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Here is some not-great news for US customers who have been on the fence about purchasing the PS Vita when it gets released to the American market. US users aren’t going to be able to access Passport, the nifty application which Japanese customers can use to access the old games they bought for their original PSP on Vita. The service only charges a small fee, and is a very popular one in Japan. Sony makes a nice cut, and customers don’t pay much at all.
Since US users won’t have access to this cheap and convenient service, they’ll only be able to access some of their old PSP games. This will come as a major disappointment to many US users, since it shouldn’t be in any way challenging to provide US users with Passport access, and it’d be a nice source of income for Sony. It’s not particularly clear why Sony is holding off on offering the service to American customers—and it will probably cut into their Vita sales a bit. In any case, it would certainly be better for everyone if they’d change their mind. Otherwise American customers will feel inconvenienced, and Sony will make less money.
Ever since Sony’s PlayStation Vita handheld console was released in the Asian markets, critics and fans have argued about whether the Vita spells a failure for Sony (and for handheld console designers in general), or whether claims of the Vita’s failures are premature and exaggerated. With the rising popularity of tablet computers and mobile phones, it could be that the landscape of handheld gaming is changing irrevocably. Is the PS Vita a sign that old console designers are being left in the dust? Or is the Vita really not a bad device at all, just one which has been derided because of a few weaknesses?
The Vita had a rocky release, plagued with bugs which caused screen freezes and other problems. Sony has released upgrades and patches to fix these bugs—but that was only the start of the criticisms levied at the handheld console. Once the door was propped open, the other complaints rolled in. One complaint which many people have made about the Vita is that it tries to “be everything at once.” See, this is a strange complaint, considering that it seems to be a complaint about flexibility and functionality, which are good things to have. Perhaps the Vita is a bit complicated, but once you learn to use it, what you have are choices. The Vita includes two sticks, shoulder buttons, a d-pad, tilt controls, an OLED screen, and a multitouch control surface. What more could you ask for? The Vita is meant to be easy to use and to let you decide how to operate the device based on personal preference—after you take the time to learn to use it. What’s more, the controls operate smoothly and effectively.
Another complaint about the Vita is its price. It’s expensive. It’s less expensive than a mid-range iPod Touch, but it’s just a game console, so why pay that much for it? Well, it is designed for gamers who game a lot—so that’s hardly a lack of utility. It doesn’t try to do too much after all. The proprietary memory cards are a bit much—this much is true. The modular storage is a useful feature, though—it’s just another way of offering gamers flexibility. But on the bright side, the download only games seem to be very reasonably priced. They do cost more than the games you can download on your iPod, but they still don’t cost much, and the prices are certainly friendlier to developers without taking too heavy a toll on consumers. This isn’t a bad compromise, and will encourage developers to make more great games, always assuming that the Vita market grows and doesn’t dry up.
The hardware used in the Vita is state of the art—it’s only the software which is buggy and still needs some work. Sony has already proven that it is dedicated to fixing these bugs, though. Does the Vita have drawbacks? Of course—it’s not a perfect product, we’ll grant that. But it’s not a bad product at all, and in many ways it’s quite a good one. It’s aimed mostly at intensive gamers, but it also aims to be accessible to more casual gamers, and it offers plenty of options for operation and storage. The Vita is expensive, but so are most handheld consoles, and that’s just how it is. The download only games offer plenty of fun, inexpensive entertainment however, and the game lineup for the Vita is great. We think that the Vita deserves a chance; by the time it hits the European and American markets even more of those software glitches should be resolved.
With such a shaky start in the Asian markets, a lot of people are now turning their attention to how the Vita will perform in the UK. Sony’s new handheld console is set to release in the UK in just over three weeks. The shaky start in Asia isn’t the only reason to be concerned about the Vita’s upcoming sales—the holiday rush is also over, and spring is a notorious time to release new products in the gaming industry. With everyone still busy with their new toys from the holiday season (and with all of that holiday gift money already spent), it’s hard to say what the Vita will do.
Game and Gamestation will both be letting consumers try out the Vita in person before the product hits the shelves, which could give sales a nice boost. Since the sales staff will get a chance to try out the Vita, they’ll have an easier time describing the features of the Vita to customers. Another matter which may help boost sales is the patches which Sony has already released to fix the Vita’s bugs. Gamers in the UK market will have those patches immediately available to them and won’t have to deal with the same glitches which plagued early buyers in Asia.
A couple of the games which will demo in the stores include Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Road Trip WipEout 2048. While some Vita games will only cost about £25, there’s an indication that the average price will be closer to £35. Indeed, some Vita games may retail for as much as £45—which is a bit much for a handheld console game. That’s what you’d expect to pay for a game which you could play on a PlayStation 3. The high prices of Vita games could put as much of a dent in Vita sales as the console’s short battery life, screen (hard to see in sunlight) and bugs (being fixed, fortunately). The Vita does have excellent graphics, though, and has received some positive reviews despite the flagging sales in Japan. Another challenge the Vita will have to overcome is the growing tendency for gamers to compare the handheld console not only with other handheld consoles but also with unrelated devices like the iPhone which have become popular gaming platforms.
