The delay of the PlayStation 3 in Europe has shocked many, and given rise to much debate and comments. Not surprisingly, the first company to put its 2 cents in is none other than Sony's main competitor in the next-gen console war- Microsoft.
The same American software giant which also failed in an ambitious worldwide launch last year has blamed the PlayStation 3's delay on what it calls “unproven technology” and has hinted that Sony has failed gamers by not following through with a promised November launch in one of the world's largest gaming markets. “We know how challenging it is to pull off a global launch, so it's not surprising that Sony has backed away from their previously announced launch plan, due to the unproven technology they are trying to pack in to their console,” said the Xbox UK's Neil Thompson.
A true worldwide launch remains the dream of any console maker, and is a feat which has yet to be accomplished. Last year, Microsoft managed to get units to North America, Japan and Europe as promised, but had to delay Australia's launch twice. This year, Sony had hoped to do better than Microsoft by launching the PlayStation 3 in the world's major markets within the same month, but announced yesterday that all PAL regions will not see their console until March next year.
Sony has estimated a launch window of March for the delayed regions, which includes most of Asia, Europe and Australia, but has yet to announced an exact launch date. The previous launch date of Europe was set at November 17th. The launch in Japan and and North America remains on schedule.
PS3land
