During the busy Christmas week Sony only sold 72,479 PS Vita’s, and according to Gamasutra this is almost a 78% drop in sales. These lower sales figures can’t be put down to a lack of stock either as sales so far have reportedly reached 397,338, which is still below Sony’s initial shipment of 500,000 units.

As it will be once it launches around the world the device is available in two models, with the Wi-Fi only model costing Japanese consumers ¥24,980($320). While the more expensive version with 3G capability is priced at ¥29,980($385) with a monthly fee on top of that. It is obvious that any new product will have early sales from fans, but the high price could be putting off other people from purchasing a PS Vita.

Surprisingly the PS sales figures for that week of 72,479 were beaten not only by the 3DS, but also by the PSP as well. Sales of the soon to be replaced Nintendo Wii as well as the PlayStation 3 were also higher than the Vita.

When the 3DS was first released it enjoyed sales of 374,764 during its first week, and only saw a drop of lower than 45 percent in the second week despite costing around the same as the entry level PS Vita. Since the 3DS was given a price cut back in August it has outsold all other consoles ever since, and sold 482,200 units last week alone.

This now equates to over four million 3DS units being sold since release, and has been helped by the launch of some big titles in recent weeks. Meanwhile Japanese gamers made the PSP the second biggest selling console last week.

Earlier today we told you about some of the launch titles that the PS Vita will have in the US and UK as well as some prices, but it remains to be seen if the device will sell the amount of units that Sony are hoping for. Do you think the PS Vita is priced too high?

Nintendo are another company that will be using this concept of gaming around the house through their next-generation console, the Wii U. if Sony is in fact working on bringing an update to their PS Vita that will allow it to stream PS3 games over a Wi-Fi connection, then they will be competing directly against Nintendo and it is likely that the more powerful PS Vita will triumph.

According to Eurogamer the PS3 games will only be outputted at 480 x 272, the output of the PSP, but will be upscaled to fit the PS Vita dimensions. Reports also suggest that PS3 titles could be developed to feature a PS Vita setting in future that will allow them to be more compatible with the device’s OLED 960 x 544 resolution screen.

Sony is yet to officially confirm any of these reports, despite the fact that they demonstrated a similar type of gaming on the PS Vita at the Tokyo Game Show event where the device was first launched. Games including Killzone 3 were shown to be controlled via the handheld with missing buttons being mapped onto the touchscreen. Co-op gameplay was also demonstrated where two people were playing Little Big Planet 2 at the same time, one using the PS Vita and the other using a regular Dualshock controller.

Do you think the PS Vita update is likely to happen? If so does it make the handheld become more appealing?

The PlayStation Blog is giving gamers in the US and Canada the chance to pre-order the PS Vita First Edition bundle, which is being pre-sold in select retail locations from today. The bundle contains the PS Vita 3G and Wi-Fi model with a limited edition case. You will also get a 4GB PS Vita memory card and the Little Deviants game for $349.99.

Meanwhile for Canadian gamers they can pick up the same bundle except the PS Vita is the Wi-Fi only model for $299.99. The best bit of these bundles though is the chance to get the PS Vita on February 15th, one week earlier than everyone else outside of Japan.

The Little Deviants game is described as a series of madcap adventures, which will have you discovering the new features of the PS Vita. It also offers an augmented reality shooter where players can move around the real world shooting and avoiding enemies. We have spotted that online retailer Amazon is one of the retailers listing the first edition bundle.

Will you be getting the first edition bundle?

Many of those who have played FIFA 12 will have experienced how good it is for themselves. The popularity of the game is undeniable with it having debuted straight in at number one in the UK games chart, selling over 3 million copies in less than a week, making it the biggest launch of the year so far and the UK’s third best-selling game of all time, behind Call of Duty titles Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2.

It was later knocked off the top spot by Xbox 360 exclusive Forza Motorsport 4, which itself became the best-selling racing game on the Microsoft console ever, but still managed to keep hold of the number two spot. This just goes to show just how many copies are being sold. As for the screenshots that have been released, there are eight altogether each showing in game graphics that you can expect from the new Sony handheld which, as we previously told you, is due out February 2012. You can view the screenshots for yourself by visiting NowGamer.

The people of Japan are to see the PS Vita released this side of Christmas rather than the new year like the rest of the world. Sony did announce however that the people of US will be receiving a PSP parting gift before the Vita hits the market. This is probably to keep consumers interested in the older model as the new version is not due out for a while.

What do you think of the FIFA 12 screenshots? Are you looking forward to the release of the PS Vita?

Sony’s Jack Tretton made the announcement at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco and revealed that the PS Vita will launch in western countries on February 22nd, as reported from VG247.

Pay attention as the February 22 date will apply to the following terrorities: Europe, Africa, Australasia, the US, Middle East, Canada, and also Latin America – so pretty much everyone else then.

Don’t forget that pricing has already been confirmed at E3 for the device, as consumers will need to pay either $249 USD for the WiFi version and $299 for the 3G version. In Europe, the pricing will be set at 249 euros or 299 euros for the respective versions, while those in the UK will have to pay £229 or £279 for the WiFi and 3G versions.

Despite the date announcement, Jack Tretton did not reveal any details regarding data prices for the 3G version of the Vita – a topic under considerable debate at the moment.

Another piece of vital information that western buyers are yet to discover is what launch titles will be available for the new handheld upon release. The Vita touts some impressive titles in its expanding library such as Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, Uncharted, Call of Duty and Street Fighter X Tekken, but we don’t know if any of these have been confirmed for launch yet or not – we’d say Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a certainty though.

Does the February 22 date now change your mind about importing one over from Japan, or are you still going to get one on December 17 at the first opportunity?

