Europeans, Brace Yourselves For The Shattering Blow.

Only last week we got a retail flier indicating that Vita could launch on October 28th, but we stated at the time that the date was probably a guesstimate by the retailer in question.

According to Nowgamer's source, a 2011 release was on the cards for Europe, but the device has now been delayed. Sony did confirm a 2011 release for Vita during E3, but quickly back-tracked on that date. We've been in limbo ever since, with the company resistant to firm up plans.

With the 3DS dropping price and the competition fierce in the handheld sector, we think Sony needs to put this thing out in the major territories before Christmas. Missing out on huge markets such as North America and Europe would be a big mistake.

Of course, being Europeans we know the pain of being made to wait. We appreciate the implications of the earthquake in Japan were huge, but Sony's inability to launch hardware worldwide is starting to get old. We can cope with a staggered release over the span of a month or so, but being forced to wait longer is shattering if you're on the receiving end. (We'd know.)

Guess we'll find out for sure at GamesCom next month. Keep those fingers crossed, huh?