I more or less would have agreed with the premise if I didn't actually read the article. The Vita is a nice console with some great games.
But that article left a horrible taste in my mouth. If I didn't know any better, I'd think the Vita was THE console to own, with more outstanding "hardcore" games available than every other console combined. If I didn't know any better, I'd think the console was DESTINED for greatness among the "hardcore" crowd, and the only reason it hasn't sold like hot cakes is because it hasn't sunk to the level of pandering to the "casual" crowd. All hail the Vita!
And lines like, "the Vita is the best (and possibly only) portable option for the serious gamer," are sneer-worthy. Never mind Shin Megami Tensei IV, that's for casuals. Persona 4 is obviously superior and truly "hardcore" for the "serious" gamer. Forget that Virtue's Last Reward is also on 3DS, if you're playing it on anything other than the Vita you're not getting the full "hardcore," "serious" experience.
The bias is overflowing from this piece. "Rayman Origins [is a] high-class home console experiences ported to handheld that mimics the quality of the original in virtually every way." Except for the complete absence of any of the original's multiplayer modes? I wasn't aware that Play Station All-Stars "plays brilliantly" on either Vita or PS3, nor that its "longevity is commendable." I thought a shortage of content was one of the most common criticisms of the game. And people keep going on about how it's a console experience on the go as though it's the first (or only) portable system that has offered that. It's not. It never was. The Vita proves that "home console games can and do work on a handheld"! No other console has ever proven that! Certainly not the GameBoy Advance with A Link to the Past or Metroid: Zero Mission. Absolutely not the 3DS with Ocarina of Time or Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Those aren't console games, they're CLEARLY appropriate for handhelds and handhelds only.
Just overall, yeah, the Vita has some great games for every market. Not exclusively for people who fancy themselves hardcore gamers. Its problem is that other consoles also have a lot of great games for every market. Other consoles have a lot MORE great games. Pretending that the Vita is some kind of haven for "serious gamers" with no other gaming solution is laughable.
The Vita is cool. Most people are better off with a 3DS for their portable fix.
