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by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:34- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
Sony attracted unwanted attention to PS Vita's poor sales this week - but it can still turn this console around, argues Rob Fahey
There were quite a few things in Sony's final results for fiscal 2011/12 which raised eyebrows - not least of all the headline figure, a vast loss of ¥456.7 billion(around €4.4 billion) whose only redeeming feature is that it's not quite as high as the forecast made last month. Most of Sony's real losses originated in the Consumer Products and Services Division, which filed an enormous ¥229.8 billion operating loss. That's relevant to us, because along with LCD TVs, Vaio PCs and digital cameras, that division also houses Sony Computer Entertainment and the PlayStation business.
Away from the headline figures, though, it was an omission that really got eyebrows around the industry heading for the hairline. Sony, like most hardware manufacturers, generally tells the world how many units of hardware it sold in its financial results. That held true in today's financial figures, with the company confessing to dropping sales across the board - figures for everything the firm sells were down, including the figures for its three game platforms, the PS3, PSP and PS2.
"While the industry loves the Vita, consumers simply don't seem to care about it"
Wait... Three? Yes, in spite of the detail being provided elsewhere, none of which was particularly flattering (PS3 software sales were the sole bright point), the PlayStation Vita wasn't anywhere to be found in the report. That omission was corrected by Kaz Hirai on the earnings call a little while later, with the newly anointed company boss revealing that PS Vita sales sat at 1.8 million worldwide in March. The lack of figures in the report, however, was enough to draw attention to the struggling handheld, and has raised the question of the prospects for the device once again.
Speculation as to why Sony didn't simply cite Vita figures in its report is a fairly fruitless thing to engage in. 1.8 million by the year's end is a weak figure, significantly behind the 3DS at a comparable point in its life (ahead of the steep price cut), but it's more likely that Sony simply didn't want to include a system only launched last December in a table of year-on-year comparisons than that it thought it could hide poor sales by leaving them out of the report. Vita is Sony's latest device and the focus of intense interest from the industry and media alike. Nobody was ever going to flick through Sony's presentation slides and just forget that Vita existed. Information like that simply doesn't hide or slip by quietly in the internet age.
Regardless of motive, Vita's figures are out there now, and they're dismal. The console seems to be in a very peculiar place in terms of its market position. Unlike the 3DS, which was widely derided at its launch, with every two-bit pundit having a view on why it was destined for miserable failure, the Vita seems to be genuinely well-liked. I've yet to speak to anyone, within the industry or outside it, who has a strong view that says that the Vita is a poor system, or that its software line-up was disappointing (slow since launch, perhaps, but not disappointing overall). Yet the system is struggling to achieve even the modest success (and I'm really being kind there) which the 3DS enjoyed prior to its price cut.
Does that reflect a dangerous disconnection between the games industry and its consumers? While the industry loves the Vita, consumers simply don't seem to care about it. Viewed from certain angles, that's a fairly worrying situation - but then again, it's hardly the first time this has happened. Games industry types love underdogs and have a taste for the obscure. The Neo Geo, the Saturn, the WonderSwan, the Dreamcast, the GameCube - hell, even the original Xbox - all of them are consoles resoundingly rejected by the public but utterly embraced by those within the industry. Watch the eyes of any game developer or journalist (two species with more in common than they like to admit) light up when they find a truly obscure piece of failed game hardware in a Japanese second-hand emporium, and you'll see what I mean. It's not wrong or strange for creators and those most tightly engaged with a medium to root for underdogs, and it doesn't necessarily imply that they're out of touch with their consumers.
On the other hand, that's not a very reassuring idea for Sony, who would definitely rather that its new console didn't get added to a list of companions like the DreamCast or the WonderSwan. On that front, there's good news, and there's bad news.
The good news is that Nintendo has proven firmly that even in a post-iOS world, there's a market for dedicated handheld game consoles. Worldwide sales of the 3DS are poised to blast through 20 million (if they haven't already done so), which frankly, is far ahead of what even the most optimistic observers thought possible from the device's first year or so on the market. Apple's devices dwarf Nintendo's sales, of course, but Nintendo doesn't ...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:32- Categories:
- DCEmu
US retail results have arrived for April.
NPD’s latest report states hardware sales accounted for $189.7m, accessories brought in $148.6m, and software sales contributed $292.1m. In terms of year-over-year, accessories saw a very marginal increase, while hardware and software sales saw dramatic drops.
Microsoft continued to dominate the US hardware chart, finishing ahead of the pack for the 16th consecutive month. 236,000 360 systems were sold during the period, with the Kinect Star Wars bundle helping to drive the average selling price up for hardware in general.
Prototype 2 claimed the top spot in software sales, with Kinect Star Wars finishing in second as the number one selling exclusive.
The industry as a whole brought in $630.4m, down 32 per cent from last year’s $930.9m (though the NPD did add that the ‘total consumer spend’ on games including digital is estimated at $1bn).
