Oh, how quickly we forget. When the Nintendo 3DS launched to a lacklustre line-up and a price point that dropped faster than anyone could have expected, the portable console was doomed. Dead in the water. Kaput. Or, at least, that’s how the media would have had you believe, a media that seemingly only reports in binary – something’s either amazing or terrible, the next big thing or a complete bomb.
The latest victim is, of course, Sony’s PlayStation Vita – a follow up to the PSP in all but name, sharing a similar form factor and, of course, the same sort of console in your pocket games that the company has been trying to push for a good few years now. The machine itself is solid – as you’ll know from my two thousand word review over the break – so what’s the big issue?
I don’t buy the claims that the console is overpriced by itself – it’s not – although the memory card issue still annoys the hell out of me. That said, £225 (or your local equivalent) certainly isn’t anything to really panic about in terms of what the console is capable of even if some of the reports that Sony will be “forced” to cut the price are focusing around a rather more solid issue with the Vita: the price of the games, and the games currently out there.
“The hottest games like the latest Uncharted are priced at $50, while many other major titles are $40. The pricing seems delusional in light of the Japanese response to the PS Vita,” said an article on Forbes.
[drop]Here, as I’ve been saying for years, is a major sticking point: the Apple App Store (and we can happily include the Android Marketplace here) has crippled the expected price point of mobile games, probably indefinitely. Here’s an example: at the time of writing EA’s FIFA 12 is 69p on the iPad 2, that’s the price of a packet of chewing gum, a pint of milk, a bar of chocolate. It’s nothing; pennies.When FIFA 12 hits PS Vita it’ll likely be (assuming you shop around) about £35. That’s fifty times the price of the iOS version. Read that again: fifty times. I’m not ignorant to think that the physical cart-based version of EA’s big footy game won’t require manufacturing, printing and shipping costs and I’m aware that retail outlets will never stock something that has a like-for-like digital version available for such a low cost, but you can see the problem.
Are Vita games, like they are on the 3DS, perceived to be too expensive by a good chunk of the market?
You can’t really even factor in the point that Vita is the more capable machine, because over the console’s lifespan that’ll change, possibly as early as February/March if Apple roll out the much rumoured iPad 3 – even a formal announcement on Apple’s new tablet will stir up what Sony are hoping will be a rather more private launch fortnight. But power doesn’t always equal quality, and this is where Sony will need to push the Vita’s assets. Like, of course, Vita’s physical controls.
Think about it for a second: the iPad 2 (and the iPhone 4S and, indeed, some of the newer Android sets) is a considerably powerful machine, at least in terms of graphical grunt. But how many iOS games look better and play better than Vita’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss? There’s perhaps a handful of 3D showcases (mostly powered by Unreal Engine) and Gameloft have tried to force virtual joysticks into all manner of console-esque games to varying degrees of success, but barring some brilliant 2D titles – generally the budget and the overall production values just don’t quite match up.
[continued on page two]
teflon
All the people writing off the 3DS are looking silly now. The release of Mario 3D and Mario Kart, combined with Christmas and that price drop have really shoved a rocket up 3DS sales’ bottom.
Writing off the Vita is equally foolish. It launched at an insanely tricky time in Japan, considering the 3DS’ revitalised appeal, without much software to appeal directly to the Japanese market. Wrong move from Sony, there, but it’s still a very strong launch line up, and should see them well with the US and EU launch.
Whether the price is too high or not… We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s quite likely to be a carbon copy repeat of the 3DS’ launch, setting it up quite directly with the iPad 2’s release (3 in this case), which could have an impact.
Will be interesting, but I expect Sony to, at the very least, get a solid user base by the middle of the year.
Karooo
Nice article nofi. I bet you were annoyed by the comments in GAF :D
mrfodder
When the Vita was announced I was really looking forward to it. At that stage I used my PSP daily on the commute and was looking for to a more capable machine.
Since then, I have gotten an Android tablet and my PSP isn’t even looked at anymore. While I know I’d get more capable gaming on the Vita, I’m wondering can I justify the cost vs cheap gaming on the tablet on the commute and get my fix of hardcore titles on the ps3 at home.
shields_t
Cracking article, I think you summed it up perfectly with the line about the majority of the industry press operating in binary, they always want a victim to fall on their sword to suit their own means.
I would say there is likely to be a place for both the full price games and their mini-style downloadable counterparts. Given the amount of tech available, control methods, gps etc, there is scope for some real innovation there and hopefully developers can exploit that.
I for one will be fist in line (well, my doorstep and probably sorting office will be) when the Vita releases in the UK.
Burgess_101
I will get one im sure of it I havent had a shiny new gadget in a while. I really have no idea how these little iOS games caught on i would rather invest my time in a story than in hitting a pig with a bird. I guess the consumer market really has gone through a massive revamp.
bigkingy
I seem to remember the cost of a pro duo memory stick was massive when the psp first came out, without too many complaining. I know it’s more important to get one for the vita, but 40 notes doesn’t seem too bad for a 16 gig
Burgess_101
you can get a 16GB SD card for a tenner on Amazon so its pretty terrible.
djhsecondnature
You can get noodles for £1.39 if you go Sharwoods, or 9p if you go Sainsbury’s cheap ones.
Just because you can buy something similar for cheaper, does not make one more expensive. If you compare ‘top-end’ SD card prices they are granted still cheaper than the PSV ones, but the price difference it much, much closer.
Burgess_101
I think looking from a consumer perspective if you can get something similar for £30 less your going to feel ripped off the only reason they can sell it at that price is because there is no competitor and its pretty disgusting in my eyes but thats business i suppose.
Mr-Flame-Head
i own an iphone 4 and a 3gs before that and in all honesty i hate gaming on it, i think its rather crap, i cant wait to get my hands on a vita and im so very tempted to buy an import console but keep reminding myself it will cause more trouble than its worth, i know when it does come out i’ll be spending at least £300 on launch/ launch window
pvwradtke
It’s kind of ridiculous to say that the Vita is a failure. Sony is in for the long term, Christmas is not as important in Japan as in America and Europe. The launch in March is for early adopters, giving time to roll out more popular titles for the next Christmas season, when sales should start to pickup. I really like the article (in French) at Radio Canada http://blogues.radio-canada.ca/triplex/2012/01/03/le-vent-semble-tourner-pour-les-consoles-portables/, which makes much more sense than previous media reports.
colmshan1990
It’s all very well saying Vita needs games like Angry Birds, but…
Who’s going to buy a console for a game you could play on your phone?
It may have sold well on PSN, but I sincerely doubt Sony sold even one PSP or PS3 on Angry Birds.
It’s going to be the big titles that make or break Vita. I think it should do well, the software line-up seems tailor made for a Western audience, and Japan has always been a great home territory for Sony to sell huge numbers to.
All they need is a game aimed at their target audience.
bacon_nuts
The only thing that continues to worry me is the price of the vita. I agree, it isn’t over priced. It’s just more than I can afford to spend. I can’t help thinking if they’d shoehorned a phone in there it would sell more.
seedaripper1973
Who goes to say they wont?? (there is a mic and speakers afterall) granted it would be via the 3g model i presume (you still have to have a sim card for 3g…i think?) any answers on a postcard please! P.O.Box 101