I really wanted to purchase a Playstation Vita this week because I've recently purchased a Playstation 3, a Playstation 4, and I'm already signed up for a year of Playstation Plus, so buying a Vita seems like a logical thing to do if for no other reason than to get the monthly free games that are available for it to Playstation Plus members and I'm also impressed by the game library the fledgling Sony portable console has; however, when I went to the only Wal~Mart in my area that I frequently shop at that had one a couple of weeks ago, it had been purchased.  Also, I tried to purchase one at my nearest Gamestop, and they didn't have one either.

When I do a search for a Playstation Vita at walmart.com  http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_query=playstation+vita&Find=Find&search_constraint=0, I have to scroll haveway down the first page of search results that pops up before I even get to a Playstation Vita itself ( which I think is strange because when you search for any other game console they instantly pop up at the top of their search results, which could also be detrimental to Vita sales because in my estimation most people are going to do a basic search for a Vita at Walmart or a similar store and get frustrated when it doesn't immediately pop up like all other game consoles and move on to something else ), and then it says the Vita itself is out of stock online  ( http://www.walmart.com/ip/PlayStation-Vita-Borderlands-2-Limited-Edition-Bundle/36009510 ), then when I check store availability, I notice that only three out of fifteen Walmarts within a 50 mile radius of my house even have Sony Playstation Vitas.

So, do you think scarcity could be contributing to Playstation Vita's poor sales?

not really i don't that's the case every store i go to has a couple Vita's in stock but i never seen really seen it out of stock or anyone buy one for its entire life so far

If there's demand, there will be supply but the demand isn't big enough for the retailers to care so there's that... Vita needs a killer app and its pretty clear Sony or SE won't do it but maybe, someone will eventually

The PS Vita is contributing the poor PS Vita sales.

This is a completely outdated console format for 2014:

- Too big: when smartphone can 10x more times, and still have excellent games and the PS Vita doesn't even fit in any pocket, it's a problem

- Old Interface and capabilities: The same reason, PS Vita has an old as fuck interface which isn't practicable and can't even do much..

Retailers are not going to waste shelf space on a product that is not selling. It actually the opposite. Poor Vita sales have caused the scarcity.

No. There is little demand so retailers don't even keep them in stock. Low supply and availability are not the reasons for the bad sales.

Yes: a scarcity of people who'd want to buy one.

The Vita ain't bigger than a folded up 3DS XL, and that's the most popular 3DS-model. An opened 3DS XL or a 2DS is a monster compared to a Vita. And the high-end smartphones get bigger each year, there ain't much difference left to the size of the Vita.

But, if there is a problem with finding them in stores, that is going to cut down on the number of impulse buys the console gets. Let's say, you're not that knowledgeable about games, but you've recently bought the Best Selling 8th Gen Console, the PS4, and you discover that you get free monthly games with Playstation Plus once you get everything hooked up online and you're connected to PSN, then you may have an impulse to buy a PS Vita when you go to your local store, but if you go there and find out they're out of stock or not carrying them then you're not going to satisfy your impulse to purchase one.

Also as poorly as Vita is selling, it's still routinely outselling the 360, the Wii Mini, and even the Wii U ( on weeks that Mario Kart 8 isn't released ), yet those consoles are readily available in most stores.

It's true that I live in a rural area so that may contribute to the rarity of Vitas in my general vicinity ( even though they're also sold out at walmart.com ( http://www.walmart.com/ip/PlayStation-Vita-Borderlands-2-Limited-Edition-Bundle/36009510 ), and Vitas are also unavailable in the one Lexington, Kentucky, the second largest city in my state, Walmart store that is located within 50 miles of my home

The complete list of Walmart stores carrying Playstation Vitas within 50 miles of my home according to Walmart.com. Note: In my area, you can also only find Vitas at the most remote and inaccessible Walmart stores.


Walmart store #1190—Berea
22.14 miles |
Out of stock


Walmart store #1113—London
22.7 miles |
Out of stock


Walmart store #545—Manchester ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T93egBMlvCo )
26.87 miles |
In stock


Walmart store #719—Richmond
26.98 miles |
Out of stock


Walmart store #1259—Corbin
32.02 miles |
Out of stock


Walmart store #702—Winchester
40.44 miles |
Out of stock

Walmart store #1189—Barbourville
41.01 miles |
In stock


Walmart store #825—Stanford
43.65 miles |
Out of stock


Walmart store #1140—Mount Sterling
44.53 miles |
In stock

Walmart store #693—Jackson
46.65 miles |
In stock


Walmart store #689—Somerset
48.19 miles |
Out of stock


Walmart store #2060—Lexington
48.75 miles |
Out of stock

Walmart store #1210—Nicholasville
49.11 miles |
Out of stock

Walmart store #1048—Williamsburg
49.53 miles |
Out of stock

There are impulsive buyers for consoles (or handhelds for that matter)?

Anyway, I am not sure how it exactly affects sales, but it surely does to some minor extent.