The latest issue of PSM3, featuring extensive coverage of Bioshock Infinite and PS Vita, is on sale now.
PS Vita's first couple of months in Japan have been rocky - increasing the pressure on its UK and US launch on Feb 22nd, with pundits already questioning its ability to compete against iPhone's functionality, and Nintendo 3DS's lower price and expanding games library.
Sony need to learn the lessons of the Japanese launch - outlined by our Japanese correspondent below - or risk a situation akin to the original PSP, whose technical limitations and compromised software left it fighting an uphill, if not futile, battle from day one.
PS Vita's sales in Japan have been sluggish. Yes, the launch lineup was excellent - in the eyes of Western gamers, at least - and first-weekend sales of 324,859 were encouraging. But that dropped to an underwhelming 72,479 in week two and 42,648 in week three. PSP continues to outsell Vita, as does PS3.
Monster Hunter kept the PSP alive in Japan for years after the West had written it off, with its recent iteration, Portable 3rd, selling over five million copies. Although the franchise isn't as popular in the West, without its success the PSP may not have survived to see late-era games like The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy Type-0. The fact that Vita has two thumbsticks is partly in response to millions of Monster Hunter fans, who'd been warping their hands to get around the game's torturous d-pad camera controls.
Yet while it was on home consoles, PSP was the place to play it... until Nintendo bagged it.
MONSTER SUCCESS
One week before PS Vita's 17 December launch in Japan, Monster Hunter Tri-G stormed onto 3DS - an upgraded version, with improved camera controls and a hideous bolt-on second thumbpad peripheral for hardcore players (with most Japanese players are seriously hardcore). By scoring Monster Hunter, Nintendo struck a lethal blow to Vita. Without its own Monster Hunter, PSP's year-old Monster Hunter Portable 3rd sold better than any Vita game in the same month.
Even the 3DS took a while to pick up sales in Japan at launch, partly due to the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, two weeks after its launch. Monster Hunter changed all that. Nintendo sold a staggering 1.6 million 3DS's in Japan in December alone, and Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and Tri-G were 2012's three best-selling games in Japan.
Comments
50 comments so far...
YouStoleMyKill on 16 Feb '12 said:
KK-Headcharge78 on 16 Feb '12 said:
Fr33Kye on 16 Feb '12 said:
This thing doesnt need one system seller, it needs several to climb out of its hole. And it wont do much better in the west without proper marketing, if you are going to release a handheld at that price and in this market, you better be prepared for some troubling times. Though sony are likely aware of this, they intend to focus on the dedicated gamer until they can drop the price to something more appealing to the mass market. Oh and the vita gas been patched to hell so it supports mac and bug reports are a little old. Everyone should do their part and chip in to buy me a vita. Its the least you could do for sony.
The 3ds has mario, mario kart, monster hunter and monster hunter 4 in the wings, metal gear solid, resident evil, love plus, gundam, final fantasy rhythm game andprobably some other titles i'm missing. The vita wont get a gundam till spring, no love plus or dating sims, no mh announcement, no mario of course lol, no metal gear solid, no resident evil, no rhythm game at retail and a much higher price.......not a mystery.
Mmmmgrolsch on 16 Feb '12 said:
Vita deserves to be a huge success, it's done everything right. As for the whole Japan thing, people hardly need to worry about the Vita at this moment in time, when it gets it's weird take up skirt pictures of underaged girls then it'll sell like hotcakes I'm sure.
The time to worry is if it doesn't sell like mad when it gets it exclusives, until then everyone should just chill. The Vita flopping would be a disasterous thing for every gamer.
Weezer on 16 Feb '12 said:
'Vita deserves to be a huge success, it's done everything right.'
Except price point, stability, games and marketing.
ricflair on 16 Feb '12 said:
Why would it be disastrous? I don't want it to fail, but I don't see the problem if it does, unless it forces Sony out of the console business.
