New PS3 Launch Date

Absolam

Tada:
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Announces New
March 2007 date for European Launch of PLAYSTATION 3
No change in launch date for Japan and North America


Dublin, Wednesday 6 September 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that it would revise the launch date of its PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system in the PAL territories of Europe, Russia, Middle East, Africa and Australasia from 17th November 2006, as previously announced to March 2007.

Launch dates for Japan and North America will remain the same, which are November 11th and November 17th respectively.

The revision of the launch date in the SCEE territories is caused by 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.

The previously announced PLAYSTATION 3 shipment forecast of 6 million units globally within the fiscal year ending 2007 is not changed.

Retr0gamer

Well done Sony, you have just lost a lot of support and respect in Europe and probably lost the whole european market to Microsoft and Nintendo.

I have to say that I'm not surprised in the least. The release date was unrealistic in the first place.

madrab

im not suprised & they pretty much handed microsoft the european market

well done sony

tHE vAGGABOND

A fair few games companies are going to be visting their bank managers now I'd guess..

Loosing christmas sales will hurt some of them..

Smellyirishman

Thread in Playstation forum already.

Launch with apparantly 400k consoles in USA and 100k in Japan, so, ebay estimates? 1,500-2000?

{EDIT}Here is a link to the launch numbers by the way.

vAGGABOND wrote:

Loosing christmas sales will hurt some of them..

They will still sell the same amount, just to US and JPN customers.

skywalker

Smellyirishman wrote:

They will still sell the same amount, just to US and JPN customers.

Even with those estimates of tht amounts of consoles going into the US/Japan markets? I dont think so. This will hurt the developers bad.

jesus_thats_gre

Smellyirishman wrote:

Thread in Playstation forum already.

Launch with apparantly 400k consoles in USA and 100k in Japan, so, ebay estimates? 1,500-2000?
quote]


Jesus only 100 units from Japan.. That will give the Wii a massive headstart in Japan. Hopefully MS will actually release some games that interest Japanese gamers also; they might actually sell some units then!

It is interesting that they are pumping the most units into the USA.. It is by far MS's strongest market and the Wii will also be extremely popular in that market.

I wonder what impact this will have on games. Are puplishers gonna release many games pre-xmas with the possibility of selling a max of 400k units.

I have no doubts that MS are literally wetting themselves with joy at the moment,

columok

With the price of the Ps3 I would expect that to have an impact on reducing games sales. No doubt this will cost a lot of people a lot of money... Even if there was a 360like rubbish launch people would buy (some) games in advance.

evad_lhorg

I just hope this doesnt mean Nintendo will now take a mor relaxed approach to wii launching and delay it here too.

rgiller

Surely it's in their best interests to make the most of the opportunity being offered here by Playstation's incompetence. I reckon people who were planning on buying a PS3 are still going to want to buy something. Enter Microsoft and Nintendo...

sprinkles

Doesn't bother me. Was never going to get one, at launch anyway. I'll wait for the massive pay rise/lottery win so I can justify spending that sort of money on a console that does pretty much the same thing as the 360.


As long as ninty keep on track I'll be a happy camper.


Oh BTW, Sony, thanks for conceeding

Retr0gamer

This could really set Nintendo up for dominance in Japan. Also I think that Mistwalker are releasing their two Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy and producer of everything good to come out of Squaresoft) developed games on the xbox360 before christmas which should spark interest in Japan especially with the lacklustre RPGs coming out since Dragon Quest VIII (I still have reservations about FFXII).

The funny thing is that Sony wouldn't have got as much of a back lash if they had just had a late PAL release date in the first place instead of lying about it. It would have been acceptable considering the development difficulties.

Now for the next Sony lie, Cell isn't all that great and PS3 games are slightly better looking than the xbox360.

Ri_Nollaig

Retr0gamer wrote:

Now for the next Sony lie, Cell isn't all that great and PS3 games are slightly better looking than the xbox360.

SSsshhhh dont say that outloud

honru

There's no guarantee that Nintendo will launch the Wii in Europe during the holiday season, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. Obviously, if they do commit to a pre-2007 launch, then they will be making a very very wise decision. The fact that the DS Lite was released so soon after the North American market assures me that they're cleaning up their act.

Another slip from Sony though, not looking good.

