The Playstation Vita is now available to buy in North America, Japan, Europe, and Australia. And in these early weeks they’ll sell to the hardcore gamers who will pay any asking price for a slice of handheld gaming action.
However, for the rest of us, who are either happy playing Angry Birds on our smartphones, dusting off our DS every now and then, or who have already purchased a 3DS, the price of the PS Vita means we won’t be buying one anytime soon. If ever.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for a price cut, though, as SCEE Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) CEO Jim Ryan, has already ruled out the possibility. He recently told BBC Click (via That VideoGame Blog):
“It’s not on our radar screens at all at the moment. We have our launch plans in place, we’re in the middle of a very vibrant pre-order campaign, the demand that we see coming through in our part of the world is strong, and a price cut, to be honest, is the last thing on our minds right now.”
How long will this stance last? The PS Vita sold well in Japan for a few weeks but sales have now tailed off. And I suspect the same will happen in other territories as well. Nintendo took a hit by cutting the price of the 3DS shortly after launch, so let’s hope Sony sees the light and does something similar.
