OFFICIAL MSRP Vita Price reduced to $199.99

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I grabbed the last Instant Game Collection bundle from my local Gamestop (paid 140 after tax thanks to trading in quite a few fairly old games I was never going to play again).

Got it setup and played some Uncharted on it thanks to the free year of plus and 4gb mem card it came with. First impression is that damn is it really a beautiful piece of hardware. Screen is stunning and for a vita game, Uncharted looks great. 

So far not regretting what I spent to get this bundle while it was still avail, not sure there will be a better one come BF (4gb mem card, year of plus, and some game, year of plus is killer since ive never heard of it being below 40 bucks). To me this was a great deal since to me I really only paid 100 bucks for it since those games were just collecting dust, and I would have eventually bought another year of plus (had a year I was sitting on waiting for ps4 launch, but with included year I just got, figured might as well sign up and get some free games for ps3 and vita between now and ps4)

Had it just been 200 bucks for the system only, then hell no. I think sony needs to pump out more bundles like the one I got, at that point the 200 msrp gets plus, a game, and a mem card, which is really not a terrible deal for what you get. With the ps4 launch and the improved remote play function, the vita will have even greater use as a second screen and a way to play ps4 games wherever you want. Cant wait to play while i poop, in bed right before I go to sleep since, and on my downstairs couch while watching tv...(ps4 will be in my upstairs media room)

 
2011-"249? wow thats a great price"

2012-"too expensive, i might actually need to work a job to get one, needs  a price cut "

2013-"psh 199? still too much 50 bucks or bust!"

 
renique46 said:
2011-"249? wow thats a great price"

2012-"too expensive, i might actually need to work a job to get one, needs a price cut "

2013-"psh 199? still too much 50 bucks or bust!"
Click to expand...
Correlate with the following sentiment

2011- Great potential!

2012 - Underperforming

2013 - Bust

:)

 
renique46 said:
2011-"249? wow thats a great price"
2012-"too expensive, i might actually need to work a job to get one, needs a price cut "
2013-"psh 199? still too much 50 bucks or bust!"
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IMHO, since I have a very decent job for only completing high school, this is still too expensive at 79.99. That is the cost of two new released Vita games in itself.
 
hmm, are you saying that you feel a hardware that open a whole new library of games (potentially) is too expensive even if it is just the cost of 2 new games? Hardware in general is cheap (and one of the reason why I am boggled by people limiting themselves to 1 or 2 platform).   

Hell, the #1 selling toaster oven on amazon cost $79... http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-TOB-40-Classic-Toaster-Broiler/dp/B004JMZGM2/

 
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etcrane said:
I'm jaded because I can play many of those on my iPhone, when I'm thinking Vita games, I'm considering the games that get a full retail release, not PSN, PSP, PS1 or throw away dollar games. Just a difference of perspective really. 3DS is still dominating the handheld market with full priced retail releases, like it or not.

Here's a good comparison ... Pokemon X and Y are going to sell hundreds of thousands of copies this Christmas. What does the Vita have in the same release time frame that will realistically compete?
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What's funny about this is that the 3DS is dominating a retail game market that Nintendo is trying to tame by limiting the supply of hot new releases. They launched the console at a profit-making price, but dropped it to drive unit sales and are apparently still taking a loss on each unit sold. The physical shortages of Luigi's Mansion 2 and Fire Emblem: Awakening weren't happy accidents; they were conscious attempts to drive core gamers to purchase digital copies in the launch window and give Nintendo the fat, fat margins they need to satisfy shareholders who are worried because Wii software sales are drying up and the Wii U is a dog that can't hunt.

Conversely, Sony launches the Vita and memory cards at a price point that discourages widescale adoption, but the folks who do buy it are core gamers who purchase digital-only titles in droves. High attach rate and a high percentage of digital sales means that today's average Vita gamer is worth more (i.e., $ per unit in installed base/year) to Sony than the average 3DS gamer is to Nintendo, probably several times over. But the things that make the Vita customer a win for Sony make that same customer a steaming pile from a retailer's perspective. Consoles and handhelds are low margin. Games are better, and accessories are better still. Even if the Vita was selling better, retailers wouldn't have an incentive to give it a lot of floor space since Vita gamers are buying a lot of content online and don't buy as many of the goofy accessories as kid 3DS owners (Pikachu stylus!?). There's just not a lot of money for a Best Buy, Target, whoevever to make on Vita sales. And apparently the retailers are losing their shirts on Vita memory cards. They're tiny and easily shoplifted. With off-the-charts shrinkage on the one accessory they CAN expect to make money on when boxed game sales are slow, the system looks even worse from their perspective.

