Games Toaster

MobPost: GTA for Xbox 360

At their pre-E3 press event Microsoft have said that Grand Theft Auto 4 will be on Xbox 360 from 'Day one', which is Oct 19 2007 in Europe. It was also said that the horror game Alan Wake is to be released only on Xbox 360 and Windows Vista. Halo 2 is to be released in 2007.

PlayStation 3 – price, launch dates

- Hard drive detachable but included
- Controller; sensors in, Dualshock out
- Nov 17 Europe and the US 

Early today Sony’s computer games division went through the paces at the Sony film studio in Culver City, LA county, ultimately they reviled the pricing, confirmed that the PlayStation 3 would come with a hard drive (20 or 60GBs), and that the controller for the unit would not be radical, but close to the PS2 device.

According to Sony, in Europe the black console will be priced at 499 euro for the 20GB hard drive, and 599 euro for a larger 60GB model. In Northern Ireland, at today’s rates, that’s about 350 and 410 UKP. If, like other releases, the Republic of Ireland will have a higher price is not currently unknown. Prices in other areas as follows: United States $499/$599; Canada $549/$659; Japan 59,800 Yen/set by retailers.

Sony has dropped the prototype ‘stretched’ “banana” controller shape and replaced it with a design “created by refining and improving the world’s most popular PlayStation controller”, at first look it is the PS2 controller. Like Nintendo’s next console, the PS3 controller will also have built in sensors; this opens up the possibility of games reacting to controller movement. But this means the vibrating Dualshock will be removed because it interferes with the sensors. The controllers will have slightly larger L2/R2 buttons, and the ‘tilting angle’ of the analog joystick is tweaked. The controllers are wireless using Bluetooth, but can go wired at any time using USB, the slot is located at the wire input of the old controller.

Tech specs follow...