So here’s the thing about Sony’s portable offerings. I’ve tried to care, I really have. As a piece of hardware the Vita looks absolutely astounding and I remember looking at the PSP in comparison to the DS when the PSP launched. The tech that Sony were offering seemed to outclass the DS in my opinion, and UMDs seemed like a great option. I mean everyone knows and trusts optical media, it’s everywhere around us. Hell they were putting out movies on UMDs, how cool was that? Being able to watch films on the way home clearly seemed the way forwards.
Do you know what I bought? A DS. I still have that original DS, the very first iteration of Nintendo’s double-screened portable. I never got around to getting a PSP, at least partly because I couldn’t use it to play Mario Kart. If it was going to go to college with me, and it made that trip many times, then that was all it really needed to do. I don’t actually think I owned anything other than Mario Kart for some time.
[drop]That’s the sort of game that the DS was sold on really, games like Mario Kart. I don’t mean that in the sense that it’s one of the games that crops up on every Nintendo platform ever, I mean games that I can pick it up for a few minutes and then be done with it. There’s so many DS games that let me do this, I can just play a track of Mario Kart or a fight or two in whatever version of Mortal Kombat I have for it. Even Pokémon lets me do a few quick battles and then slip it back in my bag.This is the key thing with a portable gaming system for me, it’s one of the reasons that games on my iPhone appeal so much. I just want to play something I can pick up on the bus and essentially be done with by the time I need to get off.
Yes, the iPhone’s low-end price tag on games is certainly appealing but it’s the type of games that appear on the App Store that really sell them to me. For example I can open up Flick Kick Football, slam a few balls into the new, fail dismally and then it’s time to get off the bus again.
Neither the PSP or the Vita has been sold to me in this way. Oh, I know that it’s getting some of these pick up and play titles but Sony’s advertising seems to be focused around selling me games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Back on the PSP there was a focus on these larger experiences as well, it seemed to always be games like God of War: Chains of Olympus that were pushed to the forefront.
Now I’m not saying that these are bad games, in fact the response to Golden Abyss seems to be very positive. However, I don’t want to sit down and play twenty minutes of one of Drake’s adventures. I may have spent some time talking about my issues with the Uncharted series but I still enjoyed plopping myself in front of the TV for longer than I’d care to admit and playing through the games in just a couple of sessions each.
[drop2]That’s just not how the game will work on a portable console. I know I can sit down on my sofa and play it but why would I? There’s two consoles connected to my TV right now. If I shuffle things around I can connect up an original Xbox, a Gamecube or even a N64. I can even bring in a Master System, if I can work out how to resurrect it. With all of that at my fingertips I’m not sure I’d really want to sit in my front room with the Vita for a while.No, for me portable machines are for the bus or the train, they’re for if I have five minutes between writing one article and editing the next. On more than one occasion they’ve been for waiting for a reply to an email from a client. They are not, to me, for playing huge adventures like Uncharted.
Of course, I’m there are many of you who the Vita is a perfect fit for, and I hope you enjoy it, I really do. For me however? It just doesn’t seem right.
Now, where did I put that iPhone? Time for some StickCricket.
BryOnRye
Unless I can play Shenmue I ain’t fucking buying it!
Sympozium
Haha I’d love to play Shenmue too
plutoniumdragon
Agree with the article. I’m sure Vita is going to be excellent at what it was designed to do, but that’s the point. What can I do on it when I don’t want to play a game? It’s size makes it unwieldy as a media player and unless Sony pull something special out of the bag it’s going to have very few non-game apps.
Unless you need physical buttons, which is this devices only real claim to fame, it’s simply poor value against a similarly priced smartphone.
Yes I do own a PSP Go, can you tell? :) :)
Michael
Wonder if people will have thoughts about PS4 and Terry before it launches or will they wait until launch day? Yeah, thought so. Sheesh.
bunimomike
The article seems to be inflammatory for the sake of it. If you’d opened with the balanced (read: positive) articles that have been run recently (with hyperlinks) then it would have probably reduced such a strong reaction but you might’ve been aiming for that.
If it was more to do with mobile gaming then maybe a less antagonistic headline would have been more appropriate.
High Def gaming isn’t for you (both at home or on the move). Okay, that might not be true. :-)
halbpro
I’m not quite sure how saying it doesn’t appeal to me is inflammatory. If I said it didn’t appeal at all then I agree that would be.
KeRaSh
I don’t think it’s your opinion that people see as inflammatory, but the reasons you give to support that opinion. See my comments below. Nothing wrong with different opinions. I’m not planning on buying a Vita and I don’t have a personal investment in the product but the reasons you give really don’t make that much sense to me and some other people here. You love playing portable games in short burst and that is just as possible on the PSP and Vita as it is on the DS and 3DS. Blaming Sony for only promoting the big hitters just sounds line an excuse instead of an actual reason for not giving the Vita a chance.
skibadee
not a fan of this story flame.
Origami Killer
I’ve just realised that this has happened to me. I used to play my psp a lot, that was until I had my iPod Touch (when it first came out). It’s much quicker to use, the game’s although smaller and more simplistic are pick up and play. Same for the quick access to safari which is more smoother as an internet browser than on any playstation device.
