First Impressions of Sony's PlayStation 3!

Although Sony's PlayStation 3 has already been shown in prototype form at various trade events for more than a year now, most sightings have been of development kits only. We finally got a look at the console in action at the Tokyo Game Show today.

In Sony's own booth, about a dozen home-spun games were playable, with several more on display for eye-candy value alone. The standout titles drawing most attention from the huge first-day crowds of journalists, exhibitors, and assorted hangers-on were "Gran Turismo HD"--a racing game being demoed in mock-ups of sports-car cockpits--and "Minna No Golf 5" (Everybody's Golf 5), a fun golfing game that looked remarkably similar to the versions already available for other platforms.

The game console is due to go on sale in the U.S. on November 17, but Sony has already announced that it expects to ship far fewer PS3s than originally announced due to component shortages.

High-Definition Gaming:

Away from the games at the Sony booth, it appears that Sega has the best lineup of PS3 games. The outstanding title there was clearly "Power Smash 3," a tennis game that is presented in full 1080p high-definition resolution, which makes it appear closer to a simulation than a traditional game.

Hi-def gaming may take some getting used to, however. For example, close-ups of tennis star James Blake's shaven head that were shown between points were more than a little off-putting. Scratch beneath the glossy hi-def surface, though, and actual game play was surprisingly simple and easy to grasp. That caused a traffic jam of players so engaged that they had to be ushered along to keep the line moving and allow someone else a turn.

Other Sega standards were also out in impressive force. These included "Virtual Fighter 5" and "Sega Golf Club." The former game could hardly fail to impress, with detailed renditions of blizzards of sakura cherry blossoms falling from background trees and realistic-looking Japanese temples. Sega's golf title, on the other hand, looked slightly dated, especially when compared with the Sony golf offering.

Finally, not all PS3 games on show were complete. One of the most interesting games still on the drawing board, but available to lust over, was previewed under the working title of "Lair" and is surely the first high-definition fire-breathing dragon-riding game for any console.

I will have the list of all the next upcoming games that will be releasing on the PS3 in the next day or show. Just want to make sure I dont miss out on any games. So you might to be on the look out for that. Stay Tuned!