PS Vita Impressions! Vita Digital Purchases Beating PS3 - no NA price cuts

[Azhag]

Eh, I think it'll be ok once price drops. Right now it's a lot more than the 3DS which finally has a decent library. So competing at the price point at launch may be hard. But I'll grab it if it drops.

[The Grue]

Which games are you First Edition guys buying?

Wipeout, Hot Shots Golf, Uncharted, Rayman Origins, BlazBlue, and Lumines

[Devil]

Uncharted - Hot Shots - Rayman

Hope I stick to that.

The Show is out in March, that's a system seller for me.

[EngineNo9]

As a fan of the Tenchu games, I thought that Shinobido 2 looked pretty fun if not a huge leap forward.

[msduncan]

[msduncan]

Vita sales continue downward.   

Down to just over 15k in Japan and Wipeout launched this week.   Wipeout didn't even crack the top 20.

Can someone please reassure me that I'm not taking a big giant dump on $350 and then setting it on fire?

[leo8877]

You're taking a big giant dump on $350. 

[CeeKay]

Vita sales continue downward.   

Down to just over 15k in Japan and Wipeout launched this week.   Wipeout didn't even crack the top 20.

Can someone please reassure me that I'm not taking a big giant dump on $350 and then setting it on fire?

I'm not 100% certain but I don't think any Vita title has cracked the top 20 yet.  I could be wrong, but I'll let someone else do the research to figure it out.  of course there really haven't been any big titles yet either.

[EngineNo9]

Personally I wouldn't be too worried about it yet.  Even when the 3DS first launched over there it was doing pretty poorly (selling less than the PSP), and that was with little competition.  Now the 3DS is doing pretty well in Japan with the new Monster Hunter and other games, so the Vita has more a direct competitor.

Besides, Japan has been pretty weird about game and hardware sales for the last few years and hardly resembles how things will go in the west.

[Devil]

Can someone please reassure me that I'm not taking a big giant dump on $350 and then setting it on fire?

Probably not the whole $350.

Look at it this way, you get to use the Vita for a full 2 months before the price drop to $250, so you'll only be taking a dump on about $100. Even with that, you got 2 months of use out of it, so think of it as a $50/month rental for the first 2 months before anyone else bought it.

Plus. 2 Words: Ambassadors Club!

Battle Arena Toshinden AND ESPN Extreme Games?!? On your Vita!?? How could that not be worth $350 alone!?

What were the 360 sales numbers in Japan?

[msduncan]

Just over 15k.   Like 15,200 or something

[Misguided]

I must sound like a broken record, but if they had just put in hardware-level ability to stream PS3 games to it (so it wasn't game-dependent), I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[TiLT]

I must sound like a broken record, but if they had just put in hardware-level ability to stream PS3 games to it (so it wasn't game-dependent), I would buy one in a heartbeat.

And how would they be able to deal with the four missing buttons, two of which are analogue? It has to be game-dependent to get around issues like that, and most games do use at least the trigger buttons if not the joystick buttons.

[Misguided]

I must sound like a broken record, but if they had just put in hardware-level ability to stream PS3 games to it (so it wasn't game-dependent), I would buy one in a heartbeat.

And how would they be able to deal with the four missing buttons, two of which are analogue? It has to be game-dependent to get around issues like that, and most games do use at least the trigger buttons if not the joystick buttons.

Well, they might have designed it so that there weren't four buttons missing, first off. Secondly, I don't see why they couldn't divide the back touch screen into quadrants to simulate those buttons when in "Vita stream mode". You have a point with respect to the triggers being analog, though.

[msduncan]

Rayman Origins Vita is beng released Feb 14th.   

It's the full game that got a 95 from IGN

[TiLT]

I must sound like a broken record, but if they had just put in hardware-level ability to stream PS3 games to it (so it wasn't game-dependent), I would buy one in a heartbeat.

And how would they be able to deal with the four missing buttons, two of which are analogue? It has to be game-dependent to get around issues like that, and most games do use at least the trigger buttons if not the joystick buttons.

