Sony gives you $20 for convincing a friend to buy PS Vita - Desperate, or Smart?

[KyleOnTheRun]

News just came in that Sony has started a new referral program for PS Vita owners. If you convince a friend, family member, what have you to buy a Vita, Sony will reward you with 20 dollars for PS Store shopping and 1,000 Sony Rewards points.

Not only that, but the person with the most referrals by Feb 28 will win 1,000,000 Sony Rewards points... equivalent to $10,000.

Here's the PSU news article with full details and links:

http://www.psu.com/a018111/Refer-a-f...ferral-program

So, is this a pathetic act of desperation to kickstart Vita sales, or a smart move to increase consumer confidence and boost word-of-mouth?

[radgamer420]

Sounds like desperation to me. Sony is trying to jump start some poor Vita sales but this isnt going to do much good. Sony needs to knock the Vita price down a bit and stop gouging their customers with their ridiculous price for memory. Once they have done that then get some more first party software out there. Preferably some Vita exclusives.

[Ghost-Rhayne]

Sony need to do a relaunch of Vita. Unleash a price drop and a shitload of games and soon, or watch as it continues to die.

[Acid Snake]

Reeks of desperation. It's just a really expensive paperweight at this point. Very few games on it worth playing. Good luck trying to convince someone of buying one with that ridiculous price tag.

[KyleOnTheRun]

Reeks of desperation. It's just a really expensive paperweight at this point. Very few games on it worth playing. Good luck trying to convince someone of buying one with that ridiculous price tag.

Although I can point to 6-8 PS Vita games that I consider to be absolute must-haves, I think you do touch on a problem of quantity with Vita's lineup. One thing Sony is doing very well with Vita is offering quintessential PlayStation experiences - everything from quirky downloadable titles like Mutant Blobs and Guacamelee to exclusives like PS All-Stars and Sound Shapes - but they don't have the third-party support or excitement that PSP benefited from.

In its twilight hours, the PSP has amassed a staggering catalogue of excellent third-party games - platformers, RPGs, etc. We can only hope that Vita can do the same.

[mankind]

I feel like I have wasted £250.00 - £300.00 on this vita. Give me fucking games that I like, like rpgs, plat formers (don't like sly) give me ratchet and clank and not that shitty tower defense game. I would also like Jak and Daxter. Sony you have to E3 to convince me to hold onto my Vita.

This does smell of desperation

[Syphon_Filter]

I have told 4 of my friends. Hopefully they will buy it.

[Shingo]

This is the only step they are taking after all these time? They only tell me to sell my vita. This is how I see things.

[John25]

I have told 4 of my friends. Hopefully they will buy it.

Gotta feeling they won't be your Friends anymore once they buy a VITA :P j/k

I still haven't bought one

[*goo]

I can't call $20 'desperation' as it's not a huge amount of money. On the other hand, I can't see it doing much good in terms of sales. Seems to me it's more like a cheap (read: cost) marketing trick to promote the Vita (at it's current price point) rather than spend thousands/millions of dollars on marketing campaigns via TV, Web etc.

What they really should do is think about bundling 3 months of Plus with every Vita sale. Might get the fallout of some PS3 sales at the same time. Getting the hardware and having at least 2 of it's best games out the gate would be a decent proposition.

[Dave-The-Rave]

This just makes me want it to fail. I'm not really sure I'm going to buy one at all unless something drastic happens to show that it is improving.

[jj03]

Bring price down to that of the 3ds...for a fuckin start. Lol.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[snooper71]

So give 40$ in vouchers instead of dropping the price 40$ and sell to a whole new crowd, reap the benefits in software and accessory sales.... Good call SONY, yes indeed, you did learn from PS3!!!!

[Fijiandoce]

Bring price down to that of the 3ds...for a fuckin start. Lol.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

^This^

Sony seem reluctant to take a risk with the VITA.

also, they should start offering white PSV as default. the black one should be offered to gamers. white one should be there to catch the eye of consumers...their current get-up ain't winning them any new customers outside gamers

[Thorzilla]

I was actually one of the ones who said the Vita will be fine despite it's sales and price but...man, Sony do know how to kill a buzz. Just drop the fucking thing already.

[Sub-stance1]

They really need to pick things up within the next 6 to 9 months. I don't think they are set to profit off the hardware itself til 2014/15. They need to do something before next gen consoles come.

[RyanGT]

Looks like I won't be getting a free $20

[Sir_Scud]

At the end of the day the average consumer cares much more about the price than the quality of games out there. I think the public has shown with both the PS3 launch and now the Vita, the current price is too high for lots of people to jump on. I would get a Vita because I know it has a few good games, but that's way too expensive for the device without mentioning blowing more cash on memory.

I won't say it's desperation, but it's a weak attempt to move units.

[Shingo]

At the end of the day the average consumer cares much more about the price than the quality of games out there. I think the public has shown with both the PS3 launch and now the Vita, the current price is too high for lots of people to jump on. I would get a Vita because I know it has a few good games, but that's way too expensive for the device without mentioning blowing more cash on memory.

I won't say it's desperation, but it's a weak attempt to move units.

It is right yet not totally, for some games price is really not matter much. But I just can't see these some games on vita. There are but a few...

It is really hard to understand what sony is planing to do, They failed on move ( which I spend around $200 without the game prices), but vita is going to be much more than this. They clearly need bigger steps.

[Lethal_NFS]

Why would Sony drop the price down to the 3DS? The Vita is twice the console.

Sony is smart for trying to get people to get the word out and convince others to buy one. Is this any different than Microsoft giving away Xbox consoles with every new computer sold? Or including 2 free games when you purchase a new console?

This is simply Sony trying to really get the PS Vita out there. I absolutely love my Vita and I play it every single night. I would suggest that everyone should buy one.

[Nitey]

This just makes me want it to fail. I'm not really sure I'm going to buy one at all unless something drastic happens to show that it is improving.

How comes?

[Sylar]

I think most people would get one if it went down in price, don't get me wrong I think it's worth the amount it's at because it is an amazing system, it's just most people don't have the money to spend

[jj03]

Why would Sony drop the price down to the 3DS? The Vita is twice the console.

Sony is smart for trying to get people to get the word out and convince others to buy one. Is this any different than Microsoft giving away Xbox consoles with every new computer sold? Or including 2 free games when you purchase a new console?

This is simply Sony trying to really get the PS Vita out there. I absolutely love my Vita and I play it every single night. I would suggest that everyone should buy one.

Nobody cares that its `twice the console` it seems...price is king. I think its lovely but it doesn`t make me wanna own it. Thats the problem...some lovely launch games but not alot since.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[claud3]

Not worth it,

Batman would never approve this as a down payment on anything. It's a total joke

[Lethal_NFS]

Nobody cares that its `twice the console` it seems...price is king. I think its lovely but it doesn`t make me wanna own it. Thats the problem...some lovely launch games but not alot since.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

I care. I even bought 2 PS Vitas, and feel the price is fine.