With Sony denying reports of a price cut for its newest handheld PlayStation Vita, the news comes as a big blow for fans and gamers.
Speaking to Eurogamer at Gamescom, SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida stated that the price will not go down this year. "It's too early," he said. Sony engineers are working on "cost reduction," which Yoshida said takes time.
Sony fans have a silver lining with Yoshida indicating that its engineers are hard at work trying to reduce production costs, which may in turn aid a price cut for the unit and the availability of a cheaper PS Vita.
The Vita is an extraordinary piece of gaming hardware. With two touchscreens, camera, two analog sticks, easy portability, and the library of games (still in question), it's everything that you would want from a handheld. Moreover, a gamut of available apps and cross platform functions with the PS3 adds to the gaming experience.
However, a major drawback for the console is its exorbitant price tag. Users need to shell out as much as $249 for the most basic PlayStation Vita model. At that price users could easily pick up several Wii systems, or even a decent slim Xbox 360. Even Nintendo's 3DS is available for $200.
Sony also confirmed that it would like to address the pricing of the unit in the future; however, the current year will be about adding value to the unit. Bottomline, with no price cut on the cards.
"At a certain point in the future we would like to address the pricing issue for some of the people who are waiting. But this year we are trying to add value by creating different types of bundles. We announced we will provide LittleBigPlanet PS Vita bundle pack. That's affordable for people who are looking for a good deal."
However, at the end of the day, everything depends on the consumer's wants and desires. If Sony does not come up with a price cut or a cheaper solution soon, it could face a major retailing problem for the handheld.
