PS3 : Rush on pre-orders, kiosks being refitted?
updated 11:50 am EDT, Wed October 11, 2006
PS3: Kiosks being refitted
As some Sony fans have probably discovered, it's now impossible to pre-order a PS3 from GameStop or EB Games. MCV observes that both chains have completely allocated their in-store pre-order stock, which only became available earlier this week. If you're determined you may still be able to make a purchase whenever online pre-orders are opened. The date for that has yet to be announced. Don't bother hunting for pre-orders on eBay, though; MaxConsole reports that the company is cracking down hard on PS3 sellers, some of whom have been charging as much as $3,000 or more US.
Another story may make you question the value of buying a PS3. Generation Gamerz claims to have confirmed that as a last-minute addition, PS3 kiosks are being fitted with a cooling fan. The source is an employee of a company engineering the kiosks. The company has been unable to replicate the overheating problems seen at the Tokyo Game Show, but for safety's sake, the fans are being installed regardless. The kiosks will probably be running 12 hours a day, after all.
Topping off the news is a genuine confirmation that Xfire will be used in PS3 games like Untold Legends. According to GamesIndustry, Sony says that Xfire will allow cross-platform communication between PC and PS3 gamers. Whether or not the platforms will be able to play against each other is unknown. It would be in Sony's interests, since Microsoft is enabling cross-platform multiplayer through Live Anywhere.
