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We have the full details on the UK/Europe launch of the PS3 and the price and much more.

Check it out at PS3 Evolution ...

Heres the full press release:

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.”

PLAYSTATION 3 LAUNCH TITLE LINE-UP

Resistance: Fall of Man™ - SCEE - Disc
MotorStorm™ - SCEE - Disc
Genji™: Days of the Blade - SCEE - Disc
FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION - SCEE - Disc
Ridge Racer™ 7 - SCEE - Disc
Tekken®: Dark Resurrection - SCEE - Network
Lemmings™ - SCEE - Network
Go! Sudoku - SCEE - Network
Go! Puzzle - SCEE - Network
Blast Factor™ - SCEE - Network
flOw™ - 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

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Will you buy a PS3 On Release Day ? ...

via ign

You've seen them at pretty much any pub in America. You know, sitting on the end of the bar, just begging for you to plunk in a few quarters for a quick game of Mahjongg or Solitaire. Even though Midway's slowly getting out of the arcade business, the Touchmaster machines are still a huge hit for the company, and now the publisher's bringing those simple little quickshot experiences to the one system that makes a whole lot of sense to do so: the Nintendo DS.

In the Summer, Midway will release Touchmaster, a collection of 23 games that have taken time and quarters away from drunken beerswiggers for the past few years: Gem Slide, Crystal Balls, Hot Hoops, MahKi, Mah Jonng Pairs, Pond Kings, Pairs, Target 21, 3 Peak Deluxe, Pyramid 13, Power Cell, Solitaire, Artifact, 5 Star General, Double Take, Go Wild, Up Lift, Times Square, Word Search, Triple Elevens, Trivia, Pick Up Six, and Wordz. They'll look, sound, and play just like their saloon brothers, right down to the touch-screen controls of the Nintendo DS.

Touchmaster will support the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service so players can submit high scores as well as participate in tournaments. It will also support local networking support as well as hot-seat, one-system multiplayer. ...

via ign

The first time we heard that a Diddy Kong Racing DS project was in the works was in a quick split-second blip of video footage during Nintendo's Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference. And beyond that...not a whole heck of a lot. Nintendo and Rare both kept a tight lid on the product since last May, but the game's all done and ready to ship for its February release date. Nintendo sent along an early copy of the game so we can get some playtime in before its launch.

Diddy Kong Racing DS is, essentially, a "port" of the game Rare created on the Nintendo 64 more than a half decade ago. But it's a port in the sense that Super Mario 64 DS is a "port" of the N64 game -- sure, the core game design's the foundation, but there's so much more added to the portable product.

Just as the original Diddy Kong Racing game shipped after Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64, so does the version on the Nintendo DS. And it presents the same dilemma: Mario Kart DS is already a fantastic, multiplayer-focused, online-supported racing game on the handheld, so Diddy Kong Racing steps into that strange role of trying to fill a void that honestly isn't there. How can Rare convince an army of die-hard Mario Kart racers to drop the familiar Mario line-up in favor of the company's generic grouping of furry critters?

Well, the game's hook is that along with the kart racing, you'll also skid around on hovercrafts and zoom through the air in planes. It's a traditional eight-player racing design, and players can only earn the necessary token to move forward by coming in first. Thrown into the mix is the weapon mechanics where players can scoop up rockets and oil slicks via balloons strategically placed over the track, and the collected weapon can be held and upgraded if you snag the same colored balloon while still possessing the weaker weapon. The rocket, for example, can be upgraded to a multiple rocket launcher, which can then be upgraded to a guided missile.

Diddy Kong Racing DS is yet another racing game that awards players a "rocket start" at the beginning of the race if they manage to pull off a specific task before the start of the race. But unlike other games where it's all about timing the acceleration before the flag drops, Diddy Kong Racing requires a little bit of skill -- in the car, you'll have to slide a finger/stylus rapidly down the touch screen to build up the charge. In the plane, you'll need to spin the finger/stylus in a circle. And in the hovercraft, you'll have to blow into the microphone. Gimmicky? Sure. But it's a nice diversion and slightly more creative than the usual "press the A button three ticks after the second green light" style of rocket boosting.

Though we've only played through about an hour of Diddy Kong Racing DS's racing progression, we'll note that the early portion doesn't quite offer the same sense of speed as Mario Kart DS does. This might be attributed to the fact that Diddy Kong Racing DS's engine runs at a casual 30 frames per second rate while Mario Kart DS flows at twice that. Diddy Kong Racing does, however, give players the ability to upgrade their vehicles, so we're expecting that as we get through many of the easier challenges that the faster crafts will make themselves available.

