Sign him up, Sony

Mecho Wars creator Luc Bernard loves the PlayStation Vita. Speaking as part of an exclusive interview, the ambitious British developer, who’s currently hard at work on free-to-play action game Reaper, told us that he thinks that the device is the greatest handheld system on the market – and that he’d happily go first-party if given the opportunity.

“I honestly think that the Vita is the best portable gaming machine out there, [and] I would become a Sony first-party developer in a heartbeat if I got the chance,” he beamed. “We released Mecho Wars on the PlayStation Portable at the end of its life, and this time I want to support the Vita as much as I can.”

Bernard has stated on Twitter that all of his future titles will release on the pocketable platform – including the fascinating Imagination Is the Only Escape, which is about a young boy trying to flee from the Holocaust. While the title’s been bubbling around for a while, the developer has struggled to find a publisher – but it sounds like something that Sony would jump at, doesn’t it?

“Working with Sony on Mecho Wars was great – I would say that they are the best console manufacturer to work with,” he continued. “They were just fantastic. I can't mention much about Imagination Is the Only Escape yet, but [the platform holder is] looking at it – and I hope that they think that it fits their machine."

It may not be setting the sales charts alight, but the Vita appears to be establishing a rabid fanbase among the development community. If the Japanese giant can continue to nurture creative and passionate minds like Bernard, then there’s no reason why the device can’t continue to carve out a sizeable niche for itself moving forwards.