Sony: PS3 launch will (or won't) be delayed
by Conrad Quilty-Harper 
{ Feb 20th 2006 at 10:30AM }
In two conflicting statements, Sony has denied a report by Merrill Lynch
that suggested the PlayStation 3 could be delayed until next year, whilst simultaneously stating that the launch could be pushed back
because of delays in approval of the PS3's "final specifications" by industry consortiums.An article from Bloomberg Asia includes a quote from Kei Sakaguchi, a Sony spokesman in Tokyo saying that "there is no change in our original plan to release the console in spring 2006." Contradicting the Bloomberg report, BBC News paraphrases the words of an unnamed Sony spokesman: "Sony [is] waiting for final specifications - which are decided by industry consortiums." In the spokesman's own words: "the launch could be pushed back if [the specifications are] not decided soon."
We're not quite sure who's statement to believe. If the quote from the unnamed spokesperson in the BBC article is now the company's official line, then this is the first admission we've heard from Sony that suggests the company may miss its target of a spring 2006 launch. Something which analysts have been predicting for months.
[Thanks, YM and Mr Zsasz]
Read - BBC report
Read - Bloomberg report
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Carlton @ Feb 20th 2006 10:43AM
I say summer 2007, I guess i can pick up that 360 now
Tim @ Feb 20th 2006 10:44AM
How long would it really take to finalize specs? I doubt it would take so long that it would push the release date back more than a few weeks.
Carlton @ Feb 20th 2006 10:46AM
I say summer 2007, I guess i can pick up that 360 now
Captain Obvious @ Feb 20th 2006 10:53AM
If Sony can pull this off, releasing such an ambitious console with a Blu-Ray drive before or just as stand alone players are available, it'll be a major coup. They really need to release this year with an affordable price to maintain momentum. If put it off until next year, sales may not be as great as they were in the past, as the 360 and Revolution take a foot hold.
But if for some reason there is a delay, it would only help improve the quality of the games, as companies would have more time to develop.
DidYouLoseASock @ Feb 20th 2006 10:55AM
The only reason there is no PS3fanboy.com is because every single post will be about if its delayed or not. Any way I noticed that if you go there you have to type in a username and password so i guess you guys are working on it. Cant wait for it to go live.
SuicideNinja @ Feb 20th 2006 11:08AM
Everyone is confused about the launch. I was at Gamestop yesterday, and a customer was asking about the PS3. The employee told him that, "It will probably be delayed until next year. But just know that the longer it takes the better it will be."
The customer said in response, "And the more expensive it will be." Then he promptly asked if they had any Xbox 360s.
PS3 News @ Feb 20th 2006 11:09AM
I find it interesting the sony rep didn't comment on the $900 production costs.
TiaMaster @ Feb 20th 2006 11:12AM
I love my 360 but I also can't wait for the PS3 because of its technical ambitions.
That said, I don't ever believe one word out of Sony's mouth (for obvious reasons for anyone who has followed the company in the past...). Therefore, I expect that the console will either be:
a) delayed, but rightly so because they need to take as much time as they need to make it a good console, and to let game makers have time to make good launch games
b) released on time, but with manufacturing problems ala 360, and rushed launch games, and either no online service, or a crappy one.
Kamalot @ Feb 20th 2006 11:14AM
Sony wants you to believe that the PS3 is coming out in Spring so that you don't buy a 360; plain and simple.
SONY IS SCARED!
Armin @ Feb 20th 2006 11:16AM
"there is no change in our original plan to release the console in spring 2006."
Hahaha, yeah, that gives them about... 1 MONTH to launch the console...
Why can't they be honest for once...
xbox360dsPSP @ Feb 20th 2006 11:24AM
This week's MajorNelson podcast (http://majornelson.com) calls Sony on the credibility of their 1080p claims as the 60FPS variant doesn't exist yet and requires a huge amount of bandwidth. The cables to support the spec don't even exist. 1080p is only possible at 24FPS and 30FPS at the moment (eg. 1080p24, 1080p30). 120FPS? We're not even at 1080p60 yet.
Given that 720p60 is the only HDTV spec that actually supports a refresh for 60FPS, they made a solid argument that it is currently the best HD standard for gaming requirements.
The PS3 is sounding more and more like the PS2 hype everyday.
Captain Obvious @ Feb 20th 2006 11:27AM
Reuters picked up on the story and elaborates a little more
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-02-20-sony-ps3_x.htm?POE=TECISVA
J B Cougar @ Feb 20th 2006 11:56AM
""But if for some reason there is a delay, it would only help improve the quality of the games, as companies would have more time to develop.""
I don't mean to flame, but that's just not a logical case. What if the delay is because the system is too difficult to develop for? A developer can have all the time in the world, but if it's hardware problems/difficulties, then it's irrelevant how much time he/she gets.
Anyway, I'm startting to feel like Sony underestimated the intelligence of the gamer community at large. So far they've asked us to bear with them as they prepare a "next gen" console that they "just know" people will get a second job to afford. Sorry, but no one I know plans on doing that. They've also stumbled with the controller. Nintendo's influence aside, it sounds as if they expected us to just love the booomerang or else. Now they have taken it away, behind closed doors, and are doing who knows what? Regardless, it's the exact same controller as 5 years ago, yet we shoud all call it "next gen???" just because it's wireless?!
Call me a fanboy (of what?) all you want, but Sony has really missed the boat since PS2 took the scene by storm. Maybe they got cocky, and just assumed we'd all be too ignorant to ask questions, and that we'd all just assume PS3 would equal PS2? That PSP could survive on millions in advertising alone? Personally, I'm getting kind of insulted.
Jeremy Wright @ Feb 20th 2006 12:07PM
Sony exec: "We're waiting for specs to be finished in the next month"
Production crews: "When do you want to launch?"
Sony exec: "Spring"
Production crews: "When does Spring end again?"
Sony exec: "June 20th"
Production crews: "And you want how many consoles by then?"
Sony exec: "1 BILLION!!!"
Production crews: "Yeah, and we'll throw in J. Lo's booty too. Seriously, how many do you NEED?"
Sony exec: "How does 10 million sound?
Productoin crews: "Like the odds of Britney becoming cool again. How about 2 million, for 'Summer'?"
Sony exec: "Okay."
swarm @ Feb 20th 2006 12:47PM
Who says both quotes can't be true? Sony may have no change in their release plans, but if some (external) standards bureaucracy holds them up, then things will be delayed.
We'll know in four months, I guess.
Spartacus @ Feb 20th 2006 1:15PM
Lol, I'm starting to get the feeling SONY dosn't even know what's going on. There is certainly much confusion about the console, not only about WHEN it's coming out, but WHAT it really is (Game console? Media center? Small PC?) and What it is really capable of. Sony needs to get their story straight and needs to give some sort of official update soon, otherwise thy could potentially lose some customers to the two other "noncompetitors" out there. Here's hoping they have their act together at E3...
JEG @ Feb 20th 2006 1:51PM
Well, you can tell by the anxiety in everyone's comment's that they really are interested in the PS3. Otherwise, why bother posting? Anyway, like Sony is the only company in history that has ever failed to deliver on a promise or miss a deadline. If you hired somebody to build a house for you and they went over their target completion date, would you tell them you're going to move in anyway? What if there's no roof on the house? Still want to move in? No, you'd wait until it's finished because you know having a roof on the house will make it much easier to live there. Okay, so Sony hasn't delivered yet. Big deal. Better to check and double check everything BEFORE sending orders to production. Right?! So everybody relax. In the meantime, there are a lot of great games out there to play.
vaylen @ Feb 20th 2006 2:40PM
I think it's likely that their Japanese spring launch slips to summer. But then they get their shiznit together and the US launch is still in November.
Jeremy Wright @ Feb 20th 2006 2:44PM
As long as they can launch in NA this year, they should be okay. The slips won't hurt them that much. If they dont' launch in Japan until late summer it'll hurt them, but most Japanese folk who would have bought a PS3 still will eventually, so no huge deal.
It's only if things really, really slip that the equations start to change.
evnflow @ Feb 20th 2006 5:27PM
The BBC is soo shite. Worst new reporters in the WORLD!
Jake @ Feb 20th 2006 5:47PM
It's never really been questioned in my mind... Sony will launch the PS3 in the US in September - staying consistent with the PS1 and PS2 launch time frames. I'm also thinking that they'll probably wait until then to release it in Japan as well. I'm sure they're a little behind what they had predicted a year ago, and they'll push back the launch date a couple months to make sure they have the amount they want (and to also make sure things work as they should). There's really no way that Sony would push back the launch to 2007 and miss the holiday season.
Jimmy @ Feb 20th 2006 6:57PM
See this GameSpot.COM article from August 2005.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129862.html?q=ps3%20launch
"Should Microsoft fail to garner sufficient software support to gain an insurmountable lead, we think that there is a possibility that the PS3 launch will slip into early 2007."
Due to the severe XBox 360 shortage, this PS3 scenario could play out.
Jimmy @ Feb 20th 2006 6:59PM
See this GameSpot.COM article from August 2005.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129862.html?q=ps3%20launch
"Should Microsoft fail to garner sufficient software support to gain an insurmountable lead, we think that there is a possibility that the PS3 launch will slip into early 2007."
Due to the severe XBox 360 shortage, this PS3 scenario could play out.
don_sf @ Feb 20th 2006 8:16PM
im a fan of sony platstation, but dam aint it obvios how much hype thet can create.
this is exactly what they want, a lot of debate, speculation and discussion. even xbox fans wanna know about the ps3.
watch, as we carry on doing this, suddenly the ps3 will be announced sell andd become the worlds fastest sellling console.
Darth Pixel @ Feb 21st 2006 2:41AM
News for you...
On Wednesday night, Blu-ray got AACS Approval.
Official press release to come out this week.
All lights are green at this point.
Frankie @ Feb 21st 2006 12:32PM
Yeah.....just yesterday I saw on the local news that Sony is having manufacturing problems with some type of chip and that the delay is very possible........Geez....Xbox 360 problems all over again. LOL
Icelawn @ Feb 21st 2006 4:43PM
People (for some reason) are forgetting that (if by some miracle) the PS3 does launch by spring, it wont be here in the states. Either way it will be X-Mas "06" at BEST surely summer "07" That is if the rumors about the world wide launch are proven false. So keep your panties on and plan for next year.