We still have much more to play in Diddy Kong Racing, so we'll be updating our impressions over the next few days, including our experience with some of the mini-games as well as the multiplayer functions. Diddy Kong Racing DS features five-player internet play, one more than Mario Kart DS. ...

via ign

Recently, we had a chance to visit EA's Redwood Shores office and go hands-on with several of the company's upcoming titles. Of course, there were all of the flashy games that we have come to expect from EA scattered around the demo room, but hidden away in one of the corners was a DS demo station setup to show off the soon-to-be-released Pogo Island, and we had a chance to take it for a ride.

Pogo Island is an offshoot of the popular casual gamer website Pogo.com. Pogo.com features a variety of games, all of them designed with the less hardcore gaming crowd in mind. Pogo Island for the DS takes five of the most popular games from Pogo.com and brings them to the DS, along with some added touch screen functionalities. In addition to this, the game also features a new story mode, wherein players must complete various mini-games scattered across a tropical island, as they seek to reunite several stranded Pogo mascots.

The five games included in Pogo Island are Tri-Peaks Solitaire, Poppit, Word Whomp, Squelchies, and Phlinx. Tri-Peaks Solitaire is just a slight variation on the classic card game, whereas Poppit, Phlinx, and Squelchies are all puzzle games based off of other more notable franchises. Squelchies plays out a lot like Bust-A-Move DS, complete with touch screen control over aiming. Phlinx is somewhat similar to Columns, and challenges players to reorganize groups of colored blocks. Poppit asks players to pop similarly colored balloons through use of the stylus. Word Whomp plays exactly like the popular flash game, Text Twist, where players must unscramble a batch of random letters to form as many unique words as possible.

What about PEEL?

In our admittedly limited time with the game, we found Word Whomp to be the most fun out of all of the games, closely followed by Squelchies -- but it may be our own love of anything even remotely related to Bust-A-Move that is making us think like that. Word Whomp seemed to have the most longevity of all the games, simply due to the fact that word challenges like this are some of the best ways to stave off boredom.

Of course, the object of all of these mini-games is more than just distracting yourself from reality. By playing the individual games as well as the story mode, players can earn tokens, which can be redeemed at Pogo.com to purchase clothes and items for your in-game avatar. When you start the DS game, you will be allowed to enter in your Pogo.com account information, and thereby synch your DS copy of Pogo Island with your online account. To us, this seemed like the biggest draw of the game, even though it only applies to those players who also have a Pogo.com account.

The game also features a multiplayer mode in the form of single-cart download play. Unfortunately, at this point, the only game that is playable over the ad hoc wireless network is Word Whomp. Despite the fact that this was our favorite game of the bunch, it is a little upsetting that there won't be more variety to the multiplayer experience.

The graphical style of the game is pretty simple, even for DS standards. Anyone who is expecting something more than a collection of the most popular Pogo.com games will be sorely disappointed. The games have gotten a slight makeover to accompany their move to the DS, but this is mostly a cosmetic change more than anything else. The games now have a Tropical Island theme to them, rather than the standard Pogo.com art style.

Currently under development by EA Canada at Vancouver, Pogo Island should be hitting the DS on March 26, 2007. If you are one of those out there that is in love with simple, addictive mini-games, then you will want to make a trip to Pogo Island. ...

via ign

Japan's biggest gaming craze recently got its first true Dragon Quest title. The result? Dragon Quest Monsters is all set to become the DS's next million seller, hinting at good things for Dragon Quest IX, which is also on its way to the DS.

And now, Square Enix is looking to continue the success on Japan's current hottest console. Dragon Quest Swords: Kamen no Jouou to Kagami no Tou (Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors) will be hitting the Japanese Wii this Spring, and Square Enix has already started up the hype, with an official site showcasing the characters, world, and even a gameplay trailer.

As detailed in our hands-on play test from last year, Dragon Quest Sword is markedly different from the main numbered Dragon Quest games, and even the Monsters offshoots. The game is based around Kenshin Dragon Quest, a year 2003 standalone game title which had players swing a sword at the television screen in order to take out Slime and other Dragon Quest creatures. That game was a huge hit in Japan, and the Wiimote allows Square Enix to replicate the sword peripheral without having to include a pricey motion-sensing device in every package.

Unlike Kenshin, Square Enix is giving Dragon Quest Sword the full package, complete with speaking characters -- a first for the series in Japan (the Japanese version of DQ8 was silent). In typical fashion for the series, you play as a nameless main character, which is more appropriate than ever here since the game takes place in the first person.

