PS Vita will see fewer first-party games in the future in favor of indie support, says Sony

The president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS) has suggested that PlayStation Vita will see fewer major first-party software on the handheld going forward.

Speaking to Polygon, Shuhei Yoshida said that the handheld’s focus will swing towards third-party and indie titles

"When we launched the Vita with Uncharted, it was amazing; PS3-like quality in your palm, but as time moved on, you are seeing PS4 quality and people's expectations for the graphic fidelity has gone up," said Yoshida-san.

"It's very fortunate that the indie boom happened and they are providing lots of great content to Vita," he continued. "Gameplay, game mechanic wise, people want to spend 10 minutes, 15 minutes getting in and out. On Vita, it's great with suspended functionality, so these indie games really great for that from a game design standpoint.

"Instead of watching big stories or cinematics, you can spend hours on Vita. So, I think that's actually the biggest star to help provide great content to Vita going forward. And we continue to make games cross-platform games, especially on digital side."

Quizzed outright if PS Vita would receive fewer first-party games, Yoshida-san replied: "I would say, yes, that's correct."

PlayStation Vita was launched in December 2011 in Japan and arrived in Europe and North America in early 2012. Exact sales figures for the platform have not been divulged, with Sony instead lumping together PS Vita sales with those of PlayStation Portable during its quarterly financial results.

How do you feel about PS Vita’s shift from first-party to indie titles? Do you feel the handheld could benefit from the likes new Uncharted, God of War, and Gran Turismo games? Or are you happy with Sony’s plans?

Sound off in the comments section below.