Underwhelming Sales Figures for PS Vita--In Japan, it Only Does Dead Last
Even in Japan--where the handheld system is king--the Vita struggles to make a mark
The PSP may not have made a huge impression in the US, but in Japan, it was a go-to system for developers familiar with PS2 hardware. Despite having a strong library and being the most powerful handheld system of its time, it still "only" held a respectable second place against the juggernaut popularity of Nintendo's DS.
That unfortunately doesn't seem to be the case with its successor, the PlayStation Vita. In Japan, where the popularity of portable gaming far outstrips console gaming, the Vita is off to a rocky start. It's not quite like the 3DS' rocky start, either--the initial shipment of 400,000 3DS systems sold out at its Japanese launch, but then sales petered out to about 30,000 per week due to a less-than-impressive launch lineup and a lack of standout, must-have titles, the quality of Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars notwithstanding.
Not long after, the 3DS quickly regained momentum in Japan, first with the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time 3D, then with its timely price cut and the Ambassador Program, and finally with the rapid-fire release of several high-profile third-party titles like Resident Evil: Revelations. Even in the US, the 3DS has picked up steam, doing better than the original DS did in its first year.
With that kind of competition, you'd think that Sony's new handheld would be making similar strides, especially in a gaming scene that appreciates handheld hardware. That doesn't seem to be the case, as the Vita's sales steadily decline week after week.
Japanese launch week: 324,859 units
Second week: 72,479
Third week: 42,648
Fourth week: 42,915
Fifth week: 18,361
Sixth week: 15,219
Seventh week: 18,942
Eighth week: 17,141
Current week's sales: 13,939
Compare that to this week's Japanese sales of the 3DS, which moved 75,018 units, with Sony's PS3 at 23,293 and the supposedly-retired PSP outdoing its successor with 15,847 units.
An anonymous source has even gone so far as to reportedly tell Japanese news site Nikkei that "major Japanese companies are cancelling all projects for Vita and are changing development to 3DS." Sony responded, denying the claim and calling it "extremist."
I personally think it's too early to sound the death knell of a system that's only been out a few months in Japan, but you have to admit that it's pretty shocking. Are Sony's unusual choices in hardware, like 3G support and a rear touchscreen, to blame for this? Is it a currently-lacking library? Or is it something else? What do you think?
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Its all about the games.
Hardware is great but the price is pretty high
Hardware is great but the price is pretty high
agreed. they have alot of games for the vita later on in the year that will just jumpstart the rest of the sales/ hype IF the prices come down a bit. i own mine already and i love the helll out of the little thing even without having that much of good games other then blaz blue.
2/18/12 by coolworlds
I don't this is true. I bought my psp 1000 on release and it was £300, i just placed my pre order with amazon £227 ( free 8GB memory card + Rayman ) I think thats cheap concidering the 3DS was more expensive.
2/18/12 by coolworlds
I think whats also being missed in many articles is that Japanese gamers are usually pretty hard set about their consoles but even more so about the games on them. Had this been released with say a new version of Monster hunter on day of release we would have seen consoles sold out over the week.
Whats also missing is that the same week the vita was launched in japan a major release for the psp was done that very week meaning that sales were and will be stinted till people have finished new titles available for psp in UMD format.
Over in europe and in the states the pick up should be much greater as titles like uncharted and wipeout and fifa are pretty main stream title releases. All thats missing for it to go straight to the top in the us and europe is a decent FPS like killzone, battlefield etc
Get the right game for a console and the hardware will fly off the shelf
Whats also missing is that the same week the vita was launched in japan a major release for the psp was done that very week meaning that sales were and will be stinted till people have finished new titles available for psp in UMD format.
Over in europe and in the states the pick up should be much greater as titles like uncharted and wipeout and fifa are pretty main stream title releases. All thats missing for it to go straight to the top in the us and europe is a decent FPS like killzone, battlefield etc
Get the right game for a console and the hardware will fly off the shelf
2/16/12 by Art-chan
Ouch. I'm not a gamer (the last portable I bought was a Game Boy Color so I'm WAY behind the times. Anime takes up all my free time so I have no time for video games), but that has to hurt that the PSP is doing better than the Vita. Maybe Sony needs to come up with better games?
2/18/12 by coolworlds
Ps2 is still one the the best selling consoles even now. Check the figures it's pretty rediculus that in some countrys it out sells both Ps3's and xboxs and Nintendo hardware. Just goes to show when you've got a lot of great games for a machine regardless of weather it's old or not it will sell.
