It would take something ridiculous, like the Vita's price being dropped by $100, then surprise-dropped by another $50 two weeks later.

According to Tsutaya, Vita console sales in the last week since the price drop have been greater than the entire month of December combined (includes holiday sales).

That's just for one (huge) retailer chain though, so look at it however you want.

I think this is very unlikely to happen. Well, it may happen on the week of the price cut, or maybe two weeks, IF those weeks do not coincide with the launch of any of the big games Nintendo has for this yearv (Luigi, DK, Pokemon, AC). Vita will still be slightly more expensive than the regular 3DS even with the price cut - and the need of a memory card...
I think that possibility is better for someday around 2014, out of the launch of SSB and the next Zelda game, of course, or when the 3DS reaches its last months of the commercial cycle.

Anyway, the gap in sales sure would be smaller with the cut.

Ever. It could easily go 2013 without one and then score MH5 in 2015 or something, for instance.

well thats understandable! But MH will always have a 3DS title meaning if Sonygets MH5 for vita so will 3DS! There is no way MH4 is coming to Vita this year, this is wat i meant b4!

@curl-6, i dont think the vita will get a monster hunter game till maybe 2015 at the earliest , unless nintendo makes a deal with capcom for the lifespan of the 3ds as the only home for the series , besides the wiiu versions.

Even if it's not exclusive though, it would still be like viagra for Vita's sales. That one game could change the fate of the system.

Sony platforms have long lives though, so a MH game in 2015 could still make a big difference for the system's fortunes. I still believe the Vita can top 40m.

The handheld market in America is only going to shrink so it will depend on whether 3ds shrinks faster than vita.

are we talking about never getting a monster hunter game or not getting one for a certain time period?

shrink even more? i actually see the handheld market growing in the next year or two