Numerous reports now circulating across the web are claiming that the President and Global CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Andrew House, has all but confirmed that the end may be nearing for Sony’s handheld gaming device, the PS Vita.
The reports, which originated with Gamesindustry.biz and subsequently were picked up by every other major gaming news outlet, are saying that House referred to the PS Vita as a “legacy platform” during a discussion of fiscal write-off’s at Sony’s annual Investor Relations day.
Although House’s exact quote has not been referenced by any major news outlet, a PDF of the key points presented at the conference lend credence to the claims, as the PS Vita is indeed labeled as a financial “write-off” along with the PS TV in a section disclosing increased expenses for the 2014 fiscal year.
Categorizing the PS Vita as a legacy platform would mean that Sony considers the device akin to the PlayStation or PlayStation 2; a platform that will no longer receive strong first-party support, if any, in the U.S.
Is Sony pulling the plug on the PS Vita? Can a plug physically be pulled on a wireless hand-held system? We will undoubtedly learn more at E3 this year.
Furthermore, House went on to say that Sony would be relying on third-party support for their flagship PlayStation 4 system again this holiday season, as the first-party line-up is “a little sparse.”
“We are working very hard to continue very strong support from third-party pubs and devs. Our first-party lineup is a little sparse this year, so I think this places even greater emphasis on getting good third-party support.”
Earlier in the year it appeared that Sony was set to let Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End lead the 2015 holiday charge, however Naughty Dog announced a delay to 2016 for the highly anticipated sequel back in March.
Sony has not yet commented on the comments reportedly made by House concerning how the company views the PS Vita. We should get a clear picture of the PS Vita’s fate, along with the direction Sony plans on taking for the Holiday 2015 season during E3 2015, which is set to begin June 16th.
Do you think that we are seeing the end of the PS Vita? Whether you want to deliver the eulogy or a stirring battle cry, we want to hear it in the comments section below.
Written by The Watchman
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