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Typically, a sophomore slump is something one experiences in one’s second year or second iteration, but here we’re going to use the term to refer to the Vita’s second week at retail. Coming out strong in week one with sales in excess of 360,000 units, Vita looked like one of Japanese gamers’ hot-ticket items for the holidays. A week later, though, and sales have plummeted to 72,000 units, selling less than the last-gen PSP (100,000 units) and moving far fewer units than 3DS (482,000). Some perspective, however, is in order. First off, the Wii and PS3 both came in at under 100,000 units, with the PlayStation 3 selling only a few thousand more than the Vita. Handhelds were just hotter in the week leading up to Christmas, and the 3DS particularly so. Its absurd dominance of the sales chart, though, could have something to do with Monster Hunter 3G, which came out for the device earlier this month. The series is a system-seller in Japan, and 3G has proven no exception, even garnering a special peripheral for the 3DS that serves only to add a second analog slider. 
In the end, a system’s success or failure is dictated by the software released for it. It took the 3DS this long to hit its stride; we’ll see how soon the Vita hits its own. By Shelby Reiches |