Sony PS3 delayed in Europe

SONY HAS ANNOUNCED a four month delay to the launch of the Playstation 3 in the PAL territory, which means a wait until March for PS3 fan boys in the likes of Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. Launch dates for Japan and North America will remain the same, which are November 11th and November 17th respectively.

In an official statement, Sony said the decision to revise the launch date was taken following "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."

Rumours of a shortage emerged a few days ago, with reports suggesting that Sony had suspended shipment of the diodes to customers making standalone Blu-Ray players, in an attempt to keep production of the PS3's Blu-Ray drive running smoothly.

This is further bad news for Sony, coming so soon before the expected launch date, who have already received much negative press concerning the Playstation 3 console due to its huge cost, bundled Blu-Ray drive and costly proprietary components. µ

See also
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