EA: Vita has "a better chance" than 3DS

The PlayStation Vita is a stronger proposition than Nintendo's 3DS, so says top EA Exec Frank Gibeau.

Speaking in an interview with CVG, the EA Labels president suggested that Sony's portable has a stronger software line-up and superior feature set than Nintendo's handheld. Coupled with customer "confusion" over the 3DS, he argued, that puts Sony in a better position to combat the smartphone menace.

"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 smartphone, with some unique capabilities that make them stand out.

"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," he said.

"I think Vita has a better chance because it has a stronger title slate at launch," he continued. "PSP has 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."

Time will tell. The Vita is due to launch on these shores in early 2012, by which time Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land should have given the 3DS a healthy shot in the arm.