Did you know that as of this April, Sony has sold 70 million PlayStation Portables? I can almost guarantee the PlayStation Vita will sell even more.
A while back, images surfaced on the internet of a new Sony handheld gaming device. For a long time, this device was deemed “NGP.” It wasn’t until Electronic Expo Entertainment 2011 that gamers were graced with the official name: PlayStation Vita. Vita, which will release early 2012 for North America and Europe, will indeed surpass the PSP in units sold and impact on the gaming world, and here’s why.
Building on Success 
One can easily assume that of the 70 million people who bought a PSP, a lot of them will want a Vita. Through the PSP, Sony has installed a group of people who love and are willing to buy their handheld devices. In other words, the PlayStation Vita will reap from the seeds sown by the PSP.
One of the seeds sown by the PSP late in its cycle is high quality games. A lot of PSP games, whether Resistance: Retribution or God of War: Ghost of Sparta, generally received impressive review scores from critics. People can see that Sony established momentum with its quality titles on the PSP, so gamers will expect at least that same level from the PlayStation Vita.
It is because of those games and the many features of the PSP that Sony’s handheld device has helped improve the market. When a person buys a handheld device, they no longer just expect the ability to play games. They also expect to be able to listen to music and watch movies on the go. The PSP gave give people music, videos and pictures, so consumers will expect the same and even more of the Vita. People love versatility, and like the PSP, Vita will be able to do many things.
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks 
Despite the success of the PSP, there were many mistakes made by Sony. One of the most noticeable mistakes was how easy it was to hack the PSP. At one point during the PSP’s lifecycle, most gamers agree that there were a lack of games. Add this to the fact that some people love to hack electronics, and other reasons, and you can see why so many PSPs were hacked. It is because of this mistake and experience that Sony will most likely make the PlayStation Vita harder to hack. The harder something is to hack, the more secure Sony feels and the more safe consumers feel from hackers. The safer consumers feel, the more likely a device is to have success.
As mentioned before, there was a point in which most gamers agree that the PSP lacked good, quality games. I can remember going into Walmart and a fellow gamer remarked, “Man, I can’t find any games.” He was in the PSP section. He was probably not the only one who felt this way and we all know a lack of good games is enough to turn a gamer off. However, Sony seems to have learned from this mistake; the PlayStation Vita looks to have a strong launch with titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Shinobido 2. This is just at launch; you can imagine how many great games will come out for the PlayStation Vita’s whole lifecycle.
A lot of people also had a problem with the format of the PSP’s games, the UMD or Universal Media Disc. UMDs were arguably easy to break and scratch. However, Sony has definitely learned from this minor mishap; the PlayStation Vita will feature a different format for its games similar to the 3DS and DS. Now, PS Vita owners will not have to worry about breaking or scratching their games and used ones will be easier to sell.
Sony may have sold more PSPs had advertising for the PSP been better. At one point, which some argue is an example of being desperate; Sony had a little boy promote the PSP in commercials. This clearly did not go well, after a while the little boy was never seen again. So far, there is much hype for the PlayStation Vita despite the fact it is many months away for North American gamers. It is unknown what direction Sony will go in advertising the PS Vita; however, Sony will have most likely learned from their advertising mistake and will be motivated by their competition, the 3DS. Sony will probably find a more effective way of advertising and promoting the PS Vita.
Lots of Good Games
One of the main reasons why the PS Vita is worth the money is the games. There is a LOT of potential for many good, quality games. The Vita has a great chance for a strong launch with games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048. Uncharted alone is enough for some gamers to buy the PS Vita at launch.
Sometimes a strong launch foreshadows a lot of quality games in the future and the PS Vita appears as if it will indeed have a good release. The lineup for the PS Vita shows a lot of potential, with games such as Assassin’s Creed and Bioshock slated for release. With so many games already confirmed for the PS Vita by well known developers, one can only expect most of them to be of high quality. Good quality games are what gamers want and love and when a system has that, it is easy to woo the wallets of consumers.
There are a lot of well known developers making games for the PS Vita. Developers like Konami and Ubisoft are known for quality games and so one can’t help but expect no less from these developers’ PS Vita games. On top of the many third party developers making games for the PS Vita, there are Sony’s first party developers like Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studios. With the PS Vita’s technology and the talent of the developers working on titles for it, one can’t help but drool at the potential of the PS Vita’s games.
Doing many things in many places
The PS Vita has many functions. It is not only a gaming device, but can play music. Bored on the subway? Pop in your earphones and listen to music while you wait for the next stop. On a road trip and feel like watching a movie but don’t have a portable TV? Watch a movie on the go with the PS Vita. Want to check your Facebook? You can do that and other social networking as well on the PS Vita. The PS Vita can almost do it all. The PS Vita will have much weight in consumers’ minds because of its versatility.
Options with the PS Vita
One sweet thing about the PS Vita is its price. The Wifi only model is $250 and the 3G model is $300. For a high powered gaming device in which one can listen to music, watch movies, and connect via social network, that is a considerable bargain. Then there are options. If a gamer does not want 3G, they can get the Wifi only PS Vita. If a gamer wants 3G, then they simply have to give $50 more for their PS Vita. A lot of gamers love the low price point; because of the value of the PS Vita, expect it to sell well.
The PlayStation Vita
Interested in the PlayStation Vita? The PlayStation Vita releases in Japan at the end of this year and will release in North America and Europe early in 2012. I recommend preordering one, because they will probably sell like hot cakes.
Article by Shawnee Lee