Sony Announces PS Vita Price Drop in Japan

[VanQ]

This was bound to happen eventually. Most people I know in Japan were waiting for a price cut, they're most likely rushing out to their nearest Bikku Camera to grab a Vita as we speak. I hope they slash the price in the west soon, if the install base gets a bit bigger, we might see a lot more companies willing to localize that delicious Japanese library of games.

Took them long enough.

I'm not trying to be catty or anything but is there any reason to get a Vita instead of a 3DS except for Persona 4 The Golden?

Check out a couple of my recent posts about the Vita here:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.401242-Poll-The-3DS-or-the-Vita#16521132
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.400887-Question-for-the-Region-Free-Vita-Players#16496356
The second link has a nice info graphic in the spoiler. There's a lot of good reason to buy a Vita now, especially if they cut the price.

Oh and guys, the Vita is 100% region free and you select the language at startup. I bought my Vita in Japan and the OS is in all English. Nothing stopping anyone from importing it cheap from Japan whatsoever.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

How much are they nowadays in the US or UK? Is there a homebrew scene yet? What's battery life like? Are the memory cards still exorbitant?

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

about bloody time. However, this still doesn't alleviate ANOTHER problem with the system: the price of memory cards. The Vita's memory cards are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. It's another advantage the 3DS has; instead of proprietary memory Nintendo just allows cheap, common SD cards to be used.

 

[Beautiful End]

Eh, just wait for the Vita slim to come out bundled with a free game or something. It will be a better, cheaper deal.

We all know its bound to happen!

 

[weirdee]

people will compare this to Nintendo's 20 free games from when it downgraded the price and will not be that impressed

that is, if they're paying attention at all while playing fire emblem or monster hunter 3 or luigi's mansion or pokemon mystery dungeon or SMT or animal crossing or m&l or etrian odyssey 4 or pokemon

 

[Little Gray]

Took them long enough.

I'm not trying to be catty or anything but is there any reason to get a Vita instead of a 3DS except for Persona 4 The Golden?

Yes actually there is. Its the exact same reason that somebody would buy a 3ds over a vita. Hint hint its because they like the games that are out on that system.

 

[Terramax]

Might sound crazy, but i got my monies worth from Everybody's Golf alone. I couldn't tell you how many hours I've put into that (possibly in the thousands mark). I'll admit though that there aren't many games for the system I'm interested in, being an arcade gamer n all, but I guess it depends one what kinds of games you fancy? Lots of people seem to be enjoying Assassin's Creed, LittleBigPlanet, and Uncharted the most.

I've spent most of my time playing PSP and PSone games tbh.

I remember playing that game on like the PSP or something... shit was addictive

Most of the replies I got said Gravity Rush is pretty good. Do you have that?

Yes, I actually bought the Vita just for that game. Gravity Rush is a pretty good game, but it has its flaws. The battles get old pretty fast, and the ending is very sudden with a few loss ends. But the game is worth playing for the story and atmosphere. The music is also pretty darn good. Not worth buying the system for, but if you do ever get a Vita, put it on your want list I'd say.

Ironically, I got Everybody's Golf as well, and that ended up playing that way more.

Most of what I play on handhelds are JRPG's, platformers and the odd quirky thing like Mario Kart or Theatrhythm.

This is what I don't get about Sony. The PSP ended up being THE console for JRPGs, and yet they're almost nowhere to be seen on Western Vitas (but there's a shedload in Japan's Vita collection). I would've thought Sony were aware JRPGs were actually quite the selling point for their systems by now.

 

[Terramax]

people will compare this to Nintendo's 20 free games from when it downgraded the price and will not be that impressed

Weren't those 20 nes games, that NO ONE wanted to play?

that is, if they're paying attention at all while playing fire emblem or monster hunter 3 or luigi's mansion or pokemon mystery dungeon or SMT or animal crossing or m&l or etrian odyssey 4 or pokemon

But can't play games like Persona 4, Liberation, Everybody's Golf, Gravity rush and Uncharted? XD

I hate to break it to you, but not everyone wants to play Nintendo games. I mean, I owned a 3DS too, but I didn't buy for those games.

 

[Baldr]

The line up is another issue, the 3DS is really starting to flesh out and the lineup for it for this year is quite plump and juicy, lots of interesting stuff and meaty RPG's to sink my teeth into. I really did have high hopes for the Vita and if it gets a hefty price slash and memory becomes affordable and it gets games I really want I'll grab one, but for now the 3DS is easily my main handheld (hell I often play it over my home systems and PC at the moment, can't wait for Luigis Mansion!!)

Yeah, horses for courses really. Once I bought my Vita, I never played my 3DS again, and sold it about 4 months later, but I know I'm in the minority. Indeed, I'm surprised that JRPGs are still popular enough in the west to sway people to get a 3DS instead.

Ironically, here in Japan, there's a tonne of JRPGs out for the Vita already, but no-one in the West has decided to translate them over. If I were Sony, I would hire a small crackteam into translating each and every one of them (even though I personally don't like JRPGs).

Most of what I play on handhelds are JRPG's, platformers and the odd quirky thing like Mario Kart or Theatrhythm. Pokemon shifts nintendo systems for me still believe it or not. I also love TBS and SRPG's and Nintendo caters to the west better for that mostly, whereas Sony seems content to provide fps's and the odd tps and I'm just not that interested in those experiences as handheld ones.

