PlayStation3 Delayed

[Benji]

But still on track to arrive in Japan and North America this November

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that the release date for PlayStation 3 in PAL territories has been pushed back until March 2007.

In an official statement, Sony said the decision to revise the launch date was taken following "the delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode within the Sony Group, thus affecting the timely procurement of key components to be utilised in PlayStation 3."

Consumers in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia will now have to wait until March to get their hands on a PS3. However, the console is still on track to launch in Japan on November 11 and in North America on November 17. Sony still plans to ship 6 million PS3 units globally before the end of the 2007 fiscal year.

Blue laser diodes are a key component of the PS3's Blu-Ray drive. Rumours of a shortage began to emerge just days ago, with reports suggesting that Sony had suspended shipment of the diodes to customers making standalone Blu-Ray players - but it would seem that wasn't enough to ensure there would be enough consoles to go round in November.

Sony's plans for a global launch in November were first announced by Ken Kutaragi back in March. The announcement came as a surprise to many industry observers who had predicted a staggered release schedule and a 2007 launch date for Europe - but at E3, SCEA president Kaz Hirai confirmed November release dates for all three territories.

News of the delay will no doubt please executives at Microsoft, which managed to pull off a global launch of the Xbox 360 last year. There were problems with hardware shortages but last month, Microsoft Europe boss Chris Lewis pledged that there will be no shortfall this Christmas - and with only the Nintendo Wii to compete against, MS could be set to clean up.

I don't care about the PS3 release, but that last sentence made me laugh. Clearly whoever wrote that last piece has no clue, the Wii has become one of the most anticipated release consoles I've heard of what with it's cheap tag on release, innovative new hardware, dedication to internet and the old games as well as some great first party and non-first party releases on debut.

But yeah, my new phrase for the PS3, "Who gives a shit?".

[Numbahs]

That last line is the real moral of the story. Plus, with a price drop, I think they would do nice numbers against PS3 anyway.

[Momo]

My day is officially ruined. I actually expected as much and now this gives me more time to raise the cash but i'm still not happy. Sony better drop the price substantially to make up for this (I wish). I'll be getting a Wii first now though. Was going to get it anyway, but no it seems like my only real option for this year.

[Benji]

My day is officially ruined. I actually expected as much and now this gives me more time to raise the cash but i'm still not happy. Sony better drop the price substantially to make up for this (I wish). I'll be getting a Wii first now though. Was going to get it anyway, but no it seems like my only real option for this year.

Crikey, it's only a video games console :ohwell:

[Numbahs]

A video game system that costs three times the competitor that is releasing at the same time, no less....

[Momo]

My day is officially ruined. I actually expected as much and now this gives me more time to raise the cash but i'm still not happy. Sony better drop the price substantially to make up for this (I wish). I'll be getting a Wii first now though. Was going to get it anyway, but no it seems like my only real option for this year.

Crikey, it's only a video games console :ohwell:

Edited September 6, 2006 by The Prototype

[stokeriño]

Damn it, I'd like to be able to feel as though I want that little laminator-lookalike, but more and more reason just keep coming for me to instead buy my first Nintendo console since the SNES.

[Benji]

My day is officially ruined. I actually expected as much and now this gives me more time to raise the cash but i'm still not happy. Sony better drop the price substantially to make up for this (I wish). I'll be getting a Wii first now though. Was going to get it anyway, but no it seems like my only real option for this year.

Crikey, it's only a video games console :ohwell:

And for me, it's the end of the day so I'm officially allowed.

EDIT: And you fail at life for the Steve Irwin reference

... right. First, didn't even realise I'd done it (though I had just been reading news reports, I'm so easilly influenced ), second, why do I care?

Edited September 6, 2006 by Benji O' Doom~!

[-A-]

MS will still profit from this immensely. Remember that the user overlap between the 360 and the Wii is much smaller than between the 360 and the PS3. MS has been promoting the idea of owning a Wii and a 360 because they know that they have different functions and approaches to gaming.

If nothing else, every month that goes by without PS3s in shops will mean more people buying 360s - and very, very few people are going to buy a PS3 if they already have a 360.

In terms of the 'cleaning up' comment, I think it's perfectly justified. With Live, MS are making stupid amounts of money from flogging Arcade games and developers likewise with add-ons. Production costs for 360 games are still relatively low because of the similarity with PC architecture. All of these mean that the 360 might actually be a profitable product for MS, as unbelievable as that seemed after the loss leader that was the original X-Box. Sony, on the other hand, can potentially lose a bomb.

[Benji]

I didn't even think of that, but it's a very good point, I fully intend to buy a 360 and Wii simply because I can afford them and get far more out of them.

Sony has royally fucked itself, there's no way in hell they're going to lead this generation war this time in my view. No-one cares that much about image quality, which Sony seem obsessed with. Sure, good graphics are nice, but the point of games and consoles isn't pretty pictures, it's playability and fun.

[GoGo Yubari]

As long as the Wii sells well I couldn't care less about what the other two do, but I AM intending to get a 360 eventually. Just... not this fall.

I have to say, though, that the continued self-destruction of the PS3 is fucking hilarious.

[therockbox]

Aren't they actually promoting the Wii as a second console anyway, though? Especially at the price it's going to be, chances are if you can afford a 360 then you can afford a Wii as well.

[-A-]

The Wii is the party console, that's how Nintendo are promoting it. Their stated aim at the beginning of development was to recreate the game arcade in the home - seeing how various hardware types were able to attract different gamers; and how most people enjoy competing with others 'in the flesh'.

With the DS they've managed to lure in all kinds of demographics that aren't typical gamers - namely girls and over-30s. Now the Wii's technology means they can create intuitive games based on anything they want, be it painting, cooking or conducting an orchestra. That's why the price is so low, really - so marginal gamers can still be attracted.

EDIT: Yeah ... uh ... and that's bad for the PS3 btw.

Edited September 6, 2006 by The Judge

[MDK]

Which means the Wii is good for me since I will be at Uni soon.

[LocoJCD]

lol Ken fails at life!

[The Kraig]

I'm seriously glad I wasn't planning on getting a PS3. Or I'd be raging.

I mean, it's bad enough us UKers have to wait for a PAL version of English-spoken games (which are already availiable in North America in NTSC months or years before). But now, we have to wait longer for the consoles themselves? Lame.

[Benji]

lol Ken fails at life!

Uh... what?

Isn't PlayStation3 region free I thought, Kraigy?

[Buford Ripley]

Dan, where is your Sony god now?

[Herr Matzat]

oh my god, people ow must wait longer to get more games they don´t have time to play, this is baaaad, baaaaaaaad i say, sony will clearly die!

[Buford Ripley]

BWAHAHA!

As the millions of Sony fanboys get turned away in droves they shall arrive in the domain of Nintendo and Bill Gates!!!

>_>