The 
obituaries started for the PlayStation Vita before the device even went on sale in the U.S. Some critics called it “overly expensive.” Others noted the odds of a dedicated game system succeeding in a smartphone world were formidable.
Three and a half months down the road, those critics haven’t let up — even as Vita sales have topped 1.8 million. And it’s not hard to see why.
Sony’s next big 
hope for the handheld gaming market has made its debut in Japan, and while the numbers aren’t awful, they aren’t exactly stellar, either.
More than 321,000 Vita units were sold in its first two days on store shelves, according to Famitsu. That’s a bit shy of launch figures for Nintendo’s 3DS (371,000), though it nearly doubles what the original PSP boasted when it went on sale seven years ago.
It’s easy to be 
tempted by low prices, especially during the holidays. Often times, deals are so good that you grab an item without thinking it through just so you can check someone off your shopping list.
The problem? Your friend or loved one winds up with a gift that sounds great in theory, but ends up having a shelf life shorter than a piece of bread. It might be good for a day or so, but you’re not going to be real happy with it after that.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a cautionary list of gaming choices that might sound tempting to bargain-hunting shoppers, but may not be the wisest use of your money this year.
Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris questions 
Sony’s handling of recent events, including the confusion surrounding the production of the PSP Go, and the ongoing outages with its PlayStation Network.
One of the greatest things about the internet era is the ability to learn news faster than ever before. The downside to that is that partial truths sometimes get mixed in with facts.
Often times, that’s the fault of the media – especially the news corps of the video game world, which very often follows a herd mentality, echoing each other’s stories without doing their own investigation. But as the fate of the PSP Go has been bandied about this week, Sony only has itself to blame.
The PSP Go is PSP 
Gone.
After a flurry of rumors Tuesday, Sony has confirmed that the PSP Go’s life is coming to an end. The company plans to stop production of the handheld device that relies solely on downloadable content, opting instead to focus on the upcoming NGP – Next Generation Portable.
On paper, the PSP Go seemed like a great idea: A slick portable gaming device that let players download titles digitally without having to visit a retail store.
In reality, though, it hit just about every imaginable stumbling block. As a result, the system failed to catch on with consumers — and now it appears it’s going away for good.
The PSP Go, which shunned physical media 
for a download only model, might not be a roaring success, but Sony’s doubling down on digital distribution as it prepares its next generation handheld gaming system.
The head of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe says that every game on the so-called NGP (Next Generation Portable) will be available to buy as a download the same day the physical game appears on store shelves.
With its next generation portable system 
looming, Sony is giving the PSP one last moment in the spotlight. Effective this Sunday, the company will cut the retail price of its portable gaming system by $40, from $170 to $130.
The move not only lets Sony access a new audience with the PSP, it lets the company get out in front of the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, which will hit shelves on March 27.
As Apple and Nintendo prepare for a showdown in the portable gaming space,Sony won’t be sitting on the sidelines.
The company unveiled its next generation handheld system Thursday – the successor to its six-year old PlayStation Portable (PSP) device. Additionally, Sony announced a new initiative that would bring PlayStation games to Android-based devices, marking the first time the company has opened up its catalog to third-party systems.
Most of the gaming world figured Sony
would be rolling out the successor to the PSP at its Business and Strategy Meeting being held in Tokyo – but no one guessed it would embrace the smart phone market as well.
The company unveiled its next generation handheld system Thursday as well as a new initiative that would bring games from the original PlayStation to Android-based devices, as Sony prepares to launch its own ‘PlayStation Phone’.
Chris Morris: Journalist 