Posted inTechnology

Sony finalises Middle East PS3 launch date

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has confirmed 23 March as the official launch date for the Playstation 3 (PS3) console in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has confirmed 23 March as the official launch date for the Playstation 3 (PS3) console in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia.

Sony will ship the premium 60GB console in the initial rollout phase, with the 20GB model expected to follow later in the year depending on demand.

Despite previous assurances its pricing strategy for PS3 would be in line with existing international retail prices of US$499 and US$599 for the 20GB and 60GB models respectively, the 60GB console destined for Europe is priced at a hefty EU599 (US$775).

However, Colin Thomas, marketing manager for Sony Gulf’s PlayStation division, said that while final pricing for the Middle East had yet to be confirmed, he expected it to be considerably less than European markets. He also exclusively revealed that Sony Gulf would launch the console in the Middle East on 22 March in a gala event in Dubai. South American singer Shakira will perform at the launch party.

SCEE confirmed that a total of one million PS3 consoles would be made available across all markets at the time of launch. Middle East retailers can expect to take delivery of the first shipments towards the middle of the month.

SCEE has also confirmed that more than 30 games titles will be made available from launch, including Resistance: Fall of Man, MotorStorm, Genji: Days of the Blade, Formula 1 Championship Edition and Ridge Racer 7.

In addition to games on disc, a range of high-spec downloadable games will be made available online via the PlayStation Network, including Tekken: Dark Resurrection and Gran Turismo HD Concept, which is the first Gran Turismo title to be produced in full HD 1080p quality and has been downloaded by more than 350,000 users since it was released in December 2006 in North America and Japan.

Follow us on

For all the latest business news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.