I think it looks a great little machine, but there seem to be a lot of people who don't want one, at least at that price. If that really is a widespread view, then tough titties for Sony. There are lots of things that will sell, but you have to get the marketing and price right and support it with software that will make people want the machine.
If any console company doesn't do that, then they've only got themselves to blame.
Mmmmgrolsch on 16 Feb '12 said:
I'll give you marketing. But the others will come naturally.
@ric because I believe if Vita flops it'll force Sony out of the gaming Market. That is something that will be disastrous for every console gamer. Unless they want to just play kid themed consoles next gen and don't want there to be competition in the Market.
Izo on 16 Feb '12 said:
I agree Rick, I want to get Vita for Gravity Daze but don't want to get it at the current price could care less about people saying it's a good piece of kit because having bought a PSP at launch which was also a good bit of kit back then the PSP was barren for the first 2 years after launch and didn't get any use on top of that Sony basically ignored the PSP themselves after the first year and forgot it existed when the PS3 launched, I'm not paying the current price until I'm sure Vita will have a more consistent run.
Grolsch that's rubbish mate people weren't playing kid themed games when the was no competition and they won't if Vita flops either.
Fr33Kye on 16 Feb '12 said:
The psp was terribly designed though. At least compared to the DS. If the vita flops handheld gaming wont be nearly as awesome as it could be and that's pretty much it...Sony would still stay in the home console market.
Izo on 16 Feb '12 said:
I want competition to be there mainly so they can keep eachother on their toes, the PSP had two major flaws one was UMDs, they should of gone with a more solid state like format as not only are umds fragile they require power consuming and expensive parts to run for a portable and the other was how easy it was to pirate games and hack the PSP.
The problem I have with Vita is that it looks like Sony are going down the same path that ran into a dead end before, the's no point in competition if you're not troubling your competitor and I don't think this approach is strong enough to trouble Nintendo I think they need to switch things up a bit.
AvatarIII on 16 Feb '12 said:
I think the thing with the Vita is, it's not going to come into it's own until the Wii U is out, I think Sony are releasing the Vita now to get it out there, get it in the hands of gamers get decent firmware on it, and keep upgrading the features, perfecting remote play, and getting as many games cross-platform as possible, until when the Wii U comes out owning a PS3 and a Vita will be as good as owning a Wii U.
And then when the PS4 comes out, the controllers will either be Vitas themselves, or bare-bones versions of Vitas, but lo and behold, a lot of PS fans already have Vitas! you guys can buy a PS4 without a controller and save £100, or get one with a controller and have 2 to start with! or something.
Sony, taking the next console generation by making everyone buy controllers first.
KK-Headcharge78 on 16 Feb '12 said:
I hope not, as a hand held it's a nice piece of kit, a bit gimiccky perhaps with the rear touch screen and all but nice nonetheless. However as a controller I think it would suck balls, it's too big for a start and I found some games pretty awkward to control. It's a nice idea Avatar but I can't see it myself, also knowing Nintendo I would expect them to really nail the Vita with the Wii U in terms of marketing,support and software, I can just see it been less complicated, more accessible and appealing to a much wider audience..... oh and it has Mario too which is still a massive advantage.
Mmmmgrolsch on 16 Feb '12 said:
I didn't say 'kid themed games' I said "kid themed consoles" look at the Wii, then look at 360s UI, both heavily targeted at kids. With MS hungry for Nintendos share of the Market there is a good chance they will be aiming even more casual than the 360 has turned in the past 12months.
Izo on 16 Feb '12 said:
Again that's wrong as they are targeted at the broad market in other words everyone, the so called egotistical core group are shrinking every year so targeting everyone is to keep the market going it's not going to change what games come out or the such it's bringing more people into gaming, Sony will be doing the same in future going for broad appeal.
Mmmmgrolsch on 16 Feb '12 said:
Turning the Wii on is like turning Cbeebies on to me. Ok call you call it targeting at the broad Market, I call it themed for kids and granny's. The point still remains, thats what all we'll be able to look forwards to next gen. I'm in no way saying Wii doesn't get great games because it does and it gets adult games as well. I'm just saying the whole look and feel of the Wii is what we will only have next gen if Sony go out.
