FlareXV Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) The PlayStation Vita is a "nice machine," but it came "too late" to find and sustain a meaningful audience. That's the opinion of Jack Tretton, the former CEO of SCEA who left the company in 2014 after 19 years. Asked by IGN how he feels about the portable device, through the 20/20 lens of hindsight and from outside Sony's walls, Tretton offered a candid take. "Now that I don't work there anymore, I think internally it was: 'This is a great machine, it's just too late.' The world has shifted to portable devices that aren't dedicated gaming machines," he said. By comparison, the Vita's predecessor, the PSP, was a bigger hit, Tretton said. This system was successfully able to bring what he said were console-like experiences to a portable device and also attract older gamers to the handheld space. When the PS Vita came out (it debuted in the US in 2012), smartphone games were on the rise, leaving less of a space for dedicated gaming handhelds. Tretton said his overall feeling is that the PS Vita is a "nice machine" that came out "at a time when very few people needed a dedicated portable device." A slimmed-down PS Vita featuring a longer battery life and other benefits was released in spring 2014. Sony continues to sell PS Vita systems, which start at $200 . The PS Vita has sold more than 5 million units in Japan as of June 2016, according to Dualshockers, though Sony has shared as much for the US. The system debuted in the US in February 2012 and sold 2.2 million systems in its first six months, though it's not immediately clear where that figure stands now. Whatever the case, Nintendo's 3DS is likely well ahead of the PS Vita. As of June 30, 2016, Nintendo had sold 59.79 million 3DS family units around the globe. The 3DS launched earlier than the PS Vita, having debuted in Japan and the US in early 2011. Sony has not yet said if it will make a PS Vita successor, while Nintendo's mysterious NX system is rumored to be a console/mobile hybrid. TLDR: Jack is saying that the Vita is great but lacked what people were really looking for in a handheld. Is he right, I don't know but the Vita clearly got the bad end of the deal. Source - Gamespot: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-vita-came-too-late-former-sony-exec-sa/1100-6443926/ Edited October 2, 2016 by FlareXV 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupaTrupa1 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 It seems you love making threads that are only about bad news about Sony products: "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late"... I never saw you saying anything bad about Microsoft nor sharing any bad news about them, I wonder why... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gevirein Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) It seems you love making threads that are only about bad news about Sony products: "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late"... I never saw you saying anything bad about Microsoft nor sharing any bad news about them, I wonder why... ^ This. On-topic: I used to be an Xbox 360 user and jumped straight to PS4 so I never bought a Vita or a PS3, kind of wanted to... Edited October 2, 2016 by Gevirein 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Walt the Dog Posted October 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted October 2, 2016 It seems you love making threads that are only about bad news about Sony products: "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late"... I never saw you saying anything bad about Microsoft nor sharing any bad news about them, I wonder why... Because this is mainly a PlayStation forum? I mean, I know we have sections for other consoles and all, but this is mainly a PS forum, so it makes sense that the people here would be more privy to PS news than say, Xbox news. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 When smartphone started to be given out free with most basic mobile phone plans dedicated handhelds just died a little imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaSoOoN-MHD Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 It seems you love making threads that are only about bad news about Sony products: "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late"... I never saw you saying anything bad about Microsoft nor sharing any bad news about them, I wonder why... ^ This. Chill on the fanboy bullshit. Its a Sony forum; naturally you'll see more Sony news, positive and negative. It also helps that Microsoft has been fucking consistently less than Sony recently. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Parker Posted October 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted October 2, 2016 Personally, I think the reason the Vita didn't sell as well as it should have it because Sony didn't release the awesome first party games that it deserved. Sure, there were some great first party games on the system, but not nearly enough and how many gaming conferences went by without a single word about the Vita? Sony didn't push the system as hard as they should have, especially with the grip Nintendo has on the handheld market. Guys, keep the thread on topic. We're talking about the Vita, if you have a problem with the OP or his threads take it to PM. Parker 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildkatb Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 The price of the Vita (especially the memory card!) kept me from buying one until I found a used one really cheap. The Vita is a neat machine but, why pay so very much for it when the 3DS (able to play the huge DS library) and cheap mobile games exist. