Sony's PlayStation Vita launch tripped up by bugs; Android 4.0 update on hold

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The launch of Sony's PlayStation Vita was marred by technical issues that required an immediate system update, while Google has placed its Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" update for the Nexus S on hold in some regions as it monitors a potential battery drain issue.



PlayStation Vita



Sony launched its latest handheld gaming device in Japan on Saturday, with estimated sales of 321,407 units in the first two days of availability, according to magazine publisher Enterbrain (Google Translation).



Assuming the numbers are accurate, the launch failed to best sales figures from rival Nintendo's 3DS launch there earlier this year, which sold 371,326 units in its first two days. Given that Nintendo's 3DS launch has been viewed as a failure, the Vita launch has been characterized as disappointing.



ComputerWorld reports that Sony may have shipped an extra 200,000 Vita units in preparation for the launch, bringing the estimated shipment total to 700,000 units. The company's original handheld, the PlayStation Portable, saw first-day sales of 166,074 when it launched in 2004.







The launch was further troubled by the fact that a number of customers who purchased the Vita found themselves unable to use it. According to the report, issues included "device crashing, lagging during gameplay, frequent freezes and problems registering a PlayStation Network account."



Sony apologized for the problem and quickly issued a system update. However, some users were prevented from downloading the update because of bugs with connecting to the PlayStation Network.



The Vita, which boasts a 5-inch OLED touchscreen and a quad-core graphics processor, is set to arrive in the U.S. and Europe next February. But, the new handheld faces an uphill battle in the States, where smartphone platforms from Apple and Google have captured a 58 percent share of portable game revenue.



Ice Cream Sandwich



After frustrated Nexus S users took to Google's support forums to report problems updating to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, an employee at the Mountain View, Calif., software giant explained that the update had been put on hold in some regions, as reported by Electronista.



"If you received an update notification a little while ago but the update isn't currently available for your phone, this is likely the result of Google pausing the update in your area while we monitor feedback," Community Manager Paul Wilcox wrote. "The Android 4.0 update is continuing to roll out around the world so your phone will receive another update notification when it's available again in your region."



Meanwhile, some Nexus S users experienced a "different scenario" where the update would download but refused to install. Wilcox said he was looking into the issue.



The Nexus S was last year's lead device from Samsung and Google for Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It featured a curved glass display and a near-field communications chip.



Google began rolling out the over-the-air update to Nexus S users last week, but reports quickly surfaced that Android 4.0 was causing unusually high battery usage. Users of the new Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone to feature Android 4.0, have also reported battery issues after a recent software update.



Apple has also faced its own battery woes with its latest handset. After early adopters of the iPhone 4S reported battery life issues, the company promised a software update to resolve the problem. iOS 5.0.1 arrived in November to fix the bug, but some users reported that the issue persisted even after updating. Apple responded by saying it is investigating the "few remaining" battery-related issues.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    Gotta love the irony. Battery problems and Android... Wasn,t there some sort of Samesung ad poking fun at the iPhone and battery issues?
  • Reply 2 of 27
    Goodbye, Vita.
  • Reply 3 of 27
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac.World View Post


    Gotta love the irony. Battery problems and Android... Wasn,t there some sort of Samesung ad poking fun at the iPhone and battery issues?



    Sure, but Samsung's strategy is to copy Apple in everything......
  • Reply 4 of 27
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I thought the Vita sales were promising but if they didn't best the 3DS I guess that is disappointing. As for some software bugs, that's just par for the course with today's networked tech. You can't sit on a system or game debugging for months like you had to with cartridge and disc based systems. It's just not a viable strategy. Of course, if the bugs prevent you from getting updates then you screwed.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    Sure, but Samsung's strategy is to copy Apple in everything......



  • Reply 5 of 27
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    don't worry, android users. It's "open", download and install it yourself. No need to wait.
  • Reply 6 of 27
    Pathetic. Such a bunch of amateurs.
  • Reply 7 of 27
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac.World View Post


    Gotta love the irony. Battery problems and Android... Wasn,t there some sort of Samesung ad poking fun at the iPhone and battery issues?



