spectrum48k

PlayStation 3 will launch in UK on March 23, Sony has confirmed, for a retail price of £425.

One million consoles will be shipped to Europe for launch, and over 30 titles are expected to release within the launch period, including Resistance: Fall of Man, MotorStorm and Ridge Racer 7. Check below for the full list of expected games.

Sony will also make a number of games available exclusively for downloading via the PLAYSTATION Network, including Tekken: Dark Resurrection and Gran Turismo HD Concept.

Initially, only the 60GB version will be available, which Sony says is in response to "retail and consumer demand". The 20GB version is expected to be made available later this year.

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Ray Maguire, SVP and MD of SCEUK said, "Following the hugely successful launches of PS3 in Japan and North America, we are absolutely delighted to be able to bring significant numbers of PS3 to the UK.

"To be able to launch with over 30 titles including retail versions and great downloadable gaming experiences across every genre shows that this is our strongest launch line-up in the history of PlayStation, and is what PlayStation fans in the UK have been crying out for."

So there you have it. Better be ready to break the bank.

Here's the full list of games expected for the launch period:

Resistance: Fall of Man - SCEE - Disc
MotorStorm - SCEE - Disc
Genji: Days of the Blade - SCEE - Disc
FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION - SCEE - Disc
Ridge Racer 7 - SCEE - Disc
Tekken: Dark Resurrection - SCEE - Network
Lemmings - SCEE - Network
Go! Sudoku - SCEE - Network
Go! Puzzle - SCEE - Network
Blast Factor - SCEE - Network
flOw - SCEE - Network
Super Rub'a'Dub - SCEE - Network
Call of Duty 3 - Activision UK Ltd - Disc
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Activision UK Ltd - Disc
Tony Hawk's Project 8 - Activision UK Ltd - Disc
Gundam - Target in Sight - Namco Bandai Games - Disc
Full Auto 2: Battle Lines - SegaEurope Ltd - Disc
Sonic the Hedgehog - SegaEurope Ltd - Disc
Virtua Fighter 5 - SegaEurope Ltd - Disc
Virtua Tennis 3 - SegaEurope Ltd - Disc
World Snooker Championship 2007 - SegaEurope Ltd - Disc
NBA 2K7 - Take 2 International SA - Disc
NHL 2K7 - Take 2 International SA - Disc
Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWll - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
Enchanted Arms - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
The Elder Scrolls lV: Oblivion - Ubisoft Entertainment SA - Disc
Def Jam: Icon - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Fight Night Round 3 - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
NBA Street 4 Homecourt 2007 - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Need for Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
The Godfather: The Don's Edition - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - Electronic Arts Ltd - Disc
F.E.A.R. Vivendi - Universal Games Intl SA - Disc
Gripshift - Sony Online Entertainment - Network

The peripherals that will be avaialable at launch are:

SIXAXIS Wireless Controller - £34.99
Blu-ray Disc Remote Control - £17.99
HDMI Cable - £17.99
AV cable - £17.99
Component AV cable - £17.99
S Video cable - £12.99

Source: Gaming News, Reviews, Previews, Cheats & Tips - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

spectrum48k

Agreed

The PS3 game developers are REALLY going to have to get their fingers out to produce something people feel worthy of that price tag. I'd imagine Sony realised this and pulled out all the stops to have a stellar launch line up for the consoles prior release in Japan and the US, but where were these stellar games ? Nowhere to be seen. Instead we got the usual sequels crap like Call Of Duty III and NBA 07, Motor Storm (with no online play), Ridge Racer, etc...

Thats all well and good, but this time around they have some MAJOR competition in the form of XBOX360 - a machine thats cheaper, seemingly equally as powerful, easier (and therefore cheaper) to develope games for, and has been out a whole year before the PS3.

Its early days and ludicrous to write off PS3 so soon, but they have a hell of a job on their hands this time around.

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Not sure about your power claims, the ps3 has 3x the cpu processing power compared to xbox360 hasn't it? If developers max that potential I expect the newer games will be truly amazing.

Iain Young

From what I've read, the PS3 has a slight edge in terms of raw processing power, but the 360 has a slight edge in graphical grunt, so at the end of the day they come out fairly equal, (that's coming from developers in the games industry, not the Sony / MS hype machines).

Is it just me, or is there not a single game in that launch list that is worth playing, (other than the ones I've already played and finished on the 360 that is )

PeteBrant

Resistance, Motorstorm and VF5 out of that list.

I certainly wont be buying one at launch, much as I would like to - I just can't see the price staying that high for very long - Sony can say all they like that the price will not budge, but it is all controlled by sales , if they dont sell, the price will drop.


As for a machine vs machine analysis, I believe PS3 has the edge on both counts, however, there isn't much in it right now, and it will be a year or so before we see any real differences. And in todays multiplaftorm approach, those differences will become even less obvious.

At the end of the day it is all about the games, not how many polygons are on screen.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

I've never considered buying one at launch. Give it a year or two though, once devs have had a chance to get to grips with it (look at the improvement in the 360 games after a year) then I might consider one.
However, with the list of exclusive titles dwindling between the two consoles it might not even be worth buying one when you can get most of the games on the 360 anyway.

Iain Young

I've played Resistence and was completely underwhelmed. It looks pretty, but it's boring. VF5 is just another beat-em-up, which we've seen many time before, (just slightly better graphics this time). The only vaguely interesting title is motorstorm. I've not seen that one running yet, so I'm witholding judgement on that one at the moment...

I've definitely read quotes from developers that the gpu in the 360 is more powerful that the psu unit. But the difference is small.

I'm not particularly interested in all that though. Most of the games I've found enjoyable on the consoles in the last couple of years or so haven't been the big graphical showcases which push the hardware. They've been the games with the best playability and storylines.

I think I just said that

PeteBrant

I've played resistance and Motorstorm - they are both pretty solid launch games, nothing amazing, but good - and Motorstorm looks absolutely stunning in the flesh.

As for VF5 being "just another" beat-em-up - Philistine! VF is the deepest, most tactical beat em up out there. I lost weeks to VF4 Evo.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

VF5 is going to be on the 360 too.

PeteBrant

Yup, but not until winter this year.

Iain Young

£475 is a bit expensive just to play VF5 though isn't it?

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

My point exactly and summer last I heard.

MTayler

Bought mine out in Thailand two weeks ago, 60Gb version with one game = £365, could'nt grumble at that .
Okay so the Blu-ray discs are not euro compatible ( Region 1 only ) but this does'nt really bother me as it was bought for the gaming side of things of which all games are region free anyway.
Plus there will be a mod-chip out soon so region codes won't be a problem .

Happy days.

Matt_taylor

i agree with you mate, im off to buy a 360 tomoro!

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

More money than sense.

PeteBrant

Doesn't quite work like that does it.

I could had said the same at 360 launch with PGR3 - I effectively paid £320 to play PGR3, because there was bugger al else any cop at launch.

Iain Young

That is at least £150 less that the PS3 + 1 game though

Plus there were more games available that were good (I thoroughly enjoyed Kameo for instance). I guess it depends on what type of games you like...

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Wont be getting my money at launch either. Thats extortion! £350 maybe, but £400+, i dont think so!

PeteBrant

Horses for course, all I am saying is that you never buy a console for one game*. Of course there are going to be some ace games out for PS3, just like there was for PS2, that had an appalling launch line up. 360's wasn't much better.

That said I don't beleive PS3 will be £425 come christmas, so I shall hold out till then.




*Unless it is a Platinum Gamecube for RE4, obviously.

Iain Young

Personally, I don't think the PS2 ever had a good selection of games. Mine just sits gathering dust these days. If I think back, the only game I really enjoyed playing on it was God of War.

spectrum48k

heh! I did that too!

spectrum48k

it was BLACK for me

PeteBrant

Wha??

For diversity and originality it was/is untouchable. Xobox was stuffed ot the gills with formulaic western efforts and Gamecube had bugger all third party support.

ICO/Shadow of the collossus were my personal favs, but the likes of DQ8, Rez, Gitaroo Man, Guitar Hero, Okami, MGS3, DMC, Kingdom Hearts, Katamari, Disagea et al were ace exclusives.

GaryK

So Sony have ploughed millions and millions of yen into developing a next gen console so we can all play...wait for it....lemmings and sudoku!!! LMAO You could play them on a zx spectrum!

Iain Young

PS2 was stuffed to the gills with substandard dross, most of it clones of stuff that came before it. I've has a PS2 for about 4 years, and in that time I've only bought about 8 games for it, and God of War was the only one I've enjoyed enough to want to get the the end, (and yes I did get Katamari, Kingdom hearts etc and thought they werte rubbish).

Didn't like ICO / Shadow of the Collossus either. Very over-hyped imo. The xbox (now the 360), the gamecube, and my PC got far more use than the PS2 ever did.

That's one of the main reasons I'm not getting a PS3 at launch. I'm waiting to see if there are any decent games appearing for it first (certainly none of the launch games make me want to get one).

Iain Young

Lemmings is appearing on xbox live arcade very soon, so not even that is an exclusive

spectrum48k

You know, I bet Sony panicked when they realised how LONG the launch games were taking to develope.

In desperation, they probably wanted something to offer even if its download content. It lets them say to the press - we have a full 30 games available from launch, probably confusing joe public in the process.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

If this becomes available then I expect Sales of the PS3 to be very high...