So is the PS Vita dead now?

[fishbowlhead]

They really should of gone with micro sd from the start. The tech is already there, cheap and goes to high capacity. I could certain use a 64 gig card but have had to go down the complete and delete route. It's not out the question that some people could use a 128gb card, with sd at least it's an option you can buy.

While there's not many games of its size, borderlands2 took up nearly 6gig with all the ad on packs, that's a hell a of space off those tiny cards.

You can buy physical of course, however with the psn sales prices so good on vita it's been my first online only purchase console, though with working my way through the games more and more it's becoming less of a problem as I delete.

[originalbadboy]

Sony have always used propitiatory memory cards since the PS1 days. Ok fair enough back then there was no such things as a 'memory stick' or sd card, so fair enough you could argue for a premium.

Its just the way they like to do it, which is fine as long as you keep the price reasonable ... ?70+ for a 64GB card is a piss take

[VR46]

All blown out of proportion?

The message coming out of E3 2014 last month was that Sony’s slowly moving on from the PlayStation Vita, but Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has clarified that that’s not the case at all. As part of an interview with Game Reactor, the affable executive put to bed reports that it was abandoning the handheld – and also came up with some compelling examples to back up his point.

“The question that I was asked was, ‘Going forward, [will] the number of first-party [titles] be smaller?’, and I said, ‘Yes, the number of projects will be smaller.’ I never said, ‘We won’t make any games on the Vita,’” he clarified. “We’re continuing to make games on the Vita... we just launched a game called Freedom Wars in Japan, [which] is a big title that we’ll bring to Europe and North America as well.”

He continued: “And we’re making that JRPG... a very, very beautiful JRPG called Oreshika. And games made in Europe – Murasaki Baby is a dedicated title that got many awards at E3. And we’re continuing to make cross-platform games like Helldivers or CounterSpy. [There are] many, many games that we have in development for the Vita from first-party as well.”

It’s a compelling lineup, but it obviously lacks those Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Killzone: Mercenary-esque heavy hitters with serious commercial clout. Alas, we reckon that people are sleeping on Minecraft, which, if handled properly, could become the handheld’s so-called killer app – especially if the manufacturer comes up with an attractive hardware bundle at a reasonable price.

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/07/sony_there_are_many_many_first_party_ps_vita_games_in_production

[Dogg Thang]

No, I think people understood him. The first-party support is currently next to nothing. He said that, from here, it will get smaller. I think it's pretty clear where that is headed.

Actually, I was in a couple of shops today and the number of Vita titles in both was in single digits. Would have picked up FFX if I'd seen it but no...

[Asura]

No, I think people understood him. The first-party support is currently next to nothing. He said that, from here, it will get smaller. I think it's pretty clear where that is headed.

Actually, I was in a couple of shops today and the number of Vita titles in both was in single digits. Would have picked up FFX if I'd seen it but no...

Yet loads of shops seem to have a shelf full of used PSP games; it honestly tempts me to buy a PSP-3000. Many of the interesting "Vita" games I see talked about are actually PSP games anyway, and I never did finish Dissidia.

[Asura]

Man, it's frustrating.

http://www.play-asia.com/ps-vita-playstation-vita-new-slim-model-pch-2000-light-blue-wh-paOS-13-49-en-70-7265.html

I keep looking at that, seeing its large screen, two sticks and what-have-you and I really wish we lived in a world where that was the dominant handheld device, with a slew of triple-A and niche games being released month-on-month, a massive presentation at E3, seeing people on the train with them...

Instead it's all iPads with CSR Racing and Candy Crush, otherwise known as chewing gum for the index finger.

Even the 3DS, which I'm a big fan of (as I made the decision to go with the 3DS instead of the Vita) has hardware that I've never really liked. I have it because I really like many of the games.

Despite all that, the Vita just never grabbed me. The high price memory cards were one thing, but I think it's suffered from the same problem as the WiiU. Going to probably ruffle some feathers here, but I'm just going to say it:

The name is incredibly, spectacularly, utterly stupid.

I really wish they'd gone with something, anything else. I know the name isn't the reason the machine has struggled, but I can't help but think it's a contributing factor. It has a V sound! That can't even be correctly pronounced in Japanese, when Japan is their key market! (there's a reason in Mobile Suit Gundam there's an armour that is sometimes called Brau Bro and sometimes called Val Varo!!).

