Sony has a wonderful piece of technology in the Vita. However, it might be the wrong piece of technology for the wrong time.

At $250 WiFi (USD) and $300 3G (USD), it costs more than both its gaming competitor (3DS) and some handheld devices which can play games and music (iPod). Nintendo realized it was selling the 3DS at too high of a price point and cut the price, taking a loss (and a PR hit) in the process. Sony's financial situation makes it much more problematic to do the same thing immediately.

Related to this, there have been PR blunders. Most recently, saying that there would be a price cut next year, which is a "sales killer" since people will now "wait" instead of buying. If it is not something you need immediately, many people will wait out an anticipated $50 price reduction. (The only worse way to kill sales is to announce the replacement 18 months before release -- see Nintendo Wii). Also, billing the unit as being an extension of/controller for the PS3 sends the wrong message to non-PS3 owners.

Sony has also chosen to emphasize the technology that you can "play" your PS3 games and have console-like experiences with Vita games. As has been pointed out by others, much of the time gaming-on-the-go means quick hits not long play sessions. Mobile devices offer mostly quick hits. The 3DS offers both. Sony has gone in the wrong direction with its long-play emphasis.

Finally, Sony has also gone in the wrong direction with compatibility. Since you cannot just pop in your PSP game into your Vita, there is no loyalty. People can buy whatever they want/feel like since there is no inherent benefit to staying with the Sony brand. Conversely, Nintendo has always had one level of backward-compatibility in its handhelds: GBC played GB. GBA played GBC (and GB); DS played GBA; 3DS plays DS. Buy doing this, Nintendo has people locked into their systems who played the previous system since they can bring over all their previous generation games. Sony has some of this going on with the unified PSN, but not nearly as much.

So, in closing, the Vita costs too much compared to the competition and what it does, it emphasized the wrong type of games for a handheld, and it does not have backward-compatibility to PSP users (which would cause immediate appeal).

Mike from Morgantown

good thing nintendo is consistent :P

So true, I don't understand how they can have 10 year plan for the Vita if it is going to be completely outclassed next year

i soo don't get this mentality.  it still plays smaller more pick-up-and-play games like escape plan, ToMZB, lbp, tearaway.   ..AND vita allows for console quality gaming too (AC, CoD, uncharted)   ..AND vita even allows me to take some of my actual ps3 games (PSASBR, sly 4) anywhere in the world at no additional cost via cross-buy.  why choice, capabilities, and increased value is a bad thing i'll never get.

firstly, The vita has been out for 8/9 months not nearly a year! But, I think Vita will probably establish as these games come out, and a price cut comes. But I don't get the price argument, as iPod touches cost more than vita but sell way more

Having choices is always a good thing, the problem it's that with the popularity of smartphones most people have the mentality that mobile games most be the same for handhelds (to an extend). Those people prefer the angry birds type experience over watching a long cutscene of Uncharted on a smaller screen. And the people who want a console type experience on a handheld and don't mind those long cutscenes are the minority. The price of the games don't help, why would someone pay $10+ for a "short" Vita game when you can pay $1 or $2 for a game on your smartphone. All of this does not apply to the hardcore gamer mind you, but unfortunately after this gen we hardcore gamers became the minority over the casuals...

What are we waiting for now that will save the Vita?

I agree :D

Marketing marketing marketing.

Just reading most of these comments shows Sony has failed at marketing the Vita. We are all hardcore gamers who should know better and yet even many of us are shouting fallacies.

In America, the Vita has a great lineup and "hazgaemz". Uncharted, Wipeout, Escape Plan, Super Stardust Delta, Gravity Rush, and Little Big Planet are all amazing games that are just as good if not better than their console equivalents. I'm not saying the Vita plays console games on the go, but that it's just as fun. Heck LBP Vita is undoubtedly better than LBP2 even when playing at home. This is only 9 months after launch and the Vita already has six defining games. Sadly only people with a Vita know this because Sony's marketing sucks.

The Vita is also getting great games in America. Assassin's Creed Liberation, PSASBR, Tearaway, Killzone, and Gravity Rush 2 are all announced and coming. Again many more games are coming but these are the system sellers. If only Sony marketed them.

Have any of you guys even heard of PlayStation Mobile? It launched yesterday allowing anyone for free to develop apps and games for Vita and other certified platforms. With time the Vita will have everything smartphones have except again Sony fails to educate people about this.

The Vita is a great system that can thrive in today's smartphone world as long as people actually know what it does. Plus an official $50 price cut wouldn't hurt.

The 3ds offers console type games too, and nobody says anything about this

Resident evil, kingdom hearts, zelda, star fox, and even mario

they are all hardcore games that we can't compare to angry birds

I see some hipocrisy in some people