Exactly what Sony’s developers have planned for the update is unknown, but here is Shuhei Yoshida’s (boss of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide) response when asked about current firmware update methods:

“I agree, it’s very annoying when you only have one hour in your busy life to play a game, and when you have to spend 30 minutes out of that one hour to update the hardware.” he also went on to say “So it’s not necessarily the frequency of how we update, it’s like you said—intrusiveness—of the current processes that we have on PS3 and PSP. I cannot talk about specific plans, but we are very aware of the issues, and we’d like to address those issues on PS Vita going forward”

As you can see Yoshida seems to be hinting at some form of silent firmware update system, however we think it is going to be hard for Sony to implement such a system. All firmware updates (to our knowledge) require a reboot, which ensures that a device is now running the latest firmware build – we can’t see how such a process could be silent, but we are sure that the innovative brains at Sony have some ideas.

We think that the minor updates could simply install in the background while your playing your games and apply themselves the next time the Vita is turned on – however forcing updates upon gamers is a risky business as we quite often hear of devices becoming bricked following an update.

It is nice to hear that Sony want to make the process less intrusive, but seriously guys and girls is it that bad having two wait a 20 or so minutes here and there whilst your device updates? We really think some people just like to complain about the littlest things – if you knew the hard work which had gone into the updates you would probably be a bit more understanding.

Do you mind having to wait for firmware updates to download and install?

Over the weekend Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida was responding to questions via his Twitter account, and according to ComputerAndVideoGames.com revealed the upcoming console is region free. When asked if the Vita would be unlocked for all regions he replied “Yes it is“.

This follows Michael Denny from Sony saying back in June the device to the best of his knowledge would be region free. The great news for gamers is even if they don’t import a console over from Japan when it gets its launch, they will also be able to order games for the device from anywhere in the world.

This may not always mean cheaper titles but in some cases it certainly will, and if you are on holiday somewhere abroad and you see a bargain you will be able to buy it for your great new console. Meanwhile SlashGear are reporting that Yoshida did advise some caution for consumers thinking of importing a Vita from Japan.

He said with his own experience there can be some minor differences, and said “It’s a legacy, but in Japan circle means “yes”, cross means “no”. This won’t deter many gamers if the price is reasonable, otherwise gamers will have to sit tight and wait. We recently told you of a couple of US retailers having the device up for preorder with a December 31st shipping date.

Will you consider ordering the PS Vita from Japan?

Online retailer Amazon are listing the device to be available for December 31st, which is nothing new as we have reported this before back in June. But the difference is now that according to The Washington Post, GameStop are also listing the device for the same date. Sony originally said the Vita would be available in time for Christmas this year, now this only seems the case for Japanese consumers.

Last August Sony’s computer entertainment head, Kazuo Hirai, said the worldwide launch of the PlayStation Vita would start at the beginning of 2012. The dates listed are almost 2012 give or take a minute. Sony will be hoping the device proves to be a success unlike the much maligned Nintendo 3DS.

The new handheld console will be using proprietary memory cards that start at $25 for 4GB, or around $100 for 32GB. US gamers will have to pay $249 for the Wi-Fi version, or if it’s 3G you want it will cost $299. Sony has already announced they will partner with AT&T for 3G coverage in the country.

You would have thought Sony would have wanted the PlayStation Vita available worldwide in time for the busy holiday season. The device will be on many people’s Christmas wish lists, so they will just have to make do with an I owe you. Even though it may not reach the majority of gamers until 2012, the Vita is likely to do well.

Are you disappointed the Vita won’t be available before Christmas?

Sony has announced the new console will be available to the Japanese market on December 17th, with the rest of the world expected to get the device in the early next year. This will disappoint many gamers who would have liked to have got the device in their hands in time for Christmas, and unless they can import one from Japan they will miss out.

Meanwhile details for the devices battery life have also been revealed by Sony, and this is also likely to be of a disappointment to some as well. The Vita will be powered by a lithium ion battery that will last for three to five hours of gaming. According to IGN.com watching videos the unit will last for five hours and just listening to music or in standby mode it will stay powered for up to nine hours.

After the battery has run down it will take two hours and forty minutes to fully charge it again. Whether this will be enough for some users remains to be seen, and there are always chargers available for certain situations such as being in the car.

Also it is not known if using the device online will further drain the battery but it probably will. Also the 3G version is going to be slightly heavier than the Wi-Fi only model, and will have a SIM card slot. Is the up to five hours battery life for gaming enough for you?

There are many people who believe that having a dedicated handheld gaming device is the thing of the past. With the advancement of smartphones and tablet PCs this is thought to be the way forward by some. The device has already come for some criticism from some developers before the device has even been released.

An article on gamesindustry.biz is reporting that Lyle Hall and Matthew Seymour of Heavy Iron Studios think the Sony Vita is “a car wreck”. They use the example of the 3DS and the fact that people were unwilling to pay $249 for it, and with the Vita being priced higher no one will want it.

The Xperia Play is also mentioned but the company would like to see the Vita succeed, but with the way the market has changed it is thought unlikely. Trouble is it’s a bit early to wright the console off even before anyone has managed to really get their hands on it. There will be many PlayStation 3 owners want to have the device to use as an extension to their home console.

Another thing that has to be remembered is the fact that many smartphones do indeed have quality games and graphics, but this can often be at the expense of battery life. Personally I think with the right support and launch titles it will be a big success.

The device will be ideal for when you are on your travels, and although can’t offer the opportunity for making calls like a smartphone you get a better gaming experience. It sounds as if some people want the device to fail. Do you think the PlayStation Vita will flop?