Impact: If any title can spark hardware sales momentum for the PlayStation 3, Metal Gear Solid 4 is that game. While Sony likely would rather see the game release closer to when consumers have Christmas gift money still in their pockets, a second quarter ship date probably will be better for retailers. Getting a huge franchise title in-store during the usually uneventful sales months leading into summer can boost consumer excitement and lead to other impulse purchases. As Square Enix has shown with Kingdom Hearts, and Blizzard with Diablo and World of Warcraft, huge franchises will sell huge whenever they are released.