Sony gave away a free 46-inch Bravia HDTV

PlayStation 3 now a worldwide console

The launch of the PlayStation 3 in Europe, Sony’s latest console is now a worldwide product. The top PS3 launch story is undoubtedly the one of the Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street, London where Sony gave away a free 46-inch Bravia HDTV to over 100 people waiting in line for the console. Pro-G has a video from the launch with comments from Ray Maguire of SCEE UK and Phil Harrison of SCE Worldwide plus the shocking reveal of a free TV for everyone in the queue.

The Virgin Megastore, being the official launch partner for Sony was one of the only shops on Oxford Street to hold a midnight launch. The two other major retailers in the vicinity, HMV and GAME, decided to postpone launches to the morning under police advisory.

Although the London launch is receiving the most publicity, the rest of Europe gets their black Sony monoliths today too. The launch in Greece featured live demonstrations with aliens and samurais promoting Resistance and Genji 2. All people at the Greek launch received Sony presents like USB car radios, but nothing on the scale of a free Bravia TV.

The PS3 was met by a crow of over 130 people at a Sony Store in Prague, Czech Republic, eventually selling out after a few hours. The Germans were even more feverish over the PlayStation 3, going as far as to destroying Xbox 360 consoles. Saturn, an electronics chain store, promoted that the first 50 Xbox 360 owners who climb a wall and then throw their consoles down to their imminent destruction will receive a free PlayStation 3.

Meanwhile, Microsoft had its own answer to all the smashed Xbox 360s. Microsoft sent out cases of free Fosters to the UK’s games media yesterday to illustrate the beer gamers could buy with the price differential between the PS3 and the Xbox 360. Paris got its own Xbox 360 love boat. And finally, Microsoft gave out free camping chairs to those waiting in line for a PS3—undeniably an act of goodwill—though a little cryptic, as each chair was branded with www.shkyw.org.