Other characters announced so far include Setia, a former priestess who worked in the castle town until heading out on adventure, Dean, a prince who happens to be skilled with a sword and magic, and Boud, your father. These characters contribute not just to the storyline, but also fight along side you in battle.

One area of our early play test that had us concerned was how limited the game seemed to be. The demo involved simply moving forward on a pre-set path and taking out beasts, without any chance for exploration. The game can be played with just the Wiimote, so we're not expecting the linear nature to change, but Square Enix at least seems to be preparing a reasonably large world. Set in the island kingdom of Alsword, your adventure will take you from the castle town on a western island of the kingdom to the forests and mountains of the main island. The tower of the title is located right behind your castle and promises to play a big part in the storyline, which itself still remains somewhat of a mystery.

DQS has a core staff that should be familiar to all Dragon Quest fans, with Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama and Kouichi Sugiyama reprising their roles as general manager, character designer and composer. But in line with the new type of Dragon Quest game being offered here, there are some big new names as well. Manami Matsumae, known for his work at Capcom on Mega Man and Street Fighter II, is also working on composition. The development teams behind the game are also new to the Dragon Quest world. Genius Sonority, recognizable to anyone who's played Pokemon console games, is heading up planning on the title, with actual development taking place at Eighting, known by anyone who plays anime fighting games.

While the Wii has been an unquestioned success so far in Japan, third party titles have taken a back seat to Nintendo's own offerings. If anything has the chance to change that, it's Dragon Quest Sword. And who knows. Maybe Dragon Quest X will follow. ...

via IGN

In the early part of 2005, Midway rejuvenated its alien-centric lightgun shooter franchise on the PC, Xbox and PlayStation 2 with Area 51. The game was a pleasant surprise all around, boasting fantastic visuals (especially on the consoles) and an engaging storyline that wound tighter and tighter as it progressed. This summer, Midway Studios - Austin will unleash its sequel on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in the form of BlackSite: Area 51.

While details on the storyline are scarce at this point, it sounds as if you'll be given choices along the way that will allow you to dictate the moral standing of your character. The game description words this as follows: "The player's modern-day emotions and fears are driven into a world charged with grave responsibility affecting lives hanging in the balance and eventually finding himself torn between his professional orders and his own ethical standards. In the end, only the actions of the player and his squad can shape the outcome of BlackSite: Area 51 during this potentially pivotal moment in history."

Speaking of the squad, you're now in complete control of a Special Forces squad. Their morale will play a part in how well they perform. Properly commanding them will have them at their best, but running them poorly into bad situations will negatively affect their aim, wear down on their fatigue and make them even lose the will to fight. Squad commands are said to be contextual, utilizing a single button to take care of all your available commands without the need to scroll through menus or whatnot.

Vehicles will now play a part in the game. Vehicles such as HMMWVs, ATVs and even civilian vehicles will play a part in the action. Helicopter raids will also be present where you'll take a seat in the gunner's position to mow down enemy soldiers from up on high.

The level design is promised to be multi-pathed with various routes that you can take to surround and flank the enemy. Cover points will be prominent, encouraging you to make proper use of your squad and covering fire. The cover won't be safe for long however as much of the game's environments will be destructible - to what extent, we're not sure, but the trailer that you'll find in our video section looks promising.

Lastly, BlackSite: Area 51 will ship with a number of online multiplayer modes. These will be a mixture of classic game types like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture-the-Flag, along with a number of brand-new variants that will be unique to the game, like the Human vs. Reborn and Siege modes, where teams attempt to control each of the levels territories while capturing their enemies.

BlackSite: Area 51 is scheduled to ship sometime this summer on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. We'll have in-depth impressions with the game very shortly, so stay tuned. ...

A recent report published by market research group Research and Markets (the redundancy gives us a headache too) has chosen Sony's PS3 as the winner of the next-generation console wars. The report, titled The Transforming Global Video Games Market: The Emergence of Next Generation Gaming, deals primarily with the impact of next-generation consoles on the online games sector.

Based on its extensive analysis of the current growth trends in the industry, Research and Markets expects Sony's PlayStation 3 to come out on top in the next-generation console war. The group expects the PS3 to have an installed user base of around 75 million globally by the year 2010. While the study notes that both Sony and Nintendo offer unique products, Research and Markets still felt that Sony's superior technology would give them the edge over the competition.

Although the group designated Sony as the future market leader this gen, they gave very little in the way of reasoning to back up this claim. The primary focus of the study was analyzing the impact of next-generation consoles on the online games sector, rather than determining the factors which might lead to dominance in the next-generation console market.

via ign ...