130°

Pachter says PlayStation Vita’s biggest obstacle is its price point

Famed industry analyst Michael Pachter believes the biggest obstacle facing the PlayStation Vita is the pricing.

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playstationvitalife.com
disturbing_flame4540d ago (Edited 4540d ago )

Let's see what was Pachter opinion on 3ds :

http://www.destructoid.com/...

Oh well.
I think we must stop to relay what this man say. it's about time to rebuild this industry with people that have a fresh look toward this media.

mistajeff4540d ago

you have to admire that kind of consistency

miyamoto4540d ago (Edited 4540d ago )

Naturally, Michael "slit testes" Pachter has a different opinion -- it's entirely too low.

"I'm impressed that they had the confidence to charge $249; I think that they're going to regret it," warns the mighty steed. "It's going to sell out and they're leaving money on the table. I'm impressed that they're this consumer friendly -- that really matters. So it's not shareholder friendly, but consumers are going to love the $249 price point. We can call bullsh*t on Reggie [Fils-Aime] a lot, but I actually agree with him. If you explain the feature set to most consumers, they would say $300 or more. So $249 is a bargain, and I think this thing is going to be on eBay for $500 immediately."

"I think the biggest problem they'll have is that you'll never see one in stores in 2011. It'll be sold out forever. We'll get like a million or 1.25 million, and so will Europe, and those will be gone in weeks. Let's hope they can make 2 million a month and ship 800,000 a month to the U.S. so consumers have a prayer of getting one by Christmas."

He also said the PS Vita will dead on arrival because the 3DS launched first.

For every prediction he makes the exact opposite happens!

GirlyGamer4540d ago

oh wow!! Does he even have credibility after that?

Sarcasm4540d ago

Hilariously he thinks it will sell out by Christmas. I can walk in to my local walmart/target/bestbuy right now and buy a 3DS.

GraveLord4540d ago

So pachter thought 3DS $249 was too low but now he thinks $249 for the Vita is too high? wow talk about double standards.....

badz1494539d ago

that's flat out STUPIDITY! ...or he has a serious insomnia!

Dasteru4540d ago (Edited 4540d ago )

Makes you wonder whether he is just a hypocrite or a retard. With all the recycled tech in the 3DS, its supposed "feature set" was still enough for him to deem it worth $300+. Yet despite all the brand new tech including a 5" AMOLED screen which nothing else on the market currently has even a 4" of yet. Capacitive touch screen vs resistive, touch pad, 6-axis gyros ect ect ect..... and hardware that is easily 5x as powerful in every way, but of course $249 is too expensive. Someone needs to smack this dude upside the head.

kreate4540d ago

and I use to respect the guy (even though he is mostly wrong with his predictions) due to his great explanation of why he thinks that way.

he is good analysing the current and past market, but he is not good with analysing the future market.

he always hated on sony and the ps3/psp. but I always enjoyed listening to what he have to say, but seems like he is just becoming dumb and dumber...

jp_footy24540d ago

"he is good analysing the current and past market"

Rofl.

rezzah4539d ago

Anyone can do what he does if they were paid for it.

rezzah4539d ago (Edited 4539d ago )

Sorry for the double post, comp is being weird.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4539d ago
MultiConsoleGamer4540d ago (Edited 4540d ago )

Vita's primary obstacle is the popularity of mobile.

Vita's secondary obstacle is the temporary exclusivity of the Monster Hunter franchise. (This is only a problem in Japan.)

Vita's third obstable is the pre-mature death of the PSP in the West.

Vita's price is actually very reasonable for what you get. Sony has a reputation for pricing its products higher than the market standard. However this is one occassion where they're actually going a bit lower than expected. You're getting a lot for your money. And if the rumors about strong pre-orders in Japan are true, then obviously the consumer is already responding to the great value.

smashcrashbash4540d ago

The MH franchise is not 'temporarily exclusive'. A franchise can't be 'temporarily exclusive'. It is either exclusive or its not. And since there is no indication that Nintendo has paid for any type of exclusivity, then it is a 98% chance that the MH for the VITA is probably being made as we speak. Just because I am making a game for your system and haven't made one for yours as yet doesn't make the franchise exclusive in any way.

MultiConsoleGamer4540d ago (Edited 4540d ago )

Look into the term "timed exclusive."

Brosy4540d ago

I would say the problem with Vita and every other handheld is the fact that they are handhelds. No one other than frequent travelers and tweens wants a handheld. I'm what the market considers an average gamer and I'll take my games on my 50' plasma. I have no use whatsoever for an expensive inferior gaming device. These things should be selling at no more than 50 bucks let alone over 100.

