Hardware [PPOTW] Is the Vita TV a good idea?

[Guild McCommunist]

So Sony is competing against itself.... This is one area where I think it's a bad idea and Sony will need to tread very carefully.

So for a window of time Sony will have 3 home consoles it is trying to support, none of them compatible with each other.

Yikes that's a lot of hardware to support, things like this make me worry for the future.

No, they're not.

As Foxi mentioned, the Vita is an entirely different subset from the PS3 or similar consoles. It's competing in the entry level console market (meaning like the Ouya) which is just starting to emerge.

My point is that, priced lower than the PS3, it will grab the attention of entry level consumers who wouldn't really go after a PS3 immediately. It doesn't fill the spot of a PS3 or PS4 either.

 

[Dork]

as soon as I buy my long-awaited NES, SNES, XBox, N64, Neo Geo Pocket (...goes on...) and a Game Gear

Have you finished that backlog?

 

[captain_corona]

It's a good idea as far as so-called "emerging markets" are concerned - think China, India, Brazil and the likes. A large portion of the population there cannot afford a full-blown next generation system, but a microconsole is a good, cheap alternative, and while most microconsoles are based on Android, the PSVita TV isn't - it offers a unique library of games, many from big name developers which are not available elsewhere.

As a device, the PSVita TV clearly isn't built to compete with the Wii U/PS4/XBox One as it's not a proper next generation system, rather a portable-gone-home console, it's not supposed to compete with the Apple TV and the likes either as its functionality in regards to streaming or apps is rather limited - it's more like a marriage between the two and on the right market, it can flourish.

with 50 dollar games dont expect China, india, brazil and the likes to be buying this

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

My point is that, priced lower than the PS3, it will grab the attention of entry level consumers who wouldn't really go after a PS3 immediately. It doesn't fill the spot of a PS3 or PS4 either.

But it is filling the spot of the PS3.

Unless you think the PS3 will stay at it's current price forever. Usually consoles at the end of life experience large price drops.

I don't think it will with the impending launch of the PS4.

At any rate even if it isn't filling a spot for the PS3 or the PS4 or the Vita (since it's not a handheld.) That emerging market is still going to require software support so Sony will still be left supporting 3 home consoles at one time and that is going to spread Sony very thin. The Vita is already suffering from "It has no gaemz" syndrome.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

with 50 dollar games dont expect China, india, brazil and the likes to be buying this

Yeah they will probably be picking up cheaper alternatives that are more open (by open I mean support emulators and ROM's out of the box much like the Ouya.)

 

[Foxi4]

with 50 dollar games dont expect China, india, brazil and the likes to be buying this

And what about $18 3-month subscriptions giving you tons of games on a monthly basis? That, and with PSN sales you can get PSVita games for as cheap as $12 - that's about as much as I paid for "Resistance: Burning Skies" recently.

 

[captain_corona]

Yeah they will probably be picking up cheaper alternatives that are more open (by open I mean support emulators and ROM's out of the box much like the Ouya.)

but they can just buy a nes clone for much cheaper and i think they will be very happy with that honestly

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

but they can just buy a nes clone for much cheaper and i think they will be very happy with that honestly

True for 99% of the population in China something like a NES clone with 10,000 built in games and costs like 8 bucks (what ever that is in China money.) is probably what your likely to see in a living room.

 

[RedCoreZero]

would that be called the NSS (Nintendo Single Screen)?

it will be called Nintendo 1DS, because they're bad with names

 

[Langin]

It IS a good idea, but the one and only problem it has is that it will Kill the reason to own a Playstation Vita in general. I see Japanese consumers choosing the Nintendo 3DS over the Playstation Vita for sure and the consumer will buy the Vita TV for at home.

I thus voted for maybe since I am between yes and no actually.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

It IS a good idea, but the one and only problem it has is that it will Kill the reason to own a Playstation Vita in general. I see Japanese consumers choosing the Nintendo 3DS over the Playstation Vita for sure and the consumer will buy the Vita TV for at home.

I thus voted for maybe since I am between yes and no actually.

I voted for maybe because I can see a market for the Vita TV but not really as a game system, more of a set top box with games as a bonus but it's going to be a tough balancing act to pull off. I think Sony can do it but it's going to require some Walkman like marketing to get the message out there.

 

[Langin]

I voted for maybe because I can see a market for the Vita TV but not really as a game system, more of a set top box with games as a bonus but it's going to be a tough balancing act to pull off. I think Sony can do it but it's going to require some Walkman like marketing to get the message out there.

