3DS has "fundamentally different" strategy than PS Vita, says Nintendo

Nintendo and Sony have "fundamentally different" strategies with regard to their respective handheld systems, the 3DS and PlayStation Vita, according to Nintendo marketing executive Scott Moffitt.

Speaking with GameSpot, Moffitt said Sony's approach is to extend the living room experience for an on-the-go gamer, while Nintendo's ambition is to create entirely unique experiences that fit a scenario when a player may have only a limited time to play.

"Certainly, on the handheld side, we're heading in a very different direction than PlayStation with Vita," Moffitt said. "It really comes back to, in my opinion, the core strategy. I believe their view on the market is that the handheld gaming occasion and the home gaming occasion are one in the same, that people just have the desire to keep continue playing their home console game when they leave the house."

"And our philosophy, our belief, our strategy, is that we believe it's kind of a different occasion," he added. "The moment of time you're willing to play, the amount of time you have able to play when you're away from home is different and your gaming behavior is different."

Moffitt further explained that an on-the-go game experience "ought" to be different than a home console experience.

"You're not going to grab the whole bag of Doritos chips and sit on the couch for three hours; you have 25 minutes until the bus comes or whatever it might be," Moffitt said. "So the nature of the game ought to be a little different and the nature of the experience ought to be a little different."

"So I do believe on that, we have fundamentally different strategies."

Nintendo announced an all-new portable yesterday: the 2DS. The $130 entry-level device does not feature 3D functionality, but plays all 3DS titles. For more, check out GameSpot's recent impressions of the device.