backtop

Print E-mail del.icio.us 82 comment(s) - last by devnull31.. on Sep 23 at 11:55 AM

Sony's Ken Kutaragi
Sony revises its PS3 launch schedule

Well, here's some rather interesting news from the Sony camp. Sony has originally planned on a November 17 global launch for the PlayStation 3, but those plans have been completely hosed. It is now reported that Sony will delay the launch of the PS3 in Europe until March of 2007. To make matters even worse, Sony is only going to make available 500,000 total units split between the United States (400,000) on November 17 and Japan (100,000) on November 11.

"We decided to focus on the Japanese and U.S. markets. I am so sorry not to be able to answer to all the expectations," said Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi. Problems with manufacturing blue laser diodes are putting a serious strain on PS3 production and are part of the reason for the delay and low launch numbers. Kutaragi went on to say “We've been working hard to try to tackle the problem, but we see the delay is inevitable."

Mass production of Sony's Cell processor isn't even expected to start until the end of this month according to Kutaragi. And as a result of this production snag, Sony has revised its shipping estimates from 4 million units at the end of 2006 to just 2 million. Bottom line: if you thought you were going to have trouble getting a PS3 this year, your chances just got much worse.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
i guess...
By Xavian on 9/6/2006 9:14:30 AM , Rating: 3
I guess that means they lied about their 'worldwide' launch in november.

Since Sony has lied about the PS3 virtually through-out its development, its no shocker right now.

This delay in Europe and poor amounts of units shipped to US and Japan (Japan will only get 100,000), will only strengthen Nintendo and Microsofts position. Now Nintendo is in the perfect launch position, poised to launch in europe with only the 360 as its competition and with a much larger amount of units available to compete in the US and Japan.

The problem i see with Sony, is that Europe since the Playstation has been Sonyland, virtually no other console came close to the Playstation/2 in Europe, now they have abandoned their userbase in that region for 4-5 months. This is more than enough for either Nintendo or Microsoft to establish a foothold in europe and take over the market (considering Europe likes Nintendo Machines more then Microsoft's i'd say Nintendo has a greater chance of doing it).

In Japan the Wii will crush the PS3 in unit sales simply because the hype for the Wii is about the same if not higher than the PS3 in Japan, but Nintendo will have the units to supply, Sony wont.

The US seems to be the only market Sony could possibly gain from this, with the largest amount of units heading there, they could be market leader, however in the US it seems the competition will be at its most feirce, with Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony having well established fanbases there, it could be the closest battle we have seen for quite some time.




RE: i guess...
By rushfan2006 on 9/6/2006 10:42:07 AM , Rating: 1
Explain to me how its called "lying" just because a company pushes back a launch/release date on its product? If changing a release date is lying then guess what -- many many companies are lying all the time then not just Sony. There's a reason its beyond rare for a company to announce a release date as a solid "promise"....lots of factors, mostly budgetary/financial ones come into play during a product's "life" to get ready for launch. Release dates are estimations, projections....they can't foresee development or supply chain issues any more than a weather forecaster can foresee the EXACT weather that will happen next month -- today.

And finally I'd like to add its entertaining how folks overestimate the influence a game console will have on the "HD format wars"....WORLDWIDE there is what 100 MILLION PS2, Xbox AND Xbox 360 game consoles -- and that is even highly ambitious. Meanwhile there is some 2 BILLION TV sets in the world. Telling me there are FAR more people who likely have no interest in game consoles but they watch tv, further leading me to believe this same group of people carries MUCH MUCH more influence over the format wars than the consoles/console buyers do.


RE: i guess...
By Xavian on 9/6/2006 11:44:12 AM , Rating: 4
First i never mentioned the HD format wars. Second, yes companies push back products from time to time, however Sony executives time after time said yes it will be on time. Hell right up to a few weeks ago they were still giving interviews saying it would be on time. This was announced 1 day after the PS3 EUROPE ad campaign started, they were giving out leaflets and adverts which said 'PS3 launching in Europe in November 06'.

Consider this, the diode shortages would have been well known to Sony before the announcement, why continue the plan to advertise the launch in the EU in November 06 even though they knew of the shortages weeks beforehand. Because they blatently lied, thats why, they lied to try and keep people from buying competitor products.

I'd love to be in the cheerly land you are living in where Sony doesn't lie consistantly about its products.

