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Forums - Sales - Why did Sony choose to target the casual market instead of the core gamer with the PlayStation Vita?

WolfpackN64 on 09 February 2015
rolltide101x said:
WolfpackN64 said:

I don't see many casual games being popular on the 3DS.

Define casual? Pretty much every Nintnedo IP is casual to me. I do not mean this as an insult. Nintendo gave handheld gamers what they want and Sony did not. In Asia the 3DS is core, in the West not so much. I know about 20 core gamers personally (across every platform) and the only ones who have a 3DS has one because of their kids. Just so you know overall the PS4 is not a core system either. It gets core games but "core" is not the theme.

 

The PSVita is doing ok in Japan because of the fact handhelds are more "core" there. It is not doing well in the U.S. because Nintendo better captured what the West wants 

Depends on your definition of core. Every Nintendo IP is core to me (and definatly more core than lets say CoD (even though I still consider CoD a "core" franchise). Casual to me is something like Tetris, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, 2048 (although then again, Tetris can even be a hardcore game, depending on the way you play).



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Chazore on 09 February 2015

See for me back when the PSP launched it was probably the ebst portable tech for me and my buds at the time, it had most of the games we hoped for and wanted. Fast foward to now and the Vita has less of what I wanted from the original PSP while asking me for more money and putting up with the new memory card system that screwed over my options, I just didn't see the point in even buying one, one of my mates who bought the original PSP bought the Vita and then realsied over time the dust it had collected and the interest with it dying, we both ended up going for a 3DS by the time Pokemon X & Y launched, I got a few games like Animal Crossing and I've been playing my 3DS since.

I'd say Sony just made the device too expensive, it had less first party titles than the last model, their previous model before the Vita was an all digital one and we all know how that one was recieved, that and their memory card system really threw people off, not everyone but enough for some to not bother buying the thing.

They also released it too early, launching it during 2013 if not 2014 would have done the device better because while it was failing they decided to then pair it up with the PS4 to make it look appealing by using the popularity and power of the 4 instead of using the power of the device itself and focussing on it rather than having to pair it to make it stand out.



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t3mporary_126 on 09 February 2015
rolltide101x said:

Define casual? Pretty much every Nintnedo IP is casual to me. I do not mean this as an insult. 


What XD? That's a pretty bad generalizaiton there. How many Nintendo ip games have you played or heard/seen?

Sorry for calling you out, but take this opportunity to learn a little more about criticizing or labeling Nintendo. 



Captain_Tom on 09 February 2015
RolStoppable said:

This is something that has been on my mind for a while. Sony found pretty decent success with the PSP thanks to targeting the core gamer, but for the PSV they did a 180 and went all out to lure in casuals. Not only did they make the display a touchscreen, they also added a touchpad on the back instead of doing the logical thing and providing a second set of shoulder buttons. A similar error was made with the analog sticks that don't double as buttons like on the longrunning series of DualShock controllers.


LOL a touchscreen and Back-touch pad isn't to "Lure in casuals."  The backpad was an innovative idea, and touchscreens are bloody mandatory on modern handhelds at this point.



AZWification on 09 February 2015
Mr Khan said:
RolStoppable said:

They decided to charge money for their products.

Such an archaic business model.

Yeah! Sony screwed up pretty badly there.



                
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HollyGamer on 09 February 2015
small44 said:
HollyGamer said:
small44 said:
 

Gta and Final fantasy sold better on PSP then DS despite a smaller install base and third party never supported vita well that why it had  bad sale to begin with

 

 

PSP have a good sales unlike PS Vita, and dont compare the sales to DS compare it to vita. And also PSP had a good games support unlike Vita due to SONy current condition. All Vita fault because their mistake on targeting the market reuslting low system sales + no mpre support from them. It's not about third party.

PSP had a good sale because it have good support better support then Vita+3ds combined from 3rd party.

Sony tried to target everybody with vita and they fail they failed to attract casuals but Playstation consoles home console and handheld never succeed to attracted casuals unlike Nintendo they tried to attact smartphone gamers but they can't because it's not the right audience to attract they tied to attract hardocre gamers but their first party was never the reason of Playstation success and they fail to make 3rd party support vita well.

I hope this is the last Sony handheld so those stupid 3rd party stop getting money  for their lazy port

 PSP had a good launch sales  because they have a decent first party line up, advertising, and PR tools, then market react positively (no competitor from smart phone), after that third party (the big one like square and capcom) begin to supporting it. Unlike Vita which had the same initial press release  but the market react negatively (the consumer already into smartphones ) and third party is not willing to support it and SONY seem to give up with the market.

By the way it's not a system (PS, Xbox, Wii U, Vita, PSP, 3DS) that sell games, it games that sell system. What i mean is before the system get a decent support form 3rd party the system need to sell first. That's why blaming 3rd party is wrong because third party always look on earlier sells and their potential market for the system. Just look how PS4 can sell with limited games on their launching day.

