I posted a thread that covers my opinions and views regarding the price, let me copy and paste the portion of it.
I've been reading and browsing on-hand impressions and reviews of the PS Vita this past week, and I've noticed that alot of people in forums are comparing the Vita to Tablets and Phones. This is a problem. Why? Because they're totally two different peices of tech. Sure, they have some features that are in common like apps, music, social media, video and such. But let's not forget what phones are primarily used and bought for: talking & texting. The PS Vita is primarily used for gaming. See the difference? Ofcourse you can game on a smartphone, but let's not kid ourselves; you didn't buy the phone and sign up for a 2-year contract to play app games did you? I didn't think so... It sounds more logical to ask the same question towards the PS Vita. You didn't buy the PS Vita to play games did you? Well ofcourse I did, because that's it primary function and use. Comparing the PS Vita to a Phone (Android, iPhone) is simply pointless and down right stupid. A more appropriate comparison would be the PS Vita against the PS3. Or a PC laptop against a PC Desktop. Or a dagger against a sword. When comparing two things, always keep in mind the primary function and uses. There was a few other issues that I would like to discuss and clear up in this thread while I'm here, issues that I've found with people complaining about things that they shouldn't.
There's no mistake that $250 for a portable gaming device is a steep price in today's depressing economy. And it's even more steep when you compare it to the price of the base-line PS3 which is just $50 more. But $250 for a portable gaming device is in fact, not that bad. Let me explain. When the original PSP launched, it's launch price was $250. Which is the same as the base/WiFi Vita package. That's the same price for a portable gaming device that DWARFS it's predecessor in every aspect, especially graphics. The PSP had only b/g broadband connection, while the Vita has n broadband. It also features the "NEAR" application that will display anyone that's playing the Vita in your area. (exact area coverage distance is unknown) With the normal PSP you could only merely hope to connect with other users in the area or be physically in the same room with another PSP user. That's just a couple things that are superior to the PSP. Another thing to remember is that smart phones aren't any cheaper than the Vita, they're more expensive depending on how you purchase you're smart phone. A decent smart phone with a 2 year contract can range anywhere from $100 - $250. Do you wanna know how much that smart phone is without the 2 year contract? $400 - $600... Sure, you can wait for the "Slim" version of the Vita to come out, but the average wait time for the slim iteration of a Sony gaming console/hand-held is 3 years. And the only thing that will be noteworthy different is the battery life, size, and price (which will more than likely only be $50 - $75 cheaper) as well as the video game library available to you. But the launch line-up for the PS Vita already looks solid in my opinion. We've got Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Modnation Racers, Touch my Katamari, Gravity Rush, Wipeout 2048, Lumines, andFIFA Soccer. Plus it will have great ports such as Marvel vs Capcom 3, Rayman Origins, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus.
However, to be fair, there are some things about the Vita that are undesirable. For starters: the speakers. I don't know what the product designer was thinking when he thought it was a good idea to put the speakers near the analog thumb sticks. The original PSP's speakers are shoddy at best, but now the speakers on the Vita are located where the majority of the sound will be muffled/blocked by the gamers hand. This can easily be fixed by simply plugging in ones headphones but sometimes I like to hear the sound coming from the device itself. Another poor decision was that Sony disabled the use of multiple PSN accounts on your Vita. Don't exactly know why... The camera seems like a unecessary add-on rather than an intuitive feature. The censor and image quality is way below standard even by simple camera phone standards. The UI also looks sluggish and kiddy.
I guess what it really boils down to is if you think the Vita is worth the money. In my opinion, yes it is. It's a sleek and solid piece of hardware that will only improve over time. It has it's short comings, but then again, what tech doesn't. I only hope for the best in the PS Vita's success.
with more to offer.
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