I remember being inordinately excited about the PlayStation Vita. It wasn’t the prospect of a “PSP2” that I liked – Sony’s first handheld console was generally a big disappointment for me. The PlayStation Vita brought with it a new promise, the hope that Sony would understand the failure of the PSP to live up to its potential for users like me and that they’d correct that in the new machine.
They were making all the right noises. The Vita would have a touchscreen – essential in these days when there’s so much money to be made competing with mobile platforms (especially in light of the fairly poor Xperia Play “PSP phone”). It would be stuffed with powerful components and have the second analogue stick that was so perplexingly absent from its predecessor.
The PlayStation Network Store was already a vibrant, exciting space for innovation and with Minis, PSN games and full retail games, it seemed that most of the bases were covered. PlayStation Suite, later renamed to PlayStation Mobile, would allow those independent, mobile developers to make games and apps which were analogous to the hugely successful AppStore games that provide so much choice at the lower end of the spectrum.
For me, the greatest moment of hope in the pre-release marketing drive that I saw came from a video of Little Deviants in action. Although that game ultimately ended up falling a little flat for me, the trailer showed developers using the Vita in a new way. It was innovation that could only take place on this platform. It was something new and exciting.
So I pre-ordered a Vita and had it shipped from Japan by a very kind friend-of-a-friend. It ended up costing me over £700 for the console, a few games and a memory card – something which amused me endlessly when I saw people accuse me of “wanting the Vita to fail” when we reported its uninspiring launch sales or otherwise negatively commented about it. I invested quite heavily in the belief that the PS Vita would deliver on the promise I saw in those trailers, heard from developers and Sony execs and assumed from the potential so clear in the powerful little device.
I was immediately disappointed. Uncharted: Golden Abyss was reasonably good but it looked fairly average. Ridge Racer was confusing and seemed like half a game (and difficult to follow in Japanese!). Everybody’s Golf was enjoyable but very ugly in places, thanks to the seeming inability to run software at native resolutions. It wasn’t that anything was particularly bad, it just wasn’t as good as I’d hoped.
As time went on, games like WipEout 2048 and FIFA 12 restored my faith a little bit in the “big game” side of the Vita’s software. Mutant Blobs Attack and Motorstorm RC showed that the PSN Store could deliver near-perfect experiences too. PlayStation Suite (Mobile) was still missing but the Vita had won back some of my enthusiasm by providing decent games and showing that the PSN really could fill a fantastic space in the software catalogue.
As the rest of the world seemed to start moaning that the Vita had no new games coming out, I looked forward to Resistance: Burning Skies and Gravity Rush. Again, I found myself disappointed. I really disliked Resistance in just about every way and I’m struggling a little bit with Gravity Rush too. It seems interesting but not a lot of fun – and a little bit weird.
All of this is hugely subjective, of course. I’m sure some people thought Uncharted: Golden Abyss’ jaggies were excusable, next to those lovely painted backdrops, or that Resistance: Burning Skies wasn’t a poorly executed, rough-around-the-edges FPS throwback. That’s what I find so fascinating about the Vita: it seems to perpetually provide its own counter-arguments.
The hardware has so much promise, the software line up at launch was probably the best for any console launch. And yet it didn’t sell particularly well. It still can’t seem to catch a wave of enthusiasm and really ignite the sales figures – even back home in Japan. The latest potential scare is that third party publishers might be becoming skeptical about why they should release games for it. It’s a worrying time for Sony’s handheld, with a quiet E3 and its first big holiday sales period looming large in the near future.
Perhaps strangely, I find myself feeling very optimistic for the machine again. Amidst the doubts about third party development and the lack of firm release prospects over the next six months, there are one or two beacons of optimism that I cling to.
Firstly, certain key third party publishers are about to make what could be a massive splash on the Vita. There are portable installments of two of gaming’s biggest franchises on the way: Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed. Two major publishers floating their first attempts at a Vita version of their premier franchises towards the end of this year.
Secondly, PlayStation Mobile is nearing fruition as a platform. Developers are working with it right now. While it’s taken a lot longer than I would have hoped, it’s possible that there will be results yielded from this scheme before the end of the year and once those flood gates open, there’s so much potential for a rush of innovation from the independent developers who have less to risk by taking chances.
So it hasn’t been a great opening six months for the Vita. It would be foolish to pretend otherwise. Sales are flat and there could stand to be a bit more quality in the software catalogue. But the first six months of this handheld’s life are less important than the second six months. What we’ve seen is a base being built. It’s not as big or as sturdy as we might have hoped but it might just be enough of a platform from which to launch the PlayStation Vita to the heights we all hope it can reach.