What we saw this week is probably the Vita's future -- it's going to be positioned with retailers as a PS4 accessory that will also drive sales of boxed PS4 games by offering remote play, and with core gamers it's going to be positioned as the go-to mobile device for indie games. I'm fine with that. It's exactly what I want. I can play next gen games on the couch at home while my kids hog the TV and I can play bite-sized indie games while commuting.

EDIT: For the folks questioning whether PS4/Vita Remote Play support will be as strong as advertised . . . it's going to be VERY strong. Sony's been clear on that. Remember when they introduced trophies? Publishers have to license every game released for PS3 or 360 with Sony/MS. Achievements are a condition of MS's license. Sony made trophies a requirement after they were introduced. Yoshida and other Sony Exec's have been pretty clear that Remote Play is going to be a licensing requirement going forward. The only titles that will escape it are things that require the PS Eye or otherwise won't work with the Vita's inputs. They couldn't do that with the PS3/PSP because Remote Play on PS3 steals hardware resources and because the PSP doesn't have a second stick. With hardware accelerated video compression on the PS4 and a second stick on the Vita, those issues are gone.

 
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Conversely, Sony launches the Vita and memory cards at a price point that discourages widescale adoption, but the folks who do buy it are core gamers who purchase digital-only titles in droves.  High attach rate and a high percentage of digital sales means that today's average Vita gamer is worth more 

laugh..   Seriously, 1. discourage widescale adoption, there fore the "core gamer" who you refer to must account for only a small percentage.  Yet some how this will translate to high attach rate.  What?! attach rate of Indie Games? Vita has no game, core gamer or not,  If this rate is high, it is becausse Vita gamers are buying a ton of $5 Fruit Ninja, some core gamer.

You are pulling imaginary number out of your ass (wait, you have NO numbers).

This is not worth trying to find the truth if this is indeed your sentiment from previous post but ya sure, I bet a lot of"core gamer" were thinking 2 years ago that... "'Yes, I spent $250 2 years ago because I knew this would be a complimentary controller for the PS4 with no platform exclusive to call its own!, this is EXACTLY what I want".   talk about delusional and full of spin.

Funny how Nintendo hater talk about Nintendo being for casuals... and what do this hardcore Vita gamers got?  "with core gamers it's going to be positioned as the go-to mobile device for indie games."

Sure, that's EXACTLY why they bought PS Vita!  Believe!

Core Gamers, LAUGH!

 
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@FIF said:
What's funny about this is that the 3DS is dominating a retail game market that Nintendo is trying to tame by starving supply of hot new retail releases.
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Okay.

"They launched the console at a profit-making price, but dropped it to drive unit sales are are apparently still taking a loss on each unit sold. "

Maybe, but last I heard they planned on resolving that by March 2013. Can't find anything else on that, but I am pretty sure that is no longer true.

"The physical shortages of Luigi's Mansion 2 and Fire Emblem: Awakening weren't happy accidents; they were conscious attempts to drive core gamers to purchase digital copies in the launch window and give Nintendo the fat, fat margins they need to satisfy shareholders who are worried because Wii software sales are drying up and the Wii U is a dog that can't hunt."

I wouldn't say Fire Emblem is a series Nintendo has a lot of faith in (they tend to end up being uncommon / rare) and the shortage was probably more to do with them giving off the impression it sold better than it actually did. I never saw a shortage of Luigi's Mansion 2, but it released the same day as the Pikachu 3DS XL and the buy an XL + Luigi's Mansion 2 or Pokemon and get a free game promotion. Needless to say, if I wanted Super Mario 3D Land, then I would have just bought Luigi's Mansion 2, since I can get two games for the price of one.

"Conversely, Sony launches the Vita and memory cards at a price point that discourages widescale adoption, but the folks who do buy it are core gamers who purchase digital-only titles in droves."

Yeah... no.

"High attach rate and a high percentage of digital sales means that today's average Vita gamer is worth more (i.e., $ per unit in installed base/year) to Sony than the average 3DS gamer is to Nintendo, probably several times over. "

Yeah... no.

"But the things that make the Vita customer a win for Sony makes them a steaming pile from a retailer's perspective. Consoles and handhelds are low margin. Games are better, and accessories are better still. Even if the Vita was selling better, retailers wouldn't have an incentive to give it a lot of floor space since Vita gamers are buying a lot of content online and don't buy as many of the goofy accessories as kid 3DS owners (Pikachu stylus!?). There just not a lot of money for a Best Buy, Target, whoevever to make on Vita sales."

