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Forums - Sony - Bobby Kotick: Vita is great, but where's the market?

NiKKoM on 04 July 2011

Didn't see it posted:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/jun/30/bobby-kotick-interview-activision

snipped:

Activision has expressed its support for the Wii U and Vita. How relevant do you think specialist hardware is in the new era of smartphone, tablet and cloud-based gaming?
There will always be a need for specialised hardware to satisfy the needs of gamers. With the Wii U … from a development perspective, having a Nintendo device that is on parity with the other hardware from a graphics perspective was really necessary. For the kinds of games we create, it was becoming very difficult for us to support the Wii with the expectations that our gamers have. I think that the user-interface itself is very clever – there will be a lot of innovation to come from having the second screen. It's also critically important that you can use the existing physical interfaces with the new device because those are really compelling. Nintendo has always done a very good job of thinking about the user experience and this is no exception.

So this is something you can bring your core games on to? Might we see Modern Warfare and Prototype on Wii U?
Well, without telling you our title plans, it's now more possible to do deep rich multiplayer games – we need more clarity from Nintendo on the online capabilities, but we've had development systems for a while now and we're very enthusiastic about it. As for the Vita have you played on it?

Yes, I've played WipeOut and a few of the other titles…
It is a fantastic piece of hardware. Technically, we're super excited about what we can do on it, it's really something incredible. The question is, where is the market? I think the pricing was surprisingly affordable, the product itself is really great – so the questions is, is there a need in the marketplace for a very specialised portable device of that capability? Hopefully there will be because it's a really nice product and its very well differentiated from what you can get in even the most capable smartphone or tablet today.

You must be heightening your support for smartphones and tablets though? Those markets are booming.
Yeah, but as I usually say, we're never the first guys into the market – we're very deliberate about how we enter. We like to do it with the highest quality products that are appealing to the broadest possible audience. But yes, those are market opportunities that area starting to emerge. I don't think they are going to be big opportunities for revenue growth in the short term, but over the long term, they're going to be exciting.

More at source
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*See lots of angry people...Runs for the hills*



 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

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d21lewis on 04 July 2011

If the games are good, there will be a market. My question is, what's the point of 3G?



NiKKoM on 04 July 2011
d21lewis said:
If the games are good, there will be a market. My question is, what's the point of 3G?

I'm sorry... are you asking what's the point of streaming p0rn everywhere and anytime you want?



 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

d21lewis on 04 July 2011

^^^3G version is the best thing, ever!!



blkfish92 on 04 July 2011
d21lewis said:
^^^3G version is the best thing, ever!!


Thanks to the other bro he's right!



           

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adsl on 04 July 2011

I agree when people like Malstrom says: "PS3 games means PS3 sales for the PSVita" or "Gamecube games means Gamecube sales for the 3DS". I don't know about you guys, but not optimist about the current generation of portable consoles.



IamAwsome on 04 July 2011

Bobby Kotick? A troll? What a surprise. 



d21lewis on 04 July 2011

Here's my take on the current state of portable gaming:
The DS was a success because it offered great games and features that nobody else was offering at the time. The 3DS offers just as many new features but not everyone is aware of them, yet. All people think it is is just a DS with a cheap 3D effect (but the 3D is actually very good). When it starts pushing new games and not just ports, it will do very well. Problem is, casual games may eat into the market of the 3DS. Nintendo lost some momentum with the 3DS. They need to pump out the next batch of Mario, Mario Kart, and Pokemon to get gamers hooked before the PSV hits or people get too used to playing cheap thrills like Angry Birds.

The PSP was a success because it offered "the Playstation experience" on the go. The PSV is offering more features and such at an affordable price. The problem is, the 3DS has some serious horsepower. If third parties don’t try to push the PSV's capabilities, the games will look almost as good (we're talking Xbox vs PS2) on the 3DS. Sony excels when third parties offer exclusive games. If the 3DS can offer "the Playstation experience" AND "the Nintendo experience" , Sony may be in trouble. They need their big developers working on their big franchises if they want to win this thing. Third parties are loyal to no one.

I once saw "mini-games" like those offered on phones and pads as a threat. I've been playing a lot of games on my phone and playing my PSP less and less. I'm actually getting bored with those bite sized games and hungering for full game experiences, again. I can't be alone in this. I think the PSV and the 3DS will both do very well--just not as good as their predecessors. There will always be a market for the premium experience.



scottie on 05 July 2011

Stopped reading at "critically important". If this person cannot even speak properly, I don't see any reason to listen to his opinions.



trent44 on 05 July 2011

I guess Kotick has become even more short sighted.

Developers make an average of $4,000 revenue for a smart phone game; that market is already over saturated and will only become more so. And, there is already talk of the smart phone market bubble burst that will occur from this.

The PS Vita is taking a blue ocean strategy and expanding on the market niche the PSP has started. The market is targeting all existing PSP owners and traditional gamers that have never owned a portable console. And, anyone who wants a device that is 1/3 the size, 1/2 the price, and 2 times as powerful as an iPad 2 without having to sift through thousands of junk apps to find actual quality games. The Vita also offers new unique ways to play portable games and has robust social features built into the device.

Overall, the Vita is offered at a lower price, with higher quality content, and is actually a differentiated product compared to smart phone #345 or tablet #56.

Saying a gaming device like the Vita can't be successful because people have phones is like saying home consoles can't be successful because people have PCs.