I doubt Sony will be creating little pre teen girls and boys avatars as the front of their next console. I reckon the Vita is a glimpse into the style Sony will be going, the simple yet adult feel to the UI.
Izo on 16 Feb '12 said:
No grolsch that's known as being insecure something most of the egotistical crowd have it because they think I'll get this because I'll look cool or what not. The problem with your notion? It's out of date and due to expire next gen, MS and Nintendo don't care about this image non-sense because business it'll keep them going and the likes of COD and such will instantly override any of what you said in the minds of the majority because in the end it's the games that sell the console not the image.
You also don't understand what broad appeal is do you, it's everyone from kids, teens, adolescents, adult to old, DS has shown it doesn't matter what the mob on the net think of the broad approach people still prefered the DS over anything else as no matter who you are the was something for everyone. MS has recognized this which is why they entered the fray and Sony will be entering soon as well they've even come out and said they're going to do a more broad appeal, the era for cool imagery is over and now it's about appeal.
dwhlufc on 16 Feb '12 said:
As good as the launch lineup is its just not to Japanese tastes really is it?
You'd of thought Sony would of tried to get a monster hunter or train simulator
game out there on launch.
flyfletch on 16 Feb '12 said:
Yes, agreed, it wouldnt be nice if Sony where forced out of the market, but who could they blame but themselves? Lets look at their record this generation, in truth until lately its been bloody abysmal, the Ps3 was literally one of the worst releases i have seen for a console in all my gaming life. And after 26 gaming years i have seen a lot. They managed to turn that around, but not really till the last days of this generation. And its literally cost them billions (which they could ill afford) to turn it around. It was bad decisions with hardware and bad judgement with price that nearly trashed the PS3 at the start. And here we are again with the Vita, not only have they not learned from previous mistakes with the price, but the stark warning of Nintendo having to drop the price to sell the 3DS, i mean, bloody hell, what do they need to shake themselves into reality??
Their arrogance really p**ses me and im sure a lot of people off, because i know its not stupidity, they have a lot of really talanted people at Sony, but they need to remember, they are no longer the dominant force in the console business, people have alternatives, and cheaper ones at that.
theideal on 16 Feb '12 said:
There's so much tabloid-style exaggeration and misinformation in this article (and some of the comments) that it makes my head hurt.
Fr33Kye on 16 Feb '12 said:
I'd have to disagree with part of that. Sony shook off the arrogance after they got f**ked up by the 360. They came back to reality. It's nintendo that got arrogant around the release of the 3ds. Our handheld is so awesome it can sell much higher than what it's worth and who cares if people complained about one analog last generation. Nintendo then shook it off. The vita's crime was really ambition, it's not launching at $500, and it's not as poorly designed as the ps3.
a_adji on 16 Feb '12 said:
So clearly it has not done everything right or have I misread what you have wrote?
flyfletch on 16 Feb '12 said:
Very true, its not poorly designed, i think its an amazing little piece of kit, but i really do believe that £250 + for a handheld console is commercial suicide, especially in this bad economic climate...
Megatrons_Fury on 16 Feb '12 said:
Okey Dokey, my turn.......
The DS original design was awfull, it was a brick with buttons in the wrong place and the screen was poor, it also had a terrible launch set of games and didnt take off until Animal crossing, mario kart, trauma center and most importantly Nintendogs came along, once the second string of games flowed and Nintendo got into its stride and started to let loose its franchises everything picked up sales wise. The single most important thing to remember with the Ds though was that it was the right product at the right time, the whole DS through to Wii days will absolutely never come again, ask anyone in retail, it was like the second coming of PS1.... BOOM TOWN
The psp was a weird one, it had a great launch set of games both in japan (where i got mine) the US and here in blighty and apart from early screen pixel problems it was a thing of beauty, unfortunately the 3rd party publishers in japan took ages to get their triple a games out and with the slow pace of releases from western producers, the higher price plus associated costs like memory cards etc and the fact that it didnt have what the general public wanted ie touchscreen (something new and cool etc) meant it never ever got into its stride in my store for every one psp game we probably sold around 20-40 ds titles it was never even close As this article says the real gems came but just far too late for Europe and the US who had moved on, also the fact that it was 3d heavy in nature with just 1 analogue stick was a design disaster.
