PS Vita sales finally pass one million in Japan
News
Took 42 weeks to reach the sales milestone – much slower than 3DS and PSP.
Sony's PlayStation Vita has finally dragged itself past the one million sales milestone in Japan after 42 weeks on sale, data from Media Create (via NeoGAF) has revealed.
To highlight just how slow a start the Vita has endured, Nintendo 3DS took just 13 weeks to pass one million and PSP took 14 weeks.
In the week beginning October 1 3DS sold 63,669 units, compared to only 7,957 PS Vita units. Even the PSP continues to outsell Vita, moving 17,769 units.
User Comments
guyderman
I play it when the kids are on the 360 and PS3, when my wife is watching TV, When I'm on Holiday, When I'm on the Loo, When I'm in Bed, When I'm on lunch at work, While I'm cooking Dinner as well as, Shock Horror, playing it instead of my other consoles at home - but the beauty is that I can play the type of games that I enjoy more than what I'd get on a mobile phone.
The length of the games is actually irrelevant on the Vita as you only have to press the PS button, which instantly pauses the game, and then tap the power button to switch the screen off and the next time you activate it you are exactly where you left off - and before people go on about the battery life with this method - I have left it in this 'standby' mode for over a week without recharging it.
dav2612@ rbevanx
I can't speak for everyone but I certainly play the majority of my vita games during my lunch real at work and that included playing uncharted 3 times and on the hardest difficulty. Never been an issue for me.
tvr77@ rbevanx
rbevanx@ dav2612
Don't understand this point tbh Dav...
The reason to why I don't think large scale games on a handheld is a good idea is because you have a limited time window on your lunch break or on a train back and forth to work etc.
Some levels on Killzone and Uncharted etc take time depending on what dificulty you are playing.
Angry Birds for example can take just as long but the level is shorter and are more divided so if you have to get off the train or the break the next day, you don't have to spend the first odd 5-10 mins working out what you had to do or what you were doing before.
It breaks the enjoyment of the game going on and off in the same level all the time but that's just my view on it.
I quite fancied the games on their own right as games purely but most people will see the vita as something to take on the train etc and possibly see the same negatives as I do with that aspect.
dav2612@ rbevanx
It is an expensive console but cost is always subjective. I think the new iPhone is outrageously priced but that's not stopped people. Those not in a job or suffering job insecurity possibly shouldn't be looking at any new consoles.
Uncharted is not the longest game in the world but then neither are a lot of home console titles. Is it less acceptable on a handheld? I'll tell you, I whizzed through Super Mario 3D Land in much less time than I did Uncharted.
guyderman
I quite liked my DS but have absolutely no love for mobile phone gaming what so ever - I haven't completed Angry Birds - because the novelty wore off after 20 minutes and just isn't my type of gaming - but each to their own.
I got my Vita at launch for £220 with an 8gb card and Rayman Origins - which actually meant that the Vita itself wiorked out at around £180, which I didn't mind paying.
I am in a pretty good situation too as I never really played many PSP games so while I'm waiting for new software to be available on the Vita I have access to a ton of good PSP titles that are dirt cheap. Add the fact that a lot of PSone games are now available to play on it, again for pennies, and that certain games like Hustle Kings, Zen Pinball and Motorstorm RC are available to play on both PS3 and the Vita and I have got games coming out of my ears at the moment on it - so I can be patient for a bit longer at the moment.
I'm interested in seeing how the PSPlus Vita content is going to work and I'm also interested in seeing what the deal is going to be with certain titles, like NFS, being offered for the Vita with the PS3 version - if that is going to be the case.
Sony certainly need to push the system and make it desirable if they want to do anything this Christmas as most people have already forgotten about it or have just been reading negative press with Sony reacting to it - which never looks promising.
They need to get a good selection of PSN arcade titles out for it and they also need to get some of the Sony big gun titles out for it - God of War, Gran Turismo, Motorstorm, Killzone all need to make an appearance and soon to help show what the machine is capable of - to get both gamers and developers interested - otherwise as Bev has stated it will sadly fail, which would be a shame as it's a cracking little machine that is nice to play!
tvr77@ rbevanx
Sony have made mistakes but bringing the world Playstation Vita is not one of them. If all of a sudden sony went crazy and reduced the vita to £49.99 it would fly off the shelves no doubt about it and with all them vita's in the hands of new gamers third party interest would rise up so we know it has potential to be great it just needs sales! But 49.99 will never happen so its a catch 22.
