| superchunk said: 1) I take it you don't read the internet much? 2) I guess you missed not only the phrase "almost every case" immediately prior and the sentence directly after what you bolded where I specifically state the gaming controls/experience is PSVs advantage (sole advantage btw)? What I'm focusing on in this thread is not the gaming to gaming comparison. Of course PSV has far better controls as well as offers more in depth and, at least initially and on average, more advanced games. However, like the PS3, the PSV is not trying to be solely a games console. Its trying to saddle both markets and be a full portable media device. Ignoreing very recent history that showed the DS mop the floor over PSP, which also had the prime differentiator of full media capabilities. My point is that with the PSP, that market was relatively new for smartphones as that's when they really took off. Now they are the established portable media devices that pretty much anyone will already have when considering the PSV. Additionally, I am NOT nor have I ever said portable gaming consoles are dead. What I've said is that Sony's approach is not smart. Nintendo put out a low priced, media enabled, console that when it is at the right price with solid content, proves that market is not dead and it will end up being highly successful. Sony on the other hand, is at the same price or more than any contracted smartphone and not too far off from off contract models, especially when you consider having to purchase a memory card and games. This combined with the fact that ALL of their game experiences (at least looking at launch and historically, the PSP) are nothing unique. They are nearly the exact same games on the home consoles and in terms of 3rd parties, straight ports that will also, in many cases, on those smartphones (regardless of controls or overall experience). As for your Call of Duty statement... lol... they will not buy it on Vita when they can get a FAR better experience at home and since the only place they can actually play online multiplayer is where the wifi is located... that too is already at home. At least smartphones with multiplayer allow you to use your data connection from anywhere. PSVs gimped to only social stuff. (this is where I'm making my comparison that smartphones exceed PSV in almost every case). PSV is a good device on its own. However, its not on its own, its now a direct competitor to the 3DS, the tons of non-phone enabled iOS/Android devices, and almost a full direct competitor to smartphones themselves. This is just bad business and will result in the shrinkage of Sony's portable marketshare and potentially even hurt their own smartphone/tablet lines. Whereas if they chose a either a lower priced manufacture point and unique gaming experiences (deviants is a path good approach to this) OR simply created a slightly more compact device that included phone capabilites, I argue they would have a higher potential to do far better. As someone who never buys portable gaming for myself, I know I won't buy a $300 portable console for my kids and I won't carry this device alongside my smartphone. However, had it been a smartphone, I probably would have gotten it for myself. My more mass market position is where Sony should have aimed. |
1. In the little internet that I read, I have seen oppinion pieces labeled as such. Anyway, I whish you would state it as an oppinion and not fact, even if the internet does not require you to, that's all.
2. Your statements seem contradictory to me: average smartphones do better than the PVS at almost everything, except gamers but that is not important for a gaming hendlheld?. My statement still stands, that not even top end smartphones do things better, and on the games side don't do it better except at prices for small games.
Your complaint is that the device does the things smartphones do. Well ofcourse it does, since it's more than capable of doing it, and as an evolution on the PSP, ofcource it will have these features. That doesn't mean it's pitched as an multimedia device. As far as I have seen, Sony strongly push the gaming and social aspects that go well together with gaming, not the multimedia aspect. That it can play videos and music, surf the web and run non gaming applications as a natural thing that comes with these mini PCs.
The price, well, remember that when the 250 price point was anounced, everyone was pleased. Now the enthusiasm lowered with the cheaper 3DS and the expensive memory cards out there. But, Except in the case that the PSV will be hot like the wii and be sold out contantly, itself and it's memory cards will get cheaper. The price is great and will work for Sony.
Ther are many who did not own a PSP, probably most of those who would play games, did not own a PSP, so for them everything would be new on the PSV. The uniqueness of the dual analog sticks on a handheld makes for unique games on the handheld, whether they are ports or not.
Let's not forget that an ad hoc wireless network can cover the multyplayer side of a game like COD on the move perfectly, as Monster Hunter showed with the PSP in Japan. 3G is not required. Playing at home is great and playing on the move or out is even better, since it's like a small lan party, with the girls and guys you want to taunt being next to you. It's a funner experience potentially. It can work brilliantly, let's wait and see. The fact that wireless access points are everywhere and spreading constantly, and the wireless ad hoc network capability, means that the conectivity issue is largely a non issue.
The PSVita is not on it's own yes. There are far more people that played handheld games now that there were 7 years ago, and more and more get to play and enjoy these, thanks to the smartphones. Some will want more and the PSV is one of the better devices to offer them more.
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