PlayStation Vita will hit Japanese retailers by the end of the year and arrive in western territories in early 2012, Sony Corporation executive vice president Kazuo Hirai announced today. LINK

As most expected.

I never fully understood why Japan gets certain consoles/games before the rest of the world.

Especially since the PSP is doing well only in Japan, makes no sense seeing as its needed moreso in Americas than anywhere else.

I'm sure it will be big in Japan. I feel missing a holiday release in the West where the PSP struggled, especially in the Americas, is a bit of a missed opportunity. They will need to be sure to schedule game releases better than Nintendo did with the 3DS to avoid similarly low sales in its first year (again talking about In the West/America's specifically).

Really?

Yeah, I can't understand it neither :)

Of course, they should launch it first where it is strongest. That way, by the time it gets released elsewhere, there'll actually games for you to buy.

So you're equaling bad news for Vita = good news for 3DS?

My heart cries my wallet thinks it's quite positive for me :)

It looks like the Vita is leaving the "Hype" phase behind and is entering the "hard, cold facts" phase instead.

Over the coming weeks people will declare the Vita doomed because it will launch in 2012 in the West, declare it doomed because - gasp! - not all of the shown games will be launch titles and will declare it doomed because the battery - double gaps!! - won't last longer than the 3DS battery. Oh and the 3DS price drop.

The same thing that happened to the 3DS. Hopefully there will be lots of good news to keep the doom at a reasonable level

Early year launch just isn't a good idea anymore, platforms need Xmas to get a good boosting start in life ....