Vita Getting $50 Million Marketing Campaign for US Launch

The marketing budget for the Vita's launch in the US will be nearly $50 million dollars, according to Sony Computer Entertainment America senior director John Koller.

Koller told the New York Times in a recent interview that the push would be "the largest platform launch in terms of marketing investment we've ever had." The campaign, which will include TV spots, billboards, online ads, and social media, will be called Never Stop Playing, and is aimed at twenty-somethings who game at least eight hours a week and already own a PS3.

Though the Vita has already moved more than half a million units since its Japanese launch last December, sales figures have consistently been below estimates and far behind its top competitor, the Nintendo 3DS. As evidenced by this enormous marketing effort, Sony is banking heavily on a successful Western launch to help boost the system's prospects.

The Vita officially launches in North America and Europe on February 22, though Sony will begin offering limited quantities of exclusive pre-launch bundles tomorrow.