Sony PlayStation Vita sales crawl
Don't wanna hold your handheld
Sony has suffered significantly disappointing sales of its PlayStation Vita since launch, flogging a mere 2.2m units, a third of the number Nintendo's 3DS achieved at the same point in its lifecycle.
Although Sony did shift a commendable 1.2m Vita units by February 2012 following the console's European and US release. Yet, the overall figures, revealed by German PlayStation head Uwe Bassendowski at Gamescom last week, indicate that Vita sales have seriously slowed, German games mag PlayFront reports.
In comparison, Nintendo's 3DS had sold 6.68m units in the same timeframe, which was hardly seen as a success either, prompting Nintendo into 3DS price cuts.
Sinking feeling
Sony insists it has no reason to stage similar drops in retail price – despite analysts' previous claims that such a move could see 12.4m Vita units sold by the end of the year – however, the company does promise to spend more time marketing the Vita this Christmas.
Still, when you consider that the original PSP sold 5.05m units, the Nintendo DS 6.65m and the Game Boy Advance 9.58m, all in the same timeframe, a pattern starts to emerge: handheld popularity is in decline. Extremely poor first week sales of the new Nintendo 3DS XL earlier this month, appear to bear this out.
Sony announced today that over 100 PSOne games would be available for download on PS Vita from next week. That's unlikely to spur a sudden surge in sales, but with firmware due on 28 August – that will enable a Wii U-like controller mode for PS3s – there is certainly a more appealing incentive to splash out. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Its a great system
are you trying to imply the Dreamcast had no good games?
I think you need to re-evaluate just who is the stupid one here...
Re: marketing?
I've bought 5 games I thought would be good. Only two have turned out to be worth playing. Finished them both, and since then the PSV has been sitting on the desk gathering dust. I vote for more (quality) games.
Have smartphone; DS gathering dust
Simple as that, for me at least.
Show me the games
I know the Vita's a lovely piece of kit, but until that "Killer App" Game come out, I don't feel a need to rush out and buy one.
In that respect the 3DS seems to have done better: Zelda the month after launch, MarioKart by Christmas, and Kid icarus before year one is over.
Looking at Vita's game selection, the only thing tempting me personally out now is Lumines, and some point next year, Phantasy Star II. For other people, I'd expect sales to pickup later this year with God of war and Assassin's creed III Helping out.
Nitnetndo and Sony...
Make phones with D-pads, shoulder buttons and analogue sticks...
And do a cheap one for young kids too, as I don't think you're average 7 year old is going to be signing up to a bloody two year contract just so he can play Pokémon or whatever shit they like these days!
