Sony PlayStation 3 Launches in Europe on March 23rd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has announced that the PlayStation 3 gaming console will launch on Friday, March 23rd across all PAL territories, which include Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia. The initial launch will be comprised of one million consoles, all of which will be the “premium” 60GB models. “Following the hugely successful launches of [the] PS3 in Japan and North America, we are absolutely delighted to be able to bring significant numbers of PS3s to the SCEE territories,” said David Reeves, President of SCEE. Availability of the 20GB model may follow later in the year, depending on demand.
After currency conversion, all consoles available during this launch will cost considerably more than the 60GB PS3 models sold in North America ($600 US) and Japan (¥60,000 or $510 US) late last year. Gamers in the United Kingdom (£425 including VAT) and New Zealand (NZ$1,200) will both pay approximately $840 US, while the rest of Europe (€599) and Australia (A$1,000) will pay roughly $780 US.