Euro-Australia PS3 Launch Completes the Start of the Console Wars

[Jimmy 2004]

Sony has been a little behind with the new generation of consoles - in the time between Sony releasing the PS2 and PS3, Microsoft has entered the console market with two Xboxes and Nintendo has begun to recover from the disappointment created by the GameCube. However, Sony has finally launched the PS3 in Europe and Australasia, kicking off the global console wars between the 'next-gen' machines. In London, any gamers who turned up to buy a PS3 at midnight found themselves getting a free taxi ride home - and a free 46" HD TV to compliment their new console (a move which is estimated to have cost Sony £250,000), whilst 50 gamers in Berlin got their hands on a free PS3 by throwing their Xbox 360s at a wall. However, Microsoft didn't want all of the glory to belong to Sony - the company managed to rub some gloss off Sony's launch events in both London and Paris. Sony fans waiting outside the Virgin Megastore in London's Oxford Street were given chairs by Microsoft with a website address written on them which led buyers to a site mocking Sony for being late, whilst in Paris Microsoft drove a boat covered in Xbox 360 logos up and down the Seine near to a Sony boat which was acting as a temporary PS3 store.

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[WarEagleAU]

First of all, Im PO'd that UKers got free 46" Sony WEGA LCD TVs (on the other hand, I hope they enjoy it, kudos to you all, too bad we didnt get em). Second of all, I think the PS3 is better than Xbox360, but NO WAY IN HELL would I smash my 360 into a wall for a free PS3. I dont care. That was just plain stupid for them to do.

 

[jocksteeluk]

Uk and European buyers are paying $850 for the console so sony should give everyone this side of the Atlantic a free game at least, if someone offered me a free Ps3 for smashing an xbox 360 (which the current uk premium model can be purchased for £200 now) i would have and spent half the cost of the ps3 getting a new xbox.

 

[Benpi]

Yea dude, I'd smash one of my $400 Xbox360s for a Third PS3, then I'd sell it for $600, and use the 200 to buy some cool xbox games. It's cool that sony gave away some free TVs, but it's ridiculous how desparate they are. People should want to buy their consoles without being bribed.

 

[ex_reven]

the same could be said about mcdonalds giving away toys with happy meals, you dont see people calling that bribery . It works well on kids but...