The price of games for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s upcoming PlayStation 3 console is getting a little clearer.

Software for the soon-to-be-launched machine has begun appearing on online shopping sites like Amazon.com and Sony's SonyStyle and almost all the games carry a US$60 price tag.

That's more expensive than many games for the PlayStation 2, which typically carry a price tag of between $20 and $40, with the most popular titles costing $50.

The higher price is likely to come as little surprise to gamers. Many have been expecting to pay more for games for the new console. The PlayStation 3 is much more expensive than those that have gone before it. It will be launched first in Japan on Nov. 11 in two versions, the cheapest of which will cost ?49,800 (US$425). Six years ago, when the PlayStation 2 went on sale, it cost ?39,800.

Still, the prices could be good news for some. Gaming sites were abuzz with rumors from last weekend's Tokyo Game Show that PlayStation 3 software was going to cost around $100, although no such announcements were made at the show.