Shuhei Yoshida, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, thinks it’s too difficult to release a handheld in today’s smartphone and tablet orientated world. Yoshida was asked whether or not they would consider bringing out a successor to the PlayStation Vita and he said that he didn’t believe the climate was healthy enough for them to release another dedicated handheld machine. That could change, but it seems fairly unlikely.
“People have mobile phones and it’s so easy to play games on smartphones,” Yoshida said. “And many games on smartphones are free, or free to start.
“I myself am a huge fan of PlayStation Vita and we worked really hard on designing every aspect. Touch-based games are fun – there are many games with really good design. But having sticks and buttons make things totally different.
“So I hope, like many of you, that this culture of playing portable games continues but the climate is not healthy for now because of the huge dominance of mobile gaming.”
Thanks, Alex F
Oh yes, of course, the Vita under-performed because “handhelds aren’t too hot right now,” and NOT because of your own failures to make it worth people’s while.
The dominance of the smartphone market and mobile gaming, though, is definitely worth a concern for companies in the handheld market, Nintendo and Sony both included. “Handhelds aren’t too hot right now” is just one of the many flaws of the Vita, and it affects Nintendo as well.
Nintendo simply coped better in dealing with the situation and the ever changing norms of society, and having IPs like Pokemon and Smash Bros definitely helps attract both kids and adults, especially kids these days who would prefer a smart device. It’s one of the benefits of having a strong multimedia franchise like Pokemon.
While the Vita has grasped a small portion of the adult market (even among the PlayStation fan base, the Vita is ridiculed for its lack of worthwhile content heading into the future, and many of its best games are either available or are going to be available on PS3 or PS4), they really don’t have anything that attracts the kids market, so mobile gaming definitely hurt them.
Hurt, yes, but it wasnt the sole reason for the Vita’s “failure.” For that you have Sony to blame who not only lied to its fanbase, but single handedly killed it by not supporting it, or even advertising it. Lets not get carried away here and put all the blame on the mobile market. Had Sony cared for the Vita in the slightest, they wouldve dugged it out of the grave that its currently in, just like Nintendo did with the 3DS.
Now if only Nintendo would do the same with the Wii U. Sadly, it looks like they aren’t even trying to save it. Apparently too busy with the 3DS, mobile market, & NX to even save the Wii U. The sad thing is the Wii U is pretty much Nintendo’s Vita.
it does seem that way, it feels weird, maybe its because ive always called myself a Nintendo fan first and foremost, but I just seem to let Nintendo slide with a lot of stuff. Sony on the other hand, I havent bought a lick of shit from anything even remotely related to them.
Thank You. That’s what I’ve been telling people but their just to stupid to understand. Nintendo is doing well with the 3DS because they support it even when it was struggling.
Not to mention Nintendo has a lock on and owns some seriously popular IP’s.
see they needed to make the system worth buying. if they had said that ps3/4 games were cross buy, and all first party games (like xbox dues with Kinect) use the vita as a sort of bonus control then i think it would of sold a lot more. also I think the current form is relatively fine, just like I dont think the 3DS really needs a new format so much as just improving the current device. if they made a successor it should run steam OS, android, or windows 10. include a “play station launcher” (as well as other sony apps) the launcher would be a PS game store, along with a way to launch those games and offer things like a way to watch video clips, screen shots, trophy info, and message your friends. that point would be that people could play PS games on a handheld, but it would also be a “pc” with its own built in controls. these days they could make it a pretty powerfull device for gaming. seeings how windows 10 can be put on raspberry pi and even on a robotic air hocky table…
I don’t understand why they keep saying that Smart phones are going to overrun hand helds because there’s one certain thing that makes Handhelds better than phones, and that’s buttons, the touch screen controls are just way too wonky at times and need to be more simplified to really give any good gameplay of it. 3DS has a nice amount of buttons, a circle pad, a touch screen, it’s basically the perfect portable gaming device, I highly doubt that phones will EVER dominate over it.
That’s what he said, “Touch-based games are fun – there are many games with really good design. But having sticks and buttons make things totally different.”
