No Vita price cut this year, but Sony engineers hard at work

[Guild McCommunist]

It's no secret that Sony's handheld has been hurting, with sales staying in a slump since its post launch high. With Nintendo's competitor handheld, the 3DS, facing similar woes and seemingly curing them with a heft price cut on their 3DS, many people have been wondering if Sony will do the same for the Vita. While it looks like the answer currently is "No", that answer may not be permanent.

Shuhei Yoshida, head of Sony Worldwide Studios, in an interview with Eurogamer, expressed the potential of a price cut and improving Vita sales.

"At a certain point in the future we would like to address the pricing issue for some of the people who are waiting. But this year we are trying to add value by creating different types of bundles. We announced we will provide LittleBigPlanet PS Vita bundle pack. That's affordable for people who are looking for a good deal," Yoshida said.

However, for a price cut, Yoshida said, "cost reduction is one area our engineering team is working on. But we just launched the platform earlier this year. It takes time to do so."

For a definitive answer, when asked if there would be a price cut this year, he said "No, it's too early."

Yoshida also goes into detail on the issue of games for the Vita, Playstation Mobile, and upcoming PSOne Classics. Read more at the source below.

Source

tl;dr: Sony isn't cutting the Vita price this year and are hoping bundles will help sell the device (there's a bunch of $250 bundles coming out around the holidays). However engineers at Sony are working on cutting the price of the device, so you may see it next year.

 

[chris888222]

Electronic components decrease in price very quickly, so a price cut next year is quite likely.

As long Sony bundles the Vita with a memory card, it will work. I don't think it's too necessary to bundle with games, but it's nice nonetheless.

 

[RupeeClock]

It's not a price cut that the Vita needs anyway. It needs better third party support, devs are extremely hesitant to even develop for a system that is still being outsold weekly by the PSP in japan.
What it might even need is for Sony's nightmare to come true, for it to get hacked, let the way of homebrew and piracy actually kick in and then FINALLY units might shift, and also be retained if they can at least load up a SNES emulator.

Although the 3DS was able to achieve a price cut by switching to cheaper screens, compare a launch 3DS to a current 3DS or 3DS XL.

 

[Sterling]

It's not a price cut that the Vita needs anyway. It needs better third party support, devs are extremely hesitant to even develop for a system that is still being outsold weekly by the PSP in japan.
What it might even need is for Sony's nightmare to come true, for it to get hacked, let the way of homebrew and piracy actually kick in and then FINALLY units might shift, and also be retained if they can at least load up a SNES emulator.

Although the 3DS was able to achieve a price cut by switching to cheaper screens, compare a launch 3DS to a current 3DS or 3DS XL.

Honestly, it really needs both a price cut and better 3rd party support. I'd also like it to be hacked, but we can't all have our way. At any rate, the Vita at this moment is only treading water in the middle of the ocean. It isn't going anywhere fast, and there isn't any land to stay on. If something doesn't come to rescue it, it might just get eaten by a shark (or worse), or drown. Its looking a bit grim for it IMO, but that doesn't mean it can't pick up.

 

[RupeeClock]

It's not a price cut that the Vita needs anyway. It needs better third party support, devs are extremely hesitant to even develop for a system that is still being outsold weekly by the PSP in japan.
What it might even need is for Sony's nightmare to come true, for it to get hacked, let the way of homebrew and piracy actually kick in and then FINALLY units might shift, and also be retained if they can at least load up a SNES emulator.

Although the 3DS was able to achieve a price cut by switching to cheaper screens, compare a launch 3DS to a current 3DS or 3DS XL.

Honestly, it really needs both a price cut and better 3rd party support. I'd also like it to be hacked, but we can't all have our way. At any rate, the Vita at this moment is only treading water in the middle of the ocean. It isn't going anywhere fast, and there isn't any land to stay on. If something doesn't come to rescue it, it might just get eaten by a shark (or worse), or drown. Its looking a bit grim for it IMO, but that doesn't mean it can't pick up.

Of course a price cut helps immensely, but people are willing to pay for something worth investing in.
Say for example, Monster Hunter, or Dragon Quest, these are huge deals in japan and sell systems. Unfortunately these titles are going to the 3DS right now.
They are due to get Persona 4 Gold, but I think it's just a port of the PS2 title, as opposed to something new.

