PS Vita Hits 2.2 Million Sales, Sony To Implement Shift In Marketing

Sony has shared the latest PS Vita numbers, revealing that the beleaguered handheld has achieved 2.2 million worldwide sales as of June 30. When we last checked in with the Vita back in May, it had sold 1.8 million, so were looking at a 400,000 unit gain in about two months' time. 400,000 sales in two months isn't terrible, but it could definitely be a lot better.

Speaking with Playfront at Gamescom, German PlayStation boss Uwe Bassendowski said that part of the reason Vita sales are struggling is because Sony has neglected to market the device to a younger audience. According to him, the company will begin to shift PS Vita marketing soon, which may help put uptake on the rise. That could be the reason why PS Vita sales are struggling, but we think it has more to do with the price and lack of games than anything else.

While Sony's presence at Gamescom made us confident that the games issue will be turned around shortly (Killzone: Mercenary looks fantastic for instance), we won't be seeing a price cut any time soon. Recently Sony confirmed that while it was looking for way to the bring price of the Vita down a bit, such a price cut will not be happening in 2012. It seems that pretty much everyone who isn't an employee of Sony thinks a Vita price cut is in order, but sadly the company isn't willing to budge on the issue until 2013 rolls around.

Instead, Sony will look toward the recently-announced PS Vita bundles and hope that those can move some units. With the holiday season just a couple of months away, those bundles might just bolster PS Vita sales, but if Sony were to implement a price cut before the shopping season kicks into full gear, we'd see them flying off shelves at a much faster rate. For now though, we'll simply wait and see if Sony's plan to shift marketing toward a younger audience pays off when it comes to PS Vita sales numbers.

[via Engadget]