PlayStation 3 'under fire' ahead of UK launch » Communities » 24dash.com

Console wars will reignite this week when the next generation PlayStation goes on sale.

The PlayStation 3 has come under fire because of its £425 price tag - around £120 more than its US retail price.

It will compete with the hugely successful Nintendo Wii console and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

The PS3 launched in Japan and the US in November but its European debut was delayed due to problems with manufacturing its blu-ray disc.

It goes on sale in the UK this Friday, with the official launch taking place at midnight in Virgin Megastores on London's Oxford Street.

PlayStation manufacturer Sony said around 220,000 consoles would be shipped to the UK for Friday.

Michael Brook, editor of gadget magazine T3, said it was rumoured the price of the PS3 would be lowered in time for Christmas.

"The real techies are going to love it and I think will bear the cost straight from the offset. But for it to go really mass market I think it will be Christmas when the price drops," he said.

Sony said 30 PlayStation 3 titles would launch on Friday. All PlayStation 1 and more than 1,200 PlayStation 2 games will be compatible with the new console.

A spokesman for the technology giant said the PS3 differed from its rivals because it offered a range of home entertainment services.

"Combined with its future-proof design, this ensures that consumers are getting a long-term return on their investment, and a machine that will be at the centre of their living room, for many years to come," he said.

"With this in mind, we believe it offers excellent value for money."

James Schall, consoles and videogames manager for Amazon.co.uk, said customer demand for pre-orders had been high.

"It is well documented that our initial stock of Nintendo Wii's sold out in just seven minutes, but our initial allocation of PlayStation 3 has been considerably higher and we have seen very strong pre-order sales on this console," he said.

Woolworths' entertainment boss Jim Batchelor said every store aimed to have PS3s in stock on launch day.

"The launch of Playstation 3 will be biggest video games console launch of all time. It will be bigger than the launch of the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 and the previous Playstation," he said.

Copyright Press Association 2007.

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