The 3DS is a classic example of how Nintendo like to win a generation then absolutely throw the lead in the bin and annoy their hard core fanbase... ie ME!!! lol lol It was a great idea and something only Nintendo would have the stones to try in recession time but it lacked any decent titles whatsoever and was far too pricey considering the lack of software support, once Ninty sorted out the price and got the franchises like mario kart zelda and marioland 3d out everything changed and even with the awfull one stick mess and bolt on strapon crap the fact that it has Monster hunter in japan simply means they win.... For now at least.
Handheld gaming is king in japan, always has been, always will be, simply because of how they live and how they commute to work etc and like the article says the fact most of the 18-30 year olds live at home means handheld gaming is often the only way to play, the fact that as a people they prefer to play co-op in the same room etc is a lovely thing and something the west misses out on since they took away our multi-taps and stopped releasing MASHED games.... Grrrrrr
The Vita if it succeeds and of course i hope it does has to do the following within a calender year of jap launch not us or uk launch....
The price of the uk version must hit 150.00-179.99, forget what its worth tech wise, times are hard and sony are not the kings they think they are, handheld wise they are bottom of the pile in numbers and business is a numbers game. They need Metal Gear solid a gran turismo and unfortunately for the western markets a COD game of a decent quality (just typing that makes me feel dirty lol) the games must hit comparable price point to that of 3DS games and sony plus 3rd party manufacturers must make memory units of 16 and 32 gig at a price point of no more than 15 & 30 quid. In europe they will have a good sports range which will be of huge help but japan needs a monster hunter game ultra quick, 5 million active players do not lie.
The software interface problems are a real concern though, what sony do not need is another console constantly needing updating, sometimes its the small things that niggle away at you that turn you off from a console.
The marketing is rubbish but then its sony Europe so thats never going to change even the jap marketing is by their standards boring. The one good thing so far is the store content, its ok price wise, not awesome but ok and sony unlike Nintendo do have very regular offers so theres always bound to be a bargain once we hit the end of the first year etc.
Personally i dont think sony have a hope in hell, the vita does nothing new, brings nothing new to the market that you cannot get from other devices like windows phones, tablets or a home console it just takes what its already done with psp and polishes it all up nicely as japan has clearly shown once you get the early adopters and fanboys out of the way your not left with a market thats hungry for this tech at this price and if you think the japanese are picky which they are not by the way the UK public excell in being selective
Every fibre of my being tells me this console wont make it, at least not in europe past 2-3 years and will be another great idea done in the wrong way i wouldnt be suprised to see it match the psp lifespan in each of the main 3 territories, overall it may shift millions of units but its not going to be what they either want or in sonys case what they need. I hope im wrong though as that grolshhhh bloke said earlier any failure means less choice, less games and leaves a nasty taste in everyones mouth.
Mmmmgrolsch on 16 Feb '12 said:
Oh right, so because I can't stand the Nintendos 'Miis' I'm insecure? Brilliant. I just don't like the Wiis annoying and childish interface, if I was insecure I wouldn't have a sackboy keyring and love games like LBP and Mario. I just like a nice tech looking interface without the kids.
And as once again you go into a rant. I never said anything about sales, I never said what type of console sells, and I didn't say anything about games not selling consoles etc etc. So I won't even bother replying to the rest of your post as its nothing to do with what I'm saying.
