Sony announces European PS3 launch date, price

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) on Thursday announced the official date and price for European and Australian launch of its next-generation game console, PlayStation 3 (PS3).

Tokyo-based Sony Corp. said it will release its PS3 video game console to the Australian and New Zealand markets on the previously speculated date March 23. But initially only the 60GB version of the console will be available at launch while the 20GB version will become available later on, depending on demand, Sony said.

"We will focus on the launch of the one with a 60 gigabyte (GB) drive and have no plan now to introduce the 20 gigabyte model," Satoshi Fukuoka, spokesman for Sony’s video game unit, SCE, said.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate will charge consumers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand more than consumers in the U.S. or Japan for the gaming unit.

The high-end model with a 60 GB hard disk drive will cost 425 pounds ($836) in the U.K. and 599 euros ($776) in other European countries, while Australians will pay A$999.95 ($780) and New Zealanders NZ$1,199.95 ($840) for the machine with the most capacity.

The above mentioned prices are more than the $599 U.S. price and 59,980 yen ($497) in Japan for the large machines. The 20-gigabyte PlayStation 3 sells for $499 in the U.S.

The PS3 is the last of three new generation video game systems which are engaged in a gaming console war to grab the maximum market share. Microsoft had launched its Xbox 360 in March last year and Nintendo released its Wii console in December. Microsoft has sold more than 10 million Xbox units since the launch, while Nintendo’s Wii console enjoyed great launch in Europe, selling more than 700,000 units.

Sony is looking forward to make nearly 1 million PS3 units available during the initial launch period in above said regions.

At the time of launch, the PS3 will be loaded with around 30 game titles, including Resistance - Fall of Man, MotorStorm; Genji - Days of the Blade; Formula One Championship Edition and Ridge Racer 7, in addition to a selection of downloadable games, including Tekken - Dark Resurrection and Grand Turismo HD Concept.

Last September, Sony announced the delay of console’s European launch, shifting it to March from November due to a production glitch, relating to the Blu-ray player that is included in all PS3 models. The Blu-ray technology is intended for playing games and watching movies in high-definition format.

One more reason for the delay in Europe was its risky market, which, according to Sony, is complex for distribution. "Sony felt it was better to delay in one market rather than risk failure in three markets and ending up disappointing everybody," Phil Harrison, head of worldwide studios at SCE’s European division.

Shares of Sony jumped 2 percent to 5,740 yen in the morning trading session on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.