The PlayStation Vita's release plans haven't been finalized yet, but there's no shortage of people in the industry willing to weigh in on its prospects. Last month, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli expressed his skepticism about the handheld, saying it "might be too late" in a world focused on tablets and mobile devices. Earlier this month, Heavy Iron Studios' president and CEO Lyle Hall joined the naysayers, saying simply, "People don't want it."

　　The Vita is set to launch in North America and Europe next year. Now Electronic Arts' recently appointed president of EA Labels Frank Gibeau has offered his assessment of the hardware, and it's a bit more positive than the previous prognosticators. Speaking to CVG at Gamescom, Gibeau said the Vita is well positioned because of "some really unique innovation in the control scheme, the technology and the screen." He also suggested the system would fare better than the 3DS, which posted disappointing sales out of the gate.

　　"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," Gibeau said, adding, "I think Vita has a better chance because it has a stronger title slate at launch. The 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."

　　Sony's latest efforts in the portable device sector haven't proven too fruitful for the Japanese giant. Most recently, Sony discontinued production of the PSP Go in Japan, following its rocky launch in 2009, and the PlayStation Phone--the Xperia Play--was initially sold for $200 in May and then was quickly cut to $100 in July. The PS Vita will launch in Japan later this year, with North American and European releases following next year.

　　For more on the PS Vita, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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