PlayStation at SXSW: A Texas-Sized Thanks

We weren’t really sure what to expect at South by Southwest. Sure, we knew the BBQ would be plentiful and delicious (and it was), but we also knew that with dozens of open parties per night and hundreds of bands playing across the downtown area, that there’d be plenty of competition for attention.

Fortunately, Austin was filled with PlayStation fans. From the time crews began setting up the PlayStation Lounge on the corner of 2nd and Trinity, people started poking their heads in, wondering when we were going to open. Even TV crews stopped by to see what we were building.

The end result was a custom branded PlayStation shrine, complete with an attention-grabbing rooftop LED jumbotron.

When we finally opened the doors Thursday, both SXSW attendees and local Austinites streamed in to play Resistance 3, SOCOM 4, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One, and see UNCHARTED 3 demoed in 3D. Over 500 of you passed through the doors each night, ensuring that the PlayStation Lounge was a hot ticket (even on the SXSW Hotspots app).

Much like Comic-Con, celebrities can be seen walking the city streets at SXSW, and a couple dropped by the PlayStation Lounge. Brittany Snow went hands on with Ratchet and Clank All 4 One and wielded the PlayStation Move sharp shooter in SOCOM 4, while Rosario Dawson played a new demo of inFAMOUS 2. Dawson in particular is a huge gamer, and in addition to crushing it with Cole, she chatted with me on her anticipation of Batman: Arkham City.

Of course, we also handed out prizes, like PlayStation Move Sports Champions PS3 bundles, and Killzone 3 Limited Helghast Editions (like the retail Helghast Edition, except that the eyes actually light up – we only made a few of these).

Overall, it was a fantastic time, so thanks to all of you who came out to visit, and to the city of Austin for being such a great host. Oh, and for making some awesome BBQ.