Nintendo 3DS vs. PlayStation Vita: Which shall prevail?

[Shinobu]

The Sony-Nintendo brawl will be approaching this holiday season with the release of the PlayStation Vita. The price cut for the 3DS may be a game changer since both companies will be selling their consoles at a loss and the Vita may not be considered better value anymore. How do you think these consoles will do in comparisson to each other?

I think that the PS Vita will capture more of the hardcore market, but both will do well. I think a lot of Nintendo's success, considering how rough it has been so far, will be dependent on having a successful holiday season this year. The addition of major titles around that time will certainly help.

Also, can anyone think of a use for the back touchpad on the Vita that isn't a gimmick?

 

[The Outrage]

Also, can anyone think of a use for the back touchpad on the Vita that isn't a gimmick?

Extra controls like the touch screen on the 3DS, except you can have both of your hands on the buttons on the front and the touchpad at the back? It's not as if your fingers aren't already there.

I always wonder about the 'hardcore' argument when it comes to handhelds. Wouldn't the traditional hardcore gamers prefer their home consoles?

Nintendo clearly took the price drop to sell more systems, thus selling more games to compensate. I'm not sure if Sony can take the same price drop as Nintendo just did.

Though, Sony did a pretty good job in getting this Nintendo fan to want to buy their hand held.

 

[Gligar13]

Vita. 3g, better hardware, better third party, more exclusives, better online, will launch with a built up online store, and the "Kiddy Console" reputation of the DS line.

 

[Shinobu]

I always wonder about the 'hardcore' argument when it comes to handhelds. Wouldn't the traditional hardcore gamers prefer their home consoles?

Nintendo clearly took the price drop to sell more systems, thus selling more games to compensate. I'm not sure if Sony can take the same price drop as Nintendo just did.

I'm inclined to agree with your first paragraph. I still think there's some untapped potential that the Vita may be able to take advantage of fully.

Sony can't lower the price now. They're already selling at a loss, whearas Nintendo was not.

 

[Ghetsis-Dennis]

The 3DS shall prevail in the end, since according to the Game Overthinker, Sony only got lucky with the first two PS consoles, and they've just run out.

 

[Sushi-X]

-votes playstation-

No seriously, Sony has a pretty good record of good hardware and software.

 

[Flame_]

Votes 3ds.

Honestly. It is in a way PSP v DS all over again. More power and can play then standard PS2 games graphics wise. Now it can do almost PS3 graphics.

3DS has more of a market.

And besides. sony is still taking a loss selling the PSV at the price it is right now, they can't drop the price.

 

[Jukain]

Nintendo has made a step in the right direction, but the 3DS will need more killer apps to win. The Vita may still be able to put up a fight, but it's not looking good, as the 3DS being cheaper definitely puts it in Ninty's favor. And honestly, hardcore vs. kiddie is not a valid argument to me. Heck, I'm not sure if I can actually call Nintendo's game's kiddie, as while they are frivolous in nature, their gameplay is deceptively difficult at times. I know that doesn't matter to people who like to shoot everything, but honestly, let them blow their hot air. I don't care if they win or not, to me, they do not matter.

 

[The Outrage]

And besides. sony is still taking a loss selling the PSV at the price it is right now, they can't drop the price.

The difference is that Sony does make money outside of selling video games. Heck, the PS3 seemed to be their vector for getting Blu Ray to win the format wars, and if I recall, there were some 3D games on the PS3--hardly a surprise that Sony also manufactures 3DTV's. They may have been selling the PS3 at a loss, but they've won larger battles as a result.

I don't imagine them selling lower, but I wouldn't say the possibility isn't there, since, as a company, they can stay afloat selling the Vita at a loss, while Nintendo's probably living on their Wii and DS reserves. Nintendo slashed prices by over a third in most places, quite a large cut. How much is Sony losing? If they can somehow manage to get it priced at $200, then I'd say Nintendo's lost for sure. That's why I was particularly concerned about Nintendo making the first move (and now doing it again with the WiiU, with the only new things we really know is HD, which isn't really something to clap about since its just Nintendo conforming to standards, and a tablet that makes the WiiU seem more like a peripheral to the Wii than a whole new system), since they don't know what the opponent is doing. There's also the fact that, according to my friend, the 3DS browser still sucks, so there's really very little hope for better online.

