It’s about damn time! Though the rest of the world was able to purchase the PS Vita in their countries back in February, the official launch of Sony’s new handheld game console in Thailand just took place last Friday on the first floor of the Central Rama 9 shopping mall in Bangkok. Local press was invited to see several Sony Asia honchos talk about the console, but the real treat for both press and public was someone completely different.
Japanese video game producer rock star Yoshinori Ono, whose credits include Street Fighter IV, was invited to present the new Street Fighter X Tekken, but also took the time to talk with the local press about his work on the Street Fighter franchises and spent the entire rest of the day greeting fans.
Asking Ono
During a special interview session held after his presentation, Ono answered questions from the Thai gaming press for the first time. After being repeatedly asked about Street Fighter 5, Ono answered that his next project “is going to be a long deserved holiday before I start thinking about any new games.” Though this was his first time in Thailand, Ono sadly wasn’t able to really see or experience Bangkok beyond a Thai massage in his hotel.
Ono was also asked to comment on Sony’s recent announcement of the Playstation Mobile tablet, which he said he was not yet fully familiar with. “A touch system always remains tricky,” he commented. “But I definitely want to experience the chance of working on it.”
On the matter of reaching out to the Thai Street Fighter community, Ono admitted that it was a bummer that this was only his first time in Thailand. “It’s been hard for me to go everywhere, but the launch of the PS Vita and partnering up with Sony to present it gave me a great opportunity to come down here for the first time,” he said. Ono said he was confident that he would return to Thailand soon and that more Street Fighter tournaments will be set up.
He also received the remark from one of the Thai members of the press about the general lack of the Thai flag in the Playstation 3 version of Street Fighter IV. After inquiring with his present colleagues, Ono was quick to conclude that the blame lay somewhere else. “I believe that’s Sony’s fault,” he said.
For the rest of the evening, Ono found himself amidst a large group of local Street Fighterfans, holding a competition, taking lots of pictures with his little iconic Blanka figurine and signing people’s copies of Street Fighter IV. The first 100 attendants were even gifted with special Street Fighter IV limited edition souvenirs.
Why such a big launch?
No luxury was spared to hold the high profile event for the PS Vita’s launch event, including of course actually flying Ono to Bangkok. The rise of Thailand’s middle class makes makes it an attractive market for Sony, but with the PS Vita Wi-Fi model priced at a hefty THB11,990 and the complete lack of Thai language support, the question remains if the handheld will become popular in Thailand at all.
Add the increasing reach of smart phones and tablets with their infinite range of games and its doubtful of PS Vita will be pick up by any Thai gamers at all. Though the original Playstation Portable (PSP) was a very popular device in Thailand, this was mainly due to the ease of running pirated games.
Many attending members of the press said that the lack of Thai language support will definitely keep many potential Thai buyers away from the PS Vita. Some also addressed how the lack of a Thai alphabet in the keyboard database makes any kind of messaging or use of social media like Facebook a big annoyance. The matter remains a chicken and egg situation, with Sony patiently awaiting the sales figures to put Thai on its list of supported languages.