While it's done nothing new per se, it is the 1st handheld to offer all control methods. I think they are concentrating on the 'PS3 in hand' thing far to much. Its the potential of unique games that this handheld will be able to offer. I was in the 'whats the point in Vita' until I tried one. I think once people try one and theres some quirky and innovative games out then it'll do well, but it's going to be off to a very tough start.
TheLastDodo on 16 Feb '12 said:
Broad appeal is fine by me, all Sony, MS, Ninty have to do is remember what brought you to dance and who'll still be there when the fairweathers disappear.
As long as there's a Skyrim, a Dead Space, a Mario to counter Just Dance, Nintendogs & Eyepet then we're good.
rbt2 on 16 Feb '12 said:
Totally agree to an extent.
Looks like a lovely bit of kit which I'm sure I'll get sooner or later but I still can't quite understand why Sony haven't learned from 3DS's launch mistakes, namely and firstly the launch price. 180 quid including the ridiculously overpriced memory card would surely have seen much greater launch interest. Afterall, from a western pov, the initial games ain't that bad.
It's the price that'll hold it back for a few months over here, just like 3DS's launch.
Izo on 16 Feb '12 said:
Sorry but what rant get your head out your ass I just explained why Sony won't be doing what you think with the whole image malarky, the way you've worded your post seems more like insecruity to me then just not liking the interface the fact that you keep referencing kids indicates this and tells me you don't understand what is meant by and the aim of broad appeal. Do you use mii's? Do you use Kinect? If no then why are you complaining as these are things you actively have to use to even notice them.
ricflair on 16 Feb '12 said:
Let's try to not make this like the thread in General Gaming, eh??
I think it would be bad for gaming if any of the three went out of the business, even MS, as competition is a good thing. Even if Vita doesn't set the world on fire, I doubt it would be the end for the PS 'project', as Sony need to make some money somewhere. Plus it's not like Sony are the only developers making 'adult' games. Even if MS decide to make fluffy animal simulators for Kinect for the rest of their days, and Nintendo do nothing but Nintendogs, there will still be third parties, who make about 90% of the best games out there anyway. These developers would still exist, their ideas won't vanish into the ether.
I personally don't really care about whether an interface is childish or not. I don't care either way about the Mii's/avatars, beyond laughing at MS shameless copying of the Wii's style. Functionality is what I want, whether that looks more like Rutger Hauer or My Little Pony, I really don't care that much.
There's so much hyperbole on both sides when it comes to the Vita. It's a lot of overly defensive/offensive people who assume everybody feels the same as they do. But Sony need to sort themselves out though - they've totally mismanaged the PS3 at times, and it would be a shame to see them do the same with the Vita; great hardware but mismanaged. Why the f**k they released it in Japan first, with the launch lineup they've gone with, I have no idea. And they need to advertise it - it's out in less than a week and I haven't seen a single advert beyond a Vita shop in Oxford St that wasn't even open on the weekend.
Izo on 16 Feb '12 said:
Yeah sorry about that Rick, it does annoy me when people assume every post has an agressive tone, my main point was image no longer applies to approach now days hence why even MS are following suit, shameless or not they're going the right path as fasr as business goes, it's much like having online now it's part of the market model.
As Vita goes the problem it has is that if it was against the old cycle of Nintendo handhelds it would of been an easy match up for Sony as I feel PSP and Vita follow the GB model well unfortunately the DS set up a different model which the market has not only taken too but can also support the GB model. Why I say Sony needs to switch things up is that we're with the next line of handhelds and 3DS hasn't had to change much over the DS, Sony need to do something to force the situation whether mass marketing or what as people are barely aware Vita even exists.
Balladeer on 16 Feb '12 said:
PS Vita!
PS Vita!!
PS VITAAAAA!!!!!
TheLastDodo on 16 Feb '12 said:
R.I.P PS VITA
December 17th 2011 - February 23rd 2012
Just for the sake of balance
Balladeer on 16 Feb '12 said:
Am I the only one who saw all the links in the article?
