Used to be, everyone I knew had a portable gaming console — though back then it was all Gameboys and Gameboy Advances. Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida recently sat down with Games Industry to discuss how the advent of cell phone gaming has affected the mobile market, and how the PS Vita is not necessarily trying to compete with the 3DS.
Yoshida, discusses how Sony is not attempting to compete with the 3DS but rather to center their focus on the installed base of the PS Vita. Sony hopes that a couple of distinctive features will set the PS Vita apart from it’s Nintendo competitor, including a slimmer model, the connection options between the Vita and the Playstation 4, and the superior hardware.
In the past, the mobile console market has been dominated by Nintendo, and that is unlikely to change in the near future. Especially in Japan, where around 65% of games sold are in portable format. But Yoshida isn’t deterred. Sony’s planned Vita TV, which is all about bringing the experience home, is one method to keep old users and draw in new consumers.
In Japan, we’ve got two distinct consumers in mind… One is a more casual audience. Because of the price and size of the console, the Vita TV could be a nice entry product for people who who want to try Hulu or Tsutaya Tv or many other video services that haven’t quite caught on in popularity in Japan compared to the western market.
Yoshida also mentioned that PS Vita users could download the games they already own on to the Vita TV and enjoy them there.
Mobile gaming, especially the electronics market, has been a real struggle for portable consoles like the Vita, Yoshida concedes. Your device’s cost is already subsidized by the mobile plan you usually buy, for one. The 3DS is another problem that Shuhei Yoshida has to factor in, but for him, it’s a non-factor.
We don’t necessarily talk about catching up to the 3DS – but we’d like to increase the installed base of PS Vita – Shuhei Yoshida
Yoshida says that the real key to being a success in the industry is to continue putting out a quality product, and not to focus on the competition. The PS Vita strives for better hardware, better games, and a better gaming experience.
“The games can come not only from the PS Vita’s dedicated games – Vita and PS4 are designed with each other in mind, to connect to each other. If you own a PS4, you can play PS4 games via remote play, and once we start the Gaikai service, you’ll be able to play PS3 games on PS Vita.”
For Yoshida, it’s all about focusing on what makes the PS Vita different from its competitors, and that is the connection to the Playstation 4 console.
Do you own a Playstation Vita, 3DS or other mobile console? Why do you have a mobile console?