[kryss]

Vita ("life") being massively ironic considering the half-dead semi-zombie nature of the console.

[Asura]

Vita ("life") being massively ironic considering the half-dead semi-zombie nature of the console.

It just makes me think of Vitalite.

PSClover
PSLurpak
PSStork

[kryss]

PSOlivio has a ring to it.

[fishbowlhead]

Man, it's frustrating.

http://www.play-asia.com/ps-vita-playstation-vita-new-slim-model-pch-2000-light-blue-wh-paOS-13-49-en-70-7265.html

I keep looking at that, seeing its large screen, two sticks and what-have-you and I really wish we lived in a world where that was the dominant handheld device, with a slew of triple-A and niche games being released month-on-month, a massive presentation at E3, seeing people on the train with them...

Instead it's all iPads with CSR Racing and Candy Crush, otherwise known as chewing gum for the index finger.

Even the 3DS, which I'm a big fan of (as I made the decision to go with the 3DS instead of the Vita) has hardware that I've never really liked. I have it because I really like many of the games.

Despite all that, the Vita just never grabbed me. The high price memory cards were one thing, but I think it's suffered from the same problem as the WiiU. Going to probably ruffle some feathers here, but I'm just going to say it:

The name is incredibly, spectacularly, utterly stupid.

I really wish they'd gone with something, anything else. I know the name isn't the reason the machine has struggled, but I can't help but think it's a contributing factor. It has a V sound! That can't even be correctly pronounced in Japanese, when Japan is their key market! (there's a reason in Mobile Suit Gundam there's an armour that is sometimes called Brau Bro and sometimes called Val Varo!!).

It's ironic that while it's been a flop for Sony commercially and in the public eye, the developers that bother are seeing good profits from their releases as vita owners are buying quite a few games, I suspect that is why it's really being kept on life support, to keep the revenue streams going for the little guys, as Sony understand, look after these people now and it can be paid back ten fold later when that come up with that one awesome game or idea.

For owners of the console it's not much conciliation not getting more big in house releases I know.

[yesteryeargames]

This is what separates Nintendo from sony , while the wii u is failing at least Nintendo have promised to bring big games to satisfy the buyers before calling it a day on the console and the successor . I feel sony have just gone cold and it's a middle finger to all the buyers .

[Lord Lucifer]

This is what separates Nintendo from sony , while the wii u is failing at least Nintendo have promised to bring big games to satisfy the buyers before calling it a day on the console and the successor . I feel sony have just gone cold and it's a middle finger to all the buyers .

That's a good point. Though, I think Sony are trying a different approach, one with indie titles and such.

At this point the console is what it is: Niche, indie and core market. It's not going to really expand, but the installed base will be enough to support the sort of titles were currently getting.

The main factor in it's lack of traction is just simply, the handheld market just isn't there anymore. I certainly don't expect to see another handheld from Sony.

[Asura]

That's a good point. Though, I think Sony are trying a different approach, one with indie titles and such.

That's the thing though; it'd be OK if all those indies were devs like WayForward, cracking out superb games for traditional controls. Many indies, however, do stuff like Papers, Please or Dear Esther which are wonderful games, but don't really play to the Vita's strengths as a machine.

[sj33]

You know, I think much of the 'blame' for developers going cold feet on the handhelds is partially because of the rising costs of console development. There was a time when most developers and publishers could afford to support as many consoles as they wanted so long as everything sold for a profit. Development costs were lower, development times were shorter, and people tended to expect a lesser product for the second tier consoles. Think back to the 90s when a single game could have been available for about 10 different formats.

These days, developers and publishers struggle to manage the costs of developing essentially-identical games for two different formats. The PS4 and XBox One cost a huge amount to develop for, as did the PS3 and 360. The outcome of this is that the 'B tier' consoles suffer from a lack of support. Namely the Vita, 3DS and WiiU. They have the install bases to justify development, but other consoles simply require so much resources.

In Japan, it seems things are vice-versa - developers supporting the 3DS and Vita *because* the PS4 etc. costs so much to develop for.

[kryss]

I don't expect the first SRW for PS4 to come out until early 2016, but I would think BN will dip their feet with the WiiU first. If it wasn't for the similar power and ability of the PS3 and Vita, we wouldn't have any SRW for Vita at all. Even that ended this year, with Masoukishin F only coming to PS3.