Japan sales: Sony shifts ~800k PS Vita units in six months

[Deleted_171835]

Sony Japan appears to have told Famitsu that the sales data is in line with internal projections, according to a translation of the quote by local media.


In March, Sony revealed it had sold about two million PS Vita units worldwide. Nintendo's 3DS handheld had shifted about 17 million units by the same period, though this rival system launched several months earlier.

Persona 4 The Golden is the best-selling PS Vita game in Japan for the year so far

Total hardware sales: 790,633 units

Top 10 selling games:
01: Persona 4 The Golden (188,782)
02: Hot Shots Golf 6 (118,985)
03: Uncharted Golden Abyss (89,390)
04: Gravity Daze/Rush (74,785)
05: Dynasty Warriors Next (74,718)
06: Tales of Innocence R (71,463)
07: Lord of Apocalypse (69,162)
08: Ragnarok Odyssey (65,318)
09: Gundam Seed Battle Destiny (55,527)
10: Disgaea 3 Return (54,902)

http://www.computera...-in-six-months/
http://andriasang.co...1yl/vita_sales/


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Two reasons the Vita is selling horribly,

No system-selling games: Come on Sony, you lost the game that made the PSP a success (Monster Hunter) to the 3DS and had numerous franchises that are associated with the Sony brand make their way over to the 3DS (Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer, etc.). Without more games, the system is going to bomb worse than the Gamecube. You gotta do something, Sony.

Price: Not as big of a problem but still a minor issue. Dedicated handhelds simply don't sell that well at $250 in this day and age. $250 is not that good of a price although there isn't much that Sony can do about it without selling the system at a loss.

 

[EyeZ]

That's the main reasons i and probably a lot of potential buyers are being hesitant in making the purchase of the Vita, price, and the lack of killer titles.

 

[KingVamp]

It's Sony and it isn't in your own words... there goes the thread. /jk

I do plan to get one, even if I have to be very late buying it. Some people think they may just sent out a less cost versions by taking things away.
Like changing the screen.

edit: My brain derp and I was thinking this was USN, so the joke is kind of lessened.

 

[Kayot]

I'm hesitant because of all the stuff that went down with the PS3. I want Disgaea 3, but Sony is kind of scary lately.

 

[Nathan Drake]

You forgot to mention reason three why the Vita isn't selling well, and this one is easily the most important:
The Vita isn't riding off of the success of the most successful handheld in history.

By the way, several months earlier? To put it in perspective:
The 3DS launched in Japan February 26th, 2011.
The Vita launched in Japan December 17th, 2011.

Comparing a year of sales to three months is just stupid.

Oh, and to drive that point home, the Vita had been around for about a month outside of Japan by the time those sales numbers were put together. The 3DS had been out over a year in Japan, and just over a year everywhere else. So, that's about a month of sales data for most of the world, compared to a years worth for the 3DS. Pro-tip: Don't compare stats unless they're actually comparable. Whether or not the magazine did it is irrelevant. Quoting it was just as ridiculous.

 

[Deleted_171835]

You forgot to mention reason three why the Vita isn't selling well, and this one is easily the most important:
The Vita isn't riding off of the success of the most successful handheld in history.

Except the PSP still did really well (73.9 million+). And the 3DS didn't simply succeed due to the success of the DS. It struggled in the beginning.

By the way, several months earlier? To put it in perspective:
The 3DS launched in Japan February 26th, 2011.
The Vita launched in Japan December 17th, 2011.

Comparing a year of sales to three months is just stupid.

Oh, and to drive that point home, the Vita had been around for about a month outside of Japan by the time those sales numbers were put together. The 3DS had been out over a year in Japan, and just over a year everywhere else. So, that's about a month of sales data for most of the world, compared to a years worth for the 3DS. Pro-tip: Don't compare stats unless they're actually comparable. Whether or not the magazine did it is irrelevant. Quoting it was just as ridiculous.

"though this rival system launched several months earlier"

Just naming stats, no one is comparing them. Calm down a little.

