JoeTheBro said:
First off, I'm a business guy first and a gamer second. This means I'll make the Vita a profitable venture that betters the company's image without worrying about "winning" the generation.
To start off we need to fix Japan. (1) All future major PSP games will get Vita ports releasing on the same day or if possible before the PSP version's release. These ports will be handled internally and have slightly better visuals and utilize all Vita features such as Near, twin sticks, and touch but still play against PSP owners. These games will cost the same as the PSP versions. (2) All minor PSP releases will be added to the Vita's PSN store. (3) The UMD passport program is also restructured with a pay per visit instead of a pay per game model. This means it will now cost the same to transfer 1 PSP game as 20 PSP games if all are transferred at the same time to the same account. This service costs about the same as a new PSP game. However all current Vita owners and all future Vita's sold will receive 1 voucher to do this transfer for free, once, associated with that Vita that expires a month after activation. (4) When Soul Sacrifice launches on March 7, a bundle will be launched for 199,000 yen including a 4gb memory card, Soul Sacrifice (physical), UMD passport voucher, a custom Soul Sacrifice Wi-Fi Vita, charging cords, and one month of PS+. This bundle will be heavily advertized and the game will be marketed to compliment Monster Hunter, not compete with it. Closer to Christmas non Soul Sacrifice bundles will be dropped to the same price.
(1) The PSP is damaging the Vita. By porting all major PSP games to Vita it gives PSP owners a better reason to upgrade through selling their used PSPs and gives current owners a reason to play their Vita's against PSP owners in public effectively showing off the console. This costs the company a relatively small amount of money to port the games and advertize while increasing profits.
(2) This is a no brainer and costs next to nothing.
(3) This system is better than the current system for a multitude of reasons. The first is it effectively makes all Vita's 100% backwards compatible at no cost greatly increasing adoption rates as consumers upgrade. At the same time this system makes it improbable to buy used PSP games down the road because it would be cheaper to buy them from PSN.
(4) Soul Sacrifice is a new IP that needs to both push hardware and become a huge franchise. The price drop on only the Soul Sacrifice bundles accomplishes this. In addition the custom Soul Sacrifice Vita advertizes the game for the rest of the generation, even when the owner is playing a different game. Also although Soul Sacrifice could be called a "Monster Hunter killer," it is important that it's advertized the opposite way and leaches off of Monster Hunter's popularity. "If you like Monster Hunter, you owe it to yourself to get this game." Although it is probably to close to launch for this, it would be great if the game could interact with Monster Hunter. Examples could be including a Monster Hunter Vita exclusive demo, importing Monster Hunter PSP saved data, or even street-pass/near functionality with Monster Hunter 3DS. Unless Capcom (and Nintendo) fully embrace this idea in time for launch, it would be best to postpone it till the Soul Sacrifice sequel (or a different game).
The West is a completely different puzzle. Over their the Vita and its games are considered bastardized versions of PS3 games regardless of content or quality. To put this frankly, we need to grow some balls and force gamers to know the truth. (1) The first step is making Uncharted 4 exclusive to Vita and primarily developed by Naughty Dog (with co-development by Sony Bend). This AAA game must be a full on sequel to Uncharted 3 and have better gameplay, better set pieces, and yes, better graphics. Other IPs to get full out Vita exclusive sequels should be God of War 4, Infamous 3, and even 3rd party sequels when possible. (2) Gaikai integration is key. All digital PS3 games will be playable on Vita through Gaikai. A PS3 passport program will allow digital versions of PS3 games to be bought for $10 per game or free for PS+ members. (3) All PS4 games that support standard controls will be playable on Vita through Gaikai. (4) Vita will be used as one of the standard controllers of the PS4, similar to the Wii U. Certain PS4 bundles include a Vita as well as a cradle for home use that increases its ergonomics and adds L2 and R2 triggers. (5) Jumping back to quarter two of 2013, the Vita gets an official price drop to $199 with Killzone (digital) bundled as well as 8 gb of memory. A month or so the PS4's launch none bundled Vitas are dropped to $179. (6) Everything runs on Vita. This means when we as a company develop software for smartphones and tablets, we also develop it for Vita. (7) New model, not till 2014 holidays.
(1) At first this sounds crazy with such a big game as Uncharted, but it isn't. Since the PS4 will be launching this sequels will be forced to have sub par sales regardless of the platform. Therefore it is smart to let new IPs and third party games help the PS4 out of the gate while tried and true franchises save the Vita. Developing Uncharted 4 on Vita would also be cheaper than developing Uncharted 3 because of the smaller resolution screen. By having the game carry the same name and same developers, Uncharted fans will gladly pick up a Vita for it since the game isn't "a watered down port." Fans of Infamous and God of War will do the same greatly increasing the install base of happy consumers.
(2) Pretty simple concept, really just an extension of remote play without the current issues.
(3) Same thing as what remote play should have offered this generation except through Gaikai. As a result almost all PS4 games are cross-buy helping both Vita and PS4 sales. Also helps add PS+ subscribers.
(4) The Wii U is a great concept just like other dual screen systems utilizing smartphones and tablets so it is obvious we should at least offer a similar experience. As point (6) states this must work with Vita. More importantly it should work best with Vita. With all of its control options the Vita is great for a dual screen gaming experience yet is primarily a portable. By sticking it in a cradle, the Vita can match the comfort of a larger home controller and have even more control options and better Vita-PS4 communication. This also allows Wii U ports from third parties.
(5) The Vita needs to have a larger user base before we can expect to see profits. As a result a price cut is needed. By combining it with Killzone it becomes very attractive to Western gamers since it will be the best FPS experience on a portable out there. A smaller price cut on non bundled systems closer to the PS4's launch will help keep momentum strong as the media and gamers focus more on our new home system. It will also help with potential buyers wanting a dual screen experience.
(6) Alright, what the fuck Sony. Do you want the Vita to fail? If I buy a Sony Pictures movie with a digital copy, it should be clearly advertised as working on Vita. If I'm wanting to do SideView, it should work with Vita.
(7) Add NFC, better cameras, click-able sticks, and a higher resolution screen. Wifi version with 16 gb internal memory for $179 while 4G WiFi version with 32 gb for $229. Backwards comparability is kept by locking physical games at a max resolution of 960x544 and being up-scaled similar to PS3 games running in 720 on 1080 displays. PSN and Gaikai games however will support the full resolution and simply run at 544p on original Vitas. Similarly the the games support either camera resolution inputs. The L3 and R3 buttons on older models are simulated with the back touch-pad. Games will be required to not use both L3/R3 and the sides of the touch pad at the same time for this reason.
Follow these basic guidelines and the Vita will be a huge success. Of course this plan is malleable and should be changed with time as the market changes.
COPYRIGHT: 2013
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