Vita has been pretty damn impressive to me so far. For the last 3 generations I've been pretty hostile on handheld consoles because of the mentality "why would I want to play it on a smaller screen?"

As I've grown up, I found my tastes have shifted; but I found more than anything that I have less time to game.

The idea that I can pick up my Vita and play for however long I want then just turn it off again; OR put it on standby and pick up right where I left off is just a revelation. Home console experience or not. Sure, there are great games designed specifically for bursts of gameplay that I can pick up; equally I've been playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss recently and found that it is pretty much an full Uncharted campaign and that's absolutely fine for playing on the Vita. If I get interrupted during a cutscene, I just whack the Vita on standby and get back to it later.

It's gotten to the point where I'm now favouring playing multi-plats on Vita than home consoles (if they come, of course). I recently bought Most Wanted for Vita instead of PS3; and I plan on getting the Jak Trilogy on Vita when it comes out and skipping the PS3 version. Same with Atelier Totori.

Perhaps this has been happening since at least the last generation and it's just been my ignorance towards the market which has held me back until now, but I really am happy with what Vita has offered so far. It is the closest I've seen to console quality "on the go", and while there are obvious limitations from playing on such a comparatively smaller piece of kit, it's still exactly what I wanted.

It's a shame I'm in the vast minority with this viewpoint I suppose. I hope it can find a bigger, sustainable market with a pricecut and even more software in the future.

Agreed. I just want the games to keep on coming.

SONY's major mistake with is the marketing. Most glaringly cutting children out of the equation. Children are the biggest market for handhelds as that doorway to consoles as they get older. I find it ridiculous that SONY would market vita to 18-25 years..unless they have been gamers and have had a handheld sometime in their life a majority of them would rather get a Tablet or other mobile divices. It also doesn't help that out here handhelds are still regarded as a kid thing. From there Sony we to Vita being aimed at ppl who want PS360 on the go but again fell flat as no wants watered down versions on consoles. Then it aimed at ppl who owned a PS3.. Do you guys see how gradually the market for Vita is shrinking with every new target audience change?

It was impossible for the Vita to be a successful console in terms of sales. At a similar price point and low quality hardware, it is close to impossible to compete with Nintendo. At this price point though, there is not a handheld market left at all, they are all on their smartphones and tablets now.If there was a GTA game, a GT game etc etc. at launch it would be doing better but not by much. They think at this point it is better to spend money on PS4 which will probably be much more successful right out of the gate.

Personally I am very happy with it. There are lots of quality titles. I don't have the time to play them all. Give me a proper GT game and a decent GTA game and I am one happy customer.

Vita is too hardcore for the casuals and too casual for the hardcore.

I more or less would have agreed with the premise if I didn't actually read the article. The Vita is a nice console with some great games.

But that article left a horrible taste in my mouth. If I didn't know any better, I'd think the Vita was THE console to own, with more outstanding "hardcore" games available than every other console combined. If I didn't know any better, I'd think the console was DESTINED for greatness among the "hardcore" crowd, and the only reason it hasn't sold like hot cakes is because it hasn't sunk to the level of pandering to the "casual" crowd. All hail the Vita!

And lines like, "the Vita is the best (and possibly only) portable option for the serious gamer," are sneer-worthy. Never mind Shin Megami Tensei IV, that's for casuals. Persona 4 is obviously superior and truly "hardcore" for the "serious" gamer. Forget that Virtue's Last Reward is also on 3DS, if you're playing it on anything other than the Vita you're not getting the full "hardcore," "serious" experience.

The bias is overflowing from this piece. "Rayman Origins [is a] high-class home console experiences ported to handheld that mimics the quality of the original in virtually every way." Except for the complete absence of any of the original's multiplayer modes? I wasn't aware that Play Station All-Stars "plays brilliantly" on either Vita or PS3, nor that its "longevity is commendable." I thought a shortage of content was one of the most common criticisms of the game. And people keep going on about how it's a console experience on the go as though it's the first (or only) portable system that has offered that. It's not. It never was. The Vita proves that "home console games can and do work on a handheld"! No other console has ever proven that! Certainly not the GameBoy Advance with A Link to the Past or Metroid: Zero Mission. Absolutely not the 3DS with Ocarina of Time or Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Those aren't console games, they're CLEARLY appropriate for handhelds and handhelds only.

Just overall, yeah, the Vita has some great games for every market. Not exclusively for people who fancy themselves hardcore gamers. Its problem is that other consoles also have a lot of great games for every market. Other consoles have a lot MORE great games. Pretending that the Vita is some kind of haven for "serious gamers" with no other gaming solution is laughable.

The Vita is cool. Most people are better off with a 3DS for their portable fix.

don't they need to keep the vita alive in japan with serious games for that market

I agree. I love my Vita, but the Hybris in this article is nothing short of astonishing.

I completely agree. I was one of the first to say how terribly marketed the Vita was and how Sony shot themselves on the foot, handing the portable market to nintendo.

But given a few games that caught my interest i decide to take the plunge and get one, and i was completely surprised! It has become my main system. Its an awesome and handy portable console. You can run games and music or an internet browser at the same (if you want to check something on a guide for example), you can download and watch videos, the internet browser is good and compatible with you-tube so you can watch those on your nice screen, aswell as other free apps like facebook and skype.
Obviously the system is also a pretty capable console. The dual analogs feel great and the screen is big enough to be satisfying and not feel too tiny (like the original DS and 3DS ones do). The system also has easy to use online play and cross play with some PS3 titles online. You can play SFxT with your friend that has a PS3 only on your Vita.
There are also some good games out for it like Wipeout 2048, uncharted and Soul sacrifice. On top of that the system has most PSP and PSone available from the PSN. If you bought these digitally on the PSP or PS3 you can download them to the Vita without extra charge.

edit: I forgot to add that you can also easily hook it up to your PC and/or PS3. Download something on your PC and transfer them easily to your Vita wireless or with USB wich comes included with the system.

Really, Sony was horrible at marketing this device, but they were great in terms of product satisfaction. This system deserves to thrive. It will be a missed opportunity reminiscent of the Dreamcast if it doesnt.

This^ x2000

I have felt this way about most Sony products of late. They create and put out some really astonishing stuff......only issue is that no one even knows it exists. Way too often am I walking around with my Vita in my hands and people ask me "Is that a gameboy?" or "What model PSP is that?" They have no clue the PSP even has a sequel. Its so very depressing :/

My Vita has literally become an extention of my life. It goes everywhere with me. I have a leather jacket with a perfect size inside pocket that I keep it in. Its my MP3 player, my internet, my GPS, and my time waster. I use it as a electronic Wikia Strategy Guide while playing stuff like Skyrim, I plug it in to my speaker system to play music while I clean my house, and I play it while watching Justice League on Netflix. The thing is a godsend for me.

I hope Sony pulls it together and realize that its not just about making a good product, because the unfortunate truth is just cuz u make it they won't come runin. You have to make it KNOWN!