PlayStation Boss Defends Vita, Slams Social Gaming [Slashdot]

[Rob2600]

you have grossly underestimated the impact cheap mobile gaming has on handheld game and hardware sales. I know plenty of people who bought a PSP or a DS and who haven't yet upgraded to the Vita or the 3DS simply because they are spending more time gaming on their tablets or iPhones or Android phones.

In theory, you are correct. However in reality, we're still seeing very strong 3DS sales. In fact, even with supposed competition from the iPad and Android tablets, more people have bought a 3DS during its first 19 months on the market vs the original DS (and that was *without* competition from tablets!). Just because the Vita is flopping right now, that doesn't discount the 3DS's success. 21 million units in 19 months might pale in comparison to iPad sales figures, but historically for the portable gaming market, it's fantastic.

Maybe instead of hurting 3DS sales, the iPad could actually be *helping*. Perhaps parents would rather buy their children a $180 3DS instead of a $500 iPad.

[RCM]

In theory, you are correct. However in reality, we're still seeing very strong 3DS sales. In fact, even with supposed competition from the iPad and Android tablets, more people have bought a 3DS during its first 19 months on the market vs the original DS (and that was *without* competition from tablets!). Just because the Vita is flopping right now, that doesn't discount the 3DS's success. 21 million units in 19 months might pale in comparison to iPad sales figures, but historically for the portable gaming market, it's fantastic.

Maybe instead of hurting 3DS sales, the iPad could actually be *helping*. Perhaps parents would rather buy their children a $180 3DS instead of a $500 iPad.

If you look at DS sales per year last decade you'll notice its first year is its weakest. They also didn't substantially cut the price of DS in its first year either. It's absolutely true 3DS outsold DS in its first year, but that's masking a bigger problem.

Also, Nintendo's head honcho paints a worrying picture of 3DS performance in the US and Europe: http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/04/3ds-...ndo-president/.

[BydoEmpire]

I digress though, the best time for gaming was in the 80s

fixed

Fixed for real this time.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I know plenty of people who bought a PSP or a DS and who haven't yet upgraded to the Vita or the 3DS simply because they are spending more time gaming on their tablets or iPhones or Android phones.

I bought a 3DS and Vita (both at launch) and I'm spending about 90% of my mobile gaming time on my iPad and iPhone.

Doesn't mean that I don't like 3DS or Vita, I've supported software sales on both systems both at brick and mortar and their digital marketplaces, but when you have a marketplace on iOS that delivers IMO equivalency (games of similar production value/entertainment quality) at a lower price ($1-$10 average on iOS vs. $30-$40 average on 3DS and Vita) as well as FREE content on a weekly basis ... I find that it's really hard to pull myself away from it.

And the button argument is lost on me. There are varying degrees of how well joystick and button touch controls are engineered and when they're passable I'm completely adaptable to the experience, also, with a rise in the popularity of the devices with a physical controller wanting crowd, we're seeing more devices (iControlPad, iCade, etc.) that handle that need in the market.