Sony spending $50 million on Vita marketing campaign

Sony wants players to "never stop playing" with the PS Vita, its new handheld coming out this week. And in order to do that, it's going to start paying a lot of money to get the word out. Sony plans on spending $50 million on marketing the Vita launch, "the largest platform launch" in PlayStation's history, according to SCEA's John Koller.

The $50 million spend will be spread across television commercials, billboards, retail partnerships, digital banner ads, and a Twitter campaign that focuses on the hashtag #gamechanger.

Commercials for Sony's new handheld device will be seen on programs like The Simpsons, South Park, Tosh.0, and NBA and NCAA basketball games, in an attempt to get the attention of its core demographic: 20-something male gamers that already own a PS3. Koller told The New York Times that the Vita will target gamers that want to continue to be engaged "and still feel like they’re playing on a console."

While Sony is promising a huge marketing spend, it's odd that a single commercial has yet to air, especially so close to the system's launch. As of now, Taco Bell is providing the only air time for Vita on the TV: