PS3 attracts gamers at Tokyo Game Show

Gaming enthusiasts in Japan, got a first hand experience of PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. at the Tokyo Game Show. The much-delayed gaming console from Sony created a buzz at the game show as the fans were excited at having a chance to use the gadget which is due for its Japanese launch on 7th November.

The gamers in Japan seemed really excited about PS3 as some of them described it as "sugoi kirei" meaning "really pretty".

The gaming fans were not restricted to the PlayStation3 only, as the who's who of the world's 3100 billion yen ($35.4 billion) video games industry gathered to show their fare in Tokyo. The largest video game expo in the world witnessed an unusual excitement this year as it marked its 10th anniversary with a record 148 companies representing from all over the world.

Another popular gadget among the gaming fans was the Wii by Nintendo which the company flaunts as an absolutely fresh form of gaming experience.

"I saw all types of people come through, from age five up to 60, and quite a few girls," said a Sony official at the stand.

"Great! Fun! And there are lots of games," exclaimed 20-year-old brothers Masaki and Takafumi Endo. "It's just like cinema," Masaki said.

In a bid to justify the higher price tag of PS3, Sony is incorporating its next generation Blu-ray Disc technology in it. However, the company slashed down its price by one-fifth in Japan, after facing complaints that the gadget was too expensive but still, PS3 carries the heaviest price tag of the three main next-generation video game consoles in the market.

The standard PS3 with a 20-gigabyte hard disc will now retail for 49,980 yen ($430). But the high competition in the market with others offering their products at a lower cost will make it difficult for Sony to recover the huge development and production costs of the PS3.

Nintendo Co. will launch its new Wii game machine in December at 25,000 yen ($215) while Microsoft plans to cut the price of its already launched Xbox 360 to 29,800 yen ($256) on Nov. 2.