History of the PS3 Release Date

The first PS3 was shown to the public at the E3 conference on May 16, 2005. Although a functional form of the system was not present at the event, a demonstration was held using comparable PC software.

The PS3 was released in Japan on November 11, 2006. The console sold over 80,000 units in the first 24 hours of its debut.

The North American PS3 release date was November 17, 2006. It wasn't until March 23, 2007 that the console went on sale in Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.

When the PS3 was released in North America, several incidents of violence were reported. Some customers camped out to buy the console were robbed, while others were shot with a BB gun by drive-by hoodlums.