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Forums - Sony - (Honest opinions) Will Sony stay in the handheld console business after the Vita ?

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Will Sony make a successor for Vita ?

Yes, they can make a successful handheld. 77 20.81%
 
No, they're done with portable gaming. 293 79.19%
 
Total:370
sterner on 19 January 2015

People who say handheld market is not worth it, are you serious? 3DS is selling nearly as PS4 now, and it has 100$ BOM cost and 200$ retail price, more that 50% profit margin probably. It's completely Sony's problem that they shot themselves in leg by marketing Vita as PS3 portable and then raising entry bar sky-high with Uncharted GA (who even told them people want portable AAA games?). If they just did PSP2 and made a nice library of PS2 ports as launch titles they would probably sell twice more by now. And market for mobile devices is nearly saturated, there is no difference between new phones and those made 2 years ago, so if companies believe gimmicks like smartwatches can sell why handhelds can't.

What Sony probably should really do is to get rid of smartphone division because asking premium price for android phone is kinda ridiculous.



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Neodegenerate on 19 January 2015

If Sony stays in the handheld market it will be an error on their part. Unless of course they are also putting out a "fusion" console like Nintendo is rumored to do. Then, it will be two errors on their part.



zumnupy10 on 19 January 2015
small44 said:
zumnupy10 said:

For me Sony made three crucial mistakes with Vita:

 

- Overengineeredthe device

Vita is a full generational jump from PSP.  The jump in perfomance is comparable to the one from PS2 to PS3.    

This made Sony release an expansive platform in the market in a time when Nintendo had already tasted with the 3DS first months in Japan that there is no market for a $250 handheld anymore.  Nintendo had the wisdom to cut the price of the console fast while Sony was dumb enough not to take notes from this and released the platform at a high price anyway.   

I really believe that Sony shouldn't have designed the Vita to be so much more powerful than the PSP.   Vita's main competitor, the 3DS is in many ways an  enhanced PSP and consumers are fine with it.     A redesigned PSP with Two analog sticks + Camera + improved screen could have been way more attractive.


-  Too many console like games for a Handheld.

Games like Uncharted, Borderlands 2, LBP and others are cool on HOME CONSOLES but not as attractive on a handheld platform.  With few exceptions like Gravity Rush, Soul Sacrifice and Tearaway.  Vita sometimes looks like  a platform to play games that can be enjoyed in a better way on the PS3.

 

- Losing Monster Hunter to Nintendo.

In my opinion this was the final nail in Vita's coffin.    In many ways this reminds me of Final Fantasy VII situation during the N64/PS1 days.

I still can't believe Sony just let Nintendo secure exclusivity of this game.  Specially considering how important this franchise was to the PSP.

 MH was one of the games that defined and made the PSP succcessful in Japan.


how home console quality games is a reason why Vita it fail when they are the best selling games on Vita

They are only the best selling because of the lack of options Vita owners endure.   The System lacks more games like Tearaway,Soul Sacrifice, Pokemon and MH for example.



small44 on 19 January 2015
sterner said:
People who say handheld market is not worth it, are you serious? 3DS is selling nearly as PS4 now, and it has 100$ BOM cost and 200$ retail price, more that 50% profit margin probably. It's completely Sony's problem that they shot themselves in leg by marketing Vita as PS3 portable and then raising entry bar sky-high with Uncharted GA (who even told them people want portable AAA games?). If they just did PSP2 and made a nice library of PS2 ports as launch titles they would probably sell twice more by now. And market for mobile devices is nearly saturated, there is no difference between new phones and those made 2 years ago, so if companies believe gimmicks like smartwatches can sell why handhelds can't.

Best selling games on psp and vita are AAA games so stop with this bullshit
Nobody care your about emulators i don't buy console to play 15 years old games



PS4 - over 100 millions let's say 120m
Xbox One - 70m
Wii U - 25m

Vita - 15m if it will not get Final Fantasy Kingdoms Heart and Monster Hunter 20m otherwise
3DS - 80m

small44 on 19 January 2015
zumnupy10 said:
small44 said:
zumnupy10 said:

For me Sony made three crucial mistakes with Vita:

 

- Overengineeredthe device

Vita is a full generational jump from PSP.  The jump in perfomance is comparable to the one from PS2 to PS3.    

This made Sony release an expansive platform in the market in a time when Nintendo had already tasted with the 3DS first months in Japan that there is no market for a $250 handheld anymore.  Nintendo had the wisdom to cut the price of the console fast while Sony was dumb enough not to take notes from this and released the platform at a high price anyway.   

I really believe that Sony shouldn't have designed the Vita to be so much more powerful than the PSP.   Vita's main competitor, the 3DS is in many ways an  enhanced PSP and consumers are fine with it.     A redesigned PSP with Two analog sticks + Camera + improved screen could have been way more attractive.


-  Too many console like games for a Handheld.

