In Europe, the PlayStation 3 is gaining recognition as being more than just a gaming console, but also for being a home entertainment hub as well. The recent award that the PS3 bagged from the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) is proof of that.

With the reward in tow, the PS3 is scheduled to go on tour across the UK come the holidays. The "PlayStation 3 UK Tour" event is to start on October 1 and continue on until the end of December.

Sony's powerhouse will be hitting big places like the O2 Arena (OMG! The PS3 will have a concert?), shopping malls, universities, and even train stations.

The goal of this tour is to expose the consumers to the PlayStation 3's non-gaming functions. SCE UK trade marketing manager Rosemary Buahin states:

The main aim of the PS3 UK Tour is to showcase those capabilities which stretch beyond the realms of gaming to include HD pictures, music, photography, PlayStation Network and PSP compatibility. PlayStation 3 is a super-computer that fits naturally in the living room environment. With this in mind, we have created demonstration units which will allow consumers to freely experience the PS3 throughout the tour.

Specific details of events in certain locations are yet to be revealed. Maybe they'll be showing Blu-ray movies to college students. After all, EISA gave the award to the PS3 as the gadget of the year simply because of that: Blu-ray.

Remember last week when the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awarded the PS3 with the "Best Home Entertainment Gadget of the Year" title? Well, you can either take this as good news or bad news, but still, it's news nonetheless. EISA has just confirmed the reason why PS3 bagged the award: it's because of Blu-ray.

The EISA committee, composed of 50 editors of electronics magazine spanning 20 European countries, awarded the PS3 despite its being a games console as well.

Not to say that that's bad. If you'd recall, SCEE prez David Reeves himself was quoted to have said that they've very honored for being able to "receive [an award] for a product that is usually thought of as simply a games machine." So, with that, how's it both good and bad news at the same time? Judging from what we've been hearing online, it depends on how you look at it.

The wet blanket folks feel as if all the PS3's purpose was Blu-ray and not games (booo!). The "silver lining on the cloud" types, on the other hand, feel as honored as David Reeves for owning a games console that's (even more so now, because of the award) being recognized as a home entertainment hub.