However, for the average consumer and not just those who consider themselves to be gamers, they don’t care. The Vita and 3DS definitely appeal to the “gamer” demographic, but for the non-gamer demographic, there may not be a reason to purchase a dedicated gaming handheld or console when you can play games on a smart device that you already have. Smart phones aren’t going to overrun handheld gaming devices… It’s just going to take up a large portion of the market.
The average consumer just want a phone or tablet and may or may not be looking for a gaming device. They want something they can do that interest them. People buying the 3DS and Vita want to play games. It was and is the same logic to PC. People buy PCs to do things they need to do which may or may not include gaming. For the most part, people buy consoles to play video games. Exceptions, are the people that bought PS1, P2, and PS3 for CD, DVD, and Blu-ray players. Wii and 360 has Netflix or Hulu boxes. This is where the industry gaming lines get blurred. Other devices are not just dedicated gaming devices. They are in a different market..
For Sony is the vita dead just like the Wii U but he is right the app game’s are a curse they even going to release a FUCKING angry bird’s movie this summer what is going to be the next stupid thing Candy Crush movie
If they made a Candy Crush Movie, I will officially lose faith in humanity…
I have lost faith in humanity already at this point
Handhelds will continue to do decently well. Despite the rise of Mobile, Handhelds continue to hold their own. Yes, Newer Handhelds will never even come close, sales wise, to the DS, worldwide. But don’t count Handhelds COMPLETELY out…
At least someone acknowledged it.
Translation: “We’re getting our butts kicked by the 3ds.”
The 3DS has analog sticks and buttons and a touch screen. And it’s still doing very well. If anyone can keep driving the handheld market forward, It’s Nintendo.
You can bet your ass Nintendo is going to release another handheld…Hell, their handheld is practically keeping them alive.
The mobile market plays it’s part, but noone can look at the Vita, then the 3DS, and blame Mobile for the main reason Sony seems to be bowing out of the handheld arena. So…this means Nintendo vs Smartphones? Epic battle incoming.
To clarify, I don’t think Nintendo wants a piece of the smartphone market, but I don’t think they will give up gamers who are converting into smartphone gamers without a fight.
They will expose them to their IP’s via Apps, then try to draw them into their handheld console hybrid, NX, slowly converting the gaming world back into console gamers and revitalizing a dying industry once again! Mwahaha!
… … Who am I kidding. x.x
The most popular mobile games are stolen goods from the past. King, along with other mobile devs, acknowledged Nintendo and “welcomed” the competition. Seeing as their most popular games are just rip-offs of older existing games, I have no doubt in my CPU that they’re a little nervous at the thought of it all.
They’re just saying that because they know that their comments will show up on this blog.
The title for this article is wrong. Shuhei’s stance is wrong. It should be “The climate is not healthy for SONY handhelds these days.” That’s the REAL truth of the matter.
I honestly dont think it ever was. The PSP only sold because it was the best and only way to play NES and SNES games on the go back then. As of now, the Vita is a commercial failure. Sony lucked out with the PSP, but they shouldve known that lighting doesnt strike twice in the same place.
Yeah, but most smartphone games aren’t any good.
I have faith and i don’t have a smartphone and if i did have one i’d take pictures on it and talk on it. Games are for games systems not phones if the keep making the hand held games i’ll keep buying them because the X-box 360 ruined my 55 inch television
Well hello…Sony isn’t known for the handheld, the Vita is dead, that market is not for Sony. It’s unhealthy for them lol.
To be honest. I can’t see another Nintendo handheld doing well either. The 3DS was a miracle, I don’t think it proves all Nintendo handhelds will sell well. The 3DS is selling on brand name alone at this point.
Guess the fool overlooked the 3DS sales. Mobile is only “popular” because of iPhone and how ridiculously amazing it’s selling which is what jump start this whole thing. But more importantly, it’s also because of how cheap the games are. If only the BS IAP Microtransactions never existed, I may have considered mobile as a semi-serious platform.
The vita rocks! I’m getting one very soon. <3