The Game begins on PS3

An open-ended online challenge designed to get everyone talking about PS3.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced the launch of The Game, an open-ended, online challenge that's been designed to get everyone talking about PS3.

The idea is simple: two Teams, thousands of players, endless entertainment. Players prove their skill and knowledge through a series of challenges made up of ready-made mini-games and quizzes, and then create challenges of their own to pass on to others.

The Game begins at StartPS3.com. The full game must be accessed via PC, but you can also keep track of what’s going via your PlayStation 3 browser. Enter your email, choose a log-in name and choose your Team.

You’re either Team A or Team B. It doesn’t matter which; it only matters that when The Game ends your Team has more points. You can also use The Game’s functionality to recruit social networking friends to your team and get them playing. There’s a wealth of quiz questions and mini-games – pool simulators, target games, and tests of speed and skill – available to play.

Lasting for a whole year, The Game is split up into four themed stages that reflect different aspects of the PS3 experience.

"Like PS3, which inspired it, The Game is easy to understand, to play and to share with friends," says Mark Bowles, European Product Manager for PS3 at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "It's giving people a taste of the world of PS3 - an ever-changing world that's open to everybody - a world shaped by players' passions and where the game is just the start."

Besides bragging rights, if you're on the winning team you will be rewarded with digital rewards, such as screensavers and game trailers.

Enter The Game by visiting www.ps3-thegame.com.