Game Stooge

PlayStation 3’s European Launch: The Good, Bad and Ugly.

• Scribbled on February 22nd, 2007 by Derrick Schommer
• Filed in Editorial Content, Sony PlayStation 3

March 23rd, the UK date for the PlayStation 3 product launch. Initial reports indicate pre-order sales are “through the roof” - above and beyond anything seen in the history of pre-orders.

Is there truth to the pre-sales hype? A retailer can say anything they want when it comes to a public announcement on pre-sale figures. They may be trying to drive demand higher after hearing about PS3 console sitting on US shelves for days.

Guardian UK points out some positive hype for the product as well as a few UK residents and retailers that see no incentive to purchase the beast of a console. Another UK blog really didn’t have high hopes for the device, calling it an “eye sore” with “fiddly” buttons but “stunning” graphics.

How do you convince bloggers to like the PS3 if they’ve got nothing good to say? Throw them a party!

Last night Sony were kind enough to take me to a warehouse in east London and show me a good time. Now I may think its PS3 is over-priced and ugly, but I’ll say this for the Japanese conglomerate: its staff know how to throw a party.

Not unlike moves utilized by Nintendo and Microsoft to push their own console, this gave some UK folks a chance to see the power behind the PS3. Will it help fuel the enthusiasm for sales?

Not in Greece, where gameindustry.biz reports a huge price hike on the PlayStation 3. Sony announced a European price tag of EUR 599 for major countries. However, Greece doesn’t seem to count as a major country.

Online stores in Greece, including the official Sony Centre, are listing the 60GB console package at EUR 659 (US $863).

Sony also confirmed a price of EUR 629 in Ireland because the region is typically more expensive than others. An additional EUR 30 seems a bit more acceptable than EUR 60 as seen in Greece though.

After ranking below all other consoles in Januaries NPD reports with 244,000 units sold, it seems odd to price above MSRP in many European countries. You’re asking consumers to buy a product that sold marginal in North America to spend additional cash to pick one up themselves.

Add all the negative press from Smart Money Magazine and past press from TIME magazine, you’re fighting an uphill battle for sales anyway, no? Negative press doesn’t mean the product is crap but it sure does make consumers think twice about dropping upwards of a grand on a game machine.

Are we wrong here? Hopefully Sony can “make it right” in Europe and move products off the shelf.