PshycoNinja4539d ago (Edited 4539d ago )

You play on a plasma and not on an LCD? I feel sorry for you.

Anyways I am a grown adult who works in an office all day and I look forward to playing my Vita. I am not a frequent traveler and not a tween so your generalization of handheld gamers is very off.

Edit: If you were curious I play my PS3 on a 55" Sony LCD TV. And yet I still look forward to playing my Vita.

GodHandDee4540d ago

didn't this guy predict around 400 price point the system before E3?

MasterCornholio4540d ago

I thought it was going to be 300€ for the WiFi version because at the time I thought it would be impossible for the Vita to be priced the same as the 3DS due to its vastly superior tech. But I was so happy to get proven wrong.

XperiaRay

bwazy4540d ago

Eh i'd say its short comings are its battery life and yeah, like said, price point (once everything is tallied). I mean really, you can buy a PS3 for less. FOR LESS!

Hicken4540d ago

The PS3 is five years old. The Vita is brand new. Hell, when the 3DS came out, you could get a 360 or Wii new for that price, or a pre-owned PS3. Still can, at the current price, so what's the difference?

And what's the battery life? What were you expecting? What handheld or portable gaming device has more?

Sarcasm4540d ago

People don't realize how much the iPhone or Android phones really cost because of how they are subsidized. To buy an iPhone without a contract is $500-$600+. That's 3 360s or 2 PS3s.

So for the PS Vita to be "only" $249 with that type of hardware is CHEAP by industry standards.

Hicken4540d ago

The iPhone's battery life is that long because it's not running games the same way. It's probably the equivalent of the Vita being ON.

The power usage is different because the processes using the power are different. How long does an iPhone last just playing music? The only numbers I have place the Vita with about the same life as the 3DS, and this is from three months ago. However, I think I recall reading from earlier this week that the battery had been changed, which increased the charge length, at the cost of added weight. Of course, I don't know this firsthand, but it's still something to think about.

That aside, tell me when the iPhone can game like a Vita (or 3DS, for that matter) and have the SAME battery life it has now.

Protagonist4540d ago (Edited 4540d ago )

@bwazy

A brand new Wii is way much cheaper than the 3DS, but what does that prove ? Nothing really, because the 3DS is selling pretty well.

1) I own a PS3 and PSP and guys like me are going to buy the PSVITA.
2) Dudes who still solely own a PSP are probably going for the PSVITA, and not the PS3 because it is cheaper, but because handheld gaming is a lifestyle.

GirlyGamer4540d ago

Excellent point. Wish more people thought that way. Handheld gaming is not just an alternative.

Game3s4540d ago

I agree with patcher price is the major obstacle.

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150°

PlayStation Vita Issues Have Tarnished the Legacy of an Otherwise Great System

The Vita is a well-designed system, albeit one that Sony left for dead as soon as it hit its first bump in the road. If it weren't for a couple negative quirks, it might have even been one of the best handhelds ever made. Unfortunately, those quirks have turned into awful problems as of late, and have only served to tarnish the legacy of what has otherwise been an excellent cult system.

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playstationenthusiast.com
lptmg2449d ago

I like the Vita a lot. I actually blame Sony in putting less faith in it than it should

Prince_TFK2449d ago

I love my Vita. Fantastic system. The screen totally destroy the 3DS. Too bad that Sony drop the support as soon as the sale slow down.

I wonder what would had happened if they had used SD card instead of that expensive card.

PhoenixUp2449d ago

I'll always find it hilarious how even when Sony seemingly abandoned their second handheld, Vita still outsold Wii U which was heavily supported by Nintendo.

Never underestimate the power that third party support can do for a platform.

freshslicepizza2449d ago

Which cleary shows why it's good to have a nice balance between the two. Sony knows this but some of their fans seem to only want to talk about exclusives.

Prince_TFK2449d ago

I thought it is all about exclusive here on n4g? So third party is only important as long as we don't talk about Xbox? Oh the amount of spin.

rainslacker2448d ago

Sony had 3rd party support, and still has it to this day on the Vita. IN fact, it's about all they have. They even had some pretty good 1st party support in the first few years.

But no one would give them credit for that support, and "vita has no games" was the constant mantra being spewed on every vita article until Sony finally dropped all its meaningful support for the system.

