PlayStation 3 fans were preparing for a sleepless night ahead of Saturday's launch of Sony's hotly awaited new console but the hype has been tempered by fears of an over-reliance on recycled hits.
While the PlayStation's legion of Japanese fans are expected to queue up early to jostle for one of the prized new consoles, some analysts are questioning whether the PS3 has the 'wow factor' yet to be a real blockbuster. "Content-wise, the PS3 doesn't look that impressive," said Hiroshi Kamide, a game analyst at KBC Securities.
"The key issue is that software developers weren't given enough preparation time and are waiting on the sidelines to figure out how the PS3 will fare against its competitors." Sony brushes aside such concerns, promising a mix of ultra-fast and realistic versions of existing favourites as well as new titles.
New titles were important but old favourites such as 'Gran Turismo', 'Metal Gear Solid', 'Devil May Cry' and 'Final Fantasy' were also crucial, she said. Five games will be available for the PS3 on the launch day including software giant Namco Bandai's "Ridge Racer 7" and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight" of the hugely popular Gundam series. Sony Computer Entertainment meanwhile will release two games, "GENJI" and "Resistance: Fall of Man."