PlayStation 3 Launch Delayed in Europe
Written By: Joseph Gillespie
Sony today revealed that the PlayStation 3 will not be available in Europe, until March 2007. Many months behind it's earlier announced November 2006 "Global" release. However, Ken Kutaragi the head of Sony's global computer entertainment division, said that the PlayStation 3 is still scheduled for launch in November 2006 for the US and Japan. That severely limits the PlayStation 3's "global release" strategy.
The European delay is being blamed on problems with the ability to mass-produce certain hardware required for the PS3's Blu-Ray Disk Drive. In addition to the delay in Europe, Sony now says it will only be able to launch 2 Million Units in November (in the US and Japan) which is much less than the 6 Million units it claimed would ship previously. Sony currently plans to ship 2 Million units by the end of December, and 6 Million by March. Kutaragi was quoted at Sony's Global Headquarters in Tokyo as saying that he was sorry for the delay, and that Sony felt it would be better to focus on the US & Japan markets due to the shortage. "I am so sorry not to be able to answer all the expectations." He said.
The specific problem with the production of the PlayStation 3 seems to involve the ability to mass-produce the Blue Lase Diodes required to read the game and movie DVDs. This is not the first time Sony has delayed the PlayStation 3 due to Blu-Ray production issues. The original release date in Spring of 2006 (which many claim was never an actual release, but a marketing counter to the Xbox 360 release) was delayed due to problems with the copy protection on Blu-Ray disks. In past releases, Sony had always staggered the release dates among countries, with Europe usually coming in last. However, with the Global Launch of the Xbox 360, the Global Launch of the Nintendo Wii, and the delay caused by the copy protection, Sony declared a Global Launch for the PlayStation 3 instead. David Reeves, head of Sony Europe, said at that time, "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." Now with the new news of a Europe only delay, which will push the PlayStation 3 release back almost 4 months for Europe only, it is a sad day for European Sony fans.
This Holiday season, in Europe at least, the Xbox 360 will be the only next-gen option. This will likely mean more sales for Microsoft, and inevitably take a bite, however small, out of Sony in the long run. Ray Maguire, senior vice president and managing director of Sony UK, said, "We are extremely disappointed at news of this delay, and can truly empathise with everyone who was looking forward to PS3's imminent release. We will however be working tirelessly to ensure that the March 2007 launch, is the biggest and best in the company's history."
Sony began introducing the PlayStation 3 to retailers in Europe last week, and many were hoping to begin selling Pre-Orders as early as September. With the news of the delay though, those thoughts have been extinguished. Tim Ellis, head of games for HMV, commented that the delay was a huge disappointment for gamers, as well as retailers, both of which had been waiting for the launch of the PlayStation 3 for the majority of 2006. "It also presents a major opportunity to Microsoft to consolidate Xbox's position in the market, while Nintendo have a great chance to launch and firmly establish Wii." Mr Ellis added.
And indeed it does. As mentioned above the Xbox 360 will be undisputed (in Europe) this Holiday Season, unless Nintendo were to announce the launch of the Wii before Christmas (though this is highly unlikely). With the Xbox 360 again in the number one position for the next generation consoles, and Halo 3 right around the corner, it's sure to be a profitable Holiday season for Microsoft.
Last Modified: September 6th, 2006
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