The Playstation Vita: Where Did It Go Wrong?

[Cloudman]

KBG29 said:

Cloudman said:

Honestly, by making the Vita a phone, I don`t think it would be directly competing with the 3DS anymore. A core difference between a smartphone and a handheld is their core focus.  A smartphone ranges from a wide sort of things it can do, but a game handheld has the advantage of games being the core focus, which would make for the best optimization of games. It distinguishes itself from smartphone games, by having games be its core focus. Smartphones you can play somes, but most of them are not like games you can play on handhelds. A game focused portable system has the appeal for people who just want to play those bigger sized games.

A smartphone has that advantage, but since it focuses on a wider range of things, trying to have games match that quality while having the other functions would be more difficult, or cost more. It may also be that smartphone owners don`t care for large games, or people who play games would prefer just a core game handheld.

I don`t think your idea of a gaming device/phone would work as you proposed, at least for now.

I don't get how it would not work, or how it would not compete with the 3DS line. It would be the same PS Vita form factor as it is right now. On the same OS, with the same set spec CPU/GPU and RAM allotment. The focus would still be on games, the only difference would be the fact it has a native dialer app. The 3G Vita with Skype already does phones call over the 3G network, it can even do it in game. And every Vita on the market is already capable of the wider sort of things. There are calculators, calenders, maps, translators, books, comics, fitness apps, diet apps, note pads, photo viewers, stop watches, currency converters, weather and news apps, and much more on PlayStation Mobile. 

This would give developers the controls, set specs,  and focus on games like a dedicated handheld, while also giving them a market on one device that is as large as the whole home console market, or even bigger. The yearly updates would only effect non gaming functinallity. Better Wifi, Bluetooth, Mobile Networking, more RAM for better multitasking, and better battery for long use. Plus whatever new tech hits the market can be incorperated.

Why is the idea of a dedicated gaming device that can also do other things so hard to grasp? 

I think the thing with mobile devices and portable games is that the audiences for these devices are different. Most smartphone owners don`t buy a smartphone for games, but for phone/ multiple other apps included in the device, and vice-versa for games. Games on a smartphone are small extra that can be used to pass the time while on the move. If a Vita phone still focused on games with the phone extras, it would still largely the game audience and perhaps not the smartphone audience. For it to be successful, it`s have to target that audience to take off, and this idea I don`t think would appeal to that audience, unless it did just as well or better than other standard smartphone devices.

I don`t think a dedicated game/phone device is impossible, but it would be really difficult to do successfully and rather pricy. I think it`ll happen eventually, but it`d have to attract both audiences if it were to be successful.