Well, they might have designed it so that there weren't four buttons missing, first off. Secondly, I don't see why they couldn't divide the back touch screen into quadrants to simulate those buttons when in "Vita stream mode". You have a point with respect to the triggers being analog, though.

I hadn't thought of that, and it's actually a pretty good idea. Consider my argument weakened.

[skystride]

I preordered this against my better judgement.  Hopefully it won't end up collecting dust like my PSP.  I hope they make some good RPG/SRPGs for it.

[Caine]

despite having a psp since a year after it launched, the dust on it could get a room full of asthmatics coughing and my 3ds gets more use as a DS with a built in browser. 

it's damn sexy, but i am waiting until the price drops or the software gets much more compelling compared to what I have in a portable format now.

[msduncan]

I thought people already DID have remote play working with every game?    They had to load a software hack on the PS3 to enable it.    Therefore, the hardware DOES support it, but Sony disables it due to bellyaching from game publishers concerned that it will mess up their portable game sales.

[Misguided]

I thought people already DID have remote play working with every game?    They had to load a software hack on the PS3 to enable it.    Therefore, the hardware DOES support it, but Sony disables it due to bellyaching from game publishers concerned that it will mess up their portable game sales.

Hey, if you've got a link about that, I'd be interested in checking it out, depending on what was required.

[Hetz]

I thought people already DID have remote play working with every game?    They had to load a software hack on the PS3 to enable it.    Therefore, the hardware DOES support it, but Sony disables it due to bellyaching from game publishers concerned that it will mess up their portable game sales.

Yeah, the Vita is able to remote play every PS3 game....but not officially yet.

I am getting pretty excited for release now! Only 3 more weeks if you get the early bundle....

[Devil]

I preordered this against my better judgement.  Hopefully it won't end up collecting dust like my PSP.  I hope they make some good RPG/SRPGs for it.

Disgaeaeaaeea 3?

[Misguided]

I'd love to be able to play Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age.

[msduncan]

I thought people already DID have remote play working with every game?    They had to load a software hack on the PS3 to enable it.    Therefore, the hardware DOES support it, but Sony disables it due to bellyaching from game publishers concerned that it will mess up their portable game sales.

Hey, if you've got a link about that, I'd be interested in checking it out, depending on what was required.

http://vita.ign.com/articles/121/1217012p1.html

[CeeKay]

the Amazon 3G version now includes a memory card:

PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Launch Bundle Pre-order the PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Launch Bundle to receive over $55 in bonus content. It comes with an 8GB Memory Card, DataConnect Session Pass, and PlayStation Network Game. All existing PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi pre-orders will be upgraded to the PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Launch Bundle. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com, while supplies last. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time. Please read the PlayStation Network terms of use.

[msduncan]

Frankly I'm a little pissed about this.   I preordered the first edition bundle, so for $50 extra I'm getting:

Case worth $20
Little Deviants (questionably) worth $30
4 GB memory card

Now the regular 3G orders get an 8 GB video card.

So I'm paying $50 extra for two items that are worth about exactly that, and getting a smaller free memory card like the rest of the people ordering the regular bundle.

W.T.F. Sony?   Why do you DO stupid shit like this.

[Devil]

May switch versions now. 

[CeeKay]

I was going to say it's not Sony but Amazon, but then I saw Gamestop has the same deal.

[The Grue]

Frankly I'm a little pissed about this.   I preordered the first edition bundle, so for $50 extra I'm getting:

Case worth $20
Little Deviants (questionably) worth $30
4 GB memory card

Now the regular 3G orders get an 8 GB video card.

So I'm paying $50 extra for two items that are worth about exactly that, and getting a smaller free memory card like the rest of the people ordering the regular bundle.

W.T.F. Sony?   Why do you DO stupid shit like this.

Don't forget you get it a week early.   The case does look nice, though.  I am ordering a 32G card anyway, so I don't much care about what card they put in and I do want that case and the game.

[Louis Cypher]

Was on the fence about this, but then I remembered I had a bunch of rewards points from Amex. I applied them to the 3G bundle and only wound up paying about $70  Now I won't feel as bad when I use it for 3 weeks, then throw in in my drawer to never see daylight, like my 3DS lol.

