Sony to launch handheld game system in Japan

— -- U.S. consumers won't get to buy it until February, but Sony starts selling a new handheld video game system, the PlayStation Vita, Saturday in Japan.

The Nintendo DS has been the dominant dedicated handheld game system, selling more than 149 million worldwide since 2004, vs. 73 million for PlayStation Portable. But as the popularity of smartphone and tablet games grew, Sony began devising a handheld to leapfrog current devices.

Consumers want "new kinds of experiences on portable that they can't necessarily have on their home devices," says Sony Computer Entertainment Group CEO Andrew House. He succeeded Kazuo Hirai as head of the PlayStation business in September, when Hirai took over responsibility for the Consumer Products & Services Group, including TV, home video/audio and games.

House took time to talk to USA TODAY about the launch of the Vita in Japan. The system is scheduled to be available in the U.S. and elsewhere Feb. 22, starting at $249.99. The interview was edited for space and clarity.

Q: What special features on the Vita will elevate mobile gaming?

A: Dual analog sticks, the rear touch pad so that you can manipulate the game without obscuring anything on the screen in front of you, a high-quality touch panel display, a 5-inch jaw-droppingly beautiful OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen, gyro-motion sensors and GPS. We have really tried to take the whole panoply of user interfaces that are important to a portable experience and patch them into this one device. It translates into something magical when you are using your finger to wipe away the dust in Uncharted to uncover some secret clue buried there in the sand. These are the kinds of little magical moments that gamers will not have experienced before.

Q: How has the rise of smartphone and tablet gaming affected Sony's strategies?

A: It has influenced us to put a lot more emphasis in the elements of connectivity than we perhaps would have done. (With built-in Wi-Fi, GPS and the option of 3G connectivity) you have the ability to instantaneously connect with other consumers who are close by and on the PlayStation Network. And we are including some of the most popular social-network features (Facebook, Foursquare and Skype) into the device as well.

We see the rise of gaming on a broader variety of portable devices as creating a huge new potential market. We tend to think people will migrate up the chain in the kinds of game experiences that they want to have.

Q: Sony reported its biggest Black Friday sales ever for PlayStation 3. How would you describe the current marketplace, and what do you expect this holiday season?

A: Whatever your business, you are highly conscious of worries around the economy, whether in the States or in Europe. As an industry, we have always felt that we offered great value for the money. When we read that Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 3 surpassed $1 billion in sales, clearly we are operating in a very vibrant category and perhaps a bright spot on the economic landscape right now. I think the market is challenging and consumers are very value-conscious and savvy about where they place their investment. That just places a greater onus on us to deliver the best experiences we can at the best value we can.

Q: Is PlayStation 4 in the works?