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.

(More pics here. Thanks to Hyku and Rey from PSNation for additional photos)

We’ve rented out a building on the corner of 2nd and Trinity, and we’re converting it to the PlayStation Lounge for SXSW Interactive. We’ll be bringing a lot of unreleased games to show to media during the day. But why let them have all the fun?

So, because sources tell me that things are, indeed, bigger in Texas – we’re holding not one, but two meetups this weekend!

So don’t make any plans for this Friday or Sunday evening, as we’re dying to give you a chance to play Ratchet & Clank All 4 One & Resistance 3, and SOCOM 4, respectively. We’ll also be bringing some great prizes to give out. Attendance is free, as are the refreshments, and you *don’t* need a SXSW badge to join us.

Here’s everything you need to know:

When:
Friday, March 11th 5-8pm (Ratchet & Clank All 4 One and Resistance 3)
Sunday, March 13th 4-7pm (SOCOM 4)

Where:
PlayStation Lounge
333 East 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701

Who:
You, as long as you’re 18 or older. Bring your ID!

RSVP here (must be 18+) for Ratchet & Clank All 4 One / Resistance 3 and RSVP here for SOCOM 4; you’re welcome to attend both.

We expect big things from our first Texas meetup, and we hope to see you there!
Holler below with any questions.