Opinions are all over the map; the launch library is solid to above average, however the hardware has been received as sliced bread, with a high degree of skepticism over the hardware launch cost.

Me? I’m all in. In fact, I am on target for the Launch Day Bundle, and I still have a WiFi and a 3G/WiFi system on preorder with Amazon for good measure. $250-$350 will do that to a my wallet; I like options, but I am 99% leaning towards getting my WiFi/3G version early on February 15.

My preorder list is currently Lumines: Electronic Symphony, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
Of course Little Deviants, which is bundled with the system.

Lumines is just a fantastic puzzler. I’m not at all happy with the $39 price point, but I think it will be an overall good purchase. After all, I still play my PSP Lumines.

Hot Shots Golf? What’s not to like with this classic sports franchise? Plus it is going into the release window at the lower tier $29 price point.

Unchartered is the system seller; at least in the West. This should be a fantastic portable gaming experience. With that said the $49 price point is really ghastly. It downright sucks, and because Unchartered will throw up big numbers on sales charts, more publishers may get the itch to follow suit. Let’s hope not because I have no intention to flip $50 for a Vita game on a regular basis.

For good measure I also went with a 16GB memory card. This one was a tough pill to swallow, because the 3G/WiFi system was upgraded to include an 8GB card, while the Launch Day Bundle only includes a 4GB card. At any rate, before I digress too much, I went with the 16GB card because I was not willing to lay out $100 for the 32GB model, and an 8GB card seemed to offer minimal advantages over the bundled 4GB card.

The countdown is on to February 15. Happy Saturday!

Japanese response (via post launch sales data) is staggering. Awful in fact. I haven’t seen anyone do an overlay of the 3DS and Vita in the opening weeks of their respective launches; that could be really telling.

Sales of Sony’s new portable fell 57 percent week-over-week, dipping below 20,000 units for the first time as it placed fourth in the hardware rankings. Since launch, weekly Vita sales have come in at 324,859 units, 72,479, 42,648, 42,915 and now 18,361.

Sony doesn’t have Mario (Kart or the tried and true platformer) or Zelda to save it. Vita needs a Monster Hunters type game (what the Japanese seem to dig), unfortunately for Sony, it is already available on the 3DS, so why would consumers double dip?

What Sony has, at least for the U.S. launch, is a handful of decent quality titles. Will that be enough for Sony to build better momentum in the U.S. (or Europe) compared to the current state of play in Japan?

I’ll probably go with 2-3 day one games, picking up another 2-3 over the next 30-60 days.

Most Likely To Purchase Day One: Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Hot Shots Golf, and a quality RPG (will have to wait a bit).

After My Wallet Recovers: Disgaea 3 Return, maybe FIFA 12, F1 2011 (would really like a good racer), and LUMINES Electronic Symphony. These all depend on the reviews, and how much my wallet recovers from Vita launch shock.

Looking Forward To: Gravity Rush (currently scheduled for May), which looks like a unique platforming experience. Also interested in Little Big Planet, which should give infinite gaming possibilities on the go.

For portable gaming bliss, I need 1-2 quality sports games, a great racer, a time wasting RPG, and 1-2 different types of games, and I’m a happy camper. I’ll have a good time seeing how the Vita helps me fill out my gaming library.

I’ve been on the fence for a while trying to decide if I really need 3G, much less a brand new handheld system. Now that the U.S. system launch is just days away, it is time to make a decision.

The First Edition Bundle is decent enough, but how long will a 4G card hold up? Two PSN games? Once (I hope not if) PSOne support is added, that 4G card will fill up quickly. I could care less about Little Deviants, which seems to point me towards one of the basic packages.

The U.S. bundle includes a PS Vita 3G + Wi-Fi model, a limited edition case, 4GB PS Vita Memory Card, and Little Deviants game for $349.99 (MSRP). The Canadian bundle includes a Wi-Fi model, a limited edition case, 4GB PS Vita Memory Card, and Little Deviants game for $299.99 (MSRP). Best of all, you can pick up the PS Vita First Edition Bundle on February 15, 2012, so this is your chance to play before everyone else.

To make things interesting, this weekend Sony announced some special launch day bonuses for anyone picking up a 3G Vita:

With only 27 days until the launch of PlayStation Vita, we are excited to announce two PS Vita 3G/WiFi bundles. If you were one of the lucky consumers to pre order the PS Vita First Edition Bundle, in addition to the PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi hardware, a limited edition case, a 4GB PS Vita Memory Card and Little Deviants game, we will now be including an AT&T DataConnect Pass good for one free 250MB session, and a PlayStation Network game – both provided upon 3G activation. And the best part, you still get it a week before the official launch date.

In addition to the PS Vita hardware, we will be including an 8GB PS Vita Memory Card, an AT&T DataConnect Pass and a PlayStation Network game all for the usual MSRP of $299. This SKU is part of a promotional offer and will sell out immediately so we strongly recommend that you purchase your PS Vita early to make sure you get the extra value!

