Soul Sacrifice, a new title from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, launches today in the US exclusively for the PlayStation Vita. In celebration of the game’s launch, Sony has gone all out with a live action trailer that would be right at home in a direct-to-VHS movie about mystical warriors from the farther realm.

Soul Sacrifice, and its Monster Hunter-inspired gameplay, has already proven popular in Japan. Unfortunately, the genre has never really caught on in the US. That being said, it could find more success on the Vita as the handheld is starved for content.

To further tempt Vita owners, Sony will be offering the following items to those who purchase a digital copy of the game.

Soul Sacrifice is the first major release for the Vita this year, but it’s not the last. Sony and third parties will be bringing a number of titles to the handheld later this year to ensure that Vita gamers have plenty of play over the coming months.

Sony is hoping to at least remedy the software problem in 2013 with a number of high-profile releases. One of the more interesting, and charming, games to come out of Sony’s initiative is Tearaway, a new action/adventure game from Media Molecule. PlayStation fans have come to know and love Media Molecule for its LittleBigPlanet franchise, and now its bringing a new kind of game to the Vita.

Tearaway will be available exclusively on the PlayStation Vita on October 22. Physical copies of the game will feature reversible cover art for those want to display the female protagonist on the box.

A recent report from IDC and App Annie has revealed that the total money spent on iOS and Android has surpassed the total money made by dedicated handheld software – digital and physical – during Q4 2012. It’s significant because it shows that mobile revenue has caught up and surpassed the dedicated handheld market which has long been the stalwart leader in the space.

What’s interesting about these numbers is that App Annie only counted total app sales through game sales and in-app purchases. The amount made would probably be much more if the numbers counted how much is made by advertising in the numerous free games available on mobile devices.

It’s clear that mobile gaming has become an unstoppable force of mindless consumerism. It doesn’t hurt that the install base for mobile devices far exceeds that of the 3DS, DS, PSP and Vita. That’s because dedicated handhelds doesn’t enjoy the same benefits that mobile devices do, such as subsidized hardware and cheap or free software.

Those on the mobile side of the business will tell you that Nintendo should stop making their own hardware, and start making games for mobile devices. The thinking is that anybody would want to play a Mario or Pokemon game on their iPhone or Android device, and that thinking is probably right. Nintendo probably won’t do anything of the sort, however, as it has always been a company focused on building hardware that compliments its software.

As for Sony, the company is more open to embracing the rise of mobile. It introduced PlayStation Mobile last year to bring high quality games to mobile devices. It hasn’t exactly taken off for them just yet, but there’s definitely promise there.

All that being said, Nintendo and Sony have a chance to emerge as leaders in handheld entertainment if they embrace ideas from mobile and apply them to their own products. Mobile devices have been enjoying millions of sales thanks to carrier subsidies. Nintendo and Sony could very well subsidize their own hardware with a monthly subscription just like Microsoft does with the Xbox 360.

Of course, that doesn’t fix the problem of software being too expensive in the minds of the mobile gamers used to spending $1 on games. Nintendo and Sony both need to better demonstrate the value of their software, and prove that it’s worth the investment by offering experiences that can’t be found elsewhere.

Are dedicated handhelds ever going to take back the lead over mobile? Probably not, but these devices can stay relevant in their own little niche of the consumer market. I’d argue that it’s incredibly important that they do as well. Without them, mobile gaming would become a barren wasteland of derivative running games and physics-based flingers.

[h/t: The Next Web]

A specific release date has not been announced, but the game will be hitting Sony’s consoles sometime this spring. No pricing information has been released either, though it has been announced that the title will be “Cross-Buy.” That means players can buy the game once on either the PS3 or PS Vita and play it on both systems.

Hotline Miami is an ultra-violent 2-D action game that tasks players with carrying out massacres. It graced many 2012 best-of lists due to its fast-paced gameplay, bizarre style, and 80s soundtrack.

“The Devolver Digital team is hyped to see Hotline Miami hit PS3 and PS Vita,” said Fork Parker, Devolver Digital CFO. “However, this Cross-Buy thing might prohibit me from achieving my long-standing dream of wearing a gold plated PS Vita around my neck. Total bummer.”

Both the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita were considered overpriced when they launched, and both consoles failed to sell the way Sony or Nintendo would have wanted. Nintendo promptly dropped the price of the 3DS last year, leading to increased sales and making the 3DS the most popular console in Japan. Sony, on the other had, had maintained that their price was fair for the Vita’s powerful on-the-go gaming.