Fr33Kye on 16 Feb '12 said:
Well now that you point it out, i think cvg might have reviewed the vita at one point or another. No way to be sure.
Imaduck on 16 Feb '12 said:
It's early days yet. The real test of whether a console was good or not is what legacy it leaves.
clayf1ghter on 17 Feb '12 said:
It's already a success in my eyes. Even if their is only few good games released each year and I can use it for remote play/watching netflix etc then it's already worth the money to me. Maybe I'm just easily pleased.
I hope it sells well the more it sell the longer it will be supported etc especially by the third party developers but it's not the be-all and end-all. Sony themselves will be knocking out some good games for it for at least a few years and with the other features I've already mentioned it's a no brainer day one purchase for me.
Barca Azul on 17 Feb '12 said:
I have a feeling its going to sell better in the west. Lets wait and see though.
Im keen to get one TBH, my only nagging doubt isnt games or price, but additional funcionality they may add to newer models like they did with the PSP. they really screwed the early adopter!
Paradaz - UK on 17 Feb '12 said:
LOL, I thought you were being sarcastic. Two of the 2 most important factors are laughable.....the price of the hardware and the price of games are a complete joke.
Take the next two most important issues for mobile gaming. Battery power and storage.............lets not even go there. Sony deserve to fall on their ass for this. They're digging their own grave. After the debacle of the PS3 launch and price of hardware you'd have thought they might have learned something.......but then again seeing how they manage their AV side of the business and the trouble they're in shouldn't surprise anyone really.
Mmmmgrolsch on 17 Feb '12 said:
I guess that's why the 3DS is doing so well, because the games are cheap as chips.
rbt2 on 17 Feb '12 said:
The games ain't cheap though, Grolschy. Well not for mobile games, anyways.
The hardware, however, is.
Mmmmgrolsch on 17 Feb '12 said:
Yeah I know they aren't mate, they are expensive and hold their price more than any other format, that was my point. The expensive games haven't done the platform any harm. The hardware is a good price now I suppose but only just, the price is all subjective though. 1 things for sure, the hardware prices come down in price, so no doubt it'll be a price at peoples budget sooner or later.
Balladeer on 17 Feb '12 said:
Am I the only one who remembers Daz's general stance on Sony? I'd take everything he says with a pinch of salt. Battery life's still a travesty, though.
xxx128 on 18 Feb '12 said:
Monster Hunter is the best Capcom game in years. That it isnt popular in the west says everything about the western audience.
billysastard on 18 Feb '12 said:
thats the day i'm looking forward to, the way sony treats its criminals oh, sorry i meant customers they simply dont deserve to be in the gaming market.
Mmmmgrolsch on 18 Feb '12 said:
Yes because Sony are a big evil corporation that has never made such a positive impact on our hobbies. Sony rape your puppies and butcher your kids.
Seriously though since all you do is post prayers all the time about Sony going under, explain what terrible tragedy the caused upon your terrible life?
Ali_ on 18 Feb '12 said:
3DS has a growing library of games? Could have fooled me.
Ali_ on 18 Feb '12 said:
It says there are less OCD sufferers in the west.
Balladeer on 18 Feb '12 said:
Fooling obvious haters generally isn't hard.
Ali_ on 18 Feb '12 said:
I have one. And have been nothing but disappointed with it, so far. I'll provide a picture with a shoe on its' head if you like.
me4pd on 18 Feb '12 said:
Shame. What games have you got?
Balladeer on 19 Feb '12 said:
You can own a console and still hate the company so much that you don't enjoy it. There are people on here who seem to only have bought a PS3/360 so that they can slag it off and use "I have one" as a flimsy defence.
And if you're looking at this year's line-up and not looking forward to it then you probably don't like Nintendo games in general, so (a) your opinion is biased and (b) why did you buy the thing in the first place? Sad as I am to say it, the primary reason for buying a Nintendo console is wanting to play Nintendo's own games.