How will the Vita perform? Only time will tell—customers should welcome the opportunity to try out the device firsthand though and make up their own minds, rather than letting the stories of Vita’s initial struggles in the Japanese market determine their choice to buy or not.
You’ve probably heard a lot by now about how buggy the Asian market release of the new Sony Vita is, but maybe you’re tired of hearing about that. After all, Sony is releasing patches to fix the bugs, and by the time the Sony hits your market, most or all of those issues should be resolved. At that point, should you spend as much as £230 on the Vita? What are the features which make the Sony Vita handheld console worth the heavy price tag?
The Vita starts to impress from the moment you pick it up. With a 5-inch capacitive OLED touch screen, dual analogue sticks in natural placements, face and shoulder buttons, Sony d-pad, Plus PS button and more, the Vita is built for ease of use. The Vita also has a rear touchpad, volume controls, a microphone, and slots for memory cards. It weighs in comfortably at just 279g. These physical controls make it a great device to compete with hard to use touchscreen-only devices. The addition of a second analogue stick in particular takes the Vita gaming experience to a new level. Meanwhile the touchscreen does offer intuitive and easy control. The touchscreen is able to register multiple touch inputs at the same time.
There are also some new controls which include a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer, and even dual cameras. In terms of battery life, you can usually get about three to four hours while gaming. The Vita’s display is large, clear, and intuitive, and also offers backend menus which are friendly for smartphone users.
And what can we look forward to in terms of the initial game release line-up? We’ll be seeing exciting new titles like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Everybody’s Golf, MotorStorm RC, WipEout 2048 and Zipper’s Unit 13.
So if you’ve been put off by the reports of buggy programming, these are some of the reasons to seriously consider getting a Vita. And don’t forget that despite those bugs, the Vita already has a lot of fans, and Sony has already sent out fixes for many of the errors. Aside from those errors the device works great. Usually waiting for a console to come out is a drawback, but in the case of the Vita it’s a benefit. By the time the Vita comes out where you are, it will probably be over its early hiccups and performing beautifully!
The PlayStation Vita, Sony’s new generation of handheld console, was released on December 17th in Japan and December 23rd in Hong Kong and Taiwan. While the console is being released in the Philippines on January 10th, the rest of us will have to wait until February to buy the Vita. The PlayStation Vita release dates are February 11th for Korea, February 15th-22nd in Europe and North America, and February 23rd in Australia. The Vita sold over 300,000 units in its first two days of release in Japan, after which sales dropped off sharply.
Why did the sales drop off? It turned out that the initial release of the PlayStation Vita was plagued with screen freezes, system crashes, input errors, and other issues. This deterred a lot of prospective buyers. Since then Sony has released two firmware upgrades to fix the problems.
If you’re feeling discouraged by the poor performance of the Vita, then consider it fortunate that you are still waiting for the Vita to be released in your market. After all, that gives Sony plenty of time to remedy the issues which are hampering the console’s performance. By the time the Vita is actually released in your market, Sony may have released fixes for all of the bugs, and then it’ll just be a matter of downloading a few patches. Don’t be surprised if the sales for the Vita start picking up again in the coming weeks. As such you may well want to pre-order the PlayStation Vita. That way you’re sure to get one without having to wait even longer if they do start selling more quickly again. The Nintendo 3DS went through a rocky stage as well after all, and now it’s outselling the Vita. The PlayStation Vita may well follow the same trend and take off in a few weeks after the problems are resolved.
Anyone who has been keeping up with PlayStation news knows that the Playstation Vita handheld console was released in Japan on December 17th and other Asian markets on December 23rd. While many gamers were excited about the latest PlayStation handheld console (300,000 units sold in Japan in the first two days), the release has been plagued with bugs, which has caused a sharp decline in sales. A lot of people in the European and American markets are holding off on pre-ordering the Vita as a result.
Why pre-order the Vita when it has so many bugs? In spite of its shaky release, the Vita is now performing more strongly from a technical standpoint, and it’s probably only a matter of time before sales catch up. Since releasing the Vita, Sony has dispatched two firmware upgrades to help resolve the various issues which have been so problematic. The screen freezes, system crashes, touchscreen input errors and other problems are being taken care of right now.
The PlayStation Vita won’t be released until February of this year in the European, Australian, and American markets. Usually waiting around for a new console to be released in your market is annoying, but in this case it’s beneficial. If you live in any of these places, you still have a couple months to wait until you can get your hands on a Vita. That gives Sony a lot of time to address the situation and correct all of the errors before you purchase a Vita of your own. As the Vita’s functionality problems get fixed, more and more people will be lining up to purchase them. That’s why it’s a good idea to pre-order the PlayStation Vita now. That way you can beat the rush when this handheld console really takes off!
