Euro PS3 launch details News
PlayStation 3 News by Robert Purchese
Unless you've had your head in a toilet for the past god-knows-how-long, you'll know that this Friday is the European launch of PlayStation 3.
So, we're all bound to go a little bit bananas this weekend over the new kit, and those extra four months Europe's been waiting means we'll have a much more diverse launch line-up to choose from, doesn't it?
Well it did, but we've recently seen a handful of games slip out of the release line-up. Ubisoft's now down to two launch titles, with Splinter Cell: Double Agent sliding back a week and Oblivion adventuring off into late April.
2K Sports whacked its NHL 2K7 back into April too, obviously putting the frighteners on Vivendi's F.E.A.R., which tumbled into EA's Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, sprawling both games across the April-launch floor.
Of eight PlayStation Network titles on day one, we're now down to four, bringing the new total number of launch games down from 37 to 28; that's 24 full-priced titles and four Network nibbles. See below for the full launch line-up and links to Eurogamer's reviews for each of them.
The console here will cost you GBP 425, EUR 599. However, those of you in Ireland, Norway and Denmark will have to pay even more. It's the 60GB model you'll be getting with that handful of dough, and the 20GB chap is expected to follow sometime this year.
Friday also sees the launch of a new firmware update for PlayStation 3, vastly improving the amount of PS2 games compatible with the new system, as you can see on the official compatibility-checking website.
Version 1.6 also introduces new background downloading for up to six pieces of content, support for Bluetooth keyboards and mice, a full on-screen text-entry keyboard, and an application allowing you to contribute cycles to the Folding@home project.
Simply set up your shiny new PS3 and look for the System Update option, or ask customer services to provide you with a disc of the update.
Oxford Street's Virgin in London is Sony's venue of choice for the event, and you're invited to start queuing already for the midnight launch on Thursday night. The bottom floor of the shop will be turned into a camp-site, to ensure your safety and comfort, and apparently lots of surprises are planned for you lucky campers.
Safety also seems to be the word of the moment, as many retailers changed their late night launch plans into early morning openings, heeding advice from the police about traipsing around London's nooks and crannies at that time of night with highly desirable and expensive equipment under your arm.
Still, if you're up late (or early) in an effort to get one of 220,000 units in the UK, you can rest assured that Sony is doing everything it can to keep you out of harm's reach.
So, finally we're about to swing into full next-generation gaming in Europe. We'll be holding your hand the whole way, Eurogamer reader, don't you so much as dare go anywhere else.
Peripherals available at launch:
- SIXAXIS pad (GBP 34.99)
- Blu-ray remote (GBP 17.99)
- HDMI cable (GBP 17.99)
- Component AV cable (GBP 17.99)
- AV cable (GBP 12.99)
- S-video cable (GBP 12.99)
Games available at launch:
- Resistance: Fall of Man (Sony)
- MotorStorm (Sony)
- Genji: Days of the Blade (Sony)
- Formula One Championship Edition (Sony)
- Ridge Racer 7 (Sony)
- Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
- Tony Hawk's Project 8 (Activision)
- Gundam: Target in Sight (Namco Bandai)
- Full Auto 2: Battle Lines (SEGA)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA)
- Virtua Fighter 5 (SEGA)
- Virtua Tennis 3 (SEGA)
- World Snooker Championship 2007 (SEGA)
- NHL 2K7 (2K Sports)
- Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft)
- Enchanted Arms (Ubisoft)
- Def Jam: Icon (EA)
- Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
- NBA Street Homecourt (EA)
- Need For Speed Carbon (EA)
- The Godfather: The Don's Edition (EA)
- Madden NFL 07 (EA)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 (EA)
- Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PlayStation Network, GBP 6.99)
- Blast Factor (PlayStation Network, GBP 3.49)
- Lemmings (PlayStation Network, GBP 3.49)
- Gran Turismo HD Concept (PlayStation Network, Free.)
- GripShift (PlayStation Network, EUR 7.99)
You can seek out our Xbox 360 reviews for almost all of the remaining launch titles, or wait for our techy article later in the week, which will compare the games side-by-side on the two consoles.
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Comments: 1-33 of 33 in total
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FlamingCarrot
21/03/07 @ 14:44
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Love the look of the 360 V2 but will be buying a PS3 friday. Shame there is no dual shock though as Sixaxis is total bobbins
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Can you also get the F1 review up when you're ready - still undecided about it!
Eurogamer.de F1 review. In short they say the AI sucks (the other drivers are rubbish) and the controls do, too (sluggish and to much latency). They gave it 5/10 |
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Stormflood
21/03/07 @ 14:53
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As a very happy 360 owner I'm still looking forward to getting my PS3 on Friday! Bring it on! :-)
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JediMasterMalik
21/03/07 @ 15:28
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I won't be buying any new controllers until I need to, or until they get rumble in them. Really looking forward to friday though. Should be a blast online. Provided I can get online.
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groovychainsaw
21/03/07 @ 15:31
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So is the UK definitely getting the 20GB version at some point?
Becuase that seems like a much better deal, long as you dont need wifi, a flash reader or 'chrome trim' ;-) (Providing the price difference remains the same as abroad - I'm quite happy to take out the 20GB drive and drop in 400GB.) |
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I'm getting five PS3 games: Resistance, MotorStorm, F1 (I'm going with the 70%+ US reviews for this one), Virtua Fighter 5 and Ridge Racer 7, the latter two I should have in morning as they were pre-ordered from Gameplay and they sent them first-class today. I'll be downloading Tekken Dark Resurrection and Gran Turismo HD too and all that lot should keep me busy across my five day weekend which starts Friday morning and ends Tuesday night! :D
And if it they don't, well I've still got Virtua Tennis 5, Def Jam ICON and NBA Street Homecourt to keep me occupied on the 360. What is it with games, you get none for ages then like buses, 10 arrive at once! LOL |
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LOL
They were until Gameplay sent me Brian Lara Cricket 2007 on the PS2 instead of Virtua Fighter 5!!! I mean how on earth did they manage to get those two mixed up? It even says VF5 on the bloody invoice. I've managed to contact them this morning and they're sending out VF5 (or another copy of Brian Lara) today so I should still have it for tomorrow anyway. I like the cute little PS3 cases though, which are kind of 3/4s the size of standard DVD cases. And I wouldn't even know that the disc inside was Blu-ray and not DVD either... I dunno why but I half expected them to be blue but it's silver just like DVD! LOL |
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I will be going round all the stores in Chelmsford tomorrow to see just how fast this has sold out.....me and g/f have decided that we will have no trouble in getting one...thing is that we do not want one.
Its just something else to do while having a look round town on a friday while picking up stalker and sh4. I might consider getting one in about a years time when the price has come down to something more reasonable, although with the hyped up poor release tomorrow I do not think I will have to wait long for a lowering in price. edit.might not have to wait long at all.... http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/a4424...
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 22/03/07 @ 13:50
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Comments: 1-33 of 33 in total
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