Following Sony's move to take full control of Sony Ericsson – recently rebadged with the company's colours – the firm finds itself in a tricky position.

On the one hand, it has to present PS Vita as a credible rival to smartphones, able to offer titles simply not possible on touchscreen-only devices.

On the other, it has to fluff up its smartphone division, if only to push its PlayStation-certified Xperia range as an alternative to the app-happy iPhone.

It's a balance Sony Computer Entertainment president CEO Andrew House looked to find in an interview with CVG, where he attempted to big up PS Vita's chances while also laying out the strengths of Sony's new found smartphone strategy.

Don't doubt the DNA

"What we're endeavouring to provide and have succeeded in providing - even in the launch line-up - is what's in our DNA," said House of PS Vita's launch line up compared to mobile, branding them as "deeper, more immersive, really compelling gaming experiences, with a great sense of realism and strong storylines."

In truth, the stance that consoles – handheld or otherwise – offer richer experiences than those on smartphones is a well trodden path, and if the hit 3DS and PSP took in 2011 is anything to go by, also an argument most consumers don't buy into.

Nonetheless, House believes Vita's combination of buttons and touchscreen controls – including the handheld's trademark touchpad on the back – offer something no other hardware delivers.

"Then we've married those [games] with some great network features, but also with a set of interfaces that I don't think really exist right now in any other devices out there," he argues.

Back to basics

A large part of any success PS Vita enjoys, however, will not only come from consumers, but also from developers – many of who might be reluctant to offer support post-PSP.

That's undoubtedly a concern for House, who claims PS Vita attempts to do away with the overly complicated approach adopted during the PS3 era in favour of the simple development environment the original PlayStation made its signature.

"What we try to do as a company is to take the best learnings from the different platforms, and the things we gain from them," he added.

"Looking further back, part of the original PlayStation's success, and part of the PlayStation 2's success, was the ease of use of the development environment. So I'd like to think that PS Vita has returned us to the core of that DNA, as well."

Sony is as Sony does

Nonetheless, House praised Sony's move for Sony Ericsson, pointing out the release of the PlayStation Suite-equipped Xperia Play signified the already strengthening relationship between the two businesses, even before the buyout.

It's a partnership he says can only benefit Sony in both arenas.

"I think the final goal is to have a much more Sony-esque, integrated user experience, that is common to our devices, but enhances the experience in each of those different categories," he concluded.

[source: CVG]