Retr0gamer

Actually Nintendo is committed to a pre Christmas 2006 launch in Europe. Whether it will be close to the American and Japanese launches is another matter but you can gauranteed to be playing it before christmas. We will find out on the 15th of this month when the exact date and time is but after todays news Nintendo would be stupid not take this opportunity to gain ground in Europe (saying that Nintendo are notorious for bouts of stupidity when it comes to the european market). Nintendo have more than enough consoles to launch worldwide before christmas since they have been manufacturing Wii's for ages with low rates of failure.

honru

I won't believe anything until the 15th! Or whenever. But it's good to hear they've actually begun manufacturing Wii consoles.

monument

As was being said here along time ago... Spring of what year...

LookingFor

madrab wrote:

im not suprised & they pretty much handed microsoft the european market

It'll take more than a delay for that to happen. I.e. it'd actually take some initiative on Microsoft's part. The 360 is selling pretty poorly in Europe at the moment.

In the longer run, this won't matter. But it's certainly a pisser for those (like me) looking forward to getting one this year.

projectmayhem

madrab wrote:

im not suprised & they pretty much handed microsoft the european market

well done sony

not really. anyone waiting for ps3 isn't going to go "fook it, mgs isn't as good as gears of war anyway" and drop the €400 odd on a 360 randomly. they'll still wait.

i think more then handing ms the market, they handed nintendo a lot of new customers. but tbh, i think sony would rather a bunch of new nintendo fans then microsoft fans...

skywalker wrote:

This will hurt the developers bad.

i'd be inclined to agree, except thinking about it, devs have been very quiet of late. especially in europe. look at sony's showing in germany last week, it was practically none-existent. look at the PES/FIFA announcements (lets be honest, those games sell nothing anywhere compared to europe). look at the general lack of videos/screenshots from european developers (criterion, guerilla, studio liverpool, soho studios, etc.). all of this leads me to believe they knew damn well this was going to happen...

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I have no doubts that MS are literally wetting themselves with joy at the moment,

of course they are, they were just handed a massive bonus in europe at the very least. but they've got one big title due in the next few months, gears of war... and that's really it for their AAA titles. maybe they'll have a few surprises, but i can't see many "system sellers" down the pipe tbh.

one thing for europe though is that the ps3 will have a bloody incredible launch. we'll get all the us/jap launch titles, a few extra randomers, and then the likes of UT2007...

rgiller wrote:

Surely it's in their best interests to make the most of the opportunity being offered here by Playstation's incompetence.

i think it's sony being level-headed tbh. they wont have enough units to end the year in all markets, so they're going with their strongest two. chip yields and other possible manufacturing issues are hardly "playstation's incompetence"

Retr0gamer wrote:

Actually Nintendo is committed to a pre Christmas 2006 launch in Europe.

in fairness, so was sony. nintendo has an easier job for manufacturing the Wii, but they're also off to a late start... and demand will be huge for that in Japan, beyond what they probably expect (judging by DS)... so it's not entirely incomprehensible to see europe get effed again

skywalker

projectmayhem wrote:

i'd be inclined to agree, except thinking about it, devs have been very quiet of late. especially in europe. look at sony's showing in germany last week, it was practically none-existent. look at the PES/FIFA announcements (lets be honest, those games sell nothing anywhere compared to europe). look at the general lack of videos/screenshots from european developers (criterion, guerilla, studio liverpool, soho studios, etc.). all of this leads me to believe they knew damn well this was going to happen...

All true but regardless of whether they knew it was coming it still means less games sales over christmas which still means less money in the christmas paypackets.

Its gonna be a lean christmas this year at the sony house.

evad_lhorg

Only 2 mil machines to be around worldwide by the end of the year

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67356

rgiller

Having not agreed with even one of the, in my opinion, perfectly rational and appropriate criticisms of the PS3 launch programme, I have come to the conclusion that projectmayhem is either Ken Kutaragi or the biggest fanboy in the country. Seriously, you have to admit that they've done themselves no favours with their approach to selling their new console. Sure people will still buy them, but they have a lot more time to think about what they can do with that €600-€800 between now and March. I enjoy my PS2 as much as the next man but the chances of me holding out when the Wii arrives and the 360 drops in price are pretty slim

CiaranC

I wonder will this affect the release schedule for upcoming xbox360 games?