Games are what sells a system. Doesn't matter if they're multi-plat or exclusive. Sony had a lot of both, they just failed to get more of the really big exclusives like they got with the PSP. PSP didn't really take off until they started getting things like Metal Gear or GT. When they looked like they were finally going that path, they pretty much gave up on it, and it's kind of sad, because it's a great system.

chris2352449d ago

got the vita although it was dead on arrival. mobile gaming on dedicated machines is deadder than dead. oh wait, the switch is doing stellar, even rivaling the ps4, the xbox and the new xoxbox. ok, let's forget for one second about the absolute market dominator: when was the last time you saw someone playing his or her dedicated machine outside? I can't really remember. what I'm seeing everyday though is that everybody and their little daughter got smartphones when they are on their way to go somewhere.

2449d ago
thatguyhayat2449d ago

Vita was and still amazing. Playing uncharted and gravity rush on it was simply epic. Such a shame Sony gave up on it

InTheLab2449d ago

Was...perhaps. still? Those games came out years ago. The vita is a terrible handheld that Sony pushed out with Insanely overpriced memory cards and a handful of games. It was amazing for maybe a year then reality set in.

Sony only cares about the home console. Vita, PSP, Move, and now the PSVR all rely on 3rd party support after Sony pushes them out the door.

2448d ago
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40°

Top 5 Best Cancelled PS Vita Games of All Time

Are you a huge PS Vita fan? If the answer is yes, and you absolutely adore your Playstation Vita then this video is going to be tough for you. The VitaBoys count down the top 5 best PS Vita games that got cancelled.

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vitaboys.net
390°

PS Vita 2 Will Be Better Than Switch

The PlayStation Vita is such an underrated handheld device that it's almost sickening on how it just disappeared in the hands of gamers. And even though the Vita vanished off the face of the earth, this does not mean that a next gen Vita isn't welcomed. If another iteration of the PS Vita does come to be, than this could spell disaster for the Nintendo Switch.

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goodnewsgaming.com
naruga2616d ago (Edited 2616d ago )

i m calling it now...No Monster Hunter 5 No portable console for me .....if Vita 2 is to be released with games like 'portable"Uncharted&a mp;a mp;q uot; , portable "Horizon", portable Assasin Creed , is Hell NO ...portable consoles need proprietary games (ex Splatoon Monster Hunter, Gravity Rush ..games that can be played portbale) and not degraded versions of home console games (huge mistake from Sony to support Vita with Uncharted and Killzone (two mediocre appeal IPs that could only be enjoyed on pS3 because their graphical superiority) and most importantly Vita died because its main life source MHou series was stolen/went Nintendo exclusive ...

Kaneki-Ken2614d ago

Ignorance at it finest. Vita died because no one bought it and the games. The reason that no one bought it and it was because the pricey Memory Card.

2614d ago
princejb1342614d ago

One of the many reasons. My reason was because I just don't game while traveling

fiveby92614d ago

I agree the pricey memory cards really diminished the sales of the Vita. I recently read that one of teh reasons Sony stuck with their pricey card rather than standard SD cards had something to do with concerns over piracy of games. One would have thought cheap standard cards would open up software sales on the PS Store. But oddly piracy was some major concern. Regardless, I'd like to see a new handheld from Sony.

The 10th Rider2614d ago (Edited 2614d ago )

But the 3DS floundered at first and had comparable sales, however it's now a success. I think the Vita was less salvageable due to the memory card costs. On top of that, Nintendo moved development to the 3DS, resulting in great 3DS support but poor Wii U support, and Sony moved development away from the Vita, resulting in poor Vita support but great PS4 support. On top of that, Vita was clearly the more powerful device, which is great, but games with a higher visual fidelity take more time and money to develop, making it far easier for Nintendo to turn around and get games out than it would be for Sony.

The big reason I think we won't see another Vita is because Sony would have to split their development teams between PS4 and their handheld, and it would be even more powerful leading to increased dev times and cost. It may be possible to make a handheld that plays the same games as a console (in 720p) if consoles go native 4K next gen, especially if it released a few years after the home console. Other than that I don't see Sony making another handheld that pushes power. (Maybe something different that's affordable, portable, versatile, and doesn't push power though.)

freshslicepizza2614d ago

sony is about tradition, they will come out with another handheld. they invest quite a bit into in-house studios and want more than just the ps4 to sell their ip's on.

nveenio2614d ago

I don't think Sony wants a new Vita. I think they want to get Playstation Now ready on all mobile devices. Then people can play whatever whenever and Sony doesn't have to worry about the hardware headaches or being first to market or anything like that.

Erik73572614d ago (Edited 2614d ago )

Nintendo had better games on the 3DS , hence why third party sucks. Who wanted the shitty assassin game on vita?

zb1ftw7772614d ago

By saying no one bought the vita and it's games, you essentially agreed with everything naruga wrote.