Examples of Sony Lies: How about the FMV's that sony claimed where actual ingame videos of the PS3 in action? or the 4 HDMI ports that were reduced to 1 on the premium and 0 on the standard? or saying that motion sensing is a gimmick then including it in your own controller? or saying that rumble didnt work with the motion sensing tech, when infact they couldn't use the rumble tech anymore? or saying that they would not use multiple SKU's on their PS3, yet they did, the list goes on and on.

Sony is constantly lying and this is yet another lie they told in order to keep people from buying competing products. Also Ken Katuragi also said there would be 2 Million PS3's available at launch... another lie?

Sony is backpeddling so much, they dont how to go forward.


RE: i guess...
By rushfan2006 on 9/6/2006 12:40:03 PM , Rating: 1
First I didn't mean you said anything with the format wars..I was just adding those comments while posting about the PS3 in a PS3 related thread anyway...I do admit after I read the post I did a horrible job at separating my response to you directly and my little rant there.

Back on topic to your post directly...Its quite obvious you are far more passionate about the PS3 console than I am. To me it makes little difference if it releases today, next year or in a decade. However, I'm hard pressed to believe that they lied. Lying implies INTENTIONAL deceit.


RE: i guess...
By otispunkmeyer on 9/7/2006 5:56:02 AM , Rating: 3
i dont think its been intentional lying. just that one arm doesnt know what the other is doing the PR people are promising this that and the t'other and then when they get back to the office they find that the manufacturing lot have said it cant be done, then the back peddling begins.

that combined with what is very probably denial. they know its going tits up but didnt wanna admit it until it was too late.

so i dont think its intentional lying, its just the business machine really isnt functioning properly


RE: i guess...
By Scorpion on 9/6/2006 12:45:21 PM , Rating: 2
Do you understand the concept between "lying" and "horrible forecasting" or "terrible business planning"?

You're using the wrong language in your arguement, it makes you seem pretty inept at making any point.


RE: i guess...
By gramboh on 9/6/06, Rating: 0
RE: i guess...
By Xavian on 9/6/2006 2:08:26 PM , Rating: 1
yes... using FMV of games and saying they were movies using the ingame engine is 'terrible business planning' and/or 'horrible forcasting', there are more examples but that is a distinct one.

If, after these past few months, you cannot see that sony does lie, then all hope is lost.


RE: i guess...
By Strunf on 9/6/2006 3:47:12 PM , Rating: 2
SONY keeps telling us lies after lies ... the blue laser problems are known since the day they started making them, the same with the CELL and so on... MOST of the problems the IT companies complain of are perfectly predictable since the day they start sampling their prototypes, so yes there’s plenty of IT companies that keep telling us lies...

BTW we have absolute control over what we build, we however have no control over the weather hence why we can predict the yields of something based on a small sample while the weather forecasting is rather inaccurate if we are predicting what it will be in a month.


RE: i guess...
By rushfan2006 on 9/7/2006 10:18:35 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
BTW we have absolute control over what we build, we however have no control over the weather hence why we can predict the yields of something based on a small sample while the weather forecasting is rather inaccurate if we are predicting what it will be in a month.


Wrong. The ultimate wrong assumption of mankind is the illusion that they have total and ultimate control over anything. We can control quality, we can plan endlessly, to increase the CHANCE of a high quality/desired results. However there is no guarantees -- such is live and the nature of it. There's no way to predict unforseen financial problems, supply chain issues, workforce issues, production machine issues..maybe the supplies you need to BUILD a critical part were in a truck that had an accident on the way to the facility and it all got destroyed.

So absolute control is an illusion at best, and straight out fantasy at worse.


RE: i guess...
By rushfan2006 on 9/7/2006 10:19:32 AM , Rating: 2
*are no


RE: i guess...
By Strunf on 9/7/2006 9:48:14 PM , Rating: 2
"However there is no guarantees"
Sure there are ... if you make something to work and conceive it correctly it will work 99% (or more) of the time. In the case of SONY I don’t have any doubts the yields were perfectly predictable from the start, the moment you start sampling the pieces for the prototypes you can have a very good figure of the yields, it's like the CELL, IBM has been speaking of the yields since a really long time, probably since the day they made their first sample.

