I thought this was a great article from Joystick Division, that comments on the merits for dedicated portable gaming systems.
Some complain that the majority of portable games aren’t suited to pick up and play sessions. I’d argue that that isn’t what portable gaming is for anymore. I’m not sure that’s what it was ever for, actually. The market has evolved and, if that’s what you’re looking for, then mobile is absolutely the way to go. But while there are also plenty of quick-fix games available on portable consoles, what I look for in these devices is something that will give me a console experience in the palm of my hands.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. The real question is at what price will portable consoles survive? Are we at a point where the economy is driving slower sales? While everyone doesn’t need a top tier smartphone, I can’t think of anyone I know that doesn’t have some sort of smartphone, even an older generation one just used for taking calls on the go.
Portable gaming is different – it is a luxury, and as more and more casual gamers (even my wife plays games on her Razor and Kindle Fire) join the ranks of gaming, a $29-49 game is going to be a tougher and tougher sale. You can’t compare any of these casual experiences to something offered on the Vita or 3DS, be it a Mario or Uncharted title, but there is a price to pay for a quality portable gaming experience.
It should be really interesting to see how things play out with Nintendo and Sony over the next 9-18 months.
Sony can’t blame it on the economy when smart phones and tablets are selling well — it’ll be interesting to see how many Nexus 7 tablets Google sells, because a lot of people buying it said they didn’t see the point of tablets.
Sony didn’t help themselves with things like the proprietary memory cards. I’m sure that alienated some people.
There are some interesting ideas in the Vita but you wonder if it made it difficult for them to cut costs. Sure people thought you were getting a lot of value when Sony first announced the price. But now, there are or will be phones with faster chips, while the multicore design of the Vita SOC may make it difficult to cut prices. The back touch pad may also be an additional cost item that may end up not being widely used.
Yet Sony may have to find a way to cut prices, at least $50 if not more. With just about every passing month, a compelling device comes out, not to necessarily outperform the Vita but basically to attract potential Vita buyers away.
Nintendo cut prices drastically and sales improved a bit but they are said not to be making much if any money on the hardware. They have better software, especially in Japan, to keep a following.
But if they can’t make money on hardware, why bother with hardware?
re blaming the economy – I think you are right, but smart phones and tablets are just viewed differently than a portable video game system. I agree with you 100% on the Nexus 7 tablet; I may pick one up as well, but I not considered a typical consumer.
re memory cards – Agree with you, mostly. The reality is that every Sony system has always had proprietary memory cards. Sony will claim it was for piracy, but I’m sure there are huge margins to be made. As I have written many times, at this point Sony needs to start packing in a memory card just to help get consumers past the psychological hurdle of having to pony up extra money.
re hardware – I don’t think system are ever made with short term profits in mind. The goal is to push software; license fees are the mint.
I have written about this several times, and I am convinced that it will help. Maybe not make the Vita move like hotcakes, but at least get it going forward. If Sony isn’t going to cut the base price of the system, they need to add in a 4GB memory card, include a full game (physical or downloadable), and a PSN voucher for a $15 game. I really think that would make a huge difference.
I think Sony is waiting to see what happens at Christmas, but if they don’t attempt to market the Vita, they are going to be in a serious hole.
As a side note, I just saw that Amazon has a deal similar to what I was suggesting above – buy a Vita and get a 4GB memory card + Mortal Kombat. Not sure if that is enough to also overcome the $249.99 (WiFi) or $291.99 (3G) price shock.
Similar deals have also been ran in the past. Even if Sony drops the price of the Vita, I think all bundles should include a memory card; the Madden bundle does not, but at least you get a free game. Not sure what the upcoming Assassins Creed bundle will include.
Neo Geo is coming out with a portable version of the old console, with a bunch of games built in:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/08/classic-neo-geo-console-returning-as-200-licensed-portable/
Odd that it has HDMI but it doesn’t seem to have upgraded hardware so it might still be low resolution on your TV.
Thanks for the link – interesting article, and at that price point, it really falls into the “niche” market. I don’t see how they will make money at that price point.
I have to mention that the NeoGeo Pocket Color is one of my all-time favorite handheld systems. Too bad it never received the love it deserved. I had to import almost every game because it was damn near impossible to find anything in the U.S.
Memories …