Sony: Indies and Third Party Vita Focus

Sony is done with portables after the Vita so they don't really have any incentive to piss away money on first party games given the small install base.

Unlike Nintendo that has to put resources into AAA first party games for the Wii U that's sold about the same volume as the Vita since they want to put out more consoles and thus can't alienate their current console fan base. Sony doesn't care if Vita owners get disgruntled as they aren't putting out another portable and thus are pouring all effort into the PS4.

Personally I'm fine with it as I bought my Vita this spring knowing it would mostly be for the few exclusives out, indie stuff and maybe some niche Japanese titles here and there. I also don't really have that much interest in playing console like AAA games on a portable--I can play those on my consoles and like to play types of games (like indies) on my portables as I don't tend to get around to those on consoles. If I have the time and ability to game on a console I want to play some big AAA game with great graphics and sound. On a portable, I don't care about that and am much more likely to finish stuff like Guacamelee.

But I get that it sucks for people who bought Vita's long ago for higher prices and lots of promises from Sony for PS3 level AAA games that have largely vanished after the first year or two due to poor sales. That was kind of a bait and switch there. And I'd be annoyed if I'd pay more than the $120 I paid for my Vita (Cowboom). My only annoyance as I was excited for remote play, but lacking L2/R2 and L3/R3 kills it for most games I play as the touch screen just sucks as substitute for buttons.
 
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Sony is done with portables after the Vita so they don't really have any incentive to piss away money on first party games given the small install base.

Unlike Nintendo that has to put resources into AAA first party games for the Wii U that's sold about the same volume as the Vita since they want to put out more consoles and thus can't alienate their current console fan base. Sony doesn't care if Vita owners get disgruntled as they aren't putting out another portable and thus are pouring all effort into the PS4.

Personally I'm fine with it as I bought my Vita this spring knowing it would mostly be for the few exclusives out, indie stuff and maybe some niche Japanese titles here and there. I also don't really have that much interest in playing console like AAA games on a portable--I can play those on my consoles and like to play types of games (like indies) on my portables as I don't tend to get around to those on consoles. If I have the time and ability to game on a console I want to play some big AAA game with great graphics and sound. On a portable, I don't care about that and am much more likely to finish stuff like Guacamelee.

But I get that it sucks for people who bought Vita's long ago for higher prices and lots of promises from Sony for PS3 level AAA games that have largely vanished after the first year or two due to poor sales. That was kind of a bait and switch there. And I'd be annoyed if I'd pay more than the $120 I paid for my Vita (Cowboom). My only annoyance as I was excited for remote play, but lacking L2/R2 and L3/R3 kills it for most games I play as the touch screen just sucks as substitute for buttons.
I am in the same boat as you, though I did pay $200 for the white AC bundle during Black Friday 2012. I am not upset at the price I paid though, I love the system. From a pure hardware perspective, it is my favorite device. I love the OLED, love that it has dual sticks and love how powerful it is for a portable device. It still delivers on something that no console can with the ability to suspend your game and play later. For a dad gamer, this is invaluable.

I personally hope (and agree) that they don't put another portable out, as it should mean an increased life for the Vita. With the Vita TV and increased promotion of PS4 connectivity (including a potential bundle), it will only help to encourage continued development for it. Indie developers obviously have found a niche with it and like with PC gaming, I think we will see that it can thrive with a device like this.

I hope we will still see one or two first party titles a year for awhile. I have plenty to play on the system, enough to last me years to be honest. With Plus continuing to deliver on two titles a month, that won't change either. But it is nice to have something to look forward to. I was holding out hope they would come out with one more Uncharted title, but the resources it probably would take from Bend could be used elsewhere. Oh well, bring me more HD ports and indies, continue to improve remote play and build up a nice roster of Plus titles and sales and I will still be very happy.

 
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Got a PS Vita survey from Sony yesterday. Maybe they have not given up yet...

 
If the Vita ends up being mainly an indie handheld (besides the excellent PSP library it supports as well), I'm fine with that.  Games like Terraria and Steamworld Dig are fantastic, I'll take more of those any day for on-the-go gaming.

 
If the Vita ends up being mainly an indie handheld (besides the excellent PSP library it supports as well), I'm fine with that.
Ditto here. I love smaller indie experiences, and handhelds are one of the best locations for games of that ilk.

I just wish Sony would do something about the Vita's memory cards. They are the one thing holding it back from being a top-tier digital-only system. Hyper-expensive proprietary memory cards are pretty much never a good idea. The transition to cartridges for physical media was already enough of a concession. If the Vita had just gone with microSD instead, it would probably be more successful at this point. (though still not dominant)

But back on topic, the Vita is a great opportunity for smaller developers. I wouldn't mind Sony keeping it around just so those smaller developers have a handheld platform that they can easily target. The Vita doesn't need big-name or AAA budget releases.

 
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