| archbrix said: 1) I haven't gotten my hands on the Vita yet, but considering the tech, OLED screen, and what it costs Sony to make it, there's a good chance it's not overpriced. But again, it's too expensive for a dedicated handheld, which is its biggest detriment to having mass-market sales... 2) ... which brings me to your second question, which is based around games and subjectivity, which of course complicates things more. There are people who will buy the Vita and think that it's not too expensive and worth every penny for the hardware and the games it plays. Then there are some who want the games but feel it costs too much, some who like the hardware but don't think the games warrant the price, etc. Basically it comes down to $250 is more than the masses are willing to pay for a handheld game system, even if some feel it has great games... 3) ... which brings me to point three: the iPad. Yes, it's expensive (and overpriced IMO), but the device does a lot of things, which to many people does warrant the price. The Vita is primarily a game system, which IMO plays vastly superior games than tablets and smartphones, but like it or not, tablets and smartphones do play games... and do a lot more as well. This is why I think price is a big factor in handhelds being successful in today's market; at $250, only the most dedicated gamers will bring in the sales of dedicated gaming handhelds, even if the game library is alluring. |
Thanks. But question @ bold. Even if it's during the holidays, and there are 3 must-have games like Mario 3DL, MK7 and MH out all nearly at the same time? Does it really take that dedicated a gamer to bite? Why can home consoles sell at 250$ but not portables? Aren't these systems bought for their games? I don't see at this point in the history of gaming why a home console can offer a more compelling experience than a portable, at the level we are in portable processing and graphics power. This is an honest question (not rhetorical).
In your answer, forget the whole TV versus portable experience argument if you can, since some people like the comfort of taking their gaming anywhere over playing on a big screen. But you can touch on it if you'll argue demographics (which demographics prefers playing tv screens, and in which country).
