Hold your breaths and cross your fingers tight for there just might be yet another snafu from Sony on its next-gen console, the PlayStation 3. We know, we've already heard so much negative press about the shipment delays and whatnot. And trust us, we find it just as frustrating as you guys to keep on receiving all these bad news. But sadly, we're afraid there could be more.

After the water's calmed down on the PAL release delay of the PS3, we have here yet another bit that's sure to make you fidget and sweat in your seats. For the first time, Sony has actually admitted to the public that its planned shipment figures of two million by the end of this year is, at best, "a target". Same goes for its outlook of six million units by the end of next March. Uh-oh. That doesn't sound so bright.

Bloomberg reports that the company giant isn't so confident with the figure, with Jack Tretton, SCEA's executive vice president stating that, "The honest answer is it's more of a target [for PS3 shipments]...Clearly, we've had production issues." This is in clear contrast from what his subordinate, vice president of marketing Peter Dille, told GameDaily Biz yesterday, after Sony's big media event. According to Dille, "We're on track; everything's gone smoothly from a manufacturing perspective...the numbers that we have talked about for a while still stand; two million units by the end of the calendar are still forecast and everything looks to be on track with that number."

So which is it, really? It's been predicted by analysts that meeting the numbers could be a problem for Sony, given that manufacturing the console requires a complex electronics device, which could be a bit more challenging for Sony than they have initially anticipated. Apart from this, they also believe that the sales of the PS3 will be off to a not-so-good start.

However, they also did say that they are positive that in the long haul, Sony would have regained control of the market. In fact, Enterbrain believes that by 2009, Sony would have sold 34 million PS3s, as opposed to 28 million Xbox 360s and 25 million Wiis. And isn't that what would matter most? As Tretton has said previously, "We don't expect nor do we need everybody to embrace the [PS3] technology from day one. But I think what we're saying with PS3 is that this is the machine that is going to drive gaming for the next ten years." Very well said.

Anyway, we'll keep you posted on more updates regarding this bit. And like all of you out there, we too here at QJ are fervently hoping that Sony will get over this hump, and finally deliver to us the PS3 that we've been waiting for.