back to article Weak Sony PS Vita sales prompt price-cuts

Sony's PlayStation Vita experienced a rapid decline in sales during its second week on Japanese shelves, prompting suggestions the company may have to reduce the console's price. Several retailers are unofficially doing so already. According to sales rankings provided by local market watcher Media Create, during the week …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    LOL

    don't you just love the dimwits here.

    1st week includes PRE-ORDERS.

    2nd week sales will ALWAYS drop off.

    it happens with every product launch that has pre-orders, and it's true for every console launch every.

    1. jai

      I think the issue here is that the sales dropped off way past what was expected, not that they dropped off from the initial sales.

    2. Toxteth O'Gravy

      You're right, Bazza, but they don't fall off like that. That's an over-the-cliff plunge.

  2. Shane8
    Thumb Down

    Sony

    I for one will be boycotting sony products, for anyone buying things from them just keep in mind....

    All the features it says you get, do you really think you will be keeping them all after a few months? Look at the PS3. nuff said.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Come on then,

      what features was the PS3 originally promoted with that they took away... (and please don't try the OtherOS thing, as it was never promoted as doing it, it was a fancy extra that idiots abused, so was removed).

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Other OS was promoted

        "and please don't try the OtherOS thing, as it was never promoted as doing it"

        Yes, it was promoted. It was promoted on Sony's website, and used at introduction to make the PS3 look like a computer. Sony even attempted to declare it as computer to avoid the import duties that are due for consumer electronics.

        " it was a fancy extra that idiots abused, so was removed"

        Wrong again. It was removed before it was abused. In fact, the possibility for running pirated games on the PS3 only exists since after the Other OS feature was removed.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Got some proof of that.

          As everything you use as "evidence" there is pure internet hearsay.

          1. 1Rafayal
            Pint

            I am sick to death of people claiming that Sony somehow crippled the PS3 in some way (other than removing the OtherOS feature) after it was launched.

            I can only recall one article that described this feature being used to develop a parallel processing system - note that I say article, not forum rant or anything like that. I am sure there were other documented uses of the OtherOS feature. However, for those wishing to use said feature in an educational capacity - how many of them will be playing the latest releases? Not many I think, leaving these educational users to happily ignore all updates that would remove the Jesus-Feature.

            I have said this in similar posts before - how many PS3 owners went into GAME to buy one of these consoles to specifically use it to run Linux? And, does the total number of these users exceed those that wanted to use the thing as a video games machine?

            Beer, as Sony promised me a free beer with every PS3.

            Oh no, wait, they didnt really....

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Megaphone

            Yes I Got Proof

            I own a Sony Vaio (sadly), it has crippled stereo mix at the realtek driver level as Sony ask realtek to blacklist the feature for sony hardware even in their generic drivers. They also pull the same trick with ATI video drivers in that you cannot install the generic driver as Sony again ask them to black list it so you cannot get any new driver features such as flash hardware acceleration as sony are completely shit at updating the drivers on their website. Go look up NW11/SS and see the drivers.

            I will never buy anything Sony again.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They are DOOMED

      Well, with you and the other 12 linux fanboys boycotting Sony, they are doomed.

  3. jai

    hope not

    if there is a price cut, i'll be tempted to buy one

  4. dessanti candido

    outsold what?

    3DS has bean beaten by xbox 360 by a large margin before and after the price cut in the US.

    PSVita will be a BIG fail...it's just a telephone not able to make calls

    1. CaptainHook
      WTF?

      Muppet

    2. Loyal Commenter Silver badge
      Facepalm

      And the XBox 360 is a handheld console...

      ...how?

      1. a_been
        Boffin

        @Loyal Commenter

        Try reading the article, it states:

        "Since the price-reduction, the 3DS has outsold all other consoles"

        That would include the Xbox 360

        1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

          @a_been

          Apologies, I misread the article.

          I am, however surprised that the 3DS has done so well, given that it appears to be a pretty underwhelming piece of hardware with a gimmick attached. Come to think of it, that describes the Wii quite well too, I think I might have just figured out Nintendo's business model.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Eh?

      In what way is the Vita a telephone?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Vita? Sounds too much like Vista

    All consoles these days just provide a source of amusement via over hyping everything to biblical proportions and then under deliver into a walled garden of crapness.