Yeah it's all about the games.... and the price. Sony needs to do something about that.
2/16/12 by sailorpeter
This why I am waiting for the price drop that will happen based on fact the 3DS had one and this news
It is the price. When the price is about the same as a home console, the perception of value is changed and people think the Vita is too expensive.
2/16/12 by Koga1211
Not enough good games in the library and the price. The price is ridiculous. Not only do people not want to spend that on a handheld, they don't want to spend that on one that doesn't have a solid lineup. I also wait on handhelds to A) Drop in price and B) I wait for more games to come out so there is a solid library by the time I start playing.
2/16/12 by Zhemos88
Compared to the 3DS launch the Vita's line up is amazing. I think a lot has to do with the price. You can get a 3DS for 169.99 and be good to go, nothing else required. But for a vita you spend 250+ dollar's + another 50 for a decent memory card. Making the choice to buy a 3ds is very easy atm. Vita not so much imo.
2/16/12 by laxusdreyar
There's also the First Edition bundle which includes a memory card, a game, and Wi-Fi as well as a week early release date for 300 dollars which is a little more worth it. Not by much though.
2/16/12 by laxusdreyar
I blame Street Fighter and all the other shitty games that are currently available for the Vita.
There isn't even a Street Fighter Vita out yet. And how is it shitty? -.-"
2/16/12 by xanxa
People are just waiting for the improved version to come out. They made 4 different PSPs (1000, 2000, 3000, and Go) so it makes it hard to be an early adopter of the Vita. I'm waiting an improved model, better library, bigger battery, and cheaper memory cards (just a matter of time before a 3rd party card or if possible a micro SD adapter comes out). Oh, and they need to to make UMDs playable even if it is for an added price like in Japan, not bringing that program outside of Japan is an insult to PSP owners.
2/16/12 by traptedmind
There isn't really any major Japanese games out now or coming out soon. Vita is set for a good western launch i'm sure but the Vita will need a Monster Hunter and Final Fantasy game or something to get it going.
games. where are the games
2/16/12 by Tefrin
Its to expensive, once they drop it to $200-160 range like the 3ds it will sell. Look how well the ps3 did once they started the price cuts. I don't know how long that will take but we will see. Oh and I just heard from an anonymous source that the moon is made of blue cheese.
2/16/12 by traptedmind
Well the Vita is selling at a loss already so it wont be any time soon. The 3DS was selling at a profit at $250 but now it's breaking even at $169.
The Vita hardware is pretty advanced, like a PS3/360 level while the 3DS is around Gamecube level. So if cost is the issue, then maybe they should of made a weaker portable?
The Vita hardware is pretty advanced, like a PS3/360 level while the 3DS is around Gamecube level. So if cost is the issue, then maybe they should of made a weaker portable?
I dont know what you necessarily mean by how well the ps3 did when they made price cuts. I admit they sold more but if you look at the sales numbers for all three system wii is first xbox 360 is second and ps3 is third. I do agree its a bit pricy but sony has a lot more problems than what we are seeing here.
2/16/12 by Tefrin
it doesn't matter if you are in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. All that matters is you have a large enough install base so companies will make games. Once the vita can build its install base it will be fine. Look at the psp people crapped on it for years because it was always 2nd to the ds it did fine.
Well hey the people see right through this. Yes I'm glad they put two analog sticks on the handheld, and I'm glad they gave it a touch interface. But when it costs $50 less than a PS3, and has little if any games that are unique to the system, well that PlayStation name just can't hold weight anymore.
Sony better come up with a solution, because I hear developers are jumping off this handheld.
Sony better come up with a solution, because I hear developers are jumping off this handheld.
2/16/12 by Nettacki01
It's mainly the games. I don't see a lot of Japanese-aimed games in this initial launch lineup. It needs a Monster Hunter or something for the system to take off.
2/16/12 by CodyM2
It comes down to games. Just like the article said, When the 3DS came out, it struggled due to lack of games. Now that the library has game, the sales have picked up. Its the same case with vita. No software to warrant the purchase of the vita. It will change when more titles appear for the system. I am talking about the Japanese version right now. I myself have bought a vita. I am very happy with my purchase. It all comes down the games.
2/16/12 by orangeredfox
Lol that's pretty bad if the PSP is beating the PSvita. I say it's about the lack of games tho and price
Gotta wait for the games. I'm going to get one, but have to wait for a few weeks.
