TOKYO —  Sony Corp. (SNE) said on Wednesday it would offer 27 playable games for its PlayStation 3 at the Tokyo Game Show next month, a sign of progress in critical software development ahead of the November launch of the latest version of its blockbuster game console.

Sony, which competes with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Nintendo Co. Ltd in the global video game market, offered 13 playable PS3 software titles at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show in Los Angeles in May.

Having a wide range of popular software at the time of the launch is considered crucial for success in the game console market.

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Any indication of how the upcoming console could fare is closely watched, as the success or failure of the game machine would exert a far-reaching impact on Sony's group-wide performance.

At stake is not just pole position in the nearly $30 billion global video game industry, but dominance in next-generation DVDs and the commercial viability of Sony's Cell microchips, co-developed by Toshiba Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)

"It doesn't necessarily mean everything is running according to plan, but it's good to hear some positive development concerning the PlayStation 3," KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said.

Playable games at the Tokyo Game Show, which will run from September 22 to September 24, will include such titles as "Ridge Racer 7" from Namco Bandai Holdings Inc. and Capcom Co. Ltd.'s "Devil May Cry 4."

Shares in Sony closed down 0.2 percent at 5,250 yen, underperforming the Tokyo stock market's electrical machinery index IELEC, which gained 0.21 percent.