As has been previously stated on a number of Marketplace shows and nervous business executive luncheons, there is a LOT riding on today’s launch of the PlayStation Vita, the latest hand held game console from Sony. Starting at $249 and shooting upwards rapidly, it’s not really a gamer for the casual gamer and it remains to be seen whether there are enough hard core gamers to make this a success, despite the rave reviews Vita has received. In time for launch day, Sony announced a huge sweetening of the Vita pot: a Twitter app,. Flickr and Netflix support, and augmented reality games: Cliff Diving, Table Soccer, and Fireworks.

From CNET:

Augmented reality is made possible with the Vita’s cameras, which identify user movement. In my experience with it on the Vita, augmented reality is by no means a key reason to buy the device, but it’s a fun add-on–especially when friends are interested in trying it out.

Also more downloadable games:

In addition, Sony launched a number of new Vita games to its store, including Touch My Katamari and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack. The former is going for $24.99 in the PlayStation Store, while the latter will set you back $7.99.