PS Vita: Retailers Game, HMV & Amazon On Sony's Console ...

To celebrate the PS Vita launching in the UK, NowGamer asked three major retailers how big an impact the handhheld would make. Here?s what Anna-Marie Mason at Game Group,?Liz Hosmer, manager of video games at Amazon.co.uk Ltd and HMV?s Head of Press & PR, Gennaro Castaldo had to say.

PS Vita has launched - what does it mean for the UK games market?

Game

PlayStation Vita is a hugely innovative piece of technology that will revolutionise how gamers play and connect with friends. The excitement around this launch shows that handheld gaming remains as popular as ever and with a great line-up of Vita titles also launching alongside the new handheld console, it is set to be a great day for gaming and the hardware sector of the industry.

HMV

It's no secret that the games market has been through a tough few months, so anything that creates a focus on the market and gets the public and media excited about games has to be a positive thing. The PS Vita has been attracting some excellent reviews and comments, and hopefully this will convert to real interest.

Amazon

14 of the top 20 positions in our video games pre-order chart are held by the PlayStation Vita console, games and accessories, which clearly illustrates the level of excitement that we are seeing around the product.

The release of a console is always big news and the buzz created around the new technology and enhanced gameplay has ensured that the PlayStation Vita is a bestseller in our charts before it has even been released.

How do you think the launch will compare to the disappointing 3DS launch?

Game

The Nintendo 3DS is a great product and the software range continues to improve which is reflected in its recent performance. We strongly believe in the console and know our customers who have purchased it are really pleased with it.

We?ve had PS Vita?s in our stores across the country for the last couple of weeks giving customers the chance to try out this fantastic new piece of kit and feedback we?ve had is that the PS Vita really does live up to all the expectations and we expect that to build further over the weekend as people show their friends how amazing it is.

HMV

I don't think the 3DS launch itself was in any way disappointing - the team at Nintendo did a pretty great job launching the product and getting a lot of coverage around it, but the public appetite wasn't perhaps as strong as with previous hardware releases, and the anti-3D campaign from some national press probably didn't help either. Certainly the PS Vita release should match the scale of previous launches that we've seen.?

Amazon

We saw a record number of pre-orders for Nintendo 3DS and we?re seeing a great deal of interest from customers for PS Vita.

What sort of buzz/pre-orders has the PS Vita generated? What's been the most popular title?

Game

We can?t comment on pre-orders however, to prepare for the launch for PlayStation Vita, across all our touch points we?ve been building excitement and sharing information with our customers to enable GAME to be the place to come to for all things PS Vita.

We have been sampling the new handheld in many of our stores which our customers have been enjoying and last night we hosted the official midnight launch of the console at GAME Oxford Street with lucky customers being given the chance to win on the spot PS Vita prizes, PS3 consoles, Xperia mobile phones and games.

Exclusive invitations to the launch after-party at the PlayStation Vita Rooms at 80 Oxford St were also awarded to the first 100 people in the queue. In addition, we also hosted a further midnight event at gamestation Birmingham New Street.?

HMV

Pre-orders have really accelerated over the last month and the level of interest has, if anything, even pleasantly surprised us a little - which is a very encouraging sign. As you would expect Uncharted is our number one pre-order title, closely followed by FIFA.

Amazon

PS Vita has dominated the video game pre-order chart at Amazon so far this year with not just the console itself but also a great range of games, memory cards and accessories pre-ordering well and it?s already topping the bestseller chart ahead of release.?

The top five games for Vita based on current pre-orders at Amazon.co.uk:?Rayman Origins,?Uncharted: Golden Abyss,?Lumines Electronic Symphony,?Dungeon Hunter Alliance and?Virtua Tennis 4

How do you think the PS Vita will fare throughout 2012? How will it compete against increasingly rich smart phone experiences??

Game

Handheld consoles have long been competing against home consoles and mobile phones but they continue to offer something different for gamers.

From the buzz around the launch for PS Vita we know there is still a high demand for handheld gaming ensuring there?s a place for both handheld and mobile gaming in the industry. 2012 looks set to be a big year for PS Vita and it?s great to see such a strong line-up of titles to look forward to.

In the first quarter alone, our customers are able to buy fantastic games from the likes of Sony, EA, Codemasters, Namco Bandai, Capcom and Sega and we expect to see the excitement continue as more titles are announced for later in the year.

HMV

The key to a successful lifespan is to maintain a healthy flow of quality software on the format. Despite the dominance of the smartphones we believe that customers are still prepared to invest in a superior experience and it's up to Sony and the third party publishers to provide these.

Amazon

PS Vita is a different experience than smart phones and pre-orders show that there is high demand for a high quality portable gaming device.

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Source: http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1255682/ps_vita_retailers_game_hmv_amazon_on_sonys_console_launch.html

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