PlayStation Vita
From Invertopedia, the encyclopedia of how things fail
The PlayStation Vita launched in 2012 promising PlayStation 3-caliber graphics and an OLED screen, priced the same as its rival[3]. It struggled against Nintendo's 3DS, and by 2015 Sony said it had ended first-party game support[1]. In September 2018 Sony said it would end Vita production in Japan in 2019, with no successor planned[3][1]. By March 2019 the last models had shipped[2]. Sony never released official sales figures; analysts guessed 10 to 15 million units[1].
What happened
| Feb 2012 | The Vita launches in North America.[1] |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Sony confirms it has ended first-party game support.[1] |
| Sep 2018 | Sony says Vita production will end in Japan in 2019 and that there are no plans for a successor.[3][1] |
| Mar 2019 | Sony completes production of all PlayStation Vita models.[2] |
The kill shot
A console is its games, and Sony's own studios stopped making them three years in, while Nintendo's 3DS kept growing.
MobileSyrup noted that the Vita "was never able to gain a footing in the handheld market"[1].
The inversion
Do not launch a platform you will not feed. If your own studios will not make games for it, nobody else will bet on it.
References
- ^ “Sony confirms it will cease production of the Vita in 2019”. MobileSyrup, September 20, 2018. North America launch, 3DS comparison, 2015 first-party exit, sales estimate.
- ^ “All models of Sony's handheld game machine 'PlayStation Vita' finished production”. Gigazine, March 4, 2019. Last two models shipped in March 2019.
- ^ “PlayStation Vita Production To End In 2019 With No Successor Planned”. Game Informer, September 20, 2018. Launch pitch, Oda's Famitsu interview, no successor.