Recently, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced its plans to release the Playstation 3 Starter Pack in Europe. The pack represents high value for money including the console system, 2 SIXAXIS wireless controllers and 2 first party games, set to retail at £425.

The selection of first party games is dependent of the entertainment interests in the region where it will be sold and includes titles such as Resistance Fall of Man and MotorStorm.  This provides a great opportunity for those who purchase the system to test out the stunning graphics and gameplay that the PlayStation 3 hardware  allows.

The addition of the SIXAXIS wireless controller is also great news as it allows for multiplayer action, straight out of the box, in the gamers home. The Playstation 3 Starter Pack will be available in the UK from 18^th July and all other European territories from 1^st August.  The question is; will this pack push the sales of PS3 units in Europe? The reality is that it is very like to increase sales as the overall pack does represent value for money.

Microsoft offered a very similar deal some time back with their Xbox 360. Microsoft’s package included 2 games, an additional wireless controller and Live starter pack. It does seem that Sony is employing a similar strategy to Microsoft in order to gain greater market share. Personally I am very interested to see how Microsoft responds to this over the coming months.

Polyphony Digital has announced Gran Turismo 5 Prologue as a lead up to the much anticipated Gran Turismo 5. The developer recently released Gran Turismo: High Definition for the PlayStation 3 as a download. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue will however for the first time show the true potential of the racing simulator as it uses the full power of the Playstation 3 hardware. A new trailer and screenshots were of course released at E3 and from what I have seen it’s looking quite nice.

At E3 2005, Guerrilla Games released a trailer of what was claimed to be the next installment of Killzone. The trailer was shown at the same show where Sony Computer Entertainment, for the first time unveiled the PlayStation 3 console. The Killzone trailer of 2005 was very impressive but raised the eyebrows of many gamers who considered the graphics previewed in the trailer to be unachievable even with the powerful hardware of the PS3. Skeptics labeled the trailer as ‘pre-rendered’ and Guerrilla Games had very little to comment on this. Two years have passed and Guerrilla Games had since released no new images or video until now at E3 2007.

The new trailer begins in a very similar fashion as the original and if you have seen the Killzone E3 2005 trailer you will definitely see the familiarity. I have watched the trailer and I can say that while impressive in its own right, graphically it does not live up to the original trailer. This shouldn’t surprise gamers as we have generally seen the capabilities of the PS3 which has ever since led me to believe that the target render of 2005 was quite frankly ‘overboard’.

The story itself takes place two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta. This time the ISA is entering their enemy’s homeland of Helghan to capture Emperor Visari and bring an end to the war. The player will assume the role of Sev, a highly trained soldier of the special forces unit – Legion. Sev is accompanied by a squad who in turn must work together to power their way through the planets hostile conditions and the enemy forces which stand in their way.

The atmosphere of the game is overall dark and moody. There is also what appears to be an electrical storm circulating through the air. This is visible in the trailer as electricity constantly sparks throughout the sky. Could this be the planets hostile conditions? Game play wise, Killzone 2 is reminding me of Gears of War on the Xbox 360. With the exception of being a first person shooter (FPS), Killzone 2 seems to have that ‘hide & shoot’ element of game play that was prevalent in Gears of War.

I expect Guerrilla Games to release more juicy images and trailers from this point in.

After much anticipation, Silent Hill 5 has been announced for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

The next installment of this game will follow Alex Shepherd, a war veteran returning from an overseas call of duty. Alex returns home after he learns that his brother, Joshua has gone missing (Yes, typical Silent Hill stuff). Of course Alex’s investigations lead him to the freaky town of Silent Hill…

Silent Hill V will draw players into a dark hellish world once again, while the the new story will continue to shed new light and uncover further mysteries surrounding the seemingly abandoned town of Silent Hill. Building upon the series’ trademark foundations of atmosphere, adventure and storytelling, Silent Hill V introduces players to a frightening new experience and more control than ever over its central character.

Silent Hill 5 will deliver the next level of game play and graphics. We expect this title to truly frighten you. Be scared…be very scared.

Konami has yet again managed to impress its Metal Gear Solid fans at this years E3 with the release of the new MGS4 trailer and images. Fans eagerly awaiting this title, exclusive to the PS3, can rest assured that the game is set for a simultaneous worldwide release early in 2008. For the first time Kojima has previewed the character of Vamp, whom gamers of the series may recall from Metal Gear Solid 2. Enthusiasts of the series will also be glad to hear English voice overs featured in the new trailer with David Hayter continuing his voice over role as Solid Snake. Metal Gear Solid 4 could very possibly be the game of 2008.