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Miyamoto Takes A Shot At Vita

Nintendo's creative visionary says that the powerful Sony handheld isn't "a very strong product."

While Miyamoto isn't known weighing in on his competitors, he definitely seems to have a low opinion of the Vita in a new interview with EDGE magazine.

When asked his opinion of the Vita, he commented, "It's obviously a very high-spec machine and you can do lots of things with it, but I don't really see the combination of software and hardware that really makes a very strong product."

He added, "But I can't really say."

Mr. Miyamoto, I think you just did.

However, he also acknowledged Nintendo's own mistakes in the launch of its 3DS handheld. Miyamoto said, "When we launched the 3DS hardware we didn't have Super Mario 3D Land, we didn't have Mario Kart 7, we didn't have Kid Icarus: Uprising. We were striving to have all of these ready for the launch, but we weren't able to deliver them at that time."

Source: EDGE Online

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Comments
  • As people have mentioned earlier, and as GI proved in a recent issue, many console/handheld launches have been plagued by too-few great games available at launch.  As we all know, the 3DS was surely no different, and the Vita (while it did have Uncharted) is following in that trend.  I have a feeling, though, that Sony learned some kind of lesson from the eventual failure of the PSP that this time around things could be different.  I have high hopes for what the Vita will be able to do down the road, and while I don't own one yet I am planning on owning one eventually.

    Until the Vita can deliver some original experiences it won't be any different from other consoles/handhelds that struggled in the beginning.  Just because the 3DS is just now hitting its stride after a couple of hit titles (Super Mario 3D Land, Resident Evil: Revelations) doesn't mean it is a success, just as the Vita isn't yet an official failure.

  • How is this "taking a shot"? He gave an opinion on how it's doing. He noted that they made the same mistake and recovered from it. Hell, he even complimented it. Since when does being a competitor make any negative observation a jab at the other?
  • The only thing I don't like about this article, and no offense Matt, is the title. It shades it in a negative light and makes Miyamoto seem condescending. I for one thought Miyamoto made a very professional statement on the Vita. First of all, he was asked his opinion on it and did not bash it unprovoked; and I don't think he was "[taking] a shot" at it at all. He praised its technical specifications and versatility, then merely said that the software to hardware relationship was disappointing.

    And I find it hard to disagree with that opinion. Sure there are some solid titles already released, but so far the Vita has yet to release anything handheld defining that makes it a must buy. Even the blockbuster exclusive, Uncharted: Golden Abyss garnered the lowest reviews yet in the franchise (given it is the first portable entry and wasn't developed by Naughty Dog).

    Personally, I am excited for what the Vita will bring, but don't feel like it has met the expectations that everybody had for it quite yet. It seemed like thats all Miyamoto was saying as well.
  • intresting

  • Ooooh SNAP!!! Miyamoto got em!!!

    lol!

    Anyway, purely from a business perspective,

    the Vita would be fine if it wasn't so damn expensive. Unfortunately, Sony doesn't really have a good track record of reducing prices in a timely fashion. That may change though. PSVita price drop this holiday season? It would sure help.

    And no, it doesn't have too many games right now, but that will change eventually.

  • I don't know if you can really call that a shot, he just said the obvious, that the Vita lacks killer apps. Now what Jack Tretton makes a habit of doing, you can call that taking a shot lol.

  • 3D doesn't equal good games either, Miyamoto.
  • Pretty much all consoles/handhelds have trouble getting games on them at first, or at least good ones.

  • Hey, the 3DS launch in my opinion is more than forgiven. All that we need now is for the Vita to get something more than just Uncharted.

  • Ah, it's statements like this that remind me why I think Nintendo has the best guys at the top.  No foul-mouthed poo-pooing of another company's product, or extravagant claims about their own.  Just good old fashion truthiness.

  • Hater!!! XD

  • Seems like nintendos recent stock and income dive is startin to show...

  • i think the graphics on the 3ds suck like hell comparred to the vita. plus that screen is huge and the vita has what everybody was asking for........double joysticks!!!!ps vita rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • So a crappy handheld backed by an eye-injuring gimmick is a good product Miyamoto?
  • LOL Miyamoto's troll face
  • No crap Miyamoto.

  • This is beginning to remind me of political races. In the console wars, everyone loses. This is a garbage post that I am ashamed to see on Gameinformer.

    I mean really what other reason could this be on the website than to provoke a fight? I love you GI but I don't want all these pointless streams of unimportant factoids. Take a leaf out of the penny arcade reports' book.
  • I love this guy.

  • The Vita is.....okay. not the grandest piece of technology Sony claims it to be. Everything you can do with it is not really ground breaking. Touch screen Cameras, and tilt sensors,:Phones and (3)DS. Dual Joysticks: Really? On a handheld? And so forth. What is really gonna ruin this system is not the redundant features and really un-portable concepts but it's size. We have PHONES Sony!!!!!! Not everyone is carrying Xperia Minis and HTC Wildfires. The system is Large and bulky to fit in pockets (Or maybe it can for emptying our pockets with the price tag) The only thing it has is good games that are not ports and that's it.
  • great man but this from a company who took the IPAD added buttons, tethered it to a Wii, and called it a Wii-U... i admit the other companys had/have their own problems but Nintendo isnt what it used to be.
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