The fact that Nintendo releases a new version of the system with superior hardware is also something that I'm wondering whether their practice of doing so has finally bitten them in the ass, when looking at the 3DS's lackluster battery life. How many people probably went "Sure, I'd buy something this expensive...when its the 3DSLite version"?

Really, if you want Nintendo to win this, then its up to Nintendo fans to buy the 3DS this coming holiday season so that it doesn't become a commercial flop like the Virtual Console.

I guess my vote is mixed right now, but even Nintendo sees Sony is a threat since they felt the need to drop their prices.

 

[Joshawott]

As they're both running at a loss, neither will be immediate success' xD. Although the large price-tag of the 3DS was one of the bigger reasons for the lack of adoption so far; the lowest the Vita could go was to mimic that price (for the non-3G version), while Nintendo have now gone and slashed the price to be £100 less than the Vita. We're in a pretty rough climate, and £100 is a lot of money, especially for a game's console. I can't be certain of the entire console life-span, but as the Vita is supposed to be launching in Japan and America this holiday season, Nintendo have won Christmas 2011 (After all, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and Kid Icarus: Uprising will all be out for Christmas). As Nintendo actually make first party games, I'm guessing they would be more likely to make up for the profits lost on selling the 3DS so cheap.

I'll be honest and say that the original PlayStation Portable never interested me, however, the Vita did attract my attention, and I thought I'd hold out until I saw some games I actually want (biggest problem with the PSP; no games I wanted). Then I saw the massive £280 price-tag for the 3G version (3G gaming being the most attractive feature to me).

 

[Gligar13]

@Joshawott

Unless sony and the 3g company decide on a contract too, where if you buy a Vita, you get locked for 2 years but at a lower price. That worked with Androids and iPhones, and helped smartphones dominate.

 

[X Dragoon]

I think it'll really depend on the games available for the system, we all know the 3DS has good games coming late in the year, so that would really help the sales, so unless the Vita can keep up by having good titles at launch, I think it'll have a rough start.

 

[Tsuness]

Didn't even know Sony was releasing another handheld after the PSP :/

More power to them, but I just think Nintendo has the handheld market cornered and I don't think Sony will be able to take it away.

(Still not going to buy either, though)

 

[Gligar13]

Didn't even know Sony was releasing another handheld after the PSP :/

More power to them, but I just think Nintendo has the handheld market cornered and I don't think Sony will be able to take it away.

(Still not going to buy either, though)

Not really, the PSP is outselling the 3ds in Japan.

 

[The Outrage]

@Joshawott

Unless sony and the 3g company decide on a contract too, where if you buy a Vita, you get locked for 2 years but at a lower price. That worked with Androids and iPhones, and helped smartphones dominate.

So, just wondering, does it actually work as a phone?

 

[Gligar13]

So, just wondering, does it actually work as a phone?

No, but where I live, there were contracts on netbooks when those were the fad, you could pay $300 for a netbook with a modem or get it for free or under $50 with a plan.

 

[Magmortar123]

The Vita looks cool, but that's about it. None of the confirmed games interest me.

 

[The Outrage]

No, but where I live, there were contracts on netbooks when those were the fad, you could pay $300 for a netbook with a modem or get it for free or under $50 with a plan.

I certainly see that as something that Sony would consider. The 3DS certainly has it cut out for them.

 

[Galactic Tomahawk]

Assuming the 3DS manages to pick up steam this holiday season (with the price drop and all the first party titles coming in) I think they'll both do well.

If it doesn't, the Vita will probably have the edge.

 

[Gligar13]

I certainly see that as something that Sony would consider. The 3DS certainly has it cut out for them.

I know thier phone division does that, the xperia play is $99 with contract, but Amazon has unlocked GSM versions for $400-500 and it's $450 without contract.