Can Sony Save PS Vita, Persevere With PlayStation 4?

PS Vita made its North American debut this week and nobody cares.

The device is getting a lot of media attention as an expensive (some would say overpriced) machine that is attempting to compete against the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Of course, PS Vita isn't a phone, and it's a bit too expensive – and devoid of the necessary features – to replace Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) most beloved iPod.

At $250 for the Wi-Fi model, video game-loving consumers might view the system as a fair bargain. It does, after all, pack the most impressive graphics processor of any handheld device. Uncharted is particularly gorgeous; it makes the choppy iPhone versions of Call of Duty, Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil look like Game Boy games in comparison. And unlike those iPhone games, the PS Vita version of Uncharted provides users with a console-style experience.

That's because PS Vita was designed to be a stellar game machine. But it was manufactured, marketed and promoted as an iPod competitor.

Do you see the problem here?

Yesterday, I detailed the five reasons PS Vita is guaranteed to flop. But today I am here to tell you that there is a way the long-awaited handheld can be saved.

Software Overhaul

Before Sony can turn PS Vita around, it must announce a long list of must-own games. They can't all be sequels, and they can't all come from familiar franchises. But whatever they are, they must come sooner rather than later.

While it is possible for a game system to play catch-up and score huge sales over time, that is not the ideal scenario. It is also not something that PS Vita could easily pull off. But if there were a ton of irresistible games available, people wouldn't look at the system as a “Do I need it? I already have an iPod Touch” situation. Rather, they'd view the system as a unique device with its own special attribute: triple-A gaming.

New Marketing Campaign

Sony used the “It Only Does Everything” tagline to push PlayStation 3 into the homes of users who weren't necessarily the most hardcore gamers on the planet. This worked because of the free multiplayer gaming (via PSN), the built-in Blu-ray player, and the beloved PlayStation brand name.

Sony's success in handhelds has been much less significant. While the original PSP was not a flop, per se, it failed to keep up with the Nintendo DS, which sold well over 100 million units worldwide and 15 - 20 million copies of several hit games, including Nintendogs, Mario Kart, and NEW Super Mario Bros. PSP games were not nearly that successful.

Thus, Sony needs to let the games do the talking. Whether its lineup improves or not, the company must abandon its hopes of selling PS Vita as a movie player or a web surfing device and focus on pushing the system to the consumer base that should have been first in line to buy it: gamers.

Add a Hard Drive

Too expensive? Yeah right. Hard drives are dirt cheap these days. They're also bulky, have too many moving parts, and wear down the battery, which is why Apple abandoned them for solid memory when designing the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

But in trying to imitate Apple, Sony ignored this element and decided to ship the PS Vita without a hard drive of any kind. Consequently, consumers must spend a small fortune on over-priced memory cards.

If Sony expects us to pay $250+ for a PS Vita, the company needs to redesign the system and add a hard drive immediately. And let me just clarify that when I say “immediately,” I mean “no later than September.” If Sony isn't ready for the fall gaming season, consumers won't be either.

Alternatively, Sony could just cave and lower the price to a more reasonable level. But that would require the company to swallow its pride and admit that it screwed up.

Can PlayStation 4 Save the Company?

Despite the fact that PlayStation 3 has not been as popular, has not sold as many games, and has not produced as many classics as PS2, the system has garnered a very strong fan base. I know because Sony fans tell me I'm wrong every time I question the existence or viability of PlayStation 4.

This means that Sony still commands a very strong presence in gaming. The company could surely use its presence and its brand to turn a profit.

But not if it waits until 2016 to take action.

Follow me @LouisBedigian