Well, it’s official. Sony is launching its newest handheld on December 17 in Japan and based on what I’ve been reading, it’s going to be region free (yes!). Official North American, European and other territory launch dates have yet to be announced, but sometime in 2012 is the safe bet. As for the Japanese launch lineup… I’ll post that list tomorrow, as it’s late and I need my beauty sleep.

Expect a mix of interesting AAA titles, HD remakes of PS2 titles, quirky stuff that will stay in Japan and a bunch of PSN stuff that’s also probably not going to make it out here, as the markets for certain types of games is quite different. In any event, you can also expect import shops such as Play-Asia to have a boom in pre-orders and sales from early adopters. eBay will also see a bunch of Japanese Vitas rake in a ton of profit for those who put theirs up for sale. Granted, scammers will also be part of the program as well, which is why I’ll wait for the official US launch (unless I suddenly come into a ton if money and can afford plane fare, a nice hotel for a brief stay, a new Vita or three AND a bunch of games).