Posted Sep 06, 2006 at 11:40AM by Christopher C. Listed in: Opinions & Analysis Tags: Christmas, Japan, Sony, eBay, UK, CGI
Ó

D'OH!


Sometimes you just have to roll with the hits. It's inevitable we'll be branded for PS3 hatin' with all the not so savory news coming in today about the console, but rest assured it pains me just as much to report this news as it does for you to hear it. Well, most of you, some of you might be X-bots. Still, it helps to talk about it.

Anyway, hot on the heels of news that Sony will be delaying the launch of the PS3 in PAL territories till March of 2007 comes another bombshell, according to the International Herald Tribune (and with a fancy schmancy name like that who can doubt them) the PS3 launch will be limited to 400,000 units in the U.S and 100,000 in Japan. No, that's not a typo.

At this point there's not much left to do but feel sorry for the hordes of fans who wanted a PS3 this Christmas and won't be able to get one, we won't be walking to Walmart come launch to pick one off the shelves anymore. These new numbers pretty much guarantee lines, long lines with smelly people, and rain and tents and waking up early and all that crap some of us are far too old to participate in.

But let's put this in perspective for a moment, 500,000 units is the exact same number of units the PS2 launched with, remember how easy that was get at launch? What, no? That's because it wasn't easy to get a PS2 at launch, in fact, the first ones to appear on Ebay went for as much as $1,500. A more recent and direct comparison can be drawn to the Xbox 360, which launched with 1.5 million units, 3 times as many as we're now expecting from Sony. Even so, people still weren't able to easily get their hands on a 360 till March of the next calendar year. Put simply, this does not bode well for gamers.

So what can Sony do at this point? They can't magically create more blue laser diodes (a shortage of which is the reason for the delay). Frankly I think Sony's best bet to win back some gamer goodwill is the Tokyo Game Show. They absolutely need to completely floor gamers and the press with their showing, no more tip toeing around the subject, no CGI, no saving stuff for later,  just big badass games running on real PS3's. They need to pull out all the stops and their biggest guns to give gamers a reason to wait for the PS3, especially since it now looks like titles such as Gears of War and possibly Lost Planet and Mass Effect will be available on the easily procured 360, making it a very attractive proposition. Missing Christmas in one of the world's biggest markets is a pretty big deal, especially since it's a market where Microsoft will be looking gain significant ground in (let's just forget Japan, that's a lost cause).

The PlayStation brand has always been extremely strong in PAL territories and especially in the UK, so it's a surprise (and yet the same old song) that Sony's willing to give them the shaft yet again. It's hard for this not to come off as a PS3 hatin' article, I really am a Sony fan at heart but I really think what they've put their fans through in the run up to the PS3 launch, from the first delayed launch, to a lackluster E3, to the CG rendered videos to numerous product downgrades, and now this... well, it's all a bit much really.

For what it's worth, I'm still getting a PS3, it's just unlikely to happen this year. Seems to be the resounding sentiment around the net right now. Surely after all this bad news there's nowhere else for Sony to go but up?

As always I'd love to know what you guys think of the delay and the lowered launch numbers. Will you line up for a PS3? Will you still get one this year? Will you get one at all now?


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70 Comments


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   by xboxmods (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » all i can say

all i can say is.................. OWNED

   by FreakShow! (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » It's still a rumourq

Where have they got this figure from? Sony haven't confirmed it have they.

   by Planet - 2006-09-06
 » I contradict!

This is not "PS3 hatin", in fact, it is very sensitivly written, unlike a few other previous articles on this page. The truth is hard enough and gets enough (probably deserved) bashing everywhere, thanks for not joining in. The comment thread will do anyway...

   by CSFFlame - 2006-09-06
 » Well

Everyone saw this coming, It's not hating, it's what Sony said.

   by Wilester - 2006-09-06

Hey Chris, nice to see you writing articles again :D

I was extemely annoyed to wake up this morning and find out that I won't be getting a PS3 for at least another 6 months as I am one of the unfortunate to live in Europe. But hey, I'll have the Wii, right?

