Japan Studio helped development on every WKC game (and Level 5 did no work on WKC Origins).  It's about as first party as Patapon or LocoRoco (and I consider those to be first party).

But you're right, at least we got it!

My Summer Vacation, the Toro games, and the Bleach PSP games were two that come to mind. Both developed by Sony internally.

I'm pleased with the Freedom Wars announcement (aside from the name).

I guess its something to look forward given God Eater 2 has low chances of coming to the west. Sony already pleased me with soul sacrifice, so im sure this will be decent. Sony Japan is on fire with the Vita lately.

‘Freedom Wars’ (PS Vita) supports up to 8-players co-op online

A few additional details on SCE Japan Studio’s Freedom Wars, a “recapture” multiplayer action game for the PS Vita that’s scheduled to come out in 2014, have emerged now that its official website has been updated.

Chief amongst those details? Freedom Wars is a co-op action game that will support up to eight players online simultaneously. That’s twice the co-op party size of Monster Hunter, God Eater, and other games of this genre. Ad-hoc play will of course be supported as well.

[...]

Source: http://sgcafe.com/2013/05/freedom-wars-ps-vita-supports-8-players-co-op-online/

Much more at the link. An interesting reading.

I'm strangely interested in Panopticon Freeom Wars the more I read about it.

I think I might pick up Soul Sacrifice soon.  I think all my complaints with MonHun/Gods Eater come from mostly playing them in single player.  Perhaps if I buy one of these games closer to launch and play online more I'll have a better time.

As a side note: If any of you guys are picking up Ratchet: Q Force on Vita, give me a shout.  I'm hooked on it for PS3 at the moment; the online mode is exactly my kind thing (third person shooting with base building).  Can't wait to download the Vita version :)

Freedom Wars? why Panopticon is a decent name. Oh well at least Sony is showing that its supporting the vita in 2014

I've never played Gods Eater, but your complaint with Monster Hunter might have been that it's just a shit game.

Soul Sacrifice rules, though. You should definitely get it.

A.N.N.E won't hit its stretch goal, will come to Vita anyway.

I tried to love Monster Hunter Tri but just could not get into it at all. I'm sick of any co op game involving battling monsters being called a "MonHun" game now. It like calling any FPS a "WolStein" and is a disservice to pretty much any fantasy action RPG with co-op.

Eigth Players Coop.. Sounds good... I hope the stages are big and have variety of missions and enemies... and seems interesting that thing about GPS and NEAR... could end being the next succes in Japan... if is well promoted...