For a while after its initial debut as the NGP, Sony explained that the hardware behind its new portable wasn’t completely final. Now that it has become the PlayStation Vita, SCE Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida has revealed that the rear-facing touchscreen almost didn’t make it into the final design.
"The idea for the rear touch panel was turned down at one point," Yoshida said to Famitsu (translation via 1UP). "It costs money, and some had doubts as to whether it was interesting enough. When we had a demo unit in operation, though, we just felt like this was 'it.' It was hard to tell unless you get your hands on it."
Sony was also very happy about the response at E3 to the unit’s price. The system will come in two configurations: Wi-Fi only for $249 and a 3G version for $299. Yoshida said the company always planned to have the unit sell at under ¥25,000 ($312), so predictions that the system would cost much more pleased the platform holder.
"There was a lot of speculation about the price when we first announced the PS Vita, but most of the predictions placed it as more expensive than it became," Yoshida added. "Hearing those predictions made me think 'Wow, we really did it.' We started developing the PS Vita in the spring of 2009, but the goal from the start was to sell the system at 25,000 yen ($311) or below.”
“We abandoned the thought that we should do everything we want and shrug our shoulders at the price. It had to be something that customers could easily afford, but we couldn't afford to compromise on quality, either. That was one of our biggest goals with PS Vita development -- balancing quality with a realistic price point."
Sony is also coming out of the gate swinging with robust third-party support, something that’s made easier as the Vita can use slightly modified PS3 development assets.
"We took pains to keep people from saying 'It's too hard to make games on this,' which is something you've heard about a lot of PlayStation hardware," Yoshida said. "You can use all the main tools as-is on the PS Vita. For any new platform, you have to work on an engine and basic toolset before you can develop anything, and it's plainly inefficient.”
“With the PS Vita, we wanted a development environment where you could immediately run games on it. That allows companies to devote more time in the cycle to making fun games. The race to get as much as possible out of the hardware is a thing of the past; now it's about tuning your project, experimenting to get as much value as you can out of your game."
Can Sony take the handheld crown from Nintendo this time around? Its rival has a full year to come out with its best titles and lower the price of its 3DS portable. The PS Vita is due out before the end of year, but may not hit in all territories.