If the Vita got its price cut but still had nothing worth while, people will soon trade the system in for something else. The retention rate is extremely important here, they need a large installed user base to actually buy new titles.

It also doesn't help that the Vita has no backwards compatibility with physical PSP games, sure you can always buy them from PSN, but who wants to buy a game they already own?

 

[insidexdeath]

Third Party support? I thought it actually has solid third party games coming for it? Sure it's not Monster Hunter(I don't even understand why it's so hyped) or Dragon Quest, but it has few upcoming good games.

 

[Issac]

It IS a price cut I want. There are sure enough games out there for me to be satisfied with. I don't have much time to play, and If there are three games I want to play, that'll keep me busy for quite some time until more games come. However, I'm a poor bastard So I can't afford a vita at the moment. And even if I did, the price is a little high, not saying that the console isn't worth it! It's just generally high.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Third Party support? I thought it actually has solid third party games coming for it? Sure it's not Monster Hunter(I don't even understand why it's so hyped) or Dragon Quest, but it has few upcoming good games.

Plus Monster Hunter and Dragon Quest only really sell in Japan and for some reason people on GBAtemp think that the entire world is just Japan.

 

[RupeeClock]

Third Party support? I thought it actually has solid third party games coming for it? Sure it's not Monster Hunter(I don't even understand why it's so hyped) or Dragon Quest, but it has few upcoming good games.

Plus Monster Hunter and Dragon Quest only really sell in Japan and for some reason people on GBAtemp think that the entire world is just Japan.

There you go again with your enormous presumptions.

Dragon Quest is doing a bit better in the West these days, and there definitely appears to be something of a market for Monster Hunter over here as well, just not an especially large of one compared to some others.
In gaming circles these titles are big hits, as opposed to people who do play games but aren't as big a part of their life, who are kinda the biggest slice of the pie when it comes to the gaming industry now.

The gaming industry as a whole is shifting in a similar direction to film, with more and more people wanting to go see a Michael Bay action flick.

 

[insidexdeath]

Dragon Quest does sell well in the west, but of course not as much as it does in Japan, that's what Guild is trying to say. Monster Hunter? It's just a title that's famous and well known in Japan, it never really got the attention it got in Japan or any crazy sales.

---

 

[Issac]

Dragon Quest does sell well in the west, but of course not as much as it does in Japan, that's what Guild is trying to say. Monster Hunter? It's just a title that's famous and well known in Japan, it never really got the attention it got in Japan or any crazy sales.

---

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Indeed it's just what I want. And as I also said, it's worth it's price, it's just a bit high for me financially. and for me, more games wouldn't change that fact. Sure, maybe it lacks system sellers... I have games I want to play on it any way, once I can afford it.

What do you consider a system seller?

 

[GameWinner]

No price cuts just yet, but give us more bundles instead. That way someone could get the system, a game, and maybe a memory card (optional). I'm interested in the LittleBigPlanet bundle that was mentioned that's for sure and I'm willing to shell out some money for it.

 

[Issac]

Indeed it's just what I want. And as I also said, it's worth it's price, it's just a bit high for me financially. and for me, more games wouldn't change that fact. Sure, maybe it lacks system sellers... I have games I want to play on it any way, once I can afford it.

What do you consider a system seller?

Games that people will buy a system for? I'm not the person saying the vita needs system sellers. (and also, I want to play katamari for example, but that might not be regarded a system seller generally, just because I have it as a game that'd make me buy the system).

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

Well that's a shame. No Vita for me this year then

 

[Satangel]

Well that's a shame. No Vita for me this year then

QFT. I'm happy to see they are working on it though, and all those new games being announced.

 

[Hyro-Sama]

 

[Gahars]

I think that the main focus right now should be on building up the Vita's library (and after the Gamescom presentation, they're taking big steps in the right direction). After that, win back any fence sitters with an attractive price cut.

That sort of strategy should help the Vita build up some momentum.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Judging by the majority of posts about the Vita, if they were able to bundle at least a 4GB memory card with the Vita, maybe we would see a drastic decrease in whiners.

 

[Clydefrosch]

thats what they get for cutting the price way in advance before they ever released the console.
now they cant cut the price to make it look like a good deal anymore.