Topic: The Vita's "Killer App"

Just wanted to offer my opinion on the existing and potential game library. Many people, myself included, are blown away by the hardware but are not so overwhelmed by the software. Not to say games like Uncharted and Gravity Rush aren't phenomenal games, but they don't do numbers like a Mario game, nor do they sell hardware as well as Nintendo software does.

My opinion is that the Vita can't move down the same road of the PSP. The PSP was time and again blown off until deep into its lifetime when its library had established itself. Unless the Vita can build up the mass market fanbase it needs via one or two massive titles, it may tread in the PSP's footsteps.

Now, I know some big games are on the horizon; Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Persona, and PSABR to name a few. But do you think spinoffs, remakes, and cross-play titles are enough, even if they're amazing? Or does the Vita need more stellar, and more importantly exclusive, titles to really build up stronger brand recognition and market momentum?

Basically, are you satified with the kinds of games on Vita now, or do you, like me, appreciate the existing quality but crave more originality?

I think this past E3 was Sony's chance to unleash the Vita with an avalanche of new, exciting, and original games.

Instead, we got only 2 new game announcements.

I'd like to get a Vita sometime and I'll like to see Sony do well with it. But it needs more games for myself and others. Sony strategy of marketing the system as a PS3 in your hands is not working. It needs to be its own system.

For me Gravity Rush is a killer app, it's not Sony's fault that people for whatever reason don't want to take notice of it and would rather wait for Mario Bros. 2,000,000. Gamers says they want new original stuff, Gravity Rush comes out and they say 'yeah but what about established franchises.' Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, Street Fighter, Sly Cooper get announced and it's 'too many spinoffs and cross play games, I'd rather play AC 3 and the like on PS3.' The problem isn't the Vita hardware or the game library, it's the gamers themselves.

I think that's a problem for all console makers (Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft). Gamers paradoxically clamour for more installments in their favourite franchises, whilst condemning them for 'milking' said franchises.

As for Vita, I think it's now slowly building a stronger library of games. Heck, AC III: Liberation is MY killer app (waiting for the console bundle). Also, there is Call of Duty, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Street Fighter X Tekken, Bioshock (eventually) and the awesome-looking Soul Sacrifice.

I'm tempted to say that one killer-app cannot define a console...but that's exactly what Halo did for Xbox, what Sonic did for Genesis/Megadrive, what Nintendogs did for DS, and what Super Mario Bros. did for NES. Sure, times are different now...but who knows? Maybe it'll take just ONE incredible game to turn Vita's fortunes around?

I don't understand why Sony doesn't go all out on the Vita, at least for one title.  Super Mario 3D Land was made by the same team that did the Galaxy games.  Kid Icarus was made by the director of Smash Bros.  Why didn't Naughty Dog make Golden Abyss?  Imagine if it was the best in the series, who wouldn't have a Vita right now?  Or what if The Last of Us was Vita exclusive, talk about a killer app.  I'm hoping Sony has something big in store for us at TGS.

When I first saw the Vita, I wanted it for Escape Plan and Gravity Rush.  They both showed a lot of promise but it seems neither lived up to its potential.  Vita needs something, either original or not, that shows why anyone should actually invest in one.

I may be in the minority, but I don't care at all for big titles like Call of Duty or AC on the Vita. I want downloadable/multiplayer games like Fat Princess and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. Mutant Blobs Attack and Motorstorm RC were great, I'm looking forward to Guacamelee and Sound Shapes and Retro City Rampage. That's how I like using my Vita. But I would really like some addictive multiplayer to finally show itself.

one word monster hunter and everything solved...

Rambo, 3DS cannot be compared to Vita. People gets Nintendo because they want Mario, and they know pretty well that with 3DS they will have plenty of these, and in most cases these users simply ignore everything else. Some others get Nintendo just because it is Nintendo, similar than these buying everything from Apple.

Now Sony is not like that and PS Vita is not like that. The users are pretty more diversified and it would be hard to find an universal killer app. In fact, if Nintendo ports SMB to Vita it would not be any killer app for this console.

Vita needs to cover well the different niches with not one but several killer apps.

For me the ideal killer App would be Elder Scrolls XXX for Vita, which probably would not sell a single copy in Japan.

I would disagree about Gravity Rush, the game is absolutely a must have. I'd say Uncharted is as well. Sure it wasn't done by Naughty Dog but they don't do handheld gaming and they were busy with Uncharted 3 and The Last of Us, so Sony handed Uncharted for Vita off to the best team they could in Bend Studio which was responsible for some of the best PSP games.

I think Little Big Planet Vita, Sly Cooper 4 and PS All Stars will be big system sellers. Especially since Sly Cooper and PS All Stars are $20 cheaper than the PS3 version and can be taken anywhere.

That's great to hear Gamer83.  I bought Gravity Rush right before going on vacation and haven't had a chance to try it out yet because the little gaming time I have is going towards Uncharted.  I agree Golden Abyss is a fun game but it's also the worst in the series meaning its very unlikely to drive many sales.  The reviews Gravity Rush got are also unlikely to turn many heads.  Vita seems to have many lots of good games, but as of now is lacking that killer app.  Still am looking forward to GR though

im gonna agree with @JavierYHL ,  they need to have monster hunter, preferably monster hunter 4 on the vita, by summer of 13

I agree that the Vita on the whole can't be compared to the 3DS, but there are certain aspects that can be juxtaposed. It's beyond easy for Nintendo to get sales; tbey have their formula for making a Mario game and they roll with it each and every time, however with fewer changes as of late.

