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Sony CFO on poor PlayStation Vita sales: 'We don't think we have any problems'

Sony CFO on poor PlayStation Vita sales: 'We don't think we have any problems'

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Sony's CFO indicated that the company thinks it is off to a good start with PlayStation Vita, despite disappointing sales.

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PS Vita stock os outdoors 900
PS Vita stock os outdoors 900

Sony's been trying to wave off concerns over the poor sales of the PlayStation Vita, and the drumbeat continued on the company's recent earnings call. CFO Masaru Kato stated the the company sold 500,000 units in the first three weeks after launch — it's being outsold by the nearly year-old Nintendo 3DS — but that the company was bullish on its prospects. "I think we had a very — a good start," he said, and when pressed further about the months ahead stated "we don't think we have any problems."

To be fair, the Vita has only launched in Japan and a few neighboring countries at this point, but questions remain if the device can compete at its $249.99 base price point when faced with the rise of cheaper smartphone and tablet-based gaming. Sony is certainly hedging its bets, recently announcing a new discounted launch bundle for the 3G variant of the device, and confirming that downloadable versions of Vita games will be sold at a discounted price (at least here in the US). We won't have to wait too long to see if it pans out: the US and European Vita launch is scheduled for February 22nd.