Sony 'struggling' to convince some publishers to back Vita

[Sub-stance1]

PlayStation dev boss Yoshida to hold talks with more studios to foster support

Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has admitted for the first time that the PlayStation business has an uphill battle convincing some publishers to commit to its next-generation portable.
In an interview with PlayStation the Official Magazine, Yoshida said: "We're having a more difficult time than we had anticipated in terms of getting support from third-party publishers, but that's our job. We will continue to talk to development communities and publishing partners and tell them why Vita can provide a great experience for the IPs they have."He added that the upcoming Assassin's Creed Vita game could be a testament to the appeal of developing games for Vita.
Several developers have previously told CVG that building games for PS Vita is a considerably easier experience compared to other PlayStation systems.
Publishers may have cold feet on committing for PS Vita due to its relatively low critical mass of customers. Sony announced on February 28th that the Vita had shipped 1.2 million units into retail worldwide, along with about 2 million game units.
Last week it emerged that Sony has reduced its portable games sales forecast from 16 million units down to12 million.
The platform holder has begun to combine PS Vita and PSP sales as a single 'portable' sales figure - making it difficult to track the progress of the new handheld.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-to-back-vita/

[radgamer420]

Not surprised. This the kind of situation that can happen that people who adopt the "I play games not sales" motto seem to not realize. I have a Vita but I'm growing concerned about its future.

[Dave-The-Rave]

Not a surprise when they won't even talk about it themselves..glad I held off on getting one.

[Sub-stance1]

I don't really like any portable gaming devices but this is bad news for those that own the Vita. Things have to get better in the next 6 to 9 months or this will get even uglier.

[Blu-Ray]

All i can say is that Assassins Creed Vita and CoD Vita better be good... or else.

[Ghost-Rhayne]

Sony need to get Borderlands 2 with cross play on there. Also, Vita isn't even 6 months old yet. There are a lot of games in the pipe line. I reckon we'll see a price cut in another 6 months, by then there will be more games and the content and price will be closer to that sweet spot. History repeats, ala 3DS.

[dc89]

They've got to get this nailed down and fast. It's stuck in a catch-22 situation where it's failing because it has a lack of games but publishers are not willing to make games for it.

A price cut is what is needed. It worked for the 3DS, well that and a few first party games.

[oneJ]

I'm not one for portable gaming, really because I am never in a situation where such a console would come in handy.
I'm not wishing failure against the Vita or any other future consoles, but I personally wish more effort and resources were put into home consoles.

[XSpike]

All i can say is that Assassins Creed Vita and CoD Vita better be good... or else.

I agree, from what we've seen on AC it looks very good for a portable game. It uses the same engine as AC3, and from the footage so far it looks good. CoD on the other hand we haven't seen anything, I hope its just because its just that good they want it show it off just before release... The Vita should be able to run the CoD engine. Would of been nice if MP/spec ops/zombies was linked to cross play with PS3 but the SP story was different. But I really doubt that one, or at least MP leveling should cross over

Hope it does turn out good, so once a price cut comes along the Vita has some solid games and it'll be cheaper, sells increase and more devs will be attracted to make games. Hopefully japan sales will pick up round the holidays/early next year from the RPGs coming out like the F2P MMO's n such.

[Gaddes]

Hopefully Sony can do something to remedy the lack of interest in developing for the system. A price cut would certainly help things, but they need some big time software. On the the other hand the fact that the original PSP is still strong in Japan isn't helping matters at all. Some more games developed for the Vita, and only the Vita in mind would be a welcome change. I know some like the cross platform play stuff, but it's no my thing.

[R3D D3V!L]

it might be a good idea to lead by example and get your first party developers on it, eh Sony?

[LfCpS3]

Vita needs games

Third part devs need to see their costs of making games will return a profit ( so the hardware has to sell very well, lots of users = more games)

Either Sony cut the price ( i believe the vita is worth the price compared to how expensive other gadgets are, but others don't see it this way and is affecting the vita) or TPDs just make games which is unlikely as proven here.

[F34R]

Definitely seeing how people can look at price first, games later. Put the wifi @ $199 for starters, drop the price on the vita mem cards a great amount, then we'll see some shit move!

[coolguy]

sonys needs to bundle a game and memory card for people to start buying the vita and i have not even seen any tv commericals for the vita did they stop markting for the vita,, i wanna get one but iam holding off

[Dave-The-Rave]

Definitely seeing how people can look at price first, games later. Put the wifi @ $199 for starters, drop the price on the vita mem cards a great amount, then we'll see some shit move!

