The Japan price cut on the Vita happened not too long ago, along with a couple software releases on the system. My guess is that Sony will try to achieve a similar effect by this fall with a Killzone, Tearaway, maybe the next AC title combo in order to spur sales.

But doing so during the same month as GTA5 and the upcoming Pokemon in Oct? Seems a bit late to me. The reason why the Japan price cut was so effective was that not only did they drop price along with a lot of Vita releases but also because it was also a period where no major games were coming out for the 3DS. Dragon quest had released 2 weeks before and the only 3DS games to launch near the weeks of the cut were minor games like Layton or Super Robot wars and Doraemon. Heck Luigi didn't hit any massive numbers either and is the type of game to leg out anyway.

So far however, I really do believe that Sony is gearing up towards a western price drop during when KZ releases in order to spur up sales BUT I don't think it's a very wise idea when the arguably the biggest 3DS game of 2013 will be releasing right after and GTA5 will have the "dudebro" attention that the Vita so desperately needs in the West right now.

Honestly, I think it would be better to drop the price around April-May. With a Soul Sacrifice bundle of course. 3DS doesn't have any huge games releasing in the west during that period. (FE in EU, Soul Hackers, a Lego game that's a WiiU prequel...a port of a DKCR.) On the console side? Nothing too threatening to capture the audience at least not something as intimidating as GTA5.

I mean let's face it Vita's going to be a pretty niche device in the west so why not go for a niche vs niche war during April instead of aiming to engage in Total War:Mainstream Meltdown? Sony really wants to compete the Vita against GTA, Pokemon, and upcoming new consoles? Not really the best of chances.

So yeah those are my thoughts. September is a bad time. And frankly, just a bit too late. They might as well just cut the price down in April with the Yen losing strength. 

It sounds more like Sony is trying to promote the Vita as a PS4 companion in the West, as well as the mobile game streaming capability, along with a few big exclusive games. Handhelds aren't really that big in the West anyway, and declining even more with smartphones and tablets. Japan has an entirely different market strategy, and I don't think the Japan pricecut strategy will apply to a foreign pricecut.

Banking on the success of the PS4 so sell Vitas can't be their only solution. Not to mention it might piss off people expecting software support and seeing the Vita reduced to an expensive PS4 streamer.

No, it's not too late. I stand by my belief that the Vita will go on to be a successful system. As a handheld, though, Japan is its ticket to success.

It's not just PS4 streaming. If Sony properly implements Gaikai as planned the Vita will be able to stream any PS game without owning a PS4, with the exception of PS4 games of course, from any high speed internet connection. But that's still an "if" at this point in time.

So it's not just based on PS4 success. It's also based on Gaikai, which could effectively turn the PSV into a PSV123P.

I don't think they're going to do that.  It'll probably continue to get a lot of crossbuy PSN games like Guacamele, but you just mentioned 2 big exclusives and SS just came out.  Let's not forget the Batman game now on 3DS and Vita along with all the indie support coming (okay that'll be on PS4 for the most part but probably some exclusives) and of course they'll have more games at E3.  Also isn't there another AC coming to it?  If they can get GTA on it I bet we'll see a big surge in the West considering they could probably do a San Andreas stories with a very nice city considering that PSP was able to basically emulate the PS2 games perfectly on a small screen.  I actually think GTA is one of the only games Sony could do that is nice for a mobile platform (you can fool around for a few minutes or do a mission which is normally pretty short in GTA games).  Also GoW would be nice but they probably would have to stretch out Kratos' story a little to give him another game.  I suppose they could have him face Typhoon, Ares, Hector, and a few others with a nice new story (maybe even more prequelly as he kills them in service to Ares lol).  I wouldn't want them to start a new mythology on Vita since SSM should save that for their PS4 GoW.  Also a real Ratchet and Clank game would sell me on Vita (if it looks like ACiT, 2, 3, ToD, or Q4B as opposed to A4O or FFA)

I still don't think people understand why September is a terrible terrible time for the much needed price cut.

Seriously. This needs to happen ASAP. The hype of the big games for the holiday season will make the Vita an afterthought.

I think Sony will do a price cut either at E3, or when Soul Sacrifice launches, and make a bundle. I don't see Sony selling the PSV at different prices between regions for long, people will catch on, and it could generate some bad hype.

If Sony does a price cut in Spetember though, I don't think it will be too late. Killzone on PSV has a different audience then GTA and Pokemon, so it's not really competing with the 3DS. Either way, they need it before October because by then I think a lot of holiday buyers will commit themselves to a 3DS. PSV has a few good October/September games releasing, without a price cut, a lot of potential buyers will probably turn down the games/system, and a price cut in November probably won't bring them back.

Sony and MS next gen systems are going to release near that time frame too.

BalderSkies mentioned that Sony is doing this in order to complement the PS4, but I don't think that it's a good idea. The price for buying both systems is just too high.

People could always just get a second job :P