Games like Uncharted, Borderlands 2, LBP and others are cool on HOME CONSOLES but not as attractive on a handheld platform.  With few exceptions like Gravity Rush, Soul Sacrifice and Tearaway.  Vita sometimes looks like  a platform to play games that can be enjoyed in a better way on the PS3.

 

- Losing Monster Hunter to Nintendo.

In my opinion this was the final nail in Vita's coffin.    In many ways this reminds me of Final Fantasy VII situation during the N64/PS1 days.

I still can't believe Sony just let Nintendo secure exclusivity of this game.  Specially considering how important this franchise was to the PSP.

 MH was one of the games that defined and made the PSP succcessful in Japan.


how home console quality games is a reason why Vita it fail when they are the best selling games on Vita

They are only the best selling because of the lack of options Vita owners endure.   The System lacks more games like Tearaway,Soul Sacrifice, Pokemon and MH for example.

Who devs are expect to do more games like Tearaway and Soul sacrifice if those games sold poorly
The truth is home consoles gamers want all games to come to home console,Tearaway was consider a handheld like games yet nobody complain how this games come to home consoles



PS4 - over 100 millions let's say 120m
Xbox One - 70m
Wii U - 25m

Vita - 15m if it will not get Final Fantasy Kingdoms Heart and Monster Hunter 20m otherwise
3DS - 80m

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alabtrosMyster on 19 January 2015

The Vita has Dreamcast like sales numbers so far... I would be surprised if Sony released a new handhald machine after this one :-/



Mnementh on 19 January 2015

Difficult question. I don't see Sony competitive again in the handheld area if nothing changes drastically. But Sony might feel, that a handheld is an important part of their ecosystem. The most likely route if they decide for a handheld is a very strong integration with their main console.



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The_Sony_Girl1 on 19 January 2015
Dr.Vita said:
jetforcejiminy said:
retroking1981 said:
Really not sure but like a few others have mentioned the Vita isn't going anywhere.

Its very powerful and I could imagine it staying around so long that it's sales will end up being respectful, and because of being around so long will probably end up profitable.

Because of these reasons it will also slowly start geiing more support, look at RE Revelations 2. The 3DS has been a huge success but for numerous reasons the Vita which is selling horribly is getting it.
Also how powerful will Nintendos next handheld be? Why would Capcom for example make MH5-6 or whatever it will be on by then for the next Nintendo handheld when the Vita (which will possibly be comparable in power) will have a bigger install base.

Vita has sold horribly like the Wii U but the Wii U will not have the continued support or (for want of a better word) 'luck' of the Vita.

In short, Vita will outsell and outlast Wii U, but going back to the OP... I'm very unsure if Sony will ever release another handheld, at least a dedicated one.

the vita is getting "revelaitons" 2 because it's easy as hell to port to vita from ps3/4. and by easy as hell i mean fool-proof. you too could create your own vita port!

as for the vita sticking around, that's how the psp got to 80m, but the thing is the psp at least had support. a resident evil port and a bunc h of jrpgs and dating sims will not help the vita sell. and lo and behold, the vita has not sold. 2m in 2014 (mostly in japan), much fewer than in 2013, and likely much fewer to come in 2015. vita'll be lucky to get to 12-13m without sony pulling the plug on it completely. freedom wars will probably be the last high-profile release, and that wasn't even that high-profile... as for the wii u comparison, there is no comparison. the wii u is getting the lion's share of nintendo's attention whereas vita is getting indie games and jrpgs. wii u will easily pass the vita in mid-2015. and the wii u will be around until 2017-18--no nintendo platform has ever been supported for fewer than 5-6 years except for the virtual boy, and the wii u is not doing virtual boy numbers (the vita's much, much closer to that).

btw, no namecalling: i am a happy vita owner. it's great for playing psone classics and psp games. and tearaway.


1. Vita is 100% undertracked in VGChartz and there are a lot of proofs for this.
2. How do you know the Wii U will be longer supported than the Vita? 
3. Wii U has 0% Third-Party Support, Vita has at least ports from good games!
4. And Vita is still getting exclusive games in 2015, Grim Fandango, J-Stars, One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 etc. are all Playstation/console exclusive! Vita owners are happy!

What proof?



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I can beat more games on his 3DS than he can on my PSVita in a month. Loser has to buy the winner a game on his/her handheld Guess who won? http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=193531

Me!

Areym on 19 January 2015

Hard to say at this point. Mobile gaming is being taking over my smart phones and microtransactions.



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small44 on 19 January 2015
Mnementh said:
Difficult question. I don't see Sony competitive again in the handheld area if nothing changes drastically. But Sony might feel, that a handheld is an important part of their ecosystem. The most likely route if they decide for a handheld is a very strong integration with their main console.

They better don't make another handheld if they want to make a handheld is a very strong integration with their main console.



PS4 - over 100 millions let's say 120m
Xbox One - 70m
Wii U - 25m

Vita - 15m if it will not get Final Fantasy Kingdoms Heart and Monster Hunter 20m otherwise
3DS - 80m