The PlayStation Vita's less than stellar performance in Japan is fairly documented at this point. It's getting to the point that fans of the platform have begun to wonder if Sony will ever be able to turn the ship around.
Well, for true believers in the system, there's good news at long last. Gematsu reports that, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Japan president Hiroshi Kawano, Vita sales have been enjoying a four-fold increase in sales.
So, what sparked such dramatic interest in the platform? For starters, a price cut, one that took place on February 28. Prior to that date, the Vita was 24,980 yen or $268 US. It is now 19,980, or $214 US.
But there's also another reason why the Vita is doing so well: the recent release of Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus. According to Gematsu once more, it managed to rack up 120,000 copies sold during its first five days.
This accounts for both physical and digital copies. Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus's stellar debut is outmatched by only two titles: Persona 4 Golden and Hatsune Miku Project Diva F, which both enjoy far higher profiles.
While Persona is a JRPG series that is beloved across the board, and Hatsune Miku is the poster girl for the vocaloid fad that is still quite strong in Japan, the reasons for Senran Kagura’s popularity is a tad bit more base.
It’s the latest installment of a series that made its debut on the 3DS, and stars a band of sexy anime girls who are also ninjas. The heroines are characterized for being well endowed.
The 3DS version has the advantage of allowing the player to ogle the various characters in three dimensions. To compensate, the Vita version lets the player grope the girls, to the point in which they can actually tears articles of clothing off. Which, believe it or not, has positive effects during battle.
Oh well. For Vita fans who have been wanting something to give the system a shot in the arm, remember this: beggars can’t be chooser.
The chances of Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus being localized is unlikely, but not impossible. Though a price cut is something that’s far more reasonable, but Sony has repeatedly stated that it was just for Japan and nothing is planned for other territories.
