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.