Launch games

Let’s quickly mention that the PS3 units that will be on store shelves this Friday will have a Blu-Ray version of the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby inside. Granted it’s not a game, but the PS3 version of the movie is coming out a few weeks before the movie shows up separately on store shelves so that’s something. One thing the PS3 version won’t come with is an HDMI cable which means that the 1080p support won’t work unless you buy your own HDMI cable (again, provided that your own TV supports that resolution).

So let’s say you manage to get a PS3 console on Friday. Are there any PS3 games that you can play on it? (the console is also supposed to play PS1 and PS2 games although there will likely be a few exceptions) There will certainly be a lot more available on launch day than there was in Japan which had a whopping five titles for sale. Sony put out a list of 21 games that will be released from now until the end of the year for the console. Unfortunately that list is already inaccrate as two of the games mentioned (F.E.A.R. and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) have been pushed back until early 2007. Several of the other games won’t be available on November 17 and have been pushed back until sometime before the end of the year. The games we are listing today are confirmed as PS3 “Day One” launch games:


Resistance: Fall Of Man
Perhaps the most highly anticipated original game in the PS3 launch library, this first person shooter from developer Insomniac takes place in an alternate 1951 where history as we know it never happened and the US and British armies have to fight off some kind of demon-alien-monster invasion. In addition to great graphics, some innovative weapons and co-op play, Resistance: Fall of Man will have multiplayer support of up to 40 players, a new record for a console shooter.

Genji: Days of the Blade
This Japanese style sword action game promises to keep the “hack and slash” gamer fans happy with four playable characters and hundreds of enemies on screen

Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
Sony Online Entertainment, the folks behind the Everquest MMORPG series, bring forth this PS3 fantasy action-RPG that is based on the fictional universe in their PSP games. As with Resistance, the game will feature online and co-op modes along with the action-RPG elements and some impressive in-game physics.

Ridge Racer 7
Namco’s last game in their sport car racing series came out for the Xbox 360 last year but this year the franchise jumps ship to the PS3. You can do all those cool drifting moves that the kids are all talking about alone with 40 cars, 20 tracks and online support for up to 14 players.

NBA 07
Sony’s homegrown PS3 basketball game has one thing that no other PS3 launch title has. It will have full support for the console’s 1080p resolution.

Mobile Suit Gundum: Crossfire
Namco’s other PS3 entry is the latest game in its mech action game series. This squad based action game will have over 30 mobile suits that you can customize to your hearts content.

In addition to the PS3 exclusives, games that have been previously released on other platforms will also be released for the console for launch day. These include

Madden 07, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, and Need For Speed Carbon from Electronic Arts.

NBA 2K7 and NHL 2K7 from 2K Sports.

Call of Duty 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Tony Hawk’s Project 8 from Activision.

As we said before there will be other PS3 games released before the end of the year and we will post them up in our weekly New Games This Week feature every Sunday.