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlareXV Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 It seems you love making threads that are only about bad news about Sony products: "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late"... I never saw you saying anything bad about Microsoft nor sharing any bad news about them, I wonder why... What is this, someone explain to me what is this? I've some posted threads about Sony's sales before, how come you didn't talk about that? Stop with this BS, If you want to post Xbox hating stuff that's fine by me. Also, "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late" are all information from people connected and people who work at Sony. Personally, I think the reason the Vita didn't sell as well as it should have it because Sony didn't release the awesome first party games that it deserved. Sure, there were some great first party games on the system, but not nearly enough and how many gaming conferences went by without a single word about the Vita? Sony didn't push the system as hard as they should have, especially with the grip Nintendo has on the handheld market. Parker I think Sony would have been better off following the PSP line, there was no need for a Vita line in my opinion. The console is fantastic and I won't deny it but the PSP line was just too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30 Year Old Boomer Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 I think the main reason was that they didn't market it correctly, the memory cards were overpriced so people might have become discouraged because of that, the first party games as Parker said weren't a lot although I liked most of them (Gravity Rush, Tearaway, Uncharted, etc. were pretty good stuff.) , and also that most games that were hyped like Resistance, COD, Assassin's Creed, etc. didn't end up doing too well, so that could have discouraged the developers from continuing to working on more games for the Vita. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SnowxSakura Posted October 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted October 2, 2016 The vita didn't fail sony, sony failed the vita. With better marketing and using SD memory cards it could have sold huge. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvick_ Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) The only argument to be made about it "coming too late" is that it came too late to maintain Sony's support and attention. They dropped it, and so the Vita was "doomed" to becoming the niche system. A title it will hold forever. It's good for indies, and Japanese games. Sure there's a handful of western games that came out pretty early, and LEGO games still on it, but mostly it's indies and Japanese games. Those are what are keeping it alive.When Vita was struggling they did nothing. Nothing at all. The only ads for the vita itself were early and awful live action ones, or the taco bell promo. Only other one I can think of was MLB cross-save. Which they got sued about.They didn't even drop the prices on the atrociously overpriced memory cards. That was clear evidence they had just washed their hands of the system all together and were moving on, rather than trying to salvage it. They haven't even fixed lingering OS issues on the thing. Yes the handheld market is shrinking, but there's still a market. Sony just didn't care, so neither did anyone else. Edited October 2, 2016 by Elvick_ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gevirein Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Chill on the fanboy bullshit. Its a Sony forum; naturally you'll see more Sony news, positive and negative. It also helps that Microsoft has been fucking consistently less than Sony recently. It's not fanboyism. Is just that he never shares positive news like Supa said. And there were plenty of them too, not just bad stuff. What is this, someone explain to me what is this? I've some posted threads about Sony's sales before, how come you didn't talk about that? Stop with this BS, If you want to post Xbox hating stuff that's fine by me. Also, "PS Now is heading to PC", "PSVR will be timed exclusive", "Vita came too late" are all information from people connected and people who work at Sony. 1 positive thread every 20 negative ones... But like the moderator said this is off-topic. I kind of wanted to get an Xbox One now but after getting so used to all this "Platinum" stuff I just can't see myself going back to Xbox lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satoshi Ookami Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 And once again, western branch making excuses. Ever heard of Japan/Asia branch complaining about Vita? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlareXV Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 1 positive thread every 20 negative ones... But like the moderator said this is off-topic. I kind of wanted to get an Xbox One now but after getting so used to all this "Platinum" stuff I just can't see myself going back to Xbox lol What is this? We can't take you seriously now. Trust me, if I hated PS, I would be on GameFAQs trolling the PStation section lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terra Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 I think the Vita's biggest negative was the memory cards. You'd have to put down almost 200 just for the system and an additional 50 or more dollars if you wanted a decent sized memory card. Compared to the 3DS and Mobile games, it really didn't appeal to the "casual" gamer. I held off for a few years because of the cost but I ended up getting one used but I have no regrets. If you love RPG's you won't be disappointed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegirlruka Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 