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Sony unveils official Aussie PS3 midnight launch event

Flagship event to be held at Sydney's Pitt St Mall; Casino Royale to be screened free on a big screen.

Casino Royale to be screened free at Aussie PS3 launch.

Casino Royale to be screened free at Aussie PS3 launch.

Attending a midnight launch for a new game or console usually involves hours of aimless waiting, but Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCEA) is making sure eager Aussie gamers camped out at Sydney's Pitt St Mall for next week's release of the PlayStation 3 are kept entertained.

The PS3 will be released in Australia on Friday, March 23, and SCEA will team up with retailer Myer to host the official PS3 midnight launch event. Myer will set up a large viewing space outside its store on Pitt St Mall, Sydney, New South Wales, and will hold a free public screening of Casino Royale, the latest James Bond movie. The film will be played directly from a PS3 and will begin at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 22.

The entertainment won't stop there. Sydney radio personality Lizzy Lovett from 2Day FM will be the host for the evening, which will also include PlayStation-themed giveaways, free massages, and a chance to play the PS3 on the big screen.

Myer is also promising to give the first 100 people to buy a PS3 a free copy of the Blu-ray version of Talladega Nights. This means a lucky few will receive two free movies with their PS3, as SCEA is also giving away a copy of the Blu-ray version of Casino Royale to the first 20,000 Aussies who register their PS3s on the PlayStation Network.

The PlayStation 3's Australian release follows months after the console was shipped in the USA and Japan. Only the 60GB version of the PS3 will be available Down Under, and it will retail for A$999.95 ($792).

112 Comments

  • Sepincourt

    Posted Mar 22, 2007 12:49 am GMT

    It's about time it came out here in Oz, though I'm in no real hurry to get it. I feel it's better to wait until the price drops some or they start releasing it bundled with some sweet games, then spending a lot right now for a console with no real stand out games. Maybe when MGS4 and FF13 are out... though here's hoping they'll be on 360 too, ah, I love pipe dreams.

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 11:37 pm GMT

    rip-off artists? have you lost your mind? howbout i sell you a brand ew blu-ray player with wifi and all that other stuff in the PS3. it will come out to about $2.8grand. youre saving alot of money buying a ps3, which is what im doing. plus sony is making a $400US loss on every console so STFU.

  • ColdGen

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 6:05 pm GMT

    PlayStation 3 ... Sony's priciest-ever gaming console will go on sale around the country at midnight, but despite forking out $1000 for the system Australian gamers will be getting a scaled-back model. More:

    http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21426496-2,00.html

    They won't be getting my cash the rip-off artists.

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 11:07 pm GMT

    well thats your opinion and your entitled to it

  • chickenoverlord

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 2:31 pm GMT

    I'm just not feeling that excited anymore... i played motorstorm and f1 at my local eb in nsw the other day... my impressions: meh...
    "home".... whatever not my kind of thing...
    connectivity with my psp? might be used as a gimmick in some games but fails to excite me...
    internet browsing... well i do have 5 computers and unlocked adsl1 (adsl2 on the 3rd of april!)
    all that media stuff... i dont need a 60Gb console to watch pictures and movie files on my 46 inch I've already got my computer hooked up to it with a measley 320Gb HD thats not even impressive these days...
    and that photo / picture flipping thing... kind of reminds me of the 3d scrolling feature on vista in a way... i smiled every time i did it... for 3 days now i dont even use it
    as for blue ray... I'm excited! I''m looking forward to see how good it looks and probably prepared to fork out whatever theyre asking for the overpriced little babies.....

