Although reporting the expectations of retailers is something SPOnG generally avoids, it does look as though Gamestop has blown the lid on Sony's US PlayStation 3 launch plans, revealing dates and a wealth of titles.
All priced at a whopping $59.99, the retailer, recently under fire following issues surrounding the launch of Xbox 360, highlights 30 titles and expects the PlayStation 3 to ship on or around October 1 this year.
The complete list of titles for October 1st reads:
I-8
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Dark Sector
Devil May Cry 4
Dirty Harry
Dog Tag
Eyedentify
Fifth Phantom Saga
Fight Night Round 3
Formula 1
Gundam World
Heavenly Sword
Killing Day
Killzone 2
Metronome
MotorStorm
NioH
Possession
Project Delta
Psychopath
Scarface: The World is Yours
Spider Man 3
Stranglehold
Tekken
The Darkness
The Getaway 3
Theseis
Vision Gran Turismo
Warhawk
Gamestop also dates Metal Gear Solid 4 for December 1st.
This is the first indicator from any reputable source as to what we can expect from the early days of the PlayStation 3, and we have to say that things are certainly looking good. Sony hardware launches to date have been blighted with a dire lack of early-adopter software, with consumers often feeling somewhat cheated as they wait for games to become available. It looks as though SCEI's strategic push-back of its new console is going to pay off in the early phase of PlayStation 3 availability.
The games mentioned make for an interesting read, with a mixture of the already-announced, the unexpected and the downright intriguing: Vision Gran Turismo, Thesis, new Tekken, Stranglehold and what's almost certainly a new EyeToy-based title, Eyedentify all take our collective eye. Lots to look forward to at E3, with a playable PlayStation 3 hopefully as the showstopper.