 

[Nathan Drake]

What was the point of even including the 3DS sales numbers in an article about the Vita? I'm genuinely curious. I mean, you made it a point to outline those numbers and everything, so you must feel they have some importance.

 

[Deleted_171835]

What was the point of even including the 3DS sales numbers in an article about the Vita? I'm genuinely curious.

Because they're competing handhelds? It's completely relevant.

 

[emigre]

Seven pages, six warnings and Midna complains about the new rules about plagiarism and announces he's leaving the temp...again.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

I think a lot of people are afraid to buy a Vita in the beginning, a lot of people got burned in the beginning with the PSP. Sure the PSP has a fantastic library now, but if you bought one on launch day you had to wait a very long time in between good games. I can't count the number of people who tried to sell me a PSP simply because it had no games for it they wanted. Meanwhile at least on the DS you had Nintendo doing its thing and there seemed to be a well spaced out launches of Castlevania games RPG's and other assorted decent games. (Nothing fantastic but good enough to keep you from going insane waiting at a Dr's office or stuck in a car for hours....)

The Vita just needs a few more good games to launch, or its going to get a reputation of not having any good games. Another thing that is bad is that it seems like publishers seem to be taking a "wait and see" attitude towards developing games for the Vita... Before some one says "It hasn't been out that long!" well this is true but Naughty Dog had development kits on hand long enough to crank out an Uncharted title for it, so this will only add to the perception that the Vita is lacking games.

At any rate my estimate is that the Vita is in trouble, but before I would call it dead, I would wait 5-6 months and see what happens. If things do not improve this Holiday season, it would be a safe bet that its going to be a repeat of the DS VS PSP all over again.

 

[Nathan Drake]

What was the point of even including the 3DS sales numbers in an article about the Vita? I'm genuinely curious.

Because they're competing handhelds? It's completely relevant.

The only thing relevant is that they are competing handhelds. The numbers can't yet be compared yet. The Vita is still too new, especially at the time that those numbers were pulled. If they were going to compare numbers, they should have compared first three month sales of the Vita in Japan (and the first month in the rest of the world), to the 3DS numbers measured at the same interval. You can't compare a year of data to a month. It's a poor way to use statistics, and is rather manipulative in turning people even further against the Vita.

 

[Foxi4]

You forgot to mention reason three why the Vita isn't selling well, and this one is easily the most important:
The Vita isn't riding off of the success of the most successful handheld in history.

QTF, plus, parents already know that the DS was "kids friendly", and truth to be told, kids are the biggest part of the target audience and the sales greatly depend on the parents.

Sony's trying to knock on the so-called "hardcore gamer's" door, but what they don't realize is that there really aren't many gamers that are +20 and hardcore about it. They need to radically change their marketing strategy so that the Vita becomes a desirable gift rather than a "hardcore super uber machine", even if it is one.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

What was the point of even including the 3DS sales numbers in an article about the Vita? I'm genuinely curious.

Because they're competing handhelds? It's completely relevant.

The only thing relevant is that they are competing handhelds. The numbers can't yet be compared yet. The Vita is still too new, especially at the time that those numbers were pulled. If they were going to compare numbers, they should have compared first three month sales of the Vita in Japan (and the first month in the rest of the world), to the 3DS numbers measured at the same interval. You can't compare a year of data to a month. It's a poor way to use statistics, and is rather manipulative in turning people even further against the Vita.

Sadly no matter how you manipulate the numbers, the only number that matters to companies or publishers is the install base. Where I EA or another company and I am considering where to launch my game I want the biggest install base I can get. So I can sell more copies and blah blah blah something about maximum profits blah blaaahhhh...

This is of course a double edged sword, if I am Garbage Game Company #7839 and I am releasing "Super Crap Game #204984" I too am going to launch it on the system with the largest install base, thats why the Wii has so many stinkers on it, and the PS2 and PS1 did during their respective life spans.

You forgot to mention reason three why the Vita isn't selling well, and this one is easily the most important:
The Vita isn't riding off of the success of the most successful handheld in history.

