LogFAQs > #893332880

I'm not even sure that the 3DS killed the Vita on its own. It was a big blow to it for sure, but I'd argue that a big part of its failure was due to phones and tablets. I hate to say it, but mobile gaming is bigger than handheld gaming such as on 3DS and Vita. Let's pretend it's 2012, when the Vita launched. Why spend $250 at launch for a Vita when an iPhone can also play games? It's easier for us gamers to justify that than the average Joe that feels he'll be just as happy playing Angry Birds for 99 cents as he would Uncharted for $40/$50 while he waits for a bus. If that person is a gamer, a 3DS had more support and a cheaper price. I'd say there was no room in the market for multiple handhelds because iPhone and Android were and still are competing against the handhelds we love so much.

Oh, and the memory cards? That's just an extra for why the Vita failed. Sony and others had been successful with proprietary accessories in the past, but people don't like it and by the time the Vita was released, SD and microSD were already considered standards. By 2012, we moved beyond having a ton of memory card formats. That said, ultimately, it's part of why people didn't like the Vita, but I don't think that's why it failed. It failed because casual gamers felt fine with their phones and tablets, and the market isn't big enough for two systems; at least, not if one is much more expensive than the other.
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