In what can be described as one of the more eventful launches in the history of console gaming, the PlayStation 3 has made its, limited, debut in the U.S.
Sony has successfully launched its next-generation offering giving gamers the chance to find out for themselves if the Cell processor, the Blu-Ray DVD player and the hefty price tag are worth the noise. Unfortunately the launch gathered lots of teenagers and young men and women with money in restricted spaces and this made them prime targets, something the police should have been aware of. In Connecticut a man was shot outside a Wal-Mart store for refusing to hand over his money.
In other queues around the U.S. things were not as dramatic although the good folks behind SmashMyPS3.com, the team that brought you smashmyiPod.com, managed to shock some eager shoppers by mutilating a brand new PS3 console.
eBay, the ultimate destination for many new PS3s has also released figures suggesting that business is looking good for the online auction firm. Almost 800 units, with a retail price tag of USD 500 and 600, sold online on Friday for an average price of USD 2,717, bringing the total sold to just over 3,600, according to eBay Marketplace Research.
Sony has not yet fully confirmed the launch quantity of PS3s allocated to the U.S. launch so for now we have to accept the range of 200,000 to 400,000 units.
This launch is extremely important for Sony as the company looks to alleviate the pressure created by the recent press blunders and technical issues. It will be important for the Japanese consumer electronics giant to maintain the positivity unleashed by the launch and to that end the console's performance is of vital importance. Some users have already reported issues with support for PS2 and PS One games while a couple of reports of dead-out-of-the-box consoles have also been reported. It will be a while though before we have a real feel for how the launch has gone as many units are still in transit, thanks to eBay, while the launch quantities are not adequate to draw safe conclusions about the console's reliability.
In the meantime Nintendo has plans of its own to rain on Sony's parade as the Wii is about to launch in the U.S., November 19, and judging by Nintendo's past PR successes we are eager to see what they have in store for us this time.