He literally listed the best games on the vita and then explained why no one bought them.

Funny how two people say the same thing, but word them differently and obtain different levels of likes.

toyzombie2614d ago

I kinda disagree.... They had to release the Vita at the correct price. We've already seen what happens when something is priced to high. Lets say they would have released the PS Vita at $350 with an internal 64GB of storage. People would have lost their minds because its $350. People just arent willing to spend a high dollar amount for a high quality portable device due to cell phones.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 2614d ago
conanlifts2614d ago (Edited 2614d ago )

Uncharted is a mediocre ip? Have you even played the game?

xMANB3ARP1G2614d ago (Edited 2614d ago )

the memory prices would have been forgotten and went down if monster hunter and some other games came to it the PSP memory card prices were way worse than the vitas at release. I never understand when people want the newest and greatest up till it comes time to pay. Sometimes new things cost money sucks but it is a fact of life. uncharted wasn't bad and resistance was sick but overall they misfired on this one would of loved one now built with ps4 in mind and a real mobile connection that can be used with your current plan and plan data limits for like a 10 buck a month fee better quality stick and hopefully sd card support but it would still need stuff like monster hunter Patapon LocoRoco wipeout and final fantasy games. unfortunately mobile games ruined handhelds to many ppl are ok with the garbage mobile games anymore and its a tough sale for a handheld and a handheld game now there will always be ppl like me who love portables but now with everyone owning a cell phone and every dev having at least 1 cell phone game of all various quality its hard to sell a buck cell phone game much less a full priced handheld game.

2616d ago Replies(4)
EddieNX 2616d ago

There is no PS Vita 2 lol so good luck with that. PS Vita had way worse games than the WiiU and was a disaster outside of Japan.

Kaneki-Ken2614d ago

Good Luck with the Switch having no 3rd party support from Big Publishers after Skyrim releases. After Zelda hype dies off, no a lot of people going to buy a Switch for a port Mario Kart games and Indie, a sequel that doesn't feel like a sequel *cough* Splatoon 2*cough*. And the puchies game that doesn't seem nothing new and The only good exclusive is coming out in the fall, Mario.

EddieNX 2614d ago

I was just playing Splatoon 2 before on the global test fire and I can confirm now that its fantastic, an iteration sequel like COD but its gunna be worth owning a Switch for the amount of hours you can sink into its sensationaly addictive multiplayer. Mario kart is a perfect game 10/10 the only thing wrong was balloon battle and they've fixed it made it 1080p and portable you can play multiplayer anywhere, fantastic, can't wait.

Mario Odyssey is gunna be epic, so is Xenoblade chronicles 2 and Fire emblem. Fire emblem warriors and Arms will both be great, there's a TON of amazing indie games and other games already announced, god knows what they're going to show us at e3.

Honestly, Switch is turning into my favorite ever console. The portable nature of it is amazing. Im so excited about the future of Switch and I really feel sorry for people who are going to miss out on the games I've listed above. I have an XB1S and will be getting a Scorpio as well, so I won't be missing out on any third party games. But I'll also have the ultimate portable/ hybrid console with Nintendos truly amazing games

conanlifts2614d ago (Edited 2614d ago )

"The only good exclusive is coming out in the fall, Mario"

So you think xenoblade 2 is not a good exclusive?

Prince_TFK2614d ago (Edited 2614d ago )

Kaneki-Ken

You seem to forget that Nintendo has many unannounced games that is coming such as Pokemon star, monster hunter, fire emblems...on top of that E3 is coming and who know what Nintendo has up their sleeves.

But yeah...keep putting your fanboy google on and keep on hating Nintendo, while i keep on enjoying their games.

V0LT2614d ago

I think your crystal ball has been hacked. You couldn't be any more wrong.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2614d ago
2613d ago
PhoenixUp2615d ago

Switch has Dragon Quest XI

The next potential PlayStation handheld will not.

That alone spells which will be more successful

Platformgamer2614d ago

Ps4 also has DQ XI and sony could do a cross-platform thing with a potential psvita2 so...

_-EDMIX-_2614d ago

I don't know how you came to such a strange conclusion.

The likeliness is statistically if Sony does release another PlayStation Portable it's going to be what the PlayStation 4 is in regards to strength or near it.

PhoenixUp2614d ago

If Sony couldn't get DQIX for PSP, I doubt they could get DQXI for a future handheld

Miguelitons2615d ago

There will be no PS Vita 2, that's just it!

InahimeHondaSengoku2614d ago

I love how you are always right. :-)

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