The global launch of Sony’s PlayStation Vita kicked off in Tokyo on Saturday morning.
Several dozen customers braved the early morning cold to get their hands on the device at the official launch in downtown Shibuya, at 7am.
But the wait was much shorter than for other recent launches, with those at the front of the line lining up only about an hour and a half before sales began.
“The Vita was at the Tokyo Game Show, but it was really crowded, and I couldn’t play. So I thought today is my chance, and I made sure I got here early.”
The Vita is Sony’s biggest product launch in years.
Some customers are turned off by the price, which is 25,000 yen, or about $320 for the most basic model.
But the company is hoping the console’s advanced hardware and broad software lineup will drive sales.
“We wanted a lot of game titles for users to enjoy. So we worked closely with software developers”
Online pre-orders sold out quickly, and supplies are limited at stores in Tokyo.
“I lined up for pre-orders on the very first day, a month ago.”
Sony says there may be some short-term shortages, but supply will be stable in the long-term.
Executives say they are targeting hard-core gamers as opposed to casual gamers with the initial launch. But there were some younger customers in line Saturday morning.
For IDG News Service, this is Jay Alabaster in Tokyo.
