It seems the PS Vita sold around 325,000 units during the first week (which meant just two days), while during the second full week the handheld recorded sales of just 72,000 units. Of course, many major websites are already estimating disastrous sales for the US launch next year, demanding a price cut. It’s even on Forbes and this kind of mass hysteria is spreading fast. Let’s see if it’s really the moment to worry or it’s just that time of the year when news are scarce and everyone tries to squeeze something out of anything.
First, let’s start with first week comparisons. They show the behavior of what we call early adopters. If it’s a major event coming, like Christmas or Easter, you could see a boost in sales. The 325,000 units sold in just two days is a welcoming figure for Japan. Since Christmas followed soon, I suspect many people got it early as they feared shortages. Those late to the party bought it during the second week. Trying to compare it with the 3DS is a bit unfair since the 3DS is an already established system with some major software launches this month, so it performed admirably. Nintendo’s timing was perfect, since these launches surely helped their system.
Then there’s the comparison with the Kindle Fire. Why? For what purpose? Why not compare it with the Samsung Galaxy S II or Samsung Galaxy Note? It’s a useless comparison. Just because two devices launched recently this doesn’t mean that you should compare them. The Kindle Fire targets totally different customers and the markets where these devices are available (for now) are not similar. There is no way someone can compare them and obtain something useful out of it (other than spoiling an article with nonsense).
Last, but not least, why ask for a price cut for a certain market (US) based on the sales in another market (JP)? Nintendo took this decision only after the device was available worldwide for a few months, so they were able to analyze its performance across all the markets. There is no solid reason to ask for a price cut in the US, as it’s not even available there. What many journalists crying for a price cut don’t understand is that price always reflects value and by the time the handheld hits USA and Europe it’s value will be even greater as it is now (as many games are planned for a spring release). That’s one more reason not to cut the price just now. If sales in these territories will indeed be slow, then Sony may decide to reduce PS Vita’s price, but that’s not something to consider before the device is even launched.
So, I don’t really think that you should worry about the PS Vita sales. It’s just the kind of news that brings traffic in a moment when other real news are missing. You should consider PS Vita’s impressive line-up of titles and if it’s something you really would like to play, get the system. If not, don’t. Simple as that. Always remember that price is always about value. If it has value to you, then you should invest time and money in it, regardless of what X and Y are saying (or playing).
For a more in depth analysis of launch sales for the PS Vita, check this article that I wrote some time ago.
