Sony delays PS3 launch to November!

[SwedishTom]

If anyone is awaiting the release of Sony's PS3, be prepaired to wait a little bit longer.

Sony on Wednesday confirmed that it's pushing back the worldwide release date for the game console to early November. The company cited delays in finalizing copyright-protection specifications in the Blu-ray standard, which will be the underlying high-definition DVD format for the PS3.

The PS3 had been scheduled to debut this spring. The company is aiming to release the console simultaneously in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Rival Microsoft launched its next-generation Xbox 360 device in November 2005. The PS3 postponement would be a second black mark for Sony, which also faces much higher component costs.

Even with the delay, Sony hopes to ship 6 million units around the globe by the end of the year, Ken Kutaragi, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, said at a press briefing in Tokyo. The company plans to bolster its manufacturing capacity so that it can produce 1 million units per month, he said.

Kutaragi also said that the new PlayStation will have a 2.5-inch 60GB hard drive and will run the Linux operating system.

For game software, the company plans to release titles in the Blu-ray disc format. By producing up to 10 million copies a month, it expects to keep manufacturing costs as low as with current double-layer DVD-ROMs.

Sony also plans to launch a PlayStation Network Platform, an online service, around the time of the PS3 debut. The service is expected to compete with Microsoft's Xbox Live.

Sony is a leader in the game console arena with more than 100 million PlayStation 2s sold worldwide.

Blu-ray is a critical technology for Sony, not only for differentiating the PS3 from the Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Revolution, but also in a DVD standards battle. In that arena, it is up against the HD DVD format being backed by Toshiba.

Michiko Nagai of CNET Japan reported from Tokyo.

[matkavs]

1 Nil to the 360 fans I think! Sony are going to struggle big time to catch up as I think Microsoft will sell a lot more 360s this year now and in Europe next xmas!! Very big error by Sony shelling out so much to incorporate Blue Ray!

I am a microsoft Xbox fan rather than a playstation! Owned the original xbox and found it much better than the playstation!!

My opinion anyway!

[_Mazza_]

I've got a 360 too, I prefer the games for xbox than playstation, microsoft is going to have a big head start now the ps3 won't be released until 2007

[rockykabir]

tbh...us europeans weren't gonna get the PS3 until Spring 2007 anyway - so the worldwide release may benefit us?

However, having said that, looking at the PR disaster that was the XBox 360 worldwide launch, I don't see how things will be different this time round. Especially with Christmas and Sony general ignorance of the european market, I won't be surprised if we get our hands on the PS3 sometime in Summer 2007(!).

[Jon]

I read in the Daily Mail today that it was going to all be released at the same time in US UK and Japan

[rockykabir]

as in, prior to this announcement, the PS3 was supposed to be released in Japan next month, in the US at approx November 2006 and in Europe sometime in Spring 2007. Now, they are planning this simultaneous worldwide release at November

[Simon]

Well i think it will be worth the wait, they kicked nintendos butt with the psp so i cant see why they cant do the same to the xbox...

Loving the spec, but i dont think i'll be impressed with the price (im thinking £400 min)

[rockykabir]

Originally Posted by h2w

Loving the spec, but i dont think i'll be impressed with the price (im thinking £400 min)

Specs don't mean jack. The XBox was a superior machine to the PS2 but look what happened there.

At the end of the day, the bulk of the games will be released on both the 360 and PS3 - and as if the developers will be bothered to recode everything to make it look nicer on the more powerful machine.

Besides, a few unnamed developers are suggesting (on Joystiq I think) that the graphical capabilities aren't significantly better as Sony are suggesting.

[bruffterman]

They're going to have to pull something seriously amazing out of their arse if they're going to justify that price tag, come november MS will have already refined their manufacturing process and will be able to afford to take a price cut. the 360 games will be out of 1st gen and will be looking oh so sweet, and with Intel launching Viiv thus pushing the Media Center into our living rooms, and consequently a media center extender (xbox 360) into the bedroom.

Things are certainly going to be interesting this year.
And lets not forget Sony's all in gamble on Blu-Ray ... if the public isn't interested in blu-ray then the ps3 is going to seem awful expensive, but if the ps3 doesn't get into peoples living rooms then they'll never manage to dominate the market with blu-ray.

[Cyburn]

Well this is good, because if the PS3 had been released in Spring, it would have been £450, but it may be cheaper as it is released in November (£400)

[rockykabir]

Originally Posted by Cyburn

Well this is good, because if the PS3 had been released in Spring, it would have been £450, but it may be cheaper as it is released in November (£400)

I wouldn't count on it mate!

Sony will want to grab as much cash from us europeans

[nayeemsattar]

Thats why I am going for a free one

[rockykabir]

That'll be plenty of referrals....!

My worries about Freepay is becoming a little worrying. I was always a bit mystified why Freepay were willing to give away PS3s for a relatively low number of refs (I think it was 8 right?) even though they had no idea how much it'll cost.

A bit of wishful business thinking? A bit short sighted perhaps?

And now all these random terms and conditions....it looks like Freepay are on the edge here and looking to make ends meet. Maybe they will, maybe they won't...but I'm thinking a lot of people who signed up to ps3s.freepay won't be getting theirs

[BNFswift]

why did it take so long to this