Tuffcub
Use mine every day without fail since launch day. Lovely bit of kit, hubby has bought one as well.
colmshan1990
Same as myself, it’s almost replaced my PS3.
lotrek
Same, i prefer playing my Vita to my PS3.
While i got Dungeon Hunter, Lumines and Rayman at launch i’ve only yet to play Dungeon hunter and Lumines the first game i had played in the series, i actually liked Dungeon Hunter even tho it was just a IOS game with a huge price increase but that does help as dungeon crawling/collecting loot is right down my street.
Mutant Blob attacks and Escape Plan have been a big surprise hitters to me, i got them because of the art style both games had and loved them more then the Vita card releases.
The mrs as just bought Gravity Rush, Resistance Burning Skies and Uncharted off Ebay for me so can’t wait till the postie brings those.
Galgomite
I think if the Vita has a future it must be in ~$5 mobile and retro games. I still don’t believe in the “console in your pocket” model– it always sounds great to me on paper but I just won’t play the games in practice.
Origami Killer
I’m a bit mixed with my Vita. I’ve played Rayman, Wipeout, Uncharted and F1 2011 on it, but I’ve only kept the latter two out of that selection. All games have been great to play. Motorstorm RC and velocity are a bit neglected on it. Pulzar was quite good, cant say the same for the rest of the AR games. The most played game has to be Treasures of Montezuma.
Overall games are pretty good, there’s not many stand out games though. The 4 I have played are probably the biggest names or most decent games.
System is great, can’t fault it. Just needs more big names on it. Hopefully COD, AC and LBP will change that.
gaffers101
I’m on my Vita most days but I mainly only play quick games like Tof M: Blitz or go on YouTube. More pick-up and play games would be appreciated.
Vandix
In my opninion Sony should release whatsapp or a facebook app on the Vita, make the Vita more apealling for the general public. Then you’ll see third party intrest grow.
Vandix
And now I see I replied to the wrong Vita article….
colmshan1990
There is a Facebook app, as well as a Twitter app on the PSN Store for the Vita.
TSBonyman
Same here with Burning Skies and Gravity Rush, just couldn’t take to them. I’m enjoying some of the psn games like Stardust and Mutant Blobs and revisiting Loco Roco but really I bought my Vita for games like Uncharted and … well … i’m still waiting for my second ‘big’ Vita game, probably LBP and then after that i guess it’ll be Assassins Creed and Bioshock. I’ll be tuned to Sony’s Gamescom presser hoping for an exciting reveal ,or – if the streaker doesn’t show up – some exciting Vita news. ;)
Dunks
I am just waiting for them to convince me to buy this thing. I want it, love what it’s capable of but there just isn’t enough games to make me invest. Frustrating.
XisTG
i like my vita, but i’m starting to regret buying it. i know early adopters have it rough, but i did not think it would be like this.
Bambo_19
I use my vita almost everyday without fail.. Getting uncharted and fifa on release date gave me plenty to do (especially after getting the 50 hours of fifa trophy) I was hooked. Constantly checking fb and twitter as an excuse to get my vita out. Then I needed something new and I went for escape plan (thanks to the preorder discount) and motorstorm RC. Again I had plenty to do and it was great fun for the two -three weeks it lasted on these games. Then I found myself wanting a new game. Reviews of Resistance wernt great and gravity rush wasnt the game for me nor was wipeout. My vita game time started to decrease as I waited for something to interest me and after a very long time MGS HD collection finally got release and Iv been using my vita again. I just need more game this summer for it and nothing is coming out. There is soo much potential. I havent got time to sit for hours on a ps3 anymore and the vita is simply perfect for me.
freezebug2
I’ve always thought that the lack of cross-play between PS3 and Vita has been a major omission…bigtime!!
There are quite a few really good games available for the Vita, but nothing that’s particularly console selling so far….the closest game to match that criteria would be Uncharted Golden Abyss, but even that game didn’t really have the desired effect.
Rather than cross console play they chucked in a system where if you complete all of the trophies on a PS3 version of a game then you automatically receive all trophies when booting the Vita version of the same title….how pointless is that? .
They should have utilised being able to continue using the same gamesave on either console with crossplay of the consoles.
One example would be playing a game on the PS3 and the family HDTV is required by someone that wants to watch a TV program…..no matter, just continue playing the game on the Vita until the TV becomes available again.
I’m certain that the Vita is capable of doing this and as far as I’m concerned it was a huge oversight to not have included the function on all new games released that are Vita compatible, and has probably cost a lot of sales….it would in some way have made up for the shortage of AAA titles.
Just my 10 centimes ;)