EA Games bigwig Frank Gibeau has said that he feels PlayStation Vita has more chance of success than the Nintendo 3DS.
Chatting to the folks at CVG, Gibeau reckons Sony’s new pocket brick is likely to go the distance due to its combination of innovative control mechanics, multiple social connectivity options and meaty software line-up.
"I think that part of the videogame business is tough right now because they have had some significant competition come in that was totally disruptive, and that was the smartphone," he said.
"I think [Sony has] got a shot because they have some really unique innovation in the control scheme, the technology and the screen. It’s got a lot of social features now so that you can actually communicate with your friends and be social.”
"You can’t ring them up by putting the device up to your ear but in general I think they’ve got most of the capabilities that you’d find in a smart phone, with some unique capabilities that make them stand out."
While labelling 3DS as an ‘interesting’ piece of kit, Gibeau ultimately feels Vita’s launch line-up will pack more of a punch, ensuring the device gets off to a healthy start.
"I don’t think they’re quite in the same boat as the 3DS… the 3DS was a really interesting piece of technology but I think there was some confusion over it and the title slate was a little different," offered Gibeau.
"I think Vita has a better chance because it has a stronger title slate at launch. PSP’s had a great run in Europe as a device, it seems to have reached a much larger audience here than it did in North America. So I think they’ve got a good shot. We’re going to publish a few games on it and see how it develops."
PlayStation Vita is due out in Japan by the end of the year, with a western launch due in ‘early 2012.’