The PS Vita's launch line up is looking stellar.
The official PS Blog has just released the full launch line up for the North American release of the PS Vita, along with the all important pricing scheme for the games and accessories. There will be 25 games released on launch day, priced within a range of $9.99-$49.99. Every game that is getting a retail release will also be available for purchase online from the PS Store. In addition, certain launch titles will only be available on the PS Store. The launch line up is as follows:
PS Vita Software Lineup:
SCEA Launch Day Titles
Escape Plan (PSN Only)
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
Hustle Kings (PSN Only)
Little Deviants
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Super StarDust Delta (PSN only)
UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss
wipEout 2048
Launch Window Titles
Gravity Rush
MLB 12 The Show
Reality Fighters
Unit 13
Third Party Publisher Launch Day Titles
| Army Corps of Hell | Square Enix, Inc. |
| Asphalt Injection | Ubisoft, Inc. |
| BEN10 GALACTIC RACING | D3 Publisher of America |
| Blazblue: Continuum Shift EXTEND | Aksys Games Localization, Inc. |
| Dungeon Hunter Alliance | Ubisoft, Inc. |
| Dynasty Warriors Next | Tecmo Koei America Corporation |
| F1 2011 | Codemasters |
| EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer | Electronic Arts, Inc. |
| Lumines Electronic Symphony | Ubisoft, Inc. |
| Michael Jackson The Experience | Ubisoft, Inc. |
| Plants vs. Zombies (PSN Only) | Sony Online Entertainment LLC |
| Rayman Origins | Ubisoft, Inc. |
| Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen | Namco Bandai Games America Inc. |
| Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs (PSN Only) | Drinkbox Studios |
| Touch My Katamari | Namco Bandai Games America Inc. |
| Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 | Capcom Entertainment, Inc. |
| Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition | Sega of America |
Launch Window Titles
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. Inc. |
| Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention | NIS America, Inc. |
| NINJA GAIDEN ∑ PLUS | Tecmo Koei America Corporation |
| Ridge Racer | Namco Bandai Games America Inc. |
| Silent Hill Book of Memories | Konami Digital Ent. America, Inc. |
| Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted | 505 Games |
In addition, here is list of accessories and prices for the PS Vita. Of most interest to me was the pricing scheme for the memory cards, which are mandatory for certain retail games, and are absolutely necessary if you want to download games from the PSN.
| Product Name | Release Date | MSRP |
| 4 GB Memory Card | February 15, 2012 | $19.99 |
| 8 GB Memory Card | February 15, 2012 | $29.99 |
| 16 GB Memory Card | February 15, 2012 | $59.99 |
| 32 GB Memory Card | February 15, 2012 | $99.99 |
| Starter Kit with Memory Card | February 15, 2012 | $39.99 |
| In-Ear Headset | February 15, 2012 | $19.99 |
| Carrying Case | February 15, 2012 | $19.99 |
| Travel Pouch | February 15, 2012 | $19.99 |
| Protective Film (2 pack) | February 15, 2012 | $9.99 |
| Card Case | February 15, 2012 | $5.99 |
| Cradle | February 15, 2012 | $19.99 |
| Portable Charger | Spring 2012 | $49.99 |
| AC Adaptor | February 15, 2012 | $14.99 |
| Car Adaptor | Spring 2012 | $14.99 |
| USB Cable | February 15, 2012 | $14.99 |
All in all, the PS Vita launch line up is looking absolutely stellar, easily eclipsing the pittance that was the 3DS launch. However, only time will tell if people will buy into this, but early previews from the Japanese launch have me more excited than ever over the hardware, and the software is clearly there to support this awesome machine. The pricing for the memory cards is a bit expensive, but in my opinion the 8gb card is a good relatively cheap solution with a decent amount of space, while the 32gb card is technically the best deal out of the bunch since it has eight times the space of the cheapest 4gb, but at 5 times the cost. By comparison to the 16gb card, it has twice the space, at 1.5 times the cost. Still, $100 for a memory card is certainly not a small hit, and effectively drives the cost of the cheapest $250 PS Vita up to $350, ironically making it more expensive than a PS3 with a MUCH larger hard drive. Regardless, the cheapest combination will be $270 + the price of any games you decide to purchase. So the eternal question surfaces: are the games at launch enough to make you take a plunge into a new system?
For me, it’s looking like a big yes. Not only is the game line up great, but the PS Vita alone is an interesting enough machine to warrant the purchase. All of my gaming is done on the PS3, and from what I’ve seen, the PS Vita is a fantastic compliment to it’s older sibling. Trophies and friend lists are shared between the two. The PS Vita is looking like everything the PSP should have been but wasn’t. For someone like myself, that has yet to buy into the 3DS, and doesn’t own a smart phone or tablet, the PS Vita is almost a no brainer. I for one am looking forward to February.
Source: The Playstation Blog