In the wake of last week's sharply falling sales, Japanese retailers are apparently slicing the PlayStation Vita's price in order to stimulate a few more buys.
An image has circulated of one particular retailer offering the 3G-enabled Vita for ¥24,999, a drop of nearly 17% from ¥29,980.
It's believed that the 3G model is particularly problematic for Sony. 85% of the Wi-Fi Vitas were reportedly sold at launch, compared to 56% for the 3G. Oddly, it seems people don't want to pay more for outdated technology that has very limited use on a dedicated gaming handheld.
While I hope that Vita sales pick up (because I'd like to see the machine supported by publishers), I can't help but think that tossing two SKUs onto the market at launch was a silly, alienating idea. With such a new product, I don't think Sony should have potentially confused customers so early ... but then I remember it's Sony, the company that doesn't even know itself what the Vita can do. Pretty par for the course.
Report: Retailers cutting 3G Vita prices [Edge]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
8:00 AM on 01.04.2012 | 
It would make the world better.
/End Scsm
If I didn't get a Vita for Christmas, I wouldn't buy it, until it was much cheaper, but my girlfriend had to go buy me one. [Sigh!]
I dunno, I'm just going to put off getting one until I know there's plenty of content, I don't want another 3DS situation where I had to wait a bit for the good games to come.
But in all seriousness, I want to see sales for this thing pick up.
Now I don't feel ripped off paying full price for my 3g Vita. Ignorance is bliss.
Playasia still wants over 400 bucks for a PS Vita...
I think that's the going price for an imported system....those always sell for ridiculous amounts before official NA release
Yeah (because they speculated that the system would sell out), but even the japanese retailers did go down to 24999 Ye and thats still more expensive than a US WiFi Model. I don't think that Sony recommended the even higher price before that one.
24999 yen is $326 thats $26 over the 3G model, but we have to take exchange rates and sales tax into account. It also depends on if the store is displaying the price + tax or with no tax at all.
I do see your point with the original 29980 yen for the 3G model. I just dont know what $300 converts to after exchange rates.
Seriously, that is a fuck up for Sony!
The vita has some games I must play, like LKS, uncharted and a portable Disgaea 3
I've been poking around, and I'm pretty sure the original price on display here is the official msrp fron sony.
And drop the price of your goddamn system already!
Psv lks may never make it out of Japan(as far as I know right now), but you could just by one right now on the wii....
@Jay
I know your joking, but I will clarify for others: that writing is all Japanese. If I remember correctly, some hylian letters and symbols resemble some of Japan's.
some people, i guess.
(granted, i would not want to play online multiplayer games on a handheld, so i might be extra out of the loop.)
Verified on andriasang.
Yeah, 29980 yen is the official launch price.
Oops.
This is a single limited time sale from a single retailer.
The guys in the field from 8-4 Ltd. have not seen ANY other discounts at any other retailers.
My guess is that phones and hotspots are overpriced without such deals, and worthless to the companies who make them without a phone plan of some kind.
The vita, however, is already costing sony money with a loss on each system and doesn't need the 3g to work or run.
@naninani
If you going to say "debunked", it is wise to add a source so people can see what you're talking about.
3DS = Virtual Boy! This thing is doomed. They already had to cut the price on it! I don't like Pilotwings; therefore, there were no good launch games for it. What a terrible system.
Kotaku: DOOOOMED!
Jim: DOOOOMED! But I'll pretend I wasn't such a Negative Nancy about it a few months later when sales pick up.
*Present Day...haha....Present Time...HAHAHAHA!*
Vita = PSPGo! This thing is doomed. They already had to cut the price on it! I don't like Gravity Rush; therefore, there are no good launch games for it. What a terrible system.
Kotaku: DOOOOMED!
Jim: DOOOOMED! But I'll pretend I wasn't such a Negative Nancy about it a few months later when sales pick up.
If the Vita's lukewarm reception sales-wise in it's second week of availability are a sign of things to come for the Vita, then Sony may be in trouble here.
I mean, Sony's last bastion is Japan. Sony products that flounder about internationally always do well for Sony in Japan.
If Japan's half-hearted response to the launch of the Vita proves to be the trend, I'd expect international launch sales to be well under projected numbers.
And drop the price of your goddamn system already!
Sony only give unit to real journalism ... not for clowns that pretend to be one
I sure as hell dont wana pay the same amount i did for my ps3 for a handheld that I dont even want because mobile gaming is just a fancy way of asking to be mugged in my neck of the woods.
Sony releasing the Vita is like cutting their consumers in half. Now we gotta support two platforms at once that both supply the same type of core titles. Hopefully the best vita titles will be available on PS3 but thats probably not gonna happen.
SO YEA a early death for the Vita sounds like the best possible outcome for PS3 owners
Its price tag however effectively turns it into a sink hole which will suck up plenty of weird and Japanese tittles that my PS3 would love to swallow
Give me a the Wi-Fi model and leave me to spend that extra $50 on one of your damn proprietary (and required) memory cards, then leave me alone.
Really, Japanese people are tech savvy enough to understand the difference.
PS Vita: DOOMed.