I own a Vita and, as I noted on this week's podcast, I will finally be getting a 3DS XL when it releases in North America on August 19. The handheld has met my "5 Games I Want" rule when getting a new platform with Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Resident Evil: Revelations, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition.
Of course, crystal ball soothsayer and video game industry analyst Michael Pachter doesn't care about that. In an interview with VG247, he remains pessimistic about the handheld market for both Sony and Nintendo in the near future.
The [3DS XL's] larger format is not all that compelling for the consumer, and although I think the XL will help sales, I don’t think that the impact will revive weak sales of handhelds overall.Vita’s too expensive for most, priced pretty much the same as the PS3 everywhere. While I think the Vita is a good value and a great device, when compared to the PS3 it’s pretty expensive. Also, there is not much of a library of Vita games, so sales will probably be slow until we see more content.
Do you think Pachter is right? Will the gloomy clouds hang over handhelds for the holiday season?
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