Sony's next-generation PlayStation 3 console could miss its spring launch if industry specifications for some of its technology are not finalised soon. The PS3 will offer games as well as the ability to play music and watch films, as it seeks to take on rivals Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Revolution. The new console is expected to feature cutting-edge processors and graphics. Sony said if industry specifications on some of the PS3 were not decided soon "the launch could be pushed back". 'Last possible minute' "We're aiming for spring, but we haven't announced specific regions," a spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment said. They said Sony was waiting for final specifications - which are decided by industry consortiums - on some of the technology in the PS3, including that connected to the Blu-ray disc drive and to input and output video and sound. "We're waiting for them until the last possible minute, but the launch could be pushed back if they're not decided soon," the spokesman said. Yuta Sakurai, a senior analyst at Nomura Securities, said he expected Sony to try to launch the PS3 in Japan in early summer, in time for the school holidays in July. Shares hit Other analysts believe the US launch will not be until before November's Thanksgiving holiday, while a European launch is expected in early 2007. "No one is seriously thinking a spring release is realistic any more," said Hiroshi Kamide, an analyst at KBC Securities. Sony shares closed 3.64% down on the Toyko market. "If the launch is delayed, it will be beneficial in the short term, but will be negative from the standpoint of share price," said Merrill Lynch analyst Hitoshi Kuriyama in a research note. "If it is on time, the PS3 will weigh on the company's profitability." Source: BBC News
I can only hope that they don't delay it, can't wait for the likes of Pro Evolution Soccer, Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo.
About 3 months ago seeing this posted would have made me feel gutted. Currently it doesnt bother me because I wont be getting one
I can't wait for it because my PS2 has broke a couple of weeks ago lol, why wont you be getting one nic?
I was promised that one would be pr-ordered for me but teh financial situation at the monute means it now highly unlikely
Suprise, Suprise, it's going to be delayed: Source: BBC News The release of the much awaited PlayStation 3 (PS3) games console has been postponed until November, Japanese electronics group Sony has announced. Technical hitches related to the console's Blu-ray disc drive had forced the delay, Sony said. Sony games chief Ken Kutaragi said they were still finalising agreements on disc copy protection technology. Sony had been aiming for a spring launch for the successor to best-selling PlayStation 2. The news was announced at a hastily convened news conference, after reports of a delay appeared in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan's main financial daily newspaper. The reports had triggered a 1.8% drop in Sony's shares to 5,470 yen ($46.56; £26.67) on the Tokyo market. The PS3 is one of three new gaming consoles promising cutting edge processing and graphical power. Sony has said the console will ship with a 60 GB hard drive and will play games created for both the PlayStation 1 and 2 at higher resolutions than the original. No potential price was given for the console. It will compete with Microsoft's Xbox 360, which went on sale late last year in the US, and Nintendo's Revolution, which is due later this year. Worldwide release So far Sony has dominated the market for home consoles, with its original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 having sold more than 200 million units. It had originally planned to release its new machine in the spring. But instead it is now talking of a November release in Japan, the US and Europe simultaneously. In the past, Sony has staggered the launch of new consoles, with Europe coming a belated third. "We are absolutely delighted that we will be able to bring PS3 to gamers in Europe and Australia before Christmas," said David Reeves, head of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "This is an exciting first for Europe, and is a huge endorsement and vote of confidence in the strength of the European market and its importance globally." The delay means Sony's machine will not be in the shops in the US and Japan until a year after the Xbox 360, giving Microsoft a valuable lead in building up its market share. A problem with the launch of the console could be a major setback for the company which is struggling to revive the performance of its consumer electronics division. In an effort to revive its fortunes the firm has undergone a major restructuring drive involving 10,000 job cuts and 11 factory closures. Sony's performance in the $25bn games industry is set to be one of the key factors determining the success of the firm's turnaround this year.