Here is the full list of April’s top sellers:
Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms including PC)
- Prototype 2 (360,PS3)
- Kinect Star Wars (360)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
- Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 13 (360, PS3)
- NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC)
- The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (360, PC)
- Mario Party 9 (Wii)
- Mass Effect 3 (360, PS3, PC)
- Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3)
- MLB: The Show (PS3, PSV)
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/april...er-year/095840 ...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:29- Categories:
- Playstation Vita News
System 3 boss and industry veteran Mark Cale explains why PS Vita has the potential to be an iPad-beater and what Sony could do to help the handheld prosper in a tough market.
PlayStation Vita launched just two months ago but today you’d never know it.
Sony has some of the sexiest technology out there. So I was actually disappointed in the launch and the marketing behind the launch that supported the machine.
It’d be great for Sony to find a way to reposition its marketing to really show off the PS Vita’s hardware and performance. Vita has the potential to be a big opportunity. It is a fantastic machine. There are so many reasons for buying it but I’m unclear as to why Sony is waiting to promote these key features in its marketing plan.
Compared to the PSP, Vita is amazing. Compared to iOS devices, Vita is also amazing. Vita has a fantastic screen display. Not only is it a touchscreen device, but Sony was the first company to introduce into the marketplace a screen technology that Apple defined as a Retina display. Technology it described as ‘revolutionary’.
Vita plays games, we know that, but what else can it do? If you’re using it in the same way as your other mobile devices, you can take pictures. And these pictures are actually of higher quality than mobile phones. Its quality rivals that of the iPhone.
Another key feature Sony isn’t shouting about yet is the location-based services to log in wherever you are. I could do the tourist thing and log in at London Bridge on Facebook. But you don’t need to be online to use these location services. Vita uses these location services to pinpoint where you are when you take a picture.
You can use Wi-Fi and 3G to go online. Vita allows you to use Facebook, Twitter and even Skype, using the machine’s built-in camera. You can use screen gestures, too, on the touch pad, so it’s directly comparable to the iPad.
Price points
Some people go on about the cost of PS Vita. Granted, it’s expensive compared to the PS3, but it’s cheaper than an entry-level iPad 2 which costs £300, and it’s a bargain compared to the top-of-the-range £700 64GB model. And apart from a larger screen, the iPad has nothing over PS Vita.
That message should come through in the marketing. The consumer believes Vita is expensive because they see it as just a games machine with great capabilities, but they might not know what those great capabilities are.
The games engineered for Vita also offer a much better experience than nearly all of the titles you get on the iPhone and iPad. And even mass-market games that made mobile devices so popular with casual gamers, like Angry Birds, are on the PlayStation Network if you want them.
You’ve got a much better interactive gaming device in Vita than Apple will ever be able to deliver on a touchscreen-only product. This is because Sony has kept its traditional, excellent game controls built into the device, such as what all gamers would consider essential – an analogue stick for controlling the games.
For Sony to hit home these points they need, in my opinion, to be included in any and all future marketing campaigns. The video games industry needs this new device to succeed.
So just how important is the handheld market? Well, from April 16th to April 22nd 2012, the Top 10 games chart in Japan consisted entirely of 3DS, PSP and DS games.
The overall sales of PlayStation Portable in Japan, from launch to date, are nearly 19m. The Nintendo 3DS has sold over 5m units in just over a year. So don’t tell me there isn’t a handheld market, because there is.
Handheld hero
The PlayStation Vita is such a great machine and essential to handheld gaming, it mustn’t be allowed to fail.
This is a battle cry. It’s so important for the industry. And there is a handheld market. We’ve seen over here in the UK how well the 3DS is picking up now. Nintendo stumbled with the wrong marketing message when it started out with the 3DS handheld, but it put its hands up and changed its marketing position, message and price point. It showed off what the 3DS can actually do in its newer TV advertisements and press campaigns, just like Apple does with the iPad.
Let’s hope Sony, and everyone else releasing and promoting games for Vita, can now show off what the portable can actually do.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/j-acc...in-vita/095913 ...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:27- Categories:
- Wii U News
The new Marvel film is taking the box office by storm, and Ubisoft is giving gamers the chance to wield their favourite heroes' superpowers.
Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth is currently in development for Wii U and Kinect and is due for release this Autumn.
However, it will not be based on the smash hit blockbuster movie. Instead, it will follow the events of the Secret Invasion storyline from the comics. Fans will battle an shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls, who have invaded Earth and disguised themselves as Marvel's most iconic heroes.
Ubisoft has promised more than 20 different characters will be featured, including Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor.
The game is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind Kinect's superpowered beat 'em up Powerup Heroes. Expect similar gameplay with more than a smattering of Hulk Smash.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/aveng...-kinect/095914 ...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:25- Categories:
- PC News
Jagex will finally show off Transformers Universe to the UK public later this month.
MCM Expo will be the first UK event to host the MMO based on the popular Hasbro toys. Attendees will be able to meet members of the Transformers Universe development team and learn more about the game in a special panel session.
