"Nobody said the Vita is doomed or that it has to beat the 3DS, what I'm saying is the 3DS impacts the Vita and how much it will sell. And personally I don't see any new ip coming out for the vita any time soon that will be a system seller.  I am just point ing out that they need a game built from the ground up for the vita and to be successful.  And the thing about the ports are they are usually never as good as the console version"

Jay,

First of all. You need to stop framing the PSVita as only in a battle with Nintendo. Nintendo's handheld devices has already been established and  you know what you will be getting. Sony on the other hand made the mistake of releasing a PSP based on gimped 1999-2003 technology at a time that online gaming was ramping up (2005). It wasn't ready for the PSN/Xbox Live online world, nor was it ready for the PS3 integration. To make matters worse the PSP was gimped in terms of game play experience by using only ONE analog stick. ONE?!? For the love of games! Why would they do that yet even expect to utter the worlds, "Console gaming on the go!" Not even close! Not even to the PS2!!!

So, lets fast forward to today. The PSVita is built for the 21st century and with the PSN/PS4 in mind. Sony has used some of the iPhone touch tech and to some extent Android OS integration and pushed it out into the market so that developers can have a go at it. The fact that it has TWO analog sticks fixes a major design flaw from the PSP in addition of adding a 5' OLED screen gets it that much closer to that immersion-on-the-go we all seek. But at no point will you get the exact experience as being in front of your 70" HDTV. That's not the point. The point is to fix the problems of the PSP that made that type of immersion impossible. And yes, you can make immersive handhelds if done right. The bigger screen and incredible graphics for the PSVita will have a lot to do with that. But the other factor was at least getting a controller that was close enough to the PS3 controler out of gate, as opposed to the PSP release, which was release close to the PS3 launch yet was 5 years behind in technology. 

You have to build a solid foundation first. Now that the PSVita has been built for the 21st century, this lays a solid foundation for developers to put out games that are both the identical to the PS3s and completely  different spin offs. For example, when you buy Uncharted 3, you get an identical PSVita version at a discount (or maybe free for PS+ users). Future games will have to be designed with that in mind similar to how the iPhone vs iPad apps are written. And also you'll get games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which are completely different type of games. The reason that the former type of games are important because it adds value and allows players to play UC3 (or UC4) on both the PS3/PS4 and save the save-file to the cloud and continue on with the PSVita on the go.

PSP games were so hit-and-miss there was not much chance for Sony or 3rd party developers to experiment with other types of game (lack of revenue to take risks) since the hardware was gimped in the first place. That's because the device itself was so out of touch with current technology + being a gimped version of the PS2/PS3. You have to remember that the PSP was release at the peak of the PS2 market. Yet, had a missing analog stick from the start, yet it's supposed to complete with iPhones/iPad/3Ds etc...? Please, spare me. We're not even taking about a single generation here. We're talking leaps and bounds behind. For all that the PSP was missing they did pretty well considering hardware sales (73 MIL so far). Given all that, the PSVita will sell tons more than the PSP in hardware and software. How much more I'm not sure, hoping that we get out of 2012 without blowing ourselves up in war or another global meltdown, the PSVita is built with modern technology and online features from the start.

All the other issues about price of the memory can be taken care of with a price drop overtime. That's the easy part. Redesigning the hardware was the hard part. No amount of time could fix that for the PSP since it would have fractured the game design model.

On a person note, the one feature that I'm looking forward to is the Android app market. I want the ability to read my email (gmail, yahoo,etc...) on my PSVita. I use my Amazon Fire for that as well, but I don't like keyboard functionality. The PSVita has a nice hold position with thumbs as your control (and back touch). The Amazon Fire (and to some extent the iPad) force you to hold the device on the edges and it's real easy to accidentally touch the screen. The Fire and the iPad are better if you turn them sideways, but it's still not that comfortable typing up an email. I'm excited to test out the email ease of use on the PSVita.

- GL

Yes the thumbs sticks are nice........

They still need games built from the ground up......

Yes Golden Abyss is different than Uncharted on ps3, which once again, a version that is not as good.  Look at Metacritic.....

Price is heavy.....

Memory Card doesn't help....

You are talking about how sony needs to establish the mobile market with it's consoles yet most that is what they did with PSP.  Now it's time to improve from the mistakes they made before.  It's like saying you would be fine with the PS4 releasing for 600$.  You should never repeat mistakes

solid game entries is what it needs. Not really much else. The device has everything and I think the apps and free games are going to make a big impression.

Vita lacks the software to great atm. They are in the same position Nintendo was in last year, except they don't don't have the same selling power Nintendo has and they appear unlikely to lower the price. Grim months ahead for the psv.

i may have commented already but my take i agree with tc,

mistakes from the past are definatelly helping 3ds at the moment ,

one look at that price . many parents will be looking for Alternatives

and 3ds is the cheap alternative

then theres the ones who want ground breaking games ment for handhelds not ones ment for consoles but ported streight to the handheld especally call of duty,
these games wont help vitA IN any way the consoles serve the title already.

and as some had said its biggest exclusive is not as good as its hd counterpart on ps3

unlike nintendo's ips which seam good for any thing ,. sony just dont have the innovation in mind to change its games to differ them from eachother. look at super mario , almost every new mario game has somthing different .

