Vita pre-orders cause Hong Kong phooey

Pre-orders have gone live for Vita in Hong Kong, apparently creating a level of delirium intense enough "jam" online stores and "mob" retail outlets, according to a Joystiq-filtered Engadget China report.

Vita launches in Hong Kong on December 23 and anticipation of the device is high, with pre-order events causing long queues.

Interest in the upcoming Sony handheld is proving to be intense in the Far East, with Japanese retailers previously being forced to cut off pre-orders thanks to over-demand.

Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera and Sofmap have since re-opened orders for the machine, which launches in Japan on December 17.

Japanese gamers said Vita was the hardware they most wanted to buy this year in a recent survey.

Vita will launch in the West on February 22.