PS Vita isn't a 'very strong product', claims Miyamoto
The Mario creator criticises the combination of software and hardware.
Sony's PlayStation Vita isn't a "very strong product," legendary Nintendo video games creator Shigeru Miyamoto has told EDGE magazine.
Asked what he thought of the handheld, Miyamoto said: "I think I really can't say."
However, he went go on to offer a rather damning critique.
"It's obviously a very hi-spec machine and you can do lots of things with it, but I don't really see the combination of software and hardware that really makes a very strong product," said Miyamoto. "But I can't really say"
He concluded: "I'm not looking at Vita as happy that it's not selling well, or scared that it would sell well - I'm not looking at Vita that way."
VideoGamer.com Analysis
Miyamoto certainly said a lot given that he "really can't say". Sadly for Sony, it's an opinion many gamers will share - since launch there simply hasn't been a strong enough line-up of software to maintain interest in the handheld.
User Comments
reyaskcin
bobthegreat
And add this part where he mentioned similar problems with 3DS at launch?
"When we launched the 3DS hardware we didn't have Super Mario 3D Land, we didn't have Mario Kart 7, we didn't have Kid Icarus: Uprising," he said. "We were striving to have all of these ready for the launch, but we weren't able to deliver them at that time.
"We were kind of hoping that people would, nevertheless, buy into the product, find 3DS hardware promising, but looking back we have to say we realise the key software was missing when we launched the hardware."
Supersteuce
gloopy
pblive@ munkee
Of course everyone wants more games. It's only natural. But considering how bad the launch line up for 3DS was and how long it took to get enough AAA games on it, it's all a bit pot. Kettle. Black.
And, yes, I defended the 3DS at the time too.
The two things Nintendo have to their strength is the casual market buying in to 3DS and the ease of Backward Compatibility with DS carts. The Vita has a big hole with backward compatibility (criminally missing support for Burnout Legends and Pixeljunk Monsters).
I think as a serious gamers handheld that it claims to be, the Vita already had an uphill struggle to prove its worth and there maybe aren't enough of the type of games to do that just yet.
For me? There are plenty of games to satisfy my purchase of the device and Mortal Kombat is out today too.
mydeaddog@ munkee
MJTH
Can't count either console out just yet, but I'm glad that he clarified that he isn't saying this to hate on the Vita making it seem he is "happy that it's not selling".
mamo
Woffls
dav2612
munkee@ mydeaddog
mydeaddog
munkee