Sony Reveals 26 Title-Strong PS Vita Launch Japanese Line-up

At a Gamasutra-attended Sony conference in Tokyo today, the Japanese software launch line-up for the upcoming PlayStation Vita was revealed in full, with a total of 26 titles set to be available from the handheld's December 17 release in the territory. Capcom's Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono was up first, with news that Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 will be a launch game for the system. The title will be the same as the PlayStation 3 version, with online play benefitted by the handheld's GPS capabilities. Square Enix executive Shinji Hashimoto revealed two Vita launch titles from the company. Lord of Apocalypse is a new action RPG title currently in development, while Army Corps of Hell is a horror title. Sony also highlighted a number of other launch titles that will be available this December in Japan. The likes of Disgaea 3 Return, Ridge Racer and Virtua Tennis 4 will be in Japanese stores on December 17. Plenty of other big names will also be available, including BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend, Katamari Damacy, Little Deviants and Uncharted: Golden Abyss - with a full list available via consumer site Eurogamer. Sony Japan president Hiroshi Kawano explained that, while some people say the Japanese games industry is lacking energy at the moment, the PS Vita is set to revitalize the economy. "If you ask me what kind of business will revitalize the economy, I'm confident that the Japanese game industry will fill that important role. For that, we need to have a field that inspires creators," he said.