Boost for GAME as it secures official Vita launch
Oxford Street branch will play host to midnight event
Troubled retail chain GAME should see a rise in hardware sales next week, as it hosts the official launch of Sony's new handheld, the PlayStation Vita.
GAME's Oxford Street branch will be the location for the official midnight launch, complete with a signing session with WipEout 2048 developers and goody bags. The lucky gamer at the head of the queue will receive a year's supply of Vita titles. PlayStation Vita Rooms will also host a party for the queuing fans.
Across the country other flagship GAME and Gamestation stores will open at midnight on February 21.
The launch is a real coup for the British retailer, and a vote of confidence from Sony Computer Entertainment. In February The GAME Group saw 46 job losses in a head office restructure, and just this week hired PricewaterhouseCoopers to assess its long term prospects.
The 2007 launch for the PlayStation 3 also took place on Oxford Street, but at Virgin's flagship store.
''As the official launch partner, we've been leading the way by giving gamers the chance to sample the console across 600 GAME and Gamestation stores and the excitement built around the PlayStation Vita launch shows that handheld gaming is as popular as ever," said Anna-Marie Mason, marketing director for GAME and Gamestation.
"With both our flagship stores opening at midnight to celebrate the launch of PlayStation Vita, we're getting set for a fantastic night of gaming and we're looking forward to giving customers the earliest chance possible to buy their own PlayStation Vita.''
The PlayStation Vita will be released in the UK and US on February 22.