Sony admits that Vita is failing to entice third parties

Eight months into latest portable gaming project, Sony has admitted to key struggles with the PlayStation Vita.

The PlayStation legacy is built upon the still unrivalled third-party support successfully attracted to PS2, so it’s ironic that third parties are proving to be the Vita’s major stumbling block.

Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida told the US version of OPM that: "We’re having a more difficult time than we had anticipated in terms of getting support from third-party publishers, but that’s our job."

The company recently slashed its forecasted annual portable sales from 16m to 12m units.

MCV understands that UK hardware sales, while never officially divulged, are weak. There is no information regarding the strength of digital software sales.

All eyes now turn to Gamescom next week. The extent of Sony’s plans for its presentation remain unclear, but if Vita is to enjoy a change in fortunes Sony may be wise to bare all in Germany rather than hang on for September’s Tokyo Game Show.

Cologne also assumes increased significance as, alarmingly, if Vita is to get back on track it now looks more likely that this will be done overseas than in Sony’s homeland of Japan, which is increasingly feeling like Nintendo’s home ground.