Sony Prices First-Party PS3 Launch Titles

According to official retail information from Japan, Sony has revealed that two of its major PlayStation 3 launch titles will cost 5900 yen ($49.50) when released on November 11th. The two games to debut on November 11th, the console's Japanese launch day, are Resistance: Fall Of Man from U.S. developer Insomniac, and Genji from Japanese creator Game Republic - Evolution Studios' MotorStorm will also cost 5900 yen when it launches on December 7th. Sony's first-party pricing in Japan is therefore cheaper than many might have predicted - in the U.S., first-party PS3 titles will go for $59, meaning a rare case in which the Japanese recommended retail price will be less than the Western one at current exchange rates. However, it's worth noting that a recent Gamasutra retail survey from Japan revealed that Xbox 360 third-party titles in the territory such as Zegapain XOR cost around 6599 yen ($55.10), reduced slightly from a recommended retail price of around 6800 yen ($58). This next-gen pricing hit makes it possible (though not confirmed) that most Japanese PS3 third-party games will retail for 6800 yen as well, but the Japanese market seems prone to pricing complex RPGs or much-awaited games at higher prices - in an extreme case, Tecmo's Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2 for Xbox 360 is retailing for 9240 yen ($79).