Playstation Vita

[Wiper]

Yep, noticed that earlier. Particularly problematic as it won't accept a UK credit card, so even though I have a US account I can't make use of them. Haven't had a chance to try Not Smash Bros. yet, what with the Vita still being happily in the US.

[ryodi]

I succumbed to wanting a white Vita which doesn't look like it will be released here and currently (although it may not be the case when it actually arrived) Amazon will give me £140 credit for my 3G machine whose mobile capabilities I've never actually used and probably never will.

[Smitty]

Has this been posted?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/terokuittinen/2012/11/23/sonys-portable-console-dying-ugly-in-japan/

For Sony’s previous handheld, the PSP, Japan was an anchor market. The system launched in Japan in 2004 and has sold 14 Million units there – just slightly below the 17 Million units it moved in the United States. Sony obviously hoped to maintain the home field advantage with the PS Vita, the new portable console that debuted at the end of 2011.

The performance of Vita in Japan has been nothing short of atrocious on so many levels. On the week ending November 11, the unit volume in Japan was a shocking 4,021. The eight-years-old PSP sold 12,000 units during the same week. This is a rare example of a new console failing to dislodge the old one even after one year on the market.

Nintendo’s 3DS continued its rampage, moving 186’000 units during the week – 46 times more than its handheld rival. PS Vita has probably already edged into the dead zone where developers start yanking support for stand-alone projects.

Ouchie

The week of November 11 was another bad period for Vita – but arguably the week of November 18 was even worse. The sales of Vita rebounded from 4,000 to 13,000, but the increase was intolerably weak considering that this was the Assassin’s Creed III launch period in Japan. The franchise is not as strong over there as it is in America and Europe, but the PS3 version of the game still sold 73,000 units – a solid number considering how badly the PS3 is aging right now. In stark contrast, the Vita version of the AC3 sold just 24,000 units – and this triggered only 9,000 unit increase in the console sales.

The inability to deliver a strong unit volume rebound during a major software launch is a death knell for a video game console – and this is what Vita has demonstrated all through the autumn. For example, in October, Vita was the launch pad for a relatively big title, “The Legend of Heroes”. The game sold 21,000 units during its debut week – Vita sales bounced to 15,000 units and then dropped back to a 6,000 weekly pace in just two weeks later. It looks identical to the impact that Assassin’s Creed III is now having on Vita – negligible.

PS Vita is going to struggle to hit 700,000 units in Japan during the calendar year 2012. This is far below viability. At the same time, Nintendo 3DS is riding a massive wave of blockbuster games week after week – Animal Crossing will hit 1 Million units next week, New Super Mario Bros stands at 1.3 Million, the latest Pokemon at 2.8 Million.

Sony’s credit rating was lowered to junk level this week. The PS3 is aging badly and the PS Vita is about to be knocked out of the portable console market. Nintendo’s portable gaming empire is facing a potentially lethal long-term threat from mobile apps. Apple‘s iPad application market is getting more and more sophisticated game titles, as ambitious games like “The Room” and “Clash of Clans” edge towards console game quality. Google has finally started solving its app market problems and Android app revenue is soaring.

But for now, it can feast on Sony’s corpse and hoover in consumer dollars that it had to split with PSP just two years ago.

[Captain Kelsten]

For my week stuck in a hotel this week, I have the following games to play:

Gravity Rush

Virtue's Last Reward

Playstation All Stars

God of War chains of Olympus

Medievil Resurrection

Dead Head Fred (I had this on psp and enjoyed the 5 mins I played of it before my dog ate the UMD)

Final Fantasy VII

Not to mention the stuff I've yet to finish like Disgaea 3, Escape Plan and A few tournaments of Everybody's Golf. I've got a good few evenings worth of gaming right there and I'm looking forward to it!

[Tailfly]

Sine Mora is pretty damn impressive isn't it! Really not good at shmups but it screams quality and is designed very well for replayability.

[Rev]

Has this been posted?

http://www.forbes.co...-ugly-in-japan/

I can't argue with the general conclusions of that it's not doing well, but this bit of evidence is very odd and to me suggests other conclusions:

The week of November 11 was another bad period for Vita – but arguably the week of November 18 was even worse. The sales of Vita rebounded from 4,000 to 13,000, but the increase was intolerably weak considering that this was the Assassin’s Creed III launch period in Japan. The franchise is not as strong over there as it is in America and Europe, but the PS3 version of the game still sold 73,000 units – a solid number considering how badly the PS3 is aging right now. In stark contrast, the Vita version of the AC3 sold just 24,000 units – and this triggered only 9,000 unit increase in the console sales.