    Overall I'm not really psyched about it at all anymore.... btw i DO have a 360 and a wii... and I LOVE MY 360 the most...
    but i was the first person in my town to preorder the ps3 10min after the e3 press conference last year and i will be the first person to get it at midnight tomorow night.... ie: i'm no fanboy just not really excited by the whole thing anymore

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 3:50 am GMT

    how many decent games does 360 have? less than the ps3

    take your unresearched comments to the 360 area, fanboy

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 3:49 am GMT

    "If i were in australia i'd show up to watch the free movie, then leave. that's about all this event is worth. the wii360 owns the ps3."

    lol you said the wii360 owns the ps3, but ran away before even saying why lmao. i like the wii, its innovative, its colourful...its fun. I am getting the ps3 though, sorry wii lovers but, i prefer spectacular graphics for games and all the other features (blu-ray etc) anyway, what are you doing here saying the wii360 is better? this is the ps3 launch section, your ignorant comments are neither wanted or appreciated. and the ps3 is underpriced TTDog, blu-ray player $1500 separately, Wifi, graphix chip, CPU and all the other stuff. Sony is losing $400US on every console, so research before you make comments like that!

  • TTDog

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 3:38 am GMT

    Wii60 comes from the Bill Gates comment that you could buy both a 360 and a Wii for the price of a PS3 (still available for pre-order in the Uk despite having been available for order for nearly 5 weeks) and experience a much greater range of games than just buying one console thats overpriced.

    Any truth in the rumor that PS3 owners in Europe will get a free punch in the face from Sony execs for buying there console as part of the continued process of selling a Games console that seems to have forgotten that maybe a few more decent games would be a good idea as well.

  • Captainintendo

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 3:25 am GMT

    "If i were in australia i'd show up to watch the free movie, then leave. that's about all this event is worth. the wii360 owns the ps3."

    Why does everyone keep talking about "wii360"? Nintendo and Sony have more in common with each other than they do with Microsoft. I think it should be "wiips3" if anything.

  • JustQuest

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 1:32 am GMT

    woot free movie and prizes you say, I'll be there in a flash.

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 12:11 am GMT

    Riverwolf007 Can the people jumping down others throats for crying about the price not understand that a high price hurts them as much as anyone? In the USA the high price has led to slow sales, a lack of releases as devs try to justify releasing the games before there is any kind of decient sized installed base, and the worst games to consoles sold ratio of any system yet produced. The low game sales lead directly to lower 3rd party interest in producing games for the PS3 and the flood of exclusive defections that we have seen. We already know that early adopters don't care about price. Just buy the damn thing and quit scaring away the casuals with your superiority complex.

    exactly!

    jayo17ie How can people **** about price , Im 17 and was smart enough to know about the ps3 and save for it , stop whinging if you cant get a ps3 , just buy a crappy wii with graphics that are worse than the ps2.

    may aswell buy a ps2 for half the price

    daddo-splat binboy69 in a year pc will be noticably better then the PS3 and in 5 years they will be unable to keep up check out screens for directx 10 of crysis!
    http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/11/08/what_direct3d_10_is_all_about/page8.html feel free to read the whole article PS3 will be fine but no need for a 4 please maybe cause they lose to much on this one and dont make another!

    yea, lets all spend $5000 on a computer to play one game......then what? i finish that game an realise what a waste it was, when i see all the great games like resistance and MGS4 on a stunning ps3.

    ShinAkuma777 sounds great but why did US get no big deal just ppl robbed for there money/ps3s

    what are you talkin about??? ludacris/charlie murphy and lara croft. not to mention kaz himself!

  • Riverwolf007

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 11:40 am GMT

    Can the people jumping down others throats for crying about the price not understand that a high price hurts them as much as anyone? In the USA the high price has led to slow sales, a lack of releases as devs try to justify releasing the games before there is any kind of decient sized installed base, and the worst games to consoles sold ratio of any system yet produced. The low game sales lead directly to lower 3rd party interest in producing games for the PS3 and the flood of exclusive defections that we have seen. We already know that early adopters don't care about price. Just buy the damn thing and quit scaring away the casuals with your superiority complex.

  • jayo17ie

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 11:04 am GMT

    How can people **** about price , Im 17 and was smart enough to know about the ps3 and save for it , stop whinging if you cant get a ps3 , just buy a crappy wii with graphics that are worse than the ps2.

