Sony to launch PlayStation 4 on Nov. 15

Sony to launch PlayStation 4 on Nov. 15

We now have a launch date for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4 video game console.

During a press conference at the Gamescom event in Germany, Sony revealed the PS4 will launch in North America on November 15, and Nov. 29 in Europe. The console will sell for $399.

"We're pleased to have some of the final pieces of the puzzle coming together for consumers to make their decisions," said Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO Jack Tretton in a telephone interview with USA TODAY after the announcement.

Sony says 15 disc-based titles will be available between launch and the end of the year. Including digital downloads, Sony says 33 games will be ready by the end of the year. The list of retail games coming to PS4 for its launch:

NBA 2K14 (2K)

Call of Duty: Ghosts (Activision)

Skylanders Swap Force (Activision)

Need for Speed: Rivals (Electronic Arts)

Battlefield 4 (Electronic Arts)

Madden 25 (Electronic Arts)

FIFA 14 (Electronic Arts)

NBA Live 14 (Electronic Arts)

Killzone: Shadow Fall (Sony)

#DRIVECLUB (Sony)

Knack (Sony)

Assassins Creed IV Black Flag (Ubisoft)

Watch Dogs (Ubisoft)

Just Dance 2014 (Ubisoft)

LEGO Marvel Superheroes (Warner Bros. Interactive)

"We are very excited excited about the fact that we have 180 games in development and that there will be over 30 of them available on shelves before the end of the holiday season," Tretton said. "It is a very exciting time for us and for the gamer."

Sony heads into the crucial holiday season with most of the positive momentum surrounding PS4. Its console is priced $100 less than rival platform Xbox One, selling later this year for $499. Sony has already pre-sold more than 1 million PS4s, Tretton said.

The PlayStation 4 introduced some new additions to its platform, including the streaming service Twitch and the hit game Minecraft.

Sony also got into the price-cutting mood, slashing the prices of both its PlayStation 3 console and PlayStation Vita handheld. The 12 GB model of the PlayStation 3 will soon sell for $199. That model was introduced in Europe and did "very well over there," Tretton says. And he noted that Microsoft had much success with its 4GB Xbox 360 model.

Also, players who buy copies of upcoming games Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed IV and Watch Dogs can upgrade to a PS4 version for a reduced price. The option is available for a limited time.

Meanwhile, the Vita's price tag will get slashed to $199, and will include a "significant" price cut for accompanying memory cards, says Sony Computer Entertainment Europe President and CEO Jim Ryan.

The price cut will apply to all mo dels of the Vita. Memory card prices will be slashed between $5-$20. For example, the 32 GB memory card will fall from $99.99 to $79.99, while the $16 GB drops from $59.99 to $39.99.

Launched in February of last year, the Vita has been overshadowed by the more popular Nintendo 3DS handheld. Meanwhile, smartphones and tablets continue to gain traction as a platform for mobile gaming.

"Smartphones and tablets have to be given their recognition," Tretton said. "But we absolutely think there is a place in the market for a dedicated portable device."

Several games were unveiled during the event, including a Vita version of role-playing shooter Borderlands 2 and indie platformer Fez.

Contributing: Mike Snider

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @bam923.