This is part II of a 3-day feature. Click here to read Part I: The Xbox 360 Will Die Before the 720 Comes Out

Unlike the PlayStation faithful, I didn’t think this past year was going to be so hot for Sony. It turns out that I made a good call, since 2011 didn’t go that well.

Sure, despite the PSN hack and the confirmed death of the PSP, things looked all right. Uncharted 3 sold 13 million copies, which I’m sure isn’t something Killzone or Resistance could say for itself. All of the usual suspects showed up, and sales were decent, but nothing looked that exciting to me. Perhaps I’m a jaded gamer, but this year didn’t get me going. 

In either regard, Sony needs to have a good year this year… actually, they need to have a great one, and it all depends on one platform: Vita. And, frankly, that is a lot to expect from a handheld platform in the age of Apple and Ice Cream Sandwich-based operating systems. If Nintendo’s heft (or the Japanese launch) is any indication, the raw power or novelty isn’t going to sell a system alone. They need to have a strong lineup of games, which wasn’t there for Nintendo up until these past few months. Why spend $40 on a game when you can spend $5 on Infinity Blade II? Expensive, one-use devices aren’t going to sell unless Steve Jobs gives it a post-mortem endorsement – and even then, you are really hoping for a lot.

But the reason Sony needs to win big this year with the Vita is that a lot of their new technology and strategies going forward are so deeply rooted in what the Vita offers. Cross-game voice chat? Got it. More day-and-date digital releases (with a possible discount)? Win. Bringing your saves and games on the go or playing the same version on your TV? It only does awesome. A lot of R&D went into this platform, and if it proves well, it could lead to more innovations on the mobile platform as well as improvements to the PlayStation Network and the next home console. If you think about it, their world depends on a smash hit in a world that doesn’t really care about portable systems.

What I want to know from Sony is what they are doing to make the Vita different. People buy the 3DS (so I hear) because of the name, the brand, and the grossly overused character roster. What is the draw of the Vita to the average Joe Danger? What can you only get on the PSV that you can’t get on iOS devices? All I see is an Uncharted game not from Naughty Dog in a post-Uncharted 3 world. Since people are pretty tired of the Uncharted formula, you have to sell the mainstream on something else. And, trust me, that 3G connectivity isn’t it.

I wish I had a firm answer on what Sony, or any company, can do to make their next year better. The only (partial) solution that keeps coming to me is something they haven’t done in the past two years: bring something exciting and new to our lives.

In addition to being a jaded gamer, Ryan Green is the senior editor at TotalPlayStation. He also attends school, stalks Sam Bishop, and plays nicely with others online… just not on Xbox Live. Or the 3DS.

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Thanks for reading Part II of our "The Year Ahead" feature! Parts I and III can be found below.

Part I: The Xbox 360 Will Die before the 720 Comes Out

Part III: 3DS Will Storm the Show and Wii U has the Encore