“The whole development process of Vita was us watching the smartphone and the tablet market grow and blossom,” Yoshida said in an interview with Gamasutra.

It comes after the firm failed to give Vita enough attention at its E3 2012 press conference.

“We’ve seen lots of small games sold digitally through the app stores of each device, and that’s something we thought is a great addition to the whole offering of video games to the consumers,” he continued.

Adding: “We do not necessarily see the smartphone replacing the portable console market. It’s true that many casual people already own smartphones, and spending a dollar for a game is a very easy thing to do.

People who really like games want more immersive, deeper games. In addition, they also enjoy short-form, small games.”