As dumb as it sounds I like to play handhelds in bed with a good RPG or something like that. I'm currently replaying the Mario & Luigi games for example, though I don't think I'd call those JRPG's.

Yeah, I just bought a 3DS in anticipation for pokemon X and Y and all that other things that come with it for Black and White 2, and to transfer everything from my old DS over to the new games. I haven't actually bought a 3DS game yet.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

people will compare this to Nintendo's 20 free games from when it downgraded the price and will not be that impressed

Weren't those 20 nes games, that NO ONE wanted to play?

No, 10 were NES (Mostly good ones with a few odd choices like Donkey Kong Jr.), 10 were Gameboy Advanced (Yoshi's Island GBA, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, etc). I know because I bought my 3DS before the Price Drop.

OT: Good for Japan, doesn't mean diddle here in America, and still not buying a Vita.

 

[Terramax]

No, 10 were NES (Mostly good ones with a few odd choices like Donkey Kong Jr.), 10 were Gameboy Advanced (Yoshi's Island GBA, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, etc). I know because I bought my 3DS before the Price Drop.

Ah, right. Let me write this down.

"10 Nes games, and 10 GBA games nobody wanted to play" XD

 

[weirdee]

No, 10 were NES (Mostly good ones with a few odd choices like Donkey Kong Jr.), 10 were Gameboy Advanced (Yoshi's Island GBA, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, etc). I know because I bought my 3DS before the Price Drop.

Ah, right. Let me write this down.

"10 Nes games, and 10 GBA games nobody wanted to play" XD

I'll give you the NES games because y'know, NES games (at least they picked the iconic ones)

but

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
Wario Land 4
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

you can only call like three of those terrible

 

[Terramax]

No, 10 were NES (Mostly good ones with a few odd choices like Donkey Kong Jr.), 10 were Gameboy Advanced (Yoshi's Island GBA, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, etc). I know because I bought my 3DS before the Price Drop.

Ah, right. Let me write this down.

"10 Nes games, and 10 GBA games nobody wanted to play" XD

I'll give you the NES games because y'know, NES games (at least they picked the iconic ones)

but

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
Wario Land 4
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

you can only call like three of those terrible

Ah, right....10 GBA games nobody wanted.

 

[The White Hunter]

This is what I don't get about Sony. The PSP ended up being THE console for JRPGs, and yet they're almost nowhere to be seen on Western Vitas (but there's a shedload in Japan's Vita collection). I would've thought Sony were aware JRPGs were actually quite the selling point for their systems by now.

Yeah the thing is that Sony is kind of... dumb, to say the least. Sony Europe is outright retarded you should see the comments section on the store blog it's basically people asking when we get that game that the US got 8 months ago...

 

[Terramax]

Yeah the thing is that Sony is kind of... dumb, to say the least. Sony Europe is outright retarded you should see the comments section on the store blog it's basically people asking when we get that game that the US got 8 months ago...

Haha. Do Sony every respond?

 

[The White Hunter]

The line up is another issue, the 3DS is really starting to flesh out and the lineup for it for this year is quite plump and juicy, lots of interesting stuff and meaty RPG's to sink my teeth into. I really did have high hopes for the Vita and if it gets a hefty price slash and memory becomes affordable and it gets games I really want I'll grab one, but for now the 3DS is easily my main handheld (hell I often play it over my home systems and PC at the moment, can't wait for Luigis Mansion!!)

Yeah, horses for courses really. Once I bought my Vita, I never played my 3DS again, and sold it about 4 months later, but I know I'm in the minority. Indeed, I'm surprised that JRPGs are still popular enough in the west to sway people to get a 3DS instead.

Ironically, here in Japan, there's a tonne of JRPGs out for the Vita already, but no-one in the West has decided to translate them over. If I were Sony, I would hire a small crackteam into translating each and every one of them (even though I personally don't like JRPGs).

Most of what I play on handhelds are JRPG's, platformers and the odd quirky thing like Mario Kart or Theatrhythm. Pokemon shifts nintendo systems for me still believe it or not. I also love TBS and SRPG's and Nintendo caters to the west better for that mostly, whereas Sony seems content to provide fps's and the odd tps and I'm just not that interested in those experiences as handheld ones.

As dumb as it sounds I like to play handhelds in bed with a good RPG or something like that. I'm currently replaying the Mario & Luigi games for example, though I don't think I'd call those JRPG's.

Yeah, I just bought a 3DS in anticipation for pokemon X and Y and all that other things that come with it for Black and White 2, and to transfer everything from my old DS over to the new games. I haven't actually bought a 3DS game yet.

I've bought a few games so far lemme see whats there...

Star Fox, Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario Bros 2, Mario Kart 7, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts DDD and Sonic Generations.

There's a lot coming this year that I want, Pokemon X & Y being the tip of the iceberg with things like Luigis Mansion and a new Mario & Luigi game!

 

[The White Hunter]

Yeah the thing is that Sony is kind of... dumb, to say the least. Sony Europe is outright retarded you should see the comments section on the store blog it's basically people asking when we get that game that the US got 8 months ago...

Haha. Do Sony every respond?

I tyhink the blog team manager or something responds and most of the time he's just saying "I don't have any news for you".

It's pretty bullshitty tbh.

Took like 6 years to get Symphony of the Night and then it was fuckin £8 with no discount for +.