Remarkably the previous R|SX thread for the Dreamcast proved to be so long in life that I had to delay the launch of this Vita focused effort four full weeks to allow the DC one to come to a close, such is the love for Sega's final console. By comparison the Vita's tale is arguably just as short but more one of wasted potential rather than that of the candle that burns twice as bright. The Vita was born in the light of two futures. The first was one where Sony had previously just come to the end of a successful run with the PSP, a feat that was well worth commending given how hard handheld rivals to Nintendo's dominance had found things historically. Therefore there was a baseline of hype for their second effort but that second consideration was the booming market of mobile and free to play casual gaming that raised concerns for the viability of the handheld market moving forward.
Sony took the issue on with two specific strategies. The first was to create a high end core experience handheld that recreated the home experience on a glorious OLED screen with twin analogue controls. The slick looking device was almost a triumph in design was it not for Sony's poor choice when it came to memory card support for the system. Around 12 months after the systems launch came their second strategy... abandonment. Their software studios quickly wrapped up and moved on to the Playstation 3 and 4 leaving the handheld to increasingly rely on third party support, the knock on effect being that western software dwindled hard and the system would go on, a revision aside, largely a Japan focused whimper out of the handheld arena ahead of expected time for Sony.
The hints were there fast, Sony's showcases never really suggesting long term support was in mind. Instead there was the focus on using it as a remote play device for the PS4 that had instead become their major focus. Confidence quickly eroded and with it sales. However, buried in the nugget of these squirmy motions Sony made are similar concepts to what Nintendo would later apply to their handheld business when conceptualising the Switch suggesting that great success with a second system model could have been Sony if they'd had the vision to see the Vita through.
As a result of all this there's a strong JRPG and eastern developer presence which has made the system ideal for those with such gaming tastes. For those who were originally lured in by the more typical console western experience the games of the first 18-24 months remain the bulk of its offerings.
The system is now pretty much at its end even from a software perspective and largely continues to be played by those who loved its overall niche charms or have cracked open its security to give themselves unfettered support for PS1, PSP and emulator support also. Sony has given up on portable gaming in the meantime, a silent death for their sophomore effort with little to no effort to try and claim a stake in the market that Nintendo has now adapted to and secured.
Share your thoughts and memories of the Vita and why if you think the LED version was the best - you're wrong
Sony took the issue on with two specific strategies. The first was to create a high end core experience handheld that recreated the home experience on a glorious OLED screen with twin analogue controls. The slick looking device was almost a triumph in design was it not for Sony's poor choice when it came to memory card support for the system. Around 12 months after the systems launch came their second strategy... abandonment. Their software studios quickly wrapped up and moved on to the Playstation 3 and 4 leaving the handheld to increasingly rely on third party support, the knock on effect being that western software dwindled hard and the system would go on, a revision aside, largely a Japan focused whimper out of the handheld arena ahead of expected time for Sony.
The hints were there fast, Sony's showcases never really suggesting long term support was in mind. Instead there was the focus on using it as a remote play device for the PS4 that had instead become their major focus. Confidence quickly eroded and with it sales. However, buried in the nugget of these squirmy motions Sony made are similar concepts to what Nintendo would later apply to their handheld business when conceptualising the Switch suggesting that great success with a second system model could have been Sony if they'd had the vision to see the Vita through.
As a result of all this there's a strong JRPG and eastern developer presence which has made the system ideal for those with such gaming tastes. For those who were originally lured in by the more typical console western experience the games of the first 18-24 months remain the bulk of its offerings.
The system is now pretty much at its end even from a software perspective and largely continues to be played by those who loved its overall niche charms or have cracked open its security to give themselves unfettered support for PS1, PSP and emulator support also. Sony has given up on portable gaming in the meantime, a silent death for their sophomore effort with little to no effort to try and claim a stake in the market that Nintendo has now adapted to and secured.
Share your thoughts and memories of the Vita and why if you think the LED version was the best - you're wrong
Comment