Though it won’t arrive in the U.S. until Feb. 22, Sony’s newest handheld gaming device has stumbled out of the starting gate in Japan. The device sold 321,400 units in two days, but on Monday, Sony issued an apologetic statement after complaints emerged that the Vita was freezing and crashing.

But, for what it’s worth, there is a common thread between the two products: Sony’s new gadget was developed in part by one of the original creators of one of the most successful consumer-electronics devices of all time.

As the PlayStation blog reports today, the look and feel of the Vita was designed by Takashi Sogabe of the Sony Corporate Design Centre. It also notes that Sogabe, who has been at the company for 27 years, worked on the original Walkman.

While it probably isn’t entirely accurate that he worked on the original Walkman (since it came before Sogabe’s time), a bio on Sony’s Web site gives him credit for a “See-through Walkman,” and a “Beautiful Walkman.” He also worked on the PlayStation 3 and Sony’s e-reader.

The PlayStation blog will be posting a full interview with Sogabe later, but today’s post did offer some details.

Sogabe said the design team came up with various versions of the Vita, including one with a sliding back, and another that snapped shut like a clamshell.

He also said that they tried to incorporate two touchpads in place of the dual analog sticks, but that they weren’t accurate enough.

(Takashi Sogabe image courtesy of Sony)

(Walkman images courtesy of Wikipedia)

It’s interesting the iPod has been out for three years and it’s only this past year it’s become a raging success. Well, those things that become fads rage, and then they drop off. When I was growing up there was a product made by Sony called the Sony Walkman–a rage, everyone had to have one. Well, you don’t hear about the Walkman anymore. I believe that one-product wonders come and go. You have to have sustainable business models, sustainable strategy.”

– In 2005, former Dell Chief Executive Kevin Rollins utters the words he would dine on a short while later

A glutton for punishment, Dell. Though its foray into the MP3 player market was about as ill-starred as they come (remember DJ Ditty (mascot at right)? Yeah, didn’t think so.), the company is gearing up for a second attempt. Unfazed by its Ditty disaster, Dell (DELL) has reportedly developed a second, ahem, “iPod killer.” Designed to connect to online music services via a Wi-Fi Internet connection, the device will use software developed at Zing, a company Dell acquired last year, to retrieve and organize digital media. The device will sell for less than $100 when it arrives at market in September.

Dell’s first MP3 player lasted three years before the company scuttled it. That was back in 2006, when Apple’s iPod was somewhat less ubiquitous than it is now. How long will its second player last in a market that’s 71 percent-controlled by Apple (AAPL) and dripping in iPod branding? History would seem to suggest not long at all, though Microsoft’s (MSFT) maligned Zune music player has managed to stick around for a few years. Perhaps Dell can steal a point or two of market share from its sad, little four percent. All aboard the FAIL-boat. …

It’s interesting the iPod has been out for three years and it’s only this past year it’s become a raging success. Well, those things that become fads rage, and then they drop off. When I was growing up there was a product made by Sony called the Sony Walkman–a rage, everyone had to have one. Well, you don’t hear about the Walkman anymore. I believe that one-product wonders come and go. You have to have sustainable business models, sustainable strategy.”

– In 2005, former Dell Chief Executive Kevin Rollins utters the words he would dine on a short while later

A glutton for punishment, Dell. Though its foray into the MP3 player market was about as ill-starred as they come (remember DJ Ditty (mascot at right)? Yeah, didn’t think so.), the company is gearing up for a second attempt. Unfazed by its Ditty disaster, Dell (DELL) has reportedly developed a second, ahem, “iPod killer.” Designed to connect to online music services via a Wi-Fi Internet connection, the device will use software developed at Zing, a company Dell acquired last year, to retrieve and organize digital media. The device will sell for less than $100 when it arrives at market in September.

Dell’s first MP3 player lasted three years before the company scuttled it. That was back in 2006, when Apple’s iPod was somewhat less ubiquitous than it is now. How long will its second player last in a market that’s 71 percent-controlled by Apple (AAPL) and dripping in iPod branding? History would seem to suggest not long at all, though Microsoft’s (MSFT) maligned Zune music player has managed to stick around for a few years. Perhaps Dell can steal a point or two of market share from its sad, little four percent. All aboard the FAIL-boat. …