Competition is a bitch.
Being first to market gave Nintendo a huge advantage. They were destined to dominate the gen, but the head-start could have been that nail-iin-the-coffin for the Vita.

Oh dear, I hope things pick up for this. I have absolutely no interest in handheld gaming (would much rather play things on a big screen) but from the friend I have who bought a Vita, it seems like a very nice piece of hardware.

There's a few games I'd really like to play too - Missing out on WipEout 2048 like I missed out on WipEout Pure is painful, I'd be interested to see how the new Resistance turns out too. Plus Gravity Daze. Maybe one day...

The German Numbers (finanzen.net) are maybe wrong. Mediabiz published different numbers (GfK is the source, too)

3DS = 124.111
PSV=52.889

http://www.mediabiz.de/games/news/3ds-doppelt-so-stark-wie-ps-vita-woche-fuer-woche/319288

http://www.iknowyourgame.de/news/ps-vita-start-zahlen-doch-nicht-so-rosig/

I agree that the initial $250 hit stings, but for me the real pain comes from the $40 asking price for 80% of the titles. That is a bit much for a handheld game. Then on top of that you have some asking for $50. A game like Dungeon Hunter shouldn't cost $40, especially when the smartphone versions cost under $10.

I don't even think it needs to be half the price, but more on the lines of ditching the 3G models (Who wants to pay an additional 3G plan?) and offering the WiFi only model for ~$200 and have all come packaged with a PSN Vita title and at least a 4GB card.

Games should cost between $20-$35.

wow now that's something entirely different.

Vita: 52.889 (1st March - 12th May)
Vita: 21.276 (March only)

btw. why is nobody including launch week ?

I personally think the price is acceptable (not the best, but legions of people raving for it at e3 can't be that wrong). The main problem is not games. It's GAMES, the ones that matter in sales.

But I think you're absolutely right in every number you said, it's exactly what will happen in the future, imo. Well, except, maybe, for the price of games - I think they'll remain where they are. And that's ok to some games, as there is no difference between them and console games.

Yes, exactly. It's why Sony and Microsoft will likely need to react to the release of the WiiU later this year with their own console in 2013/early 2014 to avoid major 3rd party games going to the new hardware. Everyone desperately wants a new gen so they can do more stuff, so games like Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter etc. may well find their home on the wiiU, something the only 2 would like to avoid...

im in the same boat. dont think its worth paying more than £200 for a handheld no matter how powerful it is. in japan it needs games, in the west it needs a price cut

Oh it needs games here too.

I wish I could get some JRPGs, which is why I hate so much that it doesn't have the PS3->Vita remote play they advertised.