Price really is about perception. When announced it was all "wow $250, that's the same as a 3DS. I'll get that." Now it's expected to drop price when the 3DS was stupidly overpriced in the first place. They may drop it down to $200 eventually, but not right now. Really don't think price is the problem.
Let's just wait and see. I'm sure it will be fine.
Price really is about perception. When announced it was all "wow $250, that's the same as a 3DS. I'll get that." Now it's expected to drop price when the 3DS was stupidly overpriced in the first place. They may drop it down to $200 eventually, but not right now. Really don't think price is the problem.
Let's just wait and see. I'm sure it will be fine.
2/16/12 by Garylisk
The price of the system is not bad, the problem is the memory cards and the games. And I don't mean quality of games, I mean backwards compatibility. You can not play all of your PSP games on the Vita since it doesn't have a UMD drive, and not all of the PSP games are available digitally, including big titles like Crisis Core and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
As for the memory cards, they are far too expensive, and absolutely required to use a Vita. A Vita is not $250, it is $250 + memory card cost. In the US, the 32GB card is $100, and we got off chreaper than Japan.
Factor in a strong yen, and it is just a bad time to be launching a portable in Japan, especially on the heels of Nintendo.
Meanwhile, in the US, the advertising campaign has been so unsuccessful that no one knows what it even is unless they follow Sony news or go to Taco Bell.
As for the memory cards, they are far too expensive, and absolutely required to use a Vita. A Vita is not $250, it is $250 + memory card cost. In the US, the 32GB card is $100, and we got off chreaper than Japan.
Factor in a strong yen, and it is just a bad time to be launching a portable in Japan, especially on the heels of Nintendo.
Meanwhile, in the US, the advertising campaign has been so unsuccessful that no one knows what it even is unless they follow Sony news or go to Taco Bell.
2/16/12 by ShogunSides
I think another big contributor is the inability to play UMDs. Even though 3DS' Backwards compatibility was lacking, sony just said 'to hell with it' all together. And Sony has less company-owned franchises to bounce back with.
Sad really, because this thing has so much on the 3DS in terms of potential.
Sad really, because this thing has so much on the 3DS in terms of potential.
Its mainly the choice of games that are with the vita right now..It seemed like there main selling point was gravity rush, but that game looks boring as hell Imo,
and yea the price is also a factor =/ No1 wants to pay that much, especially if there aren't any good games for it
and yea the price is also a factor =/ No1 wants to pay that much, especially if there aren't any good games for it
Its a handheld... Who cares whether it flops or not. lol
2/16/12 by karlojeda
"currently-lacking library" -
that's your answer.
The launch titles are good but........... okay not all of them are good
but there are not much games to play with it..
PSP games from PSN.... yea sure.... but why bother?
P.S.
my brother has the first bundle and we're really impressed on it..
and I'm planning to buy the launch bundle on 22.
or maybe once Disgaea 3 hits the states. idk.
that's your answer.
The launch titles are good but........... okay not all of them are good
but there are not much games to play with it..
PSP games from PSN.... yea sure.... but why bother?
P.S.
my brother has the first bundle and we're really impressed on it..
and I'm planning to buy the launch bundle on 22.
or maybe once Disgaea 3 hits the states. idk.
2/16/12 by xyukihirokunx
After demo'ing it, it's pretty cool. I wouldn't buy it though. There has to be a game I want to play for me to buy a console. I held out for a long time for the 3DS, because there weren't any games that interested me. I finally gave in after the price drop, and because I'm anticipating a couple 2012 releases. It's like developers are expecting people to buy these new systems just because they're new and have all these new features. We're in it for the games.
the price is one thing, but im willing to overlook it if they had more games for it. the only game i want for it now is the Persona 4 Golden for vita. as soon as they release it for america, hoping they do, i'd buy the vita
2/16/12 by dokudokugwo
lack of games, price, and would rather wait for another model which would improve on any/some of the flaws in the first one.
I don't think I've bought a first model of a game console since the GameCube... totally off topic but I still have my GC from launch and it works great lol. I've waited on pretty much every other console from GC forward and the reasons I mentioned in the first line are why.
I don't think I've bought a first model of a game console since the GameCube... totally off topic but I still have my GC from launch and it works great lol. I've waited on pretty much every other console from GC forward and the reasons I mentioned in the first line are why.
