To say that TGS so far hasn't been kind to the big three would be somewhat of an understatement. Nonetheless, Sony took to the stage and hit a home run right off the bat by announcing a price, release date, and dozens of launch titles for the PlayStation Vita. Since it was a press conference for Tokyo Game Show, all of this news was focused on Japanese audiences, but it still gave gamers both a clear idea of when they might be seeing the Vita and what games they might be playing on it.

Releasing on December 17th, the Vita will retail for 29,980 Yen, which translates to around $390 (much more than the price Sony announced for US retailers). Among the titles that will be available for the Vita at launch are Hot Shots Golf 6, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. There were, of course, some other Japanese-only titles announced, but these are some of the more high profile games releasing with the Vita.

Also, if you are a Japanese gamer and would like to pre-order your Vita before launch, that service will be available starting on the 15th of October — plenty of time to decide if you want Sony or Nintendo’s handheld.

Though this isn’t the best news for residents of the US or Europe, it does bode well for the possibility of the Vita releasing early next year. Some might argue that part of what kept the 3DS from selling well here was missing the holiday season at launch, but with some stellar, and unique, launch titles we think the Vita will be just fine.

Of course it wasn’t just a Vita-centric TGS press conference for Sony — the publisher also announced some very unexpected titles like the Final Fantasy X remake — but that is clearly where their focus is at this point. Make sure to stay tuned to Game Rant for more news coming out of TGS included more of the announcements made during Sony’s press conference.

When do you think the Vita will launch in the rest of the world? Do you think it is a mistake missing the holiday season in the US and Europe?