The PlayStation Vita was designed for a market where smartphones, tablets and freemium games were not the driving force.

So when the machine arrived in both £279.99 and £229.99 versions on February 22^nd 2012, it unsurprisingly struggled to make an impact on the market.

And that, according to Sony’s UK MD Fergal Gara, is why big changes are on the way – such as the recently announced price cut – that will reverse the machine’s fortunes.

"To bring a console out at £200+ and have software at £30, £40, £50 was a tough ask, even if it offered full controls and a superior gameplay experience,” he told Videogamer.

"Price is part of the equation but I think the landscape it entered is vastly different to that which maybe was imagined when the design process for the device started, in particular the tablet and smartphone and freemium-type models.

"So what's happening now is, you're getting the price of the console coming down, you've got tremendous value offerings around the software – we talked about Mega Packs [last week], we talked about PlayStation Plus and what that does for PlayStation Vita, and now you've got Remote Play as well.

“So in short, I think it could well be about to come into its prime and prove its distinctive worth, whereas it maybe struggled a little bit alongside the burgeoning tablet revolution."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sony-vita-was-designed-for-a-different-world-but-changes-are-afoot/0120582

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lol... how the heck didn't Sony see the rise of smartphones and tablets not coming.. and it will continue to struggle against it..

Because they don't take a week to design new hardware.

Seriously. Sony MAKES smartphones and tablets. They really didn't see how a $250 device with memory that expensive wouldn't go over well? Even after Nintendo had to do their own price cut?

The Vita was designed for a handheld market that doesn't exist anymore. Even the 3DS, as well as it's doing, likely won't sell anywhere near as well as the DS.

The PS Vita is just hitting its stride. If we keep saying that eventually we'll be right. Just like Jack Tretton with the PS3.

Vita need games, and support, not that smartphone and tablet BS.

It was made for a world where the 3DS cost $250 and didn't have Monster Hunter.

Why aren't you people thanking iOS and Android people? Cause of them you now have a cheaper Vita.. you're welcome

Because (a) I bought the Vita at full price and (b) you're ruining gaming.

(a) Don't blame me that you bought a PS4 accessory before even the PS4 was announced.. who does that?
(b) you're welcome

Excuses... There isn't any sort of market the Vita would have done well in. It's like the Gamegear of this generation.

3DS seems to be coping just fine with a higher price point than handhelds last generation and Mario Kart. It's been the world's top selling dedicated gaming console for about two years now. It's only going to go up from here now that massive titles like Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, and Monster Hunter 4 are launching on it.