The PS3 is old, but it's not in anyway outdated relative to the competition - the Wii U might be more powerful, but not a generation ahead. So I won't take that as a reason for poor PS3 sales.

But, the PS3 version sold 72k on the back of 8 million consoles. The Vita copy sold 24k, a third as many, despite having an approximately 8th of the userbase. The article is presumably right that Assassins Creed isn't a big deal there, which suggests Vita owners are wanting to buy SOMETHINGANYTHING. That's a vague hint of hope for Sony, the userbase for the Vita are at least vaguely active even if there aren't many of them. At least that gives them a chance of turning things round if games do suddenly appear from somewhere.

It's a real Dreamcast though - Sega launched a games machine against a games machine with a DVD player included. Sony have launched a games machine against an iPad that is sat in a completely different market.

'Tis a shame.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

It's a real Dreamcast though - Sega launched a games machine against a games machine with a DVD player included. Sony have launched a games machine against an iPad that is sat in a completely different market.

The iPad doesn't seem to hurt the 3DS though.

[Rev]

The iPad doesn't seem to hurt the 3DS though.

Yet. The Vita is aimed at an older audience who are more likely to want/buy/own a smartphone/iPad. The kidz are going to get there sooner or later, but for now the 3DS is better suited to them.

[bobin]

The iPad doesn't seem to hurt the 3DS though.

Don't mention the elephant!

I feel like such a mug for buying a Vita, after all the hype, especially in here, there literally are no games for me. And DAT SCREEN seems no better than my iPhone screen. The touch screen gimmicks are just frustrating and the back touch keeps activating when I don't want it to. I even downloaded that game that lets you pirate PSP games but can't be bothered using it.

I think this thread has been one of the biggest cases of emperors new clothes in rllmuk history. It's good tech, but a shit games machine.

[Bleeders]

Is Valkyrie Profile on the store yet? Been itching to get back on that.

Persona 4 Golden, a bit good isn't it!!

[Treble]

Don't mention the elephant!

I feel like such a mug for buying a Vita, after all the hype, especially in here, there literally are no games for me. And DAT SCREEN seems no better than my iPhone screen. The touch screen gimmicks are just frustrating and the back touch keeps activating when I don't want it to. I even downloaded that game that lets you pirate PSP games but can't be bothered using it.

I think this thread has been one of the biggest cases of emperors new clothes in rllmuk history. It's good tech, but a shit games machine.

I disagree; I think it's a fabulous console let down by dreadful marketing and lack of dev/publisher support.

Question: does NFS: MW on Vita have bonnet cam?

[Rev]

Don't mention the elephant!

I feel like such a mug for buying a Vita, after all the hype, especially in here, there literally are no games for me. And DAT SCREEN seems no better than my iPhone screen. The touch screen gimmicks are just frustrating and the back touch keeps activating when I don't want it to. I even downloaded that game that lets you pirate PSP games but can't be bothered using it.

I think this thread has been one of the biggest cases of emperors new clothes in rllmuk history. It's good tech, but a shit games machine.

Sounds like someone hasn't got Everybody's Golf.

[bobin]

Sounds like someone hasn't got Everybody's Golf.

Fuck golf games!

[Looper]

Sine Mora is pretty damn impressive isn't it! Really not good at shmups but it screams quality and is designed very well for replayability.

It's really really good. Utterly bonkers storyline though, I have absolutely no idea what is happening!

[Rev]

Fuck golf games!

THEN WHY DID BUY EVERYBODY'S GOLF MACHINE?

[Laine]

Persona 4 Golden just arrived! :omg:

[catinthehat]

Fuck golf games!

Did you check there were actually any games you liked on it before buying the console?

[utopastac]

My Vita remains my most played console by a huge margin, I haven't regretted my purchase once since I bought it. Admittedly that is mostly going back through the huge catalogue of PSP RPGs that I missed out on at the time. It's a shame the way it's been treated by publishers, save for a few select games like Assassin's Creed. For instance, I really want to play Lego LOTR, but there's no way I have time on my home consoles. So I'd love to get the Vita version, but it's cut down and ugly, which can only be laziness.

[Retroguy]

I don't mind the vita version of console games being companion pieces, but they still have to be good games in their own right.