I know I won't be getting one til the price comes down quite a bit..just afraid it might be dead by then.

[radgamer420]

Definitely seeing how people can look at price first, games later. Put the wifi @ $199 for starters, drop the price on the vita mem cards a great amount, then we'll see some shit move!

People seem to forget about that. The pricing on those memory cards is ridiculous. Your average consumer inquiring about the Vita would be immediately put off by that.

[radgamer420]

it might be a good idea to lead by example and get your first party developers on it, eh Sony?

Thats another problem too. At E3 Sony pointed at COD and AC (3rd party) but no 1st party offerings at all. And this early in Vita lifecycle is the important time to bolster their platform with some 1st party titles that will grab peoples attention. Drop those memory card prices and put out some 1st party Vita exclusives. Even if their based on existing IPs.

[gangsta_795]

Yup if they can start rolling out some 1st party titles, it will increase the public's interest in the Vita, selling more units, and ultimately encouraging 3rd party developers to develop for it as well.

[Everyday]

its a good console but i belive im going to sell mine and rebuy in the next year hopefully a cheaper model and maybe they will have the 3g one in canada by then

[Nitey]

Agreed about the 1st party commitment to the Vita. But then again, we're not too sure what Sucker Punch and Media Molecule are up to. Guerilla as well, but I'd assume they're on KZ4 and some other PS4 title as they've got a bigger team, or was it two teams?

I think Soul Sacrifice is a 1st party game, and the best games on the system right now are all either 1st party or published by Sony. If they're serious about the device ever becoming anything close to a success (and in the process encourage 3rd partys to take it seriously), then I agree that some of their A-list teams need to show some more interest in it, as that is one of Sony's major strengths in this industry: first party talent

Announce some games and drop the price, like Nintendo did. Don't show us vaporware with no information like FFXHD and Blops:declassified.

[gangsta_795]

Agreed about the 1st party commitment to the Vita. But then again, we're not too sure what Sucker Punch and Media Molecule are up to. Guerilla as well, but I'd assume they're on KZ4 and some other PS4 title as they've got a bigger team, or was it two teams?

If these are working for games on the Vita, it certainly is good news for Vita owners. They have delivered in the past and have been consistently making decent games.

I think Soul Sacrifice is a 1st party game, and the best games on the system right now are all either 1st party or published by Sony. If they're serious about the device ever becoming anything close to a success (and in the process encourage 3rd partys to take it seriously), then I agree that some of their A-list teams need to show some more interest in it, as that is one of Sony's major strengths in this industry: first party talent

Some of the better games are 1st party, no doubt, but these aren't enough to generate interest among the users are they? Most of the people who own a Vita are planning to sell it and very few are planning to buy one. Vita has massive potential but Sony, so far, have been unable to tap that potential and the Vita is only a struggling console as of now.

A price drop is inevitable, no doubt.

[radgamer420]

its a good console but i belive im going to sell mine and rebuy in the next year hopefully a cheaper model and maybe they will have the 3g one in canada by then

I've actually been thinking about doing the same thing. And almost every week on the PS store its new Vita demos- None, new Vita game videos -None, etc.

[Nitey]

If these are working for games on the Vita, it certainly is good news for Vita owners. They have delivered in the past and have been consistently making decent games.

Indeed! Or possibly the strategy is whatever they are working on will also have a vita version. Kinda like Sly 4 and All Stars. I'm not overly keen on the idea, much rather prefer Vita-only games. Gives people a reason to get it in the first place.

Some of the better games are 1st party, no doubt, but these aren't enough to generate interest among the users are they? Most of the people who own a Vita are planning to sell it and very few are planning to buy one. Vita has massive potential but Sony, so far, have been unable to tap that potential and the Vita is only a struggling console as of now.

A price drop is inevitable, no doubt.

I never suggested that they are enough to generate interest among users. I'm just saying the first party have done as much as they can within resources at the current time, and successfully so - as the games they have come out with have been mostly of a high quality. It's a combination of marketing and the price of entry into the Vita that is probably the biggest stumbling block.

