The PS Vita is doing much better these days. The game library is still not as robust as I'd like, but I don't get depressed so much when I check the Vita section of my regular game store.
Sadly, the hand-held powerhouse is still not performing as well as Sony would probably want it to. While it currently no longer undersells its predecessor, the PSP, on a weekly basis, it still has a long way to go before it manages to sell as many units (The PSP has sold over 19 million units in Japan, whereas the Vita took 11 months after its release to breach the 1 million mark.)
The recent Japanese price cut did help to boost recent sales numbers, although now these numbers are currently suffering due to a shortage of units.
Japanese gaming magazine Weekly Famitsu conducted an online poll for Vita owners on their satisfaction with the hand-held console and the current software lineup. The results were not unexpected: While on average, most users appeared satisfied with the console itself (average score out of 100 was 74.92), roughly 40% of responders said they were either dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied on the software side. Here's some of what they had to say:
Console
"It's revolutionary, but does not utilize its full potential. I think things would change if you could use it in business as well." 40 year-old male (score: 45)
"There are too few exclusive games." 44 year-old male (score: 50)
"At present, I give it a 50 out of 100. If there were more games, my score would be higher." 21 year-old male (score- 50)
"It's well made, but everything is too rigid. It's no different from a home console." 27 year-old male (score: 60)
"At last there seems to be a decent library of games." 30 year-old female (score: 70)
"I love being able to play high quality games on a hand-held. I've stopped using my PS3." 22 year-old male (score: 70)
"I use my smartphone, but [the Vita] makes me feel that 'games should be played on game machines.'" 38 year-old male (score: 75)
"In terms of specs, it's probably the best hand-held console out there right now." 42 year-old male (score:80)
"I like the unique controls, and the visuals are gorgeous. I want more games for a female audience!" 22 year-old female (score: 80)
"I'll give it 100 when a killer title comes out." 37 year-old male (score: 90)
"You can do everything with one PS Vita." 23 year-old male (score: 90)
"With not only games, but video and music, communication apps, coordination with Nasne, it's become an easy-to-use multi-device." 34 year-old male (score:100)
Software
"When the Vita first came out, I expected more games from big titles to small indie games. I wish the lineup would be more robust." 33 year-old male (dissatisfied)
"There's too much DLC and pay-for items. Simply knowing that I'll eventually be able to play them for free on PS Plus kills any enthusiasm I have to buy a game." 36 year-old male (dissatisfied)
"Most of the games I look forward to are also available on the PSP. I don't think the PS Vita is being utilized to its full potential." 36 year-old male (somewhat dissatisfied)
"The UMD Passport was supposed to be the savior of the PSP. Software is woefully under-supported. At the very least, games that are available for download on the PS Store should support it." 39 year-old gender unspecified (somewhat dissatisfied
"Every game I've purchased has been of high quality and overall I'm satisfied with the good games. However, something should be done about the sparse number of games." 22 year-old male (neither)
"A lot of game sequels are being put out on the PSP, but once you get used to the high resolution of the PS Vita, it makes you wish they would release those games on the Vita instead." 39 year-old female (neither)
"I think there still aren't many original titles. However, a lot of the games that have been ported or been multi-platform releases are games I would not have gotten if they weren't available on the Vita." 28 year-old male (satisfied)
"I'd say that processing specs aside, simply the increase in visual quality has made the games stand out, but the fact that I can play the same games that are made for home consoles is revolutionary." 44 year-old male (satisfied)
"There aren't that many well-known titles out yet, but what they have are all well-made. Playing the games, I can tell that the developers are putting a real effort into it." 28 year-old male (very satisfied)
"I feel the lack of games has been solved. Games for the Vita rival the quality of home console games and the satisfaction I get from each game is high." 45 year-old male (very satisfied)
(1549 valid responses)
ファミ通.com [ファミ通.com]
13年4月ゲーム販売 : PSVita品不足で売り上げ激減 [MANTANWEB]
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.