I'd love an rpg franchise to have a handheld version where I know what I did at lunchtime would benefit my game when I went to play it on my home console later that evening, but it shouldn't be just mini game level tat.

The idea of the assassin's creed vita game sounded interesting, it's just a shame it turned out the way it did.

[bobin]

Did you check there were actually any games you liked on it before buying the console?

Well, there was katamari (one of my favourite series of games) and there were lots of reports of sound shapes looking ace and such and such would be coming out so I thought I'd buy one to encourage developers to make games for it. You know, making an investment in the future.

More fool me I guess. But I'd hope I'd be entitled to my opinion. Plus it's been ages since it launched - maybe we should be celebrating new games, not repeatedly bringing up a remake of a remake of a remake?

The should rename it to "Some People's Golf".

[Captain Kelsten]

I'd love an rpg franchise to have a handheld version where I know what I did at lunchtime would benefit my game when I went to play it on my home console later that evening, but it shouldn't be just mini game level tat.

Playstation Allstars Battle Royale can do that, so the tech is definitely there to allow it. I agree that being able to do that within a massive rpg would be awesome - an appropriately scaled version of the game on the vita to play at lunch and on commutes before uploading and carrying on where you left off on the ps3 would be amazing.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Don't mention the elephant!

I feel like such a mug for buying a Vita, after all the hype, especially in here, there literally are no games for me. And DAT SCREEN seems no better than my iPhone screen. The touch screen gimmicks are just frustrating and the back touch keeps activating when I don't want it to. I even downloaded that game that lets you pirate PSP games but can't be bothered using it.

I think this thread has been one of the biggest cases of emperors new clothes in rllmuk history. It's good tech, but a shit games machine.

I love the Vita, and I think it's a shame it's doing so badly as I'm afraid the stream of games will completely dry up in the near future. The hardware is brilliant, there are some very good games for it - both retail and downloadable - but people seem to be ignoring it en masse.

[Vorgot]

My Vita remains my most played console by a huge margin, I haven't regretted my purchase once since I bought it. Admittedly that is mostly going back through the huge catalogue of PSP RPGs that I missed out on at the time. It's a shame the way it's been treated by publishers, save for a few select games like Assassin's Creed. For instance, I really want to play Lego LOTR, but there's no way I have time on my home consoles. So I'd love to get the Vita version, but it's cut down and ugly, which can only be laziness.

I was going to grab the Vita version of LOTR, but I didn't realise it was a poor version. More research needed I think....

[Rev]

It's ported from the 3DS version, rather than the PS3 version.

[Orbital2060]

Yet. The Vita is aimed at an older audience who are more likely to want/buy/own a smartphone/iPad. The kidz are going to get there sooner or later, but for now the 3DS is better suited to them.

You're out of touch.

[Retroguy]

Playstation Allstars Battle Royale can do that, so the tech is definitely there to allow it. I agree that being able to do that within a massive rpg would be awesome - an appropriately scaled version of the game on the vita to play at lunch and on commutes before uploading and carrying on where you left off on the ps3 would be amazing.

I think White Knight Chronicles 2 had some cross over with the PSP version (giving you items and stuff), but it was very minimal. It wouldn't even have to be a scaled version of the game for me, I'd be happy if the gameplay was a little different since there's quite a bit of breadth within the RPG genre.

Maybe if the console was more popular with developers we'd be getting some functionality like this

I still love the Vita though!

[Rev]

You're out of touch.

I'm sorry, I was only only Reaching out for something to hold, Looking for a love, Where the climate is cold. My post was based on Manic moves and drowsy dreams Or living in the middle Between the two extremes. My Smoking guns (hot to the touch) Would cool down If we didn't use them so much. We're soul alone And soul really matters to me.

Too much.

[Captain Kelsten]

The 3ds is aimed at and appeals to a much wider audience than the vita. That and the fact Nintendo actually put effort into marketing the bloody thing, unlike Sony with the vita...

Also bear in mind that the 3ds has a handful of system selling games - Mario, Pokemon etc - whereas the vita doesn't at the moment. You could make a 3ds out of poo, make a game called Pokemon Poo edition and it would still outsell the vita just through the sheer selling power of the brand.

[utopastac]

What's the Vita version of Sonic and All-stars racing like? Close to the home console version...?

[Dudley]

What's the Vita version of Sonic and All-stars racing like? Close to the home console version...?

Unless you can get hold of SOL or Linkster, currently non-existent.