I don't know where you get this idea that every single person is super attached to DD (I'm not going to talk about shipping games, since there are a lot of people out there that love to just Amazon everything and isn't unique to the Vita). Most people that own a Vita (and to a lesser degree the 3DS) only buy digitally under two circumstances...

1) It's free with Plus.

2) It's extremely cheap (like Katamari for $3 dollars).

If people were so into the digital idea, then we would see more people pushing / accepting the memory card prices. Since those are a bit high for the average person, you're seeing most people stick with hard copies.

 
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admiralvic said:
I don't know where you get this idea that every single person is super attached to DD (I'm not going to talk about shipping games, since there are a lot of people out there that love to just Amazon everything and isn't unique to the Vita). Most people that own a Vita (and to a lesser degree the 3DS) only buy digitally under two circumstances...

1) It's free with Plus.
2) It's extremely cheap (like Katamari for $3 dollars).

If people were so into the digital idea, then we would see more people pushing / accepting the memory card prices. Since those are a bit high for the average person, you're seeing most people stick with hard copies.
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Sony was clear at E3 and in subsequent conversations with financial analysts. 60% of Vita game sales, by revenue, are digital. That excludes PS Plus give aways, as Plus revenue is accounted for separately, but it probably includes Plus-discounted digital tiles (e.g., a copy of Guacamelee sold this week would be a Vita digital sale, not Plus revenue).

I never said every single person is "super attached" to digital, but that 60% dwarfs every other console on the market. People are kvetching about high memory card prices because they want to have space for digital content. If they didn't want digital content, they'd be getting 4GB cards and swapping retail carts. So you're wrong on point #1.

You're probably right on point #2, but low price DIGITAL sales aren't that bad from the perspective of publishers or console manufacturers. Nintendo's installed base means they're making lots of money on the 3DS, and it's a great system. No argument there. But Nintendo would LOVE for their customers to act like Vita customers do now, just like Microsoft was keen to move their customer base to digital purchases with the XBox One.

Why? Because the gross margins on digital sales are batshit nuts. Obscene. The publisher and manufacturer eat a few cents in bandwith costs to drive incremental sales that wouldn't occur at retail. There's no cost to manufacture a physical product, no wholesale markup, no retailer markup. There are development and marketing costs, but that's true for digital and physical alike. With no need to share profits with distributors/retailers, no production cost, and no threat of displacement of later sales (no resale--they get to eat GameStop's profit share), the only non-sunk "cost" associated with a digital sale is the opportunity cost of missing out on a potential buy at a higher price. But that threat is largely mitigated by stepping the price down over time and not fireselling out the gate.
 
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Only time I buy any of my vita games digitally is when they hold super discount sales because I am a ps plus member. Other then that I buy physical copies. I mean I'm grabbing a physical copy of dragons crown for $22 tomorrow...
 
justinTlME said:
Only time I buy any of my vita games digitally is when they hold super discount sales because I am a ps plus member. Other then that I buy physical copies. I mean I'm grabbing a physical copy of dragons crown for $22 tomorrow...
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Is that from a private seller or is there a deal on DC somewhere?
 
Simple solution if Sony could produce this software lineup for 2014 the vita would flourish games sell systems.
Gran Turismo bundle
The Last of Us 2 bundle
GTA5 and/or vita exclusive GTA bundle
Kingdom Hearts 3 and/or vita exclusive KH bundle
Monster Hunter bundle
Next MGS and/or vita exclusive MGS bundle
Vita exclusive RE bundle
Battlefield bundle
COD bundle
AC bundle
 
@FIF said:
Sony was clear at E3 and in subsequent conversations with financial analysts. 60% of Vita game sales, by revenue, are digital. That excludes PS Plus give aways, as Plus revenue is accounted for separately, but it probably includes Plus-discounted digital tiles (e.g., a copy of Guacamelee sold this week would be a Vita digital sale, not Plus revenue).

I never said every single person is "super attached" to digital, but that 60% dwarfs every other console on the market. People are kvetching about high memory card prices because they want to have space for digital content. If they didn't want digital content, they'd be getting 4GB cards and swapping retail carts. So you're wrong on point #1.

You're probably right on point #2, but low price DIGITAL sales aren't that bad from the perspective of publishers or console manufacturers. Nintendo's installed base means they're making lots of money on the 3DS, and it's a great system. No argument there. But Nintendo would LOVE for their customers to act like Vita customers do now, just like Microsoft was keen to move their customer base to digital purchases with the XBox One.
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You're really overestimating the stats here. Ever hear the phrase there are lies, damn lies, and statistics? That's basically just a PR number you're peddling there.

