After several rocky years, Sony is finally shutting down physical production of PlayStation Vita games. Now is better than ever if you want to grab those last few copies of the Danganronpa and Persona 4 Golden copies on the market.
Since the launch of the PlayStation Vita, it seems Sony has had a tough time getting the handhelds ball rolling so that it could compete against Nintendo’s 3DS handheld family. As of today, it seems that Sony is ready to move onto an entirely new chapter with the announcement that is hammering the final nail into the PlayStation Vita’s coffin with the closure of physical system software.
According to Kotaku through a message they received from Sony developers, they received information that confirmed that Sony has told developers they are shutting down production of physical Vita games. While it is unlikely that we could see any new games being released on the handheld in recent days, this news breaking shortly after the reveal of Stardew Valley making its way to the Vita, Sony has opted out of even reprinting the handhelds older games.
In Kotaku’s story, the outlet did state that Sony does have intention on keeping the PlayStation store for the Vita up and that existing game cards that are currently in rotation are the last ones that will be made available. Sadly, the news almost seems as if Sony has finally turned their back completely on the PlayStation Vita allowing it to have the death they feel it deserves.
Since 2011, the Vita has struggled to obtain a steady following in North America due to Nintendo’s success with the Nintendo 3DS family. Due to marketing strategies Nintendo made, Sony would find it difficult to catch up to Nintendo’s lead, which eventually led to the Vita’s beginning struggles. While the handheld did find a bolstering success with import games, indie games, and titles such as the Danganronpa and Persona franchise, the Vita ultimately struggled due to high prices for its proprietary storage and Sony’s reluctance to place any internal developer resources into the system, which ultimately led to the handhelds current state.
Sadly, even with fans rallying behind it and blaming its ultimate failure on Sony, many still see the handheld as a place to place some of the industries most niche titles, and will fondly remember the handheld just as they had when it was finally beginning to come to life with some of Japan’s greatest titles making their way to the West.
[Source: Kotaku]
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console game reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPGs, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.