Thousands of game fans queued for hours, braving the early morning chill and occasional showers, to get their hands on Sony Corp.'s much-heralded PlayStation 3 game console, as sales started in Tokyo on Saturday. 

The launch of the latest version of its blockbuster game gear pits the PS3 against Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s upcoming Wii in the near $30 billion video game industry.

"I've been waiting for this day to come for so long. I'll play it all through the weekend. No time for meals," said Tomoaki Nakamura, who already owns a PlayStation, a PlayStation 2, a PlayStation Portable handheld machine and an Xbox 360.

Nakamura, 41, was one of about 1,200 people forming a meandering line around electronics retailer Bic Camera Inc.'s flagship Yurakucho shop in central Tokyo.