@ guyderman I felt the same way about yearning for something more. Not a fan of the DS and mobile gaming just don't hold my attention long enough. Vita was the answer i was looking for
rbevanx@ pblive
I'm sure me and Lew will live, never stopped us before :P. Don't really care what a few Sony fanboys think anyway. I would bet money they spend most of their time worshiping the company than playing any of their games.
Quote:
Well the 3DS games are not your usual COD, Killzone games but something you can just pick up and play like the mario games etc. They are more arcade rather than what the Vita is trying to do which is give you a handheld PS3.
I think trying to play a PS3 style game on the go is not emost peoples cup of tea when they are on the train about to go to work.
But even putting that aspect aside (as that's not the reason why I was convinced it would fail) it's the financial side.
220 quid for a handheld console is crazy, I managed to get one on ebay as it was mislisted and at a silly time (4AM I think it was ) and got it for 150 quid and it was new, so I knew if I didn't like it I would at least get my money back.
Now the reasons for me not liking it don't matter to the why I feel (and still do) it was gonna fail.
The games at launch were 35 quid about 5 quid less than a retail game with the big one Uncharted supposdly only being 6 hours, that's gonna put people off right there.
It's just simple numbers, I mean 220 quid could go towards a holiday or the new Iphone.
"Why would I buy a Vita for 220 quid when I can get an Iphone on contract for 20-30 a month and get free apps" would be the common thing replied if asked by most people in my view.
@tvr7
Quote:
Well I'm a seasoned/hardcore gamer (Well I have completed 40ish games just this year so I must be lol) and I disagree. Geomerty wars and Angry Birds etc I still haven't finished for starters and have been better than most arcade games on 360 and PS3, nevermind the Vita.
It's basic numbers why I think it's failing and continue to fail, not because I'm not fussed on the thing.
Quote:
With the console still costing 200 quid in the shops with people suffering from job insecurity or even no job with money, that could go to a holiday or some new PS3/360 games etc.
I'm sorry but price is a big factor in my view.
...and I will say this for the record and in bold for the future just incase I'm wrong and for the Sony fanboys to laugh at me if it is in the future.
It's gonna fail if they don't get the pricing aspect sorted and make the memory cards cheaper!
guyderman
Another problem is that the launch lineup was really strong with a good variety of titles which has made the lack of big games following all the more noticable.
pblive
Bevan, thank you for making your point clearer. Yes, Android and iPhone handsets (and Windows phone to a much smaller extent) have taken some of the usual handheld business, but (despite a shakes start) 3DS really took off once it received the right game titles, so it's unfair to say that there's no space in the market for handheld consoles as well as phones.
Vita is where 3DS was when many people said it would die a death and the titles are coming now, a little later than they should have, but I think that's part of the problem; Sony launched it at the wrong time and should have left developers with more time to get big titles ready.
The other point you originally mentioned, the price, is definitely a more valid issue.
SelfSuicide
Sony seem to be struggling to get publishers to make new IP's instead of ports or sequels; why would people pay £200+ to play something like Persona 4 which is a four year old ps2 game.
tvr77@ rbevanx
The kind of gaming your talking about is not a patch on what the Vita can offer. I play games on my phone and yes there ok for what they are but they don't have any real depth and there only good for quick bite sized gaming and i think its a joke to even try and compare the two, i'm sure any seasoned or hardcore gamer would agree.(apart from deluded fanboys).
The Vita has not failed! not as a gaming device but it has failed to gain interest but i believe once there's a strong back catalogue i think the sales will start going up n up. Its also about to go through its first christmas which is bound to help with sales.
rbevanx@ dav2612
rbevanx@ pblive
Nope, nothing to do with personal taste. I even gave it a bash in all fairness but handheld gaming is now more app/iphone based with games and graphics that are really good in all fairness.
The main Vita games like Killzone and Big Planet just possibly look like watered down versions of the ps3 games to most people.
Just purely from a business point of view that I just knew it was a very bad idea, as in my view handheld gaming has changed the most out of all the aspects of the current gaming market.
Nevermind if people hack it etc, it was doomed to fail from the get go and Sony should have seen that and invested more in what they already have or do what MS did and incorporate arcade games to phone...which is what they are also doing I think.
pblive
There are plenty of games now (2 more yesterday) but not enough headline catching AAA games to appeal to the larger masses.
It's all to do with appealing to the right people with the games. I know a few people who are now considering a Vita because EDF 3 was announced for the UK, but you need a game that appeals to others. You can see spikes in sales when certain games are released and, however good or bad it turns out to be, Black Ops Declassified will cause another because COD is a franchise that many part-time gamers are familiar with.