  • daddo-splat

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 8:29 am GMT

    binboy69 in a year pc will be noticably better then the PS3 and in 5 years they will be unable to keep up check out screens for directx 10 of crysis!
    http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/11/08/what_direct3d_10_is_all_about/page8.html feel free to read the whole article PS3 will be fine but no need for a 4 please maybe cause they lose to much on this one and dont make another!

  • ShinAkuma777

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 4:36 am GMT

    sounds great but why did US get no big deal just ppl robbed for there money/ps3s

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 10:59 pm GMT

    PS3 was made so they wouldnt need to make a PS4. thats how good it is.

    and, kinnon38 "nicely said binboy just as u sayed if u cant afford 1 well tough **** your loss the ps3 is for future games not old buy ps2 if u want 2 play ps2 games. stop **** about the price and backwards compatiblity i couldent care less about not been able 2 play ps2 games on ps3 im buying it for future 1s most of u people r 2 fussy"

    that is exactly what i mean! why buy a ps3 for ps2? the only ps2 game you would most likely play on ps3 is god of war2, or ff12 which are compatible with all ps3's anyway.

  • shazanarkand

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 10:28 pm GMT

    LoL D_hynds

    Do you really think the Zephyr is going to be released any time soon. If they even announce it Xbox 360 sales will drop so fast Bill will have to sell some stock to keep that income coming. And even if the Zephyr is true, doesnt that mean Microsoft is scared. Scared that they are going to lose. You think its cool that Zephyr is coming. But really, its bad for you because now you have to buy a whole new Xbox 360 for the price of around $450 just so that Microsoft can finally feel secure about their console. Sorry to break your bubble.

  • d_hynds

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 7:34 pm GMT

    Oh man, oh man, Sony's soo about to get trounced...1 Word...Zephyr...Schools in progress kiddies and uncle bill's gonna show us how it's done.

  • TheJoker003

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 7:27 pm GMT

    Thats cool.

  • kinnon38

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 10:45 am GMT

    nicely said binboy just as u sayed if u cant afford 1 well tough **** your loss the ps3 is for future games not old buy ps2 if u want 2 play ps2 games. stop **** about the price and backwards compatiblity i couldent care less about not been able 2 play ps2 games on ps3 im buying it for future 1s most of u people r 2 fussy

  • willerdrew

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 9:53 am GMT

    yeah mother ****

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 10:13 pm GMT

    and the games are $110AU and less. Resistance and Motorstorm are $88AU and others are $108AU. ie all atleast $10 cheaper than 360 games on DVD.

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 10:10 pm GMT

    guyhunter "How about no launch event and you put back the emotion engine and drop the price?"........................ if youre not a homeless pov, you wouldnt really mind about the price. the price has been dropped enough. if sony wanted to sell the PS3 at a price where no profit on each machine would be made, the PS3 would sell for $1000US. That's right, sony is making a loss of $400US on each machine, so dont complain. Plus, play youre PS2 games on your PS2, if you dont have one, buy one. they are cheap as dirt. Plus with the missing emotion engone, we can play PS2 games in HD. You cant do that through hardware emulation.

    Anybody else wondering why the Casino Royale BRDisc is not included with the PS3, ít's because the Movie isnt released until the 11th of April.

  • Nintendo_Man

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 10:05 pm GMT

    lightgamet, better deal? look at the price of the PS3 here and the games will cost AUS $100-$120 each.

  • S2333

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 4:44 pm GMT

    I would go just for the free screening.

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 7:42 am GMT

    Looks like an interesting launch for the Aussies...

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 3:15 am GMT

    These events are usually quite interesting. I hope the Aussie's have a good time.

  • Tsuska

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 2:24 am GMT

    PS3 has alot of good capabilities...just like the wii. If only Sony was better at doing business with the PS3 Rather than leaving it all up to the game developers =P...lol

    I don't see what's so great about a 360...lol...i mean nearly all my PC games are > all the games i play on the 360. And if they're any good...they are on the PC...

