Unlike Microsoft and Nintendo, who chose not to go up on stage to sing and dance, Sony put on somewhat of an interesting press conference which included games and a fair bit of hardware announcements. And since anything SCEE said at Leipzig pertained to Europe alone, SCEA put up a blog post detailing the North American version.

Here’s the breakdown:

PlayStation 3 with 160 GB Hard Drive

• November for $499.99  USD/CAD
• Comes with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
• DualShock 3
• Voucher for PSN game PAIN

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Is it a surprise? Just like how the original Dual Shock replaced the Dual Analog controller during the PSOne days, the Dual Shock 3 will officially kill off the Sixaxis controller. If that’s the case, I guess I will be keeping my Sixaxis controllers for the sake of rarity. 

People should be expecting the Dual Shock 3 next week.

P.S - If you’re wondering which current/upcoming PS3 games will support rumble, see the official list here.

I don’t believe I mentioned it before, but I did place an order for a black Dual Shock 3 from Japan. This was about a week or so before the Dual Shock 3 announcement. Fortunately, it only cost me $54.99 USD flat. No taxes, no custom fees or even shipping. Funny how it was cheaper to import the controller than to wait and purchase it from a store here. I may actually order another one since the deal is so great. That would make it my second import item, ever. (Excluding eBay purchases)

Well enough about how much it costs. How does the controller feel? Its looks and button layout are unchanged from to the SIXAXIS, but it is significantly heavier — which could very well be a good thing. Some say the SIXAXIS is too light and even a tad too flimsy. When squeezing or twisting the SIXAXIS, you can hear the squeaking of plastic. Not with the Dual Shock 3 though; the build quality is excellent.

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Finally, one of the main reasons why I purchased a PS3 has a confirmed release date. Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot will finally be released on June 12th, 2008 for the PlayStation 3. In addition, the rumble enabled Dual Shock 3 controller will be released on April 15th, 2008 for an MSRP of $54.99 USD. (Just in time for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue)

Prospective PS3 owners will also get an opportunity to purchase a new 80 GB PS3 bundle which includes both the Dual Shock 3 and MGS4 for an MSRP of $499.99 USD. A hell of a deal if you’re a fan of MGS and have yet to pick up one.

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