PlayStation Vita Sales Reach Over 1.2 Million Units Worldwide

[btarunr]

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, today announced that the sales of the PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system reached over 1.2 million units worldwide as of February 26, 2012. PS Vita experienced an initial burst of momentum when it launched on December 17, 2011 in Japan followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Newly launched in North and Latin America, Europe and PAL territories as well as in Singapore on February 22, 2012, sales have exceeded expectations surpassing over 1.2 million units worldwide, firmly establishing PS Vita as the must-have portable entertainment device across the world. Software sales across the globe have surpassed 2.0 million units at both retail and on PlayStation Network.



"PS Vita was designed to deliver the ultimate portable entertainment experience, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the reaction we're seeing from consumers and the pace at which PS Vita is selling," said Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "The market has responded and there is clear demand for a mobile device capable of providing a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. To sustain momentum, we're working closely with 3rd party developers and publishers to ensure the best games and franchises possible will be available on PS Vita, and our software line up for the remainder of 2012 will have something for everyone across the globe."

"The PS Vita is an impressive piece of hardware that brings gaming to a whole new level," stated Bob Puzon, vice president of merchandising at GameStop. "Based on the opening weekend sales that we've seen at stores across North America, and our successful midnight launch events, consumers have clearly recognized this as well. We're doing our best to keep units in stock to satisfy the strong demand."

PS Vita introduces new ways to play, delivering deep and immersive gameplay experiences that have never been offered on any other handheld gaming device. Equipped with dual analog sticks, a vibrant 5-inch high definition OLED multi-touch screen, powerful quad core processor, six-axis motion sensing system, built in microphone, and front and rear cameras, PS Vita is the ultimate portable entertainment system. In addition to the ultimate portable gaming experience, by having both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, together with various applications, PS Vita will enable infinite possibilities for users to "encounter," "connect," "discover," "share" and "play" with friends wherever they are.

With more than 25 titles currently available in North and Latin America, Europe and the PAL territories and Japan respectively including EA SPORTS FIFA Football, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 from Capcom, UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss, WipEout 2048 and Escape Plan from SCE Worldwide Studios, as well as over 70 titles in development, PS Vita is poised to drive continued momentum across the globe.

SCE will vigorously promote PS Vita as the next generation portable entertainment platform and work towards expanding the portable gaming market.

Image Courtesy: Vysualyze

[alucasa]

I will buy one. But not now and not with only 25 games available with no RPG.

Gonna wait until rev 2 or something like that and when it has 100+ titles.

[xenocide]

I really think that number would be double if Sony had just allowed MicroSD instead of forcing those super expensive memory cards on people. I figure it's only a matter of time before we see something like R4 where we can just slip a MicroSD card into a connecter that fits into that slot. If Sony had either allowed MicroSD cards, or priced the system $50 cheaper, so the initial investment is about $250-300 instead of 300-400, I think they would have sold a lot more units.

[Ferrum Master]

Originally Posted by xenocide

I really think that number would be double if Sony had just allowed MicroSD instead of forcing those super expensive memory cards on people. I figure it's only a matter of time before we see something like R4 where we can just slip a MicroSD card into a connecter that fits into that slot. If Sony had either allowed MicroSD cards, or priced the system $50 cheaper, so the initial investment is about $250-300 instead of 300-400, I think they would have sold a lot more units.

Photofast Dual MicroSD TF to MS Pro Duo Adapter CR-5400 doesn't work for Vita? I am using it for older PSP without troubles...

[1Kurgan1]

I just want to be the first to say that a bunch of devs are just scrapping their games for the Vita because it's sales are horrible. My source is RuskiSnajper

On a serious note, good to see it's selling, a year or so from now I'll probably pick one up.

[AphexDreamer]

Still have my PSP 1000 working great from 04. I'll get one, but when the price is right.

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

Why would anyone buy this crap!

[Animalpak]

How people can have fun with that ?

