Sony Pushes PS Vita's Western Release Back to 2012

[Logan Westbrook]

Sony Pushes PS Vita's Western Release Back to 2012

The release date for the PS Vita is changing, but the price is not.

Nintendo has one fewer competitor to worry about in the handheld race over the holiday season, as Sony has announced that its follow up to the PSP, the PS Vita, will not make it to the West until early 2012, confirming fears from earlier in the year.

Comments made by SCEA boss Jack Tretton led many to believe that the devastating earthquake in Japan would push the launch of the Vita back from its Winter 2011 window. Sony was quick to issue a statement saying that it hadn't changed its plans for the Vita, although it didn't completely rule out the possibility that it would.

It was Sony Executive VP Kaz Hirai announced the Vita delay, although he didn't actually call it a delay; instead, he said that Sony wanted to have a strong library of games ready to go at launch. It's not known at this time exactly when the new release date will be, although some believe that March is the most likely time - not unlike Nintendo's 3DS.

Hirai made it clear that Sony had no intention of dropping the Vita price to bring it back in line with the 3DS however. He said that Sony had put a lot into the Vita and made it very affordable, and added that Sony did not feel the need to alter its pricing - $250 for the Wi-Fi model and $299 for the 3G versions - just because a rival had.

Source: MSN Money [http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20110804&id=14046022] via Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-04-vita-out-in-europe-and-us-early-next-year]


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[zelda2fanboy]

It's getting difficult to tell whose handheld is going to fail. The 3DS might just win out of dumb luck.

 

[GeorgW]

This isn't pushing back a release, the release date has always been fiscal year 2011, IE any time before next march. Sure I was hoping for an X-mas release, but I always knew it wouldn't happen. Anyway, let's hope they don't completely fuck up the launch like some others did...

 

[Something Amyss]

They're holding out for the apocalypse. Spendng goes notably up during apocalypses.

 

[Stall]

Ouch. Not launching before Christmas thus missing the entire holiday season is really going to hurt the PSV's launch. If the pushback is being done so that the system launches with a strong library of games (as they claim), then things might work out well.

I'm still looking forward to how the PSV. It should be interesting. I found the PSP to be a pretty strong handheld that just lacked the huge financial success I think Sony was hoping for. I have a good feeling about the PSV.

 

[Project_Xii]

Hmm. This really is going to be an interesting generation of handhelds. Vita's features look impressive, but will it ever come close to the sales of DS in the West? The original PSP came no where near; I just don't know if Vita will have what it takes either.

They're holding out for the apocalypse. Spendng goes notably up during apocalypses.

Lol, when I read that, all I had was that well known meme, running through my head: "I'm gonna get that ***** an apocalypse. Bitches loves apocalypses."

 

[Griffolion]

Lol, when I read that, all I had was that well known meme, running through my head: "I'm gonna get that ***** an apocalypse. Bitches loves apocalypses."

Lol, I had the bear grylls meme. "PS Vita delayed? Better drink my own piss."

 

[siffty]

Excuse me for one second


KHANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Ok where were we, ah yes will be a bummer.

 

[Serving UpSmiles]

*ahem*

Yeah I was looking forward to this, oh well Ill just get a 3DS.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

It's probably a good thing though. IIRC When the PS3 first came out there wasn't alot of games for it at first, plus the Wifi+3G is still only $299 which imo is well affordable for whats packed into it.

My main curiosity is what happens to our PSP games. will we be able to play them on it or will this be the first time sony halted a game generation? (unlike Nintendo's consoles, NES cant play on SNES cant play on N64 cant play on NGC only some play on Wii...god knows whats going on with WiiU)

 

[FallenTraveler]

It's probably a good thing though. IIRC When the PS3 first came out there wasn't alot of games for it at first, plus the Wifi+3G is still only $299 which imo is well affordable for whats packed into it.

My main curiosity is what happens to our PSP games. will we be able to play them on it or will this be the first time sony halted a game generation? (unlike Nintendo's consoles)

No UMD's but there may be a chance that we can get them in digital form, I just have no idea how they're going to do that.

On the bright side any downloaded games from psn for psp will work

 

[Eiv]

I think they are making a smart move. The 3DS suffered from bad sales due to all their power players not releasing games til 2-3 months after release. What Sony are effectively doing is making sure that the first impression is the best impression.

I personally like the "its ready when its ready", approach. Nice move Sony, finally you seem to be doing something right this year .

 

[zidine100]

It's probably a good thing though. IIRC When the PS3 first came out there wasn't alot of games for it at first, plus the Wifi+3G is still only $299 which imo is well affordable for whats packed into it.

My main curiosity is what happens to our PSP games. will we be able to play them on it or will this be the first time sony halted a game generation? (unlike Nintendo's consoles)

No UMD's but there may be a chance that we can get them in digital form, I just have no idea how they're going to do that.

easily, your going to have to buy them again, when and if they decide to put them up.

what can you really expect anything else, excuse me for being pessimistic.

 

[Aisaku]

It's beginning to look a lot like the previous console generation. 3DS selling at a cheaper price, PSV staying its ground. Unfortunately for the 3DS, their reputedly inferior graphics, plus the lack of titles I'd like to play NOW, gives the Vita an edge in my book. No samey samey 1st party titles for me, Nintendo, I'll pass. (Save for the rumored port of Layton VS Ace Attorney, which may or may not happen).

 

[Fensfield]

Hey, I may actually be able to buy the thing when it's released after all o.o

 

[Latinidiot]

I'm just surprised they made it that cheap. I mean, 250 isn't a lot of money.

 

[The_Emperor]

handhelds that cost more than consoles and certain laptops? no thnx to either of them.

 

[Project_Xii]

So now our only measure of success is "does it do better than the best dedicated handheld ever released"? Seriously?

Ummm... yes? Pretty much. If consumers have only two choices in handheld gaming devices (that aren't phone/apple based), of course they're going to be compared to one another.

I work in Gamestop/EB Games. I've got to see the entire retail life of both consoles, and the stigma each one has built up over it's life. I've gotten to see the DS wall expand and expand to eventually encompass 1/4 of the stores merchandising space, while PSP dwindled from a tiny section of wall that never got any bigger, to one side of a two-way floor stand. I think that's a pretty decent representation of the PSP originals "success".

Though Vita has some interesting features, it's still basically the PSP with better graphics and some touch-screen gimmicks. It's also more expensive, and less accessible to the growing "casual" market. So even if the console is technically better in every way: hardware, graphics, games etc. it still competing with the DS at every turn. Whoever gets the most sales will be deemed "the succes", it's just the way the industry works.

I'm eager to see how they make us market the Vita, cause honestly we've had zero interest in it so far, and I doubt that'll increase much. Especially since most of the people who purchased the PSP are now trading them into us, saying they barely ever played the thing. No doubt Vita will take off in Japan just like the PSP did, but the west? Hmmm. Well, we'll have to see.

 

[The_Emperor]

I'm just surprised they made it that cheap. I mean, 250 isn't a lot of money.

bout 156 pounds sterling, thats like a weeks worth of food for a family of four or five.

That's a lot of money to some people

that's a fortune to some one in India.