Sony’s shiny black behemoth launched in Europe five years ago today. It had been out in Japan since November 10th and the US since November 17th but March 23rd was the date that retailers from most EU countries, Australia and New Zealand finally got the chance to throw open their doors to the expectant masses, clutching their savings and dreaming of a brave new world of Sony console gaming.
It launched with a hefty price tag of £425/€566-€659 for the 60GB model, with a 40GB version offering a cheaper alternative in many countries. Europe didn’t get the budget 20GB model at launch so it really was quite a major investment. At the time, it was also the cheapest way to buy a top quality Blu-ray player for those of you lucky enough to be an HDTV early adopter too.
The launch line up was perhaps a little weaker than we’d like to remember, with Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm the most attractive. In Europe, the PS3 counted Call of Duty 3 as a launch title too, and Activision also brought Tony Hawk’s Project 8 to the console. Ridge Racer 7, an updated version of The Godfather and Enchanted Arms offered plenty of variation in starting options for new PS3 owners while A healthy collection of sports titles including Virtua Tennis 3, FIFA 07, NBA 2K7, NHL 2K7, Fight Night Round 3 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 gave the launch line up some energy.
The early advertising was probably some of the weirdest, with the launch campaign in Europe focussed on their “This is Living” slogan, rather than the US’s slightly more coherent “Play B3yond” campaign which had the PS3 facing off against creepy dolls and Rubik’s Cubes.
Here’s the full cut of the North Europe advertising campaign, be warned that there is a NSFW moment at 2:30. And again at around 3:20. And little bits of marginally NSFW from then until the end, really. Did I mention that it’s bonkers?
My earliest memory of the PlayStation 3 is being insanely jealous when my brother-in-law got one just after launch and I couldn’t afford one. This means that I had the odd go on Call of Duty 3 and MotorStorm in those early days but I missed out on a lot of the launch excitement. Of course, my launch day PlayStation 2 was still going strong, beside my CRT TV but the marvel of controllers without wires, Six Axis motion controls and those amazing graphics were beyond my reach.
Of course, since then the PlayStation 3 has literally changed my life. It went from being an object of desire, outside of my budget to something that is now central to my working life. Thanks to the PlayStation 3, I found this website, returned to some of the skills I’d left behind and formed some genuine lifelong friendships that are more valuable than any expensive launch-day price tag could have indicated.
Help us celebrate the occasion by sharing your PS3 launch stories in the comments!
ico
I was a late comer but my 80g still sound as a pound. Doesn’t get as much love as the xbox but given I played ps1 (porsche challenge and ff7) and ps2 to death i’ll always hold a special place in my heart for sonys console. Agree there’s no need to rush ps4 but for goodness sake get some better online coders in or take a leaf out pf MS’s book when designing the online ui etc. please.
Andrewww
Got mine about two weeks after European launch, 60GB and an HD ready beamer with it and the wow effect was definitely there. The beamer broke some time later and had to be upgraded to full HD, but the PS3 is still working well… *touch wood*
Must have played Motorstorm and Resistance, but the first game I remember I really played an awful lot was Oblivion… Still paid full price for games back then, about GBP 70, only found out a little later I could get the stuff sent over to the Continent from the UK for about half that or even much less. :o)
RudeAwakening
Man i forgot how nuts those ads were! Yeah i bought my 60 gig ps3 on launch day and its still going strong *touches wood*.
Deathbrin
“Nuts” is putting it lightly. This is the first time i saw the ad today.
Awayze
I saved every £ I had for 2 years to get around £425, I didn’t have enough for a game so I had preordered the PS3 on its own and then ordered Motorstorm a few days before release from GAME.
Awayze
Is anybody’s PS3 60GB still going, mine died on 25th of December 2009. I always wondered why was the PS3 fan so loud and why did it heat my bedroom up, lesson learned, don’t put anything that gives of heat in a closed cabinet -_-
Refurb PS3 60GB I’ve had since Jan 2010 :/
blackredyellow
My bro’s launch day 60GB was running up until a month ago. It had a good innings. Deus Ex killed the poor blighter!
XisTG
Like many, i couldn’t afford the ps3 at launch. And since I still had a CRT it didn’t make much sense either.
I bought mine when the 80GB models came out, still going strong, and an LCD. Had to work nights and weekends to afford it, much like the Summer I spent working when I was younger and wanted the PS2. It was worth it.
First games I owned were Buzz (it was really nice to test wits/reflexes with other people online), LBP (it had been ages since my last good platformer) and I got Fallout 3 for 10€, a game I sunk more hours in than my beloved Final Fantasy.
And then my frist Blu-ray. In time where there were no HD channels in my country, the PS3 was the only thing taking advantage of my HD-ready set.
The PS3 was also my first foray into online gaming, and while I still am pretty much the single player guy, it really is nice to go online in some games. I know that would never have happened if the PSN wasn’t free; thank Sony for that!
Funny thing: when I downloaded Uncharted’s demo I hated the game. I only bought it later, when it whent Platinum and real cheap, little less than a year before the second one come out. Bought it day one :)
The PS3 is also special because it was the first console I got after I graduated. For the first time I had a regular paycheck and buying games became easier. I still have games that I want to play and haven’t, and I would be sad if the PS4 came out next year as I feel this one still has much to give :)
freezebug2
I got the premium 60GB about 2/3 months after launch with F1 CE and Resistance F.O.M. from an E-Bay seller all for a great price (at the time).
I was at the time very happy still playing the PS2 and wasn’t fussed about getting a PS3 tbh, but succumbed as I’d still be able to play my PS2 games alongside the new games for PS3 with the new console!
I think that the first game that I bought retail was Burnout Paradise and it is still to this day one of the best PS3 releases in my collection.
3shirts
Still rocking my launch day 60Gb (now with upgraded HDD of course). Can’t believe it’s still going strong after 5 years. I play it almost every day and it’s been lugged to many a drunken house party too. Bless it’s heart
RocketSOL
I bought my PS3 on launch day along with Motorstorm and Resistance. Bought a lovely HDTV a few weeks prior to prepare. The excitement was overwhelming!
gaffers101
Got a 40gb about a month after launch from a guy who’s mrs had told him “it’s me or the ps3!”
Luckily my mrs is far more understanding!