Despite launching at the same price the 3DS launched at, the PlayStation Vita is being pressured by pundits and analysts to lower its price. Sony's Kaz Hirai stated last week that the Vita would retain its $250 price point, but for some, that isn't good enough.
"Gamers are increasingly anticipating Sony to lower prices, especially after the 3DS cut," said Ace Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda. "Sony is under major pressure to cut the price of the Vita or risk a major failure."
Analysts Piers Harding-Rolls and Koki Shiraishi have stated that the rise of mobile gaming is a significant threat, arguing that "the market opportunity for specialist devices is shrinking rather than growing" and "the environment for portable game players has become more difficult because of smartphones."
Bloomberg interviewed a Japanese gamer, who said it was "quite expensive" and that he won't "be one of those people rushing to buy it on the release date."
It's funny how, before the 3DS dropped its price, a $250 Vita looked damn reasonable. It still does to me, but the wider market likely won't agree. After all, their phone plays Angry Birds and has The Facebooks. That's hard to compete with.
3DS price cut puts pressure on Sony [GI.biz]
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Contest:
10:15 AM on 08.08.2011 | 
Anyone pressuring Sony to lower the price is completely out of their mind. They just need to keep the cost of games low, and keep the games flowing. $250 is not what stopped anyone from getting a 3DS. People threw down $150 for Kinect, and it doesn't even do anything (no games!!!).
DERP!
Furthermore, they know what they're doing, because they've been here before. The PSP was expensive when it launched, and it's the first portable gaming system to survive the competition from the Gameboy line (even with the insanely successful DS). The PS3 was expensive, and it's about to overtake 360 globally.
The iPad market is entirely different from this one. That is a demographic that is entirely willing to pay that much. After what happened in the last five months with the portable games market, this is an expected development.
I bet they're already losing money at that price. No way they're gonna go even lower.
"That shit is gay"
You have a sound argument, don't ruin it by being an idiot.
Of the confirmed launch titles, the good ones are ModNation Racers, LittleBigPlanet, Virtua Tennis 4, a new Hot Shots game, Wipeout 2048, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss. There is also a good set of titles coming out near launch.
I haven't touched my 3DS since Zelda, and my PSP has had way longer dry spells even AFTER being hacked.
I don't see Nintendo or Sony putting out another generation of portables after this one unless they go balls deep into the cell phone biz and can keep up with the heavy hitters. Sony might try, but Nintendo's too fucking stubborn and slow in the technology department.
Seems these japanese analysts dont have a clue
All game platforms will come down in price eventually, the companies initially want to recoup as much as the development costs as possible before those price drops.
We need SONY to succeed to drive the industry onward to the future. They are the High Def console Benchmark that Microsoft tries to emulate.
Not everyone has easy or constant access to wi-fi, you know. How would it benefit anyone by getting rid of the completely optional 3G version that I and I'm sure other people are looking forward to?
Analysts two months later – that thing must be less than 250 or it will fail!
Analysts: they’re just making this shit up as they go.
€250 on the other other hand is a kick to the nuts of us europeans. thats over $350 they expect euopeans to pay.
fucking ipod touch
The real story here is that this is somebody's actual name.
The existence of the 299 $ 3G/WIFI PS Vita.
Now I know that many people might find it a bad idea to have extra wireless plans -especially in the US with AT&T-.
But, many users wouldn't mind paying monthly for the device + the plan -in Japan, data plans across wireless carriers are still unlimited-. Since the device will have a longer life-span in general, I think its a not-bad deal -unlike the iPhone and iPad which gets an update every year-.
We'll see which carrier and what plans will Japan get at TGS2011.
My Sony fanboi sensors have gone into the red. Oh, sorry, I believe that sensor is the bullshit sensor. I get them mixed up too much these days.
Sony would be wise to lower the price another $50 or suffer a similar, though probably far less severe, fate to Nintendo.