60% is great, if you have some actual beef behind those figures. But considering the absolute low, horrible sample size where most Vita retail releases would be extremely fortunate to get like 10,000 units sold in it's launch month, it's not shocking.

It's like how the Wii U numbers went up like 80% or something in Japan when Pikmin 3 came out. System seller, right? No, it was just about a 7-8K jump.

When you have staggering low figures it sure looks a lot better to just list a percentage in your PR than say "hey we sold 5,000 copies of this game and 3,000 were on a PS Plus sale, go digital!"

 
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Well considering those digital sales lately have been just fantastic, it's hard not to. I've never bought as many digital games as I have on my vita (not counting PSN/XBLA titles)
 
Enuf said:
Simple solution if Sony could produce this software lineup for 2014 the vita would flourish games sell systems.
Gran Turismo bundle
The Last of Us 2 bundle
GTA5 and/or vita exclusive GTA bundle
Kingdom Hearts 3 and/or vita exclusive KH bundle
Monster Hunter bundle
Next MGS and/or vita exclusive MGS bundle
Vita exclusive RE bundle
Battlefield bundle
COD bundle
AC bundle
Click to expand...
I personally don't think so

that lineup would help a lot. but to really score big Sony should also dedicate one of its 1st party studios resources into developing a killer app for the vita, no other big studio is going to gamble AAA level budget on it

 
Success. I was able to finally grab the Instant bundle from Walmart.com.

I just now have to wait for a 16 GB card to go on sale.

Only thing, though, is I'll probably be kicking myself in 6-12 months if a revised Vita model is announced/released, but whatever. This was such a good deal, IMHO, I could not pass it up.

 
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Gamestop and Amazon now have the Walking Dead Vita bundle in stock if anyone cares.

So conflicted whether to get a PS3 and Vita or a PS4 and Vita during Black Friday...

 
Wazzup4567 said:
Gamestop and Amazon now have the Walking Dead Vita bundle in stock if anyone cares.

So conflicted whether to get a PS3 and Vita or a PS4 and Vita during Black Friday...
Click to expand...

It's in stock but not shipping for 2-4 weeks which means they still haven't gotten their shipment from the distributor. I can't find a single place around me that has the physical game and I want one to play... but not bad enough to go digital over physical

 
Wazzup4567 said:
So conflicted whether to get a PS3 and Vita or a PS4 and Vita during Black Friday...
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I'd personally get a PS3 and Vita, unless there's a next gen game you really, really want to play, the PS3 will keep you busy until there's a decent amount of games out for next gen consoles.

 
After seeing the Nvidia Shield im more exited about that. Almost picked up Vita but this Android as a gaming platform is looking better and better.
 
Just picked up the bundle for a 3g/wifi vita + 4gb card + 1 year playstation plus + unit 13 download voucher at gamestop for $200 + tax. The funny part is it was sitting right next to a regular wifi vita with nothing included for the same price.

 
Part of the Vita crew! Bought the 3g bundle and Persona 4. Wish I could of got the bundle with all the extras but store didnt have any. Cant complain. Bought it off a military base so no tax so saved some money.
 
Mine arrived today. Lot sooner than the ETA they gave.

My initial impression is this. I do not get the Vita XL rumors. Screen is already freakin' HUGE. Hell, it's big as the 3DS XL top screen. It's already at a XL size. If anything, Sony should do the exact opposite. They should release a mini version of the Vita to compete with the original 3DS.

 
Rock_Dash3X said:
Part of the Vita crew! Bought the 3g bundle and Persona 4. Wish I could of got the bundle with all the extras but store didnt have any. Cant complain. Bought it off a military base so no tax so saved some money.
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I didn't even know this way of saving tax, is it like a state specific thing? If you are in Cali then please teach me!
 
Enuf said:
Simple solution if Sony could produce this software lineup for 2014 the vita would flourish games sell systems.
Gran Turismo bundle
The Last of Us 2 bundle
GTA5 and/or vita exclusive GTA bundle
Kingdom Hearts 3 and/or vita exclusive KH bundle
Monster Hunter bundle
Next MGS and/or vita exclusive MGS bundle
Vita exclusive RE bundle
Battlefield bundle
COD bundle
AC bundle
Click to expand...
Haha, thanks for the laugh!

 
Wazzup4567 said:
Gamestop and Amazon now have the Walking Dead Vita bundle in stock if anyone cares.

So conflicted whether to get a PS3 and Vita or a PS4 and Vita during Black Friday...
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I'd go with PS3, it has tons of great games. PS4 will too but if you get a PS4 I doubt you'll ever go back to PS3.