3ds had 3d in mind with its mario title well the current one . then theres the ds which was first mario that was 3d in a 2 d field nsmb was first ever multiplayer coop mario game . and super mariogalaxy dealt with space and floating .

where as the n64 set the standard for the 3d genrre in all

while vita ive seen a few games today. and um i hate to say this these titles could work better on a ps3 . and a bigger screen this is going to be the biggest problem with the vita.

there is no ip that can't be done to perfection on ps3.
see pokemon thats a good title to cater to a handheld audience.

but thats not to say zelda or uncharted isnt good but in terms of sales it seams nothing on the ds has sold more then mariokart nintendogs or pokemon

I think the key point to remember is that it's impossible to predict what will become the defining software of a system, and that anything could turn into a huge seller for the Vita if the system is a success, htis the right notes etc. I mean, who thought Wii's defining third party software would be a dance game? Who saw Monster Hunter coming? Brain Training? A game where you stand on a balance board? Call of Duty went from zero to hero on the back of one game.

The Vita will end up with some big software if it's successful, but whatever that software is could come from anywhere. Maybe LittleBigPlanet will click in a bigger way then it did on PS3 (It certainly makes more sense on a handheld), maybe Sony have an ace up their sleeve or maybe some indie dev will release the next big thing on PSN. Sony don't have the handheld library to fall back on like Nintendo do, but every system has their biggest sellers pop up from nowhere - and if Vita moves hardware then this will happen somewhere down the line.

I really don't get this argument of them being PS3 games on a handheld either... I mean, partly cause the 3DS's first year consisted of numerous console ports and Mario KArt / Mario Platformer... games which are more common on consoles lol. The Vita has a nice enough balance for this stuff, infact I think a lot of it's handheld-type ideas for games are great just they might not catch on.

Vita will have a poor world wide launch, its sales will be just like in Japan. And yet it is the greatest handheld system ever made.

The Vita's problem is so far is a lack of marketing. If they fix that like they are starting to, it will be a huge success.

I am one of the few lucky Americans to already own one so unlike all the other users giving their misconceptions I can deliver fact. First off I'll clear up some misconceptions with Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Just finished my first run through on normal and enjoyed every minute of it. It is on par with the first, second, and third games, no joke. As an Uncharted fan I'll compare it to the other games to keep my personal bias out. Story is almost the same as Uncharted 1, as in the "feel". Actual events are more similar to the second with a backstabbing friend and a prologue (no spoilers). I even like some of the characters more than the ones on ps3. And now I'm to the gimmicks. First off they aren't! Everything feels intuitive and natural, almost all adding a lot to the game. I love cleaning artifacts and the such using the touch screens. Also the gyroscopic aiming works great! I have got so many head shots because of it. And that brings me to bonus stuff not in the other games. As well as a bunch of treasures their are charcoal drawings and photos. They add so much replay value. I'm not going to say it's better than Uncharted 2 and 3, but it sure isn't worse. Golden Abyss brings a fresh taste to the series and just wouldn't work as well on the PS3. I don't just recommend this game, I recommend buying a Vita just for this game. It sure should be a system seller.

With more great games that just aren't possible on any other device the PS Vita has no lack of perfect software. I can guarente anyone that actually owns one will have nothing but positive remarks, Sony just needs to tell people about it.

Why things are tough for the Vita:

1: It's just as, if not more, expensive than its home console counterpart.
2: It focuses too much on technology, power, and other features instead of strictly on games.
3: It tries to avoid the one demographic that makes or breaks handheld game systems... the K-8 crowd.

These reasons are why Nintendo has dominated the handheld console market for more than 2 decades, and why every challenger to their throne has failed miserably (with the exception of the PSP, which sold a ton in Japan and elsewhere because of the ease with which you could play homebrew / hacked software on it.)

Jay,

I'm not sure what you just said becaues you never really refuted my points. The game save feature is just an idea that I've heard thrown around in the Sony forms since the "cloud" technolgy will be something that will be used more and more across all platforms. Sony just happens to be in a position to make it happen since they are the ONLY company that has a main console AND a handheld that can even come close to creating an PS3-like expereince. What? You expect to play Wii Tennis on the 3DS? I think not. They are completly separate platorms in terms of game play. As far as metacritic? Yes, what's your point? It's most scores are between 4/5 rating. That's good. But you need to check out the game lineup for 2012. You act as if the Vita will only come out with 1 game. I mean, seriously?

As far as the memory cards, yes, those need to come down in price. But as far as building from the ground up. You need to get your hands on one and check out the new OS/interface. This is not your fathers XMB, not to mention a new 5" OLED. I suspect that if Sony dropped the price of the Vita to $199.95, many Nitendo fans would be come nervious (and even angry). 

That's really what's at issue here. 

Yeah, get ready to see a ton of marketing on websites and Cable. Sony has bought tons of advertisment for the PSV since it's been a long time since the PSP has been out and people need to know there's a next gen handheld out. 

I was also sketpical about the back touch and front touch for Golden Aybss. But from the video reviews most people seem to think the same as you do, It works well and is very smooth. One reviewer said it was too easy to make some moves for Mortal Kombat. I want to see it for myself, I'm just not sure which model I'm going to get. I might just get the 3G/Wifi and just not use the 3G until later.