The Vita is a neat machine but, why pay so very much for it when the 3DS (able to play the huge DS library) and cheap mobile games exist. Quality over quantity 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanimeGamer Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 PS Vita is an incredibly under appreciated console, but that camera... /sigh 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undead Wolf Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) It's just a fact that the handheld market has shrunk in the west compared to when the PSP was in its prime. Some people may argue "Well what about the 3DS? That did great". It did well, sure, but if you look at the numbers, it's still drastically behind Nintendo's other handheld systems. There was an interesting article I read on Eurogamer the other day that went into more detail. You should check it out. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-09-26-nintendo-hardware-sales-in-the-americas-are-worse-than-youd-expect Despite all of that however, I still do truly believe there is a market for a dedicated handheld system, and I'm not just talking about Japan, but in the west too. I think there are still enough core/hardcore gamers out there to make such a system profitable. As long as you go in with realistic expectations, you can find an audience. I blame much of Vita's "failure" on Sony itself. They just gave up on it way too quickly. I remember the early PS3 days when the Xbox 360 was dominating PS3 sales month after month. You know how Sony recovered from that? They kept pumping out exclusive after exclusive, and what do you know? With enough great exclusives, people will buy your system. If Sony treated the Vita in the same way they treated the PS3 back then, I don't see why it wouldn't of succeeded. At the end of the day, as gamers, we go to the platforms with great games. I don't know the last time you checked the iOS or Android store, but it's filled with complete trash. It's total chaos. Microtransactions, clones, rip-offs, scams, you name it. Not a single thing on there worth a damn. It comes down to this: Vita "failed" in the west because it didn't have enough western focused games (largely down to Sony abandoning it). It did very well in Japan because it gets support from Japanese developers, and there are plenty of games that appeal to the Japanese market. I just find it sad that Sony didn't believe in it, because it's a great system. One of my favourites in fact. It could of been so much more though. Edited October 2, 2016 by Undead Wolf 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuffyZorugelion Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 To be honest it didn't have enough major titles to get people interested. Sure they had some in the beginning, but after the first wave they were nowhere to be found. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlareXV Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) If a GTA collection was announced at the beginning of the Vita's life, I doubt we would be having this convo right now. Edited October 2, 2016 by FlareXV 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masamune Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 I agree about what people say about the memory cards being a big part of it, I only got a 8GB one with mine, & that cost $20. I mean, if that was just a basic Micro SD, you could probably get a 64GB card for that. Another nail in the Vita's coffin is the fact that when it comes to the US, Sony pretty much says: "huh, what's that?", it's kinda sad. The only reason I got a Vita (earlier this year) is because JRPGs are my favorite genre, which are still being released for the Vita to this day... God Bless Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vytautas20 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 I agree with Jack's opinion. Vita had it chance with many exclusives in 2012/2013, but it still didn't sell. However, I'm happy to own one, so many games are still being released now and in the next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheYuriG Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 What is this? We can't take you seriously now. Trust me, if I hated PS, I would be on GameFAQs trolling the PStation section lol. Don't waste your time replying to hatemail, you are better than this. I see your threads for a long time and even though i know you own a xbox, never saw you as a PS troll. There are easily other members that can take that title from you, not mentioning any names here. To be honest it didn't have enough major titles to get people interested. Sure they had some in the beginning, but after the first wave they were nowhere to be found. This is what i was going to say. It came on launch with Little Deviants and Resistance BurningSkies. Seriously???? Uncharted Goldn Abyss came slightly after if i recall correctly? Killzone Mercenary (which is an ncredible game with awesome MP and average SP) came too late and tben all other good games had trouble getting localized (Freedom Wars). Can't recall the timing for Soul Sacririce and even thoughthat one was awesome, it's not themed for everyone. (typing on vita, forgive my errors) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlareXV Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 Don't waste your time replying to hatemail, you are better than this. I see your threads for a long time and even though i know you own a xbox, never saw you as a PS troll. There are easily other members that can take that title from you, not mentioning any names here. Don't worry, Yuri. I know guys like you have my back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now