Is February 20th zero hour for the Vita?
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Does the future of PlayStation herald a resurgence, or the continued decline of the Vita?
Hopes for the Vita have been rising as of late and have neared their crescendo for the 20th of February and Sony's "Future of PlayStation" press event. With early adopters feeling ignored, fans cling to a hope that Sony has a greater plan for the struggling handheld and are only waiting for the right moment to execute it. One more olive branch was extended in the vein of the successful Nintendo Direct conferences, which Sony recently delivered in Japan over the weekend to mixed reviews. A price drop for the homeland of the Vita was announced and reaffirmation on existing games to come was put forward, but nothing that would instill a renewed sense of confidence in the Vita took shape.
Soon the future of the PlayStation brand will be unveiled in the form of the inevitable PlayStation 4 announcement, but the question becomes, is Vita a part of that plan and have we reached zero hour for the PlayStation portables successor?
Games are the most obvious downfall of the Vita right now and Sony insists they're coming, but when does it become too late? Also, assumptions are that the price drop announcement from the weekend will extend to North America in the form of a $199 price tag. Much needed, but proprietary media and the expenses that come with it need to be addressed as well.
A new design has even been proposed for the machine which is relatively preposterous to think of. The Vita is a gorgeous piece of technology and is pretty awesome to use, redesigning it only a year after release would seem to be a waste of resources. Extending the new silver color globally would be a nice addition and harmonizing that with the reduced price and promise of great gaming experiences would go a long way to helping the Vita, but is all this even enough at this point? If you're asking my opinion, I say no, it isn't.
New colors and reduced price points are welcome, but likely won't be enough
To me, the only way that Sony reinvigorates the PlayStation Vita is to make it integral to their brands future and marry it to the PlayStation 4. The conversation of connectivity between the next home console installment has been a hot one for awhile now, some even go so far as to believe this is the reason Sony has been so mum on the Vita lately. The extent of this connectivity is beyond the scope of this blog, but it must be extensive. Here are some examples:
A new way to control games similar to the Wii U's tablet only with more options at their disposal
Cloud gaming on the go with current and past titles easy to access
Ease of use and plug & play between the PS4 and Vita
Have PS4 and Vita bundles available on release further cementing the technological relationship
The options are almost limitless and the potential for this technology is exciting. How they do this, I don't know, but the plan must be in place from day one and it has to be easy for the average person to understand and apply. Treat the unveiling of the PS4 as a new beginning for the Vita and people will take notice.
Connectivity between the two gives the handheld a fresh coat of paint in consumers minds and offers innovative ideas for developers moving forward. Doing this makes it seem like the Vita has been a part of the grand plan all along and will allow many to forget the controversial year it has squandered on the market so far. Anything short of this may ring the death-bell for the PlayStation Vita
What are your thoughts for the Vita's future at PlayStation conference? Do you think it's as important as I do for the Vita to have full connectivity, or do you think it can still carve out success even if it isn't a major part of the PS4? Comment and carry on the conversation with me below.
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PS4 streaming through VITA = VITA saved