This is a pretty good deal; I guess Sony was not able to push enough 3G systems, so now it is a 3G “launch bundle,” but thankfully the price is not going up to compensate for the “extras,” which means they really are freebies. This is a nice switch from the evil days of forced bundles which included a ton of shit that no one really wanted. Speaking of which, see Little Deviants.

According to the comments section from the previous link at Sony’s official’ish blog, Sony has confirmed:

John Koller on January 28th, 2012 at 9:54 am said:
The DataConnect Pass provides 250MB of data after you activate and complete your first session. And the PSN game has not yet been announced but will be a $15 value.

So no free game for 30 days, and I bet there is some hidden T&C or stipulation that you have to re-up at least once to get the $15 bonus PSN game.

Now that the AT&T data plans have been announced, I am not totally scared off by 3G pricing:

The AT&T DataConnect Pass plans are month-to-month with no long term contract. All plans include complimentary AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot access in the United States. There are two plan choices:

250MB for $14.99, 30-day recurring, which starts at the date and time of purchase, with the ability to opt out at any given month.

3GB for $30.00, 30-day recurring opt out, which starts at the date and time of purchase.

My wife’s Verizon data plan is $30 for 4GB, so the Vita offering is not that far off the mark. With the above announced incentives, I am leaning towards one of the 3G offerings. I just have to decide which one. Kind of a nice problem to have.

I know there’s a lot of interest out there about our PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita integration this year so I wanted to make sure I touched on our Cross-Platform Saves functionality. This feature allows you to take your Franchise, Season, and Road to The Show save files up to the cloud where you can then access those files from either your PS3 or PS Vita. You are limited to one file per mode per PSN user account, which can be overwritten as many times as you’d like.

Now I just have to commit to getting a Vita; I have three different Amazon pre-orders on file, but have yet to order a game. MLB 12: The Show for the Vita looks like the perfect way to waste away time on a portable system, and a 3G Vita, coupled with PS+ auto save updates, sure would come in handy for anytime, anywhere MLB Cloud retrievals.

The most basic game measures how hard the user can urinate. Others involve the user removing graffiti from a wall and creating wind within the game, that then blows up the skirt of a female character on the screen.

Nothing like being rewarded with an upskirt just for doing your business … and offering up a few Yen.

I have multiple pre-orders with Amazon. An early edition bundle, Wi-Fi version, and of course the dreaded ‘how much will AT&T screw me over on pricing’ Wi-Fi + 3G version.

If I decide to go with an AT&T 3G contract, I will get the First Edition Bundle, which has the advantage of a memory stick, storage case, and a game. Honestly, I could care less about Little Deviants, but it is nice to get a bundled game. Interesting enough, Amazon no longer shows the memory stick as part of the bundle.

Still time to decide, cancel orders, and watch the Japanese Vita news and updates. Sony will fix Remote Play and support PSOne classics before the U.S. launch, right?

PSB: Are there any special treats reserved for those who are holding on to their Final Fantasy XIII save files? Can you share any details on how that will work?

Toriyama-san: If you have any save files from XIII, they will be recognized upon the start of XIII-2, and you can get extras. Some of the bonuses include adornments for monsters that can be used in-game, and a bonus that can be obtained from the title screen. You don’t necessarily have to have save data of the finished game; you can still get something even if you’ve only played a little.

Cool concept. Now just have to actually find some time to watch, play, and finish FF XIII.

EA must really care about their core target audience, and are showing a willingness to do anything to get the Vita version of FIFA 12 in the hands of demanding FIFA fans – because EA cares.

It would be a terrible precedent if all the first generation Vita sports franchises (looking at MLB: The Show, FIFA, and Madden) do not offer the ability to switch from console to portable gaming via game save transfers just to make an early release date. Thankfully MLB: The Show gets it and allows gamers to do just that:

Then there’s the hotly anticipated PS Vita version, which will mirror virtually every game feature, mode, and mechanic from the PS3 version and displays graphics that sparkle on the system’s 5’’ OLED screen. You’ll also be able to share your PS3 save files to the cloud, then pull them down on PS Vita and pick up your progress seamlessly.

Of course the San Diego (SCE) team behind the MLB: The Show franchise continues to push the boundaries on sports franchises. Following the same link from above, we learn:

… ultimately thought it made the most sense to recreate the entire PS3 experience on PS Vita. The Vita’s powerful enough to do that. So every single feature this year, from MLB 09, 10, 11, and 12 are all in the PS Vita version.

… research shows that handheld players play for 15 to 30 minutes, tops. We give you the ability to fast-play through a game by cutting out a lot of the presentation, the camera cuts, to shorten the length of games.

Unlike EA, Sony is going balls out with its franchise. I understand that time to market is important, but color me very disappointed with EA’s approach to FIFA 12 for the Vita.

A quick search and a couple of clicks later revealed the harsh reality – Veronica is no longer the cute (almost sexy) hostess of Qore. Too bad. Not to say that the new guy will not do a good job. He is just not the cute and dare I say it again, semi sexy, Veronica Belmont.

Qore will never be the same …