PS3 to Launch in Europe on 23rd March 2007 (Official)

[Deleted member 7537]

London, 24 January 2007 –

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced that PLAYSTATION®3 will be launched in the PAL territories including the United Kingdom on 23rd March 2007 at a price of £425.
Responding to retail and consumer demand, SCEE confirmed that initially only the 60GB model would be available, with the 20GB model to follow later in the year dependent on demand.

An expected one million PS3 units will be made available during the initial launch period to all SCEE territories.

SCEE also announced a stellar launch line-up of over 30 game titles for PS3, including eagerly awaited titles published by SCEE such as Resistance: Fall of Man™, MotorStorm™, Genji™: Days of the Blade, FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION and Ridge Racer™ 7. An exceptional range of titles in every genre will also be available at launch from the world’s leading third party publishers, including Electronic Arts, Activision, Namco Bandai, Sega, Take 2, Ubisoft, Vivendi Universal, and Sony Online Entertainment.

In addition to games on disc, an exciting range of fully-featured downloadable games
will debut on the PLAYSTATION®Network. These will include gaming icons such as Tekken®: Dark Resurrection and Gran Turismo® HD Concept; the fully-featured PS3 debut of the best-selling franchise Gran Turismo, realised with full HD (1080p) visual quality. Created by Polyphony Digital Inc and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Gran Turismo® HD Concept has been downloaded by more than 350,000 users since it was released in December 2006 in North America and Japan.

Also available on the PLAYSTATION®Network will be brainteasers such as Go! Sudoku and Go! Puzzle, and innovative games such as Blast Factor™ and flOw™, designed exclusively for PLAYSTATION 3 and delivering on the promise to provide original content created by non-traditional developers and publishers.

Concurrent with the European launch, a new System Update to further enhance the entertainment potential of PS3 will be issued.

Announcing the launch details, 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.â€

PLAYSTATION 3 LAUNCH TITLE LINE-UP

Resistance: Fall of Manâ„¢ - SCEE - Disc
MotorStormâ„¢ - SCEE - Disc
Genjiâ„¢: Days of the Blade - SCEE - Disc
FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION - SCEE - Disc
Ridge Racerâ„¢ 7 - SCEE - Disc
Tekken®: Dark Resurrection - SCEE - Network
Lemmingsâ„¢ - SCEE - Network
Go! Sudoku - SCEE - Network
Go! Puzzle - SCEE - Network
Blast Factorâ„¢ - SCEE - Network
flOwâ„¢ - 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 - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
Sonic the Hedgehog™ - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
Virtua Fighter™ 5 - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
Virtua Tennis™ 3 - Sega®Europe Ltd - Disc
World Snooker Championship 2007 - Sega®Europe 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


PLAYSTATION 3 Peripherals Available at Launch

Peripheral - RRP in £ Sterling

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

 

[Farid]

I see no Heavenly Sword on that list.

 

[infinity4]

and no Rainbow Six: Vegas nor Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2

i wonder whether you get Talladega Nights free for launch...

btw, 1m unit seems too small considering sony plans to ship 6m ps3s by march

 

[Zassk]

An expected one million PS3 units will be made available during the initial launch period to all SCEE territories.

Doesn't "all SCEE territories" include all of Asia (excl. Japan) and Africa? This seems like a very small number of units to me!

 

[London Geezer]

Doesn't "all SCEE territories" include all of Asia (excl. Japan) and Africa? This seems like a very small number of units to me!

Why would Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe include all of ASIA and AFRICA???

 

[Geo]

If you're going to drop an official PR in here, it'd be appreciated to also include a link to wherever you found it to help verify authenticity. That's a generic comment tho, and not meant to imply anything about the authenticity of this particular PR. Thanks.

 

[DieH@rd]

Sonic the Hedgehog™ - Sega®Europe Ltd - 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
F.E.A.R. Vivendi - Universal Games Intl SA - Disc

these are new games...

 

[infinity4]

source: http://threespeech.com/blog/?p=264

job done

edit: i thought PAL ps3 launch also includes Australia???

 

[dobwal]

Why would Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe include all of ASIA and AFRICA???

Why does SCE Europe includes "ALL OF THESES TERRITORIES"? Ask Sony.

Seems like Zassk has better ideal of the situation then you do.

