At the Virgin Megastore in London's Oxford Street, the software giant handed out chairs to those queuing that had a website address printed on them.

Anyone visiting the webpage saw an Xbox 360 branded site that "welcomes" Sony to the next generation and chides the electronics giant for being "late". Microsoft's Xbox 360 launched in late 2005.

In other European nations the response to the launch of the PS3 was more mixed.

In France several stores stayed open until midnight so gamers could pick up a PlayStation but few people took the opportunity to grab one.

Game news site Next Gen reported that French gamers were outnumbered by the media on the boat Sony moored by the Eiffel tower to act as a temporary electronics store selling the console.

The event was upstaged by Microsoft which drove its own boat covered in Xbox 360 logos up and down the Seine near the Sony craft.

In Germany several hundred people turned up at the Sony Centre in Berlin where the electronics giant was hosting a launch event.

Game website Kotaku reported that in Berlin, at a branch of the Saturn electronics store, 50 gamers got a free PS3 after smashing their Xbox 360 by throwing it off a wall.

In Amsterdam only a "handful" of gamers turned up to pick up a console.

One of the better attended events seems to have been in Prague in the Czech republic where more than 100 gamers queued for the chance to buy a PS3 soon after midnight.

In Sydney Sony and retailer Myer staged a launch event at which customers were also outnumbered by the media. Danny Zarka, the first Australian PS3 owner, was at the front of the queue despite only turning up after 9PM.

About 80 customers turned up for the midnight launch and the Sydney Morning Herald called it "feeble".

The London HD TV giveaway is thought to have cost Sony more than £250,000. It also provided free taxis to get people home safely.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6485483.stm

 

And soon, Jerry Springer'll have Sony and Microsoft Execs on his show.

 

Meh, nobody got stabbed...

 

First it was the OS, now it sounds like Microsoft is starting to mimic Apple's marketing themes.

 

Those poor 50 bastards will be bored for months.

 

 

Sony will pravail!!!!!!!!!

ps. lame of Micro@shit to do that...

 

oh and, at least Sony didn't get their new operating system BANNED by the DOT!!!!!!!! LMAO

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17739772

 

Well, it's prevail, firstly.

And secondly, with games like NG Sigma taking it's gawddamn merry time to come out...Iono, I think Sony is teh sux0r.

 

i know its prevail, nub

 

Then, why'd ya spell it with an "a", goon.

 

 

 

Here we go again

 

i spell as i please, lawl

 

You guys need to join a spelling bee.

 

What for...? We know perfectly well that I'd beat his sorry weaksauce spelling @$$.

 

im game. how would we do it? i would love to spell yumchah away into oblivian.

 

I rest my case.

Yumchah =

 

goon

 

I'm surprised you didn't spell it as "gune".

 

how many spelling bees have you enntered mr. yumchah

 

going on 3 months, haven't been bored yet.

I mean, in all honesty, how many games can you mix together playing frequently?

 

You probably wouldn't classify yourself as a "gamer" though. But most people that are like a variety of good games and the Xbox has the indisputable advantage.


The Xbox has 18 games with cumulative scores of 85 or higher.

http://www.metacritic.com/games/xbox360/

The PS3 has 2 games with cumulative scores of 85 or higher.

http://www.metacritic.com/games/ps3/

 

When I was gaming a lot on my xbox I was hoping between a lot of games like Ghost Recon, Mech Assault, Halo 1/2, True Crime, Midnight Club, and a few others.

 

I'm surprised Nintendo didn't get in on the fun.

 

I play three different games in one weekend.

 

I've been dying to get my 360 and purposely waited wait for the newer version and because if I got it any earlier, I woudln't have gotten anything done.

Now I can't wait to get it, there are so many games out and more due out.

Halo 3

 

I think a better comparison would be to compare the reviews of the launch titles within the first 3 months of each system against each other, instead of the games of a system out for 1 year versus the games for a system out 3 months.

 

Only if you want to compare the launches.

If instead you want to look at the games you can play today on your PS3 or Xbox, then there is a clear advantage for the Xbox.

What is more important to the average gamer is what games can he/she go to the store and buy today.

 

 

That makes sense, but there is the aspect that you buy a console for the exclusive gaming potential and additional features.

I agree with you on comparing the current lineups if you had to make a choice between the two, but I guess this is the advantage MS was able to derive from launching before PS3.

 

You are correct exclusives are the key, and at one point I was sure I would buy a PS3 because of that due to the fact I loved (GTA, Ace Combat, Mercenaries, etc...). Now Sony has hardly any exclusives that interest me and MS has the one to beat (Halo 3).

 

GTA was and still is my favorite series of games on PS. Now that it will be available from what i've heard on 360 I have no reason to want a PS3 and...

GT is my other favorite on the PS and now that it's not due out till 2008, I really don't see myself buying a PS3 anytime this year.