Sony snubs Europe again

Consternation on the continent

Various reports around the net are mentioning the complete non-appearance of any PS3 material at this year's Leipzig games fair. While Microsoft used the event to announce their world wide pricing plans for their Xbox 360 console, a rather huge announcement which set the net on fire, Sony declined to even bring along a mocked-up demo of the machine itself, only mentioning the PS3 at the very end of a presentation that was almost exclusively dedicated to the PSP. While the PSP's launch in Europe is imminent and is understandably the focus of Sony's marketing attention right now, the complete lack of any Playstation 3 news is somewhat baffling, even with next month's Tokyo Games Show a certainty for masses of PS3 action.

While it is true that Sony Europe do not have the best reputation for doing their legions of European customers proud, with innumerable games not receiving a PAL release and the delays in getting products such as the PSP to the continent, one would have though they would make some effort to take the wind out of Microsoft's sails. Bearing in mind the farce that was the one-upmanship display of the press conference timings and parties that so defined this year's E3, that Sony would let Microsoft have all the glory and attention is unusual. It would be unwise to even attempt to create some meaning out of the non-appearance of the PS3, but needless to say this makes it even more likely that Europeans will not seen an official PS3 on their continent until next year's Leipzig show at the earliest.

By Sam Gibson