Agree with u about Playstation success is not because solely on first party, it's because they have a balance between , potential market, first party games and third party games. But i disagree if you saying 3rd party is failed to support Vita, it's the opposite  "  VITA FAILED TO SUPPORT THIRD PARTY GAME'S ".

Edited



outlawauron on 09 February 2015
Mr Khan said:
You're not going to get as many people with this, Rol. A touch too subtle.

How in the world was this too subtle?



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Pavolink on 09 February 2015

Because they saw the amazing profits of Wii/DS and decide to go after that. Unfortunately for them, in order to do that you have to be smart.



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small44 on 09 February 2015
HollyGamer said:
small44 said:
HollyGamer said:
small44 said:
 

Gta and Final fantasy sold better on PSP then DS despite a smaller install base and third party never supported vita well that why it had  bad sale to begin with

 

 

PSP have a good sales unlike PS Vita, and dont compare the sales to DS compare it to vita. And also PSP had a good games support unlike Vita due to SONy current condition. All Vita fault because their mistake on targeting the market reuslting low system sales + no mpre support from them. It's not about third party.

PSP had a good sale because it have good support better support then Vita+3ds combined from 3rd party.

Sony tried to target everybody with vita and they fail they failed to attract casuals but Playstation consoles home console and handheld never succeed to attracted casuals unlike Nintendo they tried to attact smartphone gamers but they can't because it's not the right audience to attract they tied to attract hardocre gamers but their first party was never the reason of Playstation success and they fail to make 3rd party support vita well.

I hope this is the last Sony handheld so those stupid 3rd party stop getting money  for their lazy port

 PSP had a good launch sales  because they have a decent first party line up, advertising, and PR tools, then market react positively (no competitor from smart phone), after that third party (the big one like square and capcom) begin to supporting it. Unlike Vita which had the same initial press release  but the market react negatively (the consumer already into smartphones ) and third party is not willing to support it and SONY seem to give up with the market.

By the way it's not a system (PS, Xbox, Wii U, Vita, PSP, 3DS) that sell games, it games that sell system. What i mean is before the system get a decent support form 3rd party the system need to sell first. That's why blaming 3rd party is wrong because third party always look on earlier sells and their potential market for the system. Just look how PS4 can sell with limited games on their launching day.

Agree with u about Playstation success is not because solely on first party, it's because they have a balance between , potential market, first party games and third party games. But i disagree if you saying 3rd party is failed to support Vita, " IT'S VITA FAULT TO SUPPORT THIRD PARTY ".

It's not true PSP first party launch support is pretty similar to Vita and 3rd party launch support better on PSP then Vita

The metal gear solid game alone make PSP third party launch support better then Vita one



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

HollyGamer on 09 February 2015
small44 said:
HollyGamer said:
small44 said:
HollyGamer said:
small44 said:
 

Gta and Final fantasy sold better on PSP then DS despite a smaller install base and third party never supported vita well that why it had  bad sale to begin with

 

 

PSP have a good sales unlike PS Vita, and dont compare the sales to DS compare it to vita. And also PSP had a good games support unlike Vita due to SONy current condition. All Vita fault because their mistake on targeting the market reuslting low system sales + no mpre support from them. It's not about third party.

PSP had a good sale because it have good support better support then Vita+3ds combined from 3rd party.

Sony tried to target everybody with vita and they fail they failed to attract casuals but Playstation consoles home console and handheld never succeed to attracted casuals unlike Nintendo they tried to attact smartphone gamers but they can't because it's not the right audience to attract they tied to attract hardocre gamers but their first party was never the reason of Playstation success and they fail to make 3rd party support vita well.

I hope this is the last Sony handheld so those stupid 3rd party stop getting money  for their lazy port

 PSP had a good launch sales  because they have a decent first party line up, advertising, and PR tools, then market react positively (no competitor from smart phone), after that third party (the big one like square and capcom) begin to supporting it. Unlike Vita which had the same initial press release  but the market react negatively (the consumer already into smartphones ) and third party is not willing to support it and SONY seem to give up with the market.

By the way it's not a system (PS, Xbox, Wii U, Vita, PSP, 3DS) that sell games, it games that sell system. What i mean is before the system get a decent support form 3rd party the system need to sell first. That's why blaming 3rd party is wrong because third party always look on earlier sells and their potential market for the system. Just look how PS4 can sell with limited games on their launching day.

Agree with u about Playstation success is not because solely on first party, it's because they have a balance between , potential market, first party games and third party games. But i disagree if you saying 3rd party is failed to support Vita, " IT'S VITA FAULT TO SUPPORT THIRD PARTY ".

It's not true PSP first party launch support is pretty similar to Vita and 3rd party launch support better on PSP then Vita

The metal gear solid game alone make PSP third party launch support better then Vita one

That's why i mentioned "decent frist party line up+Advertising + PR Positive market reaction".