via gamesindustry

Sony's critics may baulk at the high price of PS3 but according to the retail sector, it's consumers who will ultimately decide whether GBP 425 is too much to ask when the console arrives on March 23.

From entertainment chains to independent specialists, UK retailers have told GamesIndustry.biz that whatever analysts, industry insiders and rival format holders think of the PS3's price tag, gamers will vote with their wallets.

"Obviously, it's quite a high threshold, which may or may not prove an issue, particularly among non-core PlayStation fans," said Tim Ellis, head of games at HMV.

"But then it's also the case that PS3 is much more than just a games console. Gamers already know this and I'm sure will respond accordingly."

Sony's pre-release mantra that the PS3 can do more than play videogames seems to have swayed consumer opinion - and that's reassured Don McCabe, MD of specialist chain Chips, that consumers will consider it worth the asking price.

"I don't think the price point will put customers off, although they'll be looking at the specification of the machine carefully to see if anything has changed from the US and Japanese units," he said.

"It's a lot of money, so it has to deliver everything the consumer expects - and if it does it may go some way to allaying fears of Europe being treated as second best."

"GBP 425 is a lot of money, but so is GBP 300 and GBP 179.99," commented Steve O'Brien, of leading indie store Action Replay.

"The price isn't prohibitive. People have a lot more disposable income and they don't mind spending it if they understand what they get for it. The PS3 is a lot more than just a games console, and those that are going to buy it understand that," he continued.

And it's not just consumers who will have to dig deep, according to McCabe. "To buy the amount of machines we require, it's not a cheap thing. We'll have to have serious conversations with our financial people to convince them to invest a lot of money at a traditionally quiet time of year," he said.

Sony has yet to announce how many of the 1 million PS3 units heading to Europe for launch day will reach the UK. But even if Britain gets around 30 per cent of the allocation, as has happened historically, and ends up with around 300,000 units, there may not be enough to meet the unprecedented demand from a loyal PlayStation fanbase.

"Initial demand is bound to be much greater than supply - that's an inevitable reality of dealing with such a major product, where anticipation has been building for years," said HMV's Ellis. "We'll start taking pre-orders, and I'm sure they'll take off in a big way."

"Without a doubt, the first 300,000 units for the UK are going to be snapped up by those we consider the hardcore gamers, the early adopters," said O'Brien.

"Pre-orders have been phenomenal. Over Christmas, Wii and the Xbox 360 were incredibly well supported, but without a doubt, taking in fixed pre-orders, the PS3 was the product that raised the most interest," he revealed.

Retail has also praised the software launch titles, even happy to concede sales of digitally distributed titles for helping expand the market.

"The industry has finally grown up and we no longer have to look at 'either/or'. We can now look at 'as well' in terms of product, and that's great news, not just for retail but for everyone," said O'Brien.

"If there's that much software available for launch, we'll be very happy. Even digital titles help grow the console market as a whole," he said.

All eyes are now firmly set on the March 23 date, less than eight weeks away. With retail already pleased at the success of the Wii and Xbox 360 launches, it's Sony's turn to prove it's still got the consumer pulling power once synonymous with the PlayStation brand.

"Nintendo and Microsoft have both delivered fantastic products and software, so Sony has really got to prove itself," commented McCabe.

"Historically, Sony did everything right for the PSone and PS2 launches, but the PSP launch was only so-so. For a long time Sony has been the king of the videogames industry, so the question now is, are they going to reassert that dominance again?" ...

via gamesindustry

The successful launch of the Wii and the continued strong performance of the DS has boosted Nintendo, with the company enjoying a 43 per cent rise in profits for the nine months ended December 31.

The company has recorded net profit of 131.9 billion yen (EUR 844.1m) in the first nine months of the fiscal year, up from 92.2 billion yen (EUR 590m) in the same period last year.

Sales climbed a massive 73 per cent to 712.6 billion yen (EUR 4.5bn) during April through to December, compared to 412.3 billion (EUR 2.63bn) the previous year.

Nineteen of Nintendo's software releases since April have sold over one million units, 13 of which were DS titles while three were for the Wii and three for the Game Boy Advance.

Sales of the Wii have reached 3.19 million units worldwide, according to Nintendo. 1.25 units have been sold in North America with 1.14 units sold in Japan.

Nintendo still expects to reach its target of six million global shipments by March 31, with seven million units manufactured by that date. ...

via gamesindustry

The successful launch of the Wii and the continued strong performance of the DS has boosted Nintendo, with the company enjoying a 43 per cent rise in profits for the nine months ended December 31.

