'm sure i'm not the only one who says that.

Also, i'd add a #4 and label it as "how very badly they handled backwards compatibility".

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

1. price

2. expensive, stupid, required, proprietary memory cards

3. there are some great games, but not enough.

Bingo.

The memory cards are ridiculous. With such a large part of the good content being digital (PS1 classics/PSN games), some people will miss out on it entirely due to having a small memory card and having to rely on retail titles.

Sony have to learn that one great way to sell the Vita is by cramming the digital scene full of lovely indie games right up to higher budget, but reasonably priced, top tier titles. In order for the users to experience all of that to the fullest they need big memory cards. Stop relying on memory cards to try and make you profit and get big cards to everyone and then proceed to market the hell out of the digital scene.

They have it backwards right now, this isn't the PS2 era when memory cards could be price gouged and it be a successful ploy.

[TruckWEB]

1. price

2. expensive, stupid, required, proprietary memory cards

3. there are some great games, but not enough.

All this and... lets face it, a good (easy) hack for homebrew, emulators, ....

[BoredBozirini]

Price and the fact that it brings nothing new. Its a PSP with better specs.

[Blaze_Zewi]

1. price

2. expensive, stupid, required, proprietary memory cards

3. there are some great games, but not enough.

.4 User Interface

[Roxkis]

Should have made it with Android and watch people shove money into their hands.

But I think android would be awesome on most devices...like the lumia 920...Q.Q

Also would have helped if they didn't rape people for them memory cards. Its a shame such nice hardware

is going to waste.

[ShadowMajestic]

Bingo.

The memory cards are ridiculous. With such a large part of the good content being digital (PS1 classics/PSN games), some people will miss out on it entirely due to having a small memory card and having to rely on retail titles.

Sony have to learn that one great way to sell the Vita is by cramming the digital scene full of lovely indie games right up to higher budget, but reasonably priced, top tier titles. In order for the users to experience all of that to the fullest they need big memory cards. Stop relying on memory cards to try and make you profit and get big cards to everyone and then proceed to market the hell out of the digital scene.

They have it backwards right now, this isn't the PS2 era when memory cards could be price gouged and it be a successful ploy.

I own a Vita and its a wonderfull thing really. But Sony dropped a ball. Just slowly its having cross games (PS3/vita), very..very few games support the Vita as an addon on the PS3 (i have yet to find any). PSN+ just came to the Vita much to late (only available like a month now). The PSN+ makes the Vita really worth the purchase though :)

The memory card is absolutely horrible, I have the largest one available and I keep ending up deleting games and what not just cause I keep going out on space. Which is the biggest letdown in my opinion.

The camera is a real waste aswell, they could've put a better one in it, the 320pixels is absolutely horrible :p

[Invizibleyez]

Sony has basically always done the proprietary thing more than anyone. Even I was shocked when I heard that the PS Vita needed a PS Vita Memory card that NOTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD uses, not even Sony products. And then to see what they cost! It's insanity! I guess the PSP Go didn't teach them anything, people don't want to waste their time redownloading games because they didn't have the room, and most people don't want to spend the money on a system that requires expensive memory cards. I just got a PS Vita at Christmas in a bundle with a 4GB Vita card and Assassins Creed. Well, the memory card is small, just a couple small games, or maybe 2 Vita games fit on it. And, well, theres the Assassins Creed: Liberation bugs.... they suck.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

Sony has basically always done the proprietary thing more than anyone. Even I was shocked when I heard that the PS Vita needed a PS Vita Memory card that NOTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD uses, not even Sony products. And then to see what they cost! It's insanity! I guess the PSP Go didn't teach them anything, people don't want to waste their time redownloading games because they didn't have the room, and most people don't want to spend the money on a system that requires expensive memory cards. I just got a PS Vita at Christmas in a bundle with a 4GB Vita card and Assassins Creed. Well, the memory card is small, just a couple small games, or maybe 2 Vita games fit on it. And, well, theres the Assassins Creed: Liberation bugs.... they suck.

i bought the 32GB card only b/c i had a gift card. i find that the 32GB card is almost a requirement. i cant imagine the 4GB card. i have a few downloaded games and they really chew up the space. on top of that, when you start downloading some videos or adding your own, the card's space is gone.

[fusi0n]

The iPhone, iPad, Android Phone/Tablets.. Tons of great games on those devices.. I know they are not as in depth as some of the Vita games.. but I don't think anyone really cares anymore.. You can get games like dead space on the iOS/Android..

[spacer]

Smartphones? Seriously, most people today would rather just buy a game for their phones that they already have, rather than spend more money on yet another gadget.

[Gaffney]

Because the PSP flopped over many years, it will take a lot of work or time to recover from that. The Nintendo DS does so well because it built a reputation for it's self.

[shakey]

I feel it has to do with many things... I'll see if i can list what I believe is holding them back properly.

1) Mobile gaming is really for kids. As an adult, I'm not in situations enough that make buying such an expensive item worth it. If I am traveling, I'm normally the one driving. If I'm going to some place, I normally can't just game, as I am with friends, or some other imporant task that just doesn't warrant lugging a portable gaming only device. These things are more for kids, who have the spare time while out and about to game. It just isn't practical for most adults, though it is right now, aimed towards the older gaming audience.

2) Lack of games and lack of advertisement. When it was first released, there were a few commercials. Now, I haven't seen a single one in probably 2 months. The only time I even see the Vita is when I am actually looking up a game and there happens to be a Vita version.

3) Price still plays an imporant factor. For the price of this, you can get a great smart phone or tablet basically. People want multi-use devices nowadays, at least the majority does.

4)PSP didn't do so well, so many are still wondering what the support will be like for this. Since it is off to a very very slow start, it will have trouble gaining confidence amongst gamers.

[compl3x]

Was the PSP a flop?

71+ million units sold worldwide, idk if that can be considered a flop.

[evieluvsrainbows]

I think the Vita is pretty good. The price has nothing to do with it. It's just the decision people make. That's why the Vita isn't that popular.

[Nashy]

Mobile phones which are just as good, if not better.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

Mobile phones which are just as good, if not better.

Better in what way? Not a phone on the market has a screen to match the OLED on the vita or the graphics it can produce. I have yet to find a game on a mobile device that plays as well as something on my 3DS or Vita.

[compl3x]

Mobile phones which are just as good, if not better.

lol

[Blackhearted]

Mobile phones which are just as good, if not better.

lol. You got to be on something pretty strong to beleive something like that.

[0nyX]

SONY

[dead.cell]

Mobile phones which are just as good, if not better.

If you're talking about Android at all, I'll just sit here laughing. I've got so few games to play (that I actually find interesting) compared to iOS at that I'm very much disappointed in that regard. (not that I don't like Android though, but c'mon)

[shakey]

Was the PSP a flop?

71+ million units sold worldwide, idk if that can be considered a flop.

Compared to other portable systems, it is. DS has sold over 150 million. 3DS is about the same.

It's not also though how many units were sold, but the library and life of the system. At least in the American market, the PSP didn't do so hot.