Yoshida: Vita struggling with third-party support

Sony is struggling to attract third-party developers to create games for its Vita handheld, the company’s worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida has admited.

The portable console was released last year in Japan with one of the most impressive launch lineups in industry history, but since that time new releases have slowed .

"We’re having a more difficult time than we had anticipated in terms of getting support from third-party publishers, but that’s our job," Yoshida told PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

“We will continue to talk to development communities and publishing partners and tell them why Vita can provide a great experience for the IPs they have and I hope the Assassin’s Creed game will prove that."

Handheld devices are suffering across the board from the challenge presented by tablets and smartphones.

The Nintendo 3DS, the only direct competitor to the PS Vita, has also faced a bitter struggle for acceptance in its first months.