HomesickAlien

if the wii is released on schedule, before christmas, i'm getting one, screw sony. and i doubt i'm the only ps2 owner who feels that way.

evad_lhorg

dont think it will effect the release list too much at all. Microsoft have been pretty good with short or no gaps at all between releases in america and here.

Smellyirishman

(Finally, after two attempts at submission failed and having to re-write twice, my post is alive!)

ProjectMayhem and LookingFor are the epiphanies of Sony fanboys, no offence to either of you, but it is quite clear!

ProjectMayhem wrote:

anyone waiting for ps3 isn't going to go "fook it, mgs isn't as good as gears of war anyway" and drop the €400 odd on a 360 randomly. they'll still wait.

No, but they might say "I want a games console for christmas because that is the only time I can get one and I don't want to wait a year for a PS3 when I can have a 360/Wii now". Anyone into gaming knows about the short comings of buying the PS3, particularly at launch (I don't deny it could turn out to be great, but at release, not a chance). Casual gamers just want something that will play games, the ones that they hear about. When the 360 offers 90%+ of the games they hear about, some exclusivly, the choice is not hard to make especially considering the easy availability (even availability. fullstop.)/lower prices/bigger library in comparison to the PS3.

You're right though people actually waiting for the PS3 will wait for the PS3, regardless of price and release date, but I don't know many that are blind enough to follow that mentality.

ProjectMayhem wrote:

gears of war... and that's really it for their AAA titles. maybe they'll have a few surprises, but i can't see many "system sellers" down the pipe tbh.

GoW has not even been released (or has any worthy successor), so it cannot really be regarded as an AAA title just yet. Now, without naming off the titles coming to 360 or Wii that look very promising, try this one; Halo 3. There is now the chance that this will release before the PS3 in Europe, if that is not a system seller I do not know what is (Also, please note, I never liked Halo). For the Wii there is a new Mario, Zelda and Metroid...from launch!(not sure on Mario actually...)need I say any more?

Can you name all the AAA titles coming to the PS3 in the next few months?

Also, for the record, I didn't like the x-box and got on swimmingly with my GC and PS2. Like I said, PS3 may turn out great, I may end up buying it, but for now it's dead in the water with the exception of MGS, FF and some blind/ignorant support.

Dont be at yourself

And I was setting aside money to get one at launch too.

This is massive for Microsoft, and the announcement couldnt have come at a better time for them. With Saints Row just out, Dead Rising and Test Drive (both scoring 8 in EDGE) out on Friday, we're finally seeing the next-generation of 360 games, that are offering new gameplay mechanics and pushing hardware. Then there's **** likes Gears of War, which are only gonna push things further. Microsoft are going to steal Christmas.

Narcissus

So it's delayed a few extra months in Europe. So what. It gives people more time to save up for it. PS3 will still easily outsell the 360 and wii just because of the playstation brand. There are about 20 odd launch games and there will be even more by the time March '07 comes around.

Oh and so far this year in the US the ps2 is outselling the xbox360 so even if the 360 steals the show this Christmas, Sony are hardly going to be suffering.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060611-7030.html

madrab

maybe bill gates was right when he said that halo 3 will mirror the ps3 launch, weel maybe only in europe but they still might get that blow in

Vegeta

Apapaia wrote:

So it's delayed a few extra months in Europe. So what. It gives people more time to save up for it. PS3 will still easily outsell the 360 and wii just because of the playstation brand. There are about 20 odd launch games and there will be even more by the time March '07 comes around.

I agree with what you are saying, it will make fcuk all difference in the long run but i don't like us Europeans being neglegted yet again.


EDIT: Here is a proposed list of launch titles for the PS3, which ones exactly are AAA so I know what to watch out for.

Armored Core 4
Blade Storm: Hundred Years War
Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII
Call of Duty 3
Fatal Inertia
F.E.A.R.
flOw
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Genji: Days of the Blade
Lair
Madden 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
NBA Live 07
Need for Speed: Carbon
Resistance: Fall of Man
Ridge Racer 7
Sonic the Hedgehog
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Warhawk
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom

BlitzKrieg

Is it just me or is anyone else seeing this going the same way as the PSP?