What should be done about the Vita?

Wasn't really sure how to word this one, but I'm curious what people think should be done about the Vita at this point. Obviously I love this hardware. As far as handheld hardware goes, it's the best. I love a lot of the software I've played on it so far, but sales are terrible and support is looking a bit bleak. I was just curious what you guys would either a) like to see from the system going forward or b) what you would do to get it out of the predicament it is in? Or whatever other thoughts you'd like to add about the situation.

I just want to see it lose the gimmicks. If it really finds a clever way to work in the extra tech like the canoe bit from Uncharted: GA, fine, but I'm sick of things like how the next Killzone wants you to swipe in complicated directions for melee attacks. Oh, and cheaper memory cards too as well as a 64 GB one. I want to be able to carry a huge library on a portable without swapping cards.

Monster Hunter and a huge amount of content from Atlus seemed to really help the PSP. But if Sony is OK with pushing out shovelware and making fucked off decisions-no Modnation multiplayer?!?!-there's really nothing that can be done.

Phantasy Star Online 2 and some sort of open world game would go a long way to help. Memory cards are priced stupid, but if the games were there it wouldn't matter as much.

They do need to advertise it more, and they need to shore up software support in Japan. Nobody's going to buy Call of Duty on a handheld.

Advertise it. Sony... They can't even advertise its features to people who already own it. It took me 2 months to find the brightness menu

Also, cheaper memory cards and games that people want on handhelds. They also could've made it cheaper at the start by removing some of the gimmicks. The only one I've actually liked so far is the touch screen, and that's mostly due to the neat interface

I think the back touch panel has proven useless so far. If not having it would have resulted in a nice price cut, that could have been left out.

I honestly don't think much could fix it really. I guess I'd personally as an owner just like a solid slate of software to play over the next few years. I wish they could get some good third-party games on there. I wish Sony could maybe create some smaller teams at some of their big studios to create some exclusive software for it. Like Media Molecule is doing. I think only maybe 15 people are working on that. I imagine a lot of people might need a bit bigger team than that, but it'd be cool. Like Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch, Sony Santa Monica and Sony Japan (I guess they have a team working on one assuming Team Siren is working on another game).

Memory card price cuts would be good of course.

They really just need a really big announcement that screams they're trying to keep this thing relevant. I checked the upcoming Vita games and it had was Tearaway, PSO2, Killzone, and that game that's like Demon's Souls. Four games is the kind of lineup I expect from a dying system, not one that just released a year ago.

A price cut will have to happen for the system and the memory cards as well. I know Sony recently switched PR companies but as most people said, effective and abundant ads will help. Advertising how PS+ works with the system and what's available through it (one of the reasons I bought the thing). And they better drop some big bombs of info at E3 or other avenues about how the device will work with the PS4 and upcoming games; on the latter, there should be less ports of console franchises and more stand-alone titles.

I don't own one of these things, I don't plan to for a while, I'll get one but here's what I think: More advertising, they need to advertise the thing more. Not having enough Vita on last years E3 didn't help, Sony needs to step up on advertise it more. More games, and I stand by the traditional, if it has the games, the hardware will sell.

Not sure how much a difference a price cut will make, sure they'll sell more Vita's, but Sony would be losing money from each one sold. Then again, the 3DS was in the same situation when it released, it wasn't till a price cut that the 3DS started picking up steam, and up till last year July Nintendo started making a profit from it.

One more thing: make it compatible with the PS4, Sony could have a Wii U like thing with it. It can already do that with LBP Vita right? Why not expand on that concept with the PS4? Take advantage of the Vita's hardware, make it compatible with the right software and Sony could come up with new and interesting gameplay ideas. Yes I'm aware of the screen on the new dualshock, but that's a controller, this is a seperate system, I doubt the controller has the same internals as the Vita. It will also boost sales.

I think Sony's already confirmed Vita will work like a Wii U but really I don't think that would help it boost sales. The tablet on the Wii U would only work to the Wii U's advantage because parents would love a way to watch TV while their kid still plays their game. Playstation's always been for the older crowd so it would just be a nifty feature for those who have one, not something I'm betting most gamers our age would use often. There may be a few but why not just get a Wii U which would be much cheaper than a Vita and PS4 if you're in that situation?

Apparently cheap bastards need a price cut, because it's been selling great in Japan since getting the reduction.

There's nothing wrong with not wanting to gamble $250 on a system that looks to have a shaky future ahead of it.

volvocrusher wrote:There's nothing wrong with not wanting to gamble $250 on a system that looks to have a shaky future ahead of it.

For me, this applied to both the Vita and the PSP.
Pretty much every PSP game I ever wanted to play eventually made their way to either PS2 or PS3. Worked out nicely.

I think there's something wrong with that. I think there's meaty amounts of wrong with that.

BretBaber wrote:I think there's something wrong with that. I think there's meaty amounts of wrong with that.

Meaty?
There's delicious amounts wrong with that, and the wrong makes their own gravy.

The memory card needs to be cut in my opinion. That's my only beef with the system. Would have been nice to have a system have a little bit of a storage right from the get go.

Beefy.

Yeah it's been selling well in japan, it even outsold the 3DS for the first time, nicely done. But I wonder how long will that surge of sales keep going, and they need to drop the price here too. Hopefully they announce a pricecut at GDC and/or at E3. The Vita has alot of potential, it needs more games and it needs a price drop over here, then Sony will see the sales they want and 3rd-party devs will have confidence on the thing.

I see Bret's new thing is meat. It's Space Ghost all over again. I'm sure he'll have an avatar of a nice steak soon.

Once Matt gets back maybe we can have a meat off. Also, mandatory Ron Swanson clip

Ron Swanson loves his meat. Love yesterdays episode, I thought April's character was the funniest of the episode. Everything about April Ludgate is awesome.

When I eat a steak, I love to dip it into A1.