Sony is busy hyping up its next big thing at E3 this week, hoping to push passed all the bad press in regards to the massive security breach, which started in April.

This week, all the focus is on the company’s newest device, a next generation portable console dubbed Vita.

According to the LA Times, Jack Tretton, the head of Sony's PlayStation business in North America, addressed immediately the recent goings on with the PSN network and the data breach before anyone could probe about it further.

“I want to apologize both personally and on behalf of my company,” said Tretton, who reported that the PlayStation Network, an online service for PlayStation 3 console users, was back up to 90 percent of its activity before hackers infiltrated the system and stole the account information of tens of millions of customers.”

Vita, a touch-interface and motion-sensitive handheld, will allow gamers to be connected with one another over cellphone networks and WiFi (News - Alert) hotspots, and use GPS location-tracking technology. In the U.S., Sony is partnering exclusively with AT&T Inc. for cellphone service.

The device, available for $249 for its WiFi-only version, will also have cellphone service will retail for $299, and buyers will have to subscribe to a cellular data plan.

The handheld has front and back cameras, a touchscreen in front, a touch pad on the back and two knob-like joysticks. It will enable gamers to play against people using PlayStation 3 consoles over the Internet-based PlayStation Network.

The hardware comes with an accelerometer, which means it will also react to being held at different angles and being moved through the air.

“PlayStation Vita will revolutionize the portable entertainment experience,” Kazuo Hirai, group chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., told a crowd of 6,000 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. “The whole world is really in play.”

Along with social games and email, Sony also unveiled a communication service it called 'Party' that will enable voice and text chat during games or when using the Web browser.

Users will also be able to sense when other gamers are nearby, what games they have played recently, and enable in-game gifting of virtual items.

“Smartphones and tablets have really created a large market for casual gaming,” Hirai said in an interview after Sony's presentation. “We want to make sure we're in both areas.”

The PlayStation Vita will go on sale in the U.S., Europe and Japan by the end of the year.

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