[msduncan]

Louis:   Concerning the 3DS -- get Super Mario 3D Land.    That got my 3DS out of mothballs and now I can't put it down.

[msduncan]

On the bad news front:

Uncharted for the Vita has experienced a price hike.    It's now showing as $49.99 on every retail site.

[CeeKay]

On the bad news front:

Uncharted for the Vita has experienced a price hike.    It's now showing as $49.99 on every retail site.

I think it's always been that price-  IIRC they said that Vita games could be that much.

[Crusis]

I played with a Vita at Best Buy this weekend and I'm not going to lie. I was pretty blown away. I had ZERO interest in this thing but now I am seriously considering getting one. They had the Deviants game running and it was a blast. I don't think I would pay more than about $15 for it but it was still a fun little game. As I panned the Vita around the room, I was shooting at creatures super imposed over the store.

It had a very nice feel. Much lighter than I would expect such a powerful device. The interface was sweet and very responsive - I kept hitting buttons and then realized it was a touch screen - duh. What impressed me the most was the screen. OLED heaven and at 5" it was just about the perfect size. Love the dual analogs as well. Played Uncharted for a few minutes and didn't want to stop. Sweet sweet portable.

I don't know, I am having a hard time avoiding the pre-order button on Amazon.

The rep mentioned streaming games and an upcoming emulator to allow PSP games to be played. Doesn't Sony have a history of saying stuff like that and then not delivering? Seems like when the PSP Go launched they were going to allow people to transfer games if they owned the little UMD's. I don't think that ever happened, did it?

That reminds me, I wasn't paying that much attention ... what format do games come in? Are they like DS games?

[TiLT]

The rep mentioned streaming games and an upcoming emulator to allow PSP games to be played.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that functionality is inbuilt already. In fact, the so-called "Vita hack" actually just hacks the PSP emulator.

That reminds me, I wasn't paying that much attention ... what format do games come in? Are they like DS games?

They come on some kind of proprietary memory stick. Not quite like DS games, in other words, but not too dissimilar either.

[msduncan]

I played with a Vita at Best Buy this weekend and I'm not going to lie. I was pretty blown away. I had ZERO interest in this thing but now I am seriously considering getting one. They had the Deviants game running and it was a blast. I don't think I would pay more than about $15 for it but it was still a fun little game. As I panned the Vita around the room, I was shooting at creatures super imposed over the store.

It had a very nice feel. Much lighter than I would expect such a powerful device. The interface was sweet and very responsive - I kept hitting buttons and then realized it was a touch screen - duh. What impressed me the most was the screen. OLED heaven and at 5" it was just about the perfect size. Love the dual analogs as well. Played Uncharted for a few minutes and didn't want to stop. Sweet sweet portable.

I don't know, I am having a hard time avoiding the pre-order button on Amazon.

The rep mentioned streaming games and an upcoming emulator to allow PSP games to be played. Doesn't Sony have a history of saying stuff like that and then not delivering? Seems like when the PSP Go launched they were going to allow people to transfer games if they owned the little UMD's. I don't think that ever happened, did it?

That reminds me, I wasn't paying that much attention ... what format do games come in? Are they like DS games?

[Devil]

1Up saying it looks like digital download games will only be 10% less than physical games.

http://www.1up.com/news/rumored-discount-vita-digital-games

OUT!

I assumed I'd be OUT! anyway unless we were looking at a 50% discount.

Being unable to trade in old games or loan them out isn't worth $3.

[CeeKay]

wow, you will be able to truly use the excuse 'my dog ate it' when they turn up missing 

[Ridah]

Just pre-ordered my 3G version, even though I doubt I'll ever use the 3G.

What games are ya'll getting with it? I know Uncharted is the headliner of the launch lineup, but I really don't feel like playing more Uncharted. I'm thinking Little Deviants and possibly Wipeout or MvC3.

*Update*

Scratch that, getting the wifi system with 16gb memory card since the digital versions are supposed to be cheaper.

[Ridah]

The launch lineup is... surprisingly good  I'm not sure what games to buy first!