Featured Post

PSP2, Switch 2 and an Xbox handheld... a brighter portable future?

When will Sony be delighted or worried about the Vita?

Another quarter, another set of ropey figures for Sony's games division. A big loss on reduced sales of PS3s and handhelds (hey, don't worry, I'll pick up a PS3 soon, so that's one sale).

Overall, the company lost $312 million in Q1 2013, with the games division losing $45 million of that. That's actually not too bad, given recent massive losses and the cost of restructuring its business.

UPDATE: There's a refreshing bit of Sony honesty in an MCV interview. Sony UK's Fergal Gara says "We would love it to be selling more and we intend to make it sell more. The feedback from many consumers who’ve got their hands on it is positive – so that’s a very good start. "I think we haven’t quite hit the spot with the killer software just yet and I have every reason to think that will happen in the next few months." PS3 and PS2 sales were 2.8 million (down from 3.2 million) and PSP and PS Vita units down 1.4 million (from 1.8 million). Based on those numbers, Sony has dropped its hugely optimistic portable forecast down from 16 million to 12 million units for the year.

Every time there's one of these announcements, Sony goes "we are happy with the Vita's performance", and with the changed gaming landscape, perhaps it really is. But the company would surely rather be "delighted!" And, as a keen user, I have to ask when will it start to be "worried"?

We'll really see where the Vita sits come December when the handheld has had a full year in Japan, and the full roster of coming games is proudly splashed across the shelves.

We all know what will really sell the Vita in Japan, but that's kind of out of Sony's hands. If Capcom's Monster Hunter deal with Nintendo is more extensive than believed, then it could be 2014 or 15 until we see that title. In the meantime, Sony needs to get its near 20 million PSP user base in Japan upgrading like crazy to the Vita, and while it has an attractive line-up of games to do that, perhaps more incentive is needed.

In the west, the Assassin's Creed games sold around 5 million each, how many of those gamers will be tempted (and have the money) by the Vita's unique Liberation story and the chance to play a heroine? Call of Duty: Black Ops is a huge seller, with some 25 million units for the first one, but how many fans will buy a new console for some pint-size missions?

It is not unrealistic to think that perceptions about the Vita could change dramatically in just a few weeks. A great showing at Gamescom and TGS could set an unstoppable ball rolling, but Sony needs those sales to get a move on fast, even 12 million seems a very optimistic target for PSP and Vita over the rest of the (financial) year.

Currently playing on my Vita/PS4/PS5