Vita's sales is now approaching the level of Dreamcast sales.

[mike_intellivision]

binary solo said:

archbrix said:
Even in the 3DS' weeks prior to its price drop (when it hit its lowest numbers due to all the hold-outs), it didn't fall to numbers as low as Vita has recently. Ouch!

My beef with Vita is not that it's a bad device, but that without it, Sony would focus more on the PS3, which would be much better for them (and me). And let's face it: Sony is certainly not in any position right now to be championing a very niche device in today's mobile market.

Things will surely pick up a bit during the holidays and after its inevitable price drop next year, but 3DS is only going to become stronger and increase its install base even more over time, and short of a veritable miracle, I don't see Vita having a very bright future.

True, but I think the real PSP fans will get a Vita eventually. So the question is, how many true PSP fans are there? If much of that 74 million in PSP sales is a soft market then Vita's problems are going to deepen. I think Vita might be faced with GameCube level unsuccess. That was the true core of Nintendo fans, and I think the true core of PSP fans is probably at, or slightly below, GameCube levels. Whether Vita can convince many people outside that core to buy is very much in doubt.

Personally I think Sony should sell a PSP clip on unit for Playstation mobile certified smartphones that gives you the analog sticks and buttons you want for that really good portable experience, but that you can put away for when all you want is the touch screen experience or to simply use it as a phone. Yep, I think Vita should be Sony's last dedicated handheld. And it probably will be.

The problem is that the change in format and the lack of backward compatabilty/transferabilty makes all the PSP users free agents. In other words, they will have to leave all their old games behind if they upgrade, so they either don't or wait or don't necessarily stay with the same brand.

Meanwhile, Nintendo handhelds have always started with b/c. The GBA played GB/GBC. The DS played GBA. The 3DS plays DS.  You don't lose your library at upgrade. It may slow some new software sales, but it creates install base and Nintendo has generally made profits on hardware (except for the 3DS from the pricedrop until recenlty) So it has been a sound startegy.

Nintendo has even started to follow that with consoles -- Wii played GC. WiiU will play Wii.

Sony did that with consoles too -- especially PS2 playing PS1. But it abandoned it quickly with the PS3 b/c to the PS2. It has not done that with handheleds (PSV does not play PSP).

Meanwhile, for the record, Microsoft has required software for b/c.

 

Mike from Morgantown