    It's not like the industry even makes full use of the potential of the systems they have. They could provide the consumer with bags and bags of "cool stuff" which is what they want. But no... instead they chose a program of lock in and restrictions and then gloss it over with the thinnest veneer of cool.

    It's just poor on all levels.

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      Sadly, I think you are right

      The thing putting me off the Vita is the proprietary memory card format, which is a guaranteed additional revenue stream for Sony, since you pretty much have to have one.

  6. Malcolm 1

    Battery Life

    The killer feature of the DSLite was the battery life (easily 8-12hours). The 3DS and PSVita both struggle to reach more than 3 hours so hold no interest for me.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    3 hours of turbo game play!

    I've got a Nokia 3410 that will be of far more interest to you Malcolm.

  8. Shane8
    Stop

    @PS3

    I brought the PS3 to play 2 games on, a cheap blue ray player (at the time) and to run linux on.

    Also, yes it was one of their selling points advertised quite alot as an additional feature of the PS3 to get more audiences interested in it. I considered one time purchasing 5 to run in a server farm because they ran so well....i know there are companies which have also done this, wonder what they are doing now....

    1. measmyself
      Stop

      Those companies will still be running it without problem, they dont need PSN access so they dont need to update the console.

      I always "liked" that the PS3 could do the linux thing, but never bought it for that or hated them for removing it, never used it never will. I bought it for a games machine.

      Sony HAS ADDED lots of things to PSN and PS3 since it was launched, text chat rooms, themes, vidzone, iplayer, ps plus option, 3d gaming, move compatibility, just a few of the things I can think of.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    No surprise here IMO

    I see three reasons why this critter won't quite get you the impact as people may expect...

    Hardware quality. You can say what you want about Sony products; if they work they work and often doing a very good job too. My old PSP3000 is now approx. 3 years old but it still works. Why would I want to upgrade when I'm happy with it? Sure; some things don't work as smooth as it could; the internet browser for example. But that's why I have a phone.

    Loss of games. I think Sony underestimates this issue. I own a few UMDs ('game discs' for the PSP), one of which I'm extremely proud: Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex (next to God of War 3 & Patapon 1). If I upgrade I can no longer play these games on the new device (it has no UMD drive) unless I buy them again in electronic form (from the online store). Worse; stuff like GiTS is something you simply /cannot/ buy from the playstation store. So if I need to keep my old device around anyway while I'm still happy with it, why upgrade?

    Also keep in mind that the old PSP is perfectly capable to "adapt" to the new style of online game purchasing. When memory prices dropped last year I picked up a couple of very large memory sticks (the, of course, specific Sony format) and also participated in the "hype" of grabbing GT5 or Little Big Planet for the PSP. No problem; still have room to spare (and I got quite a few nice titles over the last years).

    Finally; gameplay. Granted; you need to try before you're sure, but I don't see the advantage of this critter. It looks pretty cool, no questions there, but I fear for ease of gameplay. Sometimes I have enough trouble as it is to control the left analog stick and the buttons on the right /and/ keeping the device safe in both of my hands (esp. when the action gets radical in, say, God of War).

    I know this device is lighter than my PSP3000; but 2 analog sticks? Placed rather close to the edges of the device, while you should also not ignore the upper two left/right buttons?

    A PSP is no dual shock. The dual shock basically rests in your hands thanks to the extending grips, the analog sticks are /way/ within the middle of the device (allowing both your thumbs to control them as well as both of your hands to "embrace" (or hold) it). But here you have to cope with holding the device as well as trying to use the controls.

    And don't give us stories about "companies will understand that its not practical to require players to use both analog sticks". That's not how it works. Companies will see that the controls for the new Vita aren't that much different anymore than those for the dual shock. So if you can combine them; use the same controls on both gaming platforms you're saving money in development costs. And that's music to a companies ears. Wouldn't be the first time that a game was released (even on the PS3) where the controls would be nearly impossible to use...

  10. MJI Silver badge

    Sony not helping

    Families are holding back until they fix the single PSN account fault.

    We have decided to wait until either A) they fix the fault or B) it goes under £100

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I still remember the rootkit debacle and the urge to make everything proprietary...

    And that means Sony have missed out having me as a customer for a TV, a DSLR, a laptop, a phone, a games console and now a portable console.

    They've lost it.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like