    I just got the scoop on the new Apple commercial.



    It has a number of Samsung mobile phone owners standing in a line. An iPhone owner walks past and says, "You guys still waiting for an update on that particular version of Android that you're running on that specific handset?



    Why don't you just get an iPhone?



    They're amazing.



    And you get updates and support after you buy the f*cker."
  • Reply 8 of 27
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Hasta la Vita!!! (Sorry.. couldn't help it).



    As far as Android goes, where's the folks that chewed Apple for the same battery issue? They seem to be rather quiet!
  • Reply 9 of 27
    Attention all hard-core gamers.



    Vita is already being labeled a disappointment in sales. Imagine that.



    Operating Systems:



    Apple: 35 years and counting.



    Google: Not 35 years and counting.
  • Reply 10 of 27
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    Quote:

    Assuming the numbers are accurate, the launch failed to best sales figures from rival Nintendo's 3DS launch there earlier this year, which sold 371,326 units in its first two days. Given that Nintendo's 3DS launch has been viewed as a failure, the Vita launch has been characterized as disappointing.



    The Vita sold less than the 3DS (which is a "failure") and it is only a disappointment?

    A failure is much worse than a disappointment.
  • Reply 11 of 27
    quambquamb Posts: 143member
    Damn this place has gone down hill over the last few years... It seems no corner of the internet can have normal discussion without being infested by fanboys and haters.



    You realise that other devices and tech by other companies can actually be, you know, worth while and in fact pretty awesome...?



    The PS Vita looks great, and many gamers are excited to see how Sony play this one out. Oh, and once again the usual calls of a dying Nintendo were proven ridiculously out of touch as the 3DS has been a smash hit over the Christmas buying period, breaking many records. But judging by the comments I read here on AI, both Nintendo and Sony are pathetic "amateurs" who are destined for failure. Go figure.
  • Reply 12 of 27
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post


    The Vita sold less than the 3DS (which is a "failure") and it is only a disappointment?

    A failure is much worse than a disappointment.



    One can be disappointed in a having a bigger failure.
  • Reply 13 of 27
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by quamb View Post


    Damn this place has gone down hill over the last few years... It seems no corner of the internet can have normal discussion without being infested by fanboys and haters.



    You realise that other devices and tech by other companies can actually be, you know, worth while and in fact pretty awesome...?



    The PS Vita looks great, and many gamers are excited to see how Sony play this one out. Oh, and once again the usual calls of a dying Nintendo were proven ridiculously out of touch as the 3DS has been a smash hit over the Christmas buying period, breaking many records. But judging by the comments I read here on AI, both Nintendo and Sony are pathetic "amateurs" who are destined for failure. Go figure.



    Anyone ever try to use a 3DS for any length of time?? It made my eyes hurt just playing with the demo unit in Walmart.. In fact if you buy it for your kids, you should turn the 3D OFF.....



    From the Nintendo 3DS site:



    "Can Young Children Play Nintendo 3DS?



    Answer:



    The 3D feature should only be used by children 7 and older.

    Parents should use the Parental Controls feature to restrict access to the 3D mode for children 6 and under.

    The 3D feature will remain restricted until a parent unlocks it using a PIN code.

    Children 6 and under can enjoy Nintendo 3DS in 2D mode.

    These precautions are used widely by companies marketing products that display images in 3D. Brief exposure to 3D images does not present any risk to young children."



    I can't wait for the lawsuits to start.....
  • Reply 14 of 27
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by quamb View Post


    Damn this place has gone down hill over the last few years... It seems no corner of the internet can have normal discussion without being infested by fanboys and haters.



    You realise that other devices and tech by other companies can actually be, you know, worth while and in fact pretty awesome...?



