PS Vita - Sonys nya bärbara konsol

Tokyo, January 10, 2012 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that holiday season*1 retail sales of the PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system exceeded 6.5 million units worldwide*2.

PS Vita sold half million units*2 to consumers since its launch on December 17, 2011 in Japan and December 23, 2011 in Asia*3. Deep and immersive gaming is at the core of PlayStation’s DNA, and PS Vita is the latest embodiment of this vision. PS Vita offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context, and by having 3G network connectivity, PS Vita provides infinite possibilities for users to connect with friends and other PS Vita users. PS Vita launched concurrently with 24 software titles from both 3rd party developers and publishers and SCE Worldwide Studios, including “RIDGE RACER” from NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., “LORD of APOCALYPSE” from SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD., “DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT” from Tecmo Koei Games Co., Ltd., “Everybody’s Golf 6,” “Little Deviants,” and “Uncharted: Golden Abyss” from SCE enabling users to enjoy a wide array of gameplay experiences. In addition, more than 70 PS Vita software titles are now in development for the Japanese market to ensure PS Vita users always have an amazing selection of games to choose from.

--- *1 From November 21, 2011 to January 5, 2012 for Japan and Asia, from November 21 to December 31, 2011 for North America, and from November 18 to December 31, 2011 for Europe / PAL territories.
*2 Number of retail sales to customers is estimated by SCEI.
*3 Hong Kong and Taiwan.

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/120110_e.html

So, one month ahead of the machine's global launch, we've enlisted the help of technical intelligence experts UBM TechInsights and taken a screwdriver to Sony's new portable in an attempt to divine two things - whether you're getting good value for money, and whether Sony has left itself any room for an emergency price drop should the Western launch belly-flop.

UBM's VP of business intelligence, Jeffrey Brown, tells us that the total bill of materials for the 3G-enabled version of the system comes in at an estimated $159.10 - that's around £102.90. That figure breaks down as follows:

• Display and touchscreens: $50
• Battery: $3.60
• Cameras: $3.50
• Wi-Fi/BT/GPS: $3.50
• NAND: $6.00
• SDRAM: $9.25
• Processor: $16.00
• BB+XCR: $16.25
• Non-electronic: $11.00
• Other: $30.00
• Supporting materials: $10.00

--- (UPDATE: Our retail source has since come back to us with Sony's official trade price - the standard model costs vendors £179.05, while the 3G model is £217.97. We've amended the figures below to reflect that.)

That means that Sony is earning around £115 on every 3G Vita sold in the UK, give or take currency conversion factors.

Of course, that's by no means pure profit. Very substantial labour, R&D, marketing and distribution costs all need to be taken into account too. Without a sneak peak at Sony's books, it's virtually impossible to ascertain exactly what proportion of the take-home is profit. However, it's worth noting that Nintendo earned about £108 on every 3DS sold at its launch price. And as we've learned since, it managed to find ample elbow room for a price cut on that margin.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-20-is-the-playstation-vita-worth-230
http://www.ubmtechinsights.com/teardowns/sony-playstation-vita-teardown/?pi_campaign_id=13825

"[PlayStation] Vita will struggle," reckoned Lovell. "The key question will not be whether it sells some initial units, but how it does for software tie-ins, and whether its appeal stretches beyond core Sony fans."

Presaged Pachter: "Sony's PS Vita appears aimed at the hardcore gamer, and will likely have limited success because of a relatively small addressable market.

"The 3DS has broader appeal (both casual and hardcore), but the price-points for casual games are not particularly compelling when measured against $9.99, $4.99, $0.99 and free smartphone games. And the quality of games like Infinity Blade and Dead Space makes the smartphone competitive among even the hardcore.

"I see modest sales for 3DS, good enough to be profitable for Nintendo, but not good enough to offset the inevitable decline in DS hardware and software sales."

Recited Harding-Rolls: "Continued momentum of the 3DS in the first half of 2012 will help decide its future at least with regards to third-party support. If momentum stalls, I fear third-parties will continue to look elsewhere for investment opportunities.

"I expect Vita to get away relatively strongly at launch because of its strong content line-up but, like the 3DS, may suffer due to pricing after the initial rush has subsided. I expect Sony to be reluctant to make any significant pricing move, outside of value bundles, until at least 2013."

"It's true that the sandbox for dedicated portable gaming devices has shrunk as mobile and tablet technology increases its market penetration," Divnich divulged.

"But I believe the market for dedicated portable gaming devices is still large enough to support two competitors - 3DS and Vita. And it is certainly large enough to support healthy profits from the third-party publishers that support them."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-19-trends-of-2012-what-the-analysts-say