Maybe people aren't buying it since most games on it are for DLC....
By the way i'm hoping the PS Vita dies and they go back for the PSP
By the way i'm hoping the PS Vita dies and they go back for the PSP
2/16/12 by Halazar
Biggest problem for the Vita atm is that there are very few games coming out for it. Just wait till a Monster Hunter game gets announced and we'll see sales start to pick back up.
I wouldn't be srprised if Sony pulled a Nintendo and dropped the price quick.
At any rate, stop worrying if the Vita doesn't become a smash hit in Japan right off the bat. Still plenty of time for Sony to turn the trend around. Obviously a Honster Hunter game would go a long ways toward that. Who knows, maybe we'll see MH4 go multiplat.
I wouldn't be srprised if Sony pulled a Nintendo and dropped the price quick.
At any rate, stop worrying if the Vita doesn't become a smash hit in Japan right off the bat. Still plenty of time for Sony to turn the trend around. Obviously a Honster Hunter game would go a long ways toward that. Who knows, maybe we'll see MH4 go multiplat.
2/16/12 by InsertSomethingCleverHere
I bought myself a PSP for Christmas last month when I learned that the Vita was not backward compatible, only forward expensive (i.e. requires repurchasing said PSP games online)...and Fate/extra was not going to Vita.
It seems to me that 3DS isn't the factor, but whether it's worth upgrading to the Vita or sticking with the PSP--and having two products compete with each other is not what a company wants. And so long as the Vita lacks backward compatability or some way to honor PSP game purchases, the only leg Vita has to stand on is it's own Vita-exclusive library--a tiny thing (compared to the PSP) indeed.
It seems to me that 3DS isn't the factor, but whether it's worth upgrading to the Vita or sticking with the PSP--and having two products compete with each other is not what a company wants. And so long as the Vita lacks backward compatability or some way to honor PSP game purchases, the only leg Vita has to stand on is it's own Vita-exclusive library--a tiny thing (compared to the PSP) indeed.
Sony shoved me away when it decided to pull payed-for features out of the ps3. Now, I and everyone I can influence will not buy anything Sony. Not a ps vita or even a cheepo radio.
Didn't know I had such a strong influence in japan.. Yay me!
Didn't know I had such a strong influence in japan.. Yay me!
2/17/12 by rmiyashiro
Sony has a tradition of slow starts since the PS1 which had healthy competition from Sega's Saturn (especially in Japan) until FF7 was released. The PSP also had a rocky start if I remember back in 2005, and the PS3 was stomped on in 2006. I bought my PS3 60GB exclusively for Blu-ray discs and didn't even buy my first game PS3 game (played PS1 & 2 games though) until the following October. Likewise my Vita should arrive next week, and I will most likely play the Final Fantasy titles, Lunar, Persona, and other RPGs that I got off the PSN already. CNET just did a rave review of the Vita, and mentioned it has one of the most diverse launch selections.
2/17/12 by admiral1983
its not just the price of the vita thats trouble its the constant price of the games but still at this time all handhelds have been struggling due to the main rivals of portable consols smartphones
2/17/12 by djheadshot
The lack of games appealing to the japanease is responsible for the poor sales. The launch lineup is great but its defiantly more in tune to western gamers. Sony needs to get a heavy hitting jrpg like dragon quest quest or monster hunter on the vita and the system will fly off the shelves in japan. When the vita launches worldwide it should do alot better but high price and Sony shitty marketing campaign will hold it back.
Price. The 3DS didn't really pick up in the US until they went a good bit below $200.
Games would certainly help, but it will still hit a glass ceiling with the price at where it is. The PS3 had games for years but didn't really take off until Sony came off of that goofy $400+ price tag.
Games would certainly help, but it will still hit a glass ceiling with the price at where it is. The PS3 had games for years but didn't really take off until Sony came off of that goofy $400+ price tag.
2/18/12 by animenigma01
Price is also a big factor as people tend to buy the cheaper console with the same type of games available like ps3 and xbox360 when they came out. PS Vita is a really good console the only problem I see is the price and the games available at the moment as people in Japan tend to purchase games made from their country such as zelda which is available in 3ds
well first, is their way of selling their products, they are too offensive on the price which they should reduce it a bit like the mem cards, also they should do more promotions and so on and show people how good it is and put ads on and offers, and so on. and like everyone is saying its also cuz of the games. There's also the problem of the PSN outrage which was long ago. But its just a couple of months..there's still time
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