More pics below from the pre-launch PS3 shenanigans at Oxford Street's Virgin 'Megashop' earlier today, where SPOnG caught up with the first guys (and girl) in the queue.

SPOnG spent most of our time wandering around the shop's superb demo area, as well as catching up with the first few gamers in the UK set to get hold of the PS3.

And, yes, of course, we know that the PS3 (unlike the understocked Wii and 360s at launch) is in plentiful supply and that there's no need to actually physically queue if you really want to get hold of one, but that's not really the point. The point is that it is a major new console launch, and, as is the nature with these things, they require a bit of a celebration, a bit of 'theatre' and - most significantly - a bit of a media hoo-hah so that Sony can ensure that Joe Consumer is fully aware that the thing is (finally) on the shelves.

And it seems that they are certainly making a good job of doing that, as both Channel 5 and ITN news crews were behind SPOnG in the queue to interview the first few in the PS3 queue, with a growing crowd of both specialist and mainstream journalists gathering behind them. Cynics might say that there were more press there than punters. And they would be correct, but hey, that's kind of THE POINT.

SPOnG will be heading back down to Virgin later this evening to catch Casino Royale on the big screen and to bring you more updates, pictures and news from the shopfloor launch camp. It sure beats taking your life into your own hands by camping out on the street of broken dreams outside, where the crackheads and the angry drunks roam...