Vita Pre-Orders Start In Japan. Was It Complete Chaos?

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Vita wasn’t the only thing kicking off today. Several new toys from Bandai went on sale today as well as One Piece and Tiger & Bunny figures. Retailers had signs for both the Vita and the toys, and at many stores, the lines consisted of both customers.

One line I did not get to check out was the Yodobashi Camera in Osaka’s Umeda, which typically can draw hundreds — over even over a thousand for hardware launches. By the time, I arrived, those waiting in line had been moved inside to wait. The security guard I spoke with had no idea how many were waiting. Though, I haven’t heard any estimates, I would not be surprised if the line was in the hundreds. Big stores get more in stock and thus, usually have bigger lines.

One line that Kotaku wasn’t completely able to check out was the Bic Camera in Tokyo’s Yurakucho, where Sony held its official PS3 launch. The store, which was supposed to open at 10am, started pre-orders early. By the time we arrived, there were 20 or 30 people lined up for Vita pre-orders. It’s hard to judge how long the line originally was.

Generally, it is also hard to judge how hardware will do these days, especially with the advent of online pre-orders. I do think the PS Vita will be hard to come by when it launches on December 17 in Japan — especially as Sony flogs the product more and more on television. If you haven’t gotten a pre-order so far today, there still might be time.