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SYDNEY - The much talked about PlayStation 3 (PS3) was met with a subdued response today as the gaming console hit store shelves in Australia and Europe.
While a handful of die-hard gamers made the midnight trip to pick up the new device, the Australian, New Zealand and
European launches went without the riots and stock shortages that marked the US and Japanese releases five months earlier.
More than 500 stores across Australia opened their doors at midnight to gamers eager to be the first to get their hands on Sony's NZ$1200 machine.
In November, a Connecticut man was shot while waiting in line to pick up his PS3 on the day of the US release.
There were no such reported incidents in Australia or elsewhere but analysts believe the PS3 has a lot of work to do to carry the mantle of its respected predecessor, the PlayStation 2 (PS2).
Research house Ovum said Sony needed to smarten up in the face of stiff competition from Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii, which have enjoyed a 12 and five month headstart in the Australian market, respectively.
Ovum senior analyst Carl Gressum says poor public relations and costs remain key issues for Sony.
"The market is losing faith in the PS3 because of the market competitiveness and poor execution from the PlayStation Group," Mr Gressum said.
In Europe, turnouts were similarly underwhelming.
While some hard-core gamers camped outside the Oxford Street Virgin Megastore in London in the days leading up to the release, fears that stores would see the same violence that marred the US launch did not eventuate.
But Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) says it is not reading too much into its launch performance or the criticism it has weathered in the lead-up to the launch.
SCE Australia spokesman Adrian Christie echoed the company's recent line that the PS3 was competing in a marathon, not a sprint.
"The one thing for our business - and it's been proven with the PS1 and proven with the PS2 - is it's not about any short-term wins," Mr Christie said.
"Any kind of short spike in sales or queues are very short-lived in the long-term."
About one million units have been shipped to the markets that use the PAL television standard - which includes Australia and Europe - as part of today's launch.
However, SCE has remained tight-lipped about how many were specifically earmarked for Australian shelves.
It revealed earlier today that retailers had taken 20,000 pre-orders nationally, roughly the size of Australia's hard-core gaming community, according to SCE estimates.
Despite the criticisms, the early feedback from the consumer has been positive.
Danny Zarka from Sydney was the first Australian gamer to pick up his console last night.
He recently purchased a high definition LCD television set specifically to enjoy the experience the PS3 has to offer.
"I had a bit of a go of my Virtual Fighter 5 game, it blew my socks off - the graphics are just unbelievable," he said.
"You can see the guys' veins, and sweat and the individual strands of hair on their head."
SCE expects to release preliminary sales figures on April 4.
- AAP
