Polygonal Sony executive Kaz Hirai has confirmed that the PlayStation Vita will not be available to us round-eyes in 2011, with a release date instead planned for the next calendar year. The handheld was originally expected to be ready in time for Christmas.
Hirai is not presenting this as a delay, claiming that the company needed to make sure there was a strong software lineup for launch. This could be a response to the 3DS, which even Nintendo thinks is suffering due to a poor early library.
The SCE boss also declared that the Vita would not lower its price in the wake of the 3DS price drop, claiming that his company "packed so much into the device and made it very affordable" so there was "no need to lower the price just because somebody else that happens to be in the video game business decided that they were going to lower their price."
So there you go. I'm a little disappointed since I've started to really look forward to the Vita, but considering Nintendo rushed its own system to market, I very much respect a company holding back until its got a strong lineup. That already makes it more promising than the PSP.
No Vita launch in US or Europe this year [GI.biz]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
9:00 AM on 08.04.2011 | 
I'm gonna have to wait for monster Hunter to come out before it becomes the centre of my gaming life anyway, so just let me have one NAO!
But I need it now!!!
I suspected this might be the case, they had shown very little so far.
3DS came out when it came out. Wasn't too early for me, personally. I play the thing.
Well, there goes what would have been my big Christmas present.
Hopefully they'll release it in January
On the other hand, a great launch lineup of games would most certainly be a good thing.
If the Vita is going to be available with a plethora of games available then it'll be worth the wait.
"sony can kiss those few developers who actually wanted to back PSP2 up since they will probably go to 3DS camp now."
As long as it has a bunch of shooters at release, Vita is a day one for me.
Yeah, this should come as a surprise to no one. The only thing Sony ever said about a release date was that one region would see a holiday release in 2011, which would obviously be Japan, and the rest of the world by the end of March 2012.
Personally, I'm kind of glad. This means it will fall into Gift Card season. I'll definitely be reminding people how much I love Amazon gift cards once against this christmas.
Not till 2012 you say!?