Today, though, Sony has finally capitulated to the demand of the portable console market and the pressure from Nintendo. The company has announced that it is dropping the price of the PS Vita in Japan from ¥ 29,980 (around $323) to ¥19,980 (around $215).

This pricing announcement comes just days before Sony is expected to announce its newest PlayStation console at an event in New York on Wednesday, February 20. The hype for that event is immense, and a Vita price drop for the U.S. and Europe can now be added to the list of possible announcements for the 20th.

Even if a worldwide price drop is imminent, U.S. gamers shouldn’t expect a $100 price drop for the Vita. The console is already relatively less expensive in the U.S. than in Japan. A $50 price drop is more likely, which would put the Wi-Fi model of the console at around $200 – the same price as Nintendo’s 3DS XL.

A new title called Superfrog HD will be released sometime in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita consoles. The game will feature updated graphics, but no other details have been announced.

The original Superfrog was released for the Amiga in 1993. The platformer became a cult hit, but was overshadowed by the success of the Worms games.

“We’re extremely excited about bringing Superfrog HD to PS3 and PS Vita,” said Debbie Bestwick, managing director of Team17. “It’s the most requested game that our fans are always requesting to see make a return. Now, with the 20th anniversary of the original Superfrog and the recent re-release of our classic survival-horror Alien Breed, we feel the timing has never been better.”

Yesterday, Team 17 released an HD remake of its other classic Amiga title, Alien Breed, on the PlayStation Network, complete with online multiplayer. The original Alien Breed was released for the Amiga in 1991, and became a genuine hit for the system. The game spawned multiple sequels, including Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues, Alien Breed: Tower Assault, and Alien Breed: 3D.

Today another cloned experience was detailed for the PlayStation Network. Urban Trial Freestyle will be heading to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita “soon.” It’s extremely similar to the popular Xbox LIVE game Trials HD and Trials Evolution.

Urban Trial Freestyle will have 20 tracks and five “kinds” of stunts to perform on each track, and each stunt will have its own leaderboard. The game will include a time attack mode, ghost racing, and a stunt mode.

The backgrounds in the stages will be a bit more active than those seen in the Trials games, featuring cop chases and other destructive set pieces. However, a casual viewer of the new trailer would easily mistake Urban Trial Freestyle for Trials.

Sony announced today that it’s releasing a new PS Vita bundle next week that comes with a one year subscription to PlayStation Plus and a download code for Unit 13. That’s a pretty good bundle at face value since Plus on Vita offers great games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush and Wipeout 2048.

Of course, we must not forget that titles available on PS Plus are downloadable only. The bundle comes with a paltry 4GB memory stick. Uncharted itself takes up close to 3GB of data and the other games are over 1GB in size. That means players will only be able to load up one game at a time. Users could buy a larger memory stick, but the largest size available – 32GB – costs $100.

The bundle itself is already $299 and the free games via PlayStation Plus present a pretty good value. The problem is that value is squandered as gamers can not take full advantage of it on such a tiny memory card. If Sony was serious about having the Vita succeed, it would include at least a 16GB memory stick in its system and write the loss off as an investment in the future.

To its credit, the addition of PlayStation Plus is a smart move. It should be a standard in all Vita and PS3 bundles moving forward. That being said, it’s a wasted opportunity in its current form.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted will be launching on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita and PC on October 30. It’s an open world racing title in the vein of the original Most Wanted, but with the flourishes and blistering speed that Criterion Games is known for.

Most Wanted may be under the Need for Speed, but fans of Burnout Paradise will be right at home. The focus on explosive wrecks may be toned down, but the game still features the vehicular mayhem and fantastic visuals that made Burnout a household name.

In other interesting news, EA is reportedly considering making Need for Speed: Most Wanted the first third-party game to support Sony’s Cross Buy program. The idea is that consumers who buy the PS3 version of Most Wanted will get a free download of the Vita version of the game. This will allow consumers to transfer saves between both devices.

Fortunately, Sony has heard your calls. The company announced at TGS that they’re bringing PS Plus to the Vita in November. They aren’t pulling any punches either. Everything that made PlayStation Plus great on the PS3 will be coming to the Vita as well.

Here’s the full list of PlayStation Plus features that Vita owners will get come November:

Details are still scarce on what will actually be offered in the first month of PlayStation Plus for Vita. Sony has been really aggressive in their recent PS3 offerings, and we can only hope that the same applies to the Vita. Being offered free games, especially to current Plus subscribers, may finally get consumers to buy a Vita. The handheld definitely needs the sales.