Source: http://www.siliconera.com/2011/08/16/playstation-vita-devkits-cost-far-less-than-psp-and-playstation-3-kits/

PlayStation Vita development kits, required by developers to create games for the device, will be significantly cheaper than devkits for Sony’s other game devices.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s George Bain recently announced at GDC Europe that in Europe, Vita devkits go for as little as 1,900 Euros (plus VAT).

Prototype Vita Devkits may be free, Bain added, stating that PubFund, a Sony Computer Entertainment America initiative, offers studios budget for the development of exclusive games. PubFund is currently seeing up to 15 pitches a week.

Develop-Online report just how low Vita development kits are priced, in comparison to devkits for the PlayStation 2, PSP and PlayStation 3. PS2 and PS3 devkits cost €20,000, while PSP ones cost €15,000.

Vita will also eventually see non-gaming applications, Bain confirmed at GDC Europe. For instance, the device is already confirmed to support popular social networks. However, for now, Sony are only accepting game proposals.

I think that lowering that barrier to entry as far as development really shows how much Sony cares about Vita's software environment. Hopefully this allows many more devs to take advantage of the system.

This is truly one of Vita's biggest advantages.

Great!!! This should make more indie dev creat games for the vita.

Hmm looking at it almost everyone here would be able to buy dev kit and start his own software company.
I wonder if we will see tons more minis this time thanks to it.

With that said, the Vita should not have a shortage of games.

with this fact alone, all vita needs to do is sell loads and sony are on to a winner. As this will encourage bigger iphone and android developers over to us, hopefully hurting evil apple a bit and hopefully keep consistent support for vita, unlike what the psp got.