Sell The PlayStation Vita Yourself, Sony

Posted on Friday, January 25 @ 13:22:32 Eastern by Anthony Severino

As if PlayStation Vita sales figures weren't bleak enough, even Sony is beginning to show signs of distress. In a new promotion, Sony is offering a $20 PSN card and "tons of Sony Rewards points" to PSN users who can convince their friends to purchase a PlayStation Vita. Except, this doesn't come off the way Sony intended—it comes off as desperate.

Whatever Sony's intention with this promotion, it feels more like they're begging users to sell the PlayStation Vita for them, since Sony can't sell it effectively themselves. Granted, word of mouth is the best sales strategy a company can hope for, but Sony is putting these words into the mouths of their users. For shame.

[This promotion also implies that people weren't already telling their friends to purchase the Vita. What does that say about the product? ~Ed. Nick]

I, for one, absolutely love the PlayStation Vita hardware. I've been singing its praises from day one. You can even read my original review of the hardware from launch. But that was then, and this is now. Back then, there was a lot of promise. There was a clear pipeline of interesting software ready to release for the system. There was the promise of remote play, which still works just as poorly as it did on the PSP. There was even the promise of a Call of Duty game—a sure system-seller, right? That didn't turn out so well.

Now, I can count the number of upcoming titles on one hand. Maybe two. Software has dried up, and the heavy hitters that were supposed to move units turned out to be duds. Meanwhile, the 3DS has gained some serious steam, and the freight train known as Apple shows no signs of slowing anytime soon, constantly eating away at the handheld market share.

Come Februrary 22nd, the PlayStation Vita will have been on the market for an entire year. It still lacks that must -have game that sells the system. So instead, Sony is relying on people who can see the quality of the hardware to convince their friends to buy one.

As much as I love the PlayStation Vita, I couldn't in good faith tell my friends it's this must-buy system due to the current software outlook. I say "current," because I'm sure more software—better software, even—is on the way. It's just not here now. (On that note, I'll be going hands-on with new Vita games next week at a special event.)

What might work? A price drop. Take that $20 you're using to entice people to convince their friends to buy a Vita, and take it off the top of each Vita sold. The Vita's a great system even at $250. Getting that price down will only increase the perceived value of the hardware. Continue to offer an even greater value through PlayStation Plus. Which brings me to the next point: Cut the price of the memory already, Sony!

Currently, it's $100 for a 32GB memory card. $60 for a 16GB card. That's outrageous and insulting, considering the cost of comparable memory cards that aren't Sony's proprietary cards. Anything less than 16GB is going to get filled up with one fell swoop of PS Plus Instant Game Collection. It's not worth buying, unless you want to slap down money for another card in the following week.

So, Sony—rather than asking your users to become snake oil salesmen, pitching a product that's currently a hard sell, do something to make it an easy sell. Drop the price. Make memory less expensive. And really get out there to garner developer support to keep the software flowing. It's a great system, and we all know it, but only Sony is to blame for the current sales situation. Asking people to sell it for you is embarrassing, and it's not going to work until you make people want to buy it. You're asking users to do your job. Now get to it and sell the PlayStation Vita yourselves.

Oh, and BTW—will you please buy a PlayStation Vita? I could use the PSN credit.

Tags: PS vita, Sony

Comments

xDUMPWEEDx
Joined: Jan 2012

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
Not the least bit interested in Vita. I still have my PSP Go loaded up with awesome games that I'm completely happy with. The Vita has a tiny library and developer support has dried up.

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Ivory_Soul
Joined: Nov 2005

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 2:02 pm
I own one and I'm trying to convince my friends NOT to buy one. I'm telling them to hold off a year or two until there's a larger library or at least the killer app comes around. It also costs way to much money to start up ($300-400).

1 3

shandog137
Joined: Mar 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Sony and their dang misunderstanding of ideal market price points...$300 - $400 handheld with **** library...it's okay to learn from mistakes

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BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:52 pm
SONY infuriated me when I heard that you couldn't use the ubiquitous memory stick duos - you had to now use their new overpriced proprietary format.