The company has recorded net profit of 131.9 billion yen (EUR 844.1m) in the first nine months of the fiscal year, up from 92.2 billion yen (EUR 590m) in the same period last year.

Sales climbed a massive 73 per cent to 712.6 billion yen (EUR 4.5bn) during April through to December, compared to 412.3 billion (EUR 2.63bn) the previous year.

Nineteen of Nintendo's software releases since April have sold over one million units, 13 of which were DS titles while three were for the Wii and three for the Game Boy Advance.

Sales of the Wii have reached 3.19 million units worldwide, according to Nintendo. 1.25 units have been sold in North America with 1.14 units sold in Japan.

Nintendo still expects to reach its target of six million global shipments by March 31, with seven million units manufactured by that date. ...

Sony has announced the UK price points for the range of PlayStation 3 peripherals set to go on sale alongside the console on March 23.

The motion-sensing SIXAXIS wireless controller will retail for GBP 34.99, while the remote control for the machines in-built Blu-ray player will cost GBP 17.99.

Also selling for GBP 17.99 will be a choice of connection cables - HDMI, AV and component AV. The cheapest item on the announced list of peripherals is the S Video cable at GBP 12.99.

via eurogamer ...

Ubisoft's PlayStation 3 version of Splinter Cell: Double Agent will feature a pair of new maps based on new environments, a new set of co-operative challenges and a new spy character.

It's all part of Ubisoft Annecy's push to try and get people talking about the PS3 Double Agent, which - even as a day-one title - will be arriving five months later than its Xbox 360 counterpart.

"Because the solo campaign already forms a whole, we thought it was more relevant to focus on the multiplayer additional content," producer Mathieu Hector explained when we spoke to him.

via eurogamer ...

via eurogamer

Team 17 has had no problems adapting Lemmings for PS3, but has hinted that larger, more ambitious titles may find the transition to Sony's new platform a little more difficult.

"Largely speaking, we've had little problem adopting to the PlayStation3," said Martyn Brown, studio director for Team 17. "But then again it would be foolhardy to assume we are 'bashing the metal' on the hardware with Lemmings as much as something like Heavenly Sword or MotorStorm."

Brown continued with a warning to those with lofty plans for their next-generation games.

"There was a lot of rumour-mongering prior to the PS3 development hardware arriving that it would require huge teams and untold complexities," he said. "There's certain elements of that ring true, but only for titles that are wildly ambitious in terms of range and content detail, but as for day-to-day development, we've more or less taken it in our stride." ...

via eurogamer

Sports Interactive chief Miles Jacobson believes the five-month delay in Europe has helped strengthen PlayStation 3's launch line-up.

"I'm excited by the amount of quality in the launch titles for Europe," he sportingly divulged. "And the five month delay has certainly helped from that perspective."

It's a convincing argument, with titles like MotorStorm, Virtua Fighter 5 and Virtua Tennis 3 heading a healthy European release list; games that weren't available at either the US or Japanese launch.

"Cost could become an issue later on in the cycle, and a good online system will be important, but for early adopters, it'll be all about the games," added Jacobson. ...

Nintendo has yet to confirm a European release date for Super Paper Mario on the Wii, a spokesperson admitted today, despite the game receiving a firm April date in the USA.

Earlier this week leaks from official US magazine Nintendo Power - since confirmed - suggested that the game would be out over there in just a few months.

The game was originally bound for the GameCube, but its extended development and the contrasting fortunes of the ageing Cube and rejuvenating Wii have since changed its focus.

A follow-up to N64 and Cube titles in the same series, and in some respects a sister series to the phenomenal Mario & Luigi handheld titles made by Alphadream, Super Paper Mario is keenly awaited by Nintendo and RPG fans alike.

So, er, we'd be a lot happier if there was positive news to relate. As soon as there is, we'll let you know.

via eurogamer ...

via eurogamer

Nintendo has denied that it has once again revised the design of the Wiimote strap, despite apparent photographic evidence to back up the claims.

"The four wrist straps on the left of that picture are not made by Nintendo," a spokesperson told Eurogamer this afternoon, referring to pictures showing replacement straps of a different design to those issued with the console and since.

The photographer had claimed that they were sent to him by Nintendo's replacement programme, which was implemented recently as a reaction to (slightly hysterical) complaints that Wiimote straps were flimsy and hazardous.

"There is no new wrist strap - they must be third party," the spokesperson concluded.

At the time of first offering replacements in mid December, Nintendo had said there was "absolutely nothing wrong" with the originals, which, it pointed out, had passed all the required safety tests. ...