 
I really hope this leads to a significant and sustained bump in Vita hardware sales. I've had my system since launch and have always had something to play (played about 20 games), but it's hard not to worry about the future of the handheld's software support. Clearly it's possible to sell games and make money on the console, but who's going to keep doing it?

wilflare said:
anyone thinking of letting go of their Unit 13 vouchers?

drop a PM or something? :D we can work something out
Click to expand...

Oh, me, too! Unit 13 is a game I haven't played. I kind of regret not picking it up for $13 when it was on sale on PS+.

 
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iowaholdem said:
I really hope this leads to a significant and sustained bump in Vita hardware sales. I've had my system since launch and have always had something to play (played about 20 games), but it's hard not to worry about the future of the handheld's software support. Clearly it's possible to sell games and make money on the console, but who's going to keep doing it?


Oh, me, too! Unit 13 is a game I haven't played. I kind of regret not picking it up for $13 when it was on sale on PS+.
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Hopefully the codes will flood the market on eBay and they will be dirt cheap.

 
Managed to pick up a Playstation Plus Instant Game Collection Vita Bundle today at one of my local Gamestops for $199.99. I figured these bundles would have been swept up by now, but I guess they are still out in the wild.

 
I've been playing Star Wars pinball on vita like it was going out of style. Soul sacrifice has been awesome as well. It takes time to build a great library. Everyone admits that vita is great piece of hardware. More games will come, but sony needs to make sure its the right games. Borderlands 2 is great but what's new about the vita version that would make people rebuy the game, or use that game as the reason to purchase the system.

BF will probably have some great deals.

I wish all psn games could be downloaded and played on vita
 
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was gonna trade my AC3 Liberation bundle into Amazon for $200 credit (to use towards my Xbox One preorder) but with the price drop it lowered the TIV :censored:

 
Glad to see others are taking the plunge and getting a vita.

Hopefully see some even better games for the system and Sony comes through on the remote play with ps4, thats what Im most excited about.

 
Patience pays off. I've been waiting on my local Sams to clearance out the 3G Launch Bundle for months now. Last few times I have stopped in it was still full MSRP. Saw the pull tag had had changed on my last visit yet no slips to take up. Queue the sad violin. After loading up on what I had come for in the first place I decided to give the member services a shot, checking if they had any in stock. Lucky for me they pulled one. As the lady was bringing it up to me a breathless woman ran up and asked if it was hers that she called in earlier about. No way was she getting it, once it hit the counter the cashier pulled it up for my purchase. $102.71 for the Little Deviants Bundle seems fair right?

24q7p4x.jpg


 
shizon_g said:
Patience pays off. I've been waiting on my local Sams to clearance out the 3G Launch Bundle for months now. Last few times I have stopped in it was still full MSRP. Saw the pull tag had had changed on my last visit yet no slips to take up. Queue the sad violin. After loading up on what I had come for in the first place I decided to give the member services a shot, checking if they had any in stock. Lucky for me they pulled one. As the lady was bringing it up to me a breathless woman ran up and asked if it was hers that she called in earlier about. No way was she getting it, once it hit the counter the cashier pulled it up for my purchase. $102.71 for the Little Deviants Bundle seems fair right?

24q7p4x.jpg
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Story's a bit disjointed, but I heard "An employee gave me a unit that was being held for a soccer mom. She showed up for it, but I screwed her good!"

Ugh.
 
@FIF said:
Story's a bit disjointed, but I heard "An employee gave me a unit that was being held for a soccer mom. She showed up for it, but I screwed her good!"

Ugh.
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My Sam's club has several. They were $28x.xx before the MSRP drop and are now $19x.xx after the MSRP price drop. I was holding on on $150 or less. I already have a vita as does my GF but I would get a third one for $150 or less that I could throw around without worrying about scratches or what not.

I should try back and see if they just haven't updated the pull tag.

 
[quote name="n64ra" post="11036353" timestamp="1378320459"]
but what's his and your's state income tax level?[/quote]
On my tablet so just a qiluck search and may not be entirely accurate ....

Well... Looks like Michigan has a flat 4.35% + $0 income tax rate vs my mostly 9.30% + $2059... With a ?9.75%? Sales tax... damn, I am moving to Michigan!
 
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@FIF said:
Story's a bit disjointed, but I heard "An employee gave me a unit that was being held for a soccer mom. She showed up for it, but I screwed her good!"

Ugh.
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This was not being held for her. This was a check that the Member Services had another employee do. Breathless fatty saw it being carried up by a rep and told her it was hers. If she had requested one set aside it was not the one they pulled from storage for me. Regardless, had she called they would have had one waiting for her reserved.

 
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