"maybe the supplies you need to BUILD a critical part were in a truck that had an accident on the way to the facility and it all got destroyed."
Hence why most companies don’t wait till the last minute for a critical component, they not only think sometimes YEARS ahead but make sure their supplier has enough pieces for them and maybe even think of another just in case... in the case of SONY they can buy the blue diodes from Pioneer since they said they don’t have any problem and will fully respect their engagements...


As a parent & video game player...
By jskirwin on 9/6/2006 10:34:35 AM , Rating: 5
I had been planning to score a PS3 for my Kid's Christmas present. However Sony's mismanagement of this console has raised serious doubts about "upgrading" from a PS2 to a PS3.
Even the Kid has expressed a new-found liking of the Xbox.

Let's consider this rationally.

1. I'm not going to fight for one of the available PS3s in Nov. There is nothing more embarrassing than a bunch of suburbanites trying to overcome their guilt for being crappy parents by buying their kids "the hottest toy of the season". Christmas rolls around a few days after my family returns from safari in the Serengeti and I wouldn't have time to play that game even if I had wanted to.

2. I don't want Blu-Ray. I don't have HD TV (yet), and even if I did I am not ready to upgrade my DVD collection - especially to a format that may not be around in five years.

3. I don't like being force-fed technology. If I wanted Blu-Ray I would have asked for it. I want a next generation video game system - nothing more, nothing less.

4. If I don't buy PS3 this fall, I probably won't buy it at all. Xbox 360 will be hitting its stride, and those games will be pretty appealing when the Kid & I visit EB.

5. Crysis will be out soon. I've already begun upgrading my home network to support this game, Far Cry's successor. Far Cry has been a household favorite since its release, and with the added horsepower of some nice PCI-e vid cards and OC'd Core 2 Duos, would PS3 really be able to compete with it anyway?

Sony is showing waaaay too much drama. I don't do drama anymore. I'm too old for it and would prefer to live without it.

So long, Sony.




By Xavian on 9/6/2006 11:46:52 AM , Rating: 2
personally, it sounds like the Wii may be the perfect console for you and your kid.


RE: As a parent & video game player...
By robber98 on 9/6/2006 2:25:19 PM , Rating: 2
I don't understand... You won't buy PS3 becase you can't take advantage of it's HD video output, then why bother XBox360?


RE: As a parent & video game player...
By jskirwin on 9/6/2006 3:01:30 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
You won't buy PS3 becase you can't take advantage of it's HD video output, then why bother XBox360?


I buy a video game console for GAMING. I could count the number of times on one hand where I've used my PS2 to watch a movie. The Xbox 360 has better graphics than my PS2 and seems to be hitting it's stride when it comes to new titles.

This cross-over talk - from M$ and Sony - means nothing to me. You want me to buy your system? Make excellent games for it. I don't expect to watch TV on the fridge, nor do I expect the stove to keep my food cold. Why is this so hard to understand?

I am giving serious thought to the Wii. After all, $200 seems like a pittance after waiting for the PS3 for over a year.

The only thing holding me back is Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. This appears to be a PS3-only title at this point, and I am going to have serious difficulties NOT spending $500 on the PS3 if this doesn't change. Mercenaries was one of the best games I played on PS2 - or any other console for that matter.



RE: As a parent & video game player...
By surt on 9/6/2006 3:45:13 PM , Rating: 2
People are interested in crossover devices for the same reason that few people carry both a pager and cellphone, or own separate freezers and refridgerators.

Unified devices take up less space, cost less to run, cost less to buy, etc ....

Why on earth would you want to have to buy two different entertainment devices to sit under your tv?


By jimmy43 on 9/6/2006 4:14:12 PM , Rating: 2
2 Good Reasons:

1.Standalone devices are almost always better than their combined counterparts, with virtually no exception. For example Ipod+Razr > Ridicoulously crappy itunes phone.

2.Way Easier to replace and upgrade.


I can see...
By cscpianoman on 9/6/2006 8:36:07 AM , Rating: 2
Microsoft leaping for joy on this news. The holiday season is going to be flooded with Nintendo and Microsoft. I am willing to bet once PS3 launches they will go for no less than $1000. That is a serious "ouch" for Sony.




RE: I can see...
By mendocinosummit on 9/6/2006 8:58:19 AM , Rating: 3
Ya, but they will all sell out though. If they had a completely succesful launch customers might be a little more cautious of the high price tag. Now the hardcore and status customers are going to buy it despite the launch the price.