I agree with your marketing thing actually, I'd love to see if Sony will attempt to save this Virtual Boy like console.(SORRY for even trying to connect it to the virtual boy but this console is also selling horribly bad)

 

[duffmmann]

I think it should just be a feature built into the PS4, if you have the Vita you can play them on the big screen through the PS4 (heck that may even already be a feature, I don't know every thing the PS4 has to offer), but if thats not a feature than its kinda lame to those that already own a Vita and want to play on the big screen.

Still, the overall idea is pretty cool I'd have to say.

 

[Foxi4]

True for 99% of the population in China something like a NES clone with 10,000 built in games and costs like 8 bucks (what ever that is in China money.) is probably what your likely to see in a living room.

We should stop assuming that everybody in China/Brazil/Taiwan/India belongs to the same social caste because that's not the case. The richest of the rich will be able to afford a normal system, the less fortunate will use Master System, Genesis or most notably NES clones, the middle ground will use Android devices, but there is also the "wealthy but not quite rich" portion of the society which will gladly spend money to play PS1/PSP/PSVita games on the big screen, PS2/PS3 streaming aside.

 

[duffmmann]

No, they're not.

As Foxi mentioned, the Vita is an entirely different subset from the PS3 or similar consoles. It's competing in the entry level console market (meaning like the Ouya) which is just starting to emerge.

My point is that, priced lower than the PS3, it will grab the attention of entry level consumers who wouldn't really go after a PS3 immediately. It doesn't fill the spot of a PS3 or PS4 either.

Tell that to the moms and dads that don't know shit when buying Christmas presents.

 

[Foxi4]

Tell that to the moms and dads that don't know shit when buying Christmas presents.

Moms and dads can also read and see the difference between "$100" and "$250", not to mention "$500".

 

[duffmmann]

Moms and dads can also read and see the difference between "$100" and "$250", not to mention "$500".

What you're saying is a mixed bag. You're a child and tell your parents you want a Playstation 4, its the new system, everyone is going to have it etc. etc. for Christmas.

your parents then go out, see the $400 price tag, then see the other new playstation on sale for significantly less. What do you think they're going to do? Also you are giving parents a little too much credit with the they can read line. They can read all they want, but my mom will call every video game system until the day she dies a Nintendo.

 

[Foxi4]

What you're saying is a mixed bag. You're a child and tell your parents you want a Playstation 4, its the new system, everyone is going to have it etc. etc. for Christmas.

your parents then go out, see the $400 price tag, then see the other new playstation on sale for significantly less. What do you think they're going to do? Also you are giving parents a little too much credit with the they can read line. They can read all they want, but my mom will call every video game system until the day she dies a Nintendo.

The assumption was that the parents don't know what the kid wants so they pick a console themselves. In the case that the kid does know what he/she wants, the parents have assistance in the choice.

On the side note, you must have considerably young parents - I would've expected them to call it an "Atari".

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

We should stop assuming that everybody in China/Brazil/Taiwan/India belongs to the same social caste because that's not the case. The richest of the rich will be able to afford a normal system, the less fortunate will use Master System, Genesis or most notably NES clones, the middle ground will use Android devices, but there is also the "wealthy but not quite rich" portion of the society which will gladly spend money to play PS1/PSP/PSVita games on the big screen, PS2/PS3 streaming aside.

hmmmm so a small % of the population will buy this? That sort of screams flop to me. (I would guess more people will buy this in the US, Europe, Japan that is the real market for this.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/20/world/asia/survey-in-china-shows-wide-income-gap.html?_r=0

Makes for an interesting read and should clear up any idea's about the size of the market this thing would have in China. There isn't much of a middle income in China if you haven't guessed, your either rich enough to own a PS3 right now and replace it with a PS4 very soon... or your own a NES clone and are maybe looking at a PS1 when the price comes down...

Not to say there is no middle income in China but it's not like in the US or the UK where we have a larger % of people in that income bracket.

 

[duffmmann]

The assumption was that the parents don't know what the kid wants so they pick a console themselves. In the case that the kid does know what he/she wants, the parents have assistance in the choice.

I get this, and I know there are plenty of parents that get this shit right. But I also have seen people get the wrong video games and systems in the past for Christmas because their parents aren't the most invested to say the least. (And I've seen this a lot actually) When you couple that with the fact that both are Playstation branded and new coming out at the same time, its not hard to see that there will be some disappointed children this holiday season.