2019: THE END of PlayStation Handhelds

https://www.businessinsider.com/no-more-playstation-handhelds-2018-9,

A report from Buisness Insider just came up regarding SONY’s discontinuation of PlayStation brand handhelds. I told you about the discontinueation of NA/EU physical PS Vita games, but now it seems like the hardware will be retired entirely with Nintendo being the still 30-year old giant of portable gaming. In addition to that Switch-like patent’s fate on the cutting room floor.

I can go on about it; but since I don’t own one; here’s what others had to say about it who actually played with it.







With Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA then, it’s the end of an era, especially with the series’ 10th anniversary on the horizon. While playing it on the PS3 via Dreamy Theatre may had brought prettier visuals, with each subsiquental release followed by a PS3-4 port along with more prettier eye candy and smoother frame rates is an insentive; but the japanese market has their taste towards handhelds due to the convienence with the ability to play, play anytime, anywhere. Future Tone in a way falls short in that regard, and the fact that the possible successor to Project DIVA X will either have to release on PS4/PS5 only without a respective handheld for the market, or (for the better in my opinion) consider the Nintendo Switch as a platform, either exclusively or not. (something that is very apparent for those who know me here)

Since this is not my deal; You people discuss it.

 

While true, Project DIVA’s weight is with it’s I.P., and I.P. has been recognized by a lot of mediums, and high-profile celeberties, and the dedication of the fans: David Letterman and his comparison with Willie Nelson’s bus, Lady Gaga and the ARTPOP ball, Pharrell Williams with his remix, and most recently; Scarlett Johanson (pre Ghost in the Shell) with LUV, there was the celebration of the Tokyo-Edo name change, the reenactment of the stage kabuki Senbonzakura, and a $40,000 crowdfunded, digital shrine in Korean subway; not to forget the mess that was the Domino’s, That is just scratching the surface of the popularity of Hatsune Miku as a character, and being what the game is centered around IS a big deal in Japan, and to people overseas like me (and possibly you too) who became fascinated.

The series history in sales have cited the portable games selling more than their console equivalents even though it’s overall sales as a series had been around 4 million units sold. Just take a look here:

www.vgchartz.com/gamedb/games.php?name=Hatsune+Miku&keyword=&console=&region=All&developer=Sega&publisher=&goty_year=&genre=&boxart=Both&banner=Both&ownership=Both&results=50&order=Sales&showtotalsales=0&showtotalsales=1&showpublisher=0&showpublisher=1&showvgchartzscore=0&showvgchartzscore=1&shownasales=0&showdeveloper=0&showcriticscore=0&showcriticscore=1&showpalsales=0&showreleasedate=0&showreleasedate=1&showuserscore=0&showuserscore=1&showjapansales=0&showlastupdate=0&showlastupdate=1&showothersales=0

 

Today (or for the last two days) is when people outside this small discussion pretty much talk about the PS Vita nearing it’s expected ‘discontinued’ status, or more specifically; the PS Vita website in Japan stating “近日出荷完了予定” or (via google translate) “scheduled completion coming soon” on the product page.