I also think blowing their load (so to speak ) wasn't a good way to go. They should have held back a few games and trickled them out throughout the summer drought. It gives their interested consumers something to get excited about and something to look forward to. They released the console, and threw most of their games at us within that launch window and now we're pretty much waiting on CoD and AC in the fall, as well as games like PSO2 and Soul Sacrifice next year. (Not counting Sly4 and All Stars)

It's now up to Sony to strategise on what to do next. Whether they'll drop the price, whether they'll continue to keep things as they are and hope that CoD and AC will 'save' the system, or whether to assign more resources and shift PS3/PS4 projects to the Vita - Like they did with Gravity Rush, which was originally a PS3 game

I believe if there was a Naughty Dog project on the Vita or a Sony Santa Monica project it would definitely generate a buzz and attract newcomers. Especially after the amount of people that got burnt by Resistance: Burning Skies, which was handed over to another developer

Like I said in my last post, at this point they just need to give us an idea of what the hell is cooking behind the scenes for the Vita and also slash the price while they're at it. Best way to go imo, but if I were to guess - I'd say they're going to hope AC and CoD save them in the west this fall and hope they sell well enough to encourage other 3rd partys to commit. They probably won't happen, but that's what it'll take for Sony to think about dropping price, etc. Perhaps the Vita is a device that isn't needed in the world anymore? Niche at best

Also, the bolded - Personally, I'd feel like a completely tool if after spending probably a total of £300-£350 on the Vita so far that I just sell it for something like £200. Fudge that! Only problem I have with it at this stage is the short-term game releases are basically zilch. I can live with that for the moment

[radgamer420]

I paid for mine mostly with trade in credit of old games and my PSP that I didnt play anymore anyway. lol But I'll most likely keep it.

[gangsta_795]

Indeed! Or possibly the strategy is whatever they are working on will also have a vita version. Kinda like Sly 4 and All Stars. I'm not overly keen on the idea, much rather prefer Vita-only games. Gives people a reason to get it in the first place.

Like you said, I don't think multi-plats are going to do it much good.

I never suggested that they are enough to generate interest among users. I'm just saying the first party have done as much as they can within resources at the current time, and successfully so - as the games they have come out with have been mostly of a high quality. It's a combination of marketing and the price of entry into the Vita that is probably the biggest stumbling block.

Certainly, Sony's 1st party titles have always been high-quality and things were no different with the Vita. They just needed more to show.

I also think blowing their load (so to speak ) wasn't a good way to go. They should have held back a few games and trickled them out throughout the summer drought. It gives their interested consumers something to get excited about and something to look forward to. They released the console, and threw most of their games at us within that launch window and now we're pretty much waiting on CoD and AC in the fall, as well as games like PSO2 and Soul Sacrifice next year. (Not counting Sly4 and All Stars)

It's now up to Sony to strategise on what to do next. Whether they'll drop the price, whether they'll continue to keep things as they are and hope that CoD and AC will 'save' the system, or whether to assign more resources and shift PS3/PS4 projects to the Vita - Like they did with Gravity Rush, which was originally a PS3 game

I believe if there was a Naughty Dog project on the Vita or a Sony Santa Monica project it would definitely generate a buzz and attract newcomers. Especially after the amount of people that got burnt by Resistance: Burning Skies, which was handed over to another developer

Like I said in my last post, at this point they just need to give us an idea of what the hell is cooking behind the scenes for the Vita and also slash the price while they're at it. Best way to go imo, but if I were to guess - I'd say they're going to hope AC and CoD save them in the west this fall and hope they sell well enough to encourage other 3rd partys to commit. They probably won't happen, but that's what it'll take for Sony to think about dropping price, etc. Perhaps the Vita is a device that isn't needed in the world anymore? Niche at best

I personally feel that Sony rushed thing with the Vita, seeing as they don't have the games to attract consumers in numbers. True that they should've saved some games and shown them over a period of time after the console's launch, the Vita also required a strong line-up. Of course, the culprit here being the lack of games overall.

Though CoD and AC have the potential to increase sales for a while, if the norm is not continued and another few months pass without any good releases, it would be a similar situation as to what it is right now: Vita owners complaining about the lack of games.

Also, the bolded - Personally, I'd feel like a completely tool if after spending probably a total of £300-£350 on the Vita so far that I just sell it for something like £200. Fudge that! Only problem I have with it at this stage is the short-term game releases are basically zilch. I can live with that for the moment

I don't own a Vita and even if I did, I would never do that. I was merely reproducing statements of people on PSU and in this thread as well.