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LawnGnome
Joined: Apr 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 2:37 pm
At this point, Sony would have to make every PSP & PS1 Classics game available for free download for life to get me to buy a Vita. Sony can't be making that much money on those games anymore, so why not use your great past-gen library to sell some hardware?

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wildmario
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 2:47 pm
What happened, Sony?

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BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
What happened?

THEY WERE SO GREEDY, they tried to nickel and dime gamers for every dime they could while returning games inferior to the FREE and cheap games on iOS and Android.

What happened?

They were STUPID. They released the Xperia Play and PSP GO thinking gamers were STUPID ENOUGH to buy a system that required us to redownload games digitally - knowing that a new system is right around the corner.

SONY'S behavior reminds me of what eventually killed SEGA when they tried to sucker gamers into crap like the Saturn, Neptune, 32X, Sega CD and Dreamcast. They kept releasing new crap without obvious improvements over old stuff - meanwhile they were having their azzez kicked by another company in sales - namels SONY.

Now, that "Sony" is APPLE.

3 1

hempy420
Joined: Apr 2012

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 4:08 am
Sega Neptune was never released. Also if you don't think the Dreamcast was an improvement over the Saturn which was a huge improvement over the Genesis than your a ****ing idiot. Oh and I have no interest in ever owning a Vita.

"They kept releasing new crap without obvious improvements over old stuff"

The words of a serious moron.

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BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 7:28 am
The Dreamcast was such an improvement THAT IT BROUGHT DOWN THE ENTIRE COMPANY!!!

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De-Ting
Joined: Nov 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Yeah, the cost of the memory cards is the number one thing that's keeping me from buying one. No amount of my friends saying "dude, buy a Vita" is going to get me to finally do it, Sony.

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213EDD
Joined: Sep 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
I want to buy this, yet, at the same time I don't want another hardware sitting around gathering dust until some good titles decide to show themselves

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Axelownz
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:25 pm
The only way i would tell my friends to buy a Vita is to get a bundle with a memory card and a good game they want. I got the AC3 bundle with a memory card, which is good for me because i love AC and really wanted to play it.

My Vita gets alot of playtime though from Persona 4 Golden alone though.

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xDUMPWEEDx
Joined: Jan 2012

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Does anyone else still think that "Vita" was a poor name choice for the console? It's not even remotely cool IMO.

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wildmario
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 4:25 pm
Almost sounds like Vista

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Heath_Hindman
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 10:49 pm
Seriously, I have heard at least two people IRL call it the "PlayStation Vista."

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wildmario
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 10:56 am
lol wow that had to be cringe worthy

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BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:42 pm
Before I talk about what an abysmal disappointment SONY has been to me over the years, let me first mention yet another dismal disappointment: THE NEO GEO X.

It has such a long list of fails that it's astounding. You can't save games, you don't have unlimited continues, video out to HDTV's is poor, it can't charge without its dock, and it's $200 to name a few.

Back to Sony...

Every single product they release feels inherently flawed and overpriced. The PSP GO should have NEVER EXISTED. The PSP VITA should have been released in its place. For SONY and NINTENDO to lose their portable gaming spot to THE IPOD TOUCH, is proof that they should have been retooling YEARS AGO.

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BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
IF I WERE IN CHARGE:

I'd have released a handheld named "PSP^2" and "PSP^2 cellular".

The PSP^2 would have been released A YEAR EARLIER than the PSP GO and wouldn't have had the stupid touch panel on back (to cut costs). Instead of trying to hold onto every penny, I'd have embraced the ANDROID MARKET. Android OS is open sourced and free - unlike iOS. There is no room on the market for a third choice - as we learned from Web OS before that idiot Fiorina started selling everything off.

The Cellular PSP^2 would have been an Android-updateable PHONE capable of everything the Galaxy S is capable of. If that sounds odd, keep in mind, it's the same thing they did with the XPERIA play - which FAILED because of the lack of hype in relation to Apple's stuff.

I can't wait till SONY goes BANKRUPT. THEY DESERVE IT.

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wildmario
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 4:26 pm
I think you mean you want the head honchos to suffer. I'm sure you don't want their lower level employees to suffer too, right?