However, since Sony doesn't have such dominant and mass-appealing properties, each and every game is scrutinized. I find it a tad annoying that Mario/Zelda/<insert Nintendo franchise here> are viewed as quality installments until proven otherwise, and with games like Uncharted: GA/Gravity Rush/Escape Plan the opposite is true, where they're assumed to be mediocre until someone notices the inherent quality.

More on point, I guess this feeds into the idea that there can't be, or there's unlikely to be, a single killer app for the Vita. Seems like Sony's approach to software is more holistic than a single game can powerfully influence. While Nintendo does well pushing relatively few but hugely popular franchises, Sony needs to have a plethora of quality titles to make up for the lack of die-hard popularity.

Unless, of course, they release a new Monster Hunter on Vita in Japan. That's probably the only killer app that we know would do gangbuster numbers (at least in Japan).

Well said Rambo.  Though I'm not sure if what you said about how gamers view Nintendo/Sony is true.  In the past 25 years there has never been a bad main series title and so gamers have no reason to expect an upcoming rendition to be less than great.  The same could be said of Uncharted.  With original and unproven titles like Kid Icarus and Gravity Rush, gamers will always be skeptical.  However, with Gravity Rush, it seems many people expected it to be amazing and ultimately were disappointed, not the other way around like you said.

I didn't mean to imply that Nintendo games are wrongly praised; in fact I'm fully aware that their recent offerings have been very good games. I'm just referring to the fact that Nintendo has mastered the formula to create new offerings from old franchises, something Sony is trying to emulate itself. The problem I see is that between the two games you mentioned, Kid Icarus and Gravity Rush, despite the fact that both have their flaws, the former is seen as "refreshing" while the latter is seen as a "disappointment". I mean, KIU was hyped quite a bit, and yet the stand issues, the hand cramping issues, the lack of a properly implemented lefty-mode, and substandard ground combat never really hindered the praise. On the fljp side, GR was taken to task over and over for a story that wasn't compelling enough and a lack of variety in the side missions.

Now, I own both games, and while I've played the latter more often, I judge them as fairly equal because I don't have the idea that flaws in a Nintendo game are happenstance or inconsequential. I'm not saying anyone here is guilty of thinking or saying that, but for a long time in my youth I thought exactly like that, and I know a lot of people still do.

End of the day, I just feel that with the massive popularity inherent in the Nintendo franchises, it's perfectly understandable that fans and neutrals alike give them the benefit of the doubt. What irks me is that, chances are, those same people who rushed out to buy KIU on day one didn't think to give GR that same benefit of the doubt. I'm very glad I did because in my opinion GR plays better and was generally a more fun experience for me.

P.S. Please excuse the typos, I'm still getting used to typing on tbe Vita. What better way to get accustomed to it than writing giant, opinionated posts?

I don't know as I'd say Golden Abyss is the worst game in the series. I enjoyed it about the same as 1 and more than 3, which let me down a bit, though to be fair to Naughty Dog I think they raised the bar so high with Among Thieves (easily one of the top 3 games this gen) that there was almost no way I wasn't going to be slightly disappointed with the follow up. I think what hurts Golden Abyss' selling power more than anything else though is the $50 price tag. As much as I like the game I can't argue that $50 for a handheld game is really pushing it. I took the risk because I love the series and Bend Studio is one of my favorite developers but I defiinitely understand that I'm in the minority. As far as Gravity Rush, isn't it averaging around 84-86 on Metacritic? That's real good for the first entry in a brand new IP. I think if the Vita itself were cheaper it's the kind of game that could move units. It's a lot like inFamous but with its own unique features that do a great job of showing off what the system is capable of.

Now that said, I do think Rambo is right in that it's going to take more than just 1 game for Sony to sell the Vita. Really outside of Metal Gear Solid, which we all know isn't even a Sony franchise, I don't know as the PS brand has ever been associated with just one series where as Nintendo has Mario and MS has Halo and both can live off those. Hopefully as more games like Little Big Planet, Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, Sly Cooper, Sine Mora, Retro City Rampage, etc, get released more people will take notice and hop aboard the Vita bandwagon. There is tons of potential in this device and I'd like to see it realized.

I haven't had a chance to play the PS3 entries yet as I just got my PS3 as well and am out of town so I'm just restating what most people have said.  I personally really enjoyed it (beat it last night) and the story was pretty good too.  As for Gravity Rush, you're right (84).  It's actually the third highest rated retail game on the Vita, first if you don't count ports.  But still, that score isn't much when you compare it to the best of other platforms.  However, you guys are probably right.  The Vita just needs a variety of games of comparable quality and it should be fine.  Once people see that it has all of their favorite franchises on it, and they don't suck, I think more people will take the plunge.  I think a killer app would have to be something original like GR but with greater mass appeal and of much higher quality.  Not that 84 is bad but it will have to be amazing for people to spend $300 for one game and such a game is unlikely to come anytime soon.

It's too bad Sony isn't exactly in position financially to cut the price of the system itself because unless Sony magically pulls a Mario or Halo out of the hat, a price reduction would do much more for sales than any single game can. Throwing in a memory stick, even if it's just a small 4 GB one, wouldn't hurt either.

I think the Assassins Creed bundle will boost sales a lot, provided the game is actually good.

Yes the Vita needs more softwware but the "BIG" issue is that Sony has to come through on the promiss it made on remote play before the launch.  I honestly beleive that if Sony had remote play operational at the time of the launch, it would have sold more units.