  • everythingj

    Posted Mar 17, 2007 1:13 am GMT

    If i were in australia i'd show up to watch the free movie, then leave. that's about all this event is worth. the wii360 owns the ps3.

  • lightgamet

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 11:52 pm GMT

    They're getting a much better deal than what people got in America. Good to know Sony learned a bit from that opening disaster.

  • -Squirrel-

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 9:39 pm GMT

    "smokeb4

    if u cant afford get a real job"

    Since you have such a nice job making tons of money (or just have nothing else to spend money on) why don't you just send us commoners (you know most people) the money to buy a PS3? If you and a few others will spend so much on an underdeveloped, less than functional system than be my guest, but most of us have to worry about money and bills, and whether or not we can buy good games on a system. P.S. anyone who says backward compatibility isn't important, either doesn't have old games that they love, or is just jabbering. I love GC games on my Wii, and most PS2 gamers love PS1 games on their PS2. It does matter.

  • theKSMM

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 9:29 pm GMT

    I'm excited for my fellow gamers in Australia and Europe who will get to join the ranks of PlayStation 3 gamers soon!

  • FallenOneX

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 8:52 pm GMT

    Somebody explain to me why they're going to show the movie they plan on giving away? What, so "Mr. 20,001" doesn't miss out?

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 5:29 pm GMT

    Furbyballistik wow..soo much looser fanboys in here...go away!! this has nothing to do with nintendo, or microsoft!! GEEZ!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    U mean, "wow, so many low-life fanboys posting here, get out of here this doesn't concern Microsoft or Nintendo. GOSH!" People who can't put together a decent sentence piss me OFF! >: (

  • guyhunter

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 3:07 pm GMT

    How about no launch event and you put back the emotion engine and drop the price?

  • BYS2

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 2:57 pm GMT

    wow.. sounds pretty cool

  • SolidSnake2020

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 1:32 pm GMT

    not bad

  • bihboy69

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 1:30 pm GMT

    this launch event sounds cool, but it aint no ludacris/charlie murphey/lara croft.....

  • lukey9493

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 12:41 pm GMT

    do i get anything special for preordering it?

  • sascha23

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 12:35 pm GMT

    Dear ShadowDeathX: I believe the proper term is "Happy Ending!"

  • Gamer443

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 12:23 pm GMT

    sweet

  • Furbyballistik

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 12:03 pm GMT

    wow..soo much looser fanboys in here...go away!! this has nothing to do with nintendo, or microsoft!! GEEZ!

  • LuminosityBlaze

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 11:17 am GMT

    Sony should be giving the Aussies a free copy of Blu-Ray Casino Royal and Talladega Nights to the first 40,000! for all that they have been put through to finally get their 'version' of the PS3. Same with the Euro users too. Smart to put only the 60 GB out, even if it is more expensive, because the 20GB model feels kinda pointless, just like the core 360. Unless the new models of the PS3 are better in some other way than than the reduced BC, then I am going to be really glad I got the PS3 in the launch window with the Emotion Chip in it.

  • ShadowDeathX

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 11:10 am GMT

    Free Massages, Sweet. With Happy Finishes

  • coolkyatt

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 11:07 am GMT

    This goes to show that despite all the negativity from fanboys, and the miss-informed general media, the well informed gamer still thinks that PS3 is the better system in the long run.

  • sniper_99

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 11:05 am GMT

    I want Casino Royale included

  • TTDog

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 10:56 am GMT

    Woohoo, the fanboys have arrived. Just accept that there are people, many of whom have PS2's, that think the PS3 is over-priced and under-gamed.

  • latejake

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 10:53 am GMT

    Sorry sony what i like say that the ps3 is expensive.
    For me the ps1 and ps2 where great machines it was the gaming age.
    but paying £425 or more with no games.
    sorry i bought an xbox 360 with great games.

  • epormada

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 10:53 am GMT

    Casino Royale sucked!

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