Sony revealed 25 first- and third-party software releases for PS Vita's North American launch, as well as new memory card prices that are significantly lower than earlier reported.
The strength of the system's initial game lineup will certainly impact early consumer interest and sales for PS Vita -- many attributed Nintendo 3DS's lower than expected sales during its first months out the gate to a lackluster selection of titles, among other factors.
And in Japan, where PS Vita debuted last week, local game sales tracking firm Media Create expressed disappointment over the portable's unremarkable launch sales, and blamed it on the absence of strong system-selling releases and its expensive pricing.
SCE Bend Studio-developed Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the latest entry from Naughty Dog's popular Uncharted series, is the highest profile game on PS Vita's list, and was the second biggest seller in Japan last week behind Hot Shots Golf.
The original PSP's North American launch in 2005 was accompanied by 17 games. In March of this year, Nintendo 3DS released with 16 games, none of which were widely considered system sellers. Sony's biggest launch lineup was in 2000 for its PlayStation 2, which saw 29 releases.
When PS Vita ships to U.S. and Canadian retailers on February 22, it will come with a $249.99 WiFi model and a $299 3G/WiFi model, and will arrive alongside the following titles (prices ranging from $9.99 to $49.99, available with boxed and digital copies):
Army Corps of Hell (Square Enix, Inc.)
Asphalt Injection (Ubisoft)
Ben10 Galactic Racing (D3 Publisher of America)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend (Aksys)
Dungeon Hunter Alliance (Ubisoft)
Dynasty Warriors Next (Tecmo Koei America Corporation)
EA Sports FIFA Soccer (Electronic Arts)
Escape Plan (SCEA, PSN Only)
F1 2011 (Codemasters)
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (SCEA)
Hustle Kings (SCEA, PSN Only)
Little Deviants (SCEA)
Lumines Electronic Symphony (Ubisoft)
Michael Jackson The Experience (Ubisoft)
ModNation Racers: Road Trip (SCEA)
Plants vs. Zombies (Sony Online Entertainment, PSN Only)
Rayman Origins (Ubisoft)
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (Namco Bandai Games America)
Super StarDust Delta (SCEA, PSN only)
Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs (Drinkbox Studios, PSN Only)
Touch My Katamari (Namco Bandai Games America Inc.)
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (Capcom Entertainment)
Uncharted: Golden Abyss (SCEA)
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition (Sega of America)
Wipeout 2048 (SCEA)
Sony Computer Entertainment America listed 10 titles that will release shortly after PS Vita's launch, too:
Gravity Rush (SCEA)
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (Warner Bros. Interactive Ent)
Disgaea 3:Absence of Detention (NIS America)
MLB 12 The Show (SCEA)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus (Tecmo Koei America)
Reality Fighters (SCEA)
Ridge Racer (Namco Bandai Games America Inc.)
Silent Hill Book of Memories (Konami)
Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted (505 Games)
Unit 13 (SCEA)
Furthermore, the company revealed prices for PS Vita's proprietary memory cards, which are required for storing games, save data, and more. The cards are cheaper than the early prices that retailers reported, which many consumers complained were too expensive.
4GB memory card - $19.99 (previously listed at $24.99)
8GB memory card - $29.99 (previously listed at $39.99)
16GB memory card - $59.99 (previously listed at $69.99)
32GB memory card - $99.99 (previously listed at $119.99)
With the exception of the $349.99 "First Edition" 3G/WiFi pre-order bundle releasing on February 15 with a number of extras (a limited edition case, a 4GB memory card, and a copy of Little Deviants), none of the PS Vita launch systems will include a memory card.