I can see that they are aiming at different audiences. The Ipod at the casual gamer, and the PS Vita (and PSP) at the hardcore gamer. There’s no doubt that the Vita is technically brilliant – but it doesn’t appeal to everyone. Tbh I have kind of lost the point I was trying to convey :P
Origami Killer
shitty internet, this was a reply to Bioeye back a page, but some reason my first comment didn’t post and now it didn’t reply to the one I intended it to.
BioEye
Yeah, agree. :)
I also think PlayStation’s attempt at small phone-like games (minis) still fail because of the price. These titles are still over about £3 at launch, which is the top-end price for a phone game app.
Origami Killer
Yeah they are too expensive given the content. Maybe a price tag of 69-99p is more reasonable. More like iOS titles then.
Darksidesystems
I quite liked the article… :)
Opinions and troll-baiting aside (I did wonder why IGN had gone through such a drastic makeover for a while there ;P ) I can totally see the point. The Vita was never going to be for everyone and that’s okay by me as I don’t base my purchasing decisions on how many other people bought something I might want. I like the look of it, the games sound great to me and I actually think the price is about right considering the power of the wee beastie. Yes, Apple have got the “crap for less than a quid” market completely sewn-up and more power to them for it but Virtual Conker Wars or whatever Rovio’s next world beater is just ain’t my bag (baby). Live and let play I say.
Also I haven’t posted on here for ages so don’t be mean to the guy spreading the message of peace!
Galgomite
You’re right that Vita might have never been for everyone, but I think Sony wants it to be, which is why it’s so frustrating to see them using the same PSP, “console in your pocket” positioning. Graphics just don’t matter that much in a handheld, and most people won’t find themselves completing a console-length game unless they’re on the couch. Now I accept that it’s early going and great titles are still in its future, but they had the best hardware last time and it still failed. What should they have released instead? A dual-stick, overclocked, rebadged PSP for $99. I’d have bought 2.
skibadee
73 million sold so far is a fail come on that is just rubbish.
nemesisND1derboy
Agreed with Skib, it’s in no way a failure. Annoys me when people say that. Yes, it may have “lost” to the DS, but in no way did it fail.
colmshan1990
Yup, those ‘failure’ numbers still tower over the PS3 and 360.
KeRaSh
I can’t speak for the Vita but I used the sleep mode of the PSP on a regular basis to play games in short bursts. I don’t see how Mario Kart is any different from so many PSP games you can play for a few minutes on a train or a bus. Mortal Kombat? You can play that on the PSP too. How is the DS version any different from the PSP version when it comes down to playing it in short bursts? I respect your opinion but I don’t really understand your arguments. Just because Sony markets the big hitters doesn’t mean there aren’t any games you can just pick up and play for a few minutes. I’m fairly sure both consoles feature these kinds of games.
KeRaSh
Now I’ve only talked about the last generation… Concerning the Vita: you can download and play PSP games and minis. I’m sure there are quite a few that would fit your pick up and play criteria and native Vita games will surely follow. Little Deviants and that black and white game which name I forgot are proof that such games are not neglected.
KeRaSh
Damnit, too soon again… (that’s what she said!)
I also wanted to mention WipEout. How is it any different from Mario Kart? You can boot it up and jump into a race just like in Mario Kart. The screenshot caption mentions that it doesn’t feel like a portable game to you. How so? Are the graphics too realistic? Surely you can pick it up, do a quick race and turn it off again. I don’t see the problem.
skibadee
great points this article is confusing to me.
teddym
Nice points
ron_mcphatty
It’s quite hard to work out (on TSA mobile) whose comments are responding to what, all I can gather from this heated discussion is someone recommended Troll Hunter. I just watched the trailer, it looks superb, thanks for that!
About Vita, surely it’s catering for big budget games and also the quick gaming market already with all the minis on offer? It’s cheaper than an iPhone and not too much more than an iPod touch (although I admit, that’s not the case if you want the same capacity).
teddym
I don’t get the point of these sorts of articles, clearly you’re in the minority on account of the Vita having sold 321000 in its first week.
I actually happen to want fuller gaming experiences on portables, like many others do, hence there being a market for this device.
Also I happen to think that most (90%+) of iPhone/iPad suck, and are incredibly lousy attempts at gaming.
And as someone mentioned before, you completely failed to mention Minis and other pick up and play Vita titles (ModNation, Super Stardust etc.)
Sad Panda
Sorry But that argument is ful of holes. The 3DS was considered a failure, yet it’s sales, even when priced at the same level, totally destroyed the Vita in weeks 1-3.
As for Minis vs iOS, a 69p app generally costs 3-4 times that as a mini. For the same game.
I am not some vita hater either, I really wanted one and preordered as soon as I could, but I’m sick of getting stung in the pocket buying at launch. This will be the first console since the original xbox I’ve not bought on launch day. I’d gladly go to £200 with a 32gb card and a game. Anything more than that is just too much IMO.
djhsecondnature
It really didn’t “destroy” it. It outsold it yes, but it was only a shade over 100k and had a few more days accounted within that.