…or maybe not? Thanks to a to a loyal reader for kicking us in the ass by sending us a juicy photo of lots of PS3s hanging out in a Saturn in Vienna, Austria (the “Best Buy” of Austria no less). There are several such stacks throughout the store (estimated around 100 units), which begs the question, did Saturn seriously overstock (probably), are PS3 sales SO high that Saturn *needs* such a large stock or are PS3 sales in Austria seriously that disappointing (probably, again)? Regardless, for €599 ($804) I don’t foresee the PS3 flying off shelves anytime soon here.

In it’s second week available in the UK, sales of the Sony PS3 have dropped drastically, tumbling over 82%, according to the latest sales figures from Chart Track. Without going into specific sales numbers, a spokesperson for Chart Track revealed that PS3 hardware sales have dropped by 82% with software sales slipping 60%. After Sony’s victorious sales data a week prior this must come as a disheartening blow, even considering the natural sales drop after a launch.

Read more: Sony PS3 sales plummet

Poor Sony. They just can’t catch a break. With their overpriced monster of a console failing to ignite the sales charts and now launching in Europe (for around $800 USD after conversion!) to a deafening lull, they have Microsoft trying to trip them up at every turn. From the official PS3 launch party held in Paris, the festivities were rudely interrupted when a barge carrying huge banners stating “XBOX 360 <3 YOU” floated on by, making PS3 fanboys around the world consider taking up high-seas piracy.

Watch video of the drive-by after the jump..

Read more of “Microsoft crashes French PS3 launch party“

Europe’s game industry trade outfit, the ELSPA, have announced a program aimed at reorganizing the body, resulting in some job losses, mostly in the body’s software forensics division. The outfit, funded by games publishers based in Europe, is seeking a greater role for London in the games industry and culture, though why London would be a good choice is beyond me, considering the extremely high costs of living, the large number of European developers and publishers through ought mainland Europe, the relative dreariness of the environment and the hyper-inflated British Pound insuring costs would stay quite high. The group’s 5 year plan focuses on piracy, as well as emerging technologies.

Read more: ELSPA wants London to be ‘global games capital’

Nintendo is going slap-happy congratulating itself on the “successful” European launch, with a reporting sell-through of over 325,000 consoles in 2 days. A great start, if this were say, the UK launch. This was for all of Europe, which as usual is being screwed by Nintendo. Don’t get me wrong, my heart beats Mario-red, but to hell if this is a successful launch when I can’t go out shopping in one of the major European capitals (Vienna, Austria) and even see evidence that a Wii launch occurred. No games, no accessories, no allocated shelf space, maybe signage if the store is really on the ball, but, little else. I can’t wait to see how much of a “success” the PS3 launch will be here in Europe.

Read more: Nintendo sells through 325,000 Wiis in 2 days

There’s currently a firestorm brewing in Germany (and Austria) in regards to the recent school shooting involving a disgruntled student who recently shot up his school, injuring several classmates before killing himself. School tragedies like this are always an unfortunate incident and seem to always be followed by sensationalist reactions from press and politicians alike. Currently, the German and Austrian press are going all out, placing much of the blame on video games and the internet. You see, the shooter was a huge fan of Counter-Strike and also posted videos and his suicide note on the internet. Thus, the media have a perfect pair of scapegoats for which to cover up most adult’s inability to relate to their kids in any way shape or form.

Read more: German teen shoots classmates, kills self

Wow, no matter what Sony does, it really seems like they want the upcoming PS3 launch to fail miserably. With more and more worries being expressed throughout the industry regarding the PSP’s slow decline and the upcoming PS3 launch, one would think Sony would have already locked-in their united message for the future of their gaming division. Not the case it seems, since everytime a Sony rep opens their mouth they somehow end up with their foot placed firmly inside. This time it’s SCE Worldwide’s European VP Jamie MacDonald, whose recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz brought this pleasant little nugget out for the Europeans:

Q: What would you say to consumers who like Sony and want to buy your products, but perhaps feel that because they’re in Europe they’re always last in line?

A: European consumers have shown that historically they don’t mind that, because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan. In Europe, it doesn’t seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan – in the long run – affects how consumers feel.

So, let me get this straight, because the demand is actually there for the product and consumers go out and buy your product when it’s available, that must mean that they must not care that your company constantly treats that region as if it’s a small town in North Dakota? Hmmmm, never, ever have I heard someone say straight out, “yeah, I don’t mind that we’re screwed on release dates here in Europe”, but then again, I’m obviously out of touch and Sony’s marketing analysts really have their fingers to the pulse of the EU market. Shall I go ahead and point out how much more appealing the Wii60 combination is sounding everyday?

Read more: Interview with SCE Worldwide Europe VP Jamie MacDonald

With over 200,000 players signed up for the US beta, Codemasters and Turbine have opened registration in Europe for The Lord of the Rings Online beta round! LOTR Online allows players to role-play in the ongoing struggle for Middle-Earth, exploring detailed realms and joining storyling characters in an evolving and persistent re-creation of the epic Tolkien world. We’re currently waiting to hear if we’ve been accepted, so you can be sure to hear more from us, as we’re really looking forward to this (and Pirates of the Burning Sea).

Read more: Lord of the Rings Online beta signups begin for Europe