Counting Down to the official arrival of PLAYSTATION 3

As the countdown to the March 07 official arrival of PLAYSTATION®3 in the Middle East begins, SonyGulf says that there are plenty of good reasons for customers to wait.

“Anticipation is building ahead of the official arrival of PS3™ in the region,” said Tim Stokes, Sales & Marketing Director, PlayStation Division - Sony Gulf, “and rightly so. The lucky few people who have managed to try it first hand are raving about its features and the quality of graphics making it one of the most eagerly awaited consumer product launches of all time.”

With the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 in North America and Japan this month, Stokes says that the temptation to buy an unofficially imported unit will be great, but highlights some issues of buying before the official launch in March 07.

“Unofficially imported PLAYSTATION 3 consoles will not be covered under local warranties and therefore cannot be repaired or replaced through official channels, while the Blu-ray movies available in this region will not be compatible with PS3’s imported from Japan and North America,” he warns.

“Another very important factor is that pricing of officially imported machines will follow the global recommended retail prices (RRP) of $499 for the 20GB and $599 for 60GB model. Prices of unofficially imported machines are likely to be greatly inflated.”

Stokes also states that unofficially imported PS3’s will not have been submitted for safety and compliance testing by the local Telecommunications Regulation Authorities required to legitimately sell the product within most Middle East countries.

Another very important reason for waiting is that unofficial machines will not have access to the PLAYSTATION® Network.

“The PLAYSTATION Network is the ‘local homepage’ for PLAYSTATION®3 users online and forms an integral part of the PS3 gaming experience,” says Stokes. “It is used to play games online, download software and hardware updates, new game levels, and other content. Buying prematurely will mean users will miss out on this important element of the PLAYSTATION 3 functionality.

The combination of internet ready and HDD storage in the PS3 will make the new platform the ideal home entertainment hub, capable of supporting a wide variety of media content formats and storage mediums, including Flash Memory and USB Mass Storage devices.

PLAYSTATION®3 KEY FEATURES

HIGH DEFINITION

• High Definition compatible TVs display pictures at a much higher resolution giving you clearer, sharper images.
• High Definition images are up to five times sharper than standard definition.
• There are four common HD levels 720i, 720p, 1080i and 1080p.
• PLAYSTATION®3 is the only console that natively supports 1080p.

SIXAXIS™ WIRELESS CONTROLLER

• Based on the classic DualShock™ analogue controller.
• Wireless connection to PS3 via Bluetooth™
• New motion sensors detect movement through 6 axes changing the way you play games and interact with your PLAYSTATION 3
• Up to seven Wireless Controllers can be connected simultaneously to PS3
• Recharge the battery via USB while you play

REAL-TIME PROCESSING

• Revolutionary new chip – the Cell Broadband Engine™.
• Co-developed with IBM, the Cell Broadband Engine is ‘the brains’ of the PLAYSTATION 3 system
• The chip consists of 8 processors working in parallel to improve speed and performance.
• Enhanced processing allows PS3 to create richer, more detailed and less predictable gaming experiences than has previously been possible.

NETWORK FEATURES

• PLAYSTATION 3 is ready to be connected to the Internet via a broadband connection.
• The PLAYSTATION®NETWORK will provide you with a range of online experiences from multi-player social gaming to community & chat features and downloadable multi-media content.

INTERCONNECTIVITY WITH PSP

• Your PSP® can interact easily with PLAYSTATION 3.Content can be quickly and easily moved back and forth via a USB connection or Memory Stick Duo™.
• Access the content stored on your PLAYSTATION 3 hard drive from any location.
• Using a wireless internet connection, your PSP system can locate and access files stored on your PLAYSTATION 3 system’s hard drive.

PARENTAL CONTROL

• PLAYSTATION 3 adheres to independent control schemes for software discs, DVD movie discs, Blu-ray movie discs and Internet access.
• Parents are able to set password protected age limits for games and movies, controlling the content that can be accessed.
• Internet access can also be enabled or disabled and protected by password.

SPECIFICATIONS

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. As at September 2006

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®2 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) software and hardware in 104 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Between its European debut on 24th November 2000 and the end of September 2006, over 42 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been shipped across the SCEE territories, over 111 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history.Between its European debut on 1st September 2005 and the end of September 2006, over 8 million PSP systems have been shipped across the SCEE territories, with over 22.9 million shipped worldwide since its Japanese launch in December 2004.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at

www.playstation.com and www.yourpsp.com or visit the Virtual Press Office at www.scee.presscentre.com.

PlayStation, PSP and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. UMD (Universal Media Disc) is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About Sony Gulf FZE

Sony Gulf FZE is a 100% subsidiary of Sony Corporation and is the regional headquarters for the Middle East and Africa regions. The company is engaged in the business of Sony Consumer Electronics, VAIO laptop computers, Computer Peripherals, Data media, Recording Media and Energy (Batteries), Mobile Electronics (Car Audio) and Computer Entertainment (PlayStation) products in more than 40 countries in the region.

Apart from stock operations in the Jebel Ali Free Zone Establishment in Dubai, Sony Gulf FZE leads execution of various logistics, sales, marketing, advertising and customer services activities through its business partners and representative offices. A network of representative offices in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Kenya along with a multiple of service centres reinforces Sony’s presence in key markets in the region.