And I do agree with you in that they HAVE to have a perfect TGS. Anything less and well...... that'll be it for PS3 really.

   by tiktak - 2006-09-06
 » hmmm

When I first heard of it I said "NO WAY I AM GETTING 360 NOW" but it would mean I could not have my PS3 in march... That would be unbearable with all the Virtua Fighters, Heavenly Swords and god knows what more. These 4 months will be my greatest test of faith in my life I guess.
There is still option of importing in december for instance(499$ not 499euro) . Warancy will be the point.

   by phalanges (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » Didn't this happen with the PSP?

It was the same situation with the PSP. Europe ended up getting it last, so what did people do? They imported, I don't see why people don't do the same. It's not like Sony will only produce 500K from November to March 07. They wouldn't miss the Christmas season. The PS3 will allow people to play region free games. I mean, if you are that desperate for the system, just import it from NA. It'll probably be cheaper (without the shipping and handling charges, of course).

   by rads (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » enough is enough

c,mon sony have been shafting you playstation freaks for not months but years now. wake up ! There is a saying what goes up must come down. There is no way except downhill for sony.honestly , sorry to all you real sony fanboys. move on. ITS MICROSOFTS TURN......

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   by Christopher C. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2006-09-06
 » They imported, I don't see why people don't do the same.

Well, the PSP was region free when it comes to gaming, so it'll be a lot more difficult to import. It's a sad situation, but I'm still getting one of those things (a PS3 that is).

   by sh8dy45 (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06

wow....i would like to see sony get themselves outta this mess now......

   by Its over (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » Its Over

Games up in my opinion

   by WickedDrag0oN (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » Intentions...

I never intended on getting a PS3 right away anyhow. I still do however plan on buying one. If not this year I will get it next. No rush not like there will be any RPG's at launch anyways.

   by Microsoft (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » omg

dude microsoft is probably going insane now. Do you know how much business microsoft just gained and how much sony just lost. This war is already over imo.

   by Setan (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » SKU Numbers?

Has there been anything said about how they are going to break that 400k between the two different sku's?

   by Kenet PL (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » If its true..

personaly i don't want to belive in this.. BUT i it will be confirmed.. GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I will be so Frackin MAD!!! This is like getin blow i my face.. delay again... and since i can aford only one "Next-Gen" gameing system i'm realy in strugle.... wait and buy delay-delay PS3 or just go and buy X360.
Roght now i'm mad at sony so i will wait.. i must calm down to make decizion...

Sorry for bad english...

   by Rich (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06

Anyone remember how many 360's there were at launchin the US??? does anyone have that number? Ill help you It was 400,000.. So im still not to worried about this.. plus half of them had to be called back cause they are all $hitty!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_launch
"According to the NDP Group, North American sales totaled 326,000 units in November.[13]"


ill bet money that more PS3's are sold inthe first 3 days than 360 sold in thier first month is the US

   by Wil (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06

hah #16 -- If the 360 sold about 325k the first day, and the PS3 will only have about 400k for launch, I doubt the PS3 will be out-selling the 360 in 3 days because by day 1 it'll be sold out with atleast 1/10th of them being sold on Ebay for 2k a pop.

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   by Rich (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » @17

READ THE ARTICLE!!!! IT SAYS IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER!!! THATS NOT THE FIRST DAY!!!!!!!! MORON!!!!!!! and that ALL of North America... which includes our friends in Canada!!! So like i said... your dumb

   by hmm (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » man

I really don't want to wait in a line for this thing. I just want to walk in a store and say 'that one' and it's in my hands.... sure sure there is alot of sony bashing sure sure this is a really really bad launch game line up but you know what I don't care cuz I like to spend money and I know in the end of 2007 and during 2008 ps3 is going to have crazy arse games that I'll be able to play because I went ahead and bought a PS3. Oh but if I don't get a ps3 on launch I can still play my 360 which I have (currenty playing Enchanted Arms *sweet game*) and I will have a Wii hopefully if it has enough for launch...

   by DJ Natas (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » LOL..its a marketing ploy...

tell people there is a shortage and the demand just went up.

   by Dj Natas (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » Uh, you guys might want to take a look....

