We need to talk about the PS Vitas sales...

[Chark]

Dodece said:
@Chark

You aren't really grasping just how tenuous the situation for the Vita really is at the moment. You do realize that after factoring in for market expansion in the intervening years. The Vita is actually performing just a little better then the Virtual Boy. Which was a console that lasted all of six months on the market. The market today is about three times larger then when the Virtual Boy entered the market, and it sold three quarters of a million units. You do the math for yourself.

Granted Nintendo is fast to abandon products that aren't doing well, but even Sega with its die hard support when it came to devices. Couldn't salvage a console in the form of the Dreamcast that sold basically on par with what the Vita has sold thus far. Once again adjusted for market expansion. The Game Gear probably performed better then the Vita when it was widely available, and that was an extremely expensive gadget for its time.

I won't even go into the horror stories of the consoles that weren't from major players that failed in less then a full year. The point is this the Vita is accounting for a little over one percent of current generation hardware sales. I think that adds up to justifying about one square foot of retail space. That just isn't enough to sell any gaming device out of, and anything trying to sell out of such a small space is bound to look severely unappealing.

If this isn't a recipe for falling out of the market. I want to hear your definition of what it would take.

I understand the situation is dire, but that doesn't void the upcoming factors that will provide success in the coming months. Maybe after that, in February and beyond you can argue your theory. As for now LBP will start to warm the market up at the end of September, Assassins Creed 3: Liberation end of October, and PSASBR with Call of Duty for the knock out in Novemeber just in time for Black Friday and hoiday shopping. Don't forget PS Plus intergration and the PS Mobile launch as well as a reinvigorated advertising campaign. Coming up is the worst time for a business to decide to not sell Vitas. Depending on how the holidays do will determine the future of the system in the context you outlined. Even then I would hope PS Mobile and the already building early 2013 software line up would produce better sales than what it has experienced this year. Time will tell because business won't want to miss out on holiday spending.

In regards to your Virtual Boy comparison, larger markets don't raise the bar on bottom line sales requirements. 3x Virtual Boy's sales is still 3x Virtual boy sales. Market share is important, but not like that. Besides Vita holds 28% of the handheld market share in 2012. Also the one square foot equation is laughable.