    The PS Vita looks great, and many gamers are excited to see how Sony play this one out. Oh, and once again the usual calls of a dying Nintendo were proven ridiculously out of touch as the 3DS has been a smash hit over the Christmas buying period, breaking many records. But judging by the comments I read here on AI, both Nintendo and Sony are pathetic "amateurs" who are destined for failure. Go figure.



    I think you're being overly harsh about the forum and overly generous about the fate of consoles.



    The 3DS had a great deal of interest prior to launch but the system didn't live to what buyers expected. This forced Nintendo to drop the price considerably within a few months in order to appeal to buyers. In its first 6 months it sold under 7 million units, which is on par with first 6 months of DS sales starting in December 2004. Do you think there is a growing market for portable game system moving forward? I don't. I think Nintendo and Sony can be profitable in this area but I don't see this as anything more than a market that will become more niche with time even as they add features that will compete more directly with smartphones which is a fast growing and fast evolving market.
  • Reply 15 of 27
    quambquamb Posts: 143member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I think you're being overly harsh about the forum and overly generous about the fate of consoles.



    The 3DS had a great deal of interest prior to launch but the system didn't live to watch buyers expected. This forced Nintendo to drop the price considerably in order to apply to buyers. In its first 6 months it sold under 7 million units, which is on par with first 6 months of DS sales starting in December 2004. Do you think there is a growing market for portable game system moving forward? I don't. I think Nintendo and Sony can be profitable in this area but I don't see this has anything more than a market that will become more niche with time even as they add features that will compete more directly with smartphones which is a fast growing and fast evolving market.





    Perhaps you're right. No-one really knows the future of the portable gaming industry...



    Though I'd say Nintendo and Sony are going to be around for a lot longer in the handheld department. Why? The gaming industry is MASSIVE. There is a huge amount of money there to be tapped into by a variety of devices and markets... plenty of room for handheld consoles to be hugely successful, regardless of what people are doing on their phones. And that's not even taking into account that A-list games are released on these things + they have actual tactile buttons.



    Also people like to buy stuff. A lot of stuff, and all of it is getting cheaper and cheaper. Consumer culture is going to have to change a great deal before people are content with just one device that does everything.
  • Reply 16 of 27
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by quamb View Post


    Damn this place has gone down hill over the last few years... It seems no corner of the internet can have normal discussion without being infested by fanboys and haters.



    correct.



    Quote:

    You realise that other devices and tech by other companies can actually be, you know, worth while and in fact pretty awesome...?



    i do. several others, not so much.
  • Reply 17 of 27
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emacs72 View Post


    correct.







    i do. several others, not so much.



    I started reading AI because it was less biased than macrumors, but it really depends on the author. Most of the forum-goers seems to be foaming-at-the-mouth-rabid fanbois, however. It's like a car crash, though; you can't help but look. \
  • Reply 18 of 27
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    Sure, but Samsung's strategy is to copy Apple in everything......



    LoL,,, nice one
  • Reply 19 of 27
    Nice little machine, but the dea of a "game machine" is woefully outmoded.



    You don't have a phone and a flipcam -- the cam's in the phone.



    Same thing with phones and game machines -- the GPU'S in phones & tablets arr no slouches now & they improve yearly.



    You think a new Vita's gonna come out year?!?



    Nope.



    And they can update the OS from now until next Tuesday & that'll still change nothing.



    Plus, SONY getting a shiv in the back?



    This is to be expected when you climb into bed with Android.
  • Reply 20 of 27
    I think the 3DS and Vita still have an audience, but may be not as large as before. My Mum's in her mid sixties and she's got the 3DS, iPhone and iPad. Like me and my family, she's a big fan of Nintendo's games.



    The 3DS hardware doesn't exactly impress me, but then I've never bought a console because of the hardware. No doubt Sony too will have some great titles that won't be available elsewhere.



    The problem I have with both consoles is the games are approaching the same price as the big consoles. It's still early days, but if that turns out to be true then it may put off many potential buyers.
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