SCEE Licensed Territories
101 PAL Territories

Afghanistan * Liechtenstein
Albania Lithuania
Algeria Luxembourg
Andorra Macedonia
Armenia Madagascar
Australia Malta & Gozo
Austria Mauritius
Azerbaijan * Moldova
Bahrain Monaco
Bangladesh * Morocco
Belorussia Mozambique
Belgium Netherlands
Bosnia Herzegovina New Zealand
Botswana Nigeria
Bulgaria Norway
Burkina Faso * Oman
Cameroon Pakistan
Croatia Papua New Guinea
Cyprus Poland
Czech Republic Portugal
Denmark Qatar
Djibouti Romania
Egypt Russian Federation
Eritreia * San Marino
Estonia Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia Senegal
Fiji Serbia and Montenegro
Finland Slovakia
France Slovenia
Georgia Somalia
Germany South Africa
Ghana Namibia
Gibraltar Spain
Greece Sweden
Greenland Swaziland
Hungary Switzerland
Iceland Tanzania
India Tunisia
Ireland Turkey
Iraq Turkmenistan
Israel Uganda
Italy Ukraine
Ivory Coast * United Arab Emirates
Jordan United Kingdom
Kazakhstan Uzbekistan
Kenya Vatican
Kosovo Yemen
Kuwait Zaire
Latvia Zambia
Lebanon Zimbabwe
Libya*

 

[Carl B]

Yeah, but I don't think we're talking about a launch *inside* of all PAL territories. The primary Euro markets + Australia's my guess.

 

[Bobbler]

Seems like SCEE is doing the PS3 launch like it should have been from the get go -- should be little reason this won't be one of the best launches in history!

VF5, Motorstorm, Resistance, F1 (judging by the demo it should be pretty good), Oblivion + assortment of good network games (Tekken, Gripshift, Blast Factor, the Go! games and probably fl0w) + firmware upgrade and you've got yourself a pretty sweet looking launch.

 

[dobwal]

Yeah, but I don't think we're talking about a launch *inside* of all PAL territories. The primary Euro markets + Australia's my guess.

"An expected one million PS3 units will be made available during the initial launch period to all SCEE territories."

http://threespeech.com/blog/?p=264

However, I'm still with you regardless of that quote. The majority will make its way to Europe and Austrialia. If not then Sony has lost the few marbles it had left.

 

[liolio]

Seems like SCEE is doing the PS3 launch like it should have been from the get go -- should be little reason this won't be one of the best launches in history!

VF5, Motorstorm, Resistance, F1 (judging by the demo it should be pretty good), Oblivion + assortment of good network games (Tekken, Gripshift, Blast Factor, the Go! games and probably fl0w) + firmware upgrade and you've got yourself a pretty sweet looking launch.

Yes, I guess the launch will be succesfull, but sony has to be succesfull in Europe.

 

[Geo]

Concurrent with the European launch, a new System Update to further enhance the entertainment potential of PS3 will be issued.

Hmm, I wonder what that's about? Dare I hope for 720p lovin'?

 

[infinity4]

Hmm, I wonder what that's about? Dare I hope for 720p lovin'?

firmware update maybe (to latest 1.50)???

 

[Dave Baumann]

Sonic the Hedgehog™ - Sega®Europe Ltd - 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
F.E.A.R. Vivendi - Universal Games Intl SA - Disc

these are new games...

For at least 5 of those, it depends on your definition of new!

 

[bRoNx]

An expected one million PS3 units will be made available during the initial launch period to all SCEE territories

I interpreted that as just EUROPE. Y'know, as in SONY Computer Entertainment Europe.

I believe it's just SONY reaffirming their commitment to one of their biggest territories (by letting them know that 1mil units will be made available there), but I also believe that is not the final number being launched on March 23rd.

So the question is: 'How much is Australia, NZ (Finally, the PlayStation has come back...to Kiwiland!), and whichever other PAL territories are included in the launch?' In any case, I'm glad I held out from buying an imported one from Parallel Imported! Theives!

Question: How do the Europeans here feel about the pricing of the PS3? Fair? 'Cuz apparently you guys always get shafted when it comes to launch pricing?!

 

[Rockster]

What length of time is considered the "launch period"?

 

[bRoNx]

What length of time is considered the "launch period"?

Till the next full moon? I believe only GOD knows the answer to that question!

 

[Rangers]

Not surprising..we know they've got plenty of units sitting around

Seriously, I knew there wasn't going to be a delay because of that. They're going to be hard pressed to make ship targets as it is.