PlayStation’s shiny new Vita handheld console sold 300,000 units in its first two days—which was a pretty good start in the Asian market. You’d think with numbers like that the Vita would be flying off the shelves in Japan. But thanks to a buggy launch, it’s losing momentum fast, and is being outsold by 3DS.
The Sony Vita launch has been plagued with numerous bugs including screen freezes, touchscreen input problems, system crashes, and more. Sony has already sent out two firmware updates to resolve these issues, but word has gotten round, and the result has been crashing sales figures for Sony. In the latest week Sony only sold 72,000 Vita units. Nintendo on the other hand sold 482,000 3DS systems during the same week. The 3DS did get off to a troubled start as well with its own slew of issues, but the holiday lineup of exciting 3DS game releases has finally brought consumers around, and now the system is selling quite well. Will Sony’s luck turn around as it sends out fixes for its Vita bugs? Only time will tell; with the holiday season drawing to a close though, it’s sure to be an uphill battle from here.
For anyone that cannot wait to see the highly anticipated PlayStation Vita, the newest hand-held gaming console from Sony, your wait is over. Simply book a flight for Japan and you will be the first on your block to feel, touch, and play this amazing device. If hoping a flight to Japan is not within your budget, you can expect to wait just a little longer, release in the both Europe and the United States is expected on February 22, 2012.
What To Expect
Now that its been released all rumors can be put to rest. The PlayStation Vita packs a quad core processor, rear touch panel, multi touch OLED screen, front and back cameras, Wi-Fi, a new motion sensing system, and optional 3g. It is as if Sony held a brainstorming session on anything that could be put into a hand-held and then simply decided to include everything on the list.
The good news is that with the release in Japan, Sony has a large test market in order to get started on any firmware and security upgrades that will be useful when released globally. In fact ,just prior to release, Sony had a firmware release for all new purchasers, this release was up and ready to download on device activation and did not delay users from using their new devices. Along with the upgrade Sony also released a United States English version of the PlayStation Vita User’s Guide. This guide has been made available early for anyone that anticipates purchasing the device in February so that they will be fully knowledgeable on its use.
Handheld Console Vs. The Smart Phone
Though consumers are reportedly anxiously awaiting the release, there is still anxiety within the ranks of hand-held console makers like Sony and Nintendo. The question as to how deep the hand-held market is given the availability of competing games and applications for smart phones. The question of where consumers will draw the line between having an additional machine or simply opting for the all-in-one solution of the smart phone. Certainly the smart phone gaming experience is not nearly as good as the single use console, but how important that is to the end consumer, given the high price of hand-held consoles, is yet to be seen. Nintendo’s release of the Nintendo 3DS met with an initial strong demand but quickly tapered off after a half year forcing price cuts. This indicates the hand-held market is motivated, but small.
Sony’s game division head, Andrew House, sees the short term success of the Nintendo 3DS differently and suggests that the PlayStation Vita will maintain market strength and dominance much longer because of third party developer support. On release the Vita will already have over two dozen games including popular titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss as well as Little Big Planet. Other major titles schedule for release in February are EA Sports FIFA 12 and Capcoms’ Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom.
Early Reports
Sony has pulled out all of the stops in making this console. It is an amazing device with cutting edge technology that is certain to satisfy any gamer. Early reports have also been made that Sony has increased their initial manufacturing volume of the Vita from 500,000 to 700,000 units to be ready on the release date. This increase is orders was reportedly in response to more than anticipated pre-orders. Assuming the Japanese release continues to move along smoothly, Sony is expecting the Vita to dominate the hand-held market for some time.
At last the long-awaited Sony PlayStation Vita has been released in Japan. According to Japanese magazine publisher Enterbrain, a projected 321,407 Vita units were sold within just two days of the launch of the new product. All things considered, this isn’t a great sales figure—in fact, for Sony it’s kind of disappointing. Earlier this year Nintendo sold 371,326 3DS units within two days and that was considered substandard—Sony’s figures are just slightly lower. Expectations had been much higher—Sony shipped 200,000 unnecessary extra units to retailers which still haven’t sold in anticipation of higher demand. Twenty-six new games were lined up for the launch date, but even this wasn’t enough to get the Vita to sell in higher numbers.
Why are the sales figures so low? One reason may be that the Vita still has a lot of bugs. Some of these problems include freezing and outright crashes, a lot of lag during games, and registration issues. Configuring the device is apparently quite a challenge on its own. PlayStation historically has been fast to fix bugs, but the irritated reports of the early buyers probably has dissuaded a lot of potential customers, who are now waiting for these bugs to be fixed before they purchase a Vita.
Has Sony said anything about the issues with the PS Vita? On the Vita website there is an official statement which has been translated as, “Currently, our information centre regarding PlayStation Vita as well as our usual customer service centre are receiving many enquiries. We apologize if your phone isn’t connected straight away.” This isn’t the most promising statement in the world, but at least there’s some indication that Sony is aware of the problems with the Vita and hopefully are already on their way to finding some solutions.