And it will be the first time UK consumers will be able to reserve their character names and choose whether they will side with the Autobots or Decepticons when the final game launches later this year.
Jagex will also be showing off its flagship MMO RuneScape, marking the first time the game has been showcased at MCM Expo.
The pop culture convention will be held at London's ExCeL centre and runs from Friday, May 25th to Sunday, May 27th.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/trans...cm-expo/095916
...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:23- Categories:
- DCEmu
The money generated from overall game sales in the US during April has been estimated at a whopping $1bn.
This figure from The NPD Group includes sales of hardware, accessories, new and used physical games at retail, rentals, digital downloads, add-on content, subscriptions, mobile games and social network titles.
It’s the first time the entire US games market has been taken into account during a single month. Previously, the data only included sales of boxed product.
Prototype 2 was the best-selling game in the US last month, and boxed sales made up $630.4m. Read the April 2012 NPD salesnews story for more specific details.
NPD industry analyst Anita Frazier said: “I think the new physical retail content sales reflect a very light release schedule in terms of the amount of compelling new games.
“Last April, the top seven titles outsold the top-selling title this year, and, simply stated, there were notably fewer new market introductions. I think it’s a simple as that because when we see compelling content come into the market, the games are still selling as well as ever – we just saw a lot less this April as compared to last.
“For some insight into digital purchasing of content, we can look at the performance of points and subscription cards which were up 75 per cent in units over last April. These could very well have been last minute additions to Easter baskets early in the month."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/npd-o...n-april/095917 ...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:18- Categories:
- Apple iPad
Rumours suggest Apple will release a smaller iPad this Autumn at a lower price point.
Dubbed the iPad Mini, the new device will reportedly boast a 7-inch Retina Display, according to iMore (via Stuff). It will initially only be available as an 8GB model.
Sources also claim it will retail for between $200 and $250 – the equivalent of £125 to £155.
Apparently the iPad mini will be identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, meaning the tablet's 2048x1536 resolution will be delivered at 365ppi.
Naturally, nothing official has emerged from Apple yet be we'll be sure to let you know if and when it does.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ipad-...october/095925 ...by Published on May 14th, 2012 00:17- Categories:
- Apple iPad
Back in March, Apple was sued in Australia and criticized in Europe over its marketing of the iPad as supporting 4G speeds when it only did so in the U.S. and Canada. Now, reader TheGift73 writes with news that Apple has given in and changed the 'Wi-Fi + 4G' label to 'Wi-Fi + Cellular.' From the article:"In the U.K., a number of complaints by customers pushed the ASA into acting against Apple for its misleading advertisements. The regulator had received 'dozens of complaints' from customers, and had pushed for Apple to remove any mentions of '4G' from its websites. It should come as little surprise considering Britain has yet to see its mobile networks divide up its 4G spectrum without bickering furiously about it. Some networks had even opted to avoid litigation directed at them by including stickers to inform potential buyers that the new iPad will not work on existing 4G networks, or even 4G networks that don't even exist yet. This should come as bittersweet news for consumers. Apple has already sold millions of iPads across the U.K., Europe and Australia, while the vast majority are unaware that they will not be able to connect to high-speed mobile broadband networks."
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/0...avoid-lawsuits ...by Published on May 12th, 2012 23:34- Categories:
- Nintendo 3DS News
Heres another special offer from Amazon UK:
Select a 3DS console shown below by ticking the box to the left of your chosen console. You may now add the following to create your 3DS bundle:
Offers available with your 3DS purchase
- £10 game: You can add one of the games listed below to your order for £10. Add one of these games, sold by Amazon.co.uk, to your order by ticking the box to the left of the game. The promotional price of the selected game will be applied to your total order value at checkout. £10 game terms and conditions.
- Free Screen Protector: You can add a screen protector to your order for free. Add one selected screen protector shown below, sold by Amazon.co.uk, to your order by ticking the box to the left of the game. The promotional price of the screen protector will be applied to your total order value at checkout. Free screen protector terms and conditions
- Important: Click the "Add to Basket" button on the right of the page to add all your selected items to your basket.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.h...pf_rd_i=506846 ...by Published on May 12th, 2012 23:23- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has smashed all previous Xbox Live Arcade sales records after selling the most units in just 24 hours.
The downloadable title – priced at 1,600 Microsoft Points (around £15) – went on sale on Wednesday, May 9th.
Within its first hour on sale it had become profitable, and in around 24 hours it had amassed more than 400,000 sales.
Minecraft creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson said on Twitter: “Well then. Saw the official sales numbers for the first 24 hours of Minecraft Xbox 360, and it's very, very good. Profitable in an hour.”
Minecraft was developed by Mojang and ported to Xbox 360 by 4J Studios and Microsoft Studios.
Today Notch added: “Mojang and 4j will be celebrating today like only slightly socially awkward game developers can. Much standing around with beers in hand.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/minec...records/095931 ...- Search DCEmu
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Catherine: Full Body’s English translation for the Vita