QTF, plus, parents already know that the DS was "kids friendly", and truth to be told, kids are the biggest part of the target audience and the sales greatly depend on the parents.

Sony's trying to knock on the so-called "hardcore gamer's" door, but what they don't realize is that there really aren't many gamers that are +20 and hardcore about it. They need to radically change their marketing strategy so that the Vita becomes a desirable gift rather than a "hardcore super uber machine", even if it is one.

Sony is marketing to the same market that made the PS1 and PS2 sooo successful but the problem is that market has grown up and has kids, the kids in that same bracket now are jobless and living at home due to the economy being in the pits. Combine that with Sony producing the most expensive systems for home and portable, its a bad combination.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

soulx getting a boner over the Vita not doing well?

What else is new?

 

[Deleted_171835]

The only thing relevant is that they are competing handhelds. The numbers can't yet be compared yet. The Vita is still too new, especially at the time that those numbers were pulled. If they were going to compare numbers, they should have compared first three month sales of the Vita in Japan (and the first month in the rest of the world), to the 3DS numbers measured at the same interval. You can't compare a year of data to a month. It's a poor way to use statistics, and is rather manipulative in turning people even further against the Vita.

And as I said above, no one is comparing the numbers. It's simply there to show how the 3DS is doing. There's no agenda here despite what you may think.

QTF, plus, parents already know that the DS was "kids friendly", and truth to be told, kids are the biggest part of the target audience and the sales greatly depend on the parents.

Sony's trying to knock on the so-called "hardcore gamer's" door, but what they don't realize is that there really aren't many gamers that are +20 and hardcore about it. They need to radically change their marketing strategy so that the Vita becomes a desirable gift rather than a "hardcore super uber machine", even if it is one.

If that's the case, do tell me why the PSP sold well while trying to target "hardcore gamers".

soulx getting a boner over the Vita not doing well?

What else is new?

guild being guild.

What else is new?

 

[Rasas]

The only thing relevant is that they are competing handhelds. The numbers can't yet be compared yet. The Vita is still too new, especially at the time that those numbers were pulled. If they were going to compare numbers, they should have compared first three month sales of the Vita in Japan (and the first month in the rest of the world), to the 3DS numbers measured at the same interval. You can't compare a year of data to a month. It's a poor way to use statistics, and is rather manipulative in turning people even further against the Vita.

And as I said above, no one is comparing the numbers. It's simply there to show how the 3DS is doing. There's no agenda here despite what you may think.
If you compare the PSP numbers the launch was better then the PSP's but the lack of titles and developers as said above doing the wait and see might screw it since development costs have most likely increased. It would have been better leaving the 3DS out but w/e.

QTF, plus, parents already know that the DS was "kids friendly", and truth to be told, kids are the biggest part of the target audience and the sales greatly depend on the parents.

Sony's trying to knock on the so-called "hardcore gamer's" door, but what they don't realize is that there really aren't many gamers that are +20 and hardcore about it. They need to radically change their marketing strategy so that the Vita becomes a desirable gift rather than a "hardcore super uber machine", even if it is one.

If that's the case, do tell me why the PSP sold well while trying to target "hardcore gamers".
The PSP had a poor launch and they only sold 3.5 games for each unit sold so it might of just hurt their bottom line since it sold for $300 at launch and still lost money per unit. I say it will not do that well in the west since western developers will probably not support it as much or at all compared to Japanese developers and the lack of localization might screw it.

soulx getting a boner over the Vita not doing well?

What else is new?

guild being guild.

What else is new?

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

...

No system-selling games: Come on Sony, you lost the game that made the PSP a success (Monster Hunter) to the 3DS and had numerous franchises that are associated with the Sony brand make their way over to the 3DS (Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer, etc.). Without more games, the system is going to bomb worse than the Gamecube. You gotta do something, Sony.

...

Cant argue with that. Monster Hunter on the PSP was the shit. Uncharted Golden Abyss just doesn't make the Vita that sweet of a deal. If Monster Hunter was released as a Vita exclusive, the tables would've probably turned dramatically.