While Sony's E3 2012 Press Conference first revealed it, it wasn't until today that we have been given a few sparse details regarding Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, the first Call of Duty title developed for the PlayStation Vita. The assumption, after Sony's reveal, was that Declassified would be a watered down version of Black Ops 2, Treyarch's futuristic take on the billion-dollar franchise. As we have learned from a product listing for the Vita title, though, that is not the case.

In fact, Black Ops: Declassified will be a separate adventure in the Black Ops universe set before the events taking place in 2025. There's no word on whether or not gamers will be playing as Frank Woods, Alex Mason, or Jason Hudson; or if this will be a story that runs parallel to the flashback events featured in Black Ops 2.

The Wal Mart product listing also outs Declassified as being composed of Special Ops and Multiplayer combat, but does not necessarily imply this will be a Call of Duty in the traditional, always-at-11, sense. Multiplayer, the franchise's real bread and butter, would be a huge selling point for a Call of Duty title on the Vita, but even that description is pretty vague.

Before the future could be won, history had to be written. Exposing that story exclusively on PlayStation Vita, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified explores original fiction in the Call of Duty Black Ops universe with an all-new campaign of Special Ops missions. Optimized for gamers on-the-go, Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified delivers the most intense handheld Call of Duty experience to date, including both Special Ops Story mode and Multiplayer combat tailored for the PS Vita.

It's entirely possible that Black Ops: Declassified is a series of Spec Ops missions wrapped up into a cohesive single player narrative, but that won't truly inform the events of Black Ops 2. During Activision's preview of Black Ops 2 at E3 they showed us a new series of missions called Strike Force that were ancillary to the main storyline, and featured a Spec Ops-esque angle to them. Maybe Declassified's missions will be of the same vein as those Strike Force encounters, only with an allowance for a co-op companion.

There's still plenty more to be declassified about Black Ops: Declassified, but for now gamers have a tantalizing impression of the types of experiences the game could offer. It's a far stretch from the console Call of Duty experience miniaturized for a handheld, but if the multiplayer isn't just cooperative play, but features full on competitive deathmatch, that alone might be worth the price tag.

Are you interested in a Call of Duty title for Vita that doesn't feature any of the traditional trademarks of the series?

Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified is targeting a 2012 release for the PlayStation Vita.

Source: Activision