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sandineyes
Joined: May 2008

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Rather than give away 20 bucks and pay for all the marketing, lower the price to 200. Really, I know that the handheld and console markets don't overlap that much, but considering I don't own a PS3, seeing that system which has many good games next to the Vita, which has few good games, at the same price looks insane to me.

Also, I'm kinda interested in finding out what Monster Hunter is all about, but I don't want to buy another Nintendo console, or play it on the Wii. Sony should really be doing whatever they can to get it on their system, considering its popularity.

0 1

moretokes
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
I love my vita but I bought mine on kijiji for 140 with gravity rush and 8 gig memory, I love the interface but I couldn't justify paying 300 or something. For this

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Gaseous_Snake
Joined: Dec 2012

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 5:01 pm
The vita is worth 300 based on the hardware but it takes Sony too long too develop a halfway decent library to make people want to buy it. Plus they don't have any handheld franchises that die hard fans want like Zelda, Mario, Metroid, or Pokemon, so they will also be losing to Nintendo in the portable battle.

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Gaseous_Snake
Joined: Dec 2012

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 5:40 pm
The vita is worth 300 based on the hardware but it takes Sony too long too develop a halfway decent library to make people want to buy it. Plus they don't have any handheld franchises that die hard fans want like Zelda, Mario, Metroid, or Pokemon, so they will also be losing to Nintendo in the portable battle.

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t1pz0r
Joined: May 2008

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 5:48 pm
I still have one and my screen has stopped working. Not even sure if I want to fix it.

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DaVillain
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 5:51 pm
Oh Sony! You cease to surprise...and disappoint me :-/

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Ivory_Soul
Joined: Nov 2005

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 5:53 pm
The hardware itself is fine, but the is lacking games. I actually dusted off my PSP and started playing games on it again. There are a whole bunch I missed out on. That's bad when people of dusting off the PREDECESSOR to be entertained.

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xDUMPWEEDx
Joined: Jan 2012

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 2:30 am
I still prefer my PSP Go over the Vita to this day. If I were to buy a new handheld it would be a 3DS XL, not a Vita.

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damo_rox619
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
I bought a vita because seeing Indiana jones got me in an uncharted mood, and because I knew of the final fantasy X hd upgrade, slated for a 2022 release. Now I just use it for YouTube before bed every night, sure makes watching Halo fails of the weak easy, but it's not enough to justify the system price

0 1

elmoreoocyte
Joined: Apr 2012

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 7:02 pm
The Vita sounds really awesome in premise. I don't live in an area with Mass Transit, I drive myself to work, and if I want to play a game I can wait until I get home to play it on my flat screen.

I am obviously not the niche' audience.

0 1

Imnickson
Joined: Jul 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 8:37 pm
I remember how everyone was so excited when Sony announced the $250 price point. I guess people can't not get that new ithing every year.

It's unfortunate but the system is still great. If Sony drops the system tomorrow, I would still say it was worth it, to me

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Imnickson
Joined: Jul 2006

Posted: Jan 25th, 2013 at 8:40 pm
I don't have a problem with this promotion. Their are tons of companies that do things like this, most TV providers, banks, apartments, the company that built my house does it.

It's free marketing and it's not shameful or desperate, of course Sony wants to sell more Vitas. They would want to sell more if they had already sold 200,000,000.

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Anthony_Severino
Joined: Oct 2010

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 7:30 am
You're right, that's a normal marketing strategy for companies. But usually when a product is already thriving. In this case, Sony is asking users to sell it because they can't themselves.

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pavlos
Joined: Dec 2012

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 4:45 am
oh Sony you silly penguin you !

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Heath_Hindman
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 5:20 am
Hey man. Hey.

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Bobert
Joined: Nov 2007

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 5:38 am
Is any one else disappointed that the Vita doesn't play the downloadable ps2 games? It is ridiculous that Sony hasn't brought this to the table. If they did, the game library complaints wouldn't be nearly as valid. And if they're worried about controls, they can just code touchscreen buttons in the emulator.

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moretokes
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Jan 26th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
On my vita I play a lot of ps2 games like mgs2 and odd world ff7 and I just bought resistance and unit 13. But my memory card is filled. I like downloading games , but I'm not paying 100 for a 32 gig memory card that only Sony makes. In the end though it is truly going to come down to a price drop and. A bigger library.

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