Eurogamer

Sony reckons PlayStation Vita got off to "a good start" in Japan, and doesn't foresee "any problems" selling the handheld in February.

Life-to-date Japanese Vita sales are 535,423, by Media Create's working. The handheld looked to be off to a flyer after posting first-week sales of 321,407 units.

But Vita quickly ran out of steam, and sales slumped as low as 15,000 units a week. Vita only managed to claw back higher seven-day sales than PSP last week. And they were a far cry from Nintendo's 3DS total, which has been more than four-times Vita's tally in recent weeks.

"Now the company has not publicly announced the units of shipping and sales. At the appropriate time, we would do so," Sony's chief financial officer Masaru Kato told analysts on an earnings call this week.

"But as far as sell-through, three weeks have passed and our sell-through is 500,000. This was announced on the 10th of January. So as a start, I think we had a very - a good start.

Kato added: "Including software and hardware, we are carrying out the sales promotions and we do it to boost the sales, and we do not think we have any problems."

PlayStation Vita costs (Wi-Fi) 24,980 yen (£207), and (Wi-Fi and 3G) 29,980 yen (£249) in Japan.

Nintendo's 3DS, after its massive price cut, costs 15,000 yen (£124).

PlayStation Vita launches in the US and UK on 22nd February.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-03-sony-on-vita-sales-we-do-not-think-we-have-any-problems

Okay. I give up. Mocking Sony again would become repetitive. LOL.

Well Sony needs to reassure stock holders and developers. I couldn't see Sony saying "oh man we are fucked lets hope we can pull off the international launch and save our asses" third parties would cut development over night as they did with 3DS. Sony needs to do major damage control they do not want to hurt the international launch. They won't admit any failure till two or so months after Vita's is available in all regions.

Yeah, it's Sony, after all. This is what they do.

Unless they honestly believe these sales are good, in which case, there are no words.

Unless I'm missing something the PS3 was the market leader for quite a while until the 3DS caught alight. The Vita sells quite similarly to the PSP and PS3 which were Japans market leaders prior to the 3DS so I fail to see the problem. People constantly saying the Vita is down and out prior to its Western release is getting more repetitive than the yearly CoD releases.

Some also fail to take into account that the 3DS has already outsold the DS' first year numbers. It wouldn't surprise me with future 3DS revisions outselling the DS lifetime sales. The 3DS really shouldn't be used as a sales barometer for Japan.

Now if it flops in the West that will be a different story.

Also my goodness just looking at those prices, Australia is forking out 350 for the Wi Fi vita, whereas even Japan and the UK get it cheaper. What the hell Sony.

Wait until it releases world wide before making any kind of judgement.

for japan vita is fine at current price,its the games that are a problem

for west price might be a short term problem

Nobody is saying Vita's is doomed just that it is not looking good. 15,000 units only weeks after launch is dismal. No which other console in Japan sold so few units only weeks into its launch? People should compare it to Nintendo's 3DS launch when Nintendo faced similar trouble.

Fact is if Sony can't sell at least a million units in two months in NA and Europe their will be trouble. It is the launch period when sales should be highest. If Sony fails to sell an acceptable level of hardware share holders and developers will panic.

Sony has a huge launch window lineup far more games then Nintendo had during its first few months on the market. Higher quality third party titles then Nintendo. More expensive games to developed than Nintendo's. If Sony cannot deliver larger numbers of hardware sales then 3DS did during its launch then Sony will face the same obstacle Nintendo did. Sony will need a price cut they will need to increase market share drastically to increase profits for third parties.

The announcement of Monster Hunter is a good start. They will need to keep God in development and other major games.

15k aint that bad, if i remember correctly 3DS at one point was selling 30k WORLDWIDE