[NC37]

Originally Posted by xenocide

I really think that number would be double if Sony had just allowed MicroSD instead of forcing those super expensive memory cards on people. I figure it's only a matter of time before we see something like R4 where we can just slip a MicroSD card into a connecter that fits into that slot. If Sony had either allowed MicroSD cards, or priced the system $50 cheaper, so the initial investment is about $250-300 instead of 300-400, I think they would have sold a lot more units.

One of my prime reasons I went from wanting it at launch to willing to wait till December. New memory cards, high prices, Sony charging again for PSP games. Then Sony not bringing that program to the US. Sony did everything possible to make me not want to buy one. I'll stick with my PSP a bit longer.

Vita game prices are another thing. Too high. I'd have likely only gotten Wipeout and BlazBlue. Both I already own on PSP so...my desire to get them isn't that high. Uncharted I'd want but I'm not paying $50 for a handheld title.

But...if Vita gets a Valkyria game, I'm buying one right away.

"Why would anyone buy this crap!"

Because they are great machines. I loaded my PSP up with videos and used it on a trip. Lot easier on a plane to just whip out the PSP than to unpack the laptop.

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

Originally Posted by NC37

Because they are great machines.

You are aware that you are talking about $ony, they wouldn't understand the concept of value or what a great machine is or was if you gave them one and then gave them a power point presentation on how to recreate it. $ony rapes their customers and their wallets, no one should buy these for that fact alone!

[Abe504]

it still baffles me that there wasn't a launch fps. this thing is just screaming for a fps and some developers really dropped the ball on getting a fps multiplayer shooter out the gate on this thing. all in all i will still get mines in a month

[BrooksyX]

I plan on buying one so I can play all my fav emulators when it gets hackedp I could care less about the new games on it.

[Mega-Japan]

Originally Posted by [H]@RD5TUFF

You are aware that you are talking about $ony, they wouldn't understand the concept of value or what a great machine is or was if you gave them one and then gave them a power point presentation on how to recreate it. $ony rapes their customers and their wallets, no one should buy these for that fact alone!

Which is exactly why I'm not buying one. At least not anytime soon, and if I do, it will be used.

[xenocide]

Originally Posted by 1Kurgan1

I just want to be the first to say that a bunch of devs are just scrapping their games for the Vita because it's sales are horrible. My source is RuskiSnajper

On a serious note, good to see it's selling, a year or so from now I'll probably pick one up.

The sales figured for Japan were low, but clearly that market is not an indicator of all things. I mean the 360 has barely sold like 2m units in Japan, yet it's on par for the PS3 in worldwide sales. People really need to stop judging products based on the sales in Japan. The US\Euro Market is a lot bigger and more indicative of public interest. If I recall FFXIII sold great in Japan but mediocre in the US

Also, no offense to Ruski, but I question his sources daily since he's also convinced the new UDK won't support the Wii U at all, which is laughable to say the least.

[NinkobEi]

Will be interesting to see what wins: The PSVita, with its locked down big-company only games, or the tablets, with their 'anyone can create' games for 1/20th the price.

[xenocide]

Originally Posted by NinkobEi

Will be interesting to see what wins: The PSVita, with its locked down big-company only games, or the tablets, with their 'anyone can create' games for 1/20th the price.

That's a ridiculous notion. Tablets have a much higher initial investment and are restricted to touch screens. You tried playing a shooter (one of the more popular genres in modern times) on a touch screen? I'd rather drink cyanide.

[NinkobEi]

Originally Posted by xenocide

That's a ridiculous notion. Tablets have a much higher initial investment and are restricted to touch screens. You tried playing a shooter (one of the more popular genres in modern times) on a touch screen? I'd rather drink cyanide.

Already there are tablets with side-controllers, and there are many (almost all) that let you plug in an xbox or ps3 controllers. It won't be long before Skyrim-capable tablets are sub $400. Oh, they also have HD Video output and SD card slots. It's not as ridiculous as you think.

$552 and runs Skyrim http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Transform...5E?ref=prid-20

[Mega-Japan]

Originally Posted by NinkobEi

Will be interesting to see what wins: The PSVita, with its locked down big-company only games, or the tablets, with their 'anyone can create' games for 1/20th the price.

Answer is OBVIOUSLY neither. Nintendo will knock the Vita out of the water, just like last gen. Yes, it's hardware is "lame" compared to the Vita, but look at the DS and Wii...

[xenocide]

Originally Posted by NinkobEi

Already there are tablets with side-controllers, and there are many (almost all) that let you plug in an xbox or ps3 controllers. It won't be long before Skyrim-capable tablets are sub $400. Oh, they also have HD Video output and SD card slots. It's not as ridiculous as you think.

And any tablet that support those has tons of associated cost, you're also ignoring the depth and quality of games. Angry Birds is 99c because you are doing something high repetitive and all they really had to do once they got the initial formula down was replicate it. A Vita is a one time investment of say $250 for the console and another $50 for the memory card. To do it with a tablet, you'd have to spend like $400 on the tablet, $50 on a controller, and hope anything decent would come out. Until Intel makes an appearance on a larger scale all we have are ARM-based tablets so none of our favorite games are really playable.

Sure they may be capable of playing Skyrim, but then the cost of the games would skyrocket if they had that kind of depth. Find me a single game on the iOS or Android market that is that detailed and costs less than $10. I think I'll be waiting quite some time. Plus, even though it has the capability to do fantastic graphics and make high quality games, most developers just want to cash in and make cheap little gimmicks. People buy games on their phone and tablet because it gives them something to do on the bus, or the subway, or doctor's office, NOT because they want to play some games. The Vita can fill that void and allow people to play games that are worth playing in those places. I'd gladly buy 1 copy of Skyrim instead of 60 different $1 games on iOS, since none of them offer the same experience or quality.

Originally Posted by NinkobEi

$552 and runs Skyrim http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Transform...5E?ref=prid-20

Plus $40-60 each for a controller and a copy of the game. You could get a Vita and 4 full length games for that. Which one seems like the better investment for a gamer?

[Abe504]

Originally Posted by xenocide

That's a ridiculous notion. Tablets have a much higher initial investment and are restricted to touch screens. You tried playing a shooter (one of the more popular genres in modern times) on a touch screen? I'd rather drink cyanide.

xenocide drinking cyanide.....

[NinkobEi]

Originally Posted by xenocide

And any tablet that support those has tons of associated cost, you're also ignoring the depth and quality of games. Angry Birds is 99c because you are doing something high repetitive and all they really had to do once they got the initial formula down was replicate it. A Vita is a one time investment of say $250 for the console and another $50 for the memory card. To do it with a tablet, you'd have to spend like $400 on the tablet, $50 on a controller, and hope anything decent would come out. Until Intel makes an appearance on a larger scale all we have are ARM-based tablets so none of our favorite games are really playable.

Sure they may be capable of playing Skyrim, but then the cost of the games would skyrocket if they had that kind of depth. Find me a single game on the iOS or Android market that is that detailed and costs less than $10. I think I'll be waiting quite some time. Plus, even though it has the capability to do fantastic graphics and make high quality games, most developers just want to cash in and make cheap little gimmicks. People buy games on their phone and tablet because it gives them something to do on the bus, or the subway, or doctor's office, NOT because they want to play some games. The Vita can fill that void and allow people to play games that are worth playing in those places. I'd gladly buy 1 copy of Skyrim instead of 60 different $1 games on iOS, since none of them offer the same experience or quality.



Plus $40-60 each for a controller and a copy of the game. You could get a Vita and 4 full length games for that. Which one seems like the better investment for a gamer?

In the long run I think its obviously the tablet. Paying $40 for each PS Vita game and $80 for a 32gb memory card will easily surpass the initial buy-in price of the tablet after just a few games.
Major game developers will start making high quality tablet games very soon. There are already SEVERAL high quality MMORPGs for tablets, and various old ports like Final Fantasy. Not to mention all of the free ones out there. Wired Xbox controllers can be had for $20-30 easily at gamestop.