PS Vita won't take the 'social gaming revolution' west until 2012

At least Japanese gamers' social lives will be revolutionized this year. The Associated Press reports that Sony executive Kazuo Hirai announced that the PlayStation Vita, the successor to the PSP, will not release in the U.S. and Europe until 2012.

However, Sony will release the system on its home turf this year. Keep in mind that Sony never mentioned a release date for neither the West nor Japan. Whether the PS Vita will make it into Japanese gamers' grubby hands by Christmas--the most ideal release period--is still up in the air.

Of course, Hirai was asked by reporters in Sony headquarters in Tokyo how the company will react to Nintendo's drastic price cut of its 3DS. "We packed so much into the device and made it very affordable," Hirai said. "There is 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."

Sony has slated the PS Vita as a device that will reign in a "social gaming revolution," according to a few promotional videos released by the company. This is thanks to touted features like cross-game voice chat, communication and gift-sharing with PS Vita players nearby through its Near feature, a Facebook News Feed-like feature that displays status updates from other players and more. Considering other platforms have been capable of a few of these features for years, we're waiting with bated breath to see just how revolutionary the PS Vita will be.

[Via Kotaku]

Are you excited for what's been claimed to be a social gaming revolution? Are you bummed at all that the PS Vita has been pushed back, so to speak, until 2012? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.