This morning in Tokyo, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi reportedly announced that only 500,000 PlayStation 3s would be available in the US and Japan at launch, and that the console's European debut had been pushed back until 2007.

Of the 500,000 launch PS3s, 100,000 will go on sale in Japan on November 11, and 400,000 will hit store shelves in North America on November 17. "We decided to focus on the Japanese and US markets," Kutaragi told reporters at a Tokyo press conference before apologizing for the delay, according to the Associated Press. Reuters echoed the numbers, and said that Kutaragi had lowered the worldwide 2006 PS3 shipment target from 4 million to 2 million.

[UPDATE 1 & 2] When contacted by GameSpot about today's PS3 news, Sony reps said only that the company had "not announced specific ship numbers for Japan or North America." They also said that, despite the European delay and the reports of reduced shipment numbers, the previous estimates still stood. "[We] have announced that 2 million will be available in the world come November 11 and 17 and 4 million by the end of the calendar year," said a spokesperson.

[UPDATE 3] If that wasn't confusing enough, a third set of numbers has entered the mix, courtesy of MTV News. Dave Karraker, SCEA's newly appointed head of corporate communications, told the youth network that around 1 million PS3s will be available at retail during the holiday shopping season.

"People shouldn't fixate on the day-one allocation number," Karraker told MTV. "They should instead be more interested in the overall units available through the holidays, which will be 1 million to 1.2 million, which are significant amounts that will provide retail supply week over week with no dips in available stock."

Karraker also said that consumers shouldn't compare the PS3 launch to last year's Xbox 360 launch, which was also plagued by massive shortages and the occasional scuffle. "The supply we have at launch is comparable to what was available for the PS2, not Xbox 360," said Karraker. The PS2 launched in October 2000 with just a half-million units at retail--causing near-riots at some stores.

It was unclear which "holidays" Karraker was referring to when he spoke to MTV. Traditionally, though, the last day of Christmas shopping is December 26--meaning Sony would have to sell between 800,000 and 1 million PlayStation 3s in five days to make its 2 million-unit US target. If he meant through New Year's Eve, then the 2 million-unit target is no longer valid. Requests for clarification sent to Karraker had not been returned as of press time. [END UPDATES]

Though the various launch estimates are confusing, one thing is perfectly clear. Sony is also officially sticking to its original PS3 sales estimates for its current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2007. "The previously announced PlayStation 3 shipment forecast of 6 million units globally within the fiscal year ending 2007 is not changed," the company said in a statement issued early this morning.

Sony blamed manufacturing laser diodes for the PS3's Blu-ray Disc drive for the shipment issues. "The revision of the launch date in [European] 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 utilized in PlayStation 3," read Sony's statement. Kutaragi gave similar comments to the Associated Press, though he reportedly said they would also cause short supply.

   by MeMyself and I (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06

Chris, something's not right in your report but I don't know the answer myself...

- Threre are 2 million PS3s expected to be shipped by the end of 2006, right?

- North America gets 400K and Japan gets 100K this year according to your source.

- Europe gets nothing until March 2007

By my calculations, that leaves 1.4 million PS3s that will be shipped somewhere this year. Where to? Nigeria? I think that North America will get 700K to one million units by Dec. 31st. I think Japan gets at least 400K - 500K.

I'm not trying to be biased in the face of awful news, but what we know so far does NOT add up.

   by Me Myself and I (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06

DJ Natas, I was typing my post as you were adding yours. You confirmed my personal suspicions... thanks.

   by Figboy (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » to 19: bad launch line up?

first things first: Welcome back, Chris. it's been too long without your smartly written and objective stories. not to hate on QJ too hard, but it's been a monkey's den since you've been absent.

now that that's out of the way: from what titles we have confirmed for the PS3 launch this fall, it's shaping up to have one of, if not the, best launch lineup in gaming history (and i've been gaming for over 20 years, and so far, barring the NES and SNES, launch titles for gaming systems have sucked). yeah, a lot of titles are multiplatform, but for those that don't own a 360, and can only get a PS3 this year, it's great to have such quality titles on day one:

Resistance: Fall of Man - this FPS is shaping up to be really, really fun, and from what i played of it at E3 this year, it is.

Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - another game that's shaping up nicely from the build i played at E3, and should satisfy hack n' slash fans (like me and my fiance)

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
F.E.A.R.
Half Life 2
Warhawk - Played at E3 also. very fun. very intuitive controls.
Rainbow Six: Vegas
Need for Speed
Madden
Tiger Woods
Call of Duty 3
Tony Hawk
Bladestorm
Fatal Inertia
Sonic the Hedgehog
Full Auto 2
Genji 2
MotorStorm

that's a pretty solid lineup going into a console launch. and considering that Europeans won't be getting their consoles until march, they'll have these titles to choose from, along with the ones above:

Unreal 2K7
Stranglehold
NBA Street
Heavenly Sword
Assassin's Creed
Brothers in Arms
Burnout 5
Army of Two
Def Jam
Medal of Honor
The Darkness
Virtua Fighter 5

it sucks to have to wait, but looking on the bright side (such as the European market getting units that probably won't be so defective as rushed out, November units), it's not as god awful "Sony is teh suxxorz" as conclusion jumpers and haters are spouting. people seriously need to calm down.











   by aaa (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » aaa

ps3 fanboyz can suck my *****

   by stu (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » wtf

RIGHT THE GUY WHO SAID ABOUT THE PSP US GETTIN IT LAST I WAS GONA GET 1 THEN IT GOT DELAYED TILL MARCH AND AFTER THE LONG WAIT I DIDNT GET 1 COS I JUST GOT BORED OF IT AND THATS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE PS3 SO ILL JUST GET A 360 COS IT HAS BETER GRAPHICS THAN MY PS2

   by zorax - 2006-09-06
 » now Sony need to change their plan

With the Tokyo Game Show coming up they have to show off alot more of PS3, say that the price tag will change and convince us Europeans why we need/want to wait until March...

I still have alot of good PS2 games to play through and I play alot on PSP so I'm waiting to the pricedrop, but I really hope that Sony will announce a new price for the PS3 at the TGS!

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   by KnowLedge - 2006-09-06
 » So it's a fake...

Chris, I love your articles, but right now you should just take it down or post updates ;) .

Damn, that short good update in post number 21 got my hopes for importing the console.

When I first read that I thought "how could SONY ship only 100k units to Japan?" , and now, that we know it's fake, I think that what they want to do is deliver sufficient ammounts of units to all regions at launch, instead of just pushing units across all regions making stock much smaller.

   by RazeR (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » HMMMmmm

if i remember correctly, a few months back Mr Ken announced that they will meet the peoples demand for the PS3 and will not have a shortage, but alot of analysts predicted they will not meet the demand... i will definetly own a ps3 but not this year, maybe next xmas when it goes down to about 399 (that's if ps3 does not goes belly up), i will own a Wii this Xmas though... in the mean time i have a 360, 2 Ps2's, PsP and DSLite to keep me busy till i get the PS3... and by the time i get the PS3, mostlikely someone has already Mod it to run homebrew (hehehehe)...


   by Figboy (Unregistered) - 2006-09-06
 » the way i see it

i may not get a PS3 this year, and i live in the US, simply because i may not have the cash this November for it.

however, on the brighter side, i have Final Fantasy XII, Okami, Rogue Galaxy, Lego Star Wars 2, Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, Yakuza to keep me busy on my still kicking PS2 this year, as well as Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and possibly Silent Hill: Origins for my PSP.

i can wait for a PS3 (hell, i'll probably have to anyway). there are too many must have titles for my PS2 that i'd probably have to ignore if i shifted every penny to procuring a PS3 